The Kate Chronicles

Lamb Empadillas

God knows what possessed me to buy ground lamb. I didn't want to make moussaka. I didn't want a Sheppard's pie. So what was I thinking? In desperation I googled "ground lamb recipes" and came up with this. They were really quite good and if I hadn't been rushing, I could have probably made them pretty too.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 pound ground lamb

1/2 cup chopped pimento-stuffed Spanish olives

1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed

3/4 teaspoon pepper

5 dashes red pepper sauce

1 eegg

1 tablespoon water

2 recipes pastry for double crust pie, rolled 1/16th of an inch thick (confession - I used Pillsbury Already Pie Crust. It was fine.)

The original recipe called for a teaspoon of salt, but I don't think it needs it.

In a large frying pan, heat oil. Cook onion, garlic and pine nuts for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add lamb, finely crumble and cook until lamb is no longer pink. Drain well. Add olives, cumin, oregano, salt pepper and red pepper sauce; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375. In small bowl, make egg wash by beating together egg and water; set aside. Using cookie cutter (I used an upside-down glass), cut 4-inch rounds out of pastry. Top each round with a tablespoon of filling. Fold over to make half moon; crimp edges to seal. Cut three 1-inch slits in top of pastry. Brush with egg wash. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Spicy Turkey Lasagne

My friend Sally made this for me when I went to visit her in North Carolina. When she gave me the recipe (actually she gave me the whole cookbook - "Great Good Food - Luscious Low Fat Cooking" by Julee Rosso) she told me that if I made this, I should make two and freeze one, because it's kind of labor intensive.

This weekend I followed her advice - served one to the family (The Boy and My Daughter were home) and made one to serve next week when my sister and her husband come. REALLY tasty and worth the effort. Serves 6.

3/4 pound Italian turkey sausage, casing removed (I bought spicy)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

1/2 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 cups chopped, canned Italian tomatoes

3 ounces tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds

Crushed red pepper flakes

salt and fresh ground pepper

9 lasagne noodles, cooked (or I bought the oven ready ones, a major breakthrough)

1/2 pound part-skim mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 pound low-fat cottage cheese, drained (I substituted part-skim Ricotta)

1 cup parmesan shards, grated large

In a large pot, brown the sausage until it's no longer pink, breaking up the pieces. Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms, and saute, stirring for about five minutes. Add the tomatoes, the tomato paste, 1/4 cup water ad the rest of the seasonings. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen.)

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly spray or wipe a 7 X 11 inch baking dish with oil. Coat the baking dish with a little of the sauce. Cover with three lasagne noodles and cover the noodles with half the mozzarella and half the cottage cheese; sprinkle with 1/3 of the parmesan. Spoon on just enough sauce to cover. Repeat with noodles, cheese and sauce. End this a third layer of noodles, sauce and the remaining parmesan. Bake, covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagne stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Eggplant Spread

Tasty, healthy and easy - my kind of recipe. I served it with pita bread for dipping. The recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa Cook Book.

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, pealed

2 red bell peppers, seeded

1 red onion, peeled

2 garlic gloves inced

3 tablespoons good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the eggplant, bell pepper and onion into 1 inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking. Cool slightly. 

Place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper. 

Sweet Corn and Basmati Rice Salad

Served this along side of grilled sword fish and a salad of sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. The rice salad is labor intensive but very tasty. The thing that almost did me in was taking the stems off the watercress. You might want to substitute parsley - I bet it would be just as good. 

Recipe originally appeared in Bon Appetit in June of 2000. Serves 8.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 large ears yellow corn, husked

1 cup chopped green onions

2 1/4 cups water

1 1/2 cups basmati rice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans

3 bunches watercress, stems discarded

Preparation

Whisk red wine vinegar and mustard in bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup oil. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. 

Cut corn kernels from cobs. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add green onions, saute 30 seconds. Add corn; saute until corn is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Vinaigrette and corn mixture can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill. Re-warm corn mixture and re-whisk vinaigrette before using.)

