Three Angels Gourmet Co. - Gourmet Food, Recipes and Podcast

Welcome to the Three Angels Gourmet Co.

Hello,

We're Ireland Reynolds, Daisy Benson, and Delphine Gray, the "virtual" three angels who run the Three Angels Gourmet Co. here online. That's us, pictured at right.

We live in the fictional town of Seven Cedars, Florida, and sell REAL gourmet mixes from this website.

To learn more about the "actual" Three Angels Gourmet Co. click on the About Us page.

We hope you'll visit us here often and try many of our delicious heavenly gourmet mixes.

Sincerely,

Ireland Reynolds, Daisy Benson, and Delphine Gray

Presto! It’s Pesto!

By admin at 1:35 am on September 20, 2007 | 71 Comments

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Pasta with a basic pesto sauce is a casual dinner to enjoy any time. But it’s particularly nice eaten outside on a warm summer evening (and fall doesn’t officially begin until September 23rd). The beauty of pesto is you don’t have to cook it. Just pop a few ingredients into your blender or food processor and - Presto! It’s pesto!

pesto

For a delicious pasta and pesto dinner, simply cook some of your favorite pasta and drain it (but save some of the water for making the pesto – see recipe, below). Make the pesto, then pour some of it onto the pasta and mix the two items together. Grate a little extra Parmesan onto the pasta, if desired. Serve with a green salad, crusty bread, and a glass of your favorite wine.

Here’s a recipe for traditional Basil Pesto, taken from the cookbook, EVERYDAY ITALIAN, by Giada De Laurentiis.

BASIL PESTO

2 c. (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
About 2/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in the cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper to taste.

The pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

And here’s the SECRET to making pesto into a great pasta dressing. “Mix in just enough of the pasta cooking liquid to get the pesto to coat the pasta, but not so much that you’ve created pesto soup,” says De Laurentiis. She also says that while traditional pesto is a green sauce made with pounded basil and pine nuts, “these days any uncooked sauce that’s easy, quick, and pureed can be called a pesto.”

Look for additional pesto recipes in her cookbook.

Ireland
Another Favorite Recipe from Ireland Reynolds

Filed under: easy recipes, Ireland Reynolds, Pesto, Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentiis — 71 Comments »

Chocolate-Cinnamon Toast - The Ultimate Comfort Food!

By admin at 7:21 am on September 16, 2007 | 606 Comments

Some mornings you wake up and charge out of bed, ready to save the world. Other mornings you want to pull the covers over your head and tell the world (including your family) to go away.

On those “undercover” days, try this Chocolate-Cinnamon Toast. There’s nothing quite as comforting as cinnamon and chocolate mixed together. This toast is the ultimate comfort food. It’ll give you a good reason to throw off those covers and charge out of bed on even the gloomiest day.

CHOCOLATE-CINNAMON TOAST

For the chocolate-cinnamon mixture, combine 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a small bowl. This will be enough for about 8 slices of toast, so once it’s mixed together put it in a small jar with a lid and store what you don’t use right away in the jar (tightly sealed) in a cool cupboard.

For each piece of chocolate-cinnamon toast, butter a slice of bread and put it on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle a rounded teaspoon of the chocolate mixture over each slice of buttered bread and spread it out evenly with a knife.

Pop the cookie sheet into the broiler or a toaster oven, a few inches from the heat source. But watch the toast VERY carefully. It only takes a minute or so for the butter and sugar and cocoa to melt and the top of the bread to toast slightly. Turn the cookie sheet around if the bread isn’t toasting evenly. But don’t let the chocolate mixture burn.

EXTRA TIP: Some cooks suggest toasting the bread BEFORE buttering it, then adding the chocolate mixture to the toast and broiling it. You might want to try it that way. But I prefer the bread to be crispy and slightly toasted on the top, and soft and untoasted on the bottom.

Another Favorite Recipe from Ireland Reynolds

Craving some old-fashioned comfort foods? Then read our Best Comfort Foods list and let us know YOUR favorite comfort foods.

Filed under: easy recipes, Ireland Reynolds, comfort foods — 606 Comments »

Quick and Easy Fudge Pie

By admin at 11:15 am on September 15, 2007 | 370 Comments

When is a brownie not just a brownie? When it’s a Quick and Easy Fudge Pie, of course!

I love brownies and most other people do, too. But sometimes I want something a little more “fudgy” than a regular brownie, so I make this Quick and Easy Fudge Pie, which is a cross between a regular brownie and creamy chocolate fudge.

QUICK AND EASY FUDGE PIE

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour

4 heaping Tbsp. cocoa or 2 sq. chocolate, melted (I just use cocoa)

Blend above ingredients, then add:

1/2 c. melted butter

2 whole eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Pour into greased 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool. Place in refrigerator before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

NOTE: Dress up each serving of pie with a topping of ice cream or whipped cream and a fresh berry or a few chocolate chips for garnish. Make swirls of chocolate syrup on each plate and lightly dust the whole serving with a little sifted cocoa powder.

