Everyday Stories About Food

Crisp Fall Weather Calls for Crisp Apples

2011-10-30T23:21:00.000-07:00

I love fall. I love it so much that people get tired of listening to me say it. But what's not to love? The gorgeous trees, the cooler weather, the return of football, and, of course, the incredible food.

There's something magical about the farmers market in the spring, when fresh, local produce is finally available after a long winter of eating frozen veggies interspersed with some limited finds from California. But there's also something amazing about fall, when basically everything are ripe and fresh and available in abundance.

Spring means berries, but fall means soft, juicy pears and crisp, flavorful apples for the rest of the year. We've been busy making pear butter, applesauce and apple juice to preserve these tree fruits into the winter. I've also been experimenting with incorporating them into baked goods. The add nice flavor and texture. Leaving the skin on means extra fiber and nutrients in the recipe too.

Apple Walnut Waffles have become a favorite around our house. We spread apple butter on them to get an extra punch of sweet flavor.

Apple Streusel Cake is a moist, delicious spice cake with a hint of apple flavor. It’s best served warm. The recipe will make about 18 cupcakes (like my slimy-looking Halloween treats).

Both recipes call for grated apples. I do the grating with the large holes on a box grater right before I’m ready to add the apples to the recipe. This prevents them from browning and releasing too much juice. Tart apples such as McIntosh and Gravenstein will work best.

Apple Walnut Waffles
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. finely ground walnuts
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. cardamom
1 c. milk
2 eggs
2 T. butter, melted
1 large unpeeled apple, grated
Butter, maple syrup or apple butter, for serving

In a medium bowl, mix flours, walnuts, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. In a separate bowl, combine milk, eggs, butter and apple. Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

Cook batter in a waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions. Serve with butter, maple syrup and/or apple butter.

Apple-Streusel Cake
Makes 16 servings
Cake:
2 c. all purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
4 T. butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk
2 apples, grated
Topping:
1/2 c. old-fashioned oats, finely ground
1/3 c. all purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 t. cinnamon
4 T. butter, cut into small pieces

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add dry mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in apples. Pour into a greased 8” square pan.

In a clean mixing bowl, combine oats, flour sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a fork until mixture resembles course crumbs. Spread topping evenly over cake.
Bake at 350 degrees for 65-70 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Summer Desserts Showcase Berries

2011-08-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

This is the best time of year for fruit lovers. Berries are still available in abundance, and stone fruits such as cherries, plums and peaches are coming into season.

There are lots of ways to showcase these sweet treats, but desserts such as crisps and cobblers have always been one of my favorites. There’s something about cooking the fruit and adding a crumbly or cakey topping that really adds to their flavor.

Here’s a quick guide to desserts designed to show off the best of summer fruits:

Cobbler: A blend of fruits topped with sweet biscuits and baked. Peaches are my favorite fruit for cobbler, and Raspberry-Peach Cobbler showcases them beautifully. Lemon is a nice addition to both the biscuits and the fruit. (This recipe is based on a Peach-Blueberry Cobbler from Martha Stewart Living that is absolutely amazing. There's a whole vanilla bean in the biscuits - need I say more?)

Buckle: Coffee cake-like dessert with fruit stirred into the batter before baking. My dad used to make a blueberry buckle for breakfast on Sundays.

Grunt: An unflattering name for a delicious concept. Cook fruit until it’s soupy, then add sweet dumpling batter and steam until the dumplings are cooked.

Crisp or crumble: Fruit gets a crunchy topping made with flour, brown sugar, butter, and sometimes oats and nuts. Typically these desserts feature a mix of berries, but cherries make a delicious crisp as well (check out my recipe for Cherry-Almond Crisp on The Local Dish). Serve them with vanilla ice cream for a double dose of summer goodness.

My friend Virginia Jasmer, who makes some of the best berry desserts I’ve ever had, often uses cut-up Italian prunes in her crisps. Berry-Plum Crisp provides a list of basic ingredients, but feel free to experiment with different combinations of berries to find your favorite.

Virginia also recommends mixing up a big batch of the topping and freezing it in smaller portions. When you’re in the mood for a quick dessert, you can pull the topping out of the freezer and add it to whatever fruits are on hand.

Frozen fruit will work for all these dishes, so consider freezing fruits now, while they’re at the peak of freshness. Once winter weather sets in and you’re desperate for a taste of summer, you’ll be glad you did.

Raspberry-Peach Cobbler
Makes 8 servings
Filling:
4 c. peaches, peeled and sliced
2 c. raspberries
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
3 T. cornstarch
Zest from 1/2 lemon
Pinch salt
Topping:
2 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
Zest from 1/2 lemon
1/2 c. butter, cut into cubes
1 c. milk

To make filling, place peaches, raspberries and lemon juice in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine sugars, cornstarch, zest and salt. Toss sugar mixture with fruit. Transfer to a 9” x 13” pan.

To make topping, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and zest in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk and stir just until moistened.

Preheat oven to 375. Drop biscuit mixture over the fruit by the spoonful until fruit is mostly covered. Sprinkle dough with additional sugar. Bake for 55 to 70 minutes or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Remove to a wire rack and let cool at least one hour before serving.

Berry-Plum Crisp
Makes about 6 servings
Filling:
1-1/2 c. mixed berries (such as blueberries and blackberries)
1-1/2 c. chopped Italian prunes
1/4 c. sugar
Topping:
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 t. salt
6 T. butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, toss fruit with sugar. Pour fruit into an oven-safe dish.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and salt. Cut in butter with a fork until crumbly. Stir in walnuts.

Sprinkle topping over fruit and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until topping has browned and fruit is bubbly.

Batter Breads Makes Great Loaves Easy

2011-06-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest objections I hear to making bread from scratch is the process of kneading. It does take a fair amount of time and strength if done by hand.

Batter breads are one answer to this problem. They’re yeast breads that replace kneading with aggressive mixing. Most recipes require that you beat the dough for just two minutes in a stand mixer, or 200 strokes of a wooden spoon, to active the yeast. That’s better than 10 minutes of kneading on a bread board.

In experimenting with batter breads I’ve found that they tend to rise faster than traditional yeast breads (which is a bonus in my opinion). What I don’t notice is much difference in taste or texture.

Whole Wheat Batter Bread was the first batter bread recipe I received and remains one of my favorites. It’s one of the few bread recipes I have made entirely with whole wheat flour. Be sure and store it in the refrigerator; it will go bad quickly if you don’t.

Cinnamon Raisin Batter Bread includes vanilla, which makes it different from many other yeast bread recipes I’ve tried. I also added oat bran to give it a fiber boost. Toasted and topped with butter or peanut butter, you’ll want to make it and eat it for breakfast every week. The good news – it’s easy enough that you probably can.

Whole Wheat Batter Bread
Makes 1 loaf
1 package dry yeast
1-3/4 c. warm water (110-120 degrees)
3 c. whole wheat flour
2 t. salt
1/4 c. sugar

Dissolve yeast in water; let sit for five minutes or until foamy.

Combine flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast mixture. If using a stand mixer, beat for 2 minutes at medium speed. If mixing by hand, stir 200 strokes with a wooden spoon. Place dough in a greased 8-1/2” x 4-1/2” bread pan. Using a wooden spoon, press dough into corners of the pan and level top. Cover with wax paper and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove bread from pan and let cool completely. Store loaf in refrigerator.

Cinnamon Raisin Batter Bread
Makes 1 loaf
3/4 c. warm milk (110-120 degrees), divided
2 T. sugar, divided
1 package dry yeast
1 egg
3 T. butter, melted
1/2 t. vanilla
2-1/2 c. bread flour
1 T. oat bran (optional)
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 c. raisins

Place 1/4 c. warm milk in a small bowl. Add yeast and 1 t. sugar and stir to dissolve. Let sit for five minutes or until foamy.

Place remaining milk and sugar, egg, butter, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add flour, oat bran (if using), salt and cinnamon. If using a stand mixer, beat for 2 minutes at medium speed. If mixing by hand, stir 200 strokes with a wooden spoon. Add raisins toward the end of the mixing period.

Place dough in a greased 8½” x 4½” bread pan. Using a wooden spoon, press dough into corners of the pan and level top. Cover with wax paper and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped.

Top Five Egg Dishes

2011-04-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

In 2008 my mom and I became the proud of owners of two chickens, which we raised in our backyard. We spent many wonderful afternoon watching the birds run around the yard, scratching for worms and generally behaving like goofballs. The eggs were amazing - and plentiful, even in the winter. Sadly, those chickens met their eternal reward in the jaws of a raccoon a year and a half later.

After an extended period of mourning, we're finally back to chicken raising. Two weeks ago my mom got six adorable baby chicks (pictured above). There's an Ameraucana, a Buff Orpington, a Rhode Island Red, a Black Australorp, and two Sex Links (their unfortunate name comes from the fact that boys and girls are different colors when they're born). Even though I'm not living there anymore she's letting me participate as a part-time chicken mama.

At some point, six chickens will mean a lot of eggs. Combine that with the fact that Easter is just around the corner, and our little furry 'n' feathered friends got me thinking about ways to use a lot of eggs. Here are five ideas:

Growing up, our favorite egg dish was Chili Cheese Egg Puff, an amazing recipe from a friend of my mom's. It's a perfect breakfast or brunch item and is good served hot or room temperature. To make a full meal out of it, serve it with freshly cooked black beans, salsa and sour cream.

Toto Vo was one of my cooking buddies in Portland. He introduced me to Robert Rodriguez's Breakfast Tacos. Rodriguez directed such epic movies as Sin City and From Dusk till Dawn. One of the "extras" on all his DVDs is a 10-minute cooking lesson. They're hilarious, and he's a really good cook. The cooking school on the Sin City DVD gives instructions for Breakfast Tacos, which are good any time of day. You can check it out on YouTube.

Spanish Tortilla is another great way to use eggs. Quite different from tortilla wraps, this dish consists of fried potatoes and onions cooked with beaten eggs. Super simple and surprisingly delicious. The first time I enjoyed this dish it was prepared by Alex Province, Christopher's brother-in-law, who was previously introduced to you as the Paella Master. My recipe, which I've used several times since, is below. The trickiest thing about it is flipping the tortilla when it's time to cook the other side. It may take you a couple times to get the hang out it. Flipping the tortilla over the sink will catch any egg that might run out of the pan. If you really can't get the hang of it, make your tortilla in a cast iron pan and finish it in the oven.

My newest egg concoction is Double Mustard Strata, which I made for our annual Spring Brunch this year. It has prepared mustard and mustard greens (thus the name), but you could substitute other types of greens (such as spinach) in the recipes. See below for the recipe.

Finally, forget about all these savory dishes. If you really want to impress people, check out Martha Stewart's recipe for Chocolate Pavlova. I don't usually care for meringue, and I'd never liked pavlova - until I tried this one. It will knock your socks off, especially if you're a chocolate lover. Even my sister, who doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, loves this dessert.

Happy egg dying, cooking and hunting! I'm looking forward to the time several months from now when we're hunting freshly laid chicken eggs in the backyard.

Double Mustard Strata
Makes 12 servings
4 slices day-old white bread, cubed
4 slices day-old wheat or rye bread, cubed
1 c. Gruyere cheese, grated, divided
1/2 onion, chopped
2 c. chopped mustard greens
7 eggs
3 c. milk
3 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. salt

Layer bread in bottom of a 9" x 13" dish. Layer with 3/4 c. cheese, onion, greens, and remaining cheese.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, mustard and salt. Pour over bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until browned and bubbly. If desired, turn oven to broil and cook until cheese is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Spanish Tortilla
Makes 6 servings
1 pound potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 T. olive oil
4 eggs

Heat oil in a non-stick or well seasoned cast iron pan over low heat. Add potatoes and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes.

In the meantime, break eggs into a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour eggs over potato mixture. Cook until eggs are mostly set, about 10 minutes.

