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This soup is one of Patrick’s all time favorites.

1 tbls of butter

1 tbls of olive oil

1/2 of a diced onion

12 diced baby carrots

celery to taste- I pull the leaves and tender part out of the heart

1 tsp of poultry seasoning

1/2 c of flour

6 cups of chicken stock

1 roasted chicken breast diced

2 med red potatoes boiled and diced

3/4 c of frozen peas

1/4 of cream

refrigerated pie crust

Put the pie crust on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dock with a fork. Brush with melted butter or spray with cooking spray and bake until brown.

Add butter and oil to your stock pot. When butter is melted add in your vegetables and saute until tender. Add the poultry seasoning and stir 30 seconds add in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in stock. When the soup is slightly thickened add the chicken and potatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add in peas and cream and simmer 5 minutes. I top mine with a splash of sherry. Put your soup in a bowl and crumble pieces of the crust on the top.

The Barefoot Contessa’s roasted shrimp with feta. I did not add the bread topping. I used the fennel frond as a topping after baking, and used a tuscan bread to sop up that amazing sauce. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-shrimp-with-feta-recipe-1924902

One of my favorite Chardonnays is The Federalist! I can have a glass at Never Blue in Hendersonville. I can only buy a bottle at Harris Teeter. Dry and oaked at about 15.00 a bottle on sale.

BOT Mac and Cheese! Bacon, onion and tomato.

I make a basic bechamel sauce.

1 Stick of butter

1/2 C flour

4 cups of milk

Melt your butter add your flour and cook 1-2 minutes whisk in milk and cook until it thickens.

Add 1 1/2 C of your favorite cheese for this I use smoked gouda

1Tbls of Dijon

A Dash of hot sauce

1/2 Tbls of Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Add the above ingriedents to the sauce

1lb of pasta I use a whole wheat shell usually, I had to settle for farfalle tonight.

4 slices of cooked crumbled bacon

4 green onions chopped, green only

12 cherry tomatoes cut into quarters

When the pasta is done add it to the cheese sauce, stir in bacon, onion and tomato. Pour into an 8×10 baking dish. Bake at 375 for 15min. Stir 1 cup of panko, 3Tbls of parmesan and 2 Tbls of olive oil together and top the macaroni. Bake 15 more minutes.

I prefer this a stovetop mac and cheese. The fresh tomatoes and green onions with the crisp bacon bits, its perfect!

I make a chicken meatball filling and stuff it into swiss chard leaves cover in a spicy tomato sauce and bake. A spin on stuffed cabbage. Served over rice instead of rice in the filling.

Spin off of Panera’s spinach and artichoke souffle.

I found a copy cat version of the ham and cheese and adapted to make the spinach and artichoke that I love!

1 sheet of puff pastry thawed

5 eggs

1/4 cup of heavy cream

3Tbls Parmesan

1/2 cup of provolone

1/4 c and 4tbls of spinach and artichoke dip

Roll your well thawed puff pastry out on a floured board to be 12×12. Pre heat oven to 350. Whisk eggs, cream, parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/4 c of provolone and 1/4c of the dip. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. 4 times. Cut your puff pastry into 4 squares and fit into your baking cups. I bought paper cups. Divide your egg mixture into the 4 cups. Put 1 Tbsl of dip into the center of each cup and sprinkle the other 1/4c of cheese onto the 4 cups. Bake for 20-25m until brown.

1 package of fresh fettuccine

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Put your pasta water on to boil. In a bowl whisk together oil, parmesan, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Toss in your fresh pasta. Warm olive oil in a non stick skillet and saute the shrimp with the seasonings you prefer. I used garlic and lemon juice. I put in some lemon zest at the end. Reserve about a cup of pasta water. Drain pasta,return to pot and add sauce, lemon zest and basil. Toss. Plate and top with the shrimp.

As usual on my 2 Saturday’s off a month I start off at the library and head over to The Mill Spring Farm Store. Ms. Reda stocks locally sourced foods. She has meat, eggs, milk, butter, produce, jams and other things all from local farms. I always buy eggs and once a month honey from right here in Columbus. This week she had some fresh shrimp left. She has someone who brings it in from the coast every week.I love her dedication to provide local ingredients to her community.

I never thought I needed an air fryer. I saw one on sale for 24.99 and thought lets see what the fuss is about. My first fries were a real fail. Today I drug it out an made flour tortilla chips for my corn allergic Sweetheart. Win! I also made fried zucchini, Yum. I also turned out a batch of The Barefoot Contessa’s jalapeno cheddar crackers. This time I roasted the jalapeno on the grill instead of using raw. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/jalapeno-cheddar-crackers-2499066.

I saved a few uncrushed potatoes from last nights meal and turned my leftover steak into a Southwest scramble. I crisped the diced potatoes in butter and olive oil, added in some onion and red pepper, the steak goes last to not over cook it. 3 beaten eggs, when eggs are set to you liking sprinkle with cheese. A little pepper jack and salsa for me.

My Sweetheart deserved a good steak! Garlic grilled sirloin with roasted tomato pesto from Michael Psilakis‘s Live to Eat, potatoes da delfina from Michael Chiarello https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/potatoes-da-delfina-recipe-1942168 I did no boil the potatoes I used my go to steam in the bag potatoes, and some sauteed spinach.

I am kind of on a roll with comfort food this week. Salisbury steak with french onion gravy, mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/salisbury-steaks-with-french-onion-gravy-recipe-1924455

Rachel Ray is not one of my go to chef’s. But, I love this gravy! I adjust mine with a little beef base. I buy it in a jar where the bouillon cubes are. My go to chef is Ina Garten aka The Barefoot Contessa. I have never made one of her recipes that failed or was not good and or amazing!

For those of you who like rustic mashed potatoes. I found the easiest method ever! At Ingle’s grocery in the produce department I buy the steam in the bag red potatoes. 6 minutes in the microwave, into the bowl with sour cream, butter and a splash of half and half and mash. Soooo easy!