Sunday, October 7, 2012
Just when you thought I had given up blogging - here comes a little taste of something good - I took some liberties with a sauce recipe and found a nice mayo-like dip for fresh veggies - you can alter the quantities but here is what I did -
Use a food processor or blender - add these ingredients and whizz together - it will be runny at first but after a couple of hours in the frig - it firms up to a mayonnaise-like smoothness. The longer it sits, the more the garlic flavor comes through so reduce garlic if you are sensitive!
Half a bunch of parsley and cilantro - chopped roughly, stems and all
Half a cup of plain yoghurt
One big garlic clove smashed and chopped fine
Two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
Three tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Monday, September 14, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
COOKBOOKS
Here is a list of books that I use frequently - new cookbooks proliferate like rabbits and I find that I like some of the old ones better!
Chez Panisse Fruit, Alice Waters, HarperCollins, 2002 - Alphabetical, interesting choices, easy and very very good.
Chez Panisse Vegetables
Alice Waters, HarperCollins, 1996. This is really great when you buy something you've never cooked before. Her information is really solid.
Home Baking by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, Artisan, NY 2003. If you like to bake this has wonderful breads and sweet things too. And the pictures are stunning!
In Nonna's Kitchen by Carol Field, HarperCollins, 1997 Grandmother recipes, hearty traditional stuff, but not complicated.
Italy in Small Bites by Carol Field, William Morrow, 1993. Good breads, bruschetta, focaccia. In general, don't be afraid to add more flour than she calls for - sometimes the recipes sound forbidding but if you like to make bread you will like this book.
MENUS
I enjoy the task of building a menu as much as doing the cooking and I nearly always want to reconfigure it once the meal is complete - here is a list of meals that taste good to me ----
Dear Friends/Important Winter Dinner inspired by Julia Child --
Demitasse Watercress Soup
Classic Boeuf Bourguignon (I bought a rump roast and cut it up myself) - served with a scalloped potatoes cooked in broth not cream.
Butter lettuce salad with slices of ripe pears, toasted pecans and a walnut oil dressing
Savarins imbibed with lemon liqueur syrup served with whipped creme and a few slivers of candied orange peel
Chez Panisse Fruit, Alice Waters, HarperCollins, 2002 - Alphabetical, interesting choices, easy and very very good.
Chez Panisse Vegetables
Alice Waters, HarperCollins, 1996. This is really great when you buy something you've never cooked before. Her information is really solid.
Home Baking by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, Artisan, NY 2003. If you like to bake this has wonderful breads and sweet things too. And the pictures are stunning!
In Nonna's Kitchen by Carol Field, HarperCollins, 1997 Grandmother recipes, hearty traditional stuff, but not complicated.
Italy in Small Bites by Carol Field, William Morrow, 1993. Good breads, bruschetta, focaccia. In general, don't be afraid to add more flour than she calls for - sometimes the recipes sound forbidding but if you like to make bread you will like this book.
MENUS
I enjoy the task of building a menu as much as doing the cooking and I nearly always want to reconfigure it once the meal is complete - here is a list of meals that taste good to me ----
Dear Friends/Important Winter Dinner inspired by Julia Child --
Demitasse Watercress Soup
Classic Boeuf Bourguignon (I bought a rump roast and cut it up myself) - served with a scalloped potatoes cooked in broth not cream.
Butter lettuce salad with slices of ripe pears, toasted pecans and a walnut oil dressing
Savarins imbibed with lemon liqueur syrup served with whipped creme and a few slivers of candied orange peel
Saturday, April 4, 2009
BREAD
PIZZA
This is a nice light dough that makes two thin crust pizzas - about 12 inches in diameter. It is sticky at first but easy to use.
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for kneading)
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons melted butter
In a large bowl sprinkle the yeast over the water to dissolve then stir in one cup of flour followed by the salt and butter. Stir in another cup of flour, making a sticky mound. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead, adding more flour until it doesn't stick to your fingers - about 5 minutes. Place the ball of dough in a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise about 2 1/2 hours until doubled.
Place a baking stone in the middle of your oven if you have one and pre-heat oven to 475 degrees.
Turn the risen dough onto the floured surface, cut into two pieces, flatten them into rounds, cover with a kitchen towel and let them rest for about 15 minutes. You can cook the pizzas one at a time by sliding them onto the hot stone using a pizza paddle or place them on a cookie sheet.
Next I cut a piece of parchment paper about 14 inches square and roll the dough out on the paper using a rolling pin or smooth drinking glass. Cover and let the dough rise another 15 minutes.
