The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook*

by Shannon Barczak

  1 medium onion, finely sliced

  2 cups chicken stock

  ½ tsp. each of thyme, salt and pepper

  1 ½ TBLS. butter

  1-pound sea scallops

  1-pound small shrimp

  ½ cup Sherry

  1 cup of half-half

  Parsley for garnish

  Directions:

  1) Place the potatoes, celery, onions, carrots and stock in a large soup pot and bring to boil. Add seasonings; simmer and cover until vegetables are tender.

  2) Transfer mixture into a food processor until smooth.

  3) In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté scallops, shrimp and wine. Cook for a few minutes and then stir in half-half.

  4) Combine puree and heat slowly.

  I love this nice, clean chicken soup recipe. I’m a sucker for anything with citrus in it, and this does not disappoint. If you want to throw in a cup of egg noodles to make it an authentic chicken noodle soup go ahead!

  Lemony Chicken Soup

  1-pound chicken breasts tenders

  2 carrots, thinly sliced

  8 scallions, minced

  2 stalks celery, sliced

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  1 ½ tsp. each of oregano, basil and dried mint

  2-bay leaves

  4 cups chicken broth

  2 lemons, juiced

  Directions:

  1) In a skillet heat 2 TBLS. of olive oil and add chicken tenders. Cook until brown or juices run clear. Add carrots and sauté for three minutes. Add next six ingredients; cook for five minutes, frequently stirring. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook for five minutes before serving.

  If you’re a gardener like me, you probably always plant too much of something in the spring. I always plant way too much basil because I’m a complete basil loving freak. One cup of basil seems like a lot to add, but it does not overwhelm this recipe….ok, not too much.

  Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup

  1 TBLS. Olive oil

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  4 cups chicken broth

  1 can of Italian diced tomatoes

  1 (9oz.) package of 4-cheese tortellini

  1 cup chopped basil

  1 tsp. pepper

  2 tsp. salt

  Directions:

  1) Heat garlic in olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute.

  2) Stir in broth and tomatoes and bring to boil. Add tortellini, basil, pepper and salt.

  3) Simmer for 30 minutes.

  Summer and Patcoena have travelled quite a bit in their lifetime and Summer swears by this simple corn chowder recipe. I, of course, was weary because canned cream corn? Really? I am now a believer.

  Corn Chowder

  3 slices bacon

  1 medium onion, thinly sliced

  2-medium potatoes, peeled and diced

  ½ cup of water

  1-can cream style corn

  2 cups whole milk

  1 tsp. salt

  ½ tsp. black pepper

  Directions:

  1) In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and crumble. Reserve 2 TBLS. of the bacon drippings in the saucepan and discard the remainder. Add the onions and cook until lightly browned. Add the potatoes and water and cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

  2) Add the corn, milk, salt and pepper and cook until heated through. Do not boil.

  3) Pour into warmed bowls and top with crumbled bacon.

  Ode to Yuma

  Ode to Yuma

  I truly do miss Arizona. I loved my hometown and most of all I loved the food there. Being married to a vampire can definitely cramp my food palate. Now and then I crave good old Mexican food and throw a fiesta at my house. Needless to say, Mathias usually eats tortilla shells and rolls his eyes at me as I cook in the kitchen with mariachi music playing in the background.

  What can I say but ole`?

  Bean Dip

  1 large can of refried beans

  1 cup of yellow corn

  ¼ cup black olives

  ¼ cup of green chili’s

  ½ cup jalapenos, sliced

  2 cups salsa

  2 cups Monterey jack cheese

  Directions:

  1) Layer ingredients in 9x13-baking dish, starting with the refried beans and ending with the cheese. Place in a preheated 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

  Salsa Chicken

  1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

  ½ cup of flour

  3 green peppers, sliced into strips

  4 cups of chicken flavored rice

  ¼ cup sliced jalapenos

  1 jar of good quality salsa

  2 cups of cheddar or Monterey jack cheese

  1 TBLS. cooking oil

  ¼ cup white wine

  Directions:

  1) Place cubed chicken and a bowl and coat with flour. Sauté coated chicken over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook for one minute or until wine is evaporated. Add sliced peppers and jalapenos. Simmer for ten minutes.

  2) Meanwhile, cook rice according to package instructions ( I usually purchase the family size box)

  3) Spread rice on the bottom of a large cooking pan and top with chicken and pepper mixture. Place salsa over top of chicken and finally sprinkle with cheese.

  4) Cook in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

  Taquitos

  4 TBLS. cooking oil

  1 red onion, finely chopped

  1 green pepper, diced

  1 red pepper, diced

  2 jalapenos, chopped and seedless

  2 TBLS. minced garlic

  4-chicken breasts diced into small chunks

  1 cup Colby jack cheese

  Salt and pepper to taste

  3 oz. tequila

  1 lime, juiced

  20 6 or 8-inch corn tortilla shells

  Directions:

  1) Heat 1 TBLS. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss chicken chunks with 2 TBLS. of flour and add to skillet. Cook chicken until juices run clear and no longer pink. Add onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, salt and pepper, and garlic to chicken. Cook until vegetables are just tender, about three minutes.

