Corny Game Night Food

In 24 hours' time, we have gone from 50 degrees, to a foot of snow, back down to 13 below. Despite the winter madness, one must do something to stave off cabin fever, so I stoked the fire, turned on a space heater, left the kitchen tap trickling, and headed across town to play cards with some friends last night. I had a fun time playing a rummy-type game called Phase Ten. Like Monopoly, it takes FOREVER, so at 3am (still not having completed Phase Nine), we called it quits and declared the fellow in the lead the winner.

Of course, I never like to go to an event empty-handed, so I Googled “game night snacks” and I found this delicious-looking Pinterest favorite, bacon corn dip. It was easy to throw together and very tasty! I made a few changes based on what I had on hand, but it turned out well and was well-received by my fellow card sharps. I recommend this dish for your next informal gathering.

Bacon Corn Dip 

(Source: Adapted from Damn Delicious)

12 slices bacon 

6 cups corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (I used jarred roasted red peppers)

1-2 jalapeños, seeded and diced (I used 5-6 pickled jalapeno slices)

8 ounces cream cheese, cubed

4 tablespoons milk, or more, to taste

*I added one cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

4 green onions, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons sugar, or more, to taste

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. When cool, chop into pieces. Drain excess fat from the pan, reserving one tablespoon.

Add corn, onion, bell pepper and jalapeño(s) to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese and milk until well combined, about two to three minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached. Stir in sugar; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve immediately, sprinkled with green onions and bacon.

*To reheat, bake for 15-20 minutes at 325 degrees F, or until completely heated through.

Brunch Inspiration from the Evergreen State

This turned out to be one of the tastiest dishes I have ever created, and also a special long-distance dedication to my friend whom I lovingly call Dr. Bob. He recently went to brunch at a restaurant called Luna in Spokane and had a dish similar to this and shared the idea with me. My version is Butternut Squash and Parmesan Polenta Topped with Local Curried Winter Squash Sausage from Mace Chasm Farm, Sautéed Baby Bella Mushrooms and Sweet Onions, and Poached Eggs. And I made the polenta and the poached eggs in my magic pot! ALL THE YUM!!

IP Butternut Squash and Parmesan Polenta with Sautéed Sausage, Mushrooms, and Onions and Poached Eggs

2 cups frozen cubed butternut squash

4 1/2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup instant polenta

1 cup shredded Parmesan

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 lb. sausage (I used a curried winter squash variety), casings removed

1 large sweet onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 lb. sliced Baby Bella mushrooms

1 teaspoon chopped dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

pinch of red pepper flakes

seasoned salt and black pepper, to taste

4-8 eggs (to be poached)

Add the squash, water, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper to the IP liner. Cook on manual for five minutes, release immediately, remove the bay leaf, and puree in the pot with an immersion blender. Add the butter, switch the pot to high saute and bring to a boil. Whisking constantly, add the polenta gradually, then turn off the pot. Keep whisking until the polenta thickens and starts to come away from the sides of the liner. Whisk in the Parmesan. Set aside.

To a large skillet, add a tablespoon of olive oil and cook the sausage, breaking it up as you go, until browned. Remove the sausage from the skillet, and add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Cook the onions, garlic, and mushrooms with the rosemary, thyme, and red pepper flakes until the vegetables are tender and starting to color. Season to taste with seasoned salt and black pepper. Add the reserved sausage to the mushroom and onion mixture. 

Divide the reserved polenta into four portions and top each with a quarter of the sausage, mushroom, and onion mixture, and one or two poached eggs. (I poached my eggs in the IP for two minutes on steam with an instant release.)

A Final Feast for Orphan Black

Tonight was our final Orphan Black gathering. I'm so sad it's over, but it ended in a very satisfying way. As for our finale feast with my seestras, I was originally planning on doing something fabulously thematic. But I couldn't go to the grocery store to get stuff yesterday because my car died. (Boo hiss.) So I had to make do with what I had on hand. It was like my own episode of Chopped!

