Sweet Love and Ginger

Jessica

The Best of Sweet Love & Ginger eCookbook is out for FREE!!

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I am super excited today to announce the launch of my very
first eBook.
It is a collection of my most viewed, commented, shared, and
requested recipes since the birth of Sweet Love and Ginger.
I am so proud to have this space and really truly wanted to create
something to commemorate that as well as give back a little to all of you.
Without readers this space is just an empty well for me to drop my thoughts
into. It is you who make it really come alive for me and give me the passion to
keep coming here every day, or other day as the case may be. Thank you so much
for every little thing that you do for me.

To get your free copy simply sign up for my monthly
newsletter. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

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My Current Favorite Teas

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For someone who drinks tea throughout the day, nearly every day I don’t seem to talk about it a whole lot on here. I want this space to be a reflection of everything that I am in the moment that I am writing it.

I thought it would be good to start with a collection of my current favorite teas.
Monks blend – it has a way of soothing my nerves that’s absolutely amazing. Its flavor is a Ceylon black tea that is blended with a light grenadine that truly lifts the caramel-vanilla flavor to a new level. It is one of my favorite to sip on as I sit down at my computer to work on the weekends.

Irish Breakfast – I think this is/has always been my favorite. Barry’s is the best, but I may be bias, since it’s my Grams favorite also.
Bengal spice – I have allergies, and this year I am making it through without medication. Halleluiah! This tea is a non caffeinated herbal blend with a super strong flavor.  I make it very dark, and blend in a touch of honey to sooth my throat. The strong spices help to clear out my sinuses before bed and I wake up feeling so much better than without it. I also will drink some during the day if I am having a particularly bad bout.

Classic Green tea – I drink this made very weak sometimes at work when I want more than just water. The hint of flavor gives me just what I am looking for.


Peppermint tea – I make this when my stomach is feeling off or I have a headache. Just the smell can do wonders on a headache. It’s an herbal tea that has been used for centuries for it’s healing properties. 

Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

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Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

I have made Cream of Chicken and Rice before, so you already know I love it. However since cutting back on processed foods I have found myself actually craving more rice, specifically wild rice. Right now I see no issues with this.

What I like most about this recipe is that it’s super simple, and while it takes a while to cook, the flavors are so in depth and the texture so spot on that it’s totally worth the wait. I still dropped some blended spinach in this one mostly to boost the health factor, but you could probably add the spinach without blending or not at all if you so choose. I like to get the biggest bang for my buck however, so blending it is. I also added corn, because I felt it was needed.
It was well received and gobbled up in two eye blinks. Then I made it again a couple weeks later, just to make sure the recipe was right. It was. This time it was one eye blink. I think the one eye blink was due to the cooler temperature, something about warm soup and cool, rainy nights;  they just go.
Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

 

Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 celery ribs diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 6 cups of low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup of wild rice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 lb chicken, cooked & shredded
  • 2 cups of spinach blended
  • 1 cup of corn (frozen or fresh)
  • ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
  1. Saute garlic, carrot, celery, onion in oil.
  2. Add rice & broth, bay leaf, curry, & pepper. Cook stirring regularly until rice is aldente about 40 minutes.
  3. Add chicken and stir.
  4. Add spinach and corn cook for an additional minute.
  5. Remove from heat and add cream, stirring well to incorporate
  6. Serve immediately.

Choosing the Wedding Colors

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Choosing colors for me was possibly the easiest part of this whole
thing. Both Chuck and I love the color green, in all of its various shades and
hues, besides as a red head it goes pretty perfectly with my hair. There. Done.
I chose to add silver silver mainly because I needed another color
other than white, and I figured all my jewelry is silver anyway.
Over time as I created pinterest boards and picked out things
I liked the color theme kind of morphed into a thing of its own and there is a
lot going on here.

Green is still the base, but I really want wild flowers instead of
uptight, florest-y looking things. Not that there is anything wrong with this,
it’s just never been my style. So basically whatever flowers happen to be in
season, and that people we know grow, are what we are going with. I’ve already done some scouting and I think they are going to look awesome! They are
going to be an array of colors and that’s just fine with me.

I started choosing favors, and decorations that centered around
earthy browns and greens and started to realize that I wasn’t really going to
have a color theme in the end. I’m cool with that, because that is the story of
my life, and a total reflection of how Chuck and I live our lives. What could
be wrong with that?

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Lamb & Leek Shepherd’s Pie

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Lamb & Leek Shepherds Pie
This dish right here is one of Chuck’s favorite, in fact he requests it every year for his birthday. This guy of mine really likes his comfort food, piled high with fresh herbs and earthy flavors. It’s easy, simple
and delicious what more could you ask for really?
This particular recipe I have been making since I met him, and trying desperately to perfect it for him. The meat must be tender, the leeks caramelized and all of it drowning in gravy. Then you top it with a pound and a half of mixed vegetables and top that with delightfully garlicky mashed potatoes, that is then topped with just a fine sprinkle of rich cheddar cheese and a pinch of fresh parsley.
Once that mashed potato crust is broken and the whole lot is piled on to the plate the gravy starts to ooze out and mix with everything else. The rich gravy mixed with the garlic and cheese in the mashed potatoes to form this earthy bomb in your mouth. The vegetables add a hint of texture and freshness to perfectly balance the whole thing. Now, all that is needed is a big glass of milk to wash it down and if you are me, a cup of weak tea to settle your overfull stomach afterward.
Now lamb is the favorite for this recipe in our house, but beef is a good second, however I suggest 90 lean beef or higher. The lower grade beef contains a lot of fat, that even when drained can make the gravy greasy, and totally change the mouth feel of the dish.
Lamb & Leek Shepherds Pie

 

Lamb & Leek Shepard’s Pie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb potatoes, peeled & chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup cheddar cheese (plus more for garnish)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 lb lean ground lamb
  • 2 medium leeks, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 1 cup low sodium beef or vegetable broth
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 24 ounces of frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted
  • Pinch minced fresh chives
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Fill a large pan with water, the potatoes, and garlic. Bring it to a boil and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are softened through.
  3. Drain and return to the potatoes to the pan. Add the 2 tbsp butter milk, cheese and salt and then mash together, until smooth and well blended.
  4. In a skillet brown the ground beef.
  5. Once browned drain the beef of grease and add the butter and leeks and cook until they are fragrant.
  6. Stir in pepper and flour until well mixed. Allow the mixture to cook for a minute before adding broth and thyme.
  7. Stir well and bring to a simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
  8. In a 8×8 pan add the meat mixture, then layer the vegetables and mashed potatoes.
  9. Top with a sprinkle of cheese, and chives and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown, and crisp on top.
  10. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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