  2) Deglaze pan with lime juice and tequila. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken mixture from pan and place in a large bowl with cheese. Mix and set aside

  3) Wrap tortillas in paper towels and warm in the microwave for one minute.

  4) Assemble Taquitos; Place 1 ½ TBLS. of chicken mixture down center of tortilla and wrap tightly. Repeat until all of the mixture is used.

  5) Heat 3 TBLS. of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place taquitos, seam side down on the skillet and keep turning until all sides are golden brown. Repeat until all are fried and placed on a large baking sheet.

  6) Cook in a 425-degree oven for 10-15 for crispy taquitos!

  Polly’s Avocado Salsa

  4-plum tomatoes, chopped

  2 TBLS. finely chopped red onion

  2-garlic cloves, minced

  1 (4oz.) package of feta cheese crumbles

  1 TBLS. chopped parsley

  3 TBLS. red wine vinegar

  2 TBLS. olive oil

  ½ tsp. dried oregano

  ½ tsp. kosher salt

  2 avocados, chopped

  Directions:

  1) Stir together first nine ingredients. Gently fold in avocados before serving.

  Dos Equis Fish Tacos

  1 pound firm white fish, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

  1 ( 12 oz.) bottle of Dos Equis Beer

  Salt & pepper to taste

  Vegetable oil

  1 tsp. salt

  1 tsp. sugar

  ½ tsp. baking powder

  1 cup of Dos Equis beer

  ½ cup of hot sauce

  12 fresh w
arm corn tortillas

  1 lime cut into wedges

  ¾ cup Monterey jack cheese

  3 cups shredded cabbage or lettuce

  ½ red onions cut into strips

  Directions:

  1) Place fish in a large, zip lock plastic bag. Combine 12 oz. of beer and salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour beer mixture over fish and seal. Chill for two hours.

  2) Pour the oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat

  3) Combine flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in a medium bowl. Whisk in one cup of beer and hot sauce. Remove the fish from the plastic bag and drain well. Discard the marinade. Coat fish in batter and cook fish in batches about four minutes or until white and flaky. Drain on paper towels.

  4) Place 2-3 pieces of fish on each tortilla. Squeeze lime over the fish and top with remaining ingredients.

  Mexican Meatloaf

  This is my kid’s absolute, hands down favorite meatloaf. Mathias will even attempt a few bites although it’s a tad too spicy for him. You can certainly omit the hot sauce but really, what’s the point?

  3 pounds ground turkey (you can use ground beef if you prefer)

  1 egg

  1 cup minced green onions

  1 cup minced green, yellow and red peppers

  1 tsp. hot sauce

  1 cup spicy nacho chips, crushed

  Salt & pepper to taste

  Directions:

  1) In a large mixing bowl, place ground turkey, peppers, onions and nacho chips. Mix well.

  2) In a small bowl beat one egg and hot sauce. Pour into ground turkey mixture and mix until well combined.

  3) Season with salt and pepper. Place into a greased 13x9-baking dish and using your hands mold meat into a loaf.

  4) Bake in a 350-degree preheated oven for one hour. Remove from heat and drizzle about ½ cup of ketchup or salsa over top of meat. Place back into oven and cook for 20 more minutes.

  Churros

  1 cup of water

  3 TBLS of sugar

  ½ tsp. salt

  1 cup of flour

  2 quarts of oil for deep frying

  ½ cup sugar

  1 tsp. ground cinnamon

  Directions:

  1) In a small saucepan over medium heat combine water, 3 TBLS. of sugar, salt and 2 TBLS vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in flour until mixture becomes a small ball of dough.

  2) Heat oil in the deep fryer to 375 degrees. Pipe strips of dough, about 6-8 inches long, using a pastry bag or simply roll using your hands. Fry until golden; drain on paper towels.

  3) Combine ½ cup of sugar and cinnamon. Roll drained churros in mixture and serve immediately.

  Jeremiah inhales these tasty Mexican treats. No, really, it’s not a pretty sight.

  Cormac’s Irish Dinner

  Cormac’s Irish Dinner

  Ok, so my dad is making me put this in the book. Here’s the thing; my dad is from Fairlia, which as you all know is in Ireland but on another dimension. Needless to say, every St. Patrick’s Day his goal in life is to make sure everyone that is over for dinner pee’s green. Yeah, I did go there. I had to put a stop to the whole green food coloring in everything because with twin boys, peeing green turned into an Olympic event.

  Irish Colcannon

  3 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cubed

  1/1/2 sticks of butter

  1 cup of hot milk

  ½ cup sour cream

  2 tsp. each of salt and pepper

  1 small head of cabbage, finely shredded

  1 pound of bacon

  6 green onions, minced

  Directions:

  1) Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Cook until potatoes are soft when poked with a fork. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

  2) Meanwhile boil cabbage with enough water to cover in a large pot with one stick of butter ( the butter will help keep the cabbage tender), cover and simmer for five minutes. Remove and drain thoroughly

  3) Chop the bacon into thin chunks and sauté in skillet over medium-high heat for about five minutes, add minced green onions and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel covered plate.

