Roasted Squash Soup

Roasted Squash Soup

Ingredients:
3 cups roasted squash (Acorn or Butternut)
1 cup mirepoix (onion, carrots, celery) diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 bay leaf
3 cups chicken stock or water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

• Sweat mirepoix and garlic in butter until translucent but not browned
• Add squash, bay leaf and thyme, saute for a few minutes
• Add water or chicken stock and bring to a simmer
• Add vinegar, cream and maple syrup
• Puree in a blender and strain

Innkeepers Inn Above Onion Creek

IAOC Gumbo

Ingredients:
1/2 cup bell peppers, medium dice
1/2 cup onion, medium dice
1/2 cup celery, medium dice
1 lb. Andoulli sausage cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup okra
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup roux (1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup flour)
1 bay leaf
1/2 Tsp paprika
1/2 Tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tsp File
1/2 Tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste


Process:
1.Brown sausage in large pot
2. Add celery, bell peppers, onion and bay leaf, cook over medium high heat for a couple of minutes
3. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil
4. Mix in Roux
5. Add shrimp and okra, cook on low for an additional 5 minutes
6. Add seasonings

Serve with white rice.

Innkeepers Inn Above Onion Creek

Pork Brine and Rub

We use this combination of brine and rub on many of our pork recipes. It's a sure fire way to come up with tender and juicy pork.

BRINE:
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup maple syrup or brown sugar
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black pepper corns
1 head of garlic cut in half
1 Tbsp thyme

Put everything in  2 qt. hot water and stir until salt dissolved. Let cool completely. Add pork to brine minimum 2 hours but overnight is best.

RUB:
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tbsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Tbsp Paprika


Combine all spices and rub well on to pork. Let sit for 2 hours for flavor to absorb.


Innkeepers Inn Above Onion Creek

Eggs in Purgatory (Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce)

This is one of our favorite ways to serve baked eggs.

Ingredients:
2 cups tomatoes, crushed
1/2 cup onions, small dice
1/4 cup celery, small dice
1/4 cup carrot, small dice
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1 tsp fresh oregano, minced
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp parsley, chopped (for garnish)
4 fresh eggs
1/4 Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Directions:
1.Preheat oven and two ramekins or gratin dishes to 350 degrees
2.Preheat a sauce pot to medium high. Add olive oil, onions, carrots, celery & garlic. Sweat vegetables until translucent. Add tomatoes & tomato paste. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add herbs and season to taste.
3. Pour enough sauce in the dishes to cover the entire surface.
4. Crack two eggs into each dish season with salt and Parmesan.
5. Bake until the whites of the eggs are set but the yolks still runny. About 5-10 minutes
6. Garnish with parsley, eat immediately

Innkeepers Inn Above Onion Creek

Maple Pecan Cookies

These Maple Pecan cookies are great year round and are a guest favorite.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup Butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbs Maple syrup
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked quick oats (not old-fashioned)
1/2 coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup packaged chopped pitted dates

DIRECTIONS:
1. For cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat 1/2 cup butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Beat in 3 Tbs syrup. Combine flour, baking soda: gradually beat into butter mixture. On low speed, beat in oats, coarsely chopped pecans and dates.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.

Yield: 2 dozen.

Innkeepers Inn Above Onion Creek

Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder

Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup butter
• 2 quarts Chicken Stock
• 1 pint half & half
• 3 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
• 2 cups roasted Poblano pepper (small dice)
• 2 cups of russet potatoes (small dice)
• 1 cup yellow onion (small dice)


Salt & Pepper to taste


Instructions:
1. In a large sauce pan, add the butter and flour.  Cook the roux for several minutes. Add the onions and sweat until they have softened, but not brown.
2. Whisk in the chicken stock and half & half to prevent clumps.
3. Add the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Stir often making sure the bottom of the pot is clean.
4. Add the poblano and corn towards the end, and cook for 10 more minutes.
5. If the soup is not at the desired thickness, combine softened butter and flour.  Add a teaspoon at a time until the soup returns to a simmer. If not thickened enough add an additional teaspoon and continue until desired thickness is achieved.



Innkeepers
Inn Above Onion Creek

Fresh Cooking with Chef Marcos Galvan- Episode 2 - French Toast with Fambleed Pears

The executive chef at the Inn Above Onion Creek bed and breakfast shows you how to prepare French Toast with Flambeed Pears. In this episode of Cooking Fresh, Chef Marcos Galvan gives some great tips to help take your french toast to the next level.


Innkeepers Inn Above Onion Creek

Fresh Cooking with Chef Marcos Galvan - Episode 1 - Garden Greens

Watch Chef Marcos Galvan prepare three dishes all using fresh greens grown in our garden. The first dish is a corn bread bacon collard greens gratin. Next Chef Marcos creates a sauteed kale/swiss chard and a pan-seared talapia with a balsamic compound butter. Finally he finishes things up with a fresh romaine salad with Maytag blue cheese, candied walnuts, apples and a wildflower honey Dijon vinaigrette.

Here is the recipe for the Bacon Collard Greens Gratin

Collard Green-Bacon-Cornbread Gratin

Ingredients:
· 2 lbs. Collard Greens, washed, cut into 1” ribbons
· 2 Bacon, sliced
· 2 cups Cornbread, coarsely crumbled
· 1 cup yellow onion, diced
· 2 Tbsp AP Flour
· 3 cups milk
· Salt & Pepper to taste
· ¼ cup melted butter (optional)

Directions:

1. Blanch Collard Greens in boiling, salted water until tender (3-5 minutes). Shock in ice water to stop the cooking. Drain well.
2. Crisp the bacon over medium heat, then add the onions. Sweat onions until translucent. Add the flour and cook for several minutes.
3. Slowly whisk in the milk, and bring to a simmer.  Add the salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.  Stir in the blanched greens.
4. Transfer to a greased baking dish and top with cornbread crumbles. Drizzle with melted butter.
5. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the top is goldenbrown


Innkeepers Inn Above Onion Creek

Aunt Thelma's Banana Bread

Aunt Thelma’s Banana Bread
By: Thelma Albaugh, John Orr’s Aunt

Serves 12
Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

1 stick of margarine
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
4 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup bananas – coarsely mashed, but not mushy
½ cup ground pecans

Cream margarine, sugar, and eggs together in a large mixing bowl – add buttermilk and vanilla and set aside. In another bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. Add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with bananas and nuts. Hand stir until well-blended, but be sure not to over-beat the mix.

Bake in a greased 5” x 9” loaf pan at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. It will split slightly at the top. Test with a toothpick for doneness. When done, let stand in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan and immediately seal in plastic wrap. Then wrap again with aluminum foil and place in the freezer while it’s still hot. Leave the bread in the freezer for several days or longer. This is what makes the bread so moist!

Tomato Basil Soup

This Tomato Basil Soup is a great summertime soup recipe. When we can we substitute fresh tomatoes from our garden and we always use basil grown here on the property.


Tomato Basil Soup
Serves 6

32 oz can San Marzano Tomatoes, pureed
1 can tomato paste
1 cup onion, diced
½ cup celery, diced
½ cup carrot, diced
¾ cup fresh basil, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1 T. garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Preheat heavy bottom sauce pan. Add olive oil.  Sweat onion, celery & carrot in oil until soft.  Add garlic, sauté for a few more minutes.

2. Add tomato paste and pureed tomatoes.

3. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add heavy cream and ½ cup of basil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish soup with remaining basil.

Innkeepers Inn Above Onion Creek