It is a new year… a new decade… I have begun by making some wonderful New Year’s resolutions. Some will be easy, slow and steady… some will be really difficult and take a lot of concentration. (No more Diet Coke) Wow! I just put that in writing. I, for one, am determined to recommit myself to showing people how much I care about them by feeding them! Regular meals…. well planned, with a variety of traditional family favorites. I plan on exploring many new recipes and creating new favorites to share with you. As a wonderful gift and surprise from my husband I will be attending cooking classes this summer at the highly accredited Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris and also the campus in London. I am so excited! I will share with you everything I learn, every recipe, and every experience. I can’t wait!

I had been feeling a little under the weather and a good friend brought me a lovely basket filled with a moist chocolate chip pumpkin loaf, honey whole wheat bread, a sweetened cinnamon loaf, hearty oatmeal cookies, fresh raspberry jam and a jar of honey. We nibbled from this basket for days. We made French toast with the old fashioned goodness of the cinnamon loaf, had open-faced oven roasted cheese sandwiches with the whole wheat bread, and buttery toast with creamy honey and sweetened jam. Last night the doorbell rang and my sweet neighbor brought us homemade sloppy Joe filling and a large bag of fresh baked hamburger buns. My young girls squealed like it was Christmas all over again! I ate two of them, my husband had three ( I think if I count backwards from the missing buns), and my 28 year old son saw them and took a few for lunch today. Wow! What a hit! It was warm and delicious and something she thought about and made just for us. What a lovely gesture and much appreciated! My thanks to thoughtful, generous friends!

I think I had forgotten how much we feel loved when someone brings us a gift of food… I am the one who is always saying that ” FOOD IS MY LOVE LANGUAGE!” This year I commit to showing my family and friends that I love them and am thinking of them through thoughtful, healthy hearty recipes that are sure to please. Here are a few of my family’s favorites… Nothing is as soothing as a warm bowel of soup. I made this savory soup on Sunday, Chlo’e, our eleven year old, had three big bowls!

Oven roasted baby reds, smoky-sweet applewood bacon and minced green onion in a rich and creamy Asiago cheese soup topped with homemade croutons and fresh cilantro leaves.

page 19 of Volume 2

Asiago Potato Soup

1 lb. smoked bacon
1 tsp. onion salt
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 c. butter
1-1 1/2 c. flour
3 tsp. granulated chicken bouillon
1 tsp. coarse black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 qt. cream
1-2 qt. 2 % milk
8 oz. freshly grated Asiago cheese
18 baby red potatoes
8 green onion stalks, finely chopped
1/4 c. cilantro, minced

Preheat oven to 425°. Dice bacon and sauté. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Dice baby red potatoes, with skins, into bite size pieces and toss in remaining bacon drippings to coat evenly. Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with parsley flakes and kosher salt. Place in oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, turning potatoes every 10 minutes until golden brown. Do not over cook. Potatoes will fry as they bake in the oven. Melt butter in large pot with chicken bouillon, onion salt and pepper. Slowly add flour beginning with 1 cup until the butter is completely absorbed. Add more flour until mixture is crumbly. Using a whisk, slowly stir in the creamy until it is smooth. Soup will thicken as it cooks. Fold in cheese and green onions. Add fried potatoes and bacon to the soup. The consistency should be very thick. Begin slowly stirring in milk until you reach desired thickness. Top with homemade croutons, fresh cilantro and serve.

Crusty French bread toasted crisp with rich Asiago cheese butter, cut into bite-sized crunchy croutons

page 21 from Volume 2

Crunchy Croutons

4 slices French bread
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. creamy butter
1/4 c. cheddar cheese
1/4 c. Asiago or Parmesan cheese

Turn oven temperature to broil. Mix ingredients in small bowl and spread over slices of bread. Broil in oven until golden, 2-3 minutes. Turn over and spread cheese mixture on the other side of the bread and broil again for 2-3 minutes. Let cool and slice toasted bread into cubes, serve with soup.

