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!

 

Mini Puff Pancakes with Lemon Curd and Fresh Blueberries

One of my favorite meals to make is breakfast. In our guest house, breakfast is a veritable feast and a pleasure for the eyes. Our latest twist on puff pancakes (or dutch babies) made their debut on a cold fall morning. There’s nothing like bringing a little sunshine to the table to brighten up one’s day. Surprise your loved one with this easy breakfast made for two!

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Mini Puff Pancakes with Lemon Curd and Fresh Blueberries
SERVINGS
2-4servings
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
servings
COOK TIME
25mins
PREP TIME
5mins
READY IN
30mins

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425º F (220ºC)
  2. Add eggs, flour, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and lemon zest to a blender and blend until smooth.
  3. Place butter in two heavy cast iron skillets (5-6" in width) (or one large skillet) and place in the oven until butter has melted. Pour half the batter into each pan, return them to oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancakes are puffed and golden. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake five minutes longer.
  4. Remove pancakes from oven, serve individually if using mini skillets, or cut larger dutch baby into wedges and top with a spoonful or two of lemon curd and blueberries and a dusting of confectioners sugar. If desired, garnish with lemon slices and a sprig of fresh mint.

Spring Citrus Mint Vinaigrette

Now that the warmer weather is definitely here, most people are wanting lighter meals and a menu that includes more salads. With this in mind we wanted to come up with a light “Warmer Weather” salad dressing. This was a first attempt that most of us felt succeeded at doing just that.

First we chose a light olive oil and a mild rice vinegar as our base. To this we added a touch of spring from our herb garden by blending in a bit of fresh mint and several tender young green scallions. Into this, a little onion salt, some frozen orange juice concentrate, and just a hint of lemon zest gave our mixture just the right touch of brightness we were hoping for.

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Spring Citrus Mint Vinaigrette
SERVINGS
1.5cups
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
cups
COOK TIME
PREP TIME
5minutes
READY IN
5minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Blend all ingredients together. Toss with your favorite salad greens and veggies.

Skewered Lamb Kebabs

Last week lamb was on sale (something that does not occur too often), so I happily took advantage of it and bought a nice leg. In general, most people either really like this meat or do not like it at all. Few seem to be neutral about it, mainly, I think, because of its distinctive flavor, which is precisely what makes it appeal to lamb lovers.

I myself prefer it simply roasted or broiled, but for the sake of those whom I knew would like it a little more dressed up I decided to make colorful kabobs with a few favorite vegetables and serve it with Greek rice, the way my father always prepared it.

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Skewered Lamb Kebabs
SERVINGS
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
COOK TIME
1 1/4hours
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. The first step is to marinate the lamb preferably overnight, if possible, then cube the vegetables and add to the marinade for whatever length of time is convenient.
  2. Arrange both meat and vegetables on skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 1 hour.
  3. Broil for 12 to 15 minutes or until browned and to desired doneness, turning frequently.
  4. Prepare rice well in advance.
  5. Saute rice in oil and butter. Add salt, parsley, mint, garlic and water.
  6. Cover and simmer on low heat untill all liquid is absorbed and rice is thoroughly cooked, adding additional water if needed. The earlier the rice is cooked, the more flavorful it will be when served.