For each pizza - brush the entire surface with a little olive oil - then add toppings, a few tablespoons of tomato sauce spread very thinly, sliced veggies, bits of sausage and olive grated cheese etc., or smoked salmon, capers and sour creme - use anything you like but slice everything thinly because the pizza cooks in about 10 minutes.
NOTE - you can freeze the cooked pizzas wrapped in foil, stacked on top of each other with the parchment paper in between. I take one from the freezer - let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes and heat in my toaster oven for a really easy dinner!
SIMPLE WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
This is easy and makes two small round loaves about 6 inches in diameter. It keeps nicely and slices easily.
7/8 cup of warm water
1 package of dry yeast
1/8 cup of oil
1/4 cup of honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour plus more for kneading
Put the water in a mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it - let it sit a few minutes then stir in the oil, honey and salt. (Put the oil in your measuring cup first and add the honey on top - the oil will keep the honey from sticking to the sides when you pour it out.)
Add the flour and mix with a spoon. Add more if it seems really sticky then turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it for about 5 minutes adding more flour if it sticks. (I scrape up bits that stick as I go and incorporate them back into the dough)
When the dough is easy to handle and not sticking to your fingers, clean out the mixing bowl, wipe it with oil and place the dough in it, rolling to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for about 2 hours or until it is double in size.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board again and knead for a few minutes. Divide in half, shaping into two rounds. Cover the loaves loosely with a kitchen towel and let them rise again until double (another hour or so).
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with a layer of parchment paper and place the loaves apart from each other. Bake about 30 minutes. They will turn a nice shade of brown and will be done when they sound hollow if you hit them with a wooden spoon. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
No-Knead Bread
This recipe from Mark Bittman of the New York Times really works and it's really good - but you must have a heavy 6 - 8 quart covered pot that can be heated to 450 degrees. I use an old enameled Dansk casserole or a big Lodge cast iron pot but I ruined the round handle on the top of a Le Creuset pot so I know that doesn't work! This bread slices easily and keeps for a week.
3 cups bread flour
1 packet of instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
Olive oil
Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and stir together. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough sit for 4 hours at room temperature.
Lightly oil a plastic cutting board and turn the dough out onto it, folding it over on itself once or twice with a plastic spatula. Cover loosely with the plastic wrap again and let it sit another 30 minutes.
At the same time, place the covered casserole in oven and heat at 450 degrees.
When the dough is ready, remove casserole from oven carefully and take off the lid - watch out for the hot air escaping! Scrape the dough into the pot, replace the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 minutes. The dough will have a pretty golden brown color and you can pop it out of the pan with a couple of wooden spoons. It does not stick to the pot! Cool on a rack before slicing.
MARY'S BANANA BREAD - IT'S DIFFERENT!
My neighbor brought me a flat loaf of bread that looked like foccaccia bread but surprise, it was banana bread - she used Trader Joes Banana Bread Mix and added a couple of handfuls of mixed dried fruits like diced apricots, blueberries, cranberries and raisins. She spread the mixture in a 9 x 11 baking pan - so it didn't rise up like the usual loaf but could then be cut into squares like brownies... here's my version -
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 melted butter or canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup of mashed ripe bananas (it takes 2 or 3)
1/3 buttermilk (or use regular milk with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice)
1 cup (plus or minus) chopped dried fruits
Mix flour, soda and salt together. Add the butter or oil, then the eggs and finally the bananas and mix. Then alternately add the flour and milk and blend after each addition, stir in the fruits and pour into a buttered 8 inch square pan or a 9 x 11 pan and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Check with a cake tester or toothpick to be sure it's done. Cut into squares and serve with coffee - very nice to serve at breakfast meetings!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
APPETIZERS
CAPONATA - Eggplant appetizer
1 small eggplant (1lb)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup wine vinegar mixed with 2 teaspoons sugar
3 tomatoes peeled and chopped fine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 large olives chopped
1 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Peel eggplant and cut into small cubes, sprinkle generously with salt and set in a colander to drain for 30 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat half the olive oil and over medium heat saute the celery for 10 minutes, stir in the onions and cook another 5 minutes until they are soft and lightly colored. Remove to a bowl. Pat the eggplant cubes dry in paper towels. Heat the remaining oil and add the eggplant and saute over high heat for about 8 minutes until they are lightly colored.
Return the onions and celery to the skillet and add the rest of the ingredients except for the pine nuts. Let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes, season with salt and pepper and add the pine nuts. Let it cool and refrigerate. This tastes great with thin slices of french bread that you have dried in the oven for about 10 minutes. Makes about 2 cups
HUMMUS
2 cans garbanzo beans (also called Chick Peas) drained and rinsed with water (shake off excess water in a strainer)
3 or 4 Tablespoons of tahini (sesame seed paste which comes in jars - keep in the frig and stir up before measuring) This keeps a long time.
