Bloody Mary Bar – January 25, 2013

I know that the Mint Julep is the drink of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs, but I’m just not a fan.  My drink at the races is a Bloody Mary.  It’s also great for a hangover brunch.  Not only that, you can feel good about getting lots of veggies with your drink.  So, New Years seemed the perfect time for a Bloody Mary bar.  And, a Bloody Mary bar seemed like a great opportunity to get out all those great pickles I made all summer.  Here is my favorite basic Bloody Mary Recipe.

 Bloody Mary

3 c. tomato juice

1 freshly squeezed lemon

2 freshly squeezed limes

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. prepared horseradish

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 tsp. celery seeds

¾ tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients except tomato juice until well blended.  Add to tomato juice and chill.  Pour 2 ounces vodka in each glass filled with ice cubes and pour Bloody Mary mix over.  Serve with a collection of veggies.  I used celery stalks plus homemade okra, carrot, cucumber and green bean pickles and store bought olives.

We had a great New Year’s Day sipping on these.  Later that week we also made two family favorites, Portuguese chicken and pizza.  We were left with lots of tomato products in the fridge – tomato juice, canned tomatoes, tomato paste and pizza sauce.  I decided to saute onions and garlic with Italian herbs in olive oil.  Then, I tossed in the tomato products and some red wine and cooked to the right consistency.  It was great with left over homemade pasta from my brother in law.

One Year Ago - Black-Eyed Peas and Black-Eyed Pea Salad

It’s Not Easy Being Green Soup – January 20, 2013

Well, as they say, the jig is up!  All the holiday cavorting is over and it’s time to get back to work, exercise and clean living.  I am a total convert to the book, French Women Don’t Get Fat.  Learning that when my pants get a little too tight, I can spend 48 hours eating leek soup to recover has helped me maintain my weight more than anything else.  But, I was looking for a new way to ring in 2013 and I heard a radio show about Green Soup which piqued my interest.  This recipe was especially great because it has very few ingredients and the key are big bunches of greens which came in my farmer's box.

I used one bunch of kale greens and another of collards.  These are both strong greens, so if your family does not love the taste of fresh greens, you might want to start with something milder like spinach or rainbow chard.  On the other hand, if you want to really ramp up the taste, use turnip greens.

Green Soup

1 sliced onion (I actually used two large shallots)

2 T. olive oil

2 bunches greens (cleaned and chopped, removing large stems)

2 c. water

2 c. veggie broth

Red pepper flakes to taste plus Sriracha if you like

Salt and pepper

2 T. Arborio rice

Saute onion in oil until wilted, then turn down and cook another 30 minutes until carmelized.  Add greens, water and broth.  Cover and wilt.  Add rice and seasonings to taste.  Cover and cook until rice is soft.  Pour into blender and blend.

I warmed up a bowl of this green soup and trust me it is very well named because it is GREEN.  The original recipe suggested a vegan serving plan which is to serve with Sriracha and a drizzle of really good olive oil.  It was yummy, and not the healthy tasting soup I expected.  Even so, I thought a non-vegan version could ramp it up a notch; so I tried it next with a dollop of sour cream – even better.  But, it was my lucky day!  My friend Mary O’Doherty had left a container of her fabulous horseradish dip in my fridge so I tried the soup with a dollop of it and zing, pow, wow, it was fabulous!  And, I am happy to say, Mary shared her recipe, so you can all try this healthy soup with a little something extra to start your year off right.

Mary’s Horseradish Dip (this is also great with any kind of veggie chips, roast beef or carrot sticks)

2 T. prepared horseradish
1 T. cider vinegar
1 tsp. dry mustard
3 T. mayo
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
1/2 cup sour cream

Whisk together and taste to check on the horseradish. Mary says, “Sometimes -- depending on the strength horseradish -- I use an extra TBS.”  

Go ahead and get the prepared horseradish, because, next week, I’m ready to talk Bloody Mary Bar!!!!!

One year ago – 2012 – Homemade Vegetable Broth