Before the last of the corn is gone, get some more and make this soup. You will be sorry if you miss out.
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, veins stripped and sliced thinly
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 4 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut from the cob (reserve the cobs)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- pinch of salt and pepper
- freshly popped and seasoned popcorn, for garnish
In a pot, melt the butter and add the onion, celery and garlic. Season lightly with the salt and pepper and cook until the onions are translucent (about 5-6 minutes). Add the stock, kernels, corncobs and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and add the milk, simmer for 15 minutes and add the cream. Stir to mix and remove from the heat.
Cool slightly, and remove and discard the cobs. Puree the soup in small batches until silky smooth. With a fine strainer, strain the soup into a large bowl, pressing hard to extract all the liquid possible.
Season with the following:
Popcorn Garnish
- Pinch of sweet smoky paprika
- pinch of cayenne powder
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 lb. crab leg meat (no shell)
Toss the hot popcorn with the spices. Pour the soup into bowls, garnish with the poporn and add some crab leg meat on top.
Serve with Road 13 Chardonnay. Perfect match.
Gnocchi With Browned Butter and Crisped Sage Leaves
If you are adept at making light and fluffy gnocchi go for it BUT if not, buy them at your nearest Deli and go from there.
- 1/2 lb. uncooked gnocchi
- 1/4 cup butter
- 7-8 fresh sage leaves (your own garden, perhaps?)
- 1 lemon, juiced
Bring water to the boil and cook the gnocchi for about 4-5 minutes until they float. Strain.
In a frypan, melt the butter. Add the gnocchi and toss to coat. Add the sage leaves. Cook on medium heat until the gnocchi is lightly brown and the leaves are crispy.
Add the lemon juice at the very end when the butter is a nice golden brown.
Now to serve this with panache, it should be paired with NK’Mip’s Chardonnay. Perfect match.
Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms
Portabello mushrooms are great at any time.
Serves 4
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
- 6 finely chopped button mushrooms
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- 3 canned plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 tsp fresh, chopped sage
- 1/2 cup chardonnay wine
Heat one tbsp oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Lightly brown breadcrumbs until they are a light golden brown. Transfer this to a large bowl.
Clean medium Portobello mushrooms, stems finely chopped, gills removed. You can even peel the top layer off and not affect the mushroom in any way.
Now heat one tbsp oil in same skillet and saute the button mushrooms, stirring until cooked; add the mushroom stems, salt and pepper to taste, stirring for about three minutes.
Add the tomatoes, sage and one-half of the wine cooking until the liquid is almost evaporated. Set aside one-half of the bread crumbs and stir the mushroom mixture into the remaining bread crumbs.
Heat the last one tbsp oil in a skillet and cook the caps upside down, covered for five minutes. Turn caps over and add the remaining wine, cook covered just until caps are juicy but tender and fill the caps with the filling.
Heat mushrooms through until hot. Sprinkle remaining toasted bread crumbs on top.
Note: By removing the gills, you are removing the bitter part of the mushroom.
Serve a nice white, crisp and chilled wine and voila! Wonderful.
Blueberry Soup
- When entertaining and you want to serve a new ‘thing’, try this. I promise you it will be a superb addition to the meal. I also promise you everyone will want the recipe (even if not a lover of cold soups).
You will need:
For 4
- 2 1/2 cups Blueberries
- 1/4 cup Blueberry Juice
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup Chardonnay Wine
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Blueberry Yogurt and Fresh Blueberries for garnish.
Now put everything in the blender until smooth and strain well to remove the seeds (this takes time). Top with Blueberry Yogurt and fresh blueberries. You will notice people slyly running their fingers around the edge of the bowl to get it all.
Now, if serving for 10
You will need:
- 5 1/4 cups Blueberries
- 1/2 plus 1/8 cup of Blueberry Juice
- 2 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 1 1/4 cups honey
- 1/2 plus 1/8 cup Chardonnay Wine (or White Cranberry Juice if you want non-alcoholic)
- Juice of 1 1/4 lemons
Process and garnish the same as for 4.