First, I looked through the freezer, and I found a spiral ham and a turkey. (LOL! Of course I did.) Now, I couldn't thaw a turkey by today, but I could make the ham (glazed with Dijon mustard and brown sugar). And I made fresh bruschetta for an appetizer (and bought crostini to serve it on from Hannaford's bakery). For sides, I had some of my favorite broccoli salad leftover from a potluck yesterday (based on a friend's mom's recipe), and I also unearthed a package of frozen hash browns, so I made what the Mormons call Funeral Potatoes. Funeral potatoes for the ending of my beloved Orphan Black seemed quite fitting, and all in all, I think I cobbled together an excellent feast!

The ham was about nine pounds and pre-cooked, of course. I pitched the glaze packet that comes with (I always do--I don't usually care for the spices they use), then all I did was slather the ham with Dijon mustard, coated it with brown sugar, wrapped it in foil, and heated it at 325 degrees for about an hour and a half (10-12 minutes per pound). It was sweet, succulent, and delicious!

Funeral Potatoes
(Source: adapted from Cooking Channel)

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 medium onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 30-ounce bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, lightly thawed (I used cubed "southern-style" hash browns)
1 10.5-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (I used seasoned salt)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar (I used 1 cup each Monterey Jack and cheddar, plus I added about 4 oz. of goat cheese/chevre)
1 1/2 cups lightly crushed corn flake cereal (I omitted the topping)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat two tablespoons butter over medium heat in a skillet. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about six minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant and softened, an additional two minutes. 

In a bowl, toss together the cooked onions and garlic, hash brown potatoes, condensed soup, sour cream, Parmesan, salt, pepper and 1 1/2 cups cheddar. Spread the mixture in a sprayed 9-by-13 inch casserole dish. Melt the remaining two tablespoons butter. Top the casserole with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, corn flake cereal and melted butter. 

Bake in the oven until it bubbles around the sides, about one hour.

Party-Sized Broccoli Salad
(Source: adapted from Ivel Kelly)

2 bunches/heads broccoli, cut into florets
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup slivered red onion
8-10 slices cooked bacon, chopped

Cole Slaw Dressing*:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon granulated garlic, optional
squirt of sriracha, optional

Combine the first set of ingredients, then mix the dressing. Stir everything together and refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

*I usually make about half again as much of the dressing, depending on how big my broccoli bunches are.

Product Recommendations!

Product Recommendation #1:
I recently watched Bobby Flay, very atypically, get beaten trying to make gnudi, which is a little like a ravioli filling without the pasta around it, or like very light gnocchi. This left me with a profound hankering for gnocchi, and I remembered that I had a package of sweet potato gnocchi from Trader Joe's in the freezer. So I sautéed them in brown butter, chopped onion, and slivers of fresh sage from my garden, and finished the dish with salt and pepper and shredded Parmesan. And honestly, it was one of the best things I've ever had! Put this product on your TJ's shopping list immediately! SO YUMMY!!

Product Recommendation #2:

Cyd was always the grill master--the only cooking I could get her to do most times. But a friend recently commented that I don't seem to grill out much, and that made me stop and think: True enough, I probably haven't grilled out since Cyd passed away. So by the hardest, I managed to fire up my rusty old grill that only lights up on one side, and cooked some jerk pork using Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning that I bought on Amazon. I used country-style pork ribs coated liberally with the seasoning and refrigerated overnight. I must say, I usually make my own jerk marinade, but this stuff was DELICIOUS, without all the cutting and chopping! But I'm sure glad I bought the MILD Walkerswood jerk rub. YIKES! 🔥🔥🔥

Orphan Black Viewing Demands Southern-Style Feast!

Tonight was the first Orphan Black gathering we've had in ages, and we watched three episodes back-to-back! So I decided that the momentous occasion called for a veritable feast--a Southern meat-and-three extravaganza for my soul seestras. I prepared Ham Hock and Fava Bean Soup, Magic Pot Baby Back Ribs with Jamaican BBQ Sauce, Magic Pot Four Cheese Mac and Cheese, and Spicy Sautéed Kale (the kale and hot pepper were from my garden). And of course, we topped it all off with sweet tea pie!