Bring 2 and 1/4 cups water to boil in saucepan. Rinse rice in strainer. Add rice and salt to boiling water. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Mix rice, corn mixture and pecans in large bowl. Mix in vinaigrette and watercress. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Chicken and Vegetables with Couscous

I have GOT to get a new camera. All the food pix keep coming out in these lurid colors. Believe me, this was actually quite pretty in real life. I served it recently at a dinner party - it's pretty soupy. You should plan on serving it in bowls. But it was tasty. All the men had seconds. It comes from The New Basics Cookbook.

Ingredients:

2 chickens (2 and 1/2 -3 lbs. each, cut into pieces.) I just used 6 lbs of thighs and legs.

1/4 cup olive oil

2 onions, cut into 1/4 inch dice

6 gloves garlic, chopped

8 cups chicken stock or broth

3 cinnamon sticks

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice

2 zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 large white turnip, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 large red pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice

5 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch dice

2 cups pitted prunes, halved

1 cup golden raisins

4 cups steamed couscous

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

-Rinse the chicken pieces and remove the skin. Pat dry.

-Heat the oil in a large dutch oven. Cook the chicken in small batches until opaque and slightly golden on both sides. Using a lotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a dish and set aside.

-Add the onions and garlic to the dutch over and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Then add the stock, cinnamon sticks, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, pepper and salt. Bring slowly to a boil, then continue boiling for 5 minutes.

-Reduce heat to a simmer, than add chicken, carrots ,zucchini, turnip and bell pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Then add tomatoes, prunes and raisons, and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

-Remove the cinnamon sticks and serve the stew in deep bowls over the steamed couscous. Give everyone plenty of broth. Garnish with parsley.

I made this the day before which gave the flavors more time to gel, and I also cooked it longer than the recipe recommended, all, I think, to good effect.

Moroccan Chicken With Green Olives and Lemon

I don't know why these food photos come out with such lurid colors, but the real thing is quite pretty, and easy to make. The recipe comes from the May 2009 issue of Bon Appetit.

2 lemons
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, halved, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves pressed
1 Tablespoon paprika
2 Teaspoons ground cumin
1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups chicken broth
1 4 1/2 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed (I just used thighs and legs)
1/2 cup green olives

Cut 1 lemon into 8 wedges. Squeeze enough juice from second lemon to measure 2 tablespoons; set wedges and juice aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper; saute until golden brown. Add next 5 ingredients; stir 1 minute. Add broth; bring to boil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Add lemon wedges. Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until chicken i cooked through, turning occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Add olives and two tablespoons lemon juice to skillet. Increase heat to high; boil uncovered to thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over chicken.

Pasta With Roast Vegetables

Thanks to Helen for the concept of this dish. It was easy to make, and tasty too, and even The Weatherman and The Boy, who tend to go for meat dishes, gave this their full approval. I don't have exact proportions, because I just made this based on Helen's description, and  you can easily alter the quantities according to taste.

Turn the oven up high - I had it at 390 degrees.

Put a good amount of olive oil in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Add chopped onion and minced garlic and let it cook for awhile, stirring occasionally. I used one purple onion and two cloves of garlic.

After about 20 minutes, add some roasting vegetables. I just used zucchini, but eggplant would be good too. While that was cooking (about 20 more minutes) I chopped some cherry tomatoes in half. (I used about two pints.) Then I threw those in the roasting pan, stirred everything up, and added some kosher salt, and let it cook some more.

Then I cooked a pound of farfelle pasta. Of course you could use whatever shape you like. Just before I was going to drain the pasta I added big bunches of fresh spinach leaves to the roasted vegetables. This  gave them just enough time to wilt, but not enough to over-cook.

I tossed the pasta into the roasted vegetables and then seasoned it with fresh Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper.

The meal was served with a salad, bread and for dessert - since it was Valentine's Day - this chocolate cake. If you look carefully, you will see that it's actually my Christmas chocolate cake. I just took a sheet of wax paper, cut out a heart, lay it on top of the cooked cake, and sprinkled confectioner's sugar on it.

Pear Crisp

This is just a tiny twist on an apple crisp, but the pears are nice right now. Needless to say, this should be served warm, with vanilla ice cream. (If I could find cinnamon ice cream, I would use that instead.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Have ready an unbuttered 2-inch deep, 2 quart baking dish. Peel and cut into  slices:

5 large pears (about 2 1/2 pounds)

Spread them evenly in the baking dish. Then combine in a bowl:
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Add 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces. For Christmas, the Weatherman bought me a pasty blender, which I now use, but if you don't own one, take two knives and cut the butter into the dry ingredients above, until the pieces of butter are a bit smaller than individual peas.  You could also use a food processor, but personally, I don't think it's worth the clean-up involved.

