This is a great tasting soup and your family and guests will really love this one.
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/2 lb. asparagus, pared and blanched
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cups Piesporter white wine
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 3/4 cup Brie, rind removed.
In a saucepan heat the butter and add the asparagus, cooking just until tender. Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Now add the broth, wine and cream. Bring to just boiling and immediately turn to simmer for 10 minutes.
Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Return to the pot and reheat, but do NOT boil. Stir in the cheese and simmer for about 5 minutes. If this is not thick enough for your taste, just add more brie.
To bring this up a notch, add a square of puff pastry that would overhang the soup dish and bake until the pastry is golden. This is so classy and fun.
Champfleury Cheese Chicken
This will serve 4
This is great family fare but with a little ‘upgrade’ could be presented to company.
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless but with skin attached
- Italian Dressing
- Champfleury Cheese
- Asparagus
- Twice baked potatoes
- lemon zest
- butter
Reheat oven to 350 degrees. With your hand, run it under the skin but do not break through. Take a spoonful of cheese and stuff it under the skin.
Place on a lined cookie sheet and brush with Italian Dressing. Bake for about 40-45 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Steam the asparagus and when plating, add a dollop of butter and some lemon zest. Bake your potatoes and you will find the recipe on this site.
Put a chicken breast on each plate and spoon any dressing that is in the pan, over the chicken. Serve with a warm dinner roll and you have yourself a great dinner.
After the party
This is Sunday, the day after our Lead in to Christmas dinner. It was most enjoyable to say the least. We had the signature martini (yummy). Even the Pear Cider with diced red pear garnish was a hit for our guests who do not drink alcohol.
One of the favourite things they ate was the cheese shortbread. True! The dinner went well, lots of laughter and then we retired to the livingroom when we presented them with the tray of goodies. I don’t think I have ever seen such surprised faces as that.
All in all, yes we were tired (not young anymore) and would we do it again? Absolutely! We love it. But when you do, be sure to call it what it is “A lead In to Christmas”…..now bring on the rest of the month we are all ready.
Gingerbread Waffles
I know, I know…..another recipe for waffles, BUT it is a really nice one! Ya gotta try it.
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. dry mustard
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg separated
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 3 tbsp. melted butter
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
- 1 tbsp. candied ginger
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
In a bowl combine the first eight ingredients. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar with the egg yolk until fluffy, then add the molasses, buttermilk and butter. Stir into the dry ingredients until combined. Stir in the pecans.
In a small bowl, beat the egg white and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gently fold into the batter.
Bake in a preheated waffle iron until golden brown In a blender, chop the candied ginger until fine.
Whip the cream until soft peaks form and fold in the candied ginger. Top waffles while still warm.
Our Christmas Favourite-Tourtiere
When I first met Don, he cooked Christmas dinner and this was served. Being a fuss-bucket, I didn’t care for it…WRONG. I loved it!
It wasn’t like anything I had ever had before. When, years later, we lived away from my mom, we sent her a pie for herself. She came back the next Spring for a visit and had a piece of paper inside the pie plate. She gave it to Don with a impish smile and said “more, please”.
This can be served with a mushroom gravy as an appetizer or a side dish to Christmas dinner. All our kids use ketchup. What can I say?
To make 3 pies (we (Don) make about 11)
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 4 -5 potatoes
- lb. each ground pork and ground beef for each pie
Saute the onions in the butter until translucent and add the meat. Brown thoroughly eliminating any large lumps. Spoon off the fat when cooked.
To season, you will use:
- 3 tsp. cloves
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. each of ground nutmeg, savory and sage
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Jamaican allspice
- 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
- 1 cup water
- salt and pepper to taste
Cook the potatoes and mash well. Add to the meat mixture and simmer for another 30 minutes. Cool completely. Then, go ahead and…..
Use your favourite pastry recipe (yours or a box)
You will not only love the smells emanating throughout the house, you will have to make sure you don’t eat them all at once.
My Perfectly Good Husband’s Ham Glaze
You gotta know my “PERFECTLY GOOD HUSBAND” is a great cook. This is his glaze for ham and everyone who has tasted this has wanted the recipe. Here goes:
- 1 cup apple jelly
- 1 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water
Put the ingredients, except the cornstarch and water, in a small saucepan and, stirring to combine, bring to a simmer and make sure it is smooth. Bake the ham according to instructions and remove from the oven. Score the fat on the ham. (yes, this is unusual)..Now pour the glaze over the ham and bake for 20-30 minutes longer at 325 degrees.
Thicken the sauce with the cornstarch and drizzle over the sliced ham and keep the remaining sauce in a gravy boat. EVERYONE will want more.