Chocolate Egg Cream

A new jersey favorite of mine growing up was the chocolate egg cream. There are variations on this but I like this recipe:

1/4 cup cream or half & half (I prefer cream)
1/4 cup Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
Chilled Seltzer

Pour cream or half & half into a tall glass. Pour chocolate sauce in slowly so that it forms a second layer. Slowly add seltzer (until filled) to side of the glass so that the layers remain in tact. Admire, stir, enjoy!

A very close friend, Sandy, has entertained us in her home many times over the years. Aside from Jo, my dad, and my sisters, she is one of my favorite cooks. One of her specialities, and now a favorite of ours, is her White Chicken Chile. This is a great dish to make for a large group of people by doubling or tripling the recipe.

Sandy's Chili Blanco Especial

1 pound dry White Northern Beans (I also use White Northern canned beans which need to cook for a lot less time - see instructions below)

5/14 cups chicken broth

4 cloves garlic minced

1 large white onion, chopped

1/2 tbsp ground white pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp dried oregano

3/4 tbsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 7-ounce can diced green chilies

5 cups diced cook chicken breast (I mix breasts and thighs)

1 3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp diced jalapeno pepper (optional)

8 flour tortillas

Condiments:

shredded Monterey Jack cheese

sliced black olives

salsa

sour cream

diced avocado

chopped onion

Soak beans in water to cover for 24 hours; drain

In a large kettle or crock pot, combine beans (only if they are soaked beans, not canned), 5 1/4 cups chicken broth, garlic, onion, white pepper, oregano, cumin, and cloves. Simmer covered for 5 hours until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in green chilies, diced chicken, and 1 3/4 cups chicken broth. For a spicier taste add jalapeno. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. To serve, line each bowl with one flower tortilla. Spoon in chili and serve with condiments.

If using canned beans: combine 5 1/4 cups of chicken broth, garlic, onion, white pepper, salt, oregano, cumin, curry, and chicken. Cover and simmer for one hour. Then add canned beans, green chilies (and jalapeno for spicier chili). Do not add the extra 1 3/4 cups of chicken broth or the chili will be too soupy. Cover and simmer for an additional hour.

**Flavors are enhanced when the chili is made 1 day ahead.

Makes 8 servings.

If you find you are getting to the end of this chili and would like to squeeze one more meal out of it, try turning it into a Tortilla Soup. Add 4 cups of chicken stock and heat. Spoon into bowls and add any and all of the condiments listed above as well as crumbled tortilla chips.

Both are excellent served with cornbread and a green salad.

Enjoy!

A family favorite is Guinness Stew. This is perfect for a cold and stormy evening supper.

2-3 ponds of stew meat cut into 2 inch cubes.

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions peeled and chopped

2 tbsp flour

1 pint of Guinness Dark beer

2 cups of beef stock - My favorite is Knorr beef bullion 1 cube to 2 cups of water

4 carrots peeled and cut into chunks

1 sprig of thyme

1 bay leaf

4 cloves of garlic minced.

frozen peas and pearl onions

Put flour in a quart sized ziplock bag. Add meat to flour in batches. In a large stew pot, brown the floured meat in batches and transfer to a plate. Add onions and garlic to pot after the meat is browned. Saute until soft (4 minutes). Reduce the heat and add the meat back to the stew pot. Stir to blend onion and garlic with the meat. Stir in Guinness, beef stock, carrots, thyme, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on a low heat 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until the meat is tender. If the stew needs more flavor, add a beef bullion cube (Knorr beef bullion is excellent) About 15 minutes before serving, I throw in a packet of frozen peas with pearl onion. Serve over egg noodles with a crusty french bread and a salad with ranch dressing for the PERFECT meal!

**Variation - If you cannot find frozen peas and pearl onions, you can throw in 15 -20 fresh (peeled) pearl onions with the carrots and just add fresh or frozen peas at the end.

Enjoy!

An adaption of the Potato Leek Soup is Cauliflower Soup. This is delicious and easy to make!

1 1/2 large onions chopped

2 tbsp butter

1/2 large head of cauliflower (use the florets or flower parts of the head)

3 large potatoes peeled and chopped (yellow gold make a creamier soup)

chicken bullion to taste

nutmeg

Saute chopped onion in butter until soft (not brown) in a large soup pot. Add 8 cups of water, cauliflower florets, and potatoes. Boil until cauliflower and potatoes are soft, add bullion to taste. I prefer Knorr chicken bullion cubes (1 cube to 2 cups of water) and use 3 1/2-4 cubes depending on taste. Then use a hand stick blender to blend the ingredients (or run it through a blender in batches until smooth and creamy). Sprinkle with nutmeg and serve with a crusty french bread, butter, and cheese.