Place a plate on top of pan and carefully flip tortilla over. Slide tortilla back into pan. Place pan back on heat and cook until egg is set, 2-3 minutes. Place on a clean plate and cut into wedges.

Explore the Amazing World of Indian Food

2011-04-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

My first introduction to Indian food came while I was living in England. “Curry houses,” as the British call them, can be found all over the United Kingdom.

India was a British colony for roughly a century. As a result, many Indians immigrated to the United Kingdom. Today Indian restaurants are as common in Britain as Mexican restaurants in western America.

I knew good Indian food places would be few and far between when I got back home, so I learned as much as I could about Indian cooking while living overseas. It continues to be one of my favorite cuisines to make at home. Indian food is delicious, different, and relatively inexpensive. After you purchase your cut of meat, the remaining ingredients (such as spices, lentils, yogurt, and vegetables like potatoes, onions and tomatoes) are quite affordable.

Understanding Indian food is largely about understanding the spices involved in cooking it. Garam masala and curry powder are among the most common ingredients in Indian recipes. Both are spice blends whose contents vary by region. Black pepper, cumin, coriander (cilantro seeds), and cinnamon are common ingredients in garam masala. Curry powder almost always features turmeric, a bright yellow spice that will stain your clothes and kitchen towels.

Recipes frequently call for whole (not ground) spices as well. Cumin and coriander seeds are commonly used. So is whole cardamom in its green or black pods. The crunchy yellow or black seeds that have a starring role in many recipes are mustard seeds. In some cases the recipe may direct you to lightly fry the seeds in oil first to bring out their taste and aroma.

Saffron, the world’s most expensive spice, makes an appearance in many Indian dishes. Saffron comes from a particular breed of crocus and is native to southeast Asia. It imparts a unique, almost bitter flavor.

A good starting point for Indian food newbies is Chicken Korma. The creamy dish is easy to make and has a mild flavor. The recipe calls for Greek-style yogurt, which you can easily make yourself if you can’t find it at the store. Line a strainer with cheesecloth or a clean linen napkin. Place the strainer in a small bowl. Add the plain yogurt, then cover it and set the strainer and bowl in the refrigerator for a few hours. Some of the moisture will drain off, leaving you with a thicker yogurt that will work well in this dish.

Pilau Rice, an Indian-style rice pilaf, will add a special touch to many of your Indian food creations. You can substitute white or basmati rice as a side dish.

If this meal piques your interest, keep exploring! There is a wide world of tandoori, rogan josh, tikka masala, naan, aloo gobi, and other dishes that awaits you.

Chicken Korma
Makes 4 servings
3 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 T. butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 t. garlic, minced
2 t. garam masala
1/4 c. cream
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. plain Greek-style yogurt
2 T. ground almonds
4-5 saffron strands
Cooked rice

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in butter. Add onion and sauté until onion begins to soften. Add garlic and garam masala and cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add cream, milk, yogurt and almonds. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add saffron near the end of cooking time. Serve over rice.

Pilau Rice
Makes 4 servings
2-1/2 c. chicken stock
4-5 saffron strands
2 T. butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
4 green cardamom pods
1-1/4 c. jasmine rice

Heat chicken stock in a small saucepan. Add saffron and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and spices and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.

Add rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until rice grains are thoroughly coated in butter. Add hot stock and bring to a boil. Stir once, cover, and turn heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaves before serving.

Herb Garden Spreads Culinary Joy

2011-03-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

Every time we’ve had a sunny day recently I’ve started dreaming about getting into my yard and planting vegetables. Then it rains, and my enthusiasm fizzles a little.

If spring’s unpredictable weather has you in a funk, start your gardening season by planting a container herb garden. Fresh herbs will add a delicious dimension to your cooking. They bring lots of flavor to dishes without adding salt. Raising your own herb patch is also a great way to save money. Herbs can be expensive this time of year, and you often have to buy them in large bunches even if you only need a couple teaspoons.

Many herbs grow well in pots or other containers. You can grow some warm weather herbs, like basil and cilantro, in the house if you have a sunny window. Herbs are beautiful mixed into a flower bed if you happen to have one. Some of them, like chives and oregano, produce flowers once the weather starts to warm up.

Parsley, thyme, oregano, chives, sage and rosemary are fairly hardy and can survive most Oregon winters. If you want to grow mint I would definitely advise growing it in a pot. Mint grows on runners and can quickly take over the yard. Most garden stores sell herb starts that you can take home, plunk in a pot, and start harvesting from (sparingly) right away. Make sure the pot and soil have good drainage, and water your plants regularly.

Lamb Stew has plenty of yummy herbs and is a great way to use a meat that’s often associated with spring. It tastes best after the flavors have time to blend, so I usually make it the day before I want to serve it. If you’re looking for something different for Easter dinner, Lamb Stew is a great choice.

Lemon-Herb Chicken is fast and easy to make. You can use whatever herbs you have on hand and it will still taste delicious.

Dried herbs work in these recipes too. Use one-third the amount of fresh herbs called for, as dried herbs have a stronger flavor. (For example, if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, substitute 1 teaspoon of dried herbs.)

However, I’d suggest using fresh herbs whenever possible. It’s hard enough to find fresh food this time of year. Herbs are an easy way to capture the taste of spring without much effort or cost.

Lamb Stew
Makes 4 servings
1-1/2 lbs. lamb, cut into cubes
2 T. butter, divided
3 onions, quartered
3 carrots, thickly sliced
4 small red potatoes, quartered
2 c. beef stock
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 T. flour
2 t. parsley, chopped
2 t. chives, chopped
1 t. thyme, chopped

Melt 1 T. butter in a large oven-proof kettle with lid. Saute meat over medium heat until brown; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Saute carrots and onions in drippings until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add lamb, potatoes, stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Remove from stove, cover and place in oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Remove meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon; set aside. Pour pan juices into a separate bowl. Add remaining 1 T. butter to pan and melt over medium heat. Add flour and stir until smooth. Whisk in pan juices. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Return meat and vegetables to pan. Add herbs and heat through.

Lemon-Herb Chicken with Angel Hair
Makes 2 servings
1/4 lb. angel hair pasta
1 T. butter
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. minced mixed herbs (such as oregano, sage, thyme and rosemary)
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In the meantime, heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, herbs, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes. Serve chicken over cooked pasta; sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Cacao Tree Inspires Chocolate Desserts

2011-03-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

Christopher and I recently traveled to Kauai, the western-most Hawaiian island. We enjoyed some good food on our trip, including Kalua pork nachos, fresh pineapple, and a pie made with macadamia nut ice cream. However, my best foodie discovery turned out to be something I saw rather than something I ate.

One of our outings was a visit to the McBryde Garden, a tropical botanical garden. They have a variety of culinary plants including allspice and pepper trees, vanilla bean vines, ginger and turmeric roots, and – best of all – Theobroma cacao, the tree that produces chocolate.

Chocolate starts its life in a purple oblong pod. The pods produce seeds that are dried, roasted, and broken open to reveal the cocoa nibs, the real source of chocolate. The nibs are ground to produce cocoa butter and a dark brown liquid called chocolate liquor. The liquor can be left as-is and sold as unsweetened baking chocolate. Manufacturers add sugar and cocoa butter to produce bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate. The addition of milk (either powdered or condensed) produces milk chocolate. Cocoa butter without the liquor makes white chocolate. Liquor with most of the fat and liquid removed is ground into baking cocoa.

Winter comes even in Kauai, so most of the culinary plants weren’t producing anything. The cacao tree, on the other hand, had dozens of purple pods hanging from it. That beautiful tree was the inspiration for this column, and I’m delighted to share a couple of my favorite chocolate recipes with you.

The first is Chocolate-Glazed Chocolate Tart. This recipe from Gourmet Magazine is the best chocolate dessert I've had in a long time. Thanks to my friend Shannon for bringing it to a party and passing on the recipe. The tart is super rich, so plan to cut it into very small slices.

You won’t believe something as amazing as Honey-Almond Truffles can have only three ingredients. A friend in Portland brought these to a Christmas party one year and I immediately asked for the recipe.

Another of my favorite chocolate desserts is Turtle Brownie Sundaes. It’s hard to beat chewy brownies topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel ice cream topping and pecans. After eating a macadamia nut turtle on Kauai I’m convinced you could substitute macadamia nuts for the pecans in this recipe with delicious – and tropical – results.

Honey-Almond Truffles
1 c. roasted unsalted almonds
¼ c. honey
1 c. bittersweet chocolate

Finely grind almonds. Pour into a bowl; mix in honey to make a paste (if honey is too thick, warm slightly to liquefy). Cover bowl and chill for one hour.

Shape mixture into balls no more than 1” in diameter. Set on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and chill in freezer for 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave. Dip balls in chocolate until completely coated. Drizzle any remaining chocolate decoratively over the top. Chill one hour before serving. Store in refrigerator.

Turtle Brownie Sundaes
Makes 18 servings
1¼ c. flour
1¼ c. sugar
½ c. baking cocoa
1 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
4 eggs
¾ c. butter
2 c. toasted pecans, divided
Caramel ice cream topping
Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9” x 13” pan and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking cocoa, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl combine eggs and butter. Stir into flour mixture. Fold in pecans. Pour batter into prepared pan. Drizzle about 1/3 c. caramel ice cream topping over top of batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack and let cool completely.

Cut brownies into 2” x 3” rectangles. Place each on a plate and top with a scoop of ice cream, some caramel ice cream topping and about 1 T. pecans.

Paprika Stars in Comfort Foods

2011-01-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

Paprika is one of those under-appreciated spices. Though often relegated to accenting deviled eggs and potato salad (and helping flamingos at the zoo keep their pink color), it has lots of great uses as a flavoring.

Paprika is made by drying and grinding red peppers. Some versions include the seeds from the pepper, which gives the spice more heat. Flavors range from sweet to very spicy. Specialty grocery stores may also carry smoked paprika, which is made from peppers that are smoked before they are ground. This type of paprika is particularly popular in Spanish cooking.

Although paprika originated in Mexico, it’s perhaps best known for its use in Hungarian cuisine. The powder was first introduced in Hungary as early as the 16th century. Today it’s used in many soups, stews, and meat dishes.

This warming spice is great for winter dishes in part because it’s used in such great comfort foods. Take, for example, Hungarian Mushroom Soup. This rich concoction includes milk and sour cream, plus a generous helping of paprika. It’s usually made with vegetable broth but I think the beef stock gives it a deeper flavor. It also adds plenty of salt, which is why this recipe doesn’t call for any. If you use vegetable stock you’ll likely need to add some salt.

Chicken Paprikash is another Hungarian-inspired dish. This recipe also calls for plenty of sour cream and paprika. If you want to do something different and delicious serve it over spaetzle, a Hungarian dumpling that’s similar to a noodle.

A couple tips for using paprika: it must be heated to activate its flavor, so don’t expect a burst of spiciness when you use it without cooking it first. Also, make sure you don’t confuse it with cayenne pepper. I once used a teaspoon of cayenne in place of some of the paprika in the paprikash recipe. It’s good to eat warm foods when it’s cold outside, but that was a little over the top.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Makes 4 servings
2 T. butter
2 c. white and/or crimini mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
2 c. beef stock
3 T. flour
1 c. milk
1 T. paprika
1 T. soy sauce
1/4 t. ground pepper
1 t. sherry or lemon juice
1/2 c. sour cream

Melt butter in a large frying pan. Add mushrooms and onions and cook until soft, 5-7 minutes. Set aside.

Pour stock into frying pan. Slowly whisk in flour. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened and beginning to reduce, about 5 minutes.

Add mushroom mixture, milk, paprika, soy sauce, and pepper. Return to a boil then lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until thick. Stir in sherry or lemon juice. Add sour cream and heat through (do not boil).

