Still not dead.....

[woobat]

I'm turning thirty on Thursday. I'm taking that day off work, and I probably won't be at a computer that day, so I'm doing my birthday post a bit early.

We had a lovely little tea party on Saturday (many thanks to squirrelhaven for hosting.) I'd asked people to give me favorite recipes for birthday presents, and I'm really tickled with the ones that I've

Comments

[magdalene1]

Happy early birthday!

Here is a soup I like:

1) Sautee leeks (3-4, finely chopped) and garlic (about 3 cloves, finely chopped) in butter in a big stock pot. Add some sea salt and white pepper.
2) Add diced potatoes of your choice - I leave the skins on the red ones and peel the brown ones first and toss with the "leek/garlic" mixture.
3) I add chicken broth, but you should add vegetable broth to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender.
4) When the soup is almost done, stir in a bunch of sliced swiss chard and about 1/2 a cup of heavy cream (you can substitute whole milk for the cream, but use more of it. Skim milk? Don't bother.)

I sometimes garnish with chopped scallions or chives before serving. It's filling and delicious but not heavy and the chard is to die for.

[woobat]

Yum, I like the idea of chard in a potato leek soup. Chard is one of those veggies that I would like to make better friends with. It's good for you, it grows well around here, and it's pretty as all get out.

[magdalene1]

I am a convert to chard. I also include it in my chicken & mushroom soup....any sort of creamy soup is made more healthy and pretty by adding chard, and it really goes with buttery/leeky flavors.

[minyan]

Have I sent you the recipe for mississipi mud cake yet?
*rubs hands* so many choices...

A very happy birthday!

I had to work this weekend, but it sounds like a wonderful time you all had. Was the chocolate in the shortbread, or on it, or both? It sounds brilliant either way. Have a great time Thursday!

[woobat]

We do have the mississippi mud cake recipe (I believe you gave it to Sylvantechie on his 30th birthday, hee).

The chocolate was in the shortbread. Sylvantechie substituted cocoa powder for some of the flour. That's hardcore. I can only eat small pieces of it.

[sylvantechie]

Whereas I have a problem limiting myself to only small pieces of it. Yum! :)

[pantshead]

I will post some recipes, but on my main page, as others are also collecting them. Happiest of birthdays to you!

Happy Birthday!

[rissymonster]

(It's still your b-day in pacifictimelandia!)

Here's a recipe I adapted from an epicurious.com version:

Couscous With Pine Nuts and Sesame Seeds
1/8 cup roasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup roasted pine nuts
1 T butter
dash o' salt
1 cup couscous
1 can (or equivalent thereof) chick peas
a bit of cuke, onion and/or peppers, diced (maybe a cup's worth)
maybe half cup chopped fresh cilantro
dried rosemary
garlic
coupla T of rice vinegar
1/3-1/2 c salsa

Toast your seeds/nuts if they ain't already at 400F for ~5 minutes. Boil one cup water with the butter, salt and dried rosemary. Remove from heat, add couscous, stir, cover and let stand for ~five minutes. Dice any veggie bits you're adding. Toss your couscous with the vinegar/salsa, seeds/nuts, chickpeas, veggies, cilantro. Tasty!

The original recipe adds currants, but the Bobsquatch doesn't dig raisin-style dried fruit, so I decided to take it in more of a salsa direction. I tried it again with basil instead of cilantro, but that wasn't as good IMO.

Much love!