Red Snapper
We are always being told to eat more fish and this is a terrific way to add a new dimension to the fish recipes you now use (not frozen fish cakes/sticks)
This makes 4 servings
- 4 6-ounce red snapper fillets
- Pinch of salt
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
- 1 yellow medium squash, julienned
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 cup chardonnay wine
- 4 tsp. lemon juice, divided
Preparation: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray four twelve inch by eighteen inch sheets of tinfoil with non stick cooking spray such as Pam. Place the fillet in the center, top with the vegetables, evenly distributed and add the wine and lemon juice, also equally. Now make a package by folding the edges tightly so that liquid does not escape. Place on a cookie sheet to bake.
Bake the packages until the fish is opaque which should take about ten minutes. Carefully open to check for doneness and plate the fish and top with the vegetables. Spoon any juices in the packages over the fish.
All you need is a great salad, fresh dinner rolls, glass of wine and …….
Mushroom Risotto #1
Risotto is my most favorite “rice” dish ever and this one is absolutely the best.
You will need:
- 6-8 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 oz. dried mushrooms
- 8 oz. fresh mixed mushrooms
- 7 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
- 1/2 cup white wine (chardonnay)
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 4-6 tbsp. unsalted butter,
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for grating
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Heat stock in a large pot over medium heat. Add dried mushrooms and cook until tender (about 5 minutes) and remove with a slotted spoon. Keep stock at a simmer.
Remove stems from fresh mushrooms and chop fine. Slice caps 1/4 inch thick. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add caps stirring occasionally until golden in colour and soft, about three minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Add remaining oil, shallots and stems. Cook until translucent. Add rice, stirring until rice sounds like glass balls (about three minutes.) Now add the wine cooking until wine is absorbed. Add the stock, one quarter cup at a time, stirring until all the liquid is absorbed.
Remove from heat, add the cheese, mixing well to melt. When serving, add a small amount of grated cheese on top.
This recipe takes exactly 20 minutes to make ( Don says not 19 and not 21….20.) Do not take any shortcuts or it won’t turn out.
This is amazing.
Red Snapper
Makes 4 servings
- 4 6-ounce red snapper fillets
- Pinch of salt
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
- 1 yellow medium squash, julienned
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 cup chardonnay wine
- 4 tsp. lemon juice, divided
Preparation: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray four twelve inch by eighteen inch sheets of tinfoil with non stick cooking spray such as Pam. Place the fillet in the center, top with the vegetables, evenly distributed and add the wine and lemon juice, also equally. Now make a package by folding the edges tightly so that liquid does not escape. Place on a cookie sheet to bake.
Bake the packages until the fish is opaque which should take about ten minutes. Carefully open to check for doneness and plate the fish. Spoon any juices in the packages over the fish.
Mushroom Risotto
Risotto is a super great dish to make. I love it more than just about anything else.
You will need:
- 6-8 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 oz. dried mushrooms
- 8 oz. fresh mixed mushrooms
- 7 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
- 1/2 cup white wine (chardonnay)
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 4-6 tbsp. unsalted butter,
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for grating
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Heat stock in a large pot over medium heat. Add dried mushrooms and cook until tender (about 5 minutes) and remove with a slotted spoon. Keep stock at a simmer.
Remove stems from fresh mushrooms and chop fine. Slice caps 1/4 inch thick. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add caps stirring occasionally until golden in colour and soft, about three minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add remaining oil, shallots and stems. Cook until translucent. Add rice, stirring until rice sounds like glass balls (about three minutes.) Now add the wine cooking until wine is absorbed. Add the stock, one quarter cup at a time, stirring until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, add the cheese, mixing well to melt. When serving, add a small amount of grated cheese on top.
This recipe takes exactly 20 minutes to make. Do not take any shortcuts or it won’t turn out.
This is amazing. Risotto is my absolute favourite food. I have so many different ways to flavour risotto to suit the dinner you are planning. Keep reading and you will see.