Easy Stuffed Shells

The other night we had company for dinner and I wanted a tasty, but not ordinary meal. I settled upon Stuffed Shells. There are dozens of recipes out there varying from meatless stuffed shells, veggie stuffed shells or meat/sausage stuffed shells. I found one that sounded good on AllRecipes.com and it turned out very delicious!

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Stuffed Shells III

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan, smothered in a mushroom tomato sauce and baked.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Ready In: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Yields: 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 (12 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells
2 eggs, beaten
1 (32 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. In a large bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, half the mozzarella, half the Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper until well combined.
4. Stuff cooked shells with ricotta mixture and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
5. In a medium bowl, stir together pasta sauce, mushrooms and reserved mozzarella and Parmesan. Pour over stuffed shells.
6. Bake in preheated oven 45 to 60 minutes, until edges are bubbly and shells are slightly set.

*You could also add spinach if you were looking for something more than cheese, or for the meat eaters try Italian sausage or ground beef in with the tomato sauce. Mushrooms add great taste, but can be omitted for those with allergies.

**I read in a magazine that you can cut prep time by pre-stuffing uncooked noodles and letting them sit over night. This was recommended for Manicotti. I tried this with my stuffed shells, it worked for the most part, however some of the shells weren't open at all, unless cooked, so I couldn't stuff about 4 from the box. It was ok, there was still plenty to go around for dinner and leftovers.

I started by putting a little tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan then laying the stuffed uncooked shells on top and topping with the tomato-mushroom mixture. Next, I added a little bit of water before cooking and baked with a foil cover for 45-50 minutes. The last 10-15 minutes I cooked without the foil cover. They turned out PERFECT!

***You can click on the above link to go to the AllRecipes.com site where this recipe is located. There you can email it or print it as a full page or partial page recipe card.

DOB offers a recipe

DOB: Sometime you should make French Onion Soup.

QOC: I don't know how. But I will try to learn sometime.

DOB: It's easy. You just take some soup, and put in onions. And then you add the French seasoning.

QOC: Aah, I see.

Cranberries Anyone?

For our client Christmas party the centerpieces were large glass bowls with floating cranberries and roses. By now you probably get where this post is going. ;-) I ended up with two large boxes of fresh cranberries. And no ideas for what to do with them. For the time being they are frozen....in hopes that I will find something to use them in. Suggestions?

Chicken That's Special

Alison S. asked me about a chicken and rice dish and I immediately thought of this family favorite, so I thought it might be a good idea to post it here in case the rest of you are interested. I'm not sure where the recipe came from, but my mom's been making it for years. It's delicious!

Chicken That's Special

Ingredients:
1) 3-4 chicken breasts
2) 1 can of cream of chicken soup
3) 1/2 cup mayonnaise
4) 1 tsp lemon juice
5) 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
6) 1 Tbs Margarine or butter
7) 1/2 grated cheese

Mix ingredients 2-4 and pour over ingredient chicken. Combine margarine/butter with crumbs and brown. Sprinkle top of chicken dish with cheese and top with browned crumbs.

Bake 30 min at 350ºF.

Serve over cooked rice.

SPICED PUMPKIN LOAVES WITH WHIPPED CREAM

From my friend Amy

4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups raisins
1 cup chopped pecans
Lightly sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil two 9 1/4 x 5 1/4 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pans. Dust pans with flour. Sift first 6 ingredients into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat pumpkin and next 4 ingredients in another large bowl to blend. Beat in dry ingredients just until blended. Stir in raisins and pecans. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pans.
Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, covering breads loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Transfer pans to rack. Cool 15 minutes. Remove breads from pans. Cool slightly. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Wrap in foil. Store at room temperature. Before continuing, rewarm in 350°F oven 15 minutes.)
Serve breads warm with cream. Makes 2 loaves.

Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes

It's been awhile, and anything I cook these days is in the easy-to-fix-in-a-few-minutes-with-the-assistance-of-a-toddler line. But this got such rave reviews I thought it was worth posting.

Scrub and bake 4-8 potatoes, depending on how big they are. (This is the toddler part. Dirt and water!)

When they're almost done, make a white sauce with:
2 T. butter
2 t. chopped garlic (Saute for a few minutes, then add):
2 T flour
2 c. of milk

Rinse the ice off a 1-lb package of frozen broccoli, and chop it a little smaller if needed. Toss into the skillet with the white sauce and 2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese. Cook just until the cheese melts. (The broccoli should still be bright green and crunchy.)

Serve sauce over the potatoes. Serves 4-6 or thereabouts.

Tuscan Chicken and Beans

This is a great fast, simple recipe. I found it in a cookbook and it is a favorite of Ben's.

1 lb chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 t dried rosemary or 2 t fresh, chopped rosemary
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 C chicken broth
1 16-oz white beans (cannellini or other), rinsed
2 T sun-dried tomatoes (optional but they add a lot of flavor)

Coat non-stick skillet; place over medium heat until hot. Add chicken, sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add broth, beans, and tomato sprinkles; bring to boil. Reduce heat, simmer 8 minutes.

Creamy Tomato-Balsamic Soup

This is mostly from Cooking Light (Oct 2005) but I made a few substitutions when I made it and it turned out wonderful. It has a rich creamy almost-smoky flavor.

1 C vegetable or beef broth, divided
1 T brown sugar
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1 C coarsely chopped onion
5 garlic cloves
2 28-oz cans whole tomatoes, drained
Cooking spray
3/4 C half-and-half
Freshly ground pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Combine 1/2 C broth, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Coat a 13 X 9-inch baking with cooking spray and place onion, garlic, and tomatoes in it. Pour broth mixture over the top. Bake at 500 for 45 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned. Cool for about 10 minutes.
Place tomato mixture in blender and add remaining broth and half-and-half. Process until smooth. Garnish with pepper. Serves: about 4.

Ideas Please!

I realize this isn't really a cooking post, but it is along the lines of home organization so I thought I'd ask all you "Marthas" out there for your help.

I've been working on cleaning out the second bedroom of our house where all our "stuff" seems to get stuffed. I've been going through boxes of stuff that I packed up while I still lived with my parents. Yeah, I'm that bad. :-P Anyway, I've run across a lot of my papers, etc. from high school, college, HSLDA, and so on. Does anyone have any ideas for the best way to store this kind of stuff? I don't really want to shove it all in a box and have it fall apart or get smashed any further than it already is, but I also don't want to take the time and effort to put it all in scrapbooks for now. Help!

Free Cooking Magazine

If anyone is interested, Kraft Foods has a free food magazine, Food & Family, they mail out 5 times a year. (I just got the recent issue in the mail last week, hence this post.) You can sign up online here.

Most of the recipes are along the "quick and easy meals" vein. (i.e. lots of pasta) I wouldn't necessarily put it in the healthy foods category, but most of the meals could be adapted to your eating style. And, the pictures are great for inspiration.....Especially if you are hungry while browsing. (As I was! :-) )

Lunches that Travel

Hey, Marthas, rally 'round. We're planning a weekend trip, mostly because Darren has been traveling a lot lately and, since he can't be at home with us, we'll just join him on the road.

Here's what I need: to cut down on food costs, I want to pack breakfast/snack/lunch stuff to take with us. Lunch especially. Sandwiches are okay, but I'm looking for something a little more filling. And we can't be sure we'll be near a microwave, so I can't necessarily heat anything up. Any suggestions?

Also, I need your suggestions pretty quickly, since due to my usual forethought and planning, I didn't think of this until today. Thanks in advance for any help, and fie on you if there isn't any. That's all.

-- SJ

Does anyone have...

a recipe for haystacks?

At least, I think that's what they are called. I'm referring to those chow mein noodle things, usually butterscotch, sometimes chocolate. At worst, I can just melt some butterscotch chips and dump chow mein noodles in, but I'm sure there's more to it than that.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Enchiladas

Last night I was at the grocery store trying to figure out what to get for dinner (our fridge and cabinets are VERY empty right now) when suddenly I was inspired by the mexican food aisle to make enchiladas. After all our traveling and fast food lately, Nathan was very happy to actually eat a hot, home made meal. :-)

For those of you who like to wing it in the kitchen, here is the way I fix my enchiladas. (As learned from my sister in law) Adapt to your taste and spice level. This makes 6 large enchiladas last night in a 9x13 pan.

In a large skillet (enough to hold all the filling) brown 1lb. ground beef. Drain. Add 1 can refried beans and some salsa (about 1 c.) to taste. Mix well.

Lightly grease 9x13 pan. Pour some enchilada sauce over bottom of pan. I use the El Paso brand canned sauce.

On the side assemble your enchiladas as follows in the large flour shells: Meat & Bean mixture, a few diced fresh tomatoes, light sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Roll and place folded side down in pan. Repeat until pan is full.

Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top. I used 2 cans total for one pan. Sprinkle diced tomatoes, cheddar cheese and black olives over top as desired. Bake in oven at 350 until hot and cheese is melted. (About 20+ minutes.)

Spaghettini

Hey Marthas - It's been forever, I know. Here's a good one for either a main meal (I added grilled chicken, for Kev 'cuz he likes/needs protein in his meal) or a side dish (recently I used it for company and it was a great nontraditional side). I know it's more of a "spring" dish than a "fall" dish but since we enjoyed it - and it was easy - I thought I'd share it. Happy cooking!

Spaghettini with Lemon Zest and Chives

1 pound spaghettini or thin spaghetti
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 stick butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup ricotta salata cheese or Parmesan, coarsely grated
2 tablespoons fresh chives or scallion greens, thinly chopped
Salt and pepper

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook 1 pound of spaghettini, or thin spaghetti, until al dente according to package instructions.

2. Grate the zest of 1 lemon into a large pasta bowl. Juice the lemon, and add juice to the bowl. Stir in 1 stick butter, cut into small pieces, and 1 cup coarsely grated ricotta salata cheese or Parmesan.

3. Add drained pasta to lemon sauce, and sprinkle in 2 tablespoons thinly chopped fresh chives or scallion greens. Season with salt and pepper. Toss well, and serve.