Wow! Now you’ve got a dessert that is definitely “not just a brownie.” Now you’ve got an impressive Fudge Pie that’s perfect for even your most important dinner guests (you don’t have to tell them it was Quick and Easy).

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Another Favorite Recipe from Ireland Reynolds

Filed under: easy recipes, Ireland Reynolds — 370 Comments »

Serve Divine Dill Dip with Grilled Salmon!

By admin at 8:43 am on September 4, 2007 | No comments

For a quick gourmet dinner, grill some salmon tonight then serve it with a yummy dill sauce made from our Divine Dill Dip Mix and sour cream (directions are on the package).

M-m-m…serve the remaining dill sauce with fresh veggies or chips.

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Another Fabulous Food Tip from Delphine Gray

Filed under: easy recipes, Divine Dill Dip Mix, Food Tips, Delphine Gray — Leave A Comment »

Try This Easy Meatless Main Dish

By admin at 9:11 am on September 3, 2007 | No comments

Chicken, pork chops, steaks, burgers, and hot dogs – all foods we love to grill (and eat) in the summer! But summer is also a good time to try a meatless main dish once in awhile, when fresh vegetables are so readily available.

This eggplant lasagne is a delicious (and low fat) way to serve vegetables as a main dish for dinner. Try it some evening when you’re tired of grilled meats.

EGGPLANT LASAGNE (Serves

1/2 c. fat-free chicken broth

3 c. sliced mushrooms

1 c. chopped onion

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 c. fat-free ricotta cheese

2 egg whites

1 medium (1 1/2 lbs.) eggplant

8 uncooked lasagne noodles

2 c. low-fat spaghetti sauce

1/2 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13×9x2 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Heat broth to boiling in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in broth for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion and bell pepper are tender. Stir in salt and pepper.

Mix ricotta cheese and egg whites in a medium bowl. Slice off the top and bottom of eggplant and discard. Cut eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices.

Spread half of the spaghetti sauce in bottom of pan. Top with half of the eggplant strips, half of the mushroom mixture, and 4 uncooked noodles. Spread with ricotta cheese mixture. Repeat with remaining eggplant, mushroom mixture and noodles. Spread with remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Cover and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes more, or until bubbly and light brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

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Another Favorite Recipe from Ireland Reynolds

Filed under: easy recipes, Ireland Reynolds — Leave A Comment »

English Cucumber Sandwiches - Serve these easy and refreshing sandwiches for a cool midday snack or at an afternoon tea party.

By admin at 9:42 am on August 28, 2007 | No comments

Have you tried English cucumbers yet?

They’re a little different from the regular garden cucumbers usually found in grocery stores and at farmer’s markets, although they look almost the same. The main difference is English cucumbers have a thinner skin (so they’re better for slicing and they don’t have to be peeled) and fewer seeds than garden cucumbers. Another difference is that English Cucumbers are wrapped in plastic wrap (instead of a wax coating) to maintain freshness.

When you need a cool and refreshing midday snack on a hot summer’s day, or you want something attractive yet easy to prepare for an afternoon tea party, serve cool and refreshing English Cucumber Sandwiches.

ENGLISH CUCUMBER SANDWICHES

Several small (party style) squares (per person) of various breads like rye and pumpernickel

12 oz. softened cream cheese

1 pkg. Dill Dip Mix* (reserve 1 tsp. for garnish)

1 large English Cucumber, sliced very thin

Combine all but about a teaspoon (reserve this for garnish) of the dill dip mix with the softened cream cheese. Put this mixture in the refrigerator for at least an hour, so the onions in the dip mix soften.

Spread a thin layer of the dill/cream cheese mixture onto each square of bread, then top with a couple of thin slices of cucumber (overlapped). Sprinkle a little of the reserved dry dill dip mix over the cucumber slices for garnish. Cut the slices into triangles, if desired, or serve as is.

NOTE: Refrigerate the sandwiches if not serving them right away.

*Divine Dill Dip Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co. is suggested for use in this recipe.

Another Favorite Recipe from Ireland Reynolds

Filed under: easy recipes, Divine Dill Dip Mix, Ireland Reynolds, Food Tips — Leave A Comment »

Easy Insalata Caprese

By admin at 7:12 am on August 21, 2007 | 2920 Comments

It’s tomato time! If you’re a gardener, you might be wondering what you can do with all those luscious tomatoes growing in your backyard right now. One of the easiest, yet most delicious, dishes to enjoy at the height of summer, when tomatoes are plentiful, is Insalata Caprese (named for the Island of Capri, Italy).

The secret to this delightful dish is using only the freshest ingredients. When served with fresh bread and a glass of chilled white wine, Insalata Caprese makes the perfect summer lunch.

