Leek and Cauliflower Soup

This is my mother's recipe. It's super easy to make, but it's one of the most satisfying soups you'll ever taste. There's something about the wonderful cauliflower texture and the delicate leek-onion flavor. Just a match made in heaven!
1 cauliflower
3 leeks
1/4 C butter
2 C vegetable stock (or more as needed)
1 C milk
salt and pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

Wash and trim the cauliflower into florets, removing all the green leaves and the tough woody core.
Then wash and slice the leeks.
Melt the butter in a medium sized pan and coat the cauliflower and the leeks. Season with a little salt and pepper and cook the vegetables very gently on a low heat for about 15 minutes.
When they are al dente add the stock and milk, and increase the heat and cook for about 10 more minutes until the vegetables are cooked. 
Blitz the mixture with a stick blender until you have the desired consistency.
Serve hot with a little grated Cheddar cheese and some wholegrain bread. Delicious!

Easy Peasy Rice Pudding

1 1/2 C cooked rice
1 1/2 C milk (or a little more if necessary)
1/3 C light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 C raisins
4 Tsp rum
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Put the raisins in a dish and add the rum and microwave for about 30 seconds. Set aside for five minutes to allow the raisins to absorb the rum, then drain before using.
Cook the rice, milk, sugar and salt over medium heat for about 15 minutes until the mixture is thick and creamy. Drizzle in the beaten eggs slowly to prevent them from cooking too quickly. Then add the drained raisins and vanilla, and cook for a few more minutes. If the pudding is a little too dry at this point add a little more milk as necessary.
Serve warm with a little sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg. This pudding is especially tasty served with some vanilla ice-cream!

Bluefish and Bacon Chowder

2 TBsp butter
1 yellow onion, diced
2 C water
4 TBsp bacon bits
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 tsp salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 to 1 1/2 lbs blue fish, rinsed and cut into bite size chunks
1 C frozen corn kernels
2 C canned minced clams, drained, juice reserved
2 C  half-and-half 
Melt one tablespoon of butter and sauté the diced onion for about 5 minutes until it’s semi translucent.
Reduce the heat to low, and add the reserved clam juice, water, bacon bits and the cubed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook the onion and potato mixture uncovered for about 10 minutes, and then add the blue fish chunks and the frozen corn. Cook for another 10 minutes or so until both the potatoes and the fish are tender.
Turn the heat down very low, add the minced clams and stir in the half and half, and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Heat the chowder very gently, to avoid curdling the cream.
This chowder may not be the prettiest chowder, as it has a slightly bluish hue, but it’s wonderfully flavorful and packs a wallop! Let me know how you like it!

Whetstone Station, Brattleboro, Vermont

I've been meaning to stop at the Whetstone Station for several years now, so my visit was long overdue. The Gepetto Milk Stout was truly delicious—smooth and creamy and brewed with plenty of chocolate malt! A tasty bowl of Prince Edward Island mussels with a side of fries seasoned with parmesan cheese rounded out lunch!

Definitely stop in next time you visit Brattleboro. You can savor the wonderful views of the Connecticut River while you have a bite to eat!

36 Bridge Street

Brattleboro, VT 05301

802-490-2354

BBQ Chicken with Peaches and Whisky

This is adapted from one of Ree Drummond's recipes. It sounded super delicious, but a tad sweet for me, so I reduced the amount of jam in the recipe. Also the original recipe calls for cooking it in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours, but I wanted to arrive home to a feast, so I used the slow cooker instead!

2 TBsp olive oil

2 TBsp unsalted butter

2 lbs chicken thighs

1 1/2 yellow onions, chopped into chunks

1 1/4 cups whisky (I used Black Velvet)

1 1/2 C barbecue sauce

1 C water

2 TBsp Lea and Perrin's

5 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 jar of apricot or peach jam

1 lb frozen peaches (or 3 fresh ones)

bunch of spring onions, sliced for garnish

Heat the olive oil and the butter in a large pan, and brown the chicken pieces in batches, then set them aside.

Add the chopped onions and cook for a few minutes until they turn golden. 

Pour in the whisky and deglaze the pan. Add the barbecue sauce, water, Lea and Perrin's, jam and garlic cloves.

Add the chicken back in to the pan, and finally add the peach slices.

Pour the chicken and sauce mixture into a slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 6 to 8 hours.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and a green salad. Garnish the chicken with the spring onions. I think it's a keeper!