Spread the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake until the topping is golden brown and the juices are bubbling - about 50 to 55 minutes. 

Baked Shrimp Scampi

This was a very blog-worthy dinner. It is from "The Barefoot Contessa." My friend Carin recommended it and she did not steer me wrong.

2 lbs shrimp in the shell
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons dry white wine
salt and pepper
1 and 1/2 sticks of butter (yes, you read that correctly), room temperature
4 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup minced shallots (I had none in the house and substituted onion)
3 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 egg yolk
2/3 cup panko (I used regular bread crumbs)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Peel, devein and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails intact. Place in a mixing bowl and mix lightly with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Let the bowl sit at room temperature, marinating, while making the butter/garlic/panko mixture.

In another bowl, mix the butter, garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well combined.

Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in the gratin dish, cut side down with the tails pointing up. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp and evenly sprinkle the topping over the shrimp. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the shrimp are thoroughly cooked and pink.

Serves six. I served it over pasta.

New Year's Eve Feast - recipes included!

As per a relatively new tradition, The Weatherman and I spent New Year's Eve with our friends Amy and David, putting together an upscale pot luck dinner. We started nibbling on hors d'oeuvres at about 8 p.m., and the meal stretched out until nearly midnight. That gave us just enough time to waddle (er, I mean walk) into their living room, turn on the TV and watch the ball drop.

I brought the appetizers. I sure wish I'd remembered to take a photo of the hot artichoke dip before we were half way through it. It would have looked a lot more elegant. Here it is, half-eaten, along with the smoked salmon on pumpernickel bread:


The smoked salmon had a thin layer of creme fiche under it, and was topped with fresh dill. Here's the recipe for the artichoke dip , which was served with crackers:

Hot Artichoke Dip

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine in a medium bowl:
-1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup grated Parmesan (4 ounces) and 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
Pulse in a food processor until finely chopped:
-One 13 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained
Stir into mayonnaise-cheese mixture, along with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Scrape into small baking dish. Sprinkle over the dip: 3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Bake until browned, about 20 minutes. (Can be prepared ahead of time and warmed in microwave.)

Now, I would be able to have a nice photo of the shrimp and white bean first course that Amy made. Except by that time, we have probably imbibed too much of this:

Trust me, it was pretty and delicious. Next, and the photo does not do justice to the taste, was an incredibly tender and tasty steak. It had been marinating all day, and was cooked on the grill, despite the swirling snow outside. It was served with sauteed mushrooms, with asparagus on the side, and was out of this world.

Somehow, either Amy or David even remembered to photograph the salad, which followed main course:

I was a little nervous when Amy asked me to bring salad, because it is usually not my strong suit. But I decided to use a recipe, and while this was a little labor intensive, it was perfect for a special evening. It comes from Silver Palate New Basics:

Lemony Caesar Salad

1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup walnuts
4 thin slices whole grain bread
1/4 cup anchovy spread (recipe follows)
1/2 large head of lettuce, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup Caesar Dressing (recipe follows)
4 ounces Parmesan cheese

-Heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Add the walnuts and saute over medium heat until lightly toasted, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
-Toast the bread: then spread each slice with Anchovy Spread, and scatter with the toasted walnuts.
-Tear the lettuce into pieces and toss with the dressing.
-Place a piece of prepared toast on each plate and top with a portion of the lettuce and dressing. Using a vegetable peeler, shave thin slices of Parmesan over each portion.

Anchovy Spread

12 anchovy fillets,drained
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic finely minced

-Using a fork, mash the anchovies in a small bowl.
-In another small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together. Add ot the anchovies and mix until a paste has formed.

Caesar Dressing

1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine the lemon zest, juice, garlic and vinegar in a small bowl, and whisk well. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly until smooth. Add the pepper and salt and set aside. Makes one cup.

OK - are you still with me? Because we are about to get to the most amazing part of the meal. Amy's incredible Baked Alaska. I showed a picture of it last year, and here's this year's version. But great news: Amy has parted with her recipe, which you can find below. Happy New Year!

