Sunday, April 28, 2013

Boewares Moose Sausage Stew

Bowewares Sausage is a sausage made in South Africa.  My good friend Katherine Helmuth taught me how to make this sausage from moose meat that I needed to use.  It calls for a combination of cardimom and allspice and other strange spices.  Two years later, I see this sausage in the freezer and realize I need to use it up.

So I have made a Bowewares and Bean Soup for my school family tomorrow.  It is a little on the spicy side, full of flavor and loaded with lots of jam-packed veggies.  Please use Kielbasa instead if you don't have moose.

This is what you need:

4 1/2 cups ham broth (look for Better Than Broth in your grocery isle)
1 29 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 each 14 oz can rinsed and drained:
   Kidney beans
   Great Northern Beans
   Garbanzo beans
2 medium bell peppers, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 cup celery ribs, chopped
2 cups zucchini, halved and sliced
1 lb. sliced white mushrooms
2 tsp. chicken bouilllion
5 garlic cloves, diced
2 1/2 tsp. chipotle chile powder
4 tsp. dried basil
4 tsp. Italian Seasoning
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
4 bay leaves
3/4 lb. fully cooked sausage (Grill, cool and slice into large slices).

Grill the sausage or Kielbasa.  Cool, slice about 1/2" thick.

Combine all ingredients except the sausage in a large soup pot.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour.  Add cooked sausage and heat through.  Serve with some whole wheat sourdough bread.

This is a really yummy and fortifying soup!



Saturday, April 13, 2013

Halibut! Oh sweet halibut! Halibut Pockets

We LOVE FISH!  Especially fish we catch ourselves.  Personally, I think that since we have lived in Alaska we have a duty to eat what we put into our freezer at least once a week.  Jim found this recipe and asked me to make it.  #1...the original recipe called for rock fish and did not include Halibut and #2 I didn't have any of the spices or could get them!  But I saw value in the recipe and decided to adapt it .  I like all the ingredients included but felt it should have a more well-rounded flavor...more dill, garlic, and lemon.  About a year ago I learned the value of parchment paper pre-made pockets.  Here's the promo....go get them at Safeway in the foil aisle!  Same section as the CrockPot Condoms that will save you time and energy in clean up!  They are great!  Especially for delicate fish...not to say that halibut is a delicate fish...but parchment paper cooking force the fish "steam" rather than cook...there is a difference!  Fish that is steamed has a lighter and more delicate texture (which I prefer).

The hunky hubby and I have our halibut packaged in 1 lb. portions...just right for the two of us.  This recipe is for two people.


You need...Parchment paper or parchment paper envelopes, lemon juice, halibut seasoning ( I use Pike's Place Fish Northwest Seafood Seasoning....but just use a combo of dill, garlic, but you can use a combo of celery seed, dill garlic, lemon, on, pepper and sea salt that is soaked in 2 TBSP of white wine.)

1/2 a red onion sliced thin
1/3 red and green bell pepper
2 small zucchini sliced about 1/2"
20 grape tomatoes sliced in half
2 cups collard greens (come see me if you need some)
1 lb white fish.....I am using halibut tonight
2 TBSP lemon juice
4 TBSP butter

So easy!  Put the parchment envelopes on a baking sheet.  Layer with onion, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes and collard greens.
Now smear the seasoned halibut with the rub, top with lemon juice and butter.  Place on top of the veggies.
Wrap up the parchment paper tight and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes or until done.

Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting open.