2 lemons - squeeze the juice directly into the blender jar and get the seeds out with a fork
2 smashed and chopped cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste - half teaspoon or more
Place all ingredients in a blender or use food processor and blend until smooth - taste and add more seasonings if needed or more olive oil if it is too thick.
Serve with pita or bagel chips - leftovers keep nicely in the frig.
MANGO SALSA
2 or 3 ripe mangoes (they should feel soft to touch like a ripe peach - too soft they're mushy and very firm they aren't flavorful)
1/2 white onion chopped fine
2 or 3 cloves of garlic chopped fine
1 small Serrano green chili pepper - slice lengthwise, discard the seeds and mince. Put about 1/2 teaspoon of the minced pepper into the mixture - you can always add more later but you can't cool it down if it starts off too hot.
1 bunch of cilantro chopped fine (strip off most of the stems)
2 or 3 limes (sometimes limes have almost no juice so have some extra ones on hand)
salt
Peel and dice the mangoes, mix with other ingredients, salt to taste and squeeze limes over the mixture and refrigerate. Keep in sealed container because garlic odor will stink up the frig. Serve with chips.
CROSTINI A LA LOULIE
24 Slices of a baguette sliced 1/2 inch
12 halves of marinated artichokes drained
2 medium Roma tomatoes chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh basil chopped
8 Chopped black olives
Pam olive oil spray
Garlic powder
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 325 - place bread slices on cookie sheet,, sprinkle with garlic powder or minced fresh garlic, spray with Pam Olive Oil and bake about 10 minutes until lightly browned and crisp. Cool on a wire rack.
In a bowl combine artichokes, tomatoes, basil, olives and olive oil. Mix well and spread about 1 Tablespoon on each slice, sprinkle lightly with salt and serve.
PESTO CHEESECAKE
Crust
1 Tablespoon butter (soft)
1/4 fine dry bread crumbs (if you make the crumbs from some dried bread with herbs - so much the better!
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan
Filling
2 8 ounce packages cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 large eggs
1/2 cup pesto sauce (you can find it in frozen foods)
1/3 cup pine nuts
Garnish
Fresh basil leaves and crackers
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray Pam or smear butter on the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan or use a springform pan. Mix the bread crumbs with 2 Tablespoons of Parmesan and coat the pan with the mixture.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt and cayenne until it's well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Transfer half of the mixture to another bowl. Mix the pesto into the remaining half mixture and pour the pesto/cheese mixture into the pan, smoothing the top. Spoon the remaining cheese mixture over the top and smooth the top and sprinkle with the pine nuts.
Bake the cheesecake until the center no long jiggles when the pan is shaken which will take about 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
If you used a springform pan, run a knife around sides to loosen, release pan sides from the cake and transfer to a platter. If you've used a pie plate you can serve directly from it. Garnish with basil either chopped or sprigs and surround with crackers. This is a substantial appetizer that serves about 15 people - it looks pretty and tastes great! It is adapted from the "Simply Classic" Junior League cookbook of Seattle, published 1993.
SOUP
FRESH TOMATO SOUP
Note - make this now while you can still get vine ripe tomatoes!
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions chopped
2 carrots unpeeled and chopped fine
1 Tablespoon of minced garlic
4 pounds skinned tomatoes chopped roughly
1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
1 Tablespoon of tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
3 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons ground pepper
Note - to skin tomatoes - boil water in a small saucepan and lower tomatoes into water for about 5 seconds and remove - the skins will slide off easily.
Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat and saute the onions and carrots for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute then add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. (Make sure the carrots are soft)
At this point it's easier to let the soup cool but you can proceed cautiously if the mixture is hot - the easiest way to blend the soup is by using a hand held blender directly into the cooking pot - or you can transfer the mixture into a conventional blender and blend in batches being careful to keep the lid on the blender or you will be covered in goop as it explodes! Serve with croutons or chopped basil leaves. The vine ripe tomatoes are the secret ingredient here! Makes about 6 servings.
MINESTRONE
The word minestrone means big soup and this is best made ahead and re-heated - the flavor gets better. Ingredients can vary - I always include white beans and although I start with dry beans - you can substitute 2 cans of white beans (drain and rinse them well) and that will save time.
1/2 cup dry white beans - I use Great Northern beans (or 1 - 2 cans)
5 ounces of pancetta chopped - optional
1 cup minced onions
2 big cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced carrots
1 big Tablespoon chopped parsley
2 medium potatoes peeled and chopped
1 medium zucchini - diced
1/4 pound diced mushrooms
1 15 oz canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 49 1/2 oz can chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper to taste.