Chicken Paprikash
Makes 8 servings
3 T. flour
2 lbs. chicken, cubed
1 T. oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
6 mushrooms, sliced
1-1/4 c. chicken stock
2 T. paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 c. sour cream
Cooked egg noodles

Toss chicken in flour. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Brown chicken in oil, about 4 minutes. Add onion, red pepper, green pepper, garlic, celery and mushrooms and cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken stock, paprika, pepper, salt and pepper (make sure stock mostly covers chicken; if it doesn’t, add a little water). Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and let simmer for one hour or until chicken is very tender.

Add sour cream and heat through (do not boil). Serve over cooked egg noodles.

My Top 5 Cookbooks

2010-12-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

Cookbooks make fantastic holiday gifts. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving!

Yet choosing a cookbook from the multitude available in the bookstore can feel like a daunting task. Here are five of the cookbooks I use most often or plan to add to my Christmas list:

First, the staple: the Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker (Scribner, $35.00). But here’s an interesting twist: instead of buying the newest version, which was released in 2006, visit your nearest thrift store and pick up a copy from the 1970s or earlier. In the older cookbooks you’ll find the occasional gem of a recipe or tip, such as how to trap, butcher and prepare a possum or a beaver. Plus, having used both books, I like the recipes from the older version better.

The baker in your life needs Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Bread by Bernard Clayton (Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, $22.00). This may be the greatest and most frequently used cookbook in my collection. Clayton has an engaging writing style and an incredible knowledge of baking. The book containers recipes for every type of bread you can imagine – yeast breads, sourdough breads, quick breads and muffins, breads from holiday traditions around the world, even a recipe for homemade hamburger buns. Recipes advise you on how to make most loaves by hand, in a mixer, or in a food processor, and offers great advice for the novice and the experienced baker.

Do you know someone who refuses to follow recipes? Do you ever find yourself staring at an avocado and thinking, “What can I do with this thing besides make guacamole?” The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg (Little, Brown, $35.00) may be just what you need. Instead of providing recipes, it provides charts for hundreds of meats, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Each chart tells you what foods pair best with tha ingredient, what season the food is available, its taste (sweet, sour, etc.), and the best cooking technique. That avocado, for example, will pair well with citrus and bitter greens (particularly frisee and Belgium endive), and kosher or sea salt will best bring out the flavor.

Vegetarians will love The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen (Ten Speed Press, $19.99). The Moosewood Cookbook originally came out in 1978, when vegetarianism was fairly rare. It is one of the 10 best-selling cookbooks of all time, according to the New York Times, and is in the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Hall of Fame. The cookbook contains delicious recipes like homemade Falafel, Hungarian Mushroom Soup, and Zuccanoes (Stuffed Zucchini). Even meat-eaters will be willing to dig into most of these dishes.

To be honest, most of my favorite recipes don’t come from cookbooks. They come from cooking magazines. For years I’ve subscribed to Taste of Home magazine and its sister publication, Healthy Cooking. Each magazine has a beautiful pictures as well as seasonal ideas for cooking and decorating, healthy living tips, and stories from other cooks around the country. The Taste of Home family also includes a magazine called Simple & Delicious for people who enjoy cooking with convenience foods. Subscription information is available online, or pick up a copy of one of the magazines in the grocery store. When giving a magazine subscription as a gift I enjoy buying the most recent copy and wrapping it with a note telling the person they will get a new gift from me every other month of the year.

Two Families' Secret Holiday Recipes

2010-11-29T22:20:00.000-08:00

At the age of 95 my grandma Stella finally “retired” from the role as Thanksgiving dinner cook. Given my near-obsession with cooking, I immediately volunteered to take on the job. The only part that worried me was trying to duplicate one of my grandmother’s most cherished recipes: feather-light Ice Box Rolls that only appeared on the table at holidays.

Everyone in my family had tried to make rolls as good as my grandmother’s. They never succeeded. I knew Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without them. I had eaten those rolls every Thanksgiving and Christmas my entire life. Was I really up for the challenge?

Most families have a sacred recipe that makes its way to the table holiday after holiday. Funny enough, in my husband’s family it was also a recipe for rolls. Grandma Lucy’s Rohliky (the Czech word for “rolls”) were the thing everyone looked forward to at Thanksgiving dinner. The recipe comes via Bohemia, now a region of the Czech Republic, the area from which grandma Lucy’s family hailed.

Turns out my first batch of Ice Box Rolls were just as good as my grandmother’s. I’m convinced it’s because she stood next to me and walked me through each step. Each subsequent batch has been almost, but not quite, up to par.

Someday I’ll work up the nerve to make Rohliky and see if my husband can tell the difference. Unfortunately Grandma Lucy passed away in 2005 and isn’t here to help teach me. If you have a family member who makes a world-class recipe, ask if you can help them prepare it this holiday season. When you’re trying to preserve that special tradition there’s nothing like learning from the master.

Ice Box Rolls
Makes about 24 rolls
1 c. mashed potatoes
2/3 c. shortening
2/3 c. sugar
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1 t. salt
1 yeast cake (or one package yeast)
3 c. plus extra flour
2 T. butter, melted

Place shortening, potatoes, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Scald milk; add and stir well. Let mixture cool to lukewarm, then add eggs and salt. Crumble yeast in your hand and stir into milk mixture. Stir in only enough flour to make mixture the consistency of pancake batter (about 1 cup). Cover with plastic and let rise in the refrigerator until doubled, 1-2 hours.

Stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Cover, place bowl back in refrigerator, and let rise overnight (checking once and punching down if necessary to keep dough from flowing out of pan).

Shape as desired. To make Parker House rolls: On a lightly floured board, roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut out with a biscuit cutter. Brush both sides of roll in butter. Using a knife, make a small crease in the center, then fold so one side is slightly off-set from the other. Place rolls in ungreased 13” x 9” pan. Cover with a towel and let rise at room temperature for about four hours.

Cook at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Rohliky
Makes 25 rolls
3 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1/4 c. shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 c. warm milk
1 envelope yeast, dissolved in 2 T. warm water and ¼ t. sugar
For topping:
1 egg, beaten
1 T. water
Poppy seeds or sesame seeds

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add shortening and mix well. Add egg, milk and yeast and stir to combine. Dough will be a little sticky.

Grease bowl, then return dough. Cover bowl with a towel and put in a warm place. Let rise until doubled. Punch down and let rise again.

Tear off a chunk of dough big enough to fit in your palm. Roll between your hands into a rope as big around as a nickel and about six inches long. Tie in a loose knot. Place on a greased baking sheet; curve ends slightly.

Combine egg and water; brush over top of each roll. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Cover with a towel and let rise again. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

A Lesson in Cooking Oils

2010-11-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

I try to keep up on current health trends and consider myself relatively knowledgeable about food. So when a lengthy article claiming that canola oil was bad for you appeared on my Twitter feed I was shocked. Canola oil was supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread, the heart-healthy oil. And now I hear it can cause diseases?

The next blow came when my sister informed me olive oil has carcinogenic properties when you cook it. All the cooks I admire use olive oil. Lots of it, in some cases. Could it really be true?

In my despair I called my friend Yaakov Levine. Yaakov is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner with offices in Creswell and Eugene and a columnist for the Creswell Chronicle (see copies of his past columns here). Surely he could offer an answer to my oil dilemma.

He did, although he didn’t have quite the answers I was looking for. Canola oil is, in fact, not the healthy alternative it’s touted to be. “Some people call [canola oil] ‘Franken-oil’,” he said. It’s made from genetically modified seeds and must be highly processed before it goes to market, which strips out most of the benefits. (Here is a copy of the original article on NaturalNews.com that tipped me off about canola oil).

And “The World’s Healthiest Foods” by George Mateljan, my favorite food reference book, states that heating olive oil at high temperatures can cause the “formation of unwanted aromatic substances . . . in the oil that can increase our risk of chronic health problems including cancer.”

So what’s a cook to do? “We all need fat in our diet,” Yaakov was quick to point out. Fat gives our cells structure and our bodies energy. There are essential fats that we need that our bodies can’t produce, so we need to find them elsewhere.

The key is choosing the right fat. Yaakov is a proponent of coconut oil. It’s easy to digest, provides plenty of energy, and has a nice flavor. Added bonus in the winter – it has anti-bacterial properties that help prevent colds and flus. Try it when cooking vegetables, in a smoothie, or in Gooey Balls, a dessert recipe provided by Yaakov.

Butter and lard are Yaakov’s other fats of choice. Skip the brick of lard at the grocery store, which is likely to have trans fats. Visit your local butcher instead and see if he or she has a source for something produced locally.
High-oleic sunflower oil is an option in recipes where you don’t want the taste of the oil to be overpowering – for example, Red Onion Salad Dressing, a staple around my house. (A high-oleic oil is one that is high in monounsaturated acid, a “good” fat.) High-oleic safflower oil can be used on the rare occasion when you must deep-fry something.

Eaten at room temperature, or even used for light frying, olive oil is still a good choice.

“What leads me down the road toward more traditional fats is that we have problems with diseases now that we didn’t use to have,” Yaakov says. 100 years ago “they weren’t eating so many plant and seed fats like we are now.” Heart disease is now the leading cause of death for Americans, and poor diet is part of the reason for that.

Whatever type of oil you use, store it in a dark colored bottle and out of direct light. Oil turns rancid quite easily.

All fats should still be used sparingly. Here’s one last tip on lowering your consumption of heated oils: the next time a recipe directs you to brown meat in oil, use a little bit of high-quality stock instead. It will add extra flavor and keep the meat from sticking to the pan. Freeze stock in ice cube trays and store the cubes in plastic bags so you always have some handy.

Gooey Balls
1 c. coconut oil
2 c. shredded coconut
1 c. sesame seeds
6 dates, finely chopped
Pinch high mineral sea salt
Vanilla or orange extract to taste

Melt coconut oil gently (it melts at 76 degrees). Stir in remaining ingredients. Form into balls, place on a baking sheet, and chill.
(Note: For a less sweet option, replace the dates with a grated apple and a drizzle of lemon juice.)

Red Onion Salad Dressing
1/2 c. champagne or apple cider vinegar
1/4 red onion
2 T. honey
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. salt
1/2 c. high-oleic sunflower oil

Place vinegar, onion, honey, mustard and salt in a blender. Blend until well combined. With blender on, add oil in a slow, steady stream until well combined.

Top Five Winter Squash Recipes

2010-11-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

Forgive me for having a total foodie moment, but I had the most amazing squash experience the other day.

I should start by saying that I don't really like squash. I've come to enjoy butternut in some things, and I'll eat a slice of pumpkin pie if it has enough whipped cream on it. But most of the time, everything about it grosses me out.

But since I make pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving every year, I wanted to try cooking and freezing a Hubbard squash. My cousin always used flesh from the blue gourd in pies and got rave results.

I picked up a squash at the farmers' market one Saturday. I quartered it, scooped out the seeds (which were excellent roasted in the oven with some butter, seasoning salt and minced garlic, by the way, but that's another story), and roasted it in the oven. When it finally came out of the oven the flesh was dark, wrinkly and stringy-looking. It didn't exactly scream "perfect holiday dessert." As soon as it cooled I scooped the soft flesh into a bowl and let it chill in the fridge for a couple days while I tried to figure out what to do with it.

Eventually inspiration struck. I could put the squash through a food mill. That would catch the stringy, icky parts and keep them separate from the squash I could actually use.

I set to work with my mom's old food mill, a cone-shaped strainer with a wooden paddle. Soon bright orange squash starting coming out the tiny holes in the mill. I scraped it down into the bowl before setting to work on the next chunk of squash.

All the squash, even the parts that looked inedible, were smooth as custard by the time I was done. The more I handled the squash with my (very clean) hands, the more I marveled at the incredible texture of it. I'd never seen squash so smooth - except in those cans of pumpkin pie filling. Who know you could produce something so lovely at home?