Supper in a hurry

This is a wonderful recipe I just discovered in Mrs. Garvis' excellent little booklet on saving time and money. It takes literally ten minutes from start to finish - prep time included - if you have the meat thawed out, is so easy to fix, tastes delicious, and is very cheap if you get the ramen and cans on sale. I've made it twice in the last week and a half, and it has now replaced spaghetti at the top of my list for emergency I-can't-think-what-to-make-for-dinner days.

Skillet Dinner
1 lb. ground beef (or ground chicken or turkey) [Note: you don't actually need a full lb. I use whatever quantity I have on hand]
1 can corn, undrained
1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 ramen package

Brown ground beef on stovetop. Drain grease; add vegetables, undrained (the liquid will cook the ramen noodles), and add the packet of seasoning from the ramen package. Stir in ramen noodles and stir until cooked, 2-4 minutes. Makes 3-4 servings.

When the cooking is over

And you have that big, nasty pan to scrub--especially if you've been frying or roasting meat--try this tip I just learned from my new stepmother. Soak the whole nasty thing overnight in dishwasher detergent (the powder that goes in the dishwasher) and water and it all will wipe right off in the morning. I tried it once on a hamburger frying pan and once on a roasting chicken pan, and it worked like a dream both times.

Funny, I didn't expect a retired career Army officer to be a great source for household tips, but I guess they get meat stuck on the pan even in the Army. :-)

Nice and Easy

Last night I fixed a tasty little dinner of grilled cheese, soup and freshly sliced strawberries. (I'm proud of myself, can you tell?) At Nathan's request the grilled cheese had a twist to it: thinly sliced apples inside with the cheese. I was skeptical at first, but this variation is actually quite tasty.

Another easy meal I fix often is Pita Pizzas. I use whole wheat pitas for my crusts. Top with sauce, mozzarella and your choice of toppings, then bake at 425 until the cheese is melted and golden. Very quick, healthy meal with a salad and great cold for lunch the next day.

Any other suggestions out there for easy meals? Oh, and cheap ones, too. ;-)

Roasted Green Beans

In my continual quest to find vegetables that we'll eat, I came across this recipe:

Toss fresh green beans with olive oil and some salt and roast in a 400-degree oven for 20-30-ish minutes until they're tender and slightly brown in places.

Make up a dressing along the lines of:

Vinegar
Oil
Sugar
Dill
Black pepper

Remove the beans from the oven, coat with dressing, and yummy! This is a "simple" one, Rachelle -- not a lot of ingredients. You may could try it with Ben. Our kids at least don't despise them.

-- SJ

Summer Quesadillas

I recently did this to make a dinner out of peaches and they were a hit.

Slice peaches and add some chives and a TINY bit of brown of sugar. Add this and feta or goat cheese to tortillas and let them heat in a pan or the oven for a few minutes. They are great with a sauce of honey, lime juice, and a little lime rind peel (lemon or orange works fine too).

What chicken can do for you

There were lots of adjectives that would have done for the title (cheap, cheery, etc.) but I dismissed them all as too cheesy (ha ha!); however, chicken is a wonderful dish and forms the building block for many a meal. So here's the overview for all the mileage I can get out of your average fryer chicken, bought in bulk on sale at $0.49/lb. and frozen for future use:

Roast Chicken
By far the simplest, cheapest, and one of Michael's favourite meals:

1 whole fryer chicken
Several cups water
Salt
Pepper

Pour water over chicken in roasting pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover; cook at 350 for 2-3 hours, at which point meat should be juicy and tender. I drain the broth (of which I have a lot because of all that added water) and make a quick and simple Stovetop Gravy:

Chicken broth
1-2 Tbl. cold water
1 Tbl. white flour
Milk (optional)

Stir broth in saucepan on medium heat. Shake up flour and water in airtight Tupperware; stir in gradually to broth; add milk if desired. If there are lumps, whisk vigourously. This makes a lot of gravy so I always save the leftovers for future recipes.

I always serve at least two sides with roast chicken: mashed potatoes (I assume you all have a recipe for this) and either open a can of creamed corn or make Candied Carrots:

Several carrots, sliced
Butter (like 1 Tbl., depending on how many carrots)
Brown sugar (ditto)

Boil carrots in a saucepan until tender. Drain. Add butter and brown sugar; stir and serve.

There are always lots of leftovers with just the two of us. Cooking up two chickens works great for company (and, I assume, a small but growing family). The best method of dealing with a leftover chicken carcass is to have your husband de-bone it while you read a book aloud to him. Let's assume you have all the leftover chicken meat tidily stored away in Tupperware. At this point I have several option for yummy follow-up meals:

Chicken Casserole
Cornbread crumbs (8x8 pan's worth - I usually bake a cornbread with the chicken just because I like to be efficient with my oven)
1 medium onion, chopped
Sage
Poultry seasoning (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Chopped chicken
1-3 cups chicken broth (leftover gravy)

Crumble cornbread into bottom of casserole dish; stir in chopped onions, sage, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle chicken over this; pour chicken gravy over the top. You can water it down with milk to stretch it, because it will usually thicken in the oven. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. (Not less, as the onions will be crunchy otherwise.)

Hearty Chicken and Rice Stew
Chicken broth (leftover gravy)
1 medium onion, chopped
1-3 carrots, chopped
Parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
Chopped chicken
2 cups cooked barley
1 Tbl. lime juice

Stir gravy in saucepan over medium heat until warmed up. Add onion and carrots and spices, and simmer until tender. Add chicken and barley; simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavours to absorb but not too long or the barley will get soggy. Add lime juice right before serving. The quantities are approximate, but this always does for at least two meals.

California Chicken Enchiladas
10 flour tortillas
Chopped chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup (cream of mushroom works, too)
1 can chopped green chilis
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese

Mix soup, chilis, sour cream, and most of the cheese. Save 1/2 cup; dice chicken and stir in to main mixture. Scoop mixture into tortillas, fold up, and place in 9x13 pan. Spoon leftover mixture over the top with the rest of the cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. (Not quite so cheap, I'm afraid, unless you get the cans on sale; but SO good!)

Moroccan Chicken and Lentils

If any of you have any simple recipes, please post. I am looking for things I can cook for Ben and the less ingredients, the greater chance that he isn't allergic to something in it. Here is a good one that is so easy and was a big hit with Ben and his dad:

1 Cup baby carrots (or chopped carrots)
1 & 1/2 C lentils, uncooked
1 & 1/2 lb frozen chicken
2 T minced garlic
3/4 t salt
3/4 t tumeric
1/2 t red pepper flakes or ground red pepper
1/2 t ground cinnamon
2 cans (14 oz) broth (chicken is recommended)

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high setting for 5 hours. Or cover and cook on high for an hour and then switch to low setting for 7 hours. Makes 4-6 servings.

The Big Dipper

Lately I've begun serving a plate of raw vegetables and dip along with meals, in yet another attempt to get us to eat our veggies. I've come up with two or three different dips, but would love more suggestions -- especially ones lower in fat. I know, I know, we should be eating the vegetables without dip, or at most a light drizzle of low-fat vinagrette, blah blah blah. Any progress is good, in my opinion.

-- SJ

Vegetarian Cashew Chili

This can be used on a campout fairly easily. I have made it at home but made it on our recent church campout.

3 C chopped onion
2 & 1/2 C chopped red bell pepper
1 & 1/2 C chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1 T molasses
1 & 1/2 t dried basil
1 & 1/2 t dried oregano
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t salt
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t black pepper
1/8 t bay leaves (or 1 whole bay leaf)
2 T olive oil
2-15.5 oz cans red kidney beans, undrained
1-28 oz can diced or stewed tomatoes, undrained
1-15 oz can pinto beans, undrained
2/3 C cashews, coarsely chopped

Place first four ingredients together (in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag if camping). Combine the next 9 ingredients (vinegar through bay leaves) separately. (Also in a zip bag if camping.)
(At campsite): Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; saute 8 minutes or until tender. Add vinegar mixture, beans and tomatoes; cook 20 minutes, stirring often. Stir in cashews. Serve. Yield: 7 large servings.

Two Random Tips

Fresh Pineapple: I did not realize, until someone told me, that everybody else hurts their mouth eating fresh pineapple, too. I thought it was some peculiar biochemical reaction of my own, but worth the payoff in fresh pineapple. But, according to my informer, if you put salt on the pineapple, it won't burn. I haven't tested this yet, as there haven't been any sales on fresh pineapple around here lately. But I pass it on for what it's worth.

Whole wheat baked goods: I actually prefer whole wheat for flavor as well as nutrition, but I admit the frequently crumbly-sawdust texture of quick breads made with whole wheat doesn't do much for me. Then I heard that if you mix up the flour and the sour milk part of the recipe several hours in advance (the blender was recommended), the product will turn out much more tender and fluffy. I've tried it so far on waffles and banana bread (banana bread batter was too thick for a blender, I may have to use my Kitchenaid instead), and the results were outstanding. Except for the extra-hearty flavor, you could hardly tell it was whole wheat.

Next I'm going to try it on biscuits. I don't have much hope, since whole wheat biscuits are so very, very far from their white flour equivalents, but the results so far have been so good it's worth a shot.

Apparently it has to be a sour milk type of product (buttermilk, yogurt, milk with vinegar), so if your recipe calls for regular milk and baking powder you'll have to adapt it.

My Company Dinner

Nathan randomly picked this recipe out of one of my cookbooks while helping me create a menu. Ever since it has been our "company meal" and always been a hit. Now that we have a gas grill again (Nathan's $30 garage sale bargain.....almost in new condition), I'm planning on serving it more often.

