If you know me at all you know I’m continually looking for a way to blend honey into my recipes. It’s a cinch to drench a biscuit with honey, stir a spoonful into my tea, pour it over my yogurt or simply dip a finger into the jar and lick! (more…)
Tag: chocolate chunks
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In My Kitchen
December 2, 2012 – In My Kitchen
Today the temperature in north Texas is 78*. The air conditioner is running, I am wearing flip-flops and did I say, “it is December 2”! Crazy Texas weather…. we spent our day hanging Christmas lights in shorts and flip-flops.
I enjoyed participating in Fig Jam and Lime Cordial’s “In My Kitchen” so much last month that I’m doing it again for December. (more…)
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Bouquet Garni
Fragrant Bouquet Garni My house is filled with the aroma of smoked something……. I found myself with a smoked turkey carcass with which to make some homemade broth. I decided to add a “Bouquet Garni” to the mirepoix to add some flavor other than the smokey one. My bouquet consisted
of fresh Italian parsley, fresh thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves, and allspice berries. I was concerned about the smokey flavor overpowering the broth so I doubled the amount of herbs called for in Joy of Cooking’s recipe for bouquet garni. The fragrant herbs came through and flavored the amber-colored broth very nicely.Bouquet Garni can be a combination of any herbs, spices or vegetables bound in a bundle or tied in a piece of cheesecloth. It’s a cinch to make bouquet garni and a wonderful way to enhance your broth, soup or stew. With winter around the corner I’ll be serving soups and stews often from my kitchen and I’ll bet you will too. Follow the basic recipe below or get creative and make your own personal bouquet garni.
Enjoy!
Ready for the pot Bouquet Garni
Ingredients:
3-4 sprigs of parsley
1/3-1/2 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
Bunch together herbs and tie with kitchen string or bundle in cheesecloth and tie with string. Be sure to remove your bundle or bag before serving.I couldn’t resist sharing these lovely photos of Bouquet Garni to get your creative juices flowing:
Photo courtesy of
Sow Fresh Organics
Photo courtesy of:
cibelladellacosta
Photo courtesy of:
Heather Bullard
Photo courtesy of:
The Paupered Chef
Photo courtesy of:
As Strong As Soup -
Root Soup
Image courtesy of “Draw Day To Day.blogspot.com “Wow, I am so happy to back at my desk, punching the keyboard and visiting with you! I trust you all had a warm and thankful holiday last week, complete with too much food, friends and family gathered ’round and maybe a football game or two. The Orange Bee kitchen was abuzz with long time friends and family, two turkeys with all the trimmings and pies galore. My masterpiece may well have been the homemade German Chocolate Cake I make for my man Dan on his birthday every year. This year his birthday fell a couple of days after Thanksgiving, and the cake disappeared quickly with our house full of company. I’m now moving forward with thoughts of sugar plums dancing in my head.
I like to get past Thanksgiving before I dive into Christmas. Have you started your shopping? I admit today and just today I began to purchase a few gifts online. The words “free shipping” are music to my ears and everything I ordered today is shipping free of charge. Now that’s something to be thankful for, even though Thanksgiving has come and gone.
With all the stuffing I did, you know from my plate to my mouth last week, I thought a simple bowl of soup might be a good way to move forward. A bowl full of healthy, fiber filled root veggies. With the arrival of cooler weather root vegetables are abundant. Weaving their way into upcoming celebrations they’ll be showing up in soups, stews, casseroles and pies. Rich in flavor, vitamins, and dietary fiber, root vegetables are the perfect choices now. Carrots, rutabaga, beets and turnips are true roots, taproots, to be exact, and boast striking shades of Merlot, orange, and purple. Ivory-colored parsnips have their own charm. Sweet and other potatoes,tuberous roots, also come in a variety of colors from burnt orange to pale orange, yellow, red and white.
As a way of disguising some of the ingredients I’m simply calling it “Root Soup”. Some people around here might be afraid of a parsnip! I’m feeling pretty fabulous after savoring a bowl of this soup for dinner and again the next day for lunch al fresco. Cooler fall weather is upon us, but in Texas that means lovely warm days to enjoy the great outdoors with falling leaves all around.
Enjoy!
Root Soup Root Soup
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
- 2 large onions, halved and sliced (about 5 cups)
- 4 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- 4 parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cups)
- 2 14 1/2 ounce cans (or more) low-salt chicken broth
- 3 large red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 1/4 cups half and half
- 1/4 cup Marsala
- Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden, about 15 minutes. Add carrots and parsnips and cook 10 minutes. Add 2 cans of broth, potatoes, parsley and thyme. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.Puree half of soup in processor. Mix purée into remaining soup in pot. Stir in half and half and Marsala. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat thoroughly and serve.
recipe adapted from Epicurious
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A Story About Mushrooms
I have a story about mushrooms to share with you. We love mushrooms at The Orange Bee. We like them sauteed in butter and garlic, in salads, served with pasta and parmesan, baked, roasted, marinated, grilled, you name it. Miss T is particularly fond of mushrooms and always has been. When she was a little girl her favorite way to eat them was raw, not cooked. (more…)
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Orange Honey Muffins with Dates
Orange & Honey Muffins I love the artsiness of this photo. It is how the fading sunlight streams through my kitchen window this time of year. The soft orange glow sets the mood heading into evening. It speaks to me.
It beckons me to peek out the window as the sun begins its descent past the horizon. It reminds me dinner should be served before long. It lures me to pour a glass of wine and piddle around the kitchen delighting in end of the day colors.
The muffins came out of the oven just before the late afternoon began to show itself. Perfumed with orange and studded with dates, moist and sweet thanks to the honey I was a bit disappointed with the saltiness of these muffins. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon and I’m sure I didn’t add an entire teaspoon but I’ve made note to add even less next time. If you like salt you may be happy with the addition of an entire teaspoon. I recommend starting with a bit less. Apart from that they made wonderful snacks and quick breakfast bites on last weeks busy days. Did you know that adding honey to baked goods not only delivers extra moistness but prolongs the freshness? Amazing stuff that honey!
Enjoy!
Orange Honey Muffins with Dates
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 orange, washed, seeds removed, and cut into large pieces
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 egg
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Procedures
Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a 12 cup muffin tin.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Place orange in a food processor. Pulse until broken down into a chunky purée. Add orange juice, egg, butter, and honey. Blend for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until almost smooth.
Pour orange mixture into flour. Mix until just combined. Stir in dates.
Divide batter among muffin tins. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake muffins until a cake tester comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
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Honey Harvest & Favorite Recipes
Orange Bee Honey Honey is plentiful around The Orange Bee abode. Assorted jars sit on the kitchen counters, more than a couple of dozen jars are stored in a rigged up “warm” refrigerator in the barn, and full frames fill the hives out in the apiary. (more…)
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Dessert With The Orange Bee
Kitchen at Central Market – Ft. Worth I promised a recap of my most recent cooking class at Central Market. “Dessert With The Orange Bee”. Once again I thrilled at the sight of my name up on the board at the entrance to the store. But what was even more exciting is that Michael Chiarello was signing his cookbook “Bottega” (more…)
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In My Kitchen
I was delighted while perusing our crowded blogosphere when I came upon a blog named Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. I thoroughly enjoyed Celia’a post “In My Kitchen”. When I got to the end I realized she was encouraging us to write a similar post based on what is in our kitchens. (more…)
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Potato-Gorgonzola Gratin
Today is Friday. I feel as if it is Tuesday or Wednesday. Does that ever happen to you? There is a change in the way your week generally goes and the next thing you know, you don’t know what day it is! Adoring hubby and I took off for the hill country, (more…)