First, I will tell you about the soup, which was an IP experiment that turned into an IP fail...and then into a soupy success. I tried to cook a bag of frozen (thawed) fava beans with onions, garlic, yellow peppers, a can of Rotel, a packet of Sazon, and a ham hock in some chicken stock, on manual for five minutes, but they came out really mushy--very flavorful, but sadly mushy. Plus, they had those awful, tough skins! So I sliced open and squeezed out each one of those darn beans, added another couple of cups of chicken stock, and used a stick blender to purée. Lastly, I stirred in a little heavy cream. It ended up tasting just like split pea with ham soup. Delish!

I bought two racks of frozen, pre-marinated (Kansas City BBQ) ribs, and I thawed them overnight in the fridge. To cook them, put the metal rack into the IP, pour in a cup of apple cider vinegar, then CURL the racks of ribs into the pot. Cook on either meat or manual for 27 minutes, then brush with your favorite BBQ sauce and broil for five to ten minutes in the oven until browned and crispy on top.

Deconstructing Cabbage Rolls As Winter Lingers

After a few teaser days of 50- and 60-degree weather, it has gone back to being winter. So I was thinking of making something hearty and comforting like cabbage rolls or stuffed peppers for Foodie Sunday (as my friend, Kim, calls it). But what I had on hand was a half a cabbage frozen in the back fridge and some shishito peppers that needed to be used and zero desire to go to the store in the cold. Both the cabbage leaves and the peppers were too small of vessels to be stuffed, so I came up with Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls with Homemade Tomato Sauce. All this needs is a dollop of sour cream!

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
(Source: Inspired by Martha Kostyra's recipe)

2 cups homemade tomato sauce
1 tart apple, peeled and shredded
1/2 lb. pork sausage
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped (or a few hot peppers, to taste)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 small to medium cabbage, cored and shredded
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups cooked white rice
2 cups homemade tomato sauce
1 tart apple, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more to garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

To a small saucepan, add the tomato sauce and the shredded apple. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the rest of the dish is done. (If you don't have homemade tomato sauce, I recommend using a basic, good-quality marinara instead of plain tomato sauce.)

In a large skillet, cook the ground meats, onion, celery, green or hot pepper(s) and garlic until the meat is no longer pink. Season the mixture with the dried parsley, salt, and pepper.

Next, add the shredded cabbage and the chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and steam for five minutes. Uncover, add the cooked white rice, the reserved tomato sauce*, half a cup of sour cream*, and chopped fresh parsley. Stir to combine. Serve with an extra dollop of sour cream.

*You can top the meat, rice, and cabbage mixture with the tomato sauce and a dollop of sour cream, or you can mix the tomato sauce and sour cream into the dish. Your call.

Trader Joe's to the Weeknight Rescue!

I have made the most delicious, quick and easy, though somewhat unusual dinner. I'm calling it Pork and Beans Pasta. I used leftover pork roast that I had cooked in my magic pot, two pints of homemade marinara made with my own garden tomatoes and herbs, and two cans of Trader Joe's Giant Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce. Then I served this hearty, savory sauce over Trader Joe's Organic Red Lentil Sedanini (like a small penne). So tasty, and so packed with protein and legume-y goodness!

 

Snowed-In Din-Din

We're experiencing the first Snowpocalypse of the year, and I wanted to make a good Sunday supper last night, but without having to leave the house in a blizzard. I had a pork roast that I had in the back fridge and needed to cook. So I sprinkled it liberally with seasoned salt, browned it on all sides in a skillet, then threw it in the Instant Pot with a bottle of beer, a sliced onion, some garlic cloves, a few glugs of Worcestershire sauce, a good squirt of sriracha, and a bay leaf. I cooked it on the meat setting for 75 minutes and let it release naturally.

Then I found a box of cornbread mix in the pantry, so I zhooshed that up with some caramelized onions and creamy goat cheese. After I took this picture, I added a sidecar of my homemade Hot Pink Jalapeno Garlic Kraut.