Amy's Baked Alaska

1. Bake your favorite brownies, using round 8" or 9" cake pans. (13 x 9 pan size brownie recipe translates to two round pans, and you need just one now. Save the extra for later.) Cool.
2. Press 1/2 gallon of your favorite (slightly melted) ice cream into a bowl lined with wax paper. (Keep 1/2 inch border at top.) Some great favorites are mint chip, coffee or chocolate. Freeze for 30 minutes.
3. Invert the ice cream over the brownies on an oven proof plate and refreeze until next step is completed.
4. Beat 5 egg whites, adding gradually 10 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.
5. Totally cover the ice cream dome with meringue, and freeze again until ready to bake/serve.
6. Oven should be preheated to 450 degrees. Bake directly from the freezer for 5 minutes or until lightly brown. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Christmas Chocolate Cake

Of course you can make this any time of year, but I always serve it for Christmas dinner dessert. It's so easy and can be made a day or two ahead, as long as you keep it wrapped in cellophane.

-Cream one stick of butter with one cup of sugar
-Add 1 large can Hershey's chocolate syrup
-Add 4 eggs
-Add 2 melted squares of semi-sweet chocolate

In a separate bowl, sift together:
-I cup flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-pinch salt

Mix wet and dry ingredients. My original recipe says to cook this in a tube pan, but I don't own one. Instead, I bake it in a regular cake pan. Whatever you use, butter and flour the pan. Cook at 375 degrees until done, about 45 minutes.

After the cake cools, you can decorate it with powdered sugar. I like to serve it with fresh whipped cream.

Creamed Spinach

Christmas morning was a little hectic, so I forgot to take a picture of the creamed spinach. But it was as pretty as it was tasty. This is adapted from Laurie Colwin's recipe in "Home Cooking." She adds jalapeno peppers but I omit them.

-Cook two packages of chopped, frozen spinach. Drain, reserving one cup of liquid.
-Melt four tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and add two tablespoons of flour. Blend and cook a little, do not brown.
-Add two tablespoons of chopped onion and one clove of minced garlic and cook for a bit.
-Add one cup of reserved spinach liquid slowly, then add 1/2 cup of evaporated milk, some fresh pepper, 1 teaspoon of celery salt and six ounces of Monterey Jack cheese, cut into cubes. After the cheese is melted, add the spinach. Cook until all is blended.
-Turn into a buttered casserole and bake for about 45 minutes at 300 degrees. Serves eight.

Hearty Winter Borscht

OK, this picture makes this soup (which is a meal in itself) look scary - it's really not a hot orange color, more of a deep red. I think it was the flash. In any case, I had a lot of winter root vegetables (especially beets and cabbage), and it was freezing out and I decided to attempt a Russian borscht. The recipe is from Joy of Cooking. It's not difficult, but it does call for a lot of chopping and takes a lot oftime. My daughter and I liked this more than the Weatherman, but he had his share. We girls liked it with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Scrub 3 to 4 medium beets (12 ounces). Wrap the beets in aluminum foil and roast on baking sheet until they are tender, about 1 hour. While the beets are roasting, lightly dredge:

1 pound boneless beef chuck cubed in all-purpose flour.
Heat in a soup pot over medium-high heat:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Add the meat, and brown on all sides. Add:
4 1/2 cups beef stock
One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the meat is almost tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in:
2 cups shredded green or red cabbage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste

Simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables and meat are tender, about 30 minutes. Peel the beets, then slice and cut into thin strips. Stir the beets into the soup, along with:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves minced
salt and black pepper
1 and 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Thin the soup with water if necessary. Garnish with:
sour cream
dill

Celeriac, Onion and Potato Casserole

 The Weatherman was reading the newsletter that comes from our co-op farm membership, and he came across this recipe. "This sounds good," he said. "Do you think we should make it?" I gave it a quick once-over and said, "We Kemo Sabe?" And the Weatherman said, "I'll try it." And he did! And it was good! Perfect for a cold, winter's day.