Alas, I ran out of squash way too quickly. I scooped two-cup portions into freezer bags and packed them away. My squash weighed less than 10 pounds and yielded nearly six cups of can-perfect pie filling.

I have yet to actually try the squash, but I'm hoping it will continue to change my opinion about this vitamin-packed veggie. After Thanksgiving I'll post an update on how I do!

Which brings me to... a squash skeptic's five favorite ways to use winter squash:

1) Pumpkin Pie: This recipe from Martha Stewart Living includes chipotle chili powder, which makes an already-amazing pie recipe even better.

2) Apple-Cheddar-Squash Soup: from The Food Network. Sure, it has squash, but it also has good things too, like apples and cheese and potatoes. Smoked gouda is good in place of the cheddar too.

3) Winter Squash Risotto with Prosciutto, Hazelnuts and Sage: Originally from the Oregonian's FOODday section, one of the my favorite recipe resources. Don't scrimp on the hazelnuts. They really add a lot.

4) & 5) I admit I haven't tried these two recipes, but they come highly recommended by my friend who works at FOOD for Lane County. I'm sure they're good... if you like eating squash. Me, I may stick with mostly playing with it.

Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup
1 butternut squash
2 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 T. fresh ginger root, minced
6 c. water or stock
2 t. salt
Apple cider vinegar
Crème fraîche or sour cream
Toasted hazelnuts, chopped
Cut squash in half lengthwise and place on a rimmed baking sheet, cut side down, with water in the pan. Cook at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the squash is soft. Scoop out the seeds and set aside (seeds can be roasted later if desired). Scoop out the flesh and place in a bowl.

Heat butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger root and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the cooked squash, water or stock, and salt; bring to a simmer. Cook until the squash is tender enough to smash with a spoon, about 30 minutes.

Puree the soup with an immersion or upright blender. Ladle the soup through a strainer into a clean soup pot, discarding any bits of squash or ginger left behind.
Heat the soup through once more and season to taste, adding salt first and then the vinegar. Add the vinegar one-half teaspoon at a time; it will take a little more than 1 tablespoon.

To serve, ladle the soup into wide bowls and spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of crème fraîche onto each. Scatter a few toasted hazelnuts over the soup and serve immediately.

Stuffed Acorn Squash
1 acorn squash
2 c. chopped apples
1 c. roasted walnuts
1 T. maple syrup
2 T. melted butter
½ t. salt
Slice squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and place face down on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook at 375 degrees until squash is just tender, 25-40 minutes.
Combine remaining ingredients. Scoop filling into the center cavity and bake squash face up for another 10-15 minutes or until tender.

Tea Parties a Great Way to Entertain

2010-10-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

In 2004 I took a temporary work assignment in England. I’d always imagined the British drinking a lot of tea, and it didn’t take me long to figure out why. I worked in an unheated warehouse throughout the winter, and guzzling hot beverages was about the only way of keeping warm.

Upon my return to the United States, with its heated buildings and obsession with fancy coffee drinks, my tea addiction fell out of habit. But the experience piqued my interest in tea and tea parties, and I still find this to be a terrific party theme.

If you want to host your own tea party, do what you can to personalize it to your guests’ interests. A teddy bear or Mad Hatter theme is fun for kids, while a garden or apron party may be better for adults.

Pay close attention to how you brew your tea. Black tea leaves should be placed in the cup or pot before boiling water is poured over the top. Green teas and white teas shouldn’t be brewed in boiling water or they can develop a bitter taste. Remove the water from its heat source before it reaches boiling, or let it cool a little before you steep the leaves. No matter what kind of tea you use, loose tea will provide more flavor than bagged tea, since the water can swirl all the way around the leaves.

Many traditional teas offer both savory and sweet snacks. Although they’re certainly not required, scones will make your guests think of jolly old England.

St. Patrick’s Day Scones are fairly traditional, although the dried fruit is an unusual touch. Leave the dried fruit out if you want to offer your guests jam and whipped cream for their scones, or substitute raisins or currants. Cranberry-Cornmeal Scones, on the other hand, are just different enough to leave your friends talking.

St. Patrick’s Day Scones
Makes 9 servings
2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
One pinch cinnamon
1/2 c. butter, cut into cubes
1/2 c. plus 1 T. milk, divided
2 eggs, divided
1/3 c. dried, chopped mixed fruit

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a fork or your fingers until mixture is crumbly. Add 1/2 c. milk and 1 egg and stir just until ingredients are combined. Add dried fruit and stir gently to combine.

Drop dough by 1/3 cup at a time onto ungreased baking sheet. Beat together remaining 1 T. milk and egg; brush over top of each scone. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Cranberry-Cornmeal Scones
Makes 8 servings
1-1/2 c. cornmeal
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. butter, cut into cubes
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a baking sheet; set aside.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a fork or your fingers until mixture is crumbly. Add milk and stir just until ingredients are combined.

Turn onto a floured cutting board. Sprinkle with cranberries and knead to combine. Transfer to baking sheet and shape into a circle approximately 7 inches in diameter. Cut into eight wedges and separate, leaving about one inch between wedges. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until scones spring back lightly when touched. Cool on a wire rack.

Slow Cooker Makes Dinner a Breeze

2010-09-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the air. I hate to admit it, but I can feel it every morning when I open the front door. While I’m always sad to think about the lazy days of summer coming to an end, I do look forward to the warm, hearty meals that make their way back into my regular rotation.

With the kids going back to school and regular meetings starting back up, it can be tough to get dinner on the table fast. Once a week I usually put something in the slow cooker. It takes a little advanced planning the night before or in the morning, but it’s worth it to have a meal ready when I get home from work or on a busy weekend.

Slow cookers have been around since the 1960s. They use a heating element in the bottom to cook foods slowly and safely. They’re handy in the summer and early fall, since they won’t heat up the kitchen like the oven. They also use less energy than the oven, which is a plus for the budget conscious. Slow cookers can be used for anything from soups and stews to desserts such as cobblers and bread pudding.

Tough cuts of meat are great for slow cookers because they respond well to slow, lower temperature cooking. The next time you find pot roast on sale at the grocery store, buy it, cut it into cubes, and make Burgundy Beef. This was my mother’s go-to slow cooker recipe. The combination of soup and wine cooks into a rich gravy that’s delicious over brown rice or egg noodles.

Slow Cooker Ribs is another one of my go-to recipes. They’re cooked with a homemade barbeque sauce and a heap of onions, which get so soft they’ll melt in your mouth.

Most slow cooker recipes, including Bugundy Beef, do best if they’re cooked no longer than five or six hours. Left too long, the meat gets dry and the sauce overcooks. These recipes are best reserved for weekends or when you can run home on your lunch break. Slow Cooker Ribs, on the other hand, can be cooked for up to nine hours.

Burgundy Beef
Makes 8 servings
2-3 lbs. beef stew meat
2-3 t. oil
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 c. red wine
Cooked brown rice or egg noodles

Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown stew meat on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker.

Combine soup mix, soups, and wine. Fill one soup can with water; add to mixture. Stir well to combine, then pour over beef. Cook on low setting for 5-6 hours. Serve over cooked brown rice or egg noodles.

Slow Cooker Ribs
Makes 4 servings
1 T. oil
2 lbs. country style pork ribs
2 onions, sliced
1 c. ketchup
1 c. water
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. cider vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. ground mustard
1 t. salt
1 t. paprika

Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown ribs on all sides. Place half the ribs in slow cooker. Top with half the onions. Repeat layers. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over ribs. Cook on low setting for 8-9 hours.

Blackberries Make Show-Stopping Desserts

2010-08-31T20:11:00.000-07:00

Rubus armeniacus may be the bane of gardeners everywhere, but they’re a guilty pleasure for cooks. Also known as the Armenian or Himalayan Blackberry, these vicious vines have a habit of taking over flower beds and roadside right-of-ways if left to their own devices.

That’s bad news for native plants everywhere (including Rubus ursinus, the non-invasive blackberry that grows well in Oregon) but good news for people looking to pick free blackberries in the summertime.

Blackberries grow along the bike path where I ride almost daily, and all year I look forward to August, when their sweet smell fills the air on warm afternoons. Most days I stop on my way home from work to pick a few and enjoy them in their simplest form.

Blackberries make spectacular cooked desserts. My dear friend Rebecca Larson likes to make Blackberry Pie and offered to share her recipe for this column. However, when pressed, this was her version:

“Take as many blackberries as you can con your family or your co-workers into picking (Rebecca usually gets her blackberries in the back lot at St. Vincent de Paul in Eugene, where she works). Tell them to pick the berries into a colander so you can rinse them without transferring them into another bowl. Toss them with some flour (not too much, so you get lots of juice), about a cup of sugar (depending on how sweet they are) and around a tablespoon of orange zest. You don’t really taste the orange but it gives the berries a really rich flavor. Put them in a pie crust and dot with butter. Put a second crust on top and sprinkle with more sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake until the crust is golden brown (about 40 minutes).

“And if your oven starts smoking before you bake the pie, it’s time to clean it. Oh well, too late!”

This freedom to experiment will surely delight experienced cooks. For those of you (like me) who prefer to cook from a recipe, try Blackberry Cobbler. This is my family’s favorite way to enjoy blackberries. It’s best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

For a real treat you can substitute marionberries, also known as the Marion blackberry, in either of these recipes. Marionberries were developed at Oregon State University and are named after Marion County, where they were most heavily tested. They’re grown exclusively in Oregon and are renowned for their big size and rich taste. I freeze several cups every year so I can make berry pies at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Whether you enjoy them now or later, plain or in baked goods, blackberries are a real show-stopper. Enjoy them while you can.

Blackberry Cobbler
Makes 6 to 8 servings
4 T. butter
1 c. sugar, divided
1 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. milk
4 c. blackberries
1 c. apple juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. In a small bowl mix together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and 1/2 c. sugar. Stir in flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Pour the batter into prepared dish. Top with blackberries; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. sugar.

In a small saucepan, heat apple juice until boiling. Pour over blackberries. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle has only a few moist crumbs.

Cool Off With Cool Summer Treats

2010-08-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

Ice cream is my favorite food, and there’s no better time to enjoy it than summer. Whether it’s vanilla topped with fresh berries, or something packed with chocolate on a cone, there are lots of ways to enjoy this cool treat.

It seems like there are more choices than ever in the ice cream shop freezers. Here’s a quick guide to understanding different types of frozen desserts:

• Ice cream: Frozen dessert made with cream, egg yolks, sugar, and extras like nuts, berries or candy.
• Frozen yogurt: Made with yogurt instead of cream, making it lower in fat than many ice creams.
• Sorbet: Frozen dessert made with water and juice instead of milk. Typically flavored with fruit and/or herbs. You can make it without an ice cream maker, although the texture will be different.
• Sherbet: Confection that uses less milk than ice cream and is typically flavored with fruit juice.
• Gelato: Italian ice cream that replaces some or all of the cream with milk. Good gelato is richer and creamier than regular ice cream.

As long as you have an ice cream maker, it’s fairly easy to whip up a batch of your favorite treat at home. Orange-Lemon Gelato is sure to please and is a little different from regular ice cream.

Chocolate Ice Cream Roll is a family favorite. For years my grandmother made it for me instead of a regular birthday cake. She would even frost the top and put a couple birthday candles in it. For Christmas she would substitute peppermint ice cream for the vanilla.

These cool finishes to your meal should leave you refreshed even on the warmest summer evenings.

Orange-Lemon Gelato
Makes 8 servings
5 egg yolks
¼ c. sugar
2 c. 2% milk
4 strips orange peel
4 strips lemon peel
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar; set aside.
Scald milk, orange peel, and lemon peel in a saucepan with a heavy bottom. Slowly whisk half the hot milk mixture into egg yolks, then return egg yolk mixture to pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Remove peel and place milk mixture in refrigerator.
When mixture is cool, freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.

