Tracy's Ciopinno (Fish Stew)

Ingredients:

 

3 tbls olive oil

1 large fennel bulb sliced thin

1 chopped onion

3 large chopped shallots

2 tsp salt

4-6 cloves of chopped garlic

3/4 dried red pepper flakes (add more if you like the spice)

1/4 cup tomatoe paste

1 (28 ounce) can of diced tomatoes (use the juice also)

1 1/2 cups white wine (something you would drink)

5 cups of fish stock (I have used boullion cubes)

1 bay leaf

1 pound clams cleaned

1 pound mussels cleaned & debearded

1 pound of large shrimp (peeled & deveined)

1 & 1/2 pounds of fish (I have used tilapia, halibut, salmon, etc...

whatever you like.

Just make sure it stays firm) put into 2 inch chunks.

 

Directions:

 

Heat Olive oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt, saute until the onion is soft (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic and pepper flakes, saute about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes (with juices), wine, fish stock, and bay leaf. Cover & bring to a slow boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover & simmer for about 30 minutes. Add clams & mussels, cover & cook until they just begin to open (about 5 minutes). Add shrimp & fish, simmer gently until the fish & shrimp are cooked through and clams & mussels are completly open. Stir gently for another 5 minutes and get rid of any unopened clams or mussels. You can put this over pasta or rice. Put into Bowls and serve. ENJOY!!!

Laura’s Pumpkin Soufflé

This is a French recipe that I have translated, it turned out really well and it's perfect for using up pumpkin in this season of plenty ;)

Ingredients (for 4-6 people) :

• 500 g of pumpkin

• 100 g of grated cheese (cheddar/gruyere/comté)

• 3 eggs

• 75 g of flour

• 60 g of butter

• 1/4 of litre of milk

• Salt, pepper, nutmeg.

Preparation:

After peeling the pumpkin, cut into cubes.

Place in a saucepan with some salt, cover and leave to cook until soft, mash obtain a purée.

Simmer to reduce and thicken the purée as much as possible.

During this time prepare the béchamel.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan (as it will ultimately have to contain the whole preparation).

Add flour and stir with wooden spoon until the flour has cooked.

Take off heat and add in one go the cold milk.

Put back on the heat, allow the mixture to thicken while stirring continuously. This preparation must be very thick.

Add the pumpkin purée, pepper and some grated nutmeg.

Separate the whites from the egg yolks, beat the whites until very firm.

Take the saucepan off the heat to add the grated cheese and egg yolks, mix well.

Then add the beaten whites to the warm mixture, folding in gently.

Pour the mixture into a buttered (soufflé) dish and cook in medium oven (180°c) for about 30 mins.

Serve immediately :)

Sharon's Jam Filled Doughnut Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup plain flour or all purpose

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sunflower oil or canola oil

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

Topping

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1tsp cinnamon

***Optional -raspberry jam to fill

Directions:

In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt nutmeg and cinnamon.

In another bowl combine thoroughly oil, sugar, egg and milk.

Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir only to combine.

Spoon into greased muffin tin or into muffin cases.

I put a spoonful or so of mixture then a spoonfull of jam and then topped with the mixture. It made 9 large muffins. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 mins.

Once cooked and still warm dip into hot butter and then into cinnamon and sugar mixture. They were yummy heated briefly the next day in the microwave!