3 medium potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 large celeriac (also known as "celery root") peeled, cut into quarters and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, quartered and sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 15 ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved
1 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add potatoes and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove potatoes to a bowl, then add celery root to boiling water and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove celery root and add to bowl with potatoes. Reserve cooking liquid.

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and basil and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine or broth, increse heat and cook to reduce liquid until about half, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Add tomatoes and their juices plus 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a two quart baking dish. Ladle half of the tomato mixture in bottom of prepared pan. Make a layer of alternating potato and celery root slices, season with pepper.Top with some of tomato mixture. Then repeat, using remaining potato and celery root slices. Cover with remaining tomato mixture.

Cover and bake until potatoes and celery root are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

I debated posting this, because I just couldn't get these sweet potato biscuits quite right. That said, they were tasty enough that they were worth making, even though I still need to tinker with the recipe to reach perfection. Here's the recipe I used:

1 lb. cooked sweet potatoes
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 and 1/4 cup Bisquick

Cool and peel the sweet potatoes. Mix the potatoes, brown sugar, Bisquick mix and water.

Stop here: A few caveats - I attempted to increase this recipe 2 and a half fold, so I may have mixed up my conversions. Because when it came time to follow the next set of directions, which were:

"Flour table, roll biscuit mix o 1/2 inch thickeness, and cut with a 2 and 1/2 inch cutter"

Disaster ensued. The mixture would not roll, it kept sticking the the rolling pin, and all in all, it was an utter failure. SO instead, I just decided to do drop biscuits - that is, I just took a heaping spoonful of the batter, and dropped it onto a buttered baking sheet.

I cooked them for about 10 minutes at 400. So here's the deal. They were really good. But they never did reach biscuit consistency - they were more cake-like than crispy. I experimented by cooking them longer, but this resulted in blackened bottoms and little change.

So, if you like a cake-y sweet potato biscuit, this recipe is for you. If, on the other hand, you have a better recipe that you can share with me, I'd be grateful.

Best Vegetable Soup Ever

Ok, I'm bragging. And worse, it may be more a brag than a blog, in that I made this recipe up as I went along, and might have trouble recreating it. But here, more or less, is what I did. I had a bunch of root vegetables from our farm co-op, several of which mystified me. First, I had two squash that looked like this:

I also had two rutabaga, which looked a little scary:

The Weatherman was kind enough to peel and chop these intimidating items. Meanwhile I chopped two small onions and six large carrots. Then I sauted all of it together in some butter and olive oil, until the vegetables began to soften a little. Then I added a big can of chicken broth (if you are a vegetarian, obviously you could use vegetable broth), and brought the whole thing to a boil. Then I added some salt, pepper and thyme, covered the pot and turned it down to a simmer.

The soup simmered for just over an hour, and then five minute before I served it, I threw in a whole bunch of fresh spinach.

I served it with corn muffins for lunch and it was really delicious. I do have to admit that The Boy came home from college last night, and while he loved the soup, he has also eaten three muffins, some salami, cheese and crackers, cookies, and God knows what else since lunch. And we haven't had dinner yet.

Election Night Apple Pie

It's as American as ... you know. Here's the apple pie I'm bringing to a pot-luck election returns dinner. The recipe is adapted from good old Joy of Cooking.

Prepare two basic pie doughs, or cheat like I do, and buy some Pillsbury Already Pie Crust.
Butter pie dish and line with one pie dough. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Peel, core and slice 2 1/2 pounds (about 5 or 6 large) apples.

Combine in a bowl with:
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pour filling into pie crust. Squeeze about a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice over the apple mixture, then dot it with butter - about 2 tablespoons - cut into small pieces.

Take the second pie crust and cut it into strips. then weave the strips over and under each other like a basket on top of the pie. Once you are done, crimp the crust around the edges, trimming any pieces that are too long. I press the sides with the tines of a fork to give it a little decoration.

Bake for 30 minutes, then slip a baking sheet under the pie and turn the temperature down to 350 degrees. Bake for an additional 30-40 minutes. Note - I had to cover the pie loosely with aluminum foil after half an hour, because it was browning too quickly.

It goes without saying that this should be served warm, with vanilla ice cream on top.