Hot Pink Jalapeno Garlic Kraut 
(Source: Adapted from Nourished Kitchen)

3 1/2 pounds red cabbage, shredded
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and minced
4 medium jalapeno peppers, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon pink Himalayan salt

Toss the cabbage, garlic, jalapenos and salt into a large mixing bowl. Knead the vegetables together by hand for five minutes until they begin to release their juices. Allow the shredded vegetables to rest a further five minutes, then return for five more minutes of kneading.

Layer the salted vegetables into a quart-sized fermentation jar or crock (find a crock online), and pack tightly until the brine created by the vegetable juice and salt completely submerges the shredded cabbage and peppers. Weigh down the vegetables with a glass weight sterilized stone or other heavy item small enough to fit within your crock, close and ferment at room temperature.

Taste after about three weeks and continue to ferment if the sauerkraut hasn't achieved the level of tartness you prefer. Transfer to cold storage when sour enough for your liking.

Cornbread with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons butter

3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced

1 15 oz. box cornbread mix (or 2 boxes of Jiffy)

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup chevre (goat cheese), broken up into large crumbles

To a large skillet over medium-low heat, add two tablespoons of the olive oil and the onions, and cook, stirring frequently until dark golden brown, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool to warm (not hot).

In an 8x8 baking dish or deep dish pie plate, add the other two tablespoons of olive oil, swirl it around, and put the dish in the oven to preheat to 375 F. Meanwhile, whisk the cornbread mix with the buttermilk, eggs, Parmesan, and black pepper. Stir in about 2/3 of the caramelized onions.

When the oven comes to temperature, remove the heated baking dish and pour in the cornbread batter. Poke the goat cheese crumbles here and there down into the batter. Top with the remaining caramelized onions. Bake for about 35 minutes until a tester comes out clean in the middle.

The college where I teach was closed today because of the snow, and I had some more time for home cooking, I decided to make some zesty succotash to accompany my leftover pork and cornbread.

Corn and Lima Bean Succotash

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red onion, diced

1 cup chopped roasted red and yellow peppers

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 16 oz. bag frozen baby lima beans, thawed

1 16 oz. bag frozen sweet corn

1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

few shakes of hot sauce, to taste

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion, peppers, garlic, and lima beans for a few minutes until the onion is tender. Add the corn, Creole seasoning, black pepper, hot sauce, vinegar, sugar, and chicken broth. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the broth has almost entirely evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh parsley.

The last thing I cobbled together on my snow day (again, I was not interested in leaving the house!) was a Chocolate Chip and Macadamia Nut Bundt Cake with Bittersweet Ganache Glaze from a box of yellow cake mix. For a "cheater" cake, it turned out pretty darn good, I think!

Chocolate Chip and Macadamia Bundt Cake with Bittersweet Ganache Glaze

Cake:

1 (15.25-oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix (without pudding added)
1 cup plain yogurt
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1 (3.4-oz.) pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup macadamia nut pieces

Ganache Glaze:

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine cake mix, yogurt, eggs, vanilla bean paste, pudding mix, oil, and water in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium, and beat until light and fluffy, two to three minutes. Gently fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.

Pour mixture into a lightly greased and floured Bundt cake pan. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Remove cake from oven, and cool in pan for about ten minutes. Transfer cake from pan to wire rack; cool completely, about one hour.

Microwave the bittersweet chips and the cream in a large bowl for one minute, then whisk until smooth. (Microwave an additional 30 seconds if needed.) Whisk in the butter until smooth. Pour the glaze completely over the cake. Let the ganache set before slicing and serving.

Always Save the Instant Pot Broth...and Make Soup!

I woke up an hour early yesterday for no reason, so what's a gal to do but get up and head to the kitchen to make some soup in her magic pot? I had some reserved black bean liquor from making refried black beans recently, and I bought some spicy sausage that was an in-house special at a local grocery store. I added some sweet potatoes and other tasty things, and ended up with this soup. And it's gluten-free and fairly low-carb--well, it has the good carbs, anyway--if such things are important to you. (I shared the leftovers at work today, because I'm nice like that.)

