Split Pea and Ham Soup!

We LOVE homemade Split Pea and Ham Soup!! We make it the day after we have a baked ham for dinner.  It's the best recipe to use up all the rest of your ham! This recipe has TONS and TONS of flavor! Your house smells amazing while it is cooking!!! Serve it with some crusty bread!!

SLIT PEA AND HAM SOUP!

1 pound dried split peas-ready to go peas

1 1/2 pound cooked ham-cut into small pieces

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium onion, minced

1/2 cup celery, minced

1/2 cup carrots, minced

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 50 oz. cans chicken broth-more if needed

2 bay leaves

2 tsp thyme

1 tsp marjoram

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes- the perfect amount of heat!! :)

1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp sugar~ Or, to taste

Cut up about 1- 1 1/2 pounds cooked ham, set aside.

Rinse peas~

To the melted butter, add onion, celery, carrots, and bay leaves.  Cook on med-high for about 5 minutes, til they soften, then add the garlic and cook for about a minute or 2!

Add the chicken broth, and spices. Bring to a boil. When it is at a boil, add the split peas, and stir well! Let simmer for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours, with the lid on, but slightly cracked, until peas are soft. Sometimes they get soft faster than other times.  Just keep cooking it until they are soft. :)

After peas are soft, add the cut up ham, and simmer until the ham is warmed through. 

All cooked up, and ready to serve!  Bring on that crusty, buttered bread!!  DIG IN!!  This is the best recipe! 

Halloween, 'Bloody Zombie Eyes'!

Soooo 'spooky'~ my creative sister, Jill, sent me these pics of her hard boiled Quail eggs, that she made up for Halloween!!! A FUN, easy, great idea!!!!!  (can do these with regular eggs, cooked longer, and maybe they'd be called, MONSTER eyeballs!!)

Boil quail eggs in boiling water for 3-5 minutes, drain! 

Shake them all up to crack them all up, then put into a large container with cold water, red food dye, and some vinegar!  Put into refrigerator, overnight! 

When ready to serve, peel them, and you now how 'Bloody Zombie Eyes' for Halloween!! Serve with salt, pepper, and HOT SAUCE!!!! YUMMY, and healthy!!! THANKS JILLY!!  Fun, easy Halloween recipe!!! 

BLT~ Candied Bacon, Arugula, Avocado, Tomato Sandwich! Even better than BLT!

The BEST BLT, that isn't really just a BLT!!! It's a C-BAAT sandwich! That's a Candied-Bacon, Arugula, Avocado, Tomato Sandwich, and it is awesome!!

Sprinkle THICK CUT bacon with brown sugar!  Don't be stingy with it!! Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Depending on how crisp you like your bacon!  I like mine crispy, so I do around 30 minutes.  Watch near the end as it can burn fast at this stage.  (bits of char still tastes good, though!)

Toast up your bread,  mayo it up (I mayo both pieces of bread!)  Now, start stacking the goodies on top! Some arugula, or lots~ I like lots!! Next, the tomato, then the candied bacon, then the avocado! 

Oh, yeah!!!  This is a heaven sandwich on earth!! LOVE IT!  Hope you love it, too!!  :)

Sashimi Salmon Ceviche!!!!!

My family LOVES sashimi, especially sashimi salmon!! Made like this, and it is the BOMB!! We have a great specialty market, in the Dallas area, so it is easy for us to find sashimi grade salmon! YEA! Try this, you won't be sorry!  So many flavors exploding in your mouth, and it's really healthy, too!! Forewarning~ you'll be fighting over the last few pieces!! :)

Sashimi Salmon Ceviche!

What you'll need~ (it's up to you on the quantities!)

Sashimi grade salmon- cut in 1/4 inch thick slices

Bunch of arugula-tossed with some olive oil, bit of lemon juice, bit of seasoned rice vinegar, and some black pepper.

A large ripe peach, or nectarine- cut into slices

1 jalapeno pepper- cut into thin rounds on a mandoline (mine is from my garden, and was very ripe, so is red in pic)

Cilantro- chopped (use as much as you like, we always add more to each piece!)