Sweet and Savory Kale

Kale - it's good for you. But I still wouldn't have bought it at the store. Kale has always intimidated me. But we keep getting it from our farm co-op and I had to figure out how to prepare it. My first effort - simply cooked in olive oil and garlic, was not a great success. Kale is pretty bitter. I fared better with this recipe, which I found online.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 cups stemmed, torn and rinsed kale
1/4 cup dried cranberries
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat. Stir in onion and galic, cook and stir until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard, sugar, vinegar and chicken stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the kale, cover, and cook 5 minutes until wilted.

Stir in the dried cranberries (I used Crasins, which I think are the same thing) and continue boiling, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by about half and the cranberries have softened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. The original recipe calls for sprinkling this with 1/4 cup sliced almonds before serving, but I didn't have any, and it tasted fine without them.

Moroccan Lamb Stew

The Weatherman's brother (we could call him "The Stage Manager" but I prefer "Uncle Frank") came up for dinner last night. It was just cold enough that I thought I could get away with serving this lamb stew. It comes from "The Loaves and Fishes Cookbook" and will make your kitchen smell like heaven. I served it over whole-grain couscous.

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 1/2 pounds lamb from leg, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes. (Ask the grocery store butcher to cut it for you if you can't find it on the shelves.)
4 cups peeled, finely chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
3 cups peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes or one 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander or 1/2 teaspoon dried
One 3-inch stick cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup golden raisins

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees
   
    Heat the oil and butter in a large saute pan, and brown the lamb on all sides over medium-high heat. Do this in two batches. Transfer the lam to an oven-proof casserole.
  
     Place the onion and garlic in the same pan and saute until they turn light brown, 4 or 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir it in, then add the tomatoes and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil. Scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the head and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to mix.
   
    Pour the sauce over  the lamb. Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 2 hours.
    Serves 6.

Apple Crisp

This differs a little from a traditional apple crisp, because it omits oatmeal. But I got no complaints with the results.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Have ready an unbuttered 2-inch deep, 2 quart baking dish. Peel and cut into chunks or slices:

8 medium apples (about 2 1/2 pounds)

Spread them evenly in the baking dish. Then combine in a bowl:
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Add 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces. One of these days, I'm going to buy a pastry blender. If you have one, now is the time to use it. Otherwise take two knives and cut the butter into the dry ingredients above, until the pieces of butter are a bit smaller than individual peas.  You could also use a food processor, but personally, I don't think it's worth the clean-up involved.

Spread the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake until the topping is golden brown and the juices are bubbling - about 50 to 55 minutes. I don't have to tell you that this is even better when served with vanilla ice cream.

Welcome Home Dinner For The Boy

Well, you know how I get when The Boy returns from a long absence. And when he walked in tonight, he said he was kind of stuffed, because at 4 p.m. he had stopped on the road and had a big slice of pizza and some kind of egg sandwich. But The Boy being The Boy, he sat down to the dinner table at 7:30 p.m. and proceeded to clean his plate.

Here's what we had - grilled pork cutlets (very thin, just thrown on the grill for a few minutes a side and brushed with bar-b-que sauce), corn on the cob (fresh from the co-op farm), green bean salad and pasta with cherry tomatoes.

Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

Mince four cloves of garlic. Chop up about half a cup of flat leave parsley. Heat 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and then cook the garlic and parsley for a few minutes, until the garlic just starts to color. Meanwhile, take a pint of cherry tomatoes, and cut them in half. Add the tomatoes to the garlic/parsley mix, and cook for about five more minutes. Season with sea salt and fresh pepper.

Cook a pound of pasta - I used mini-penne - and drain. Toss with tomato/parley/garlic mixture. Season with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Green Bean Salad

Top and tail a pound of fresh green beans. Cook in boiling water for about 4 minutes, until they are crisp but not droopy. Drain and refresh with cold water, then set aside.

Chop 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, set aside
Chop 1/3 cup green onions, set aside

In a large bowl whisk together the following:
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1 teaspoon fresh ginger

Add the green beans, cilantro and green onions to the bowl, mix and serve.  

Squash Casserole

So much squash. So little inspiration. The co-op farm we joined is producing a lot of squash. This recipe called just for yellow squash, but I combined yellow squash with zucchini. Let's face it, we have to throw the zucchini into anything we can during the summer. Anyway, it was pretty tasty, except you have to be careful about one thing. The recipe calls for you to drain the vegetables after you cook them. But I would advise you to drain them a second time, after you have mashed them. My casserole was just a bit watery, and I think a second draining would have helped.