Spicy Sausage, Black Bean, and Sweet Potato Soup

1 lb. spicy sausage (chorizo or Italian)
1 large onion, diced
1 large Cubanelle or Italian frying pepper, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into one-inch chunks
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 quart black bean liquor* (or chicken or vegetable stock)
4 cans black beans, drained and two cans mashed by hand

Saute the sausage in the IP with the onion, pepper, and garlic until meat is no longer pink. Add the sweet potatoes, oregano, and black bean liquor or stock. Cook on manual for four minutes. Do an instant release, then add the black beans, and additional stock to thin if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*My black bean liquor (reserved liquid in which a previous batch of beans were cooked) was already very well-seasoned, but if you're using regular broth or stock, you may wish to add other/more seasonings such as paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper, to taste.

For the beans, I rinsed a pound of dry black beans and let them soak while I got started on the other ingredients. In 1/4 cup olive oil in the IP, I sauteed a large onion, four large cloves of minced garlic, and 4 whole canned green chilis that I chopped (I was looking for a chipotle in the freezer when I found the milder green chilis, so I used those). To the sauteed veggies, I added two teaspoons of dried oregano, a teaspoon of chopped dried rosemary, a half teaspoon of black pepper, and a teaspoon each of chili powder, cumin, and ground celery, and a good pinch of cayene. I put in the drained beans and a quart of vegetable stock, stirred everything, then cooked on chili/bean mode for 35 minutes. I let it release naturally, drained and reserved the liquid, mashed the beans by hand with a potato masher, adding some of the bean liquor back in until I reached a desired consistency, then seasoned to taste with a favorite cilantro seasoning salt blend.

Nooks & Crannies Bagels

RUN--do not walk--to your nearest grocery establishment and acquire these freaky bagel/English muffin hybrids! They are so light and fluffy and crispy when toasted--they are the muffins the angels in heaven would eat!

And they make the best brunch EVAH! Behold: Toasted Nooks and Crannies Bagel with Mayo, Avocado Mashed with Lemon and Garlic, Baked Ham and Cheese Omelette, and a Drizzle of Sriracha

Dinner and a Movie: Bridget Jones's Diary

I was recently horrified to learn that several of my dearest friends had never seen Bridget Jones' Diary, so I made it my personal crusade to rectify this abominable situation. I gave one of said friends the dvd and the even more entertaining novel as Christmas gifts, and tonight, we watched the movie together with a bunch of good friends, and I prepared a special themed buffet dinner. This was the menu I envisioned, and echoing Bridget's words, "Have sneaking suspicion am somewhat of a genius in the kitchen as well."

Cocktail Gherkins
Orange Marmalade Dip with Crackers
Blue Soup (Leek and Potato)
Turkey Curry with Jasmine Rice
Baked Ham and Cheese Omelette

The pickles on sticks and turkey curry were inspired by Bridget's mother Pam's New Year's Turkey Curry Buffet. And the blue soup, omelette, and orange marmalade dip were an homage to the tragic birthday dinner that Bridget tried to cook for her friends.

The appetizers included little cornichons on toothpicks (I didn't even bother to take a picture, but see above), and an unusual orange marmalade-topped cream cheese dip with crackers. In the movie, Bridget attempts to create a dessert called Orange Pudding in Sugar Cages, but you see them scooping the finished product up with crackers, and one of her friends describes it as tasting like marmalade.

At first, I was just going to serve orange marmalade with crackers, but that sounded pretty boring. Then I thought I might spread the crackers with cream cheese and top it with orange marmalade, but that sounded like a lot of busy work and still not very exciting.

So I did a Google search and found this recipe for a dip that turned out to be the surprise hit of the party! Many of my young friends are not very adventurous eaters, and they were surprised that something which seemed weird to them at first was so tasty. I took the picture below before I topped the dip with the toasted almonds, because it was prettier. The next time I make this, I think I might mix the almonds into the dip and let the marmalade be the only topping, because it would look nicer.

Orange Marmalade Dip
(Source: adapted from Food.com)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise 
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
8 large scallions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
few dashes hot sauce, to taste
3/4 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted and cooled

Mix the cream cheese, mayo, cheese, scallions, pepper, and hot sauce. Spread into an 8x8 dish, top with the marmalade and spread in a thin layer. Sprinkle on the almonds. Serve with crackers.

