Read The Sweet Magnolias Cookbook Online
Authors: Sherryl Woods
The Sweet Magnolias Cookbook (9 page)
SERVES 6â8
Sherried Mushroom Soup
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion
1 pound cleaned, sliced mushrooms
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
3 cups chicken broth or stock
4 cups half-and-half
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup golden sherry
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sauté first 6 ingredients until softened.
Add chicken stock, half-and-half and whipping cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat, and season with sugar, salt and pepper.
Dissolve cornstarch in sherry. Add to soup, stirring constantly until thickened.
SERVES 6
Note: Creamy, rich and delicious, this is an elegant soup. Drastically lower the fat and calories by using fat-free half-and-half or milk.
Baby Greens with Pears, Blue Cheese & Toasted Walnut Vinaigrette
1½ cups walnut halves
VINAIGRETTE
½ cup sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
½ cup walnut oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
SALAD
12 cups mixed baby greens
½ red onion, sliced paper-thin
3 medium pears, quartered, cored, thinly sliced
4 ounces blue cheese crumbles
2
/
3
cup sweetened, dried cranberries (such as Craisins)
8 thin, crispy gingersnap cookies, broken into pieces
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place walnut halves on a baking sheet, and bake 10â12 minutes, just until nuts begin to smell toasty. Remove from oven, and let cool to room temperature. Using a serrated knife, coarsely chop walnuts.
VINAIGRETTE
In a blender or food processor, combine vinegar, marmalade, mustard and thyme.
With machine running, add oils through the top of the machine in a thin, steady stream.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add ½ cup toasted walnut pieces. Process briefly.
SALAD
On each of 6 salad plates (or 1 large salad platter), arrange the baby greens. Top the salad greens with the remaining 1 cup walnut halves, onion, pears, blue cheese, cranberries and gingersnaps. Drizzle with the vinaigrette.
SERVES 6
Note: This is one our favorite recipes for a tasty and elegant composed salad. All the flavors work so well together, and it's so pretty to serve!
Citrus Salmon with Crunchy Crumb Topping
6 boneless, skinless salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
MARINADE
¾ cup orange marmalade
¾ cup Worcestershire sauce for chicken
½ cup orange juice
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons coarse-grain Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons dried, minced onion
1 teaspoon ground ginger
CRUMB TOPPING
½ cup coarsely crushed gingersnap cookies
½ cup coarsely crushed croutons
MARINADE
Combine all marinade ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend until almost smooth.
Arrange salmon in a single layer in a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag.
Pour
2
/
3
of the marinade over salmon. (The remaining marinade will be used as a finishing sauce.)
Refrigerate 8â24 hours, turning bag over several times.