Ingredients:
2 pounds sliced summer squash
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons flour
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
seasoned salt and pepper

Preparation:
Combine squash, onion and salt in a large saucepan; cover with water and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and mash well. Stir in milk, eggs, melted butter, flour and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. (At least imagine the taste - with those raw eggs in there, it's not like your going to stick your finger in.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake in buttered casserole for about 40 minutes.

Libbie's Blueberry Pie

Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter (not melted)
1/4 cup oats

Filling:
4 cups fresh blueberries
2/3 cup sugar
2 2/3 tablespoons Minute tapioca
1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare one pie crust and line 9-inch pie plate. Wash and drain berries well. Sprinkle sugar, tapioca and lemon juice over berries, and mix gently. Let stand while preparing topping.

For topping, cut together flour, brown sugar and butter. Mix with pastry blender, or two knivs, until butter pieces are the size of small peas. Stir in oats.

Pour berry mixture into pie crust. Sprinkle topping over berries. Bate at 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping and crust are nicely browned.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy With Garlic

Ingredients

1/3 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1/4 cup thinly slice garlic (about 8 cloves)
2 lbs bok choy
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

(The recipe I found on Epicurious.com called for baby bok choy, but that is not what the farm delivered. So I just cut up the bigger bok choy they had, and it seemed fine. Also I don't own a wok, just used a pan with rounded sides)

Stir together broth, soy sauce and cornstarch until cornstarch has dissolved. (Original recipe also adds a 1/2 teaspoon of salt here, but I found it plenty salty without adding more.) Coat pan with peanut oil. Add garlic and stir-fry until pale golden. Add half of bok choy and stir-fry until leaves wilt, about 2 minutes, then add remaining bok choy and stir-fry until all leaves are bright green and limp, 2 to 3 minutes total. Stir broth mixture, then pour into wok and stir-fry 15 seconds. Cover lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in sesame oil, then transfer to serving dish.

Turnips With Bread Crumbs and Parsley

Turnips are turnips. That is, they have a strong taste. I wanted a kind of light side dish, and I can't say this completely qualified. The lemon zest gave it a somewhat summer-y touch, but they were still, well, turnips. The Weatherman ate them, but not with great relish.

Ingredients:

4 small turnips (about 3/4 pound), peeled
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

In a large saucepan of salted boiling water cook turnips 15 minutes and drain. When turnips are cool enough to handle, cut each into 8 wedges.

In a large skillet cook turnips in butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until almost tender and golden on edges, about 10 minutes. Stir in bread crumbs, parsley, zest and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Serves 2.

Recipe from Epicurious.com

Father's Day Brownies

The Weatherman got well treated on Father's Day. For lunch he was served grilled chicken, homemade cole slaw and brown rice salad with sugar snap peas, dill and scallions. This was all so healthy that for dinner he got his real favorite - spaghetti with meat sauce, along with homemade garlic bread and salad. In the midst of preparing all this stuff, I casually threw the question, "Would you like brownies for dessert?" his way. The answer: Yes. Here's the recipe. I'm also throwing in some photos of other parts of the meal.

Home Made Brownies

-melt two 1 ounce squares of Baker's unsweetened chocolate. Let cool.
-cream one stick of softened butter with one cup of sugar.
-add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and two eggs to sugar and butter, mix thoroughly.
-add cooled melted chocolate to mixture.
-sift and stir in 1/2 cup flour and a pinch of salt.

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or so.

Lemon Dill Orzo

This makes a nice change as a side dish, and it couldn't be easier. Prepare orzo  (the rice-shaped pasta) according to package directions. When it is cooked, drain and put into a bowl. Toss it in some olive oil - enough to moisten through.

I made half the box of orzo, and then added the graded rind of one lemon, and then all the juice of the lemon. I threw in some chopped dill, added salt and pepper to taste, and voila! If you are making the whole box, just add more olive oil, and use two lemons - rinds and juice and probably a whole bunch of dill.

I served this with grilled chicken and asparagus, but you know how I am about grilled chicken and aspargus.

