Patti LaBelle just seems like the type of woman who knows how to cook. She seems like she wouldn't mess around in the kitchen - and takes her southern cooking very seriously. Her Peach Cobbler recipe from her book LaBelle Cuisine doesn't sound like it would work with her diabetic diet - but for the rest of us.. it sounds yummy.

INGREDIENTS:

Pie crust for double crust pie
3 lbs. of medium peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, plus more for the top of the crust
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a medium bowl, toss the peaches, cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Fold in the butter. Spoon half of the peach mixture into a prepared dish.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the smaller disk of dough into an 8-inch square about 1/8 inch thick, trimming the dough as needed. Place over the peaches in a baking dish. Top with the remaining peaches. Roll out the larger disk of dough into an 11-inch square about 1/8 inch thick, trimming as needed. Fit over top of the baking dish, letting the dough hang down on the sides of the dish. Pinch the dough firmly onto the top edge of the dish. Press the overhanging dough onto the sides of the dish. Cut a few slits in the top of the dough. Place the dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips.

Bake until the fruit juices are bubbling and the top is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle the top of the dough with cinnamon. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Desperate Housewife, Eva Longoria, has decided to spruce up her resume outside the bedroom by opening her new restaurant in Hollywood, Beso. She's teamed up with celebrity chef Todd English for the latin themed restaurant.  People magazine was on the scene as she shared her recipe for Tortilla Soup and homemade guacamole. Mmmm. Tortilla soup is one of my favorites, a nice alternative to traditional chicken soup when fighting off a nasty cold. So go whip a batch... olé! 

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium onion, medium dice
½ bunch of celery, medium dice
¼ cup garlic, chopped
1 pasilla pepper (a dried, mild chili), medium dice
1 jalepeño pepper, diced
½ cup olive oil
6 whole Roma tomatoes
6 cups hearty chicken stock
½ cup lime juice
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
1 tablespoon paprika
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste

Tortilla chips, avocado, jalepeños or sour cream to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350º. In a bowl, toss tomatoes with half of the oil, a pinch of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Spread on a baking pan and roast until light brown, 25-30 minutes.
2. While tomatoes are roasting, in a stock pot over medium heat, sauté onion, celery, peppers and garlic in remaining oil, stirring frequently until soft and translucent.
3. Add chicken stock, cayenne, chili powder, ground cumin seed, paprika and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes.
4. When tomatoes are light brown and their skins have begun to peel back, remove from oven and add to the broth.
5. Add chicken breasts, cut into strips. Simmer 10 minutes.
6. Using an immersion hand blender, or in batches in a food processor or blender, blend soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve piping-hot in large bowl, garnished with chopped avocado, tortilla chips, chopped jalepeños and sour cream. Other suggestions for garnish include diced red onion, chopped cilantro, salsa verde, sliced radishes and cooked, diced chicken. Adjust spices and seasonings to your taste. Enjoy!

Homemade GUACAMOLE

INGREDIENTS:
8 large ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
Generous handful of cilantro, stems removed and chopped
3 small serrano peppers, seeded and chopped finely
Juice of 3-9 lemons, depending on your taste
Salt
Tortilla chips (Eva's favorite are lime-flavored)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, mash avocados
2. Mix in tomatoes, onion, cilantro and peppers
3. Add lemon juice and salt to taste
4. Serve with tortilla chips

Paul McCartney is such a media hog, he just can't seem to do anything without a camera. I'm just kidding of course. Here's a home movie of Paul preparing Linda's recipe for mashed potatoes. After watching this I think he would make a good tv cooking show host. He's already got a built in audience. Food network, are you listening? He may need the money after his divorce is final....

This recipe is reportedly the former President Bill Clinton's favorite tuna sandwich. I'm sure he can eat this after his heart troubles as it goes really easy on the mayonnaise. Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:
Mustard (regular)
Tuna -- drained (6 1/2 oz)
1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
1  Egg -- hard cooked & chopped
½ teaspoon  Salt
1 teaspoon Onion -- finely chopped
4 slices Whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon Celery -- finely chopped
1  Tomato -- sliced
1 teaspoon Pickle Relish
2  Lettuce Leaves
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl place tuna, egg, onion, celery, pickle relish, mustards, mayonnaise and salt. With a fork, combine all ingredients well.
2. Spread tuna mixture on 2 bread slices, cover with tomato slices and lettuce and top with remaining bread slices.
   

 

A cool short video with Christopher Walken in his kitchen cooking an upright chicken with baked pears. Looks easy enough - even though I have a total phobia of raw chicken. It weirds me out completely ... long story. I think I might have to give this a try... add a few green beans and dinner is served!

