The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook* (126 page)

My mom hired a beautiful woman named Karen to help out at the bakery, and now the two of them are as thick as thieves. This salad is a lovely and refreshing dish for any gathering.

Cabbage Salad

1-package chicken flavored ramen noodles, chopped

½ cup slivered almonds

2 TBLS. sesame seeds

½ head of cabbage, chopped

½ head of broccoli, chopped

½ head of cauliflower, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

Dressing:

½ cup vegetable oil

3 TBLS.
apple cider vinegar

2 TBLS.
sugar

1 tsp. salt & pepper

1-flavor pack from ramen noodle package

Directions:

1)
      
Combine first seven ingredients in a large bowl. Mix dressing well and combine before serving.

Oh, I love a good chowder. You can take tomato based chowder and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine because cream based is the only way to go in my book.

Elegant Scallop Chowder

3-medium potatoes chopped into bite size pieces

1 medium, chopped finely

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 medium onion, finely sliced

2 cups chicken stock

½ tsp. each of thyme, salt and pepper

1 ½ TBLS.
butter

1-pound
sea scallops

1-pound small shrimp

½ cup Sherry

1 cup of half-half

Parsley for garnish

Directions:

1)
      
Place the potatoes, celery, onions, carrots and stock in a large soup pot and bring to boil. Add seasonings; simmer and cover until vegetables are tender.

2)
     
Transfer mixture into a food processor until smooth.

3)
     
In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté scallops, shrimp and wine. Cook for a few minutes and then stir in half-half.

4)
     
Combine puree and heat slowly.

I love this nice, clean chicken soup recipe. I’m a sucker for anything with citrus in it, and this does not disappoint. If you want to throw in a cup of egg noodles to make it an authentic chicken noodle soup go ahead!

Lemony Chicken Soup

1-pound chicken breasts tenders

2 carrots, thinly sliced

8 scallions, minced

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ tsp. each of oregano, basil and dried mint

2-bay leaves

4 cups chicken broth

2 lemons, juiced

Directions:

1)
      
In a skillet heat 2 TBLS. of olive oil and add chicken tenders. Cook until brown or juices run clear. Add carrots and sauté for three minutes. Add next six ingredients; cook for five minutes, frequently stirring. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook for five minutes before serving.

If you’re a gardener like me, you probably always plant too much of something in the spring. I always plant way too much basil because I’m a complete basil loving freak. One cup of basil seems like a lot to add, but it does not overwhelm this recipe….ok, not too much.

Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup

1 TBLS.
Olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth

1 can of Italian diced tomatoes

1 (9oz.) package of 4-cheese tortellini

1 cup chopped basil

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1)
      
Heat garlic in olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute.

2)
     
Stir in broth and tomatoes and bring to boil. Add tortellini, basil, pepper and salt.

3)
     
Simmer for 30 minutes.

Summer and Patcoena have travelled quite a bit in their lifetime and Summer swears by this simple corn chowder recipe. I, of course, was weary because canned cream corn? Really? I am now a believer.

Corn Chowder

3 slices bacon

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2-medium potatoes, peeled and diced

½ cup of water

1-can cream style corn

2 cups whole milk

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

Directions:

1)
      
In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and crumble. Reserve 2 TBLS. of the bacon drippings in the saucepan and discard the remainder. Add the onions and cook until lightly browned. Add the potatoes and water and cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

2)
     
Add the corn, milk, salt and pepper and cook until heated through. Do not boil.

3)
     
Pour into warmed bowls and top with crumbled bacon.

Ode to Yuma

Ode to Yuma

I truly do miss Arizona. I loved my hometown and most of all I loved the food there. Being married to a vampire can definitely cramp my food palate. Now and then I crave good old Mexican food and throw a fiesta at my house. Needless to say, Mathias usually eats tortilla shells and rolls his eyes at me as I cook in the kitchen with mariachi music playing in the background.

What can I say but ole`?

Bean Dip

1 large can of refried beans

1 cup of yellow corn

¼ cup black olives

¼ cup of green
chili’s

½ cup jalapenos, sliced

2 cups salsa

2 cups Monterey jack cheese

Directions:

1)
      
Layer ingredients in 9x13-baking dish, starting with the refried beans and ending with the cheese. Place in a preheated 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Salsa Chicken

1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

½ cup of flour

3 green peppers, sliced into strips

4 cups of chicken flavored rice

¼ cup sliced jalapenos

1 jar of good quality salsa

2 cups of cheddar or Monterey jack cheese

1 TBLS.  cooking oil

¼ cup white wine

Directions:

1)
      
Place cubed chicken and a bowl and coat with flour. Sauté coated chicken over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook for one minute or until wine is evaporated. Add sliced peppers and jalapenos. Simmer for ten minutes.

2)
     
Meanwhile, cook rice according to package instructions ( I usually purchase the family size box)

3)
     
Spread rice on the bottom of a large cooking pan and top with chicken and pepper mixture. Place salsa over top of chicken and finally sprinkle with cheese.

4)
     
Cook in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes.