Potato Leek Soup

3 cups potatoes
3 cups leeks
6 cups water
1 1/2 t salt
1 cup milk-based product: sour cream, whipping cream, creme fraiche, milk, or a combo of what's in the fridge
chive garnish

Dice potatoes, and thinly slice leeks (white and light green parts only). Put in a pot with the water and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 30-40 minutes. Blend with immersion blender, check seasoning. Mix in cream (if the cream is thick, mix some soup with it first before adding). Serve. 6 servings.

Chicken Piccata

4 chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
salt
pepper
paprika
garlic powder

chicken broth
white wine
2 T oil
lemons
capers
artichoke hearts (marinated or unmarinated)

angel hair pasta
Parmesan cheese to garnish

The chicken breasts should be thin, which can be achieved by either tenderizing them with a meat hammer, or butterflying them. Mix the flour and spices in a bowl.

Heat water for pasta.

Heat about an inch of chicken broth in a Dutch oven, large saute pan, or nonstick pot on medium- medium high heat. Thinly slice and seed the lemons. Set a few lemon slices aside for the garnish. Add some generous splashes of white wine. Add the lemons to the chicken broth and cook to soften. Add the oil, capers, and artichoke hearts. Add more chicken broth and wine if the liquid level is getting below an inch. Dip the chicken breasts into the flour mixture, and lay in the pan such that they are in contact with the pan and mostly covered by the sauce. Add angel hair pasta to pasta water (it only takes 3 minutes to cook- plan the timing carefully- if you want to have the pasta ready before putting the chicken in, add oil or butter. Angel hair is the worst sticky.) Flip the chicken when golden brown. Cook until lightly browned on both sides.

Make a bed of pasta, and put the chicken with generous spoonings of sauce on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and put a lemon on top. Enjoy!

Savory Leek Bread Pudding

Smitten Kitchen's recipe

Applesauce

apples
water
cinnamon (optional)

Chop apples. Put in a saucepan with some water over medium heat on stove. Cover. When apples start sticking turn down to low and stir regularly. Make sure there's enough water, but not much is needed because the apples release their water. When the applesauce is the desired consistency (Dad likes his chunky), add cinnamon to taste. Serve hot or cold. Good luck waiting until it's cold.

Rice Pudding

2 cups uncooked rice, cooked
3 cups milk
1 egg
3 T cream or creamer or half-and-half
2 T butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t cinnamon to taste

Use leftover rice or cook the rice ahead of time. Put rice and milk in a medium saucepan on low heat. Beat the egg with the cream, and mix into the rice. Stir well. Add butter, sugar, and vanilla. Stir over medium-low heat until the rice pudding is the desired consistency. Stir in cinnamon. 4 servings.

Seared carrots

Carrots
Olive oil
Rosemary
Thyme
Other herbs & spices
Salt
Pepper

Wash and slice carrots. Make sure they are as dry as possible to help prevent the oil from splattering. Finely chop herbs.

Pour as thin a layer of olive oil as possible in a cast iron or not-nonstick pan. Heat the pan to medium-medium/high heat on the stove, add the herbs and spices, and then add the carrots. Do not use your hand to drop the carrots in or the oil may splash or splatter on your hand. Make sure all the carrots have a surface in contact with the bottom of the pan ( don't crowd the pan!), and then resist the urge to check or stir the carrots for a few minutes. You want the hot pan to brown the carrots. After several minutes flip the pieces over and do the other side. Remove when cooked to the desirable consistency, and drain any excess oil with a paper towel. Enjoy as soon as possible!

Cranberry French Toast, Lorraine (Napa Wine Tasting)

l loaf cinnamon - raisin bread
6 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
1 c half and half
1 can whole cranberry sauce

Topping:
1/2 stick butter
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Put slices in a 9x13 pan.  Mix liquid ingredients, pour over bread and cover.  Refrigerate overnight.
Mix topping ingredients.  Spread cranberry sauce over bread and crumble topping over all.
Bake 350 degrees for about 50 mins.