Readers and Reading discussion

I find myself looking at recipes for soups and stews since the weather has turned cooler. This morning I printed out a recipe for Cottage Pie which I saw on the TODAY SHOW.

[http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/27051704/]

Hey, you can make a link by putting brackets around any URL!!!

Potato-Leek Soup

6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large box chicken broth
2 bunches of leeks, sliced white only
8 0=oz sour cream
2 cups sharp cheddar, grated
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh pepper 3 T butter
1 Cup water

Saute leeks in butter til tender, boil potatoes in chicken broth and water til tender. Do not drain, add leeks to potatoes along with salt and pepper. Remove two cups of the mixture and puree in blender.
Return to pot and add sour cream and cheese, simmer for 15 minutes.

I don't take the two cups out for the blender, I use one of those things (immersion blender) that you stick in the soup and it blends it all together. We're having this tonight, yum, with a big salad and french baquette. It's cold here in the Upper Peninsula...but we're feeling warm because Michigan State won last night!!!!!!

Both recipes sound great. Thanks, folks.

deborah

I typed this out for another Board, so I thought I'd share. Not exactly for Christmas dinner, but some like it for Christmas breakfast!

Denny's Country Fried Steak
"Golden Fried Chopped Beef Steaks smothered in rich Country Gravy"

four 5 ounce top round steaks
corn oil
Seasoned Salt
2 to 3 tablespoons red wine
2 cups buscuit mix
salt and pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1/3 corn oil
Country Gravy (recipe to follow)

1. The night before, put the steaks in a single layer in a dish. Brush them on both sides with an even coating of corn oil. Dust them on both sides with a generous amount of seasoned salt. Drizzle each steak with the wine. Seal the dish in foil or plastic wrap and refigerate the steaks for about 24 hours prior ro preparing the final dish.

2. Remove the steaks from the fride and coat both sides well in the buscuit mix. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

4. Combine the butter with 1/3 cup oil in a large skillet and heat until melted.

5. Place the steaks in the skillet. Brown both sides of each steak until crispy.

6. Transfer the steaks to a baking dish and cover and seal with foil. Bake about 30 minutes, or until golden b rown on each side.

7. Serve with Country Gravy

Serves 4 - maybe be prepared with chicken cutlets instead of beef

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Denny's Country Gravy

1 med. clove garli, minced
1/4 cup bacon drippings
1 cup all purpose flour
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pepper

Brown the garlic in the bacon drippings in a large heavy saucepan. Stir in the flour until smooth. Cook over low heat a few minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cram and then the water, continue constant stirring. Simmer until the gravy thickens and is hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe is from the cookbook America's Most Wanted Recipes Delicious Recipes from Your Family's Favorite Restaurants [image error] . You'll either love it, or never touch it again! :o)

Oh, Donna! THREE cups of heavy cream?! I'm am SO craving that dish. LOL! And i know i'll probably never make it, either.

deborah

madrano wrote: "Oh, Donna! THREE cups of heavy cream?! I'm am SO craving that dish. LOL! And i know i'll probably never make it, either.

deborah"

I know Deborah, but I promised you I'd post the recipe. :o)

Donna

And i appreciate it, Donna!

deborah

I have this cookbook and I think it is the best!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20...

Diane, that sounds like a good cookbook. I am fond of crockpot cooking & having someone else keep an eye on the calories, fat and such would be handy. Thanks for the tip.

deborah

Does anyone have a good and fairly uncomplicated recipe for Coq au Vin? I am dying to make it.

Leslie I have a good-cooking friend who makes Coq au Vin all the time and tells me it is easy. I asked her for her recipe a while ago and she sent this.

Coq au Vin

2 tbs. butter
2 tbs olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs(the original recipe calls for cut up chicken using legs, breast-all parts. I cut it down to just 4 thighs since I was making it just for the two of us. If you don't like thighs, use whatever chicken parts you like.)
1/2 cut flour
salt and pepper
1 1/2" slice baked ham, cut in small cubes
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
8 small white baby onions, peeled and left whole
14 white mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1/2 cup brandy
red wine(enough to cover your chicken pieces)
1/2 tsp thyme

Season flour with salt and pepper and dredge chicken pieces in flour. Heat oil and butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken and brown on each side(chicken does not need to be thoroughly cooked at this point). Remove chicken.

Add cubed ham, garlic and onions to the drippings and saute one minute. Return chicken to the pan and add brandy. Ignite the brandy. When the flame is gone, pour in enough red wine to cover chicken. Sprinkle thyme on too. Put the cover on and place in a preheated 325 oven for 2 1/2 hours. After 1 1/2 hours add mushrooms to finish cooking the last hour. You can add a little more wine if needed (I usually don't). I serve this over brown rice.

Thanks! Will print it and try it.

I thought Coq au Vin would be more difficult. I may try this soon, too. Thanks.

deborah

My friend is a great cook. She is the one who had the stroke and calls her husband her sous chef aka Emeril. He never turned on a stove before her stroke and now they cook together all the time and he does all the grocery shopping.

I wouldn't wish a stroke on anyone but at least she got some benefits!

Lots of Coq au Vin recipes I've seen use think sliced bacon instead of ham. I think either would be good.