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

1 can (20 oz.) unsweetened pineapple chunks
2 large green peppers, cut into 1" pieces
1 large onion, quartered (optional)
12-16 mushrooms (I don't like cooked mushrooms, so I skip these)
16-18 cherry tomatoes
1 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. olive oil
2 T. brown sugar
4 t. ground ginger
2 t. garlic powder
2 t. dry mustard
1/2 t. pepper
2-3 lbs. boneless, chicken breast fillets, cut in small pieces

Drain pineapple, reserving the juice. Place pineapple pieces and vegetables in large bowl and set aside. In a saucepan combine reserved pineapple juice with soy sauce, olive oil, brown sugar, and seasonings; bring to a boil. (WARNING: this will boil over VERY quickly, use a large pot with plenty of room) Reduce heat and simmer for 5 min. Pour half of mixture over vegetables and half over chicken pieces in another bowl. Marinate at least an hour, but the longer the better, stirring occasionally. May be put on skewers or grilled in a grill basket, basting with left over marinade. Grill until thoroughly cooked. Serve over rice if desired

Savory Beef

This is an excellent crock pot recipe. You can, and its even recommended that you do, use a very tough (i.e. cheap) cut of meat. I've never had it turn out less than fall apart tender. Serve over rice, noodles, or I've served it the next day as a sandwich with bbq sauce.

Savory Beef

Serves 8

Heat in heavy skillet or Duch oven:
2 T. oil

Add and quick-fry until brown:
2 lbs. lean beef, cut into 1-1/2" squares (may use very tough meat)

Add and quick-fry in a few minutes:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Add:
1/2 c. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1/8 t. pepper
3 c. water

Bring to a boil. Transfer to crock pot and simmer for an afternoon or whole day. (The longer, the better.) Optional: prepare the night before and transfer to crockpot. Store overnight in the fridge. Then simmer in crock pot all the next day.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Years ago we used to get these muffins as a treat at the local health food store's bakery. My mom begged and pleaded for several years before they relented and gave her the recipe. We've enjoyed them ever since. :-) Don't ask me why they are considered "healthfood" because I think they have more sugar than any other muffins I've ever made. But, every once in a while you just have to overlook the sugar content and enjoy a treat.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Makes 12

Wet:
2 beaten eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. pumpkin
1/2 c. oil

Dry:
3-1/2 c. unbleached white flour
1-1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. soda
1/2 t. coriander

Filling:
2 softened cream cheese blocks
2 eggs
1/4 c. sugar

Mix filling in food processor until smooth. Filling works best when refrigerated overnight or until completely chilled.

1) Combine wet ingredients first so sugar can dissolve for a while.
2) Combine dry ingredients.
3) When wet ingredients beat smooth, fold dry ingredients into wet ones.
4) In oiled or paper lined muffin tins, put about a T. of batter into each cup.
5) Make a "well" in each cup by swirling the batter around with the back of the spoon.
6) Fill each "well" with about a T. sized dollop of cream cheese filling.
7) Place another spoonful of batter on top of the filling. Smooth the top and "seal" it so the filling won't seep out.
8) Top with a little finger smear of filling.
9) Bake at 350 for 25 min, rotating between racks after 13 min. (I don't remember for sure, but I highly doubt I ever did the rotating thing.) Filling smear on top will be lightly browned when the insides of the muffins are done.

Black and White Bean Soup

I haven't tried this recipe yet, although it is on the menu for later this week so stay tuned....However, I mentioned it to Sarah because of the creative way it is served. It looked like a great company conversation starter. Not to mention that beans are cheap and healthy, too! So since she really wanted me to post this recipe, here it is. :-) Enjoy!

Black and White Bean Soup

Makes 4 Servings

3/4 c. dried black beans
3/4 c. dried great Northern beans
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small poblano chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped (my cookbook recommends wearing gloves for this....)
1 small rib celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1-1/2 t. chopped fresh thyme leaves
8 c. chicken broth
1 t. chili powder
1 t. groun cumin
1 t. chopped fresh sage
Roasted-Pepper Cream (recipe listed below)
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Place black beans and great Northern beans in two separate large bowls, cover with cold water, and soak overnight in the fridge.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, chile pepper, celery, garlic, and thyme and cook for 8 min, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove half of the vegetables to another large pot.

Drain the beans. To the first pot, add the black beans, 4 c. of broth, the chili powder and the cumin. To the second pot, add the great Northern beans, the remaining 4 c. broth, and the sage. Heat both pots to boiling and cover. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer the black bean pot for 1.5 hours and the white bean pot for 1 hr. Keep both warm over low heat.

To serve, ladle 1 c. black bean soup into each of 4 serving bowls. Tilt the bowls and ladle 1 c. white bean soup into the other side of each bowl. Drizzle with the Roasted-Pepper Cream and garnish with the cilantro leaves.

Roasted-Pepper Cream

Makes about 1 cup

1 jar (7 oz.) roasted red peppers, drained
2 T. fat-free sour cream
1 t. apple cider vinegar
salt
groun black pepper

In a blender or food processor, combine the peppers, sour cream, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken-Black Bean Salad

This is one of the few salads I've ever had in a restaurant that was tasty enough and cheap enough to make a regular staple at home. It's my favorite summer dinner and is easy enough to make even during the first trimester!

2 c. chopped cooked chicken. (If it was cooked with taco seasonings to begin with, all the better. If not, you might want to mix up extra dressing and marinate it for a few hours.)
1 head shredded leaf or Romaine lettuce
1 can black beans, drained
1-2 cups frozen corn, rinsed (you could used canned, but I like the frozen texture better.)
8 medium (Roma) tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. fresh cilantro leaves
Any other veggies that sound good; cucumber and cauliflower would be tasty.

Dressing:
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 t. granulated garlic
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. thyme
1 t. chili powder

I like to have an equal mix of salsa and plain yogurt to serve with it, either to go on the salad or for chips. It feeds the two of us with a little bit left over, so it would probably feed four people of normal appetite.

Vegetarian Wrap

This is for my own benefit more than anything else. I stumbled upon this while picking out the menus for some upcoming workshops I'm planning and it sounded tasty (and healthy). I'm posting it here so I'll be able to find it again. :-P

If anyone gives it a try let me know how it turns out.

Vegetarian Wrap
Hummus, shredded carrots, red onion, cucumber, lettuce and pine nuts wrapped in a flour tortilla.

WDIDWT? Cooked Egg Whites

D1 has started on egg yolks this week, according to proper introduction-of-food procedures, whereby one delays introducing the egg whites for some time yet. And she loves egg yolks. So this leaves me with a hard-boiled egg white a day to consume. Plain with salt is rather uninspiring. Any ideas on what else one can do with hardboiled egg whites?

DOB suggests I could separate the eggs and then poach the yolks, but I am not positive this would work, and even if it did I don't think I'm quite inspired enough to fix enough meringues or macaroons to use up the raw whites. I guess I could throw them into scrambled eggs, but that seems too uninspired.

Orange White-Chocolate Cheesecake

Can you tell I was suffering from Lent-imposed baking deprivation? Here's the other Easter treat I made. I probably won't make desserts this fiddly until next Easter.

Formatting note: Notice all the italics in the last post? How nice it looks? Since my browser doesn't let me do that automatically, so I have to type in all the <'s and /'s. So formatted posts are almost as rare a treat as orange white-chocolate cheesecake. And less enjoyable to make.

1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup orange juice
1 envelope (7 grams) unflavored gelatin
2 cups (12-oz pkg) white-chocolate morsels
2 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons finely grated orange peel

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees.

COMBINE crumbs and butter in medium bowl. Press crumb mixture onton bottome of ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 min., cool in pan on wire rack.

COMBINE orange juice and gelatin in small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, till gelatin dissolves.

MELT morsels in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR.

BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large mixing bowl until combined. Gradually stir in gelatin mixture and morsels.

BEAT whipping cream in small bowl until soft peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream and orange peel into cheese mixture. Pour filling over crust. Cover; refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours or until firm.

Allow to stand at room temperature for a few minutes before removing side of pan.

Yummy!

-- SJ

Gumdrop Cake

This is a recipe of Darren's grandmother's, and one of Darren's favorites. Always a risky undertaking for a wife, to attempt to reproduce a matriarchal specialty; but I tried it anyway. Success!

Gumdrop Cake

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

1 lb. gumdrops (cut in half or third -- do not use purple or black, as they discolor the cake)

1 cup golden raisins (which I forgot to put in)

1/2 cup red & green cherries (which we couldn't find, as they're seasonal, so we used dried cherries instead)

2 dried pineapple rings or fruit of your choice (we couldn't find rings, so used a package of dried chunks. It was a small package; can't remember the exact size.)


Cream butter and sugar well. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture, alternating with milk (flour first, then milk, in small amounts, mixing after each addition. End with flour.) Add extracts. Flour fruit (in small amounts, so it doesn't fall to bottom of cake) and add to batter. Add gumdrops.

Bake in a greased square or tube pan at 325 degrees for 1 1/4 hours, till done.

Note from Darren's grandmother: She -- and so I did, too -- bakes it at 300 for about an hour to see how it's coming along, then raises the temperature if it's not getting done. I baked it longer than I expected, but it came out nicely done. Take it out of the pan once it's cool enough, or it'll stick horribly.

-- SJ

Fast Lemon Chicken and Rice

This is an easy chicken recipe. The cooking time is short, and it is a favorite with my husband.

Cooking spray
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 strips
2 1/4 C chopped onion
1 C chopped red bell pepper
2 C instant rice (I use brown)
1/4 C lemon juice
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 14-oz can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 14-oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
2 T grated Romano (or Parmesan) cheese (optional)

Heat a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken, chopped onion and red bell pepper; saute 5 minutes. Stir in rice, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in artichokes. Cook 1 minute. Sprinkle with cheese. Makes 4 good size servings.

Glad to Be Back

I was delighted to return to the cyberhood and see that y'all kept up the chit-chat while I was gone. The recipes look great. Alison, glad to see some posts from you!

When recipes, time, and computer all coincide, I'm going to post my two Easter successes: Gumdrop Cake, one of Darren's grandmother's specialties; and Orange-White Chocolate Cheesecake... yeah, it was pretty good.

Got to rush!