Starting with dry beans - Boil 4 cups of water in a heavy saucepan. Add the beans, boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let them soak for 1 hour. Then, drain them, add 4 cups of fresh water and the beans and simmer them uncovered for 1 to 1/1/2 hours until they are tender. (Add more boiling water if needed) Drain them when finished.
In a big pot, add 2 - 3 Tablespoons of olive oil and saute on medium heat the pancetta, onions, garlic, celery, carrots and chopped parsley. Stir and cook for about 5 - 10 minutes until the veggies are taking on color. Then stir in the tomatoes and basil and cook another 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, beans, zucchini and mushrooms - stir mixture and add remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, and cook about 2 hours until it has a nice thick consistency. Check for seasoning and eat the next day at least for optimum flavor! Add more chicken stock or water if needed.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
Olive oil
1 large butternut squash - cut in half lengthwise with the seeds and fibers scraped out with a spoon
salt/pepper
6 cloves of garlic - no need to peel them
4 sprigs of thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 Tablespoons butter
1 large onion chopped
3 shallots, chopped
4 cups canned chicken broth
Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Pour about a teaspoon of olive oil into the cavity of each half of the squash and rub the cut side with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn the cut side down on the sheet, tucking in the sprigs of thyme and 3 cloves of garlic each. Roast for about one hour, the squash should be quite soft and easy to pierce with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool - you can do this early in the day if you wish. Save the garlic, discard the thyme, scrape the flesh away from the outer skin and chop it roughly.
In a heavy saucepan or stew pot, melt the butter and saute the chopped onion and shallots for about 5 minutes until they start to get brown, add the squash and garlic. (Hold a garlic clove at one end in your fingers and pinch and the inside will pop out.) Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and saute another 5 minutes until the squash starts sticking to the pan - add the chicken stock gradually and bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender in small batches and return to the pot where it can wait for serving time. (Be careful to put only small amounts of hot liquids in a blender because the top can pop up and cover you with soup!)
CROUTONS ARE NICE
Homemade croutons are the best - dice some old french bread, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in small skillet and saute until brown - be careful not to burn - sprinkle with kosher salt and set aside until serving time - trying not to eat them all yourself.
Serve the soup with the croutons and you can also add some chopped chives or the green part of a scallion to add more color.
This recipe is from the new "Organic Marin" cookbook which has great pictures.
ARUGULA SOUP
1 1/4 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes
6 cups of water
12 ounces (about 5 cups of arugula leaves, large stems removed) chopped
4 big cloves of garlic,thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 slices of stale country style bread
Peel the potatoes, chop roughly and cook in the 5 cups of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes. Add arugula and garlic and cook another 5 or 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add the red pepper flakes, salt and bread and let it stand off heat until the bread is soft. Puree in batches in a blender or food processor.
This mixture will be quite thick and you may need to thin with a little more water.
This produces a fabulous thick green soup that people will think is spinach. The arugula loses it's bitterness and the potatoes and bread give it substance. You can drizzle a little olive oil over the top to serve. Makes at least 6 servings.
This is adapted from Carol Field's "In Nonna's Kitchen" cookbook which has excellent old fashioned Italian granny's recipes.
POTATO AND PARSLEY SOUP
This is low cal, easy and cheap!
8 cups water
1 pound of potatoes (about 3 medium) peeled and chopped into 1 chunks
1 medium onion chopped smaller than the potatoes
5 whole cloves of garlic - peeled
1 large bunch of parsley, washed, remove stems and chop
Salt and pepper to taste (important to taste)
Combine the water, potatoes,onion and garlic with 1 teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat and simmer 45 minutes or until the potatoes and onions are cooked through. Remove from the heat and add the parsley.
Puree the mixture using a hand blender or food processor - if you use a conventional blender be very cautious with the hot mixture - fill the blender only 1/3 full and cover the lid with a kitchen towel and keep your hand firmly on the top - the hot stuff can erupt and cover you with soup.
The cooked potatoes will quickly get too smooth if you let the machine run too long - this soup tastes best when you have nice little bumps of potato for texture rather than completely blended.
This is from Martha Rose Shulman's "Mediterranean Light" published by Bantam 1989 - the calorie count per serving is 132 in her version but I eliminated the milk that she calls for so the calories are even less in this recipe!
KALE AND CHICKPEA SOUP
This is unusual, very pretty, quick, easy and good!
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 oz chopped pancetta
1 onion chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups cubed yam or sweet potato (one medium)
1 sweet red pepper chopped
1 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
3 cups chopped kale (you can use spinach instead)
In a large saucepan, heat the oil, saute the chopped pancetta, onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, add the salt pepper and sage and stir together for another minute.