Here’s all you need:

2 lbs. vine-ripened tomatoes that are red, juicy and flavorful and have never been refrigerated (Get them at your local farmer’s market if you don’t have your own backyard vegetable garden)

8 to 10 leaves of fragrant young basil (check for basil at your farmer’s market if you don’t grow your own)

1 lb. good quality fresh, moist mozzarella (The best mozzarella for this dish is made from buffallo milk – mozzarella di bufala – but that’s hard to find, so cow’s milk mozzarella – mozzarella fior di latte – works well for this, too)

1/4 c. genuine extra-virgin olive oil

To make the salad:

Slice the fresh mozzarella and the tomatoes into rounds. Alternate slices of mozzarella and tomato on a platter (or individual salad plates), overlapping them for effect. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces and sprinkle them over the slices of tomato and mozzarella.

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Another Favorite Recipe from Ireland Reynolds

Filed under: easy recipes, Ireland Reynolds — 2920 Comments »

Cucumber & Salmon Appetizers

By admin at 9:06 am on August 19, 2007 | No comments

These attractive cucumber and salmon appetizers are a snap to make with our Divine Dill Dip Mix. Simply add cream cheese or sour cream to the dip mix.

DILLICIOUS CUCUMBER & SALMON APPETIZERS

1/2 pkg. Divine Dill Dip Mix

1 c. sour cream OR 4 oz. cream cheese

1 large cucumber

1 pkg. (about 3 oz.) smoked salmon

Fresh dill or canned pimento

Combine the sour cream or cream cheese and Divine Dill Dip Mix and refrigerate for at least an hour, so the onions in the dip mix will soften and the flavors will blend with the sour cream or cream cheese.

Slice a large cucumber in half. With a vegetable peeler, peel the length of each cucumber, leaving narrow strips of the peel intact (see photo). Cut the cucumber into 1 to 2 inch slices, then make a little cup out of each piece of cucumber by hollowing out a bit of the cucumber. Put about a teaspoon of the dill dip mixture into the hollow space of each cucumber. Cut a small piece (about 2 inches or so) of smoked salmon and roll it up. Place the rolled salmon on top of the dill dip mixture that is inside the cucumber slice. Garnish with a little minced dill or a small piece of canned pimento. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.

Order Divine Dill Dip Mix HERE.

Another Fabulous Food Tip from Delphine Gray

Filed under: easy recipes, Food Tips, Delphine Gray — Leave A Comment »

Enter Our Culinary Mini-Mystery Contest!

By admin at 11:23 am on August 15, 2007 | No comments

Do you have a culinary mini-mystery stuffed in a drawer somewhere because you just never knew what to do with it after you wrote it?

If it’s 3,000 words or less, then submit it to our culinary mini-mystery contest.

The contest runs month to month. Submit your story by the 25th of the month to have it considered for that month’s contest.

The story must contain food tips or recipes, and your characters must work in the food industry in some way or another (restaurant owner, caterer, baker, chef, etc.). The story must be 3,000 words or less, and contain no offensive language or graphic sexual content (a little romance is nice, but we don’t need all the details, please).

JUDGING AND PRIZES:

Each month, a new winner will be selected for that month’s contest. A panel of judges will decide each month’s winner.

Each month, the winner of that month’s contest will receive a box of gourmet goodies from the Three Angels Gourmet Co., and his or her mini-mystery will be published as an ebook that will be given away free at the Three Angels Gourmet Co. website. The ebook will credit the author and also include links to the author’s website(s) and/or blog(s), but the Three Angels Gourmet Co. will acquire first rights to the manuscript.

HOW TO ENTER:

Simply send us your story, pasted within an email to: info@threeangelsgourmet.com

Include your name, email address, and links to your own websites and/or blogs in the email. Remember - entries must be received the 25th of the month to be considered for that month’s contest - so you still have time to submit your story for the August contest.

Filed under: culinary mysteries, mini-mystery contest — Leave A Comment »

Puzzled by Pasta?

By admin at 6:09 am on August 13, 2007 | No comments

What do – “little ribbons, thimbles, quills, little twists, and little tongues” – have in common?

They’re all the English names or meanings for some interesting varieties of pasta.

Pasta is popular the world over, so it’s no wonder there are hundreds of different shapes and sizes of pasta on the market today. But all these shapes, sizes, and colors of pasta can be puzzling.

Don’t know fettuccine from linguine? Then take a few minutes to play this pasta word-seek game and learn to identify various types of pasta. You’ll also learn the meanings behind the names of some of your favorite pasta shapes.

Find out more about fresh pasta and dried pasta, or the different flavors and colors of pasta here.

Quickly learn to identify various pasta shapes with this handy encyclopedia of pasta. You’ll probably want to bookmark this site since it’s such a great visual reference.

Finally, learn how to pair pasta with an appropriate sauce. After all, you’ll want the sauce and the pasta you serve together to complement each other.

Don’t be puzzled by pasta! Use these handy online resources to gain all the pieces to the pasta puzzle.

Another Fabulous Food Tip from Delphine Gray

Filed under: Food Tips, Delphine Gray — Leave A Comment »
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