-- SJ

One a penny, Two a penny

There's still time to mix up a batch of Hot Cross Buns for Sunday morning. These were easy and (we sampled one each last night) very delicious.

1 pkg active dry yeast
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup currants (can't find them around here, so I used raisins. A bit largish, but workable.)
1/4 cup diced citron, optional (I didn't use it. I'm not even sure what it is.)

Combine yeast, 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a mixing bowl. Heat milk and butter to about 125 degrees (feels quite warm on your wrist), pour over dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Gradually add remaining flour, beating well. Mix in currants and citron. Turn out on a floured board and knead until smooth and satiny. Place in a greased bowl and butter top lightly. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled.

Turn dough out on a floured board and knead lightly. Cut off pieces about the size of a golf ball. roll between the palms of your hands. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover and let rise until almost doubled in size. With a razor blade or sharp knife, cut a cross in the surface of each bun. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Drizzle lemon glaze over tops of buns in a cross design:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 1/2 tbs. milk

Spring ahead with a light salad

It's getting warmer here and I thought a nice light salad might be a good recipe to post. I can't wait to try this one...

Salmon-Asparagus Salad

1 lb. fresh asparagus, diagonally cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 lb. salmon fillets
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. red pepper
6 cups mixed salad greens
3 plum tomatoes sliced
1 cub shredded carrots
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
14 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup bottled vinaigrette dressing (or homemade)

Arrange asparagus in a steamer basket over boiling water; cover and steam 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Sprinkle salmon with salt and peppers. Grill, covered with grill lid, over high heat 10 to 12 minutes per inch of thickness or until fish flakes with a fork. Flake salmon into chunks and plate over mixed greens. Toss with tomatoes, carrots, goat cheese, pine nuts; drizzle with vinaigrette.

Serves 6
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min

* Option: Use pre-grilled or smoked salmon to save prep time.
* Optional Subsitute feta for goat cheese

Vegetable Cheese Rolls

One of our family friends made this recipe up. Ever since we tried it it has been a family favorite and requested for birthday meals. We even served it for my mom's surprise birthday party this past weekend. (Its her favorite meal)

Rolls:
1T. active dry yeast
1/4c. water
1c. milk, scalded
1/4c. honey
1t salt
2T shortening or oil
2c. wheat flour
1 1/2 c. unbleached white flour (my family grinds their own wheat and uses all wheat flour in this recipe so use whatever combination suits your situation)
1 beaten egg

Soften dry yeast in water. Combine milk, honey, salt and shortening. "Scald" in microwave; cool to lukewarm. Add 1c. wheat flour and 1c. white flour to liquid. Add yeast and egg. Stir in remaining flour or enough to make soft dough. Knead enough to make soft, but not sticky, dough. Cover while preparing filling.

Filling:

Here is where you can be creative and add whatever sounds tasty to you. This is the combination our family likes.

cheese (1/2 mozzarella, 1/2 cheddar), shredded
1 red sweet pepper, chopped
1-8oz. pkg, fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 can chopped black olives

Cut dough in half and roll out in 9x16 (approx) rectangle on floured surface. Sprinkle with 1/2 of cheese and vegetables (kind of like a pizza). Roll tightly, as in a jelly roll and pinch closed. Slice into 2-3" rolls. (Should look like cinnamon rolls). Repeat with second half of dough. Bake at 375 til browned and cheese is bubbling. (approx. 20+ min)

Makes 12

Many Bean Soup

Coming from a large family I've tried my share of bean soups! This recipe is a version of bean soup that I actually took with me when I left home. It is easy and a great way to eat lots of beans and veggies.

4c. boiling water or tomato juice
1c. each chopped: onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, cabbage
1/8t. garlic powder
pepper to taste (optional)
4c. any combination cooked beans (soak and boil beans until tender)
1T. ham or veg. soup base/boullion (I found that I needed more to get the flavor I wanted)

Combine water and fresh vegetables and cook on stove top until tender. Add remaining ingredients and heat through.

Serves 6

Cabbage Soup in the Slow Cooker

Don't be frightened off by the title of this recipe -- cabbage can be very tasty and is cheap too! Since tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day I bought myself some cabbage earlier this week to make corned beef and cabbage. Around this time of year cabbage is VERY cheap (17 cents a pound). I had some extra so I decided to try this soup.

Cabbage Soup
Makes 8 servings

Half a head of cabbage, sliced thin
2 ribs of celery, sliced thin
2-3 carrots, sliced thin
1 onion, chopped (or you can substitute onion powder)
2 chicken bouillon cubes or substitute some of the water below with chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 qt. tomato juice
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Water (see above note about chicken broth)

1. Combine all ingredients except water in slow cooker. Then add water to within 3 inches of top of slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on High 3 ½-4 hours, or until vegetables are tender.

Other variations...

* Instead of chicken broth or bouillon use beef broth or bouillon. Then add beef stew meat, precooked. Or up the slow cooker time if adding raw or browned meat. Cook till meat is done and vegetables are tender. This is very tasty too!

* Also, I only had a half a quart of tomato juice, so I finished up the other half with diced tomatoes and their juice. This adds the tomato texture and flavor without getting to saucy tasting.

* I didn't have any broth on hand so I used bouillon and added a bit of water to it first so they became liquefied before I added them to the veggies.

* I also added some HOT red pepper flakes to add some ZING to the recipe.

This was VERY tasty and is simple and cheap to make. It works both as a vegetarian and as a meat recipe. Of course, if you want a Vegan recipe just subsitute vegetable broth when it asks for chicken. Five Stars on this one.

Crock Pot Recipes?

Anyone want to give me some good crock pot recipes? Vegetarian or chicken? I just pulled out my old crock pot from college and made beans in it, but I am facing a lack of creativity in the kitchen. Maybe because no one has posted on here in over a month. HELP!

The Best Caramel Corn

I tried this at a Christmas party and just now got the recipe. There was another batch of caramel corn there and this one beat it all hollow.

1 cup hot air popcorn kernels
2 cups butter
4 cups brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pop the corn. Mix butter, sugars, and salt. Boil for five minutes. Then stir in vanilla and soda. Drizzle over popcorn. Place in a large roasting pan and bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes. Stir frequently. Cool before serving.

Successful Soup and Substitutions

I tried the "Cream of Acorn Squash" recipe that Sarah posted a while back (post entitled "Tale of Two Soups"). Delicious soup. I'm sure that if I'd followed the recipe, it would have been just as good.

I mostly did follow it. Due to an absence of limes and cream, I used lemon juice and evaporated milk/milk instead. I also added salt, garlic, and celery salt. It was quite good, served with biscuits. I'm enormously proud of myself for making and enjoying a squash dish. Thanks for the recipe, Sarah.

Also, I made a coffee cake that called for sour cream, which I didn't have. I used plain yogurt and cream cheese instead. How often will you have plain yogurt and cream cheese instead of sour cream on hand? Well, if it ever happens, now you know what to do.

-- SJ

Mexican Corn and Bean Soup

While this is not the exact recipe that Sarah is looking for, we had it for dinner last week and it was very good. As with any soup, you could add in any extra vegetables you have on hand and just make more broth. The benefit to this recipe is that it is FAST. Great for coming home from work and having something ready 20 minutes later.

2 t olive oil
1/2 C chopped onion
1 t ground cumin
1 t minced garlic (the bottled kind or fresh)
1/2 t dried oregano
1 C frozen whole-kernel corn
1/2 t black pepper
1 - 14 oz can chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 - 15 oz can black beans, drained
1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
Lime slices (optional)
Cilantro (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, cumin, garlic and oregano; saute 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in corn, pepper, broth, beans, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Serve with lime slices and top with cilantro if desired. Serves 2-3.

What do you do with black beans? How about a Mexican soup...

Last night I had the most delicious soup in a bread bowl, I'm dying to make it at home. It was vegetarian, but even meat eaters would love this one.

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup
Ingredients included: Water, black beans, onion, celery, red bell pepper, vegetarian vegetable base (baked carrots, lima beans, natural flavorings, tomato paste, cooked potatoes, corn oil, celery, onions), modified food starch, spices, salt, lemon juice, garlic.

Does anyone know of a recipe for this? The closest I can find is on AllRecipes.com and is called: Black Gold Bean Soup.

It was like having taco soup, I love Mexican foods. :) The bread bowl added a very nice touch - have any of you ever done a bread bowl? They are also great with chili.

Bread and circuses

Well, not really circuses.

We just got back from a place that served the most sumptuous chocolate bread. Michael ate some every meal and actually asked the chef for the recipe. So I was going to make some for his birthday. The problem is that the recipe is handwritten, and a little difficult to decipher. Unfortunately I don't make bread often enough to recognise what is credible, so I'm at a loss with the proportions. Perhaps some helpful soul out there can verify for me how much salt and yeast should go per cup of flour. (I tried looking up some basic bread recipes in my cookbooks to get an idea, but they were very unhelpful, giving all the proportions with packages of yeast.)

So the recipe calls for 2 lbs. of flour. (How much is that in cups, by the way?)

Then 4 TSP of salt and yeast. I assume this is teaspoon? Because otherwise there would be a B in there? But then why the all caps? Perhaps because the chef is French? Anyway, there's a big difference between tsp and Tbl, and I want to make sure the loaf doesn't end up too bland or too salty. Any help and guidance would be much appreciated. If it turns out well I'll post the recipe here.

Thanks for Lunch

This weekend we made tomato soup and grilled cheese for lunch. (I forgot to buy cocoa, so couldn't make the brownie pudding.)

I've detested canned tomato soup ever since my daycare days, but Rachelle gave me the courage to try it again. I am pleased to say that it turned out marvelously good. I sauted onions and celery, and seasoned the soup with garlic, corriader, and something else I forget now. As my brother would say, it was plumb edible.