Add the stock, 3 cups of water, sweet potato or yam and red pepper, bring to a simmer, add the chickpeas, keep at a simer, covered for about 15 minutes until the potatos are tender
Add the kale and simmer another 5 to 10 minutes. This can be served right away but keeps well in the frig.
This is adapted from "Make it Tonight" by Elizabeth Laird, published by Canadian Living 2007 thanks to my friend S who has good taste in cookbooks!
Note - make this now while you can still get vine ripe tomatoes!
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions chopped
2 carrots unpeeled and chopped fine
1 Tablespoon of minced garlic
4 pounds skinned tomatoes chopped roughly
1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
1 Tablespoon of tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
3 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons ground pepper
Note - to skin tomatoes - boil water in a small saucepan and lower tomatoes into water for about 5 seconds and remove - the skins will slide off easily.
Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat and saute the onions and carrots for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute then add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. (Make sure the carrots are soft)
At this point it's easier to let the soup cool but you can proceed cautiously if the mixture is hot - the easiest way to blend the soup is by using a hand held blender directly into the cooking pot - or you can transfer the mixture into a conventional blender and blend in batches being careful to keep the lid on the blender or you will be covered in goop as it explodes! Serve with croutons or chopped basil leaves. The vine ripe tomatoes are the secret ingredient here! Makes about 6 servings.
MINESTRONE
The word minestrone means big soup and this is best made ahead and re-heated - the flavor gets better. Ingredients can vary - I always include white beans and although I start with dry beans - you can substitute 2 cans of white beans (drain and rinse them well) and that will save time.
1/2 cup dry white beans - I use Great Northern beans (or 1 - 2 cans)
5 ounces of pancetta chopped - optional
1 cup minced onions
2 big cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced carrots
1 big Tablespoon chopped parsley
2 medium potatoes peeled and chopped
1 medium zucchini - diced
1/4 pound diced mushrooms
1 15 oz canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 49 1/2 oz can chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper to taste.
Starting with dry beans - Boil 4 cups of water in a heavy saucepan. Add the beans, boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let them soak for 1 hour. Then, drain them, add 4 cups of fresh water and the beans and simmer them uncovered for 1 to 1/1/2 hours until they are tender. (Add more boiling water if needed) Drain them when finished.
In a big pot, add 2 - 3 Tablespoons of olive oil and saute on medium heat the pancetta, onions, garlic, celery, carrots and chopped parsley. Stir and cook for about 5 - 10 minutes until the veggies are taking on color. Then stir in the tomatoes and basil and cook another 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, beans, zucchini and mushrooms - stir mixture and add remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, and cook about 2 hours until it has a nice thick consistency. Check for seasoning and eat the next day at least for optimum flavor! Add more chicken stock or water if needed.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
Olive oil
1 large butternut squash - cut in half lengthwise with the seeds and fibers scraped out with a spoon
salt/pepper
6 cloves of garlic - no need to peel them
4 sprigs of thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 Tablespoons butter
1 large onion chopped
3 shallots, chopped
4 cups canned chicken broth
Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Pour about a teaspoon of olive oil into the cavity of each half of the squash and rub the cut side with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn the cut side down on the sheet, tucking in the sprigs of thyme and 3 cloves of garlic each. Roast for about one hour, the squash should be quite soft and easy to pierce with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool - you can do this early in the day if you wish. Save the garlic, discard the thyme, scrape the flesh away from the outer skin and chop it roughly.
In a heavy saucepan or stew pot, melt the butter and saute the chopped onion and shallots for about 5 minutes until they start to get brown, add the squash and garlic. (Hold a garlic clove at one end in your fingers and pinch and the inside will pop out.) Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and saute another 5 minutes until the squash starts sticking to the pan - add the chicken stock gradually and bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender in small batches and return to the pot where it can wait for serving time. (Be careful to put only small amounts of hot liquids in a blender because the top can pop up and cover you with soup!)
CROUTONS ARE NICE
Homemade croutons are the best - dice some old french bread, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in small skillet and saute until brown - be careful not to burn - sprinkle with kosher salt and set aside until serving time - trying not to eat them all yourself.
Serve the soup with the croutons and you can also add some chopped chives or the green part of a scallion to add more color.
This recipe is from the new "Organic Marin" cookbook which has great pictures.
ARUGULA SOUP
1 1/4 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes
6 cups of water
12 ounces (about 5 cups of arugula leaves, large stems removed) chopped
4 big cloves of garlic,thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 slices of stale country style bread
Peel the potatoes, chop roughly and cook in the 5 cups of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes. Add arugula and garlic and cook another 5 or 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add the red pepper flakes, salt and bread and let it stand off heat until the bread is soft. Puree in batches in a blender or food processor.
