Pasta w/Bacon, Avocado & Tomato

• 6 bacon slices                 2 T chopped basil
• 1 s avocado                    1 L ripe tomato diced
• 8 oz pasta                     S&P to taste
• 2 T olive oil                  grated provolone for passing
• 2/3 c finely grated provolone

Fry bacon crisp and crumble. Halve, pit and peel avocado. Cut half in small dice, other half into 1/2 inch slices. Divide among four plates. Cook pasta. Toss with oil. Set aside 2 T cheese. Add basil, remaining cheese, diced avocado, and crumbled bacon to pasta and toss. Season with S&P. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve beside sliced avocado on plate. Serves 4.

Gazpacho

Eastern Shore Crab Cakes

Ellen's Cabbage & Noodles

• 2 T oil                   1/4 t garlic powder
• 2 t garlic minced         1/4 t ginger
• 2 onions sliced           1 red tart apple chopped
• 2 stalk celery diced      3 T tomato sauce
• 2 green peppers sliced    1/2 c cashew or almonds chopped
• 1/3 head cabbage          2 c cooked noodles
• 1/4 c tamari

Heat oil. Add onion and garlic. Saute 5 min. Add celery and peppers. Saute another 5 min. Add apple, seasonings, nuts and cabbage. Reduce heat. Saute 5 min. Stir in cooked noodles. Simmer 5 min. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Lemon Oat Lacies

Edamame Corn Chowder

• 3 slices bacon (4 ounces), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips 
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth 
• 1 red potato (6 ounces), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning 
• 2 cups frozen shelled edamame 
• 1 can (15 ounces) creamed corn 
• 1/2 cup half-and-half 
• Coarse salt and ground pepper 

In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until browned and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan. 

Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth, potato, and Italian seasoning. Simmer until potato is just tender, about 8 minutes. 

Stir in edamame, creamed corn, and half-and-half; season with salt and pepper. Simmer until edamame are tender, about 8 minutes. Serve chowder sprinkled with crumbled bacon.

Shirley's Swiss Onion Soup

• 2 T butter                                     2 T dry sherry
• 2 med onions thinly sliced          2 c water
• 2 clove garlic minced                 1 t prepared horseradish
• 1 1/2 t salt                                   1 1/2 c warm milk
• 2 t dry mustard                            1 1/2 c grated Swiss cheese
• 3 T flour                                      white pepper 

Melt butter in soup pot. Add onions,garlic, salt and dry mustard. Cook over medium heat until onions are very soft. Gradually sprinkle in flour, stirring constantly. Add sherry and mix well. Add water and horseradish. Stir and cook 5 minutes. Add milk and cheese. Stir at length. When smooth add pepper and check seasonings. Serve hot topped with croutons. Serves 6-8.

Shirley's Spicy Tomato Soup

•     1 T olive oil                             1 1 lb 12 oz can crushed tomato
•     1 1/2 c minced onion              2 c water
•     3 clove garlic minced             1 T honey
•     1/2 t salt                                  2 fresh tomato diced
•     1 t dill (or to taste)                   lots of black pepper

Heat oil in soup pot. Add onion, garlic, salt, dill, and black pepper. Stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add canned tomato, water and honey. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 or 30 minutes. Five minutes before serving add diced tomato. Test for spices. Serve with yogurt, sour cream, or minced herbs for garnish. Yield 6 portions.

Creamy Risotto w/Edamame

This risotto was created when Jeff Smith's daughter, Isabelle, tossed some Laughing Cow cheese into a pot of risotto. "It adds a lot of richness without making the dish taste too sharp," Smith says. The cup of Budweiser beer is his own addition, a last-minute fix on a night he found himself without white wine in the house. "I ended up preferring it to wine in this dish," he says.

by Jeff Smith, Food & Wine

• 1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium shallots, very finely chopped (1/4 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, warmed
• 1 cup lager beer, such as Budweiser
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Three 3/4-ounce wedges Laughing Cow cheese

Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the edamame and cook until tender, about 5 minutes; drain. In a large saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.

Mix the chicken broth with the beer and season generously with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of the beer broth to the rice and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the broth, about 1 cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more. The rice is done when it's al dente and suspended in a thick, creamy liquid, about 17 minutes total. Add the edamame and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper and serve right away.

Suggested Pairing: a California rosé sparkling wine is ideal for this creamy risotto.

Shirley's Macaroni Salad w/Sweet Pickle Mayo

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup drained sweet pickle relish
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1/2 cup peeled grated carrot
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 scallion cut into thin diagonal slices

Cook macaroni until just tender, 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile  in large bowl combine mayonnaise, relish, vinegar and mustard. Combine cooked macaroni, carrot, celery, and red onion. Toss lightly. Fold in mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle with scallions. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Serves 4.

Shirley's Pasta w/Garbanzo in Lemon-Dill

• 12 oz wagon wheel pasta
• 1 can garbanzos drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup green pepper
• 3/4 cup mayo
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped dill
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• black pepper to taste

Cook pasta al dente. Rinse and cool. Combine pasta, garbonzos, celery, onion, and pepper. Separately whisk mayo, yogurt, dill, juice and zest, garlic, s&p. Fold into pasta mixture. Serves 6.

Shirley's French Lasagna

• 1/2 lb. lasagna noodles             4 qts. boiling water
• 2 T olive oil or butter             1 cup diced onion (2 onions)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced             1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon tarragon                 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 lb. cottage cheese, pureed        4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup chopped spinach               1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper           1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese      1 1/2 cup grated mozzarella

Cook noodles in 4 quarts of boiling water until just done. Drain then cover with cold water and set aside. Heat oil and sauté onions, garlic, basil and tarragon over medium heat. When onions begin to brown, add the mushrooms and cook until  tender. In a large bowl mix cottage cheese, eggs, sautéed vegetables, raw  spinach, salt, pepper, nutmeg, parmesan, and 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Béchamel Sauce

•    1/4 cup butter                      1/4 cup white flour
•    1 3/4 cups milk                     1/2 cup grated parmesan
•    1/8 teaspoon salt                   black pepper to taste

Melt butter in sauce pan or 10 " frying pan. Add flour and cook on low heat for a few minutes. While stirring constantly, slowly add milk, then add parmesan, salt and black pepper to taste. Cook until sauce thickens. Thin with milk if necessary. Remove from heat and set aside.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush enough of the sauce into a 9 x 12 inch pan to cover the bottom. Add a layer of noodles then some veggie mixture, repeat, and top with remaining béchamel and 1 cup of mozzarella. Bake covered for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6-8.

Chicken & Asparagus Rolls

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each) or cutlets
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
• 2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (8 slices)
• 8 spears asparagus, trimmed, halved lengthwise, then crosswise

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a sharp knife, split each chicken breast in half horizontally, then pound between two pieces of plastic wrap until about 3/8 inch thick (you should have 8 flattened pieces). Season on both sides with salt and pepper. 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, saute chicken breasts and garlic until chicken is light brown on one side only, about 2 minutes; discard garlic. 

Transfer chicken to a baking sheet, browned side down. Sprinkle chicken pieces with half the cheese; layer each with a tomato slice and 4 asparagus pieces. Roll up; secure with a toothpick. Sprinkle remaining cheese over rolls; bake until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove toothpicks, serve hot.