Fall peppers

This weather has certainly been good to the pepper plants!

Tortilla Soup..when there's just 1 or 2

With cool weather sweeping down south, my soup craving has increased! There's no better way to start fall than with easy to make, homemade tortilla soup. Not only is this recipe tasty, but it is also healthy. If you are not avoiding carbs, add corn and black beans. This makes enough for two:

1/2 cup cooked, chopped chicken (cook in water with chicken bullion cube).
4 jalepenos (takes seeds out and chop)
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3+ cups water
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t salt (more or less as preferred)
1/4 t creole or cajun seasoning
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t chili powder
pepper to taste
1/2 cup Clint's TX salsa
2 T fresh, chopped cilantro
Tostitos multigrain tortilla chips (they are excellent)
Optional: 1 T tequila

Garnish:
2 T fresh, chopped cilantro
2 fresh green onions, chopped
2 T grated white queso cheese

Cook the onion and pepper over low heat with small amount of butter or olive oil. Once they start to caramelize, turn up the heat; its ok if they start to turn brown; this is "browning", not "burning"! Add the garlic at the last minute. * If you cook the garlic too long, it becomes bitter.The idea is to get a caramelized-grilled flavor. Combine all ingredients and simmer over medium heat, allow flavors to mellow for 20 min.  Break 5 chips into pieces and mix into soup. Add tequila.Pour in bowl and sprinkle top with cheese; top with cilantro and onions. Serve with chips or tortillas, and guacamole. The key to this tasting good is fresh cilantro and the Tostitos multigrain chips.

Fall cilantro!!!

In Texas cilantro grows in spring and then dies back by the time the hot summer rolls around. Getting it started is tough but if you take the dried seeds from the withered plant and sprinkle them over a garden bed (or grass for that matter), it will surely sprout up in fall. We've gotten a ton of rain and I am excited to see baby cilantro popping up everywhere!!!

Southern staple: biscuit

It took me years to finally conquer the art of tasty biscuits. The key? Cream...lots of unhealthy butter and cream :-D. If I need to impress someone, I'll make biscuits completely from scratch but most of the time I cheat and use Pioneer Brand Biscuit mix. More to come on biscuits!

Favorite coffee

I have tried many types of coffee but I always come back to the same one: Pure Peruvian organic coffee from bocajava.com. It's great for dessert, breakfast, or an afternoon caffeine fix.

Cookie basics

Some days I have a craving for cookies only I can't decide which kind to make. The fact is, I'm craving all kinds of cookies! My sister and I came up with the perfect solution: start with a base dough and make several kinds.

Basic cookie dough:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 t salt
1 T vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder

Divide the dough into 4 bowls and then add your desired ingredients. I generally make small cookies so if you want standard sized ones, double the recipe.
Some examples of what I like to do:

1- chocolate chunks (chopped chocolate is better than chips), 1 t cinnamon
2- peanut butter
3- cocoa powder, almond extract, craisins, chocolate chunks
4- coconut, corn flakes, almond extract

The list could include enumerable ingredients. A small amount of flour may need to be added or if the dough is too thick, add a bit of cream. Bake @ 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Fig Rugelach

I'm not big on figs but since they were growing in my backyard, I felt compelled to use them and I'm very glad I did! I think this Rugelach is the best I've tasted.

Crust:
1 stick butter softened
1 8oz cream cheese softened
1 1/2 cup flour
pinch salt
vanilla or almond extract
Powdered sugar

Combine dry ingredients in food processor and process until smooth. Add extract. Roll out and flatten into disc, chill.

Filling:
1 cup toasted pecans
1/2 cup diced, candied ginger
2 T honey
1 t cinnamon
6-8 fresh, ripe figs
1 T cornstarch
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T Butter

In saucepan melt butter. Combing figs, sugars, cinnamon, and cornstarch, and add to butter. Cook until mixture thickens. Let figs cool. Toast pecans for 10 minutes in oven @ 350, let cool. Process pecans and ginger until small pieces form and add the fig goo and honey in food processor. Process until mixture is fine but holds together. Chill filling.

Roll dough out on powdered-sugar surface (use generously) into circle. Spread fig mixture evenly over dough. Cut into "pie" pieces and roll each piece so that it resembles a crescent roll. Bake @ 325 for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Utilize available resources for a unique dessert.

Have you ever decided to bake something only to find that you don't have the necessary ingredients and suddenly must create something new from the ingredients that you do have? Well that's what happened with this tasty little dessert.

Homemade ginger ice cream with pear shortcakes, caramel, and candied rosemary....I love fall cooking!

Southerners do it best...

I've been told by many that the best BBQ can be found in St. Louis but as a Texan, I must protest. BBQ flavor is clearly regional but let's face it folks, true southerners know what they are doing when it comes to smok'n meat. The best BBQ I've ever tasted? Buzzies in Kerrville, TX. It's small, and not glamorous, but who cares about glamor when their meat is that good?!

If you're ever in the Hill Country, check it out. BTW, their BBQ sauce is great too...but you won't need or want any.

www.buzziesbbq.com

Must have morels!

Bruchetta with caramelized onions and rosemary, butter-fried morels, topped with Italian cheeses...

Wild grapes ripen early this year

I picked some opossum grapes, which just about killed my back. There is a huge vine that must be 100 years old but the grapes climb so high that it's nearly impossible to reach them. I was fortunate to stumble across a smaller "reachable" vine and pick enough clumps to make grape jelly.