Druid's Potato & Leek Soup

It's Autumn, and it's time to start thinking about warm, savory soups to keep us heated and going during the chilly months. So here is my recipe for a delicious simple soup that your family will crave after the first taste.

6-8 Red Potatoes
2 Leeks
1 Shallot, or 1 Cup Yellow Onion
2 10.4oz Cans of Cream of Celery Soup
1 10.4oz Can of Cream of Broccoli Soup
2 Cups of Chicken Broth
2 Cups of Chopped Bacon
1/2 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Thyme
2 TBSP Black Pepper

1: Sauté the shallot (or onion), and leeks together in a skillet until lightly wilted and starting to brown. (I use the same pan I cook the bacon in, so I can use the grease, and it's already hot)

2: Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch thick cubes the best you can. I realize potatoes are roundish and not square, so just do what you can with what nature gives you.

3: Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot or other similar slow cooker, stirring everything together until mixed thoroughly. Set the temperature controls to low, and allow to cook for 7-8 hours.

4: Serve with a light side salad and enjoy!

This is a dish that you can literally prepare in the morning, and it will be ready to eat when you come home from work or school. Yes, some of you will cry foul over my use of condensed soup in the recipe, saying I am cheating, but this recipe is for the everyday cook. For the person that works 8-10 hours a day, and doesn't have time or the energy to whip it all together from scratch.

I will be posting a recipe eventually for bread bowls to serve this soup in, just keep in mind, I do not like sourdough. So if you want a sourdough bread bowl, you will have to find or make one yourself. I know, it's kind of a mean attitude to have, but when I post the recipe for bread bowls, it will either be garlic rosemary bread, or some kind of pop-over puff.

~Bon Appétit~

Crock-Pot 6 1/2-Qt. Touchscreen Slow Cooker (Google Affiliate Ad)

Creamy Tater Tot Casserole

This is a very easy, filling dish you can make, and is perfect for those colder nights that are coming. It takes only minimal effort to create, and is very delicious. You will need a deep 9x13 cake pan, an oven, and a appetite for savory, yummy food.

Frozen Tater Tots
Frozen Peas or Corn
1lb of Lean Ground Beef
1/2lb of Bacon
1 10.4oz Can Cambell's Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 10.4oz Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Cup of Finely Chopped Yellow Onion
1/4 Cup of Finely Diced Garlic
2 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
Ground Black Pepper
French's French Fried Onions

1: Brown the bacon and ground beef in a skillet with the onion and garlic, drain most of the grease away. Mix together the soups and your chosen (if any) frozen veggies in a separate dish and set aside.

2: Spray your 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray if needed. Place a single layer of tater tots on the bottom of the pan, cover with a little of the combined soups, then place the meat mixture into the dish in an even layer. Top with remaining soup mixture and another layer of tater tots.

3: Sprinkle the top of the casserole with a light dusting of ground black pepper, and drizzle with worcestershire sauce. Place dish in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until top later of tater tots is brown and crispy, but not overcooked.

4: Pull cooked casserole from the oven, and crumble french fried onions over the dish. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, then serve and enjoy.

There really isn't much more to it than this. It's a very simple, delicious, easy to enjoy dish that the entire family will love. Take this recipe, use it, make it your own by adding things to it, or doing things differently. I have seen recipes out there calling for tomato-based sauces instead of soups, and you are more than welcome to find them and try them. Let me know how they turn out!

~Bon Appétit~

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Firecracker Shrimp

This is a recipe for crispy, sweet and spicy shrimp and the dipping sauce I make to go with them. They are VERY simple to do, just takes a bit of prepping ahead of time.

For Shrimp:
1LB of small cooked shrimp, deveined and cleaned
1 Package of Panko Breading
1 Package of shredded coconut
2 Cups buttermilk
1/2 Cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
1/2 Cup dried red chili flakes
1 TBSP Ancho Chili Powder
1 TSP Garlic Powder
1 TSP Salt

1: In a mixing bowl, stir together buttermilk, hot sauce, and chili powder. Add in the shrimp and allow to soak, covered in the fridge for 8-10 hours. This can be done in the morning, and left at home in the fridge while you go to work or school.