This savory recipe for New Delhi Salmon (serves four) sounds delicious. Christopher Walken is known for being a fan of and participant in the culinary arts. He should do a cooking show - it would be like one long Saturday Night Live sketch.  They could ring a cowbell when dinner is ready!

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds fresh salmon fillet, skin left on
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 onion, chopped into 1/2-inch segments
1 jar Major Grey’s chutney
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the broiler. With a sharp knife, cut the salmon fillet crosswise into four portions, but do not break the salmon skin. Rub about two tablespoons of olive oil on the scored piece of salmon and into its crevices, then rub in about a tablespoon of sea salt. Put aside.

 

In a saucepan, lightly brown the onion slices. Pile the browned onion into a cookie sheet or Pyrex plate, forming a bed of onions with the approximate area as the salmon fillet. In a small mixing bowl, combine the chutney, garlic, cilantro and lemon juice. Massage this mixture onto the top of the salmon fillet, making sure that some sauce falls into the crevices.

Take the salmon fillet and slam it down on top of the onion bed, so that the skin is facing up and the sauce side is down. Place the pan close to the broiler and broil for about 20 minutes, or until the skin is burnt and the middle of the fillet is hot to the touch and dark pink. Remove the skin and serve from the pan, sauce-and onion-side down.

Source: New York Observer - September 18, 2000

 

This Irish Colcannon recipe is attributed to Dame Helen Mirren. Source

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. kale or cabbage, finely chopped
7-8 fl. oz. milk or cream
2 small leeks or green spring onion tops, chopped
2 lb. potatoes, preferably Irish, diced
salt and freshly ground pepper
pinch of ground mace
4 Tbsp. melted butter

INSTRUCTIONS:
Cook the kale or cabbage in a large pan of boiling water until ver tender, then drain and keep warm. Put the milk or cream in a small pan with the leeks or spring onions and simmer until soft. In another saucepan, cook the potatoes until tender, then drain and mash them.

Mix in leeks or onion tops and enough milk or cream to give a creamy consistency. Add the kale or cabbage and season with salt, pepper and mace. Drizzle with the melted butter and serve immediately.
 

Martha Stewart wannabe Jennifer Garner has a healthy recipe for Shrimp and Orzo originally featured in Self Magazine in 2000. If Jennifer can eat this and have a body like she does, then it's on my dinner menu.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup dry orzo
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 can (28 oz)whole, peeled tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp capers
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 lb medium shelled and deveined shrimp
1/2 cup feta

INSTRUCTIONS:
Cook orzo in boiling water according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add wine and cook 1 minute. Toss in drained tomatoes (reserve 1/2 cup juice). Break tomatoes into chunks. Add reserved juice, parsley, capers, oregano, basil, black pepper, and red pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook 2 minutes or until shrimp become opaque. Add cooked orzo to skillet. Mix well. When pasta is thoroughly heated, stir in feta. Serve immediately.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 385 calories, 10 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 45 g carbohydrates, 27 g protein, 3.5 g protein

Head over to Oprah.com and check out her food sections for lots of recipes, features and healthy eating tips. Oprah's unfried chicken recipe serves 6 and sounds perfect for a early evening fall picnic.


INGREDIENTS:
6 chicken drumsticks
6 chicken breast halves
3 1/2 cups ice water
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
Vegetable oil

***Breading***
1 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour_1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon each: garlic powder, thyme, basil, oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Remove skin from chicken. Place chicken in large bowl with ice water. Put yogurt into medium bowl. Set aside.
Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Breading: Combine all ingredients in large tight-sealing bag; shake to mix. Remove two pieces of chicken from ice water. Roll each piece in yogurt. Put chicken into plastic bag, seal and shake, coating thoroughly. Transfer breaded chicken to oiled baking sheet. Repeat until all 12 pieces are breaded. Spray chicken lightly with vegetable oil. Place baking sheet on bottom shelf of 400 degree F (200 degree C) oven and bake for 1 hour, turning pieces every 20 minutes for even browning. Serve hot or at room temperature.

This recipe is from The All American Cowboy Cookbook.  Emmylou Harris’ lemony pound cake sounds as sweet as her singing voice.

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup poppy seeds
2 sticks sweet cream butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. grated fresh lemon rind
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

GLAZE INGREDIENTS:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 325F. In a large mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients. Beat on low speed, scraping bowl often, until all ingredients are moistened. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Pour into greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely. In a small bowl, stir sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Makes 8-10 servings.