Classic flavors of flaky albacore tuna and finely minced sweet almonds melted together with the aged goodness of sharp cheddar cheese between toasted French bread

page 18 from Volume 2

Almond Tuna Cheddar Melt

2 cans tuna (12 oz. ea.)
2 c. almonds
1/2 c. green onions, minced
4-6 tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese
12 slices of French bread
3-4 tbsp. creamy butter
salt and pepper to taste

Chop almonds to a very fine consistency. Combine drained tuna, mustard, 4 tbsp. mayonnaise, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Fold in almonds, minced onions and salt. Mixture should be fairly dry. If a moister consistency is desired add more mayonnaise. Spread tuna mix on French bread slices (or any dense loaf) buttering each side of sandwich. In a skillet lightly grill each side. As each side is fully toasted sprinkle with sharp cheddar cheese, as it cooks turn once on each side. Serve immediately.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

3 whole chicken breasts
9 pieces of sliced ham
16 oz. Swiss cheese
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 ½ c. hot water
3 tsp. granulated chicken bouillon
½ c. white cooking wine
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ c. butter
3 c. seasoned bread crumbs
toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350°. Slice each chicken breast in half, cutting diagonally divide each half into three very thin pieces. Between two sheets of wax paper, tenderize the pieces on both sides using a meat mallet. Cut the Swiss cheese into ½ x 2 inch cubes. Lay the chicken flat, place a slice of ham on the chicken and a piece of cheese. Roll up chicken with ham and cheese, pierce with a toothpick through the middle to hold its shape.  Place each chicken roll side by side in a 9 x 13 inch pan. If there is excess cheese, cut into cubes and sprinkle all over the pan between the rolls of chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken. In blender combine cream cheese, water, bouillon and cooking wine and purée. Pour the sauce over the chicken rolls. Toss the breadcrumbs in the melted butter, spread over chicken and sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Serve with steamed rice and your favorite vegetables.

Cover with tin foil. Bake for 45-55 minutes.

This savory dish is elegant enough to serve for any Holiday gathering. It is easy to prepare a head of time. Just wait to pour the sauce over the rolled chicken servings until it is ready to place in the oven. It is a crowd pleaser for sure………..and will soon become a family favorite.

Harvest Chicken and Yams

Festive layers of tender white chicken breast, sweet meaty yams, fresh baby spinach and aged Swiss cheese melted together with a warm white wine cream sauce and fresh chopped chives.

Roasted Barley

Soft barley pearls pan roasted until golden brown, steamed in a a savory chicken broth and finished with fresh chopped basil and tender green onions.

Boston Brown Bread

Wheat, rye and corn flours combine for a satisfying dense bread drizzled with the natural goodness of honey and served warm from the oven with a creamy butter ball.

Steamed Asparagus

Tender fresh asparagus spears steamed and neatly finished with savory sea salt and sweet creamy butter.

Crimson Grape Salad

Crisp crimson red grapes smothered in cool sour cream with earth oven roasted walnuts and rich sweet brown sugar.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Thinly sliced tender chicken breasts layered with aged Swiss cheese, delicate ham slices rolled and finished with a creamy cheese white wine sauce and an herbed toasted topping

Butternut Squash

Garden fresh butternut squash baked to sweet perfection tossed with brown sugar. flavorful minced ginger, creamy butter and a sash of aromatic anise seed.

Honey Glazed Walnut Rolls

Oven fresh home baked rolls topped with a buttery sweet honey glaze of ground cinnamon and crunchy chopped walnuts.

Asparagus Wild Rice

A satisfying blend of nutty wild and fluffy white rice, fresh tender green asparagus tips and sweet creamy butter.

Beet Salad

Sweet pickled beets, crunchy hearts of romaine lettuce and aged Parmesan cheese tossed in a chilled Honey Dijon Vinaigrette with just a hint of fresh garlic topped with freshly ground black peppercorns.

Crispy Chicken Avocado Tacos

Tender pieces of of chicken breast sautéed crisp in a coating of crush corn tortilla chips, served with a generous slice of ripe green avocado and crunchy shredded cabbage in a fresh corn tortilla, finished with a drizzle of Spicy Ranch and a sprinkling of garden cilantro leaves.

Spicy Ranch Salsa

Creamy ranch dressing swirled in a spicy fresh tomato and jalapeño salsa, olé!

Shrimp Cauliflower Salad

Sweet tender baby shrimp, crunchy pieces of fresh cauliflower and crisp green beans tossed in a cool lime fresh dill dressing.

Baja Steamed Rice

Bright red and yellow sweet peppers, tender green onions and plump ripe tomatoes folded into fluffy cumin infused rice.

Cornbread from the Heart

Sweet, satisfying heart-shaped cornbread muffins topped with sugary kernels of lightly sautéed fresh corn.