Chocolate Ice Cream Roll
Makes 10-12 servings
3/4 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
4 T. cocoa
1 T. lemon juice
5 eggs, separated
1 c. sugar
1 quart vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15” x 1” jelly roll pan with wax paper. Lay a clean dish towel (at least as large as jelly roll pan) on counter.
In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until they hold stiff peaks, adding sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and cocoa.

In a cleaning mixing bowl, beat egg yolks with lemon juice until they hold soft peaks. Add dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. Fold in egg whites. Pour batter into jelly roll pan and bake for 15 minutes. Immediately invert cake on dish towel. Remove wax paper and roll up cake. Leave until cake has completed cooled.

When cake has almost cooled, set ice cream on counter to soften. Unroll cake and spread with ice cream. Re-roll cake. Wrap in double thickness of aluminum foil and freeze at least four hours. To serve, unwrap cake and slice with a sharp knife.

Cooking with Flowers

2010-08-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

Strolling through the Farmers’ Market the other day, a bag of salad greens with spots of red and yellow popped out at me. Exotic lettuce? Actually, nasturtiums, edible flowers that have an intense peppery bite. They’re delicious in salads and add a gorgeous touch to the dinner table.

A surprising number of flowers are edible. A publication from the Colorado State University Extension Service lists over 20 common flowers that can be eaten, including nasturtiums, lavender, pansies and scented geraniums. Hibiscus syrup and rose water can be used in everything from meat dishes to desserts. Many herb flowers, such as chives and thyme, also make nice garnishes for salads.

If you’re thinking about including edible flowers in your next meal, seek out blooms that are organic or have not been sprayed with pesticides. If possible, pick the flowers right before you use them. Most can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple hours.

Research your bloom of choice before you use it. On some flowers, only certain parts (usually the petals) are edible. You may need to remove the pistils, sepals and/or stamens, which can be bitter, before eating.

Most important, if you’re in doubt about whether a flower is really edible, don’t eat it.

Stuffed with an herbed ricotta cheese mixture and dipped in tempura batter, Fried Squash Blossoms are delicious and fun. The tempura recipe calls for club soda, which makes the batter lighter. This recipe is based on one from the University of Illinois Extension Service website, which also has great advice about choosing and picking squash blossoms from your own yard.

Lavender brings a soft floral taste and fragrance to baked goods. Honey Lavender Cornbread is a nice way to showcase it. The bread, which doesn’t skimp on the honey, is more dessert than side dish. Crush the lavender blossoms with your fingers before mixing them into the batter to make them less intense.

Many dishes with edible flowers are pretty enough that you won’t need a separate centerpiece. Just put your salad, squash blossoms or whatever else in the middle of the table so everyone can enjoy the flowers before they dig in.

Fried Squash Blossoms
Makes 16 servings
16 squash blossoms
1/4 c. ricotta cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 T. fresh herbs (such as basil, thyme or parsley), minced
2 c. rice flour
1/2 t. salt
2 c. cold club soda
Canola oil for frying

In a small bowl, combine cheese, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs. Spoon about ½ teaspoon of mixture into center of each blossom. Twist top of each blossom together to seal. Put stuffed blossoms on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Mix flour and salt in a large shallow bowl. Add club soda and gently stir.
Heat 1/2” of canola oil in a skillet to 350 degrees. Dip blossoms in tempura batter, then carefully fry on each side in oil until golden brown, 1-2 minutes per side. Do not crowd the pan, and keep oil as close to 350 degrees as possible. Remove blossoms with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve warm.

Honey Lavender Cornbread
Makes 10-12 servings
1/3 c. butter, softened
1/3 c. honey
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 t. lavender flowers
1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. cornmeal
1 T. baking powder
1 t. coarse salt
1 c. milk
2 t. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8-1/2” x 4-1/2” loaf pan; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and honey. Beat in eggs, vanilla and lavender flowers. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle sugar over the top. Cook for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and place on a wire rack. Let bread cool completely before slicing.

Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance Facts and Recipes

2010-07-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

Two days after the Thanksgiving of 2004, Springfield resident "Mary B." was weak, pale, and could no longer take the feeling of jackhammers pounding in her head. She checked herself into the hospital, where she was treated for anemia. The underlying cause of her condition was a mystery, however, so her doctors ordered some tests.

A month later Mary got the news: she had Celiac disease, a digestive disease that makes the body unable to tolerate gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. When a Celiac sufferer eats gluten it causes damage to the small intestine. As a result, the body is less able to absorb nutrients from food. This can lead to malnutrition, weight loss, chronic fatigue, premature osteoporosis and other serious problems. The Gluten Intolerance Group estimates there are 2 million people in the United States with Celiac disease.

Some people who feel ill when they eat gluten may have gluten intolerance, a less severe condition that has not been proven to damage the small intestine. Still, people with gluten intolerance may experience symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or acid reflux.

The day Mary found out she had Celiac disease, “I went to my pantry and started pulling things off the shelves. It was almost bare by the time I finished,” she says. Celiac disease means more than cutting out bread. Many processed foods, from marinades to soups to processed lunch meats, have small amounts of flour in them. Oats are often cross-contaminated with wheat or other grains because they’re grown and processed together. Eating in restaurants can be tricky, as many places mix and cook their gluten-free and non-gluten-free items on the same surfaces.

The good news is that as more people find out they have Celiac disease, more food options are becoming available to them. Manufacturers are starting to produce more gluten-free flours, cereals and other products. Grocery stores are stocking these items more frequently.

And creative people are developing really delicious recipes. Michie Page is a member of the Eugene chapter of the Gluten Intolerance Group. Her Heaven on a Plate (Truffle Cake) is absolutely divine. A copy of the recipe is included here, and you can find more of Michie’s recipes at www.gig-eugene.org (look for her “GFChef” moniker). The website also has more information about the Eugene Gluten Intolerance Group, which served people from Springfield and all of Lane County. (For the national Gluten Intolerance Group website, visit www.gluten.net).

Mary highly recommends the group for anyone with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance. “You get a lot of good information with the speakers they bring in,” she says. Plus, “It’s nice to know that others are in the same boat as you are.”

Heaven on a Plate (Truffle Cake)
1-1/4 c. unsalted butter
1/4 c. Hershey's® Special Dark® cocoa
1/2 c. Hershey's® cocoa
1 c. plus 1 T. sugar, divided
1 T. gluten-free multi-blend flour
3 t. gluten-free vanilla extract
4 eggs, separated
2 t. soy sour cream

Heat oven to 425°F. Grease bottom of 8-inch springform pan.

Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Sift in cocoa and 1 cup sugar, stirring until well blended. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Stir in flour, soy sour cream and vanilla. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat egg whites with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in medium bowl until soft peaks form; gradually fold into chocolate mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm (center will be soft). Cool completely on wire rack (cake will sink slightly in center as it cools). Remove side of pan. Refrigerate cake at least 6 hours.

Go Green at the Farmers Market

2010-05-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Springfield Farmers Market is set to open its third season on Friday, May 7 at 3:00pm. A visit to the market this time of year means being encountered by a lot of green, and not (necessarily) the University of Oregon kind. Greens such as lettuce, spinach, kale, and bok choy are prolific this time of year. These plants grow well in cooler conditions, which is why you see more of them in the spring but less in the summer.

Cabbage might not generate as much excitement as things like berries and tomatoes, but if you look at the nutritional value of these delicious veggies you’re likely to get more excited. I have a fantastic book called “The World’s Healthiest Foods” by George Mateljna. After many years of research, George created a list of what he considers to be the world’s 80 healthiest foods. The most nutrient rich food on his list? Spinach. Swiss chard, romaine lettuce, collard greens, kale, and mustard greens follow further down the list. A glance at the “nutrient-richness chart” of each shows these greens to be an excellent source of things such as vitamins K, A, C, folate, iron, and calcium. (And berry lovers can rest assured – strawberries and raspberries also rank highly on George’s healthiest foods chart.) You can get more information about "The World's Healthiest Foods" at http://whfoods.org.

If preparing some of these greens will be a new experience for you, here are a few suggestions to get you started. Almost everyone likes coleslaw, so if you have picky eaters, give Collard Slaw a try. One day while I was preparing coleslaw I tossed in some collard greens that were languishing in the refrigerator. Collards are surprisingly sweet when eaten raw, and the light dressing won’t make the vegetables soggy. The mustard’s spiciness intensifies the longer the coleslaw sits, so you might make this dish the night before you plan to serve it.

My fiancé invented Creamy Chicken and Bok Choy during his bachelor days, and we still enjoy it frequently in the spring. It comes together fast and tastes great over steamed rice.

The market’s organizers are working to make your source of fruits, veggies, homemade goods, and plants even more fun this year. They will be offering music, demonstrations, and other activities to keep you entertained while you’re shopping. The best part for me is always thinking about what I’m going to make with all that produce when I get home.

Collard Slaw
Makes 12 servings
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 t. ground mustard
1/2 t. celery seed
Pinch salt
1 small bunch collard greens (about five leaves), cut into very thin strips
1/2 head green cabbage, cut into very thin strips
1/2 head purple cabbage, cut into very thin strips
2 carrots, grated or very finely chopped
1/4 red or yellow onion, grated or very finely chopped

In a small saucepan, heat vinegar and sugar. Stir occasionally until sugar has dissolved. Let cool slightly.

Place remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pour dressing over collard mixture and toss thoroughly to combine.

Creamy Chicken and Bok Choy
Makes four servings
2 c. white rice
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 t. olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 mushrooms, sliced
1 T. white wine
2 t. Dijon mustard
2 t. soy sauce
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch cinnamon
1 bunch baby bok choy, coarsely chopped
2-3 T. light sour cream
Salt and pepper

Cook rice according to package directions. In the meantime, in a large skillet, heat oil. Add chicken and cook through. Add onion and garlic and cook until they begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 1 minute.

Add white wine, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon. Stir well to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until bubbly.

Add bok choy to skillet and cook until it begins to wilt. Add sour cream and cook until heated through (do not let sauce come to a boil). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over cooked rice.

Lasagna On A Weeknight? Yes You Can!

2010-04-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

My sister Kathryn was a big fan of the Garfield comic strip as a child. Garfield the cat loved lasagna, and one year Kathryn decided lasagna was her favorite food as well. Luckily she liked to make it too, and would toil for hours in the kitchen to make it for her birthday and on other special occasions.

As an adult, the image of my sister slaving away over a hot stove was enough to keep me from making lasagna too often. Plus, although it tastes good, it’s not exactly good for you, with the layers upon layers of ooey-gooey cheese.

Over the years I’ve learned a few tricks and acquired a few recipes that have dashed those old worries about time and health (to some extent). The first was my discovery of no-boil lasagna noodle. I’ve always thought the worst part about making lasagna was cooking those enormous noodles. They always seem to stick together in the pan, they’re awkward to handle, and they take a long time to cook.

Then some genius came up with noodles that don’t have to be boiled before they go into the lasagna. You simply lay them in the pan and add the rest of your ingredients. Although I’ve found they don’t cook up quite as nicely as the pre-boiled noodles, when I’m pinched for time I’m willing to make the sacrifice.

If you’re really in a hurry, forget lasagna noodles altogether and use frozen ravioli instead. The ravioli are easy to handle and, since they’re already stuffed with cheese (and other goodies depending on your preference) it cuts down on the time spent grating, slicing or stirring up cheese mixes. I’ve heard this dish referred to as “Shortcut” Lasagna and it really is a huge time-saver. Try buying whole grain ravioli, which will make the dish a little better for you.

Although I prefer to make my red sauce from scratch, using bottled pasta sauce can also save you a lot of time. My favorite trick to boost nutrition is to stir lots of fresh veggies into the sauce. I find that adults think they add flavor and kids hardly notice them. Spinach and red pepper are my favorites, but you can use whatever veggies you have on hand.