This mixture will be quite thick and you may need to thin with a little more water.
This produces a fabulous thick green soup that people will think is spinach. The arugula loses it's bitterness and the potatoes and bread give it substance. You can drizzle a little olive oil over the top to serve. Makes at least 6 servings.
This is adapted from Carol Field's "In Nonna's Kitchen" cookbook which has excellent old fashioned Italian granny's recipes.
POTATO AND PARSLEY SOUP
This is low cal, easy and cheap!
8 cups water
1 pound of potatoes (about 3 medium) peeled and chopped into 1 chunks
1 medium onion chopped smaller than the potatoes
5 whole cloves of garlic - peeled
1 large bunch of parsley, washed, remove stems and chop
Salt and pepper to taste (important to taste)
Combine the water, potatoes,onion and garlic with 1 teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat and simmer 45 minutes or until the potatoes and onions are cooked through. Remove from the heat and add the parsley.
Puree the mixture using a hand blender or food processor - if you use a conventional blender be very cautious with the hot mixture - fill the blender only 1/3 full and cover the lid with a kitchen towel and keep your hand firmly on the top - the hot stuff can erupt and cover you with soup.
The cooked potatoes will quickly get too smooth if you let the machine run too long - this soup tastes best when you have nice little bumps of potato for texture rather than completely blended.
This is from Martha Rose Shulman's "Mediterranean Light" published by Bantam 1989 - the calorie count per serving is 132 in her version but I eliminated the milk that she calls for so the calories are even less in this recipe!
KALE AND CHICKPEA SOUP
This is unusual, very pretty, quick, easy and good!
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 oz chopped pancetta
1 onion chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups cubed yam or sweet potato (one medium)
1 sweet red pepper chopped
1 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
3 cups chopped kale (you can use spinach instead)
In a large saucepan, heat the oil, saute the chopped pancetta, onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, add the salt pepper and sage and stir together for another minute.
Add the stock, 3 cups of water, sweet potato or yam and red pepper, bring to a simmer, add the chickpeas, keep at a simer, covered for about 15 minutes until the potatos are tender
Add the kale and simmer another 5 to 10 minutes. This can be served right away but keeps well in the frig.
This is adapted from "Make it Tonight" by Elizabeth Laird, published by Canadian Living 2007 thanks to my friend S who has good taste in cookbooks!
SALAD
SUPER QUINOA SALAD
1 cup of quinoa cooked and cooled as directed on package
2 cups broccoli and/or asparagus, chopped, blanched and cooled
1 small cucumber chopped
1 cup feta cheese crumbled
1 whole avocado chopped
1 cup of peas or chopped snap peas
Handful of alfalfa sprouts
sprinkling of tasted seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin for example)
Handful of cilantro chopped
Handful of mint chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Combine ingredients, and toss with the lemon juice, oil and salt and pepper. This is quick and easy. Quinoa is high in protein so this is a very satisfying salad and you don't need to have all the ingredients on hand - and you can make your own variations. This is from Mary's daughter-in-law Kathleen! Serves 4 approximately.
BLACK BARLEY TEX MEX SALAD
8 Oz black barley
2 small tomatoes - chopped
1 half red onion chopped small
1 ear of sweet corn - niblets cut off
1 green pepper chopped
1/2 cup chopped jicama
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
5 Tablespoons white vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste and red pepper flakes if you like heat.
Fill a saucepan with about 6 cups of water, bring to a boil and add the barley - let it stay at a rolling boil for about 1 hour - checking to see that the water does not boil away and tasting barley until it is cooked - it will be chewy and if there is water left you can drain it off - set aside.
Combine oil, vinegar and spices and taste - add the red pepper if you like hot stuff - the barley is bland so you may want to spice it up - add the chopped veggies and then the barley - serve at room temperature on a bed of lettuce. Very substantial stuff! This recipe makes about 8 servings.
HOUSE BOTTLED DRESSING
Don't buy bottled dressings - make your own! This is from the great Hali'maile General Store Cookbook
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon tarragon
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine all the ingredients in a screw top jar and shake. Keep in the frig and use on greens with a soft texture like baby spinach, red leaf and butter lettuce.
SUSAN MARY'S EXCELLENT CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD DRESSING
Combine in a screw top jar and keep in your frig!
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup salad oil
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
You can double or triple the recipe - don't forget to buy some dried rice stick noodles and break off a handful and fry them quickly in hot oil - they swell up and get crispy very quickly - remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and use to garnish your chinese chicken salad!