  4) Mash potatoes, either by hand or with a mixer and add, ½ stick of butter, hot milk, salt and pepper, and sour cream. Mix until just combined. Add cabbage, bacon and scallions and mix well.

  Braised Carrot & Cabbage Slaw

  2 TBLS. olive oil

  6 slices of bacon

  2 onions, julienned

  4 carrots, peeled and grated

  ½ head of cabbage, grated

  4 green onions, minced

  1-½ cups apple cider vinegar

  4 TBLS. Dijon mustard

  ¼ cup red wine

  ½ tsp. thyme

  Directions:

  1) Coat skillet with olive oil and render bacon until crisp over medium-high heat. Add white onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender. Add carrots and stir, and then add cabbage, vinegar, mustard, thyme and green onions.

  2) Reduce to simmer and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes

  Honey Mustard Glazed Corned Beef Brisket

  4-pound corned beef brisket

  2 quarts of water

  1 large onion, chopped roughly

  1 large carrot

  1 stalk of celery

  2 cloves of garlic

  Directions:

  1) Combine all ingredients in a crock pot (be sure to include seasoning packet found in most packages of brisket) and simmer on high for 4-6 hours.

  2) Take the brisket out of liquid and transfer to a large greased baking dish.

  3) Combine: ½ cup of honey, ¼ cup of brown sugar, 3 TBLS. Dijon mustard, ½ tsp. minced ginger. Spoon glaze over brisket, coating thoroughly

  4) Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30-40

  Moist Irish Soda Bread

  3 cups of flour

  2 tsp. baking powder

  1tsp. baking soda

  1 tsp. salt

  ¼ cup of sugar

  1 pinch of cream of tarter

  2 TBLS melted butter

  2 eggs

  1 cup of sour cream

  ½ cup of buttermilk

  1 TBLS. uncooked oats

  1 TBLS. caraway seeds

  ½ cup raisins (optional)

  Directions:

  1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  2) Butter and flour a 9-inch pie pan or rounded cake pan

  3) Sprinkle uncooked oats on the bottom of the pan

  4) Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl; Set aside

  5) Mix melted butter, eggs, buttermilk and sour cream in a large bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry slowly and only until just incorporated.

  6) Pour the dough into prepared pan. Cut an ‘X’ on top of loaf and bake for 25-30 minutes

  Irish Cream Pound Cake

  1-½ cups of butter

  2 cups brown sugar

  1 cup granulated sugar

  5 large eggs

  3 cups of flour

  1 tsp. baking powder

  ½ tsp. salt

  ¾ cups of milk

  ¼ cup Irish Cream Liquor

  Directions:

  1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a fluted Bundt pan

  2) In a large bowl beat butter and sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time then drizzle in milk.

  3) In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture until well combined. Stir in Irish Cream liquor and spoon batter into prepared pan.

  4) Bake 1-hour and 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for ten minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

  5) To make the glaze, combine two cups of confectioners’ sugar and 3 TBLS. Irish Cream liquor. Beat until smooth and drizzle over cake.

  ~ A note from Cormac, make sure to taste the Irish Cream Liquor a few times to make sure it’s good.

>   Chinese

  How much do I love Chinese food? Uh, let’s see, on a scale from one to ten that would be a gazillion! Mathias always says that if you want to put me in a good mood or make me agree to anything; ply me with some good Chinese food. He would know because that’s what he did right before he left the island for four months.

  Yup, I still bring that up to this day.

  Egg Rolls

  4 TBLS. Vegetable oil

  1 – inch grated ginger

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  2 green onions/scallions, sliced thinly

  1 small red pepper, cut into 1-inch julienne strips

  1 carrot, cut into 1- inch julienne strips

  1-cup cabbage, shredded

  ¼ cup chicken broth

  2 TBLS. soy sauce

  1 TBLS. sugar

  2 TBLS. sesame oil

  20-wonton wrappers

  Dipping Sauce

  1/3-cup soy sauce

  1/3-cup rice wine vinegar

  2 TBLS. honey

  1 TBLS sesame oil

  Directions:

  1) In a wok or skillet, stir-fry the ginger and garlic in 2 TBLS. of oil for about 30 seconds. Add scallions, carrots and stir- fry over high heat for 2 minutes. In a bowl combine the chicken broth, soy sauce and sugar. Add the cabbage and broth mixture to the saucepan. Bring to a boil then simmer for 5minutes, occasionally stirring. Add sesame oil and remove from heat. Cool for at least 15 minutes before straining.

  2) Fill the roll egg roll wrappers, using about one heaping TBLS. of filling in the center of the wonton wrapper. Place the filling on the edge of wonton wrapper and roll tightly. Brush the ends with water and fold over before pressing to seal.

  3) In a skillet set over medium-high heat, warm up the remaining oil and sauté the egg rolls until golden brown on all sides.