In the movie, Bridget tries to make a soup flavored with leeks, and she's supposed to tie the leeks together with kitchen twine. She does not have the proper twine, so she uses some blue string she finds that, of course, ends up turning the soup blue.

So I decided to make a leek and potato soup with the help of my trusty magic pot. It was quick and easy in the Instant Pot (only five minutes!), and it turned out velvety and luscious and DELICIOUS! Of course, you don't have to dye it blue to enjoy this leeky, potatoey goodness.

Instant Pot Leek and Potato Soup

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large leeks, tough outer leaves removed, halved, washed thoroughly and thinly sliced
3 large stalks celery, thinly sliced 
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground celery
4 medium to large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
1 cup cream
salt and pepper, to taste

On sauté mode, add the butter and olive oil to the pot and cook the leeks, celery, and garlic until the veggies are tender and just starting to brown. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let continue to cook for a few minutes until the wine has almost evaporated. Stir in the thyme, granulated garlic, ground celery, potatoes, and vegetable or chicken stock. 

Cover with the lid and cook on soup mode for five minutes. Let the pressure come down for about ten minutes before doing a quick release. Using a stick blender, purée the soup until very smooth. Add the cream (or half-and-half or whole milk) and blend one more time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

*If you're making this for a Bridget Jones dinner, add a little blue food coloring...but no string! 

For the first of two entrees, I prepared a curry with turkey and vegetables and served it over steamed jasmine rice (made in the IP, of course--three cups rinsed rice, three cups water, good pinch of salt, in the sprayed insert, on manual for four minutes, ten minutes rest then release). I couldn't find a recipe for the turkey curry, so I just made it up, and it turned our GREAT! Even one of the guests who swears she doesn't enjoy curry liked it!

Pamela Jones' Turkey Curry 
(as imagined by me)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb. turkey breast cut into one-inch chunks
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon granulated garlic, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided

1 large onion, diced
1-2 chili peppers, seeded and diced (to taste)
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into large dice
2 medium potatoes, peeled (or not) and cut into one-inch chunks
1 cup chicken (or turkey) broth
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon ground celery
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 can coconut milk

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

steamed jasmine rice

To a large skillet over medium-high, add two tablespoons of olive oil, add the chunks of turkey, sprinkle with a half teaspoon each of salt and granulated garlic and a quarter teaspoon of pepper, and cook the turkey until golden brown. Remove the pieces to a plate and reserve.

To the same skillet, add two more tablespoons of olive oil, and saute the onions and pepper(s) until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Add the carrots, potatoes, and chicken stock, partly cover, and simmer for about five minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are tender. 

Stir in the curry powder, ginger, ground celery, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and the remaining half teaspoon of granulated garlic, then cook for another couple of minutes until the spices are very fragrant. Turn off the heat and stir the coconut milk, the remaining teaspoon of salt and half teaspoon of pepper (or to taste), the reserved turkey, and the chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve over steamed jasmine rice.

In the movie, nothing Bridget tries to cook turns out right, so Mark Darcy to the rescue! For the entree, he suggests they make omelettes and serve it with the "congealed green gunge" (caper berry gravy) that Bridget has produced. Since I was cooking for about eight people, I didn't want to be standing at the stove making individual omelettes for everyone.

So I found a recipe for a big ham and cheese pan omelette that you bake in the oven, and I also siphoned some of the eggs and cheese mixture off before adding the ham and made an individual portion in a ramekin for one vegetarian guest. What a terrific brunch dish, and of course, you can add whatever ingredients you have that please you. (I doubled the recipe that follows and baked it in a 9x13 casserole dish.)

Baked Ham and Cheese Omelette
(Source: All Recipes)

8 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
3 ounces cooked ham, diced

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon dried minced onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 8x8 inch casserole dish and set aside.

Beat together the eggs and milk. Add seasoning salt, ham, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and minced onion. Pour into prepared casserole dish.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until eggs are set. (The individual one-cup ramekin took 15-20 minutes.)

For dessert, I suggest you pass around a few pints of Ben and Jerry's and a bunch of spoons. And to wash everything down with, I suggest that you choose vodka...and Chaka Khan!