Darren did the grilled cheese, and we added cream cheese, as the Queen suggested. It was very rich, but so good that Darren says he might leave off the cheddar next time. :)

So thanks for the ideas. I wouldn't ever have tried tomato soup otherwise. -- SJ

Menu Planning

Tomato soup, grilled cheese, and brownie pudding... I think I've got a dinner all planned out for this week. :)

Do the rest of you all plan menus for the week or month? We did for a couple of months and really liked it, but it was more effort than I usually want to put into meals. I'm just curious as to how y'all handle things. I might get back into meal-planning again, especially as it's more efficient and economical.

-- SJ

Quicky, but tasty dessert

Brownie Pudding

Preheat Oven: 350°

Mix together:
1 Cup Flour
3/4 Cup of sugar (or 1/2 Cup of brown sugar)
2 Tbs. Cocoa
2 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt

In a separate bowl mix:
1/2 Cup Milk
2 Tbs. Veg oil
1 tsp. Vanilla

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. For the nut lovers now is the time to add 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts, but they are optional, so for those of you who hate nuts just skip this step.

Next our mixture into a greased 8x8 pan.

In another bowl mix:
3/4 Cup of Sugar
1/4 Cup of Cocoa
1 3/4 Cup of hot water

Pour over batter, which is already in the greased pan. It will flood the brownie mixture, but that's ok.

Bake 45 minutes. Take out and let cool. At first the liquid might be very runny underneath the brownie, but once it is cooled it will gel up into a nice pudding.

Scoop out with a spoon and serve with vanilla ice cream or alone.

It's delicious! :)
~ SEM

The natural follow-up

So, once you have made the delicious tomato soup, what are you going to serve with it? Grilled cheese, of course. A sandwich with many possibilities. The core secret to grilled cheese, I finally realized, is cooking it on a low enough setting that the outsides don't burn before the insides melt. Pretty obvious, but I'm very impatient.

Some ideas for variations:

Different bread: I like a multi-grain bread with nuts for the texture; sourdough is also good.

Different cheese: Munster is my favorite. Cream cheese can blend well with another cheese inside.

Things besides cheese to add: Mustard. I like dijon, but DOB likes yellow. Avocados, thinly sliced (by far my favorite addition). Tomatoes. Dill pickles (after the sandwich is cooked, so they stay cool and crispy).

Tomato Soup with flair

One of my beloved former roommates (LMJ or DMR) left a can of tomato soup in the townhouse when they moved out. I hate tomato soup so it made it through two moves. Then in an act of low-fund desperation, I made it for my husband early in our marriage. He told me as he took a bite that he hated tomato soup but has continued to request it ever since. Last night, feeling a little sick, he requested it once again. Why? Because I fail to follow any directions printed on the can. Instead...

Make soup with milk instead of water, or even better, half-n-half and water mix.
Add onion soup mix or onion flakes for a little more flavor. (Or saute onion in the pan before making the soup.)
Another good add-in is orzo (rice-shaped pasta) and then
top it with fresh cilantro and fresh ground pepper.

Thanks to Linds or Dana for bringing out the creativity in me and helping us discover a family favorite.

Sprucing Up...

Tuna fish.

I really like canned tuna fish (although my one occasion of freshly-caught deep sea tuna opened a whole new world for me). I grew up eating tuna fish made with mayonnaise, dill pickles, and boiled egg. Later in life my mother started putting in apples and sweet pickles, which was an absolute desecration of a good dish. Not that I said that, in so many words, to my mother.

Recently I came across a great recipe for grilled tuna-fish sandwiches, along the lines of grilled-cheese. It even froze well (pre-grilled, of course). I'll look for the recipe.

Nowadays, I do half and half mayonnaise and sour cream, and throw in a dash of garlic and celery salt. And dill pickles, of course. If you cut the sandwiches into little triangles and have a picnic on the living room floor, it suddenly become delicious to kids, too.

-- SJ

Cooking lessons from my siblings

I discovered while visiting my family that my youngest two siblings (19 and 17) have taken over nearly all the cooking duties for the family. Some cooking tips I observed while there:

• It is impossible to have too much garlic. At my sister's direction, I peeled 6 heads of garlic for one meal's worth of garlic red potatoes. There were a few potatoes leftover--no garlic.
• It is impossible to put cayenne pepper in the wrong dish. Cayenne pepper in spaghetti? No problem.
• It's a whole lot more fun to make a big mess in the kitchen when Dad is going to do the dishes.

Pumpkin Bisque

Our Christmas Eve tradition....

1 1/2 T unsalted butter
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 C pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
1 1/4 C chicken broth
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1 C heavy cream or 1 C half-n-half
Salt and freshly ground pepper
In medium saucepan saute onion in butter until translucent, not brown. Add pumpkin, chicken broth, 2 cups water (or 1-1/2 C if you are using half-n-half), cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add cream/half-n-half. Gently heat bisque until hot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 2-4.

Martha Goes to India

These are recipes shared with me by Leah Z. I've been meaning to post them after I make them but decided to get them posted soon. I have eaten many of them when Leah made them. Yum!! Oh, Leah's dad is Indian, so these are some of their family's favorites. I hope Baby Focht survives this post as I believe Rose favors Indian as do I. (Warning: Ben and I got very sick when he was in utero and it took me a while to try it again. It was the American tummy, I'm sure.)

Puchatti (Cucumbers and Tomato in Yogurt)

2 Medium cucumbers
2 green onions (w/ tops) chopped
1 tsp. salt
2 tomatoes chopped
1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp snipped coriander (cilantro)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup plain yogurt

Cut cucumbers lengthwise into halves. Scoop out seeds, chop cucumbers into small pieces. Mix cucumbers green onions and slat; let stand 10 minutes. Add tomatoes. Mix remaining ingredients except yogurt, toss with cucumber mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Drain thoroughly. Just before serving, fold in yogurt.

Pulao (it goes great with the puchatti)

1 cup uncooked regular rice
1 med onion chopped
1/2 cup ghee (you can use butter or margarine)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1 tsp instant chicken bouillon
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups boiling water
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Cook and stir rice and onion into ghee until rice is yellow and onion is tender. Stir in raisins, bouillon, curry powder and salt. Pour into ungreased 1 1/2 quart casserole pan. stir in water. Cover and cook in 350 degree oven until liquid is absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in almonds.

Carrot Halva ( sort of like pudding - one of my favorite desserts)
6 med carrots (about 1 lb) finely shredded
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins (normal ones work just fine :)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted pistachios or slivered almonds

Heat carrots and half and half to boiling in 2 qt saucepan, reduce heat. Over and simmer, stirring frequently, until half and half is absorbed (about 1 - 1 1/2 hours).

Stir in brown sugar, raisins, butter, cardamom and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until brown sugar is dissolved and mixture is desired consistency, about 15 minutes. Garnish with almonds or pistachios.

Cauliflower Masala (required a few spices that you need from an Indian store)
1 med onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp ginger
1 head cauliflower
8 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 med tomato
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste

Blend onion, garlic, ginger with 1 tbsp water into paste. Heat oil, add paste and turmeric, add rest of ingredients. Cover and summer until cauliflower is tender. Add water if necessary.

Mushrooms with Tomatoes and Peas (serve w/ bread, at home we just warm tortillas)

1 med onion - sliced
1/2 - 1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ghee or vegetable oil
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen green peas, thawed and drained
8 oz whole mushrooms
2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/4 salt
2 med tomatoes, cut into wedges

Cook and stir in onion, turmeric and ginger in ghee in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in peas, mushrooms, lemon juice and salt. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, heat just until hot.

Potato & Pea Curry (again, serve with bread)
1/4 cup oil
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 t turmeric
3 med tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh coriander (cilantro) chopped
20 oz pkg frozen peas, thawed
1 large potatoes, chopped
1 cup water
1 tsp garam masala

Mix together and cook until potatoes are cooked :) (my mom didn't write any directions)

Anguish-free Lasagne

I love lasagne. DOB loves lasagne. I hate making lasagne, as no matter how laboriously I stack the ingredients, it makes a goopy mess. But I promised DOB lasagne this week, a promise I was regretting yesterday evening when I looked at the recipe and realized it expected me to have three hours waiting between me and dinner time, which even if I had had there were lots of other things to do with them than wrestle with lasagne noodles.

Then it occurred to me that DOB was neither a chef nor an artist, and had never been known to complain about presentation of food. It also struck me that I had read somewhere a concept for making an unlayered sort of lasagne. So I did, as follows:

Brown 1 lb. hamburger, 1/2 medium onion, chopped, 1 clove garlic. Toss in crockpot with a medium can of tomato sauce and a large can of chunky tomatoes, a teaspoon or so of oregano and all the basil that was left in the jar (maybe 1/2 teaspoon? I would have added more if I'd had it.) Add 8 oz. lasagne noodles, broken into 2 inch lengths. Cook on high for about two hours, stirring occasionally, until noodles are cooked.

Add 2 cups cottage cheese and one cup mozarella, stir well, and cook another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is nice and stringy.

It was a goopy pile, but not much more so than when I generally try to make lasagne. I bet you could also do it even quicker in a pot on the stove by cooking the noodles separately, it would just require more attention and stirring. DOB actually liked it better, because he doesn't like the crunchy spots that form on regular lasagne, or cleaning a regular lasagne pan. I'll still stack the layers for company, but for family meals this one is a keeper.

Pasta with Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Sauce

This is a very tasty dish and it makes yummy leftovers. We don't like mushrooms so I included them here but I leave them out. Oh, and when having the Mehrens over (which I'm sure you ALL do,) leave a little set aside for Nathan without the onions.

1 lb pennette (small penne) or other small pasta
1 T olive oil
5 C thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 3/4 lb whole mushrooms)
4 C vertically sliced onions (I never quite make it to this much--I'm crying at 2 cups)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 T chopped fresh sage (you could use dried too)
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
1-1/2 T cornstarch
1-1/2 T cold water
1/2 C crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 C canned pumpkin
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1/8 t nutmeg

Cook pasta according to pasta directions, omitting any salt and fat. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic; cover and cook 3 minutes. Uncover, cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
Combine chopped sage and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Combine cornstarch and water, stirring iwth a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture and cheese to milk mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cook 2 minutes or until thick and smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in pumpkin, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Mix all three things (onion mixture, pasta and pumpkin mixture) together. Toss well to combine. Garnish with fresh sage sprigs, if you would like.

