Risi e Bisi, Italian Rice and Peas

This is a classic dish from Venice, and it has many variations. Risi e bisi simply means rice and peas, and the dish is traditionally made with the fresh new peas of spring. If fresh peas are not available, you can easily make it with frozen peas (avoid canned).

Diced prosciutto is important to this dish, although not vital; I’ve seen vegetarian versions of risi e bisi. How much to add? You could go as high as a half pound in this recipe, making the dish more of a main course. But 1/4 pound is a better proportion for a side dish. And it must be diced: Slices will not do.


Can’t find prosciutto? Use any ham. Virginia ham is an excellent substitute. Remember dry cured hams are salty, so the more you add, the saltier the dish will become.

Risi e Bisi, Italian Rice and Peas Recipe

You must use a medium-grain rice here. Ideally, you’d use a variety from Venice called Vialone Nano, but regular Arborio is just fine, and Carnaroli is good, too.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 shallots, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 pound diced prosciutto or other dry ham
• 1 cup Arborio or other risotto rice
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 or more cups water
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

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Napa Cabbage Picnic Salad

Are you looking for the perfect picnic salad to bring to a potluck?

Look no more, this is it. The napa cabbage picnic salad has been a favorite of my friends and neighbors for years. It’s one of the most requested potluck salads I’ve ever made.

My neighbor Pat first introduced it to me, followed by my friend Chigiy. The original recipe comes from Sunset magazine (July 2004) and serves a crowd.

We’ve scaled the recipe back for a regular family and friends meal, but you can easily scale it up for a large picnic.


Napa cabbage, while not as sturdy as regular cabbage, is much more resilient than lettuce, so it lends itself well to picnic salads that have to sit around for a while.

This salad has Chinese napa cabbage, radishes, snow peas, toasted slivered almonds, and a sweet sesame ginger mayo dressing.

Much of it can be made ahead, and then assembled when you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

Napa Cabbage Picnic Salad Recipe

The dressing recipe makes a little more than you will likely need. So, use about 1/2 of it to start, and add more to taste when you dress the salad.
This salad recipes scales easily for a potluck or picnic.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• 4 cups (1/2 lb) coarsely shredded napa cabbage
• 6 ounces snow peas, sliced into half-inch slices on the diagonal
• 2/3 cup thinly sliced radishes
• 2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (including greens)
• 2/3 cup lightly packed chopped cilantro

Dressing ingredients

• 1 Tbsp plus 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned)
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 clove peeled and minced garlic (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

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Coconut Curry Mussels

When Garrett McCord told me he had the best mussels recipe in the world I was skeptical, that is until I tried it. Yikes this is good! ~Elise

When I need a good party food or want to impress some friends I usually turn to mussels cooked in coconut milk and curry. It’s affordable, easy to prepare, and has a definite wow factor.

These mussels take on the flavors of the broth which is spiked with lemongrass, pungent red chilies, and kaffir lime leaves leaving them with a distinct Thai flavor.


The mussels themselves infuse the broth with a light salty brine that cuts through the richness of the coconut milk. This recipe will feed four people happily or make an excellent appetizer for a group.
Serve with beer and crusty bread.

Coconut Curry Mussels Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of mussels, cleaned and debearded
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 thai chili, finely chopped (can substitute good pinch of chili flakes)
• 3 teaspoons of ginger, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of curry powder
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth
• 1 can of coconut milk (13.5 fl. oz.)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, chopped into four pieces and smashed
• 3 kaffir lime leaves* (optional)
• Chopped cilantro
• Lime wedges

*Kaffir lime leaf: a key ingredient in Vietnamese, Thai, and Hmong cuisine; can be found in Asian Markets, though many markets now carry them in the produce aisles with other fresh herbs. The taste is very distinct and can't be substituted. However, you can make this dish without the leaves and the mussels will still taste great.

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Turkey Chili (with Leftover Turkey)

Is there anything better than a hot bowl of chili on a cold day? Here’s a favorite recipe from the archives that I recently remade, in preparation for the turkey leftovers we expect to have after Thanksgiving. With kidney beans, tomato, bell pepper, garlic and loads of spices, this chili terrific with shredded turkey meat (especially the dark meat!)

You could also easily make it with cooked shredded chicken if no turkey leftovers are available. Serve it loaded high with shredded cheese and diced onions, and better still, cornbread.
Note that this turkey chili recipe makes a large pot of chili! Perfect for a gathering. Use leftovers as an easy sauce with pasta or filling for enchiladas.

Turkey Chili (with Leftover Turkey) Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 2 Tbsp chili powder (or up to 4 Tbsp if you like it spicier)
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 3 15-ounce cans crushed tomatoes (fire roasted if you can get it)
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup of turkey stock or chicken stock
• Two 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp sea salt, plus more if desired to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 to 4 cups of shredded, cooked turkey meat
• 1 to 3 teaspoons sugar (optional)

• Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green or red onion, sour cream for optional garnish.