Veal with creamy mustard sauce and tomatoes

Pay no mind to this weird, orange-y photo. This veal  looks pretty and tastes good. This recipe was adapted from the Silver Palate cookbook. Basically, you melt some butter (somewhere between 1 and 2 tablespoons) with some olive oil (ditto on the quantities). Chop up a shallot and a scallion, and saute them for a few minutes, then add the veal scallops. (Before you cook them, grind some fresh pepper on each side. I also lightly salt them.) I had one package that had four scallops.

Brown the meat but don't overcook it - just a few minutes on each side. Take the veal out of the pan and set it aside. Then add some white wine to the pan (about a 1/4 cup) and scape up the browned bits of shallots. Let the wine boil down a bit, and then whisk in about a two tablespoons of Dijon mustard, and about 1/4 cup of either heavy cream or whole milk, depending on your guilt factor. Cook for a minute or two, stirring in any juice that has accumulated on the plate where you rested the veal.

Add the veal back to the sauce, and then sprinkle with fresh chopped tomatoes. I served this with brown rice and a green salad.

Teriyaki Chicken With Weird Clean-Out-The-Refrigertor Salad

I just read that George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin dined on red caviar and veal loin. We did not. Tonight I made chicken teriyaki, brown rice and an odd clean-out-the-refrigerator salad.

OK, it's worse than you think. I used a McCormick seasoning packet of ginger teriyaki sauce. It was good. It really was. You mix the packet with some water and oil and then marinate the chicken in the sauce for at least 30 minutes. I marinated mine - thighs and legs - for about an hour and a half, then baked it at 350 for an hour. The rice was the rice.

For the salad, I had red leaf lettuce and then a bunch of stuff from the refrigerator - snow peas, half of a Granny Smith apple (which I chopped), an avocado, some chopped cilantro and some Vidalia onion. I mixed it all together and just used a vinaigrette dressing. It was good - I can't describe the flavor - I guess it was vaguely Asian. Anyway, it was no State dinner, but it was tasty and healthy.

Pasta With Prosciutto and Asparagus

I have written before about an easy short cut of Cibo Natural Brand pesto sauces. This made last night's dinner extra-easy.

I cooked up a pound of gemelli pasta. (I wanted left overs.) I tossed it in a full jar of Cibo Artichoke Lemon Pesto Sauce, which is available at the A & P, and I'm sure plenty of other grocery stores. I also added a about a quarter cup of boiling water that I scooped out of the pot jut before draining the pasta.

I had leftover asparagus from the night before, which I cut into bite size pieces. I then tore into pieces 1/4 pound of prosciutto. I used the cheap, domestic deli kind (yup, the A & P again) but the dish would probably be even better if you went with high end prosciutto. That's it - tossed together the pasta, pesto, hot water, asparagus and prosciutto. Yum Yum. I served this with a salad of soft butter lettuce and sliced pears. Happy Spring!

Grandmother Lawson's Sour Cream Enchiladas JUST WON'T GO AWAY!

I KNOW, I KNOW  - you keep seeing this photo and recipe of my grandmother's enchiladas. But a very weird thing keeps happening. Every time I try to post this blog to the "food and drink" column, it shows up on the main page. I can not get it to move. I've tried deleting it, reposting it and everything else I can think of, and it just wants to show up front and center of this blog. This has never happened before.

If I ever doubted the after-life, I'm having second thoughts. I can't help but wonder if my late Grandmother Lawson (born in 1899) has something to do with this. Grandmother, they are wonderful enchiladas -but please - let me put them where they belong, with the rest of the food entries!

 

OK - I have been working with tech support on this - bear with me and I hope to have this dish and recipe back where it belongs soon. Meanwhile, I am afraid it's just going to keep reappearing. Spooky.


Sauce:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup sour cream
1 can diced green chiles (not hot)

Filling:
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 1/2 cups chopped green onions (scallions)
(If you have left over chicken, you may add it here too.)

1 dozen corn tortillas
Wesson oil

-Combine ingredients for sauce, beat only until smooth
-Mix cheese and onions together
-Dip tortillas in hot oil to soften (This is important, as it really softens them)

Layer your casserole with tortillas, sauce and cheese mixture until casserole is filled. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly - about 15 minutes or so.
Ca-rumba!