Breakfast Idea: Peanut Butter Parfait

My former roommate used to fix yogurt parfaits for breakfast at least once a week, usually with frozen raspberries. They were good, but out here in Ohio I encountered two problems with the concept: a) berries are more expensive out here; b) a yogurt parfait does not have enough protein for me to make it through the morning even when I'm not feeding someone else, too. I switched to banana parfaits (with homemade granola) which were much cheaper, but they were still a tad low on protein. This morning I got an idea from my favorite sandwich and created:

Peanut Butter & Banana Parfaits
1/2 c. vanilla yogurt (I can't find one with fructose sweetner out here, so I add a spoonful of honey and a dash of vanilla to plain yogurt.)
1-2 T. peanut butter

Mix together; then if you want to be fancy you can layer the mixture in an elegant glass dish with 1 chopped banana and 1 cup of granola, or if you just want to eat breakfast you dump the banana and the granola in on top and mix it all up. If you do it that way, it's not much harder than a bowl of cereal for those who like bananas in their cereal. In slightly smaller quantities, it would be a great snack or maybe even dessert. Amounts are very approximate, except for the banana.

I survived until 11:45 before I was ready to kill for lunch, so I think it had adequate staying power. Now to convince DOB that he likes it, which might be hard because he thinks peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches are gross.

Tortellini Salad

While rummaging through my cookbooks for an idea for what to take to our church dinner yesterday I rediscovered this recipe. It is very simple to fix. I know this is the wrong time of year to mention this, but I especially like this as a simple dinner on a hot summer day.

Tortellini Salad

1 pkg. (8 oz. usually) frozen cheese tortellini
1 cucumber, chopped
2-3 roma tomatoes, chopped
several green onions, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup Italian dressing

Note: I take the veggie amounts as a guideline and sort of eyeball it until I think I have enough to balance out the pasta. You could be creative and add other veggies as well.

Cook cheese tortellini according to directions on the package. When finished cooking rinse with cold water. In separate bowl, toss veggies and dressing. Add tortellini last. Gently mix. Serve immediately or chilled.

~Alison

Help!

We just got back home from Oklahoma at 2am this morning so my brain is still a bit foggy. Please help! :-)

We're going to a friend's house for a Christmas get together tomorrow night right after work and I'm supposed to bring some kind of finger food. Any ideas for quick and easy snack food that doesn't take long to fix?

On Sunday our couples class is having a pot luck after church and Sunday school. I'm completely drawing a blank as to what to bring for a main dish and/or side dish that can be cooked before church and still taste good sitting around until lunch time. I'm not for sure if there is a place to plug in crock pots or any way to heat things up before eating. . . .

Two-Potato Salad

This one is easy and a nice change from greasy mayonaise-saturated potato salad.

1-1/2 lbs small red potatoes, halved
1-1/2 lbs peeled sweet potatoes or yams, cut into 1-in pieces
3 T white vinegar
3/4 C creme fraiche (or sour cream, which is what I normally use)
1/4 C chopped fresh chives (or green onions, which are much cheaper)
3/4 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper

Place potatoes in a large Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until tender. Drain. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with vinegar; toss gently to coat. Let cool to room temperature.

Combine creme fraiche (or sour cream) and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Add to potatoes, tossing gently to coat. Makes 6-8 servings.

A Cake for All Seasons

The following chocolate cake recipe has many virtues. 1) It's delicious: rich, moist, very chocolatey. 2) It's super easy and fast. It's as easy and fast as making a mix; easier if you factor in how hard it is to get those stupid plastic bags open. 3) It's cheap: it doesn't use butter or eggs or expensive chocolate. It's perfect for "oh, let's have something chocolate" or "we need to plan a cake for the party."

Mrs. C's Cake
3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
2 t. soda
6 T. cocoa

Mix dry ingredients. Add:
3/4 c. oil
2 t. vanilla
2 T. vinegar
2 cups water

Mix well; bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

It handles well and tastes good with buttercream icing, which is handy if you need to do fancy decorations for some purpose. (I'm making one for my brother-in-law's graduation tomorrow.) But for the ultimate chocolate cake experience, you leave the cake in the pan and make

Chocolate Skillet Icing
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. cocoa
1/2 c. milk

Mix in a skillet and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute; remove from heat. Add 2 t. vanilla. Stir until lukewarm, then pour on cake.

WDIDWT? Leftover Ice Cream

I know, I know, that's such an oxymoron - who on earth heard of such a thing? But the situation can arise if, say, you have someone over who wants to bring something, so you tell them to bring ice cream to go along with your dessert, and you use it just as a topping to your brownie, so you have almost a whole carton left in the freezer, and then you get hit with the early-pregnancy blahs and don't want sweets for a few weeks, and by the time you're back in the market for ice cream, it's turned all icy and freezer-burnt....well, anyway, the scenario is possible. I expect it would also be an excellent way to use up leftover cheap store-brand vanilla ice cream that you wouldn't really want to eat straight but which would lend itself beautifully to a little clever disguise.

This is the second time in a week that I've pulled this off, so I think it's an official recipe by now:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshakes

(The proportions are a little shaky - I just tossed the ingredients in without measuring until it looked right)

1/4 cup milk (or less - the more milk, the runnier the shake)
A few Tbl. cocoa
An equal amount of powdered sugar (maybe less - Michael thought it a bit rich the 2nd time)
1-2 Tbl. creamy peanut butter
1 Tbl. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Several scoops of vanilla ice cream

Melt peanut butter and butter in microwave. Stir until smooth and add a dollop of ice cream to cool it. (The first time I did this, I didn't add this step, and the shake was very runny.) Set aside.

Put milk, cocoa, and sugar in blender. Blend until smooth. Add vanilla and ice cream; blend until thoroughly mixed. Add peanut butter mixture and blend very briefly. Serves 2, with small second helpings all around.

Very quick, rich, smooth, creamy, and delicious.

With Thanks to Martha

Just wanted to show how the Martha blog is improving my life. DOB wanted to cook my birthday dinner but he wanted a recipe, of all things! Then I remembered Amy's recipe for alfredo sauce that sounded good. Sure enough, it was quite elegant and delicious, and manageable for someone who hasn't cooked a meal in seven years.

Help Wanted: Quick and Easy Cookies

We're hosting a "stroll-by" party on our lawn next week, and have promised our neighborhood that we'll provide hot chocolate, cider, and cookies. I don't have a lot of baking time -- even our evenings are crammed full this week -- but I would like to have at least some home-baked cookies available.

So if you have a quick cookie recipe, I'd much appreciate your posting it. By "quick" I mean that it doesn't require a lot of preparation or fussy details, and the fewer ingredients the better. My thrify side tends to run away screaming from any recipe that calls for more than half a stick of butter or more than two eggs, so I guess that's a condition as well.

Also, any finger-food desserts would be welcome. It's just that people will be eating from paper plates with gloved hands, so I can't serve anything very crumbly.

-- SJ

Squash Trials

I'm really optimistic about all these squash recipes. Maybe I'll actually find I can eat squash without claiming a few years off Purgatory.

I did buy a spaghetti squash a couple of weeks ago. First of all, the success: we both liked the taste -- not squashy at all -- and it worked fine smothered in spaghetti sauce.

But, the failure: My cookbook said to halve it, seed it, and cook it on a baking sheet for half an hour to forty minutes. We did. And then cooked it another half hour. And it still came out underdone. So I don't know if it's just that I don't know how to cook squash, or if my cookbook is a low-down liar. Guess I'll be working on that little kink.

-- SJ

Sweet Potatoes without marshmallows

I, personally, find sweet potatoes with marshmallows disgusting. Sweet potatoes themselves, however, have great potential as a tasty vegetable. After some hunting around I have found a way to fix them that satisfies all of my in-laws' various allergy and dietary restraints (egg, gluten, and lactose free!) , health standards, and still seems festive and suitable for a holiday meal. It's also easy enough and cheap enough to fix in quantities to satisfy half a dozen more-or-less adolescent boys along with their extended family.

So this is what I am taking for Thanksgiving (only about 3-4 times as much):

Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Apples
2 large sweet potatoes (I use the orangier kind, which are sometimes called yams, but which I understand technically are not, just a variety of sweet potato.)
2 T Butter
2 T Honey
1 t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Allspice
1 cooking apple, peeled and chopped

Peel and chop sweet potatoes; cook until tender. Drain and pour into bowl for mashing. (Save liquid if you don't want to use milk.) Place the butter in the bottom of the pan and melt; add honey and spices. Saute apple in it until tender. Add to sweet potatoes and mash with either a little reserved cooking liquid or milk if everyone is lactose-tolerant.

Crispy Butternut Wontons with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Looking for an unique appetizer to take to the Christmas party this year? These are very tasty and reheat well--just pop them in the microwave for 45 seconds to a minute. They were a real hit this weekend with everyone.

Sauce:

1&1/2 t olive oil
1&1/2 C thinly sliced leek (about 1 large leek or 2 small)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 t crushed red pepper
1/8 t sea salt
1 (14.5 oz) can whole tomatoes (undrained and chopped)
1 (3-inch) orange rind strip (or 1/2 t grated orange peel)
1 bay leaf (or 1/4 t dried crushed bay leaves)
1 fresh tarragon sprig (I left this out)

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add leek and garlic; cook 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium high. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 minutes or until thick. Discard rind, bay leave, and tarragon (if you used them).

Wontons:

1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1/2 C water
1/2 C Ricotta cheese
3 T grated fresh Parmesan
2 T dry breadcrumbs
1/4 t sea salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/8 t nutmeg
1 t water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
24 wonton wrappers
Cooking spray

Cut the squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane. Place the squash halves, cut sides down, in a 2-qt baking dish; add 1/2 C water. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Scoop out pulp to measure 1 C; (use any extra to make baby food). Combine 1 C pulp, ricotta, and ingredients through nutmeg, stirring until well-combined.
Combine 1 t water and egg, stirring with a whisk. Fill each wonton (cover unused wonton wrappers with wet towel to prevent drying) with 1-2 t squash mixture. Brush edges of dough with egg mixture; bring 2 opposite corners together. Press edges together in a seal forming a triangle. Place the wontons on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and brush lightly with remaining egg mixture. Bake at 375 for 17 minutes or until golden and crisp. Serve with the sauce.

