Julia Child's Potage Parmentier

I tried my first Julia Child recipe, and it did not disappoint! I am still trying to get my hands on an actual copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, so I can't guarantee that this recipe is exactly right, but it was simple and fantastic. You could easily add other veggies or spices to create your own variations of this soup. However, you don't need to, because the simplicity of it is excellent.

Ingredients

1 lb potato, peeled and diced

3 cups leeks, thinly sliced (white and tender green parts only)

2 quarts water

1 tablespoon salt

4-6 tablespoons whipping cream or 2-3 tablespoons softened butter

2-3 tablespoons minced parsley or chives

Directions

1. Simmer vegetables, water and salt together, partially covered, 40-50 minutes until vegetables are tender.

2. Mash the vegetables in the soup with a fork. Correct seasoning.

3. Off heat and just before serving, stir in cream or butter by spoonfuls. Pour into a tureen or soup cups and decorate with the herbs.

4. Good hot, cold or room temperature.

Sweet Spiced Nuts

This recipe is a quick and easy way to have your whole house smelling delicious and to have a yummy snack on hand. I particularly love them sprinkled over vanilla ice cream. You can change the spice measurements easily to taste. Last time, I doubled the amount of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, and they turned out great.

1 egg white

5 cups walnut halves or pieces

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1. Grease 15x10x1 inch baking pan; set aside. In a large bowl beat together egg white and 1 teaspoon water with a fork. Add nuts, toss to coat. In a small mixing bowl combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle sugar mixture over walnuts; toss to coat.

2. Spread nuts in prepared baking pan. Bake in a 325 degree oven 20 minutes. Spread on waxed paper; cool. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container. Makes 7 cups nuts.

Savory Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed and softened
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can (12 ounces) beer, optional
• Optional Toppings: croutons, popcorn, crumbled cooked bacon, sliced green onions

Directions

• In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first eight ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Combine flour and water until smooth; stir into soup. Cover and cook on high 30 minutes longer or until soup is thickened. Stir in cream cheese and cheddar cheese until blended. Stir in beer if desired. Cover and cook on low until heated through. Serve with desired toppings. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Chicken Pad Thai

Joshua and I are always on the lookout for good Pad Thai recipes, so we were happy to find this one. This recipe is a nice way to try Pad THai if you don't usually make a lot of Asian food at home, because it doesn't have some of the stranger ingredients that can be difficult to come by. It is a little spicy, so cut back on the chile sauce if you are concerned about it being too "hot" for you.

ingredients

• 8 ounces rice noodles (Vietnamese bahn pho or Thai sen-mee)
• 1/4 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 4-1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Asian chile sauce with garlic
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or turkey, cut into bite-sized strips
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1/3 cup sliced green onion
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro

directions

1. Place noodles in a large bowl. Add enough hot tap water to cover; let stand for 10 to 15 minutes or until pliable but not soft. Drain well in a colander.

2. Meanwhile, for peanut topping, combine peanuts and lime peel; set aside.

3. In a small bowl combine fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and chile sauce; stir until smooth. Set aside.

4. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook and stir for 6 minutes until chicken is tender and no pink remains. Transfer to a bowl.

5. Add egg to the hot skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Turn egg with spatula and cook for 30 to 60 seconds more, just until set. Remove and chop egg; set aside.

6. In same skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over high heat for 30 seconds. Add drained noodles and sprouts; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add fish sauce mixture and chicken; cook 1 to 2 minutes more until heated through. Divide noodle mixture among four plates. Sprinkle each serving with egg and peanut topping. Garnish with green onion and cilantro. Makes 4 servings.