Turkey Minestrone Soup by Barbara

Potatoes, carrots, zucchini, garlic, sweet onions, turkey, and greens in a tomato broth

I created this soup because I ran across two really good looking zucchini in the grocery store, rare for this time of year.  All of the other ingredients were hanging around after Thanksgiving and needed to be used.  I really enjoy making soups, especially when they are as satisfying as this one.  

---Barbara

Curried Turkey Tetrazzini by Barbara

Sweet Curry makes this Tetrazzini Special 

This is a good use of leftover Thanksgiving turkey, but also worthy of roasting turkey breasts to make it at other times of the year. Rotisserie-style turkey breasts work well. I find them in a 2 pack at Aldi's.  Chicken would also work well.  

This isn't the easiest of recipes. It's like making lasagna. Lots of steps, and makes a big casserole, enough to serve a crowd.  It uses a lot of pots and pans but it is worth it.  It freezes well, so I separate the recipe into two baking dishes.  One to eat now, and one to eat later.  

---Barbara

Chicken Stew with Kale and Chorizo by Tom

Shredded Chicken, Potatoes, Kale and Chorizo in a Tasty Broth

 Barbara was working feverishly to finish her write-ups for the People Wall project this week, so asked me to step in and make dinner.  She actually found this recipe, so all credit goes to her.  I was just the implementer.  

I don't usually think of chicken as a main ingredient for a stew.  But we had boneless chicken thighs in the freezer and needed a dish to use them with.  Our weather had been quite cold the last few days, so a stew did sound like an appropriate dish to make.

Although the recipe called for bone-in chicken with the skin on while browning, both the bones and the skins are removed early in the preparation process.  So using boneless, skinless chicken thighs made a lot more sense.  Also, the package of chicken thighs I had was double the weight of what the recipe called for.  So I doubled the recipe, which worked out perfectly for two nights worth of dinners.  The original recipe was for two servings.  Doubling it gave us four servings.  The second night was just as good as the first night.

This may be the best chicken stew I have ever had!  A good choice.

---Tom

Apple Crisp with Muesli Topping

A nutty, crunchy version of apple crisp

Honeycrisps are our favorite eating apple but when they start to get a little too ripe, then they become an apple crisp.  This year I substituted muesli for the traditional oatmeal-nut topping.  It sort of tastes like granola but a little chewier due to the mix of nuts, seeds and whole grains in muesli.  Also, I added a little applesauce to the apples.  All and all this is very good version of apple crisp.  

---Barbara

Carrot Cake (Barbara's Best)

Tom's Birthday Cake -- The Preferred Version of Carrot Cake

This will now be the official carrot cake recipe to use for Tom's birthday.  I consolidated what I have learned over the years into one recipe --- no pineapple, but yes to golden raisins, coconut and pecans  --- and it was just right.  Not too sweet, and the carrot flavor comes through.  I used Ina Garten's cream cheese frosting recipe which is the best.  

---Barbara

Barbara's Flank Steak Marinade

[Photo coming soon]

We didn't have the ingredients at our lake house to make a traditional teriyaki marinade for our flank steak, so I improvised.  Turned out to be an excellent alternative!  Coriander imparts a delicious flavor without being overbearing.  

        ---Barbara

Corn and Tomato Salad with Fresh Herbs (NYTimes) by Barbara

The simplicity of this dish should not discount its specialness.

What caught my eye about this recipe is the way the corn on the cob was cooked:  in the microwave!  This was a first for me.  And it worked exceptionally well. 

Zap each ear of corn for 3 minutes, carefully remove the husk, and the corn will be cooked crisp, tender.

All ingredients need to be ripe to perfection for this dish to really shine.  We used sweet corn from a farmstand and very ripe cherry tomatoes.  

I also used the leftover salad to make a Friday nite pasta dish by combining it with sauteed shallots and garlic and a can of Italian tuna fish brought together with some heavy cream over fettucine.  

---Barbara

Poor Man's Lobster Roll by Barbara

Salad version with a split roll served on the side

This experiment turned out very well.  I ran across a YouTube video of Jacques Pepin making two versions of lobster rolls with Julia Child in her Cambridge kitchen.  Jacques didn't really explain how to prepare the lobster in butter, so I poached my shrimp on very low heat in unsalted butter.  It takes a long time to do this, about 1/2 hour, but the results are worth it.  The shrimp was very tender, and retained its full flavor.  Of course, the butter makes it a very rich dish!  But also worth it.  I would be proud to serve this dish anyone who loves lobster rolls and see what they think.

---Barbara

Banana Bread Muffins by Barbara

A true banana bread muffin

UPDATED 2024

No need for buttermilk or milk for this recipe, which makes this recipe handy.  Very moist, very dense like a true banana bread. I am very pleased with how these turned out.

      ---Barbara

Curried Turkey Salad with Cashews by Barbara

Enough for a crowd: A crunchy, salty, sweet, spicy, creamy summer salad

Reworked this favorite old recipe so that it is lighter and brighter.  We like to pack it for picnics with extra celery sticks on the side.  Or serve it over fresh greens for dinner.  Very filling yet refreshing on a hot summer day.

     ---Barbara

Stovetop Brownies

Have all of your ingredients ready before starting...

This is a forgiving recipe.  I know because I messed up making them --- twice--- and they still turned out great both times.  To avoid making my mistakes, read the recipe once, then read it again, so you put the ingredients in the pan in the correct order. 

A little square goes a long way for quenching a craving.

---B

Spice Muffins

A tender, sweet spice muffin. No one will guess they have rye flour in them.   

---Barbara

NFL Championship Pot Roast with Red Wine, Mushrooms and Veggies by Tom

 

A Winning Recipe

Italian Sausage Soup with Red Wine, Zucchini and Orzo from Gretchen

My sister-in-law, Gretchen, lives in New Hampshire but close enough to the coast to get hit by nor'easters.  When we checked in with her today, they were getting hit hard. She was making a soup on this cold, snowy day.  She said is so good that even one of their pickiest friends likes it!  so I asked her to share the recipe with us.  

I am looking forward to making it myself.  Thanks, Gretchen!

---Barbara  

Halloumi and Sun-dried Tomato Bread

Sort of like focaccia in texture and flavor

Black-Eyed Peas with Kale and Prosciutto

A Big Pot of Good Luck for the New Year

If the new year turns out as well as this dish did, then it's going to be a very good year!