Scallions, chopped small

Lemon juice from fresh lemons-coat each piece of salmon, completely

ponzu sauce-lime flavor, if you can find it, if not just regular ponzu

secame chili oil

course finishing salt

Assemble in this order~ tossed arugula all over bottom of platter, sliced salmon, lemon over all, slice of peach, thin slice of jalapeño, drizzle all with ponzu sauce and sesame chili oil, and top with chopped cilantro, scallions, and end with some course finishing salt! 

Plate, and enjoy all the delicious flavors together with that chilled buttery salmon! It's so amazing!! Have some 'cheers' with some hot sake and you'd swear you were in heaven, or maybe at Nobu! ;)

Turkey Chili!!! WOW, and so healthy!

 Turkey Chili!!!!

3 Lbs ground turkey
1 very large,  minced onion
2 Bay Leaves
1 good bottle of Mexican beer (Modelo)
2-3 Tbsp minced garlic
1 14.5 Oz. can Chicken broth
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 4 Oz. can HOT diced green chilies
5 Tbsp Chili Powder-well rounded
2 tsp cumin powder
2-3 tsp salt-to taste
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 can chickpeas-drained
1 large can black beans-drained
1 pound bag of thawed,  super sweet corn
1 7 oz. container of 2% Greek Yogurt
4 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro,  plus more to serve chili with as a topper
3-4 avocados   cut into chunks-tossed with some lemon juice to keep them from browning-to use as a topping
Mexican blend cheese,  to use as a topper, too! :) 

Cook up the ground turkey meat with the minced onion, and bay leaves. Once cooked through,  add the minced garlic, cook for a few more minutes. Next, add the beer, chicken stock, and crushed tomatoes. Throw in all the seasonings, but do not add beans, yogurt, or corn just yet.

Let simmer for about 20 minutes,  then add the beans, corn and greek yogurt. Stir well, simmer for about 5 more minutes to let beans and corn get warm,  then you are ready to serve! Get your chili into bowls,  and serve with the fresh chopped cilantro, avocados,  and Mexican cheese blend! Can serve with sour cream, too!  YUMMY,  and so good for you!!!  It's a big WIN, WIN! :)

Linguine and Clams!! Best, ever!

Linguine and Clams! Best, ever! :)

My family LOVE, LOVE, LOVES this linguine and clams recipe!! It is a keeper, and we make it often, as it is so easy to make!! No chopping, just throw it together! Hardest thing to do is cook the noodles, and open cans!!  Try not to get a hand cramp!! :) 

1 pound linguine pasta, cooked al dente

5 cans clams- I do 3 chopped, 1 minced, and 1 whole baby~ do not drain, we use their juice!

Fresh, whole clams in their shells- about 1 pound, rinsed and picked through

1 tsp dried basil 
1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp dried oregano

2 Tbsp fresh parsley-optional, but nice addition!

6 oz. chopped spinach, thawed

1 heaping Tbsp minced garlic

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup white wine, or sherry (I love the sherry taste, so mostly do sherry, sometimes I mix in both!)

2 bay leaves

8 shakes- about 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to your desired spiciness~ we like a little heat, but not too much for this recipe

2 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp milk, mixed with 2 tsp flour-mix well-add toward end of cooking up sauce

2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, from shake bottle, into sauce

Salt, and pepper- to taste

YUMMY!  My family loves to add some spinach to the dish! It's a great addition, but is also great without it!

In the olive oil, sauté garlic and bay leaves, just til garlic is a bit brown~ do not overcook, or garlic becomes bitter!!  In this pic, I'm cooking up a double batch, so have more bay leaves in the pan.

Put all the juices from the cans you 'slaved over' to open, into the pan, but leave clams in the cans, for now.  Add all other spices.  Simmer a few minutes.

Here are your cans of clams waiting to be the 'star' of the dish!  In the sink,  I have whole clams I have rinsed well, and checked to be sure all clams are alive, and discard any that look like they are not. They will close if alive, stay open when you tap them, if not.

Add thawed spinach, butter, and milk mixed with the flour, stir well.