WINTER SALAD - SIDE OR MAIN COURSE
Soft textured greens like butter red leaf lettuce or baby spinach
1 small can of mandarin orange slices drained
1/2 small white onion sliced very thin
1 avocado sliced (an avocado is ripe when it gives a little under your thumb - if it feels hard it won't taste good)
Optional extra - a handful of pomegranate seeds tastes good and looks pretty. To remove seeds from pomegranate EB recommends slicing the fruit in two, hold over a bowl cut side down and whack the half with a wooden spoon and the seeds will come shooting out.
Toss with the House Bottled Dressing shown above.
NOTE - to make this into a main course salad, add a cup of cooked bay shrimp
SOPHISTICATED SALAD - thanks to Kate and Tom
Use endive and romaine - you'll need about 3 pieces of endive for each serving so one head of endive is probably enough. Wash and spin a handful of romaine for each person.
KATE'S DRESSING
In a jar combine 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt (it tastes better that's why you use it), 1/2 teaspoon of Coleman's dry mustard, a few grindings of pepper, 4 Tablespoons of Champagne vinegar and 1/2 cup of good olive oil. Shake to combine and use as needed and keep the unused portion in the frig.
Separate 3 or 4 leaves of endive and place in a salad bowl and toss with a little of the dressing - set aside while you work on dinner.
Before serving, add a handful of romaine lettuce torn into pieces and toss with the endive and maybe a little more dressing. Arrange the pieces of endive to the side of each salad plate and fill the plate with the romaine. You look soooo sophisticated now!
MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD
1 Pound (about 5) carrots peeled and grated in a Cuisinart, or sliced very thinly on the diagonal
3/4 minced fresh parsley
big pinch of sea salt
1 Tablespoon of orange flower water (or use orange juice)
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Combine the carrots, parsley and salt. Stir together the orange flower water, honey, lemon juice and cumin and add this mixture to the carrots just before serving.
Note - this is pretty and subtle - you can serve it as a side veggie or place on a bed of leaf lettuce as a stand alone salad. It has about 40 calories per serving and the recipe comes from Martha Rose Shulman's book, "Mediterranean Light" 1989
ASPARAGUS AND BULGUR OR SPELT WITH PRESERVED LEMON DRESSING
For the dressing:
1 preserved lemon - they are packed in salt and you can buy them in gourmet shops
7 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
For the asparagus and bulgur or spelt
1 pound of asparagus cut into 2 inch lengths
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red onion chopped
1 cup of bulgur - or use spelt (you will need to cook the spelt longer)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
To make the dressing, cut the preserved lemon in half. Chop one half and put it into a blender. With a spoon, scoop out the pulp from the remaining half and add the pulp to the blender. Discard the rind. Add the remaining dressing ingredients, blend until smooth and set aside.
To make the asparagus - steam for about 4 minutes (they should be bright green and fairly crunchy) spread out on a plate to cool - set aside.
Using a large pot or saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the onion for a minute, add the bulgur or spelt and cook another minute or two until toasted. Add two cups of water with the salt and bring to a boil. Cover pan, reduce heat and cook until the water has evaporated, about 15 minutes. If you are using spelt, it will take at least twice as long - I leave the pot uncovered and the mixture bubbling and I add more water as needed. Taste to be sure it is cooked enough - spelt gives a more chewy texture than bulgur. Let cool.
To serve, arrange the cooled bulgur or spelt in a large serving bowl, toss the asparagus with the dressing and arrange over the top and sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts. Add the dressing just before you serve because it will cause the asparagus to lose the bright green color. Makes about 6 servings.
1 cup of quinoa cooked and cooled as directed on package
2 cups broccoli and/or asparagus, chopped, blanched and cooled
1 small cucumber chopped
1 cup feta cheese crumbled
1 whole avocado chopped
1 cup of peas or chopped snap peas
Handful of alfalfa sprouts
sprinkling of tasted seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin for example)
Handful of cilantro chopped
Handful of mint chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Combine ingredients, and toss with the lemon juice, oil and salt and pepper. This is quick and easy. Quinoa is high in protein so this is a very satisfying salad and you don't need to have all the ingredients on hand - and you can make your own variations. This is from Mary's daughter-in-law Kathleen! Serves 4 approximately.
BLACK BARLEY TEX MEX SALAD
8 Oz black barley
2 small tomatoes - chopped
1 half red onion chopped small
1 ear of sweet corn - niblets cut off
1 green pepper chopped
1/2 cup chopped jicama
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
5 Tablespoons white vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste and red pepper flakes if you like heat.
Fill a saucepan with about 6 cups of water, bring to a boil and add the barley - let it stay at a rolling boil for about 1 hour - checking to see that the water does not boil away and tasting barley until it is cooked - it will be chewy and if there is water left you can drain it off - set aside.