Chicken Tetrazzini

I know, I know, a chicken recipe from a vegetarian. However, this recipe is easy for a vegetarian to make and it is divided into two casserole dishes. So I make it when someone has a baby or is sick and then have one left for my husband.

1 T butter
Cooking spray
1 C finely chopped onion
2/3 C finely chopped celery
1 t black pepper
3/4 t salt
3 (8 oz) packages presliced mushrooms (we leave these out)
1/2 C dry sherry (or dry white wine)
2/3 C flour
3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
2 1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 C cream cheese
7 C hot cooked pasta (about 1 lb uncooked)
4 C chopped chicken breast (about 1 1/2 lb)
1 slice bread

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in a large stockpot coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, mushrooms, pepper, and salt and saute 4 min. or until mushrooms are tender. Add sherry; cook 1 minute. Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level with a knife. Gradually add flour to pan; cook 3 min., stirring constantly (mixture will be thick) with a whisk. Gradually add broth; stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add 1 3/4 C Parmesan and cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until cream cheese melts. Add the pasta and chicken, and stir until blended. Divide the pasta mixture between 2 (8-in square) baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Place bread in food processor, pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs form. Combine breadcrumbs, remaining Parmesan (1/2 C); sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes.

To freeze unbaked casserole: Prepare until baking instructions. Cool completely in refrigerator. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.

To prepare frozen casserole: Thaw casserole completely in refrigerator (about 24 hours). Preheat oven to 350. Remove foil; reserve foil. Remove plastic wrap and discard. Cover casserole with foil, bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional hour or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes.

A tale of two soups...

This first soup is a favorite of mine. It is rather rich, so you may want to try serving it as an appetizer to compliment another dish rather than as a full entrée.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
3 lbs. Butternut squash, peeled, seeded & diced
2 Tbs. Butter
1 Cup chopped onion (or 2 tsp-1Tbs. of onion powder)
1 Garlic clove (crushed)
1 tsp. Ground coriander
1 tsp. Salt
3 Cups squash water and water (or chicken stock)
Chopped parsley

Directions:
1. Seed, peel, and dice squash
2. Simmer squash in boiling water 10-15 minutes, until tender (save water!).
3. Melt butter in small saucepan. Add onion and garlic, sauté until tender.
4. Stir in coriander and salt.
5. Add squash.
6. Add chicken stock (or squash water); heat to boiling.
7. Pour into blender; process until smooth. (If necessary, return to saucepan to reheat before serving.)
8. Pour into serving dish and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4-5 large bowls

----------
I confess I haven't tried this one yet, but this is the Tale of Two Soups, so one simply won't do. If someone tries this before I get a chance, let me know what you think. I do plan on making it in the coming weeks. :)

Cream of Acorn Squash Soup

Ingredients:
¾ large acorn squash (about 3 ¾ lbs.)
1 Tbs. & 1 ¼ tsp. butter or margarine
1/3 Cup & 1 tsp. chopped onion (or substitute onion powder)
2 Cups & 3 Tbs. Chicken broth
½ Cups 2 tsp. Dry white cooking wine (can omit and use more broth instead)
¾ tsp. Grated lime rind (optional)
¾ tsp. Fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp. Pepper
1/3 Cup & 1 tsp. Whipping cream (or substitute milk)

Directions:
1. Cut squash in half crosswise; remove seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in a shallow pan. Add water to pan to depth of ½".
2. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool slightly.
3. Scoop out pulp, discarding shells. Chop pulp; set aside.
4. Melt butter in a dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion, and sauté until tender. Add chicken broth, wine (opt.), and chopped pulp. Bring to boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Add lime rind (opt.), juice, and pepper; cool.
5. Process half of broth mixture in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Pour into a large container. Repeat procedure with remaining broth mixture. Return both portions to Dutch oven.
6. Stir in whipping cream (or milk). Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until heated through.
Serves 4, hot or cold. Garnish if desired. (Suggested additional/optional ingredients include pumpkin pie spice or applesauce.)

~ Sarah

Amazing Alfredo

Quick, easy, cheap, and most of all delicious - the secret is cream cheese!

1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups milk
6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve. (Usually we add grilled chicken too, because Kevin is such a carnivore.)

Creative Salads

I learned from a friend that a salad is like a stew with uncooked foods--whatever you have goes in it. So my salads are generally different. But one of my favorite combinations is:

Mixed greens (one kind of lettuce is so-o-o-o boring)
Berries (strawberries in the summer, then raspberries, and now blueberries)
Nuts (almonds or walnuts work best) or seeds (sesame is my favorite but sunflower works)
Feta or soft goat cheese if you have it, but not necessary
A fruity viniagrette dressy--my favorite is bottled Raspberry Walnut viniagrette, but you can make your own with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Butternut Squash Risotto

This recipe does not work well if you have small ones to tend to because it requires 30 minutes of constant stirring. But for those of you who do not have children or for a special dinner when the other parent is on duty, this is yummy, and a special treat.

2 C water, divided
2-14 oz. cans beef or vegetable broth
2 t olive oil
1/2 C finely chopped yellow onion
3 C cubed (3/4 in) peeled butternut squash (about 1 lb)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 & 1/2 C Arborio rice
1/2 C grated Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese (Asiago or Parmesan work too)
3 T butter
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley (I've used dried before too)

Bring 1&1/2 C water and broth to a simmer in a large saucepan. Do not boil; but keep warm over low heat.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, cook 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1/2 C water, squash, salt, and pepper and cook 10 minutes or until squash is tender and water has almost evaporated. Add rice; stir until combined. Stir in 1/2 C broth mixture; cook until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 C broth mixture, stirring constantly until it is absorbed; repeat until broth mixture is gone (about 30 minutes total). Stir in cheese, butter and parsley. Ready to serve. Makes 4 servings as a main dish and 8 as a side.

A recipe that will get you a-head...with cabbage

I'm not sure how many of you are fans of cabbage, but this recipe is such a favorite at my home I thought it'd be worth sharing. This particular version of the recipe was given to me back when I was working at a 19th century village museum. Recently I learned that the English do not necessarily follow a recipe, to them Bubble 'n Squeak is made with any leftovers that are on hand. Either way, it's delicious. :)

Bubble 'n Squeak

½ Medium head cabbage, sliced
3 bacon strips diced chopped onion or onion powder
1 cup of ham (cooked and cubed)
1 Tbs. Butter
3 cups baked & cooked potatoes (thinly sliced)
½ tsp. Paprika
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Cook cabbage for 5 minutes until tender, drain & set aside.
2. Cook bacon & onion in a cast iron skillet (or frying pan if skillet is not available)
3. Add ham and cook till heated through
4. Add butter, mix in cabbage and potatoes
5. Season with paprika, salt & pepper
6. Cook until browned on bottom, turn and brown again.

Cooking time: 15 minutes Serves: 4-6 (or 2 with leftovers)

- Sarah

Strange Things to Do with Biscuits

Besides being tasty, biscuits can be made in seasonal shapes! (Not that a flag is appropriate to the season, but I mostly have star cookie cutters.) Cutting biscuits in slabs or squares is a great way to simplify the process and not mess with re-rolling the dough.

Quickie Yeasties

These yeast rolls don't require much of a rising time, as opposed to all the other "quick yeast roll" recipes that deviously toss into the instructions, "Allow to rise about 1 hour..."). The original recipe omits salt for some reason, but I've added it back in without any adverse effects. Also, the original instructions were rather vague, so I just wrote out what I do. Those more experienced in breadmaking might know better methods.

I use white flour, of course. I don't know how they'd do with wheat flour.

***
2 1/2 Tbs shortening
2 heaping Tbs sugar
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs yeast, dissolved in 1 Cup warm water
2 cups flour

Melt shortening, add sugar and salt, mix well. Pour in dissoved yeast. Add flour a little at a time, mixing as you go, until the dough is quite firm. You might use more or less than 2 cups.

Take out the dough and knead it until it's elastic and smooth-ish. Since it's also sticky, it gets all over your hands and looks like something from a 50s horror movie.

Peel the dough off your hands using a little more flour if necessary, then let it sit for 15 minutes.

Roll into balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Alternatively, place three small balls of dough in a muffin cup to create mini "cloverleaf" rolls. Bake in a 450-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or when the tops barely start browning.

-- SJ

Squish the Squash?

I debated whether or not to call this post "I [Almost] Kissed Squash Goodbye" but then decided against it . . . for whatever unknown reason.
____________________

There has been discussion recently on the merits of squash. Until just a year ago, I would have been inclined to agree with Sara (i.e., “I don’t care what the nutritional value of squash is, the plain truth of the matter is that it’s squishy and gross and, for that reason alone, does not belong anywhere near my taste buds. I will die young if I must.”)

The reason I’ve changed my mind about squash is that there are so many ways to make it taste really good. First of all, don’t over cook it. Anything that’s squishy is gross, in my opinion, no matter how it’s flavored. Secondly, be bold and brave with putting fun flavors on your squash. Usually I’ll sauté squash but in the summertime we like to wrap it in foil and grill it. It goes great with chicken or steak on the grill. Some of the seasonings I like to try are as follows:

1) Sauté in butter and add minced garlic (plain and simple) with a dash of salt;
2) Sauté and sprinkle lemon pepper spice on it;
3) Sauté in butter and sprinkle it generously with parmesan cheese. (This is probably my personal favorite.)
4) Sauté in olive oil and squeeze fresh lemon juice on it.
5) Grill in foil with sweet/vidalia onions, butter, salt and pepper. Yum!

