Chocolate Chip Biscotti

A Great recipe from my dear friend  and big sister Jane:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325- degrees and lightly grease and flour a large baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
In a bowl with eletric mixer, beat together butter, sugar, zest and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt and gradually beat into butter mixture, beating until combined well.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill dough 30 minutes.
Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and halve. Form each piece into a flat log about 12 by 3 inches wide.
Arrange logs at least 3 inches apart on baking sheet and bake in middle of oven until pale golden, about 30 minutes.
Cool logs on baking sheet on a rack 5 minutes.
On a cutting board cut logs crosswise into 1-inch thick slices and arrange biscotti on baking sheet.
NOTE: any combination of dry fruits and nuts you like may be substituted. Enjoy.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Grease and flour one 9X5-inch loaf pan.
Cream butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time.
Add bananas and beat well. Add flour, baking soda, salt, pecans and dried fruit and mix well.
Bake until golden brown, around 30 minutes. 

Sweetcorn Cake in a Blender

So easy to make.....it is like it came out of the box!

1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh corn
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup corn flour
1/2 cup white flour
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray and flour a 10-inch tube cake pan.
Blend all ingredients beginning from top to bottom.
Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 1 hour  or until golden and/or toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

Where The Wild Mushrooms Are

In a Soup!!! 
What a  tasty and warm soup for the cold weather.


1 Lb white mushrooms,  sliced
1 cup dried mixed wild mushrooms soaked in 2 cups hot water for 30 minutes.
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves sliced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 large potatoes, cubed
2 cups fresh or frozen spinach cut up
2 teaspoon salt or to taste
black pepper to taste
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup milk

In a large pot and medium heat cook potato cubes with chicken broth for 15 minutes.
Mash the potatoes in the liquid they were cooked and reserve it.
Drain  the wild mushrooms and also reserve the liquid.
Mince the mushrooms.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.
Add  all the mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes.
Add spinach and stir.
Add salt and pepper.
Stir the mushroom and spinash mixture and all reserved liquid into the large pot.
Stir with the potatoes and add some water if soup is too thick.
Cook soup over medium/low heat for 20 minutes.
Add flour dissolved with milk and stir constantly until soup is slightly creamy.
Add parsley and stir again.
Taste soup and adjust seasoning.

Cherry and Sour Cream Coffeecake or Cupcake.

Fluffy and moist....delicioussss. 
Everyone at home loved it. I need to bake one more...

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 8 to 10-inch  tube cake pan.

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cherry preserves
 Powdered sugar to dust the cake.

Stir the dry ingredients in a bowl.  
In a separate bowl beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until a little  light and fluffy.
Add sour cream, oil and vanilla extract and continue to beat.
Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on lower speed until smooth and if necessary scraping the sides of the bowl.

Pour half the batter into prepared pan.
With a teaspoon gently spread the cherry preserves on top of batter.
Pour in the remaining batter on top.
Bake until golden or toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. About 45 minutes.
Let cool briefly in the pan, turn it into serving plate and dust with powdered sugar.

For 12 cupcakes;
Line muffin pans with cake cups. Fill each cup with a little batter, a little preserve and more batter. Total 3/4 full.  Bake 20-25 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.    Enjoy.

Big Bowl Of Chicken Soup

In the mood for a nice cup ( or more) of homemade soup !


1 lb skinless and boneless chicken breast cut up in small chunks.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 cups water
1 cup peeled cubed potato
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste 
1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
A special touch of love

In a large pan or pot, heat oil and saute onion lightly. Add carrots, potatoes, celery; cook and stir 5 minutes. Add chicken, water and all the spices.
Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. Add frozen peas, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and  lime juice and cook another 5 minutes. Stir up some love and serve it hot.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

It is cold and raining outside. Time for soup !



2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion chopped
1 cup leeks diced
1 cup carrots
1 cup celery
2 medium butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 large potato peeled and cubed
24 ounces chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 black pepper or to taste
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
plain yogurt to garnish


In large kettle, saute onion, leeks and celery in vegetable oil until soft.
Add squash, carrots and potato.
Stir in chicken broth and spices.
Bring to boil; cover. Reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes.
Puree soup with a manual blender.
Garnish with yogurt and parsley.