Combine oil, vinegar and spices and taste - add the red pepper if you like hot stuff - the barley is bland so you may want to spice it up - add the chopped veggies and then the barley - serve at room temperature on a bed of lettuce. Very substantial stuff! This recipe makes about 8 servings.
HOUSE BOTTLED DRESSING
Don't buy bottled dressings - make your own! This is from the great Hali'maile General Store Cookbook
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon tarragon
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine all the ingredients in a screw top jar and shake. Keep in the frig and use on greens with a soft texture like baby spinach, red leaf and butter lettuce.
SUSAN MARY'S EXCELLENT CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD DRESSING
Combine in a screw top jar and keep in your frig!
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup salad oil
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
You can double or triple the recipe - don't forget to buy some dried rice stick noodles and break off a handful and fry them quickly in hot oil - they swell up and get crispy very quickly - remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and use to garnish your chinese chicken salad!
WINTER SALAD - SIDE OR MAIN COURSE
Soft textured greens like butter red leaf lettuce or baby spinach
1 small can of mandarin orange slices drained
1/2 small white onion sliced very thin
1 avocado sliced (an avocado is ripe when it gives a little under your thumb - if it feels hard it won't taste good)
Optional extra - a handful of pomegranate seeds tastes good and looks pretty. To remove seeds from pomegranate EB recommends slicing the fruit in two, hold over a bowl cut side down and whack the half with a wooden spoon and the seeds will come shooting out.
Toss with the House Bottled Dressing shown above.
NOTE - to make this into a main course salad, add a cup of cooked bay shrimp
SOPHISTICATED SALAD - thanks to Kate and Tom
Use endive and romaine - you'll need about 3 pieces of endive for each serving so one head of endive is probably enough. Wash and spin a handful of romaine for each person.
KATE'S DRESSING
In a jar combine 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt (it tastes better that's why you use it), 1/2 teaspoon of Coleman's dry mustard, a few grindings of pepper, 4 Tablespoons of Champagne vinegar and 1/2 cup of good olive oil. Shake to combine and use as needed and keep the unused portion in the frig.
Separate 3 or 4 leaves of endive and place in a salad bowl and toss with a little of the dressing - set aside while you work on dinner.
Before serving, add a handful of romaine lettuce torn into pieces and toss with the endive and maybe a little more dressing. Arrange the pieces of endive to the side of each salad plate and fill the plate with the romaine. You look soooo sophisticated now!
MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD
1 Pound (about 5) carrots peeled and grated in a Cuisinart, or sliced very thinly on the diagonal
3/4 minced fresh parsley
big pinch of sea salt
1 Tablespoon of orange flower water (or use orange juice)
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Combine the carrots, parsley and salt. Stir together the orange flower water, honey, lemon juice and cumin and add this mixture to the carrots just before serving.
Note - this is pretty and subtle - you can serve it as a side veggie or place on a bed of leaf lettuce as a stand alone salad. It has about 40 calories per serving and the recipe comes from Martha Rose Shulman's book, "Mediterranean Light" 1989
ASPARAGUS AND BULGUR OR SPELT WITH PRESERVED LEMON DRESSING
For the dressing:
1 preserved lemon - they are packed in salt and you can buy them in gourmet shops
7 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
For the asparagus and bulgur or spelt
1 pound of asparagus cut into 2 inch lengths
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red onion chopped
1 cup of bulgur - or use spelt (you will need to cook the spelt longer)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
To make the dressing, cut the preserved lemon in half. Chop one half and put it into a blender. With a spoon, scoop out the pulp from the remaining half and add the pulp to the blender. Discard the rind. Add the remaining dressing ingredients, blend until smooth and set aside.
To make the asparagus - steam for about 4 minutes (they should be bright green and fairly crunchy) spread out on a plate to cool - set aside.
Using a large pot or saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the onion for a minute, add the bulgur or spelt and cook another minute or two until toasted. Add two cups of water with the salt and bring to a boil. Cover pan, reduce heat and cook until the water has evaporated, about 15 minutes. If you are using spelt, it will take at least twice as long - I leave the pot uncovered and the mixture bubbling and I add more water as needed. Taste to be sure it is cooked enough - spelt gives a more chewy texture than bulgur. Let cool.
To serve, arrange the cooled bulgur or spelt in a large serving bowl, toss the asparagus with the dressing and arrange over the top and sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts. Add the dressing just before you serve because it will cause the asparagus to lose the bright green color. Makes about 6 servings.
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