The last time I made lasagna, and was cutting up an entire pound of mozzarella cheese, I realized that simply putting less of the bad stuff in lasagna would also make it healthier. Just like that, Kathryn’s Lasagna got a quick makeover. I think it’s almost as good as the original – although, like so many dishes, somehow it always tastes better when my sister makes it.

Shortcut Lasagna
Makes 12 servings
1 25-ounce package frozen ravioli (whole wheat if desired)
1 lb. ground turkey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 zucchini, grated
1 bunch spinach, cut into 2” pieces
6-8 mushrooms, sliced
1 24-ounce jar pasta sauce
1 T. dried parsley
1 9-ounce bag mozzarella cheese

Cook ravioli according to package directions; drain.

In the meantime, in a large skillet, cook turkey and garlic until meat is no longer pink. Add zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, sauce and parsley and cook until vegetables are tender.

Pour 1/3 of sauce into a 9” x 13” pan. Layer with half the ravioli, 1/3 sauce mixture, and half the cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Kathryn’s Lasagna
Makes 12 servings
1 lb. ground pork sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
1 bunch spinach, cut into 2” pieces
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 T. dried basil
1 16-ounce container cottage cheese
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. dried parsley
1 egg
½ t. pepper
8 no-boil lasagna noodles
½ lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced very thin

In a large skillet, cook sausage and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, spinach, bell pepper and basil. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, mix cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, egg and pepper in a large bowl.

Pour 1/3 of sauce into a 9” x 13” pan. Layer with half the noodles and cottage cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 sauce, lasagna noodles, mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/3 sauce. Repeat layers. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Cool Kitchen Gadget

2010-04-03T15:56:00.001-07:00

This is what I got instead of an Easter basket. It even had a chocolate Easter bunny in it. How cool!

http://www.worldwidefred.com/equalmeasure.htm

Family Cooking Disasters

2010-03-31T11:53:00.000-07:00

Most of my relatives on my mom’s side of the family belong to a Yahoo! Group so we can share updates and stories. The most recent conversation has been about cooking disasters, and it’s been quite entertaining. I thought I would share a few of my favorites. (Don’t miss the recipe at the bottom of the post)

From my Aunt Maria:
Last week Nick was coming to dinner and I set out to make his favorite: Chicken Pot Pie. In the morning, I lovingly baked some boneless, skinless chicken breasts, wrapped them in foil, and refrigerated them. About 5 pm I set out to make that CHICKEN Pot Pie.

I chopped up celery, carrots, broccoli florets, onions, etc; made the sauce, combined it all. Then I rolled out the pie crust. As I filled up the pie crust in the pie plate, I noticed that it seemed the 12-inch pie plate was too big for the job; the filling ingredients just did not fill up the crust like it should. Oh, well, I was in a hurry, and I went on and rolled out the top pie crust, lovingly placed it over the ingredients, fluted the edges. Beautiful.

An hour later or so later, the cooked CHICKEN pot pie sat on the counter about 10 minutes to cool a bit. We finished slurping our cups of homemade asparagus soup and I got up to slice the CHICKEN Pot pie.

As I sliced it, I looked at Nick who was looking at me as I sliced, and I must have had a stupid, duh! look on my face as I had a grim realization. He said, "What?"

"I forgot to put the (expletive deleted) chicken in this." (Unbelievable!!!)

Oh, that was okay with him; "We can have a vegetable pot pie."

Unwilling to do that I made a quick recovery. I yanked the foil-wrapped chicken from the fridge, unwrapped one & sliced it at warp speed, lifted up the top crust on the slices, and tucked some chopped chicken in. The filling was still very hot and everything was ok. Very yummy, CHICKEN pot pie, indeed.

From my Uncle Jim:
I had decided that instead of cooking the traditional turkey for dinner, I would barbeque a duck. I of course considered myself to be pretty good at this sort of thing. I put the duck, a big fat one, on the rotisserie, basted it with orange sauce, and started cooking. When I went to check on it, not knowing it was overloaded with grease, the thing had caught on fire, blown the glass out of the barbeque and pretty well destroyed the whole thing. The duck came into the house burned to a crisp. It was totally black from one end to the other.

From yours truly:
All the cooking disasters I've been privy to recently had to do with spice mix-ups - mostly because I'm not very good about labeling spices. A few months ago my mom volunteered to make curry for dinner. She accidentally put paprika in the dish instead of turmeric. When we realized what happened we added a little turmeric and it was just as good as usual.

Then I made paprika chicken at Chris's house and ran out of paprika. No problem, he said, he had more in the cupboard. We realized later that he'd given me cayenne pepper instead of paprika. Luckily it was edible but it was REALLY spicy! (the recipe for this – sans all the cayenne – is below)

The worst, though, was when I put a tablespoon of dried mint in lasagna instead of parsley. We ate it that night but I threw the rest of it away. Chris tried to make me feel better by saying, "Hey, usually when you eat lasagna you smell like garlic. With this one your breath is minty fresh!"

Chicken Paprikash
Makes 8 servings
3 T. flour
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1/2" strips
1 T. olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
6 mushrooms, sliced
1¼ c. chicken stock
2 T. Hungarian sweet paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 c. sour cream
Cooked egg noodles for serving

Toss chicken in flour. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Brown chicken in oil, about 4 minutes. Add onion, red pepper, green pepper, garlic, celery and mushrooms and cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften. Add chicken stock, paprika, pepper, salt and pepper (make sure stock mostly covers chicken; if it doesn’t, add a little water). Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and let simmer for one hour or until chicken is very tender. Stir in sour cream and heat through (do not boil). Serve over cooked egg noodles.

A Dinner Too Good Not To Share

2010-03-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

When my favorite cooking magazine came in the mail over the weekend I was inspired by a salmon salad that promised to be light, springy, and packed with good-for-the-brain omega-3’s. Who can’t use some extra brain power on a Monday? Magazine in hand, I charged off to work this morning, planning a quick shopping trip for the ingredients.

Those of you who know me well won’t be surprised to hear I somehow lost the magazine over the course of the day. Luckily I could remember some of the ingredients, and the more I started thinking about it, the more I thought the salad needed something fruity to compliment its purported springy-ness.

Not all my last-minute dinner experiments turn out so well, so I had to share this one right away. The fruit dressing was a great compliment to the salmon, as was the fresh spinach salad. Walnuts added another dose of omega-3 fatty acid, and avocados provide a dose of “good” fat.

No salmon meal is complete without rice pilaf, in my opinion, so I’ve included my recipe for that as well. The complete meal also came together in about an hour. So in addition to all the health benefits, you can enjoy a time benefit with this delicious meal!

Rice Pilaf
Makes 4 servings
1 T. butter
¼ c. orzo
1 ½ c. wild rice
2 c. chicken stock
½ t. pepper
¼ t. salt
¼ t. dried thyme
¼ t. dried parsley

Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until orzo begins to brown. Add rice and stir well. Add chicken stock, 1 c. water, pepper, salt, thyme and parsley. Bring to a boil, then cook until liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile….

Salmon with Spinach Salad
Makes 4 servings
2 oranges
¼ c. blueberries
2 T. white wine vinegar
1 t. honey
½ t. Dijon mustard
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
¼ c. canola oil
1 t. poppy seeds
1 lb. salmon fillets
9 ounce bag baby spinach
¼ c. walnuts
1 avocado, cut into cubes

Supreme both oranges, reserving juice. Put orange juice, blueberries, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper in a blender; pulse to combine. While blender is running, add oil in a slow, steady stream until well combined.

Brush 1 T. dressing over salmon fillets. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Place spinach, oranges, walnuts and avocado in a bowl. Stir poppy seeds into remaining dressing. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss until spinach is well coated (you may not need all dressing).

Serve salmon with salad and rice pilaf.

Paella Lessons From A Master

2010-03-11T17:53:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas my boyfriend received a paella pan from his brother’s partner, Alex Province. Even better, Alex gave him detailed instructions on how to make this traditional Spanish dish. Although Alex was raised in the United States, he was born in Madrid and went to graduate school in Spain. Today he is a manager for a wine company, owner of a Spanish wine import company, and a paella connoisseur.

“Paella (pah-EY-uh) is designed to be a peasant dish,” Alex explained to us. “It’s a philosophy and a cooking style more than a formula.” The basic idea is to combine rice, veggies, and meat or seafood in a shallow pan and cook it until it becomes major comfort food. The following are some tips for making great paella at home.

First is the pan. A paella pan, which is large and shallow, helps but is not absolutely necessary. A large frying pan is a decent stand-in. Alex recommends measuring out the volume your pan can hold by pouring water into it before you get started. You can measure how much the pan will comfortably hold and make adjustments to your recipe from there.
Next is the rice. It’s important to use Valencia rice, which is intended for paella. “Make sure you don’t put too much rice in the pan,” Alex advises. “You want a nice, thin layer.” No matter how much paella you cook you’ll want to stick to a ratio of two cups of hot stock per one cup of rice.

Your goal with paella is to make sure all the liquid has absorbed by the time the rice is tender. You’ll want to carefully monitor your paella while it’s on the stovetop to make sure it doesn’t burn, but don’t stir it while it’s cooking. It will make the rice mushy. Finishing the paella in the oven is possible if you can’t get even heat on the stovetop. If you think you might do that, make sure your pan is oven safe before you get started. Also, tenting your paella with foil at the end of the cooking process will help the rice suck up the extra liquid, so it’s okay for there to be some liquid in the pan when you take it off the stove.

Use high quality stock for paella. Saffron is one of the things that makes this dish special, and you’ll want to put the saffron in the stock before it’s added to the rice.

When Alex makes paella he makes sofrito first (although that’s not included in my recipe). Sofrito is basically tomatoes, onion, garlic and bell peppers cooked to a mushy paste. If you want to use sofrito you can make it in advance and store it in the fridge. Leftovers are delicious with eggs, beans, or on steak.

Once you have all the ingredients (and the pan) squared away you can start thinking about what kind of meat to put in your paella. Seafood is a classic. So is rabbit and bacon, or chicken and chorizo (a spicy Spanish sausage). Alex says a combination of seafood and meat is his favorite. That being said, this is an easy dish to make vegetarian.

The recipe for Basic Paella is the one my sweetie tried when we got home, but it’s just something to get you started. Please take the elements of paella described here and play with them until you have something that suits your family’s tastes.

And don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t turn out perfect the first time. “Paella takes practice,” Alex says. “As long as the rice is cooked right you’ll end up with an edible treat that will wow your friends.” Even the master confesses, “I’m still, to this day, trying to recreate paella as good as my mother’s.”

Basic Paella
Makes 8 servings
4 chicken thighs
4 t. smoked Spanish paprika
Salt and pepper
1 chorizo sausage, sliced
3 T. olive oil, divided
1 8-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. Valencia rice
1 c. white wine
4 c. chicken stock
Pinch saffron
1 c. frozen peas

Season chicken with paprika, salt and pepper. Cook in paella pan until chicken is browned and beginning to caramelize. Remove chicken and keep warm. Add chorizo to pan and cook through. Remove chorizo and keep warm.

Heat 1 T. oil in paella pan. Add tomatoes, onion, peppers and garlic and cook until very soft and mushy. Remove vegetables.

In the meantime, heat stock in a saucepan. When stock is simmering, add saffron. Cover and keep warm.

Heat remaining 2 T. oil in paella pan. Add rice and stir until well coated and transparent, about 2 minutes. Add wine and stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Return vegetables to pan and pour in stock. Stir gently to evenly distribute ingredients. Taste paella and add additional salt and/or pepper if necessary. Nestle chicken thighs and chorizo in rice.

Bring paella to a gentle boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. (If necessary, heat water in the same pan as the stock and add ½ cup at a time) Do not stir paella while it is cooking, and do not let the bottom scorch. Add peas about 5 minutes before the paella is done cooking.

