Hot Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs small new potatoes
  
• 1 jalepeño, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
  
• 1 1/2 inch piece ginger root, peeled and minced
  
• 1 garlic, peeled and minced
  
• juice of 3 limes
  
• 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
  
• 3 Tbsp. Spicy Island Hot Sauce
  
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
  
• 1 Tbsp. honey
  
• 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  
• 4 oz montery jack cheese with peppers
  
• 3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Directions:

Drop potatoes into a large pot of boiling water.
Cook for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are tender (but not falling apart).
Combine jalepeño, ginger, garlic, lime juice, vinegar, hot sauce, soy sauce and honey. Slowly add oil, whisking constantly.
Drain potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl.
Toss warm potatoes with dressing.
Set aside to cool for 20-30 minutes.
Add onion, cheese and cilantro to potato mixture.
Toss and serve.

Saffron Mussel Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs live mussels
  
• 3/4 cup dry wine
  
• 1/4 cup butter
  
• 1 yellow onion
  
• 6 small leeks
  
• 1 lb potatoes
  
• 3 cups fish or vegetable stock
  
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron
  
• parsley to garnish

Directions:

Scrub and rinse mussels.
Steam mussels in wine in a covered pan until mussels open. (Approximately 5 minutes on high heat.)
Remove mussels from liquid, discarding any which failed to open.
Set aside both mussels and liquid.
Peel onion and potatoes.
Wash leeks thoroughly.
Dice onion, leeks and potatoes.
Fry vegetables in butter for five minutes.
Add stock and reserved wine/mussel juice and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat.
Add saffron.
Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
Purée soup in a blender or food processor.
Set aside some mussels in half shells -- one to garnish each bowl.
Discard shells from remaining mussels.
Divide mussels amongst soup bowls.
Ladle puréed soup over mussels.
Garnish each bowl with a mussel in half shell and a sprig of parsley.
Serve immediately.

Roasted Parsnip Soup

A delicious "creamy" soup -- without the cream! This soup is lactose-free and vegan-friendly.



Ingredients:

• 1 lb. parsnips
  
• 1 firm pear
  
• 1 large potato
  
• 1 yellow onion
  
• 1 garlic
  
• 1 yellow pepper
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 4-5 cups vegetable stock
  
• 1 tsp ground thyme

Directions:

Peel parsnips, pear, potato, onion & garlic.
Core pear.
Seed pepper.
Cut vegetables into large chunks.
Toss vegetables with oil in a large, shallow casserole dish (such as a lasagna pan).

Roast at 400°F for 40 minutes, turning vegetables over in pan after first ten minutes to ensure they are fully coated in oil. Vegetables should be soft and lightly browned when done.
Heat stock in a large pot.
Add roasted vegetables.
Simmer for 15 minutes.
Purée soup in a blender or food processor.
Return to pan.
Add thyme and more liquid if desired.
Simmer for a further 15 minutes to allow flavours to blend.
Ladle into soup bowls and serve warm.