Whatever you do with squash – be bold and brave. Try new things. You may be surprised to discover that not only is it [gasp] edible, it can actually be really tasty.

-Amy

Leftover Oatmeal becomes Spice Cake

Some breakfast foods are good leftover: muffins, for instance. Or pancakes (rolled up with butter and sugar--mmmmm.)

Some are not. Scrambled eggs. Oatmeal. When I was growing up, we had a lot of leftover oatmeal because it was never as popular as my mom thought it ought to be.

When leftovers occurred, I made this spice cake variant, which was always received with great enthusiasm:

Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake
2 c. cooked oats
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2c. flour
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
Bake in a 9" pan at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.
Frosting: mix 1/4 c. melted butter, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 3 T half and half (I always used evaporated milk), 1/3 c. nuts, 3/4 c. coconut. IIRC, you then broiled this briefly until it looked nice and toasty.

Now I have leftover oatmeal from time to time, not because I misjudge appetites, but because DOB sometimes runs out of time and doesn't eat his breakfast. So I fix this variant, updated for our household expenditure and nutrition standards. It tastes a lot like gingerbread:

Slightly Cheaper and Healthier Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake
2 c. cooked oats (with raisins)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. molasses
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t. allspice (or however many spices I feel like dumping in until I get bored)

Bake as above. I skip the frosting and either serve it with applesauce for dessert or plain for breakfast.

Coming Soon: Quick Yeast Rolls

My sister, Rosemary, found a great recipe for yeast rolls that take only twenty minutes from start to finish -- no rising time. So I'm going to post it for the benefit of those on this blog, when I have time to find the scrap of paper it's written on and remember to bring it to the computer.

Meanwhile, as to squash/pumpkin stories: Amy, can't you share valuable wisdom with us about making pumpkin muffins from scratch? :)

-- SJ

Sqaush Stories

I know that many of us have recently been attempting to tackle that Godzilla of vegetables, the winter squash. Unparalleled in frugality, nutrition, and difficulty of cooking, the various winter squashes pose a unique challenge to the chef. I, for one, am not satisfied with my current method of tackling the beasts.

Perhaps we can improve by pooling our knowledge. So here's the challenge: post your most recent squash-related adventures. Please include the type of squash, the approach you took to get it from a raw solid lump to digestible portions, how long it took, the end dish or dishes for which it was used, your overall level of satisfaction with the experience, and what you might do differently next time (if there is a next time). If you have multiple experiences that would provide insight, feel free to make multiple posts.

I'll be back and add mine once I finish with it. So far it's a tossup which of us will lose our skin first.

WDIDWT? Whole Chickens

Has anyone come across instructions on how to dismember a whole chicken? We have a relatively inexpensive source for organic chickens, but they come whole. Usually I just toss the whole beastie in the crockpot and then take the meat off for casseroles, but every once in awhile I want a dish with distinct chicken pieces. And I've never been able to find instructions on where to cut to get those neat little drumsticks and thighs and breasts. So I just hack away, a tedious and messy process which severely imperils my fingers.

It might not help any, but it seems like a nice clear diagram would be useful.

The Diner

I have a healthful-eating manual from somewhere in my past life. It’s packed with great information and recipes. Of course, I say this on faith, since I’ve never actually read it, but I’m sure it’s good stuff. However, sorting through my cookbooks the other day, I found it and opened it randomly to a chapter entitled “Dining Out.” As I read the author’s suggestions, an image began to take form in my head: The Patron from Healthy Hell.

Based on her advice, here is the scene that unfolds, striking a chill into my former-waitress's heart:

"Good afternoon. My name is Lisa and I’ll be your server today. What can I get you?”

“Yes, um, do you use sulfites?”

“Excuse me?”

“On your salad bar. Do you use sulfites to preserve the freshness of your salad greens?”

“I don’t know, probably we do...”

“Because sulfites were banned ten years ago by the FDA, but I know public places don’t always adhere to rules like that.”

“We adhere to all the health regulations. I’m sure there’s no sulfur on the salad bar.”

“Sulfites.”

“Right. So would you like to order the salad bar?”

“Possibly, but I was looking at the salads here on the menu. The tuna salad – is that water-packed tuna?”

“Ummm... yes. It comes in water.”

“Or this taco salad looks good, too.”

“The taco salad is excellent.”

“Great, I think I’ll have that. With chicken instead of red meat, also less meat and more of the garden ingredients, and a reduced supply of chips.”

“Right. Would you like refried beans with that?”

“Oh. Hm. Are they high in fat and too salty?”

“They’re... well, I guess it depends on your taste.”

“Well, then, could I have a sample?”

“Yes, of course. If that’s all, I’ll bring your food to you shortly.”

“Thank you.”

** A few minutes later. **

“Ma’am, I’m very sorry, but we can’t substitute chicken on the taco salad.”

“You can’t? Why not? Never mind, let me see what else there is.”

“May I recommend the spaghetti? You can order the sauce without meat.”

“Oh, I save pasta dishes for home, where I can make whole-grain pasta. I’ll take this chicken sandwich. Is it broiled or baked?”

“Broiled, I believe. What kind of bread?”

“Hm. This whole-wheat bread... is it entirely whole-wheat?”

“I don’t know. It looks like it.”

“Yes, well, I doubt it is. I’ll take the sourdough. It’s easier to digest.”

“Thank you for that information. Would you like a side dish? The choices are rice pilaf, baked potato, or mashed potatoes.”

“I assume the rice pilaf uses white rice?”

“Yes.”

“And the mashed potatoes doubtless are from a box. Definitely the baked potato.”

“I hesitate to ask, but would you like butter and sour cream on that?”

“No butter! But if you could mix a little sour cream with some cottage cheese or plain yogurt, that would be great. Oh, I see that you have soups.”

“I was afraid you’d see that.”

“This chicken soup looks good. But is the broth made with much fat?”

“I don’t know, I don’t make the food.”

“I’d like a sample, please. And make it ‘not salty.’ I don’t suppose they’re homemade soups?”

“I don’t suppose.”

“Too bad, they’re always much better.”

“Yes, it makes you wonder why some people even bother to eat at restaurants, doesn’t it? I’ll be back shortly with your food.”

-- SJ

Do Not Do This: Onions in Ziplocs

In an (as it proved, unnecessary) attempt to save space in my cooler of food to have on hand during electioneering activities, I decided to put the red onions in a ziploc. They're mild, right? They'll be fine.

Wrong. By the time we took them out of the cooler and ate them, the odor in the cooler had achieved toxic proportions. Bleck.

Nonetheless, the pita pockets I had intended to make with them turned out exceedingly well, even if we didn't have time to eat them until we got home late that evening. Next time, though, I'll put the filling in tupperware.

Red State Pita Pockets
1 lb. round steak
2 T. olive oil
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 t. salt
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder

Trim steak and slice thin. (Note: this is easiest if the steak is slightly frozen.) Mix other ingredients and sautee steak strips until cooked through. Chill. Serve in pita pockets (whole wheat are good) with:
sliced red onions
sliced red pepper
sliced red tomato
lettuce
monterey jack cheese

More With Avacados

Avacados being high in both fat and price, this recipe isn't exactly *useful.* But it makes a great dessert, rather different from the usual sort.

Our friend Peter gave us this recipe after he served the dessert at our All Saints' Day Party. He got it from http://www.sallys-place.com/food/ethnic_cusine/brazil.htm, although his directions are written in, um, slightly different form. Enjoy!

***
Crème de Abacate (Mushy Green Stuff)

Ingredients:

2 medium Avocados
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup ice water

Peel and slice the avocado, discarding the whopping huge pit, or saving it because they look really cool and would be useful for... um, something. Someday. Maybe.

With the blender on "liquefy", throw the avocados, lime juice, and sugar in from 10 feet away... or, place all three ingredients into the blender, firmly place the top on, and then press "liquefy"... the choice is yours.

Puree until completely smooth, adding water if the puree is stiff (I tried several different batches, and found that adding the water with the other ingredients produced the best results for pouring. Otherwise, you will have a stiffer product, though the avocado whip makes for a decent greasing agent if WD-40 is unavailable).

If the product is lumpy, or resembles some gosh-awful concoction from the Star Wars Cantina, force through a wire strainer with electric cattle prods. It might still look like something from the cantina, but it'll be smoother, darnit!

Cocoa, orange slices, and coconut were added as garnishes and aren't part of the recipe. Add whichever garnishes you would most enjoy, I would recommend green olive and pimentos on a toothpick with some salsa... but then my taste-buds are slightly odd.

Trusty toasters

I thought about titling this post, 'The Unexpected Benefits of Using Toaster Ovens: Why This Surprisingly Dynamic Appliance Will Change Your Approach to Cooking,' because I found, to my surprise, at least one person who hadn't thought about all the creative ways this handy-dandy little tool can assist in the kitchen. However. Just in case you have one and haven't thoroughly exploited all its many uses, this post is for you.

We have a small oven-style toaster that I keep on the counter at all times because I'm always using it. There are two settings: Toast, and Bake, which comes with oven temperatures, all the way up to Broil. It's a real oven, all right.

* It toasts, obviously. Also it's good for re-heating stuff - especially one serving at a time - that needs to be crisped up: I pop the bowl in the microwave to get it heated through, and then put it in the toaster to crisp it up (recently for this purpose: crumble topping on leftover peach cobbler; crunchy onion topping on green bean casserole).

* It bakes. I can fit (just barely) a standard bread pan in my toaster oven, so I can use it for banana bread when I don't want to turn on the whole oven for 55 minutes. It also comes with a tray that can double as a very small cookie sheet, for small batches of cookies or, I suppose, biscuits.

* It cooks. Especially now when there are only two of us, I can easily fit a casserole into a bread pan. I've made spaghetti pies, chicken pot pies, breaded chicken dishes, and meatloaf in the toaster oven. This is wonderful for me because if I turn the whole oven on, I usually have to make something else to put in or else I feel wasteful.

It's a convenient and practical shortcut when I'm in a hurry and don't want to turn on the whole oven. Highly recommended!