To finish, tent with foil for 10 minutes.

NOTE: If liquid has not absorbed after 20 minutes, consider finishing the paella in the oven. Cook at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Cheesecake for Valentine's Day... or any day

2010-02-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

Cheesecake is a special treat anytime. I made one yesterday and we ate it today in honor of Super Bowl Sunday (I had to eat a second slice after my Colts blew it at the end). This recipe for rich Cherry Almond Cheesecake would make a great surprise for your Valentine too.

Cherries and almond are a terrific combination, but try as I might I could not find a recipe for a cherry almond cheesecake that sounded good. I experimented with one at Christmas, and it reaffirmed by belief that although almond extract is delicious, it doesn't take much before you have too much in a dish. This one turned out much better. Instead of buying canned pie filling, which is chock full of artificial coloring and corn syrup, I found canned Oregon pie cherries and followed the directions on the back to make pie filling (which was super easy).

Hope you enjoy this recipe... on Valentine's Day or any day.

Cherry Almond Cheesecake
12 servings
Crust:
1-1/4 c. raw almonds
1-1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs
2 T. powdered sugar
6 T. butter, melted
1/4 t. almond extract

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 8-ounce packages reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 15-ounce can cherry pie filling (if possible, buy pie cherries and make your own pie filling)

Topping:
1 c. sour cream
2 T. sugar
1 t. vanilla

Toast almonds and let cool. Place almonds and graham crackers in a food processor and grind to fine crumbs. Pour into a medium-sized bowl and mix in powdered sugar. Combine butter and almond extract, then pour into crumb mixture. Stir until well combined. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up the sides of an 8-inch springform pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined. Mix in vanilla. Pour into springform pan. Carefully spoon pie filling on top of cream cheese mixture. Using a butter knife, cut through fillings to swirl.

Bake for 45 minutes or until middle is almost set. While cheesecake is cooking, combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl.

Remove cheesecake from oven and pour sour cream mixture on top. Spread over cheesecake so it is completely covered. Return cheesecake to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Cool cheesecake on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around cheesecake to loosen from pan. Cool an additional hour on wire rack. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Soups Help Ward Off The Cold

2010-02-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about winter is eating soup. Soups are comforting and warming on cold days. Many of them freeze well, meaning they’re easy to store and pull out when I need a quick lunch or dinner.

Here’s my one piece of advice about soup: if it’s a broth-based delicacy, make your own stock. It’s miles better than anything you can find in a can or box, and usually lower in sodium. Here are some tips to make cooking your own stock easy and affordable:

**Make stock in a slow cooker. You can turn it on and leave it on the counter all day.

**If you want to make vegetable stock, toss your veggie scraps (carrot peelings, celery leaves, tomatoes cores, etc.) in a plastic bag and store them in the freezer until you’re ready to cook the stock.

**Many chicken stock recipes call for a whole chicken, which I never use. Instead, I buy a whole chicken; cut off the breasts, legs and thighs; and put the chicken carcass in the pot. If you don’t want to try cutting up a chicken, buy chicken wings or legs instead.

**Rather than skimming the fat off hot stocks made with meat, I pour the stock into a heat-proof bowl and put it in the refrigerator. Put a couple towels or hot pads underneath the bowl to protect the fridge, especially if you have glass shelves. The fat will solidify overnight, so it’s easy to skim off the top. Fat has a lot of flavor, so you might leave in a couple pieces.

I’m including a basic recipe for Chicken Stock. Try it out with this recipe for Minestrone, which I developed in college when I was trying to eat more vegetables.

Hopefully these soups will find a home among your favorites, and the stock can jazz up some of your old family recipes. The only problem with making your own stock? Once you taste the difference you may never go back to the stuff from the store.

Chicken Stock
Makes 5-9 cups
1 chicken carcass
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks with leaves, coarsely chopped
½ yellow onion, cut into quarters
2 bay leaves
3-4 sprigs parsley, rosemary or thyme
10 peppercorns
1 t. salt

Place all ingredients in a large slow cooker. Add enough water to cover ingredients (usually between 6 and 10 cups depending on size of cooker). Cook on low heat for 8-9 hours, or high heat for up to 5 hours. Remove solids and skim fat.

Spinach Minestrone
Makes 8 servings
1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 16-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
½ c. orzo (or other small pasta)
½ t. dried parsley
¼ t. salt
1 bunch spinach, stems removed and coarsely chopped
Shredded parmesan cheese and fresh cracked pepper, for serving (if desired)

Heat oil in a large stock pot. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add stock, beans, tomatoes, carrot, celery, orzo, parsley, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover and cook until orzo is tender, about 15 minutes. Add spinach and return to a boil, then remove from heat. Serve with parmesan cheese and pepper if desired.

Cardamom Spices Up Recipes

2010-01-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

Cardamom first came onto my radar screen when I was in high school. One of my best friends was of Norwegian heritage and I helped his family make Christmas cookies one year. His mother used a strange pale brown spice called cardamom in her krumkaka, a thin cookie pressed in a cast iron pan that was carved with an intricate scroll design. I learned that cardamom is prized throughout the Scandinavian nations, where it is used primarily in baked goods such as bread, abelskivers, cookies, and other sweets.

The next time I ran into cardamom was when I lived in England and developed a taste for Indian food. Several of the recipes I found called for green cardamom pods, which were readily available in grocery stores. Each lemon-shaped pod contained three or four black seeds that were intensely flavored. The pods would open during cooking and spill out their contents, which I would then carefully pick out so I wouldn’t be surprised by a sudden crunch when I was eating. In India cardamom is known as the “Queen of Spices” and featured in everything from meat dishes to rice pudding.

Cardamom is grown in warm climates and used in cuisines throughout the world. In addition to lending a spicy, slightly sweet flavor to foods, cardamom was used in medicines and as an aphrodisiac by many Indians. Ancient Greeks and Romans used it in perfume. Green cardamom pods are considered by most to be superior to white or brown ones, so watch for those if you want to buy cardamom whole. Cardamom loses its flavor quickly when it is ground, so buy whole seeds and grind them yourself, or buy the spice fresh in the bulk food section, where you can purchase small amounts.

My sister Angela lived in India for two and a half years and developed her own recipe for Chai Tea. Unlike the syrupy sweet chai of coffee shops, this milky beverage is light on sugar but still packs great flavor.

I make bread often, and if I ask that same sister to pick the recipe, nine times out of ten she’ll ask for Cardamom Braid. These loaves have a lovely presentation and smell delicious while they’re baking. Slices of it taste best toasted.

Angela believes cardamom can be suitably used in any recipe that calls for cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger. The closest substitute is cinnamon, so if you’re feeling adventurous try using cardamom instead of or in addition to cinnamon in one of your favorite recipes. While you’re eating, think of the tropical climate where the Queen of Spices reigns supreme in gardens and fields. Hopefully it will help warm the cold January nights.

Cardamom Braids
Makes 2 loaves
1 ¼-ounce package yeast
1½ c. warm milk (110-120 degrees)
½ c. butter
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2½ t. ground cardamom
¼ t. salt
5 to 5½ c. all-purpose flour

Pour yeast into warm milk and stir to dissolve. Let sit for five minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the milk mixture, butter, sugar, egg, egg yolk, cardamom and salt. Add 3 cups flour and mix until smooth. Stir in remaining 2 cups of flour, adding more flour if needed to form a soft dough.

Place dough on a floured breadboard and knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Grease bowl with oil or cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and turn until it is coated with oil. Cover bowl with a dish towel and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Divide dough into six balls of equal size. Shape three balls into ropes about 14 inches long. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid, pinching ends under firmly to seal. Repeat with remaining three balls. Cover with a dish towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook bread for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Place pan on a wire rack. Once bread has cooled slightly (about 5 minutes), remove from pans, place bread on wire rack, and let loaves cool completely.

Chai Tea
Makes two servings
16 ounces water
1 bag black tea (preferably Assam or English Breakfast)
½" thick slice fresh ginger, cubed
1 t. cardamom
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
½ t. cloves
½ t. nutmeg
½ t. aniseed
¼ t. black pepper
1 T. sugar
8 ounces milk

In a small saucepan boil the water, tea and ginger until the water is dark. Add the spices and vanilla. Simmer for 2-3 minutes (longer if a stronger flavor is desired), stirring occasionally. Add the milk and sugar. Simmer for one minute. Strain to remove the spices and tea bag, if desired. Serve immediately.

Even better Carrot Cake

2010-01-24T19:38:00.000-08:00

I think my recipe for Carrot Cake (see Halloween Cake! post) is pretty good. I developed that recipe after years of trying different cakes and making improvements to them. So when my dad presented me with a recipe called Best Carrot Cake Ever, I chuckled and told him it couldn't get as good as mine. I'm afraid I had to eat my words... after I ate two pieces of this terrific carrot cake.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Carrot-Cake-Ever/Detail.aspx

Pumpkin pie that could make you a hero

2010-01-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

I'm not known for my pies. Cheesecake? Check. Pavlova with hand-whipped egg whites? Easy enough. Four layer chocolate cake that takes three days to make? No problem. But pie crust? It's enough to make me shake in my boots. I know you're supposed to use cold ingredients. I know you're not supposed to work the dough too much. But no matter what I do the pie crust never turns out very good. Not nearly as good as, say, my sister Kathryn's.

So when my sister called me last night and asked for a pie recipe, I nearly jumped for joy. I wish I could say it's because of my stellar pie making ability, but it's really because the recipe is that good. Don't let the plain name - Pumpkin Pie - fool you. This particular pumpkin pie is spiked with chipotle chili powder, which gives it just a touch of smoky heat. It's the perfect accent for the pumpkin. Even though pumpkin pie "season" has passed, I'd recommend making it as soon as possible. It might make you a pie hero in your own home.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pumpkin-pie-with-chipotle

P.S. Hi Kathryn!

A Gift for the Cook Who Has Everything

2009-12-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

Most people have someone on their Christmas list who is impossible to shop for. If that person enjoys cooking, let me offer a suggestion: a pressure cooker.

This may conjure images of your grandmother, but a pressure cooker is a great tool for people who are short on time and concerned about eating healthy. A pressure cooker works by trapping hot steam inside the cooker. Since the steam can’t escape, it builds pressure, and that pressure allows the cooking temperature to get much higher than it would under normal conditions. This means your food cooks faster. Food also retains more of its nutrients and flavor, so there’s no need for lots of salt.

Most modern pressure cookers have multiple safety features, such as a valve to make sure too much pressure doesn’t build up in the cooker. Still, it’s important to read the instruction manual before using it. “I look at a pressure cooker as an appliance,” says Nancy Becker, the Corporate Home Economist for National Presto Industries, which manufactured the cookers. “Any time you’re working with a new appliance there’s a learning curve on how to use it.” The manual will advise you about things such as how to check the vent pipe to make sure it is not blocked and how much to fill the cooker (never more than halfway).

You can make all kinds of things in a pressure cooker. Nancy recommends steaming corn on the cob in the pressure cooker. It takes 2-3 minutes and “the flavor is so intense,” she says. You can also cook squash (quartered, with the seeds removed) in about 10 minutes and artichokes in about 13 minutes. Dry beans cook in 25-35 minutes. You can even make desserts, such as bread pudding and cheesecake.

Roasts can cook in under an hour in a pressure cooker, which is a huge time savings. If the recipient of your gift wants to give that a whirl, try Garlic Studded Pork Loin with Vegetables, which comes from www.discoverpressurecooking.com.

I wanted a pressure cooker because you can use it to cook risotto. One of my favorite recipes is Lemon and Fava Bean Risotto. When fresh fava beans aren’t available I use frozen baby lima beans. Fresh or frozen asparagus spears are also great in this recipe.

Pressure cookers also save the home cook money by reducing cooking time. What could be better than the gift of time, money and good food this holiday season?