Add the whole clams in their shells, and cook for 5-10 minutes on medium, until they open~ NOW, we want them open.  If any do not, throw them away.  After that, turn down heat to simmer again, and you can put in the parmesan cheese, and the cans of clams!  Let them warm, by cooking them a few minutes. Check for saltiness.  Adjust as needed.

Mix sauce with the AL DENTE linguine you cooked up following package directions!  Put into a serving bowl! * TIP OF THE CENTURY for cooking up linguine, that is infamous for sticking together~ before you put it in the boiling water, spray the noodles, all over, with PAM cooking spray! You can thank me, later!! ;) 

We make this recipe so often, it has it's own special bowl! :) Serve immediately so it's nice and hot!! 

2 of my boys getting ready to dig in!  One being very patient, hanging out by the microwave, thinking me amusing, taking all these pictures! :)  Don't forget to serve this with parmesan cheese to sprinkle over the top!! YUM!!  ENJOY!!

Thai Soup~ Tom Kha with Shrimp and Snow Crab Legs!

Tom Kha with Shrimp and Snow Crab Legs!

My family LOVES Tom Kha soup!!  We especially love it with shrimp and snow crab legs in it!!  Trust me, this is such a great tasting soup!! Get slurpin' and crackin'!!! 

8 cups good quality chicken stock
3 cans thick coconut milk, 4 if not very thick
3 Tbsp red curry paste
2 Tbsp Thai seasoning- (lemon grass, ginger, cilantro, chili pepper blend)
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar- to taste
1/4 to 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 small yellow onion-sliced thinly into strips
roughly 4 Oz. fish sauce-added in slowly,  to taste
.25 oz. basil, Thai basil if you can get it, chopped
1 bunch scallions- chopped small
3 Roma tomatoes- cut in 8ths
Juice of 3 large limes
2 cans straw mushrooms- drained and rinsed
1 serrano pepper cut into small rings
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
30-40 count large raw shrimp-peeled and deveined
2 clusters precooked, thawed snow crab legs
SERVE WITH COOKED RICE NOODLES!! Can find those in the Asian section of your grocery store, same with the Thai Seasoning blend! *Keep some cilantro, and scallions aside, to top soup off when serving!  That bright green really POPS!!!

Peel and devein the shrimp.  These little guys are going to be GOOD!!

Add all ingredients to soup, but not the shrimp or crab til the soup is simmering, and all the flavors are just right. When all flavors are just right, add the the seafood, and cook til the shrimp is orange in color and cooked through, and crab is warmed up!  Do not over cook or seafood will get hard!! *note: if soup is not salty enough, add more fish sauce- if it is not sweet enough, add more brown sugar- if it is not spicy enough, add more pepper flakes- if it seems to need more lime juice, add more!  Make it your own!! :)

We serve this soup with Thai rice noodles, cooked beforehand, and lots of napkins!!  (can't really see the noodles in this pic, but they are in there!) You are going to get 'dirty' eating this with all the crab you'll be cracking!  SO WORTH IT, THOUGH!!  It's amazing!! <3  Hope you LOVE it, too!!

Baked Salmon with Pesto, Parmesan Crust and Capers!

My hubby and I love fish, especially salmon! My boys usually like fish, but prefer chicken and steak! This recipe for salmon, though, they love and scarf down!  It is so yummy, yet very easy to make!!

Baked Salmon with a pesto, Parmesan Crust and Capers!

1 whole salmon fillet- any size you like~ this one was 2.25 pounds

Pesto- to coat

Parmesan-to coat

Capers- as many as you'd like! :)

Put salmon fillet, skin side down on a cookie sheet, cover entire top of fillet with pesto, parmesan, and capers! Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes, depending on size. We like our salmon to be opaque, so we watch closely near the end of cooking time. If you like your fish more cooked add time on, but the salmon could get real dry fast, so watch it! :)

Baked up, and put onto a serving platter!  Dinner is done!

It's really moist!! YUM!!

This is how we love it!!  Flaky and decadent!!  Wasn't that an easy weekday dinner?!!  Yea!! :)