Lockdown Lunch – Potato Soup

It never ceases to amaze me how, no matter what the circumstance, the Holy Spirit is aware and always provides.  A couple of weeks ago, I had driven home from a rehab facility with my sister, who was recovering from surgery. Because of Covid-19 and the possibility of exposure at the Rehab facility, we both went on a 2-week quarantine.  We had all kinds of food options available to enjoy, but my recovering sister basically wanted homemade soups! After having gone through zucchini, butternut squash, vegetable, chicken—I was running out of ideas, until I spotted a few potatoes in a basket. That’s it! And after picking more chives in the back yard for a garnish, we sat down to a delicious lockdown lunch!  

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Lockdown Lunch
SERVINGS
2
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
COOK TIME
20
PREP TIME
20
READY IN
40

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Sauté onion and celery until soft and translucent; set aside
  2. Add chopped potatoes to chicken broth in sauce pan, and boil until potatoes are fork tender, about 12 minutes
  3. After cooling for a few minutes, spoon the potatoes into a blender, carefully pouring in some of the hot broth and adding the onion and celery.
  4. When thoroughly blended, pour back into sauce pan. It should be fairly thick at this point. (If it seems a little too thin before adding milk, boil for a few minutes until thickened.) Then add milk or cream to desired consistency.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste
  6. Blend in ¼ cup of sour cream
  7. Garnish with the rest of sour cream, grated cheddar cheese and chopped chives

Spring Shrimp Salad

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Spring Shrimp Salad
The message came to our Guest House cooks: Luncheon for two on Friday—and they would prefer to have no meat. With Spring on the way, the first thing that came to me was a Shrimp Salad plate—quick, easy, delicious!
SERVINGS
2
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
COOK TIME
8mins
PREP TIME
20mins
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. If frozen, thaw shrimp, rinse and remove any shells or veins
  2. Place in simmering, salted water and cook about 8 minutes or until pink—and firm to the taste but not overcooked or tough
  3. Drain and cool in refrigerator for a few minutes; then remove and chop coarsely.
  4. Gently toss with mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, all to taste. Add chopped chives and celery if desired.

Serve however you’d like—it goes well with a cup of soup, some sliced veggies and perhaps a warm roll!

Simply Delicious Salmon Cakes

I often make salmon cakes in a big batch and freeze them for later use to serve for lunch with a nice salad of tomatoes and cucumbers or even citrus and avocado. They can be eaten at room temperature or crisped up in the oven before serving – whatever your preference. This is a simple recipe where all the ingredients are mixed together and then lightly fried in some olive oil. I’ve found that using an old fashioned ice cream scoop does such an excellent job shaping your patties that you don’t even have to get your hands dirty! Just scoop the mixture directly into your skillet and pat down with your metal spatula. It’s a cost-effective recipe that can be made gluten-free as well. A great healthy way to start your year!

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Simply Delicious Salmon Cakes
SERVINGS
12Salmon cakes
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
Salmon cakes
COOK TIME
20mins
PREP TIME
20mins
READY IN
45mins - 1 hr

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Drain the salmon and pick through and discard excess bones and skin
  2. Mix all the ingredients together and form into patties using an ice cream scoop for uniform size
  3. Heat a skillet with oil (enough to cover the bottom of the skillet) and fry in olive oil, about 2-3 min per side until golden
  4. Remove patties to a metal cooling rack set over a sheet pan lined with paper towel to catch any excess oil. Serve warm or at room temperature or cool then freeze in an airtight container.

Simple Summery Soup

One beautiful June day, our guests wanted to eat lunch on the patio, and something simple and summery seemed appropriate. I decided on a chicken salad plate featuring chilled zucchini soup. With fresh dill and a small dollop of sour cream, it was a real hit!

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Simple Summery Soup
SERVINGS
2-3servings
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
servings
COOK TIME
20mins
PREP TIME
15mins
READY IN
1/2hr (plus chilling time)

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Cut up onion and zucchini into random size chunks and simmer in chicken or vegetable broth, enough to cover, until very soft and tender
  2. Cool for a few minutes, then place in blender with 2 Tablespoons of sour cream and blend until well mixed, adding more sour cream if desired
  3. Add salt and pepper to taste
  4. Refrigerate until well chilled; serve with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with dill

Mirepoix

For years, I just naturally began preparing many meals by chopping and sautéing together a combination of onions,celery and carrots. I never realized, in those teenage years, that I was employing a basic cooking technique, producing what is often referred to in the culinary world as the “All powerful Culinary Trio.” This homey trio of ingredients is absolutely essential for flavorful soups, sauces and gravies.

Recently, I added chopped potatoes to the mixture and that, along with a serving of fresh spinach and several succulent slices of roast lamb (excellent in the Spring) resulted in a most flavorful and satisfying meal. You might want to give it a try.

“All Powerful Culinary Trio” otherwise known as Mirepoix

Mirepoix can be used in a variety of ways—namely in stocks and sauces. To make a stock (chicken, beef, fish, lamb, etc.) one pound of Mirepoix will season roughly one gallon of liquid.

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Mirepoix
SERVINGS
1pound
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
pound
COOK TIME
PREP TIME
15mins
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

Fresh Green Pea Soup

“Spring is on the way!” the kitchen sister sings. Outside the convent door the crocuses agree and now tonight’s evening meal reflects the happy thought by bringing a touch of Spring to the dinner table. During this Lenten season we have been serving lighter meals which have included a wide variety of new soups — mostly vegetable-based and surprisingly successful and satisfying. Our brand new fresh green pea soup is making its debut tonight and we shall see how it tastes.

Today in the bush outside my window I saw a baby robin and now there’s not a doubt that Spring is on its way!

 

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Fresh Green Pea Soup
SERVINGS
6servings
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
servings
COOK TIME
15mins
PREP TIME
10mins
READY IN
25mins

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Sautee onion, celery and garlic in a large pot.
  2. Dissolve the vegetable stock in the water and add to pot with onion, celery and garlic.
  3. Add the peas and stir occasionally, bringing everything to a boil.
  4. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
  5. When peas are tender, remove from heat and let cool.
  6. Add mint leaves to the soup and blend with either an immersion blender, or in batches in a counter-top blender.
  7. Serve either warm or cold and garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired.

Happy Spring!