Garlic Studded Pork Loin with Vegetables
View at http://www.discoverpressurecooking.com/recipes/garlic_studded_pork_loin.html

Lemon and Fava Bean Risotto
Makes 4 servings
5 c. vegetable stock, divided
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 c. Arborio rice
¼ c. dry white wine
1 t. grated lemon zest
2 T. lemon juice
½ c. parmesan cheese
½ lb. cooked fava beans

Melt butter and oil in pressure cooker. Add shallot and cook 1-2 minutes. Add rice and stir for 2-3 minutes (each rice grain must be well coated in oil before you add any liquid). Add white wine and cook, stirring, until almost all the wine is absorbed. Add 4 c. stock and close cover securely.

Place pressure regulator on vent pipe. Cook 6 minutes with pressure regulator rocking slowly. Cool cooker at once. Make sure most of the liquid has been absorbed. If not, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until liquid has absorbed. Test rice for doneness; it should be tender but not mushy. If needed, add additional stock, ¼ c. at a time, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until desired consistency is achieved.

Remove the pan from heat and add lemon zest, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese. Add beans and salt and pepper and stir gently. Serve immediately.

Start Holiday Mornings Right with Breakfast

2009-12-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is upon us, and I have visions of houseguests dancing in my head. We have guests who are with us at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve every year. The evening meal is always planned well in advance, but come holiday morning I find myself scrambling to answer the question: what do I serve these people for breakfast?

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Eating in the morning breaks the “fast” you’ve experienced overnight and helps activate your metabolism. If you skip breakfast you may go as long as 18 hours without food. This is especially bad for children, who depend on regular meals for mental and physical development.

Skipping breakfast is a bad idea even if you’re trying to lose weight. Numerous reports have shown that people who don’t eat breakfast actually gain weight in the long run. By not eating breakfast, you’re more likely to eat more at lunch or snack on high-calorie foods throughout the morning. Your body does best if you eat small meals several times throughout the day. No matter how busy you are or how much turkey you’re planning to eat later in the day, make time to eat breakfast.

Growing up, my favorite breakfast was Swedish Pancakes. These thin, sweet delicacies are similar to crepes. My siblings and I would spread a layer of butter and jam on them, then roll them up and eat them with a fork. You can also use Swedish Pancakes as a base for blintzes, which are filled with sweetened cream cheese or ricotta cheese. A savory filling (perhaps containing turkey leftovers) rolled up in Swedish Pancakes would also make a great lunch item. You don’t need a crepe pan to make Swedish Pancakes; any non-stick skillet will work. No matter what you do the first pancake will turn out less than perfect, so plan to eat that one yourself or give it to someone who isn’t picky.

Chili Cheese Egg Puff came from a family friend and is a standard brunch item at our house. Served with fresh black beans and salsa, it’s a meal in itself. The dish is good served hot or cold. You can make it the night before and pop it in the fridge, making breakfast a snap the next morning (and giving you fewer dishes to wash as you start preparing the next meal).

If you expect your guests to wake up at varying times, you might set out a simple breakfast buffet. It might include the Chili Cheese Egg Puff, a couple high fiber cereals with milk, low sugar granola and yogurt, and hard boiled eggs. People can take food as they need it, and you avoid interruptions as you’re trying to prepare the main meal of the day.

I hope these recipes will come in handy when you’re entertaining, but don’t feel like you have to wait until a special occasion to try them. Even a small breakfast is a good idea every day, so give them a try whenever you’re ready to start the morning right.

Swedish Pancakes
Makes 14 pancakes
2 c. flour
3 T. sugar
½ t. salt
2½ c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
Butter, for cooking and serving
Jam, for serving

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add milk and eggs and mix until all lumps are gone (batter will be very thin).

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a small pat of butter and swirl pan to coat. Add about ¼ c. batter and swirl pan so batter is distributed evenly over the entire bottom of pan (not the sides). Cook until batter is set, about 1 minute. Using a spatula, flip over pancake and cook an additional 30 seconds or until lightly browned.

To serve, spread warm pancake with butter and jam. Roll up and cut into pieces.

Chili Cheese Egg Puff
Makes 12 servings
10 eggs, beaten
1 16-ounce container cottage cheese
2 4-ounce cans diced green chilis
1 lb. pepper Jack cheese, grated
½ c. flour
¼ c. butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9” x 13” pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into prepared pan and bake until golden and set in the middle, about 1 hour.

Hazelnuts, By Any Other Name, Are Still As Delicious

2009-11-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

Hazelnuts are as synonymous with Oregon as pecans are with Georgia. In 1989 the hazelnut was declared the state nut by the Oregon Legislature. 99.9% of the hazelnuts produced in the United States come from Oregon, according to the Hazelnut Marketing Board, so it’s a fitting designation. The state yields about 34,000 tons of hazelnuts every year.

But Springfield has a special relationship with the little brown nut. It was home to the first commercial hazelnut orchard in the United States. In 1892 George and Lulu Dorris bought a 250 acres farm in Springfield. After experimenting with several different crops they settled on growing hazelnuts. George also propagated hazelnut trees and sold his feedstock throughout the country. Many of the hazelnut orchards in the country today come from that original feedstock.

In 1972 Willamalane bought the property, still known as Dorris Ranch. “We consider Dorris Ranch a living history site,” explains Mike Moskovitz at Willamalane. That’s why they continue to run it as a working orchard. Visitors can walk through the trees and read about “filberts,” as they’re still known, at an information kiosk. Although filbert is a correct name, explains Mike, the rest of the world uses the word “hazelnut.” Since Oregon exports about half its crop to other parts of the United States and overseas, the term hazelnut is more commonly used today.

The Willamette Valley has the perfect climate for growing hazelnuts: mild weather, lots of rain, and well-draining soils. Hazelnuts are typically harvested in late September or early October, so they should be available in abundance right now. Try them in stuffing, a green salad, or on top of an ice cream sundae. Mike enjoys them raw and straight out of the shell. My favorite way to eat hazelnuts is in homemade breakfast cereal made from toasted hazelnuts, rolled oats, raisins, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. To toast hazelnuts, spread them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes, or until they are golden brown and fragrant, shaking the pan once during cooking.

The next time you’re expecting guests, try serving Hazelnut Halibut with Marsala Mango Sauce. This elegant entrée is crusted with hazelnuts and topped with a rich sauce. The rich nuts are also delicious in Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Shortbread. Both recipes come from the Hazelnut Marketing Board, which has lots more hazelnut fixings on its website, www.oregonhazelnuts.org.

Hazelnuts are packed with nutrients such as fiber, vitamins B and E, and magnesium. They are high in antioxidants, which may help protect the body from diseases such as cancer and heart disease. The Chinese counted hazelnuts one of the five sacred nourishing foods. Eating hazelnuts with the skin on allows you to take full advantage of the nut’s benefits. You can also feel good about the fact that you’re supporting a product that’s as local as it gets.

Hazelnut Halibut with Marsala Mango Sauce
Makes 4 servings
¾ c. cup Marsala wine
¼ c. mango (or other) chutney
1 T. butter
1 t. light soy sauce
¼ t. ground ginger
¾ c. toasted hazelnuts, finely diced
1 T. parsley, diced
½ t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1 egg, beaten
4 4-ounce halibut fillets
2 T. canola oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bring Marsala wine to boil in small saucepan; reduced heat and simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, stirring constantly. Add chutney, bring back to simmer and reduce to 1/2 cup, stirring constantly. Stir in butter or margarine, soy sauce and ginger until butter is melted. Process in blender until smooth; set aside.

Mix hazelnuts, parsley, salt and pepper in medium bowl; set aside. Place beaten egg in separate medium bowl; set aside.

Rinse fish and pat dry. Dip fish in beaten egg; turning to coat. Place coated fish in hazelnut mixture, pressing nuts onto fish to coat both sides.

Heat oil in large ovenproof frying pan over medium high heat. Add fish and fry for 1 to 2 minutes until bottom is browned. Turn fish and place skillet in oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes per 1-inch thickness of fish until flaky. Spoon 2 tablespoons heated sauce over each fillet.

Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Shortbread
Makes 25 bars
1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
½ c. sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 c. packed brown sugar
½ c. butter
2 T. dark corn syrup
2 c. hazelnuts, whole, toasted, skin removed
1½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ c. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in flour to form soft dough. Press into 9-inch square pan. Bake for 30 minutes until pale golden. Cool.

Stir condensed milk, brown sugar, butter and corn syrup over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture darkens and reaches 237°F (soft ball stage) on candy thermometer. Remove from heat. Whisk 30 seconds and pour caramel mixture over cool crust. Sprinkle hazelnuts over caramel layer, pressing nuts in lightly. Cool.

Microwave semi-sweet chocolate on high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until just melted. Pour over hazelnuts and spread to cover nuts. Cool. Microwave white chocolate for 1 minute until just melted. Drizzle white chocolate over semi-sweet chocolate; cool.

Halloween Cake!

2009-11-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

So maybe it's not too original, but I've been wanting to make a Halloween Graveyard Cake forever and I finally had the opportunity! My sister is allergic to chocolate, so I made a Carrot Cake with my fave recipe and frosted it with green cream cheese frosting. Decorating was the best part!

Carrot cake

2-1/2 cups flour

2-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. ground nutmeg

3/4 t. salt

1 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. applesauce

3/4 c. canola oil

3 eggs

4-1/2 c. shredded carrot (6-7 carrots)

1/2 c. coarsely chopped walnuts

1/4 c. golden raisins

1/4 c. chopped dried apricots

Cream cheese frosting

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9" x 13" pan. Mix flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat sugar, applesauce, oil, and eggs together. Add carrots. Stir in flour mixture just until combined. Stir in nutsm raisins and apricots. Pour batter into prepared cake pans. Cook until tops are light brown and spring back when touched, about 30 minutes.

Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cauliflower, Glorious Cauliflower

2009-10-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me the other day what to do with cauliflower. I've just recently re-discovered this glorious vegetable, which is pretty, healthy and relatively accessible throughout the winter. Cooked correctly, it actually comes out sweet and slightly nutty tasting. My two favorite ways to use it are in Cauliflower-Lentil Curry and Cauliflower Soup. The curry recipe combined cauliflower with lentils, spices, and potatoes for a warm and wintery treat. The best part is the pickled onions and cucumbers, which are easy to do. Cauliflower Soup gets simmered in a stock pot then blended, so those suspicious of the vegetable don't have to look at individual florets. Just tell those folks that the recipe includes bacon, cream, Percorino-Romano cheese, and a mystery ingredient. They won't be able to turn it down. (I don't usually include the truffle oil because it's super expensive)

Cauliflower-Lentil Curry: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/cauliflower-lentil-curry?autonomy_kw=cauliflower curry

Cauliflower Soup: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cauliflower-Soup-with-Pecorino-Romano-and-Truffle-Oil-236879

Enjoy!

Cut Back on Sugar Without Sacrificing Flavor

2009-10-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

This summer the American Heart Association (AHA) released guidelines recommending that women consume no more than six teaspoons of sugar a day and men consume no more than nine teaspoons a day. Eating too much “added” sugar (sugar that is added to food during processing or cooking), according to the AHA, can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, and other conditions that increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. You can find more information about these recommendations at www.americanheart.org.

Nancy McCaffrey, a registered dietician with the Oregon Heart and Vascular Institute’s Cardiovascular Wellness and Rehabilitation Department, says the recommendation “seems very appropriate in this day and age with the obesity epidemic we have.” The average American eats over 22 teaspoons of sugar every day, meaning most of us need to cut back on sugar – way back. Here are some ideas on how to do it without feeling like you’re sacrificing.

Know your sugars and where they might be hiding. Words that end in “ose”, such as fructose or dextrose, signify sugar. Syrups, molasses, and honey are all sweeteners. Sugars often show up