2: Mix together Panko, shredded Coconut, pepper flakes, garlic powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly.

3: Remove the shrimp from the milk mixture and coat each shrimp completely in the Panko-coconut breading.

4: Carefully lower the shrimp into a 360 degree deep fryer (you can also pan-fry, if you wish) and cook for 7-10 minutes until breading is golden brown, but not overcooked.

For Dipping Sauce:
2 Cups fresh raspberries
1 Cup Corn Syrup
1 TBSP Ancho Chili Powder
1 TSP Franks Red Hot Sauce
1/2 Cup Clover Honey
1/2 Cup Mango Juice

This is REALLY simple. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and mix into a slightly coarse texture. That is all. Nothing complicated to it. Nothing fancy. Just throw it in a blender and press the button.

Plate the shrimp and put the dipping sauce in a small dish such as a sauce bowl, sometimes referred to as a bullet. Serve, and enjoy!

This makes a great meal if paired with a salad or lightly seasoned couscous, or even a mid-day snack while watching the game on TV. A cold beer, some fresh hot Firecracker Shrimp, and your favorite sports team winning their game, what could better than that?

~Bon Appétit~

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Gluten-Free Chart

Many of my friends are on Gluten-Free Diets, or are allergic to Wheat. So I found this chart to help them out. This allows you to use other ingredients instead of wheat flour in your recipes. 

~Bon Appétit~

Druid's Summer Salad

I know it is nearly fall, but this salad is simple and good any time of the year. It's full of flavor and quite healthy for anyone looking for a '"feel good" snack or even a light meal to hold them over until something bigger comes along.

Arugula
Spinach
Watercress
Fresh Mozzarella
Roma Tomatoes
Chopped Cashews
Shredded Parmesan
Shelled, Deveined Shrimp
Red Wine Vinaigrette
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1: Carefully chop mozzarella and tomatoes into 1/4 inch cubes and toss with the red wine vinaigrette. Set aside.

2: Use the olive oil and sauté together the cashews and shrimp until the shrimp are fully cooked. This can also be done with chicken or tuna if you wish for a different flavor. Set aside and keep warm

3: Toss together arugula, spinach, watercress, and parmesan cheese. Place mixture into desired serving dish and top with the cashews and shrimp, then gently place the tomatoes and mozzarella onto the salad.

4: Drizzle your favorite dressing over the salad, serve, and enjoy.

This is a great salad to make as a starter to a meal or even as a light and fresh side dish. I sometimes make it when I'm not hungry for a large meal, but just need something to hold me over for a while. As stated above, it can be made with chicken, tuna, pork, or anything you desire. The cashews can be traded for pine nuts or even toasted soy nuts if you wish. Make it your own, share it with friends, and spread the joy of good food.

~Bon Appétit~

Acacia Wood Individual Salad Bowl (Google Affiliate Ad)

Red Wine Pasta Sauce

I told you I would be sharing my pasta secrets slowly.

This is a sauce I developed on my own, using a nice red wine as the base. Most people do not realize that a little wine will bring out much more flavor from tomatoes than water ever will. Which in turn makes this sauce much richer and full of flavor. Plus the wine itself allows for a nice subtle hint in the sauce that will make any dish seem new and exciting. Worried that the wine will get you drunk? Don't worry, the alcohol cooks out during the process, leaving only the sweet flavor of the wine behind in the sauce. This is a sauce that requires a slow cooker, so you may wish to start it late in the morning.

1 Cup of your favorite Port wine
4 Roma Tomatoes
12 Cherry Tomatoes
4 Large Sandwich (Beefsteak) Tomatoes
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil
2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
1/2 Cup finely diced Shallots
4-5 Chopped up button mushrooms
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 TBSP Pinot Grigio
1 TSP Butter or Margarine
1 TSP Rosemary
1 TSP Thyme
1 TSP Sage
14-16 Ounces of Canned Tomato Sauce
Black Pepper
Salt

1: Chop up tomatoes into 1/4 inch cubes the best you can, and place into a crock pot or slow cooker with the red wine, basil, and canned tomato sauce. Stir together before setting the cooking temperature to high and then cover.

2: Using some kind of seasoning grinder, such as a mortar and pestle, mix together the rosemary, thyme, sage, and a pinch of black pepper. Combine with the olive oil and mix together thoroughly then set aside until the end of step 3.

3: In a frying pan, melt down the butter and add the Pinot Grigio, the shallots, garlic, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. Sauté until shallots and garlic brown lightly and remove from heat. Add the olive oil and herbs to the pan, and toss gently together until well blended.

4: Stir the contents of the frying pan into the slow cooker. Place the lid onto the crock pot and allow to cook on high until boiling, then reduce temperature setting to low, and simmer for 4 hours.

5: When the sauce is almost done simmering, prepare any pastas, meats, or other ingredients you desire to serve with this sauce. Serve hot and enjoy.

Another option is to place the mixture into canning jars and seal them for later. Once the sauce is done cooking, you may salt and pepper to taste, but I leave it as is and let people add to it once it is plated.

This is the tasty sauce I pair with my Chicken Parmesan Ravioli and a nice glass of Petit Verdot to round out a great evening meal. I also like to serve this meal with a side of lightly toasted buttered garlic bread. Remember the alcohol in the wine will cook out, so there is no worry about "falling off the wagon" or getting drunk off this sauce. Topped with fresh mozzarella or asiago cheese makes for a lovely addition to round out a delicate and delicious dish made with this sauce.

~Bon Appétit~

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Ratatouille

This is my recipe for ratatouille... THAT ratatouille. The layered version used in the famous cartoon-movie-thing. This is a very healthy vegetarian dish that can be served with rice, couscous, or even by itself.

1/2 shallot, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 cup tomato puree or sauce (such as Pomi)
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
3 Red Potatoes
1 Zucchini
1 Yellow Squash or Butternut Squash
2 Red Bell Pepper
Few sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
Few tablespoons soft goat cheese or mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1: Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped shallot into the sauce, stir in one tablespoon of the olive oil and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.

2: Trim the ends off the zucchini and yellow squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off the red peppers and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.

3: On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.

4: Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables. You may have a handful leftover that do not fit.

5: Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.

6: Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside. (Tricky, I know, but the hardest thing about this.) Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left so they are not totally limp. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.

7: Serve with a dab of soft goat cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty French bread, atop polenta, couscous, or your choice of grain.

This is a delicious, and surprisingly healthy dish for anyone on a diet, vegetarian, or just looking for a fresh new item to make in the kitchen. I serve this over couscous with some sliced andouille sausage and use shredded mozzarella cheese to top it. This is a very easy dish to modify and change to your own personal liking. Use thick-sliced pepperoni instead of the zucchini, or change the olive oil for bacon grease, it's completely up to you how you want to customize this dish. So feel free to take this, change it, share it, make it your own, and let me know how it turns out.

~Bon Appétit~

Slow Cooker Chicken with Stuffing

This recipe was given to me by a very dear friend last year, and it quickly became one of my favorites. I've modified it a couple times to suit my taste, so I will share my version of the recipe, and I will also share the original.

Original Version:

4-6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 cans of Cambell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 soup can of water
ground sage
1 package of Pepperidge Farm Granulated Herbal Stuffing
1 Cup of butter

My Version:

4-6 Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Thighs
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can of Cream of Broccoli Soup
1 soup can of water
ground thyme
ground sage
black pepper
1 package of Stove Top Cornbread Stuffing Mix
1 Cup of Butter

1: Mix, but do not heat soup and water together. If using my version, mix in 1 teaspoon of black pepper as well. Set aside. Lightly dust each piece of chicken with sage (and thyme in my version).

2: Spray the inside of your Crock Pot, or whatever brand of slow cooker you are using, with non-stick cooking spray. I prefer to use butter flavored spray, to add a little extra flavor to the finished product. Set cooking temperature to high.

3: Starting with the soup mixture, create layers of soup and chicken until you are out of both.

4: Fill slow cooker to the top with the stuffing mix. Drizzle melted butter over top and cover the dish.

5: Allow to cook for 4-5 hours, without mixing or stirring. Once it is done cooking, shut off slow cooker and serve immediately.

I like to make a side of steamed white rice or mashed potatoes to serve this on top of. I make this at least once or twice a month, is how much I love this simple dish. It allows me to toss it together and forget about it, which is the glory of cooking with a slow cooker.

~Bon Appétit~

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Shrimp Scampi a'la Buonavia

This dish was sent to be from my friend Belle. She was gracious enough to send me this and the recipe for the Braised Seabass. I would like to thank her, despite not having had the chance to try these recipes yet. I will once I have the ability.

In this dish, high heat and speed are essential.  Make sure the pan is good and hot when you add the shrimp and that it is wide enough to hold all the shrimp pieces in a single layer so that the pan doesn't cool down as the shrimp go in.  Be sure to have all the ingredients prepped and near the stove – once the shrimp go into the pan it’s full speed ahead!

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil plus more to finish dish

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

1 lb. large shrimp (25/lb.), completely shelled, deveined, and cut crosswise into 3 bite-size pieces

1 Tbsp. chopped chives

½ cup dry white wine

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter cut into 4-5 pieces (to melt fast in pan)

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Salt & pepper

6 slices Italian bread, grilled or toasted and kept warm

Lemon wedges and additional chopped parsley and/or chives to garnish

Heat 3 Tbsp. of the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook, shaking the pan, until garlic is light golden, about 2 minutes.  Raise the heat to high, add the shrimp, and toss till they are bright pink and seared on all sides, about 2 more minutes.  Stir in the chopped chives, then add the wine, butter, and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil and cook until the shrimp are barely opaque in the center and sauce is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the chopped parsley, season to taste.

Place a slice of the warm toast in the center of each of 6 warm plates.  Spoon the shrimp and sauce over the toast, drizzle more of the sauce around the toast, and drizzle a little more olive oil over if desired.  Sprinkle with parsley/chives and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

~Bon Appétit~

Braised Seabass with Pancetta

This comes to me from a close friend, so it is not a recipe I have tested yet, but I will be testing it within the next few days. From what I have read, it sounds absolutely delicious. It is not often I eat seabass, but I do love catfish, so I may test it with either tuna or catfish, which is easier to get a hold of here. 

Olive oil to fry

2 lbs. Chilean seabass fillets (or any other firm fish)

Salt and pepper

½ cup chopped onions

¼ lb. pancetta or bacon, finely chopped

1/8 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

The pulp from 5 heads of roasted garlic:

Recipe: Cut off blossom end of each head of garlic enough to expose inside of all cloves.  Brush with olive oil.  Place in baking dish which is just large enough to fit all 5 heads into, cut side up.  Add about 4 tablespoons chicken broth to bottom of baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 1 hour.  Squeeze whole head from sides to extract pulp from all cloves.  Set aside.

½ cup white wine

½ tsp. dried thyme

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 cup cream

2 cups chicken broth

4 Tbsp. (or more) green peas, steamed

4 Tbsp. chopped tomatoes marinated in a small amount of olive oil

4 thick slices pancetta or bacon, cut in thick pieces, diced, and browned to crisp

Additional chopped fresh parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet.  Season the fish with salt and pepper and brown it over medium-high heat.  Fillets will be about half cooked when done.  Remove fish from pan and keep warm.

Add more olive oil to skillet as needed to sauté.  Add chopped onions, chopped pancetta, red pepper flakes, and roasted garlic to pan.  Cook and stir for a few minutes, mashing garlic with back of a wooden spoon.  Add wine and cook for another minute.  Add thyme, 2 Tbsp. parsley, and tomato paste, stirring to combine.  Add cream and chicken broth.  Bring to a gentle boil and reduce to sauce consistency. 

Re-add fish fillets to pan.  Simmer until fish is done, basting occasionally.

Plate the fish and spoon sauce over.  Garnish with steamed peas, chopped tomatoes, crisped bacon, and chopped parsley.

If someone gets to try this before I do, let me know how it turns out. I'm very interested. It looks and sounds delicious. And if you or a friend have a recipe you would like to share with the world, just let me know. I'm always glad and eager to help budding chefs share their own talent with the world.

~Bon Appetit~