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Green Gumbo

Green gumbo, or gumbo z’herbes, is a Lenten tradition in Louisiana. Ironically, it is not always vegetarian, as this hearty stew is often served on Holy Thursday to fortify the faithful for the Good Friday fast.

Our version includes a ham hock and smoked andouille sausages, but you can leave them out to make a vegetarian gumbo.

The tradition for gumbo z’herbes is to include many different kinds of greens in the gumbo—and to always include an odd number. Why? Apparently for every different green you add, you will find a new friend in the coming year.

Why and odd number? Not really sure, although I bet it has to do with old West African or French folklore. Gumbo zav, which is how its pronounced in Louisiana, appears to be related to the French potage aux herbes, or the West Indian callaloo, which in turn has its origins in West African cooking.

Which greens? Any you’d like. I used collards, turnip greens, lacinato kale, curly kale and dandelion greens. Other good options would be chard, spinach, parsley, mustard greens, arugula, the tops of radishes or carrots… you get the idea.


A word on the roux: Try to use peanut oil if you can find it, as it lends a particularly excellent Cajun flavor to the gumbo. Lard, while not vegetarian, would be my second choice. But regular vegetable oil will work, too.

The recipe below includes a Cajun spice blend that makes more than you need for this gumbo. You can save it for later, or serve it at the table with the file powder.

If you’ve never heard of file (fee-lay) powder, it is the dried, ground leaves of sassafras. It adds a sweet flavor to the gumbo and will thicken it a bit, too. Only add the file at the end of cooking, though, or it will turn into nasty, goopy strings.

Green Gumbo Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut oil, lard or other vegetable oil
• 1 cup flour
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning (see below)
• 1 ham hock (optional)
• 10 cups water
• 3 pounds assorted greens (i.e. kale, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach, chard, parsley, dandelion greens, beet greens), chopped (about 14 cups)
• Salt
• 1 pound smoked andouille sausage (optional)
• File powder to taste (optional)

Cajun Spice Blend

• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp sweet paprika

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Guinness Bread with Molasses

Please welcome Hank Shaw who shares his favorite Guinness bread recipe. ~Elise

This is just about the easiest sweet bread I know; it takes precious little thought to make, tastes wonderful with sweet butter or cinnamon sugar, and, as an added bonus, this bread keeps for several days. Why I have no idea.

A few pointers on making this beer bread: The Guinness must be cold, the self-rising flour must be relatively fresh (like men, its rising power diminishes with age), and the loaf pan needs to be well-greased. If your self-rising flour is more than 6 months old, add a tablespoon of baking powder.

Can you sub in other beers and sweeteners? Sure. For a lighter beer bread, try using Harp and light brown sugar—it’ll still be Irish. I initially learned this recipe using Budweiser and white sugar, so your possibilities are endless. One caveat: Do not use hoppy beers such as a Pale Ale, as the bitterness will taste odd to you, unless, of course, you are into serious bitterness.

Guinness Bread with Molasses Recipe

This is fantastic eaten fresh, and nearly as good the next day toasted with some more butter. Do not use stale beer for this recipe, you want the carbonation.

Ingredients

• 3 cups self-rising flour*
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• A pinch of salt (roughly 1/8 teaspoon)
• 12 ounces of Guinness extra stout
• Butter for greasing the pan and painting the top, about 3 tablespoons

* If you don't have self-rising flour, you can substitute using a ratio of 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, plus 1/8 teaspoon of salt, for every cup of self-rising flour. Have made both ways though and got better results from the self-rising flour.

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7 Layer Bean Dip

Refried beans should be served warm.

There, I’ve said it. I don’t usually put my foot down about food preferences, but cold refried beans are about as appealing as a cold hamburger. This is why I make 7-layer dip starting with a layer of hot refried beans.

Shredded cheese is added directly to the top of the beans so it melts from the heat of the beans. Then the layers of tomato, avocado, olives, and chilies, onions (mostly room temp) are added.

The only cold part of the dip is the topping of sour cream (or crema Mexicana). Served this way and the taste delightfully mimics tostadas or homemade nachos, but in an easy-to-serve dip form.

By the way, depending on what you have on hand, your 7-layer dip may have 8 or 9 layers, or 6. The basics are refried beans, grated cheese, avocados (or guacamole), chilies (or salsa), sour cream, and olives. Improvise with more or fewer toppings to your own taste.

7 Layer Bean Dip Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups of refried beans, either from one 15-ounce can or homemade
• 1 teaspoon (or more) of bacon fat (or 1 strip of bacon, cooked and minced) optional
• 1 teaspoon of chipotle powder, Tabasco chipotle sauce, or adobo sauce, more to taste (or plain chili powder to taste)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped green Anaheim chiles (canned) OR a Tbsp of chopped pickled jalapenos (more to taste)
• 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
• 1 hot house tomato, cut in half horizontally, seeds and juice gently squeezed out and discarded, chopped
• 1/3 cup of sour cream, or if you can get it Crema Mexicana (Mexican sour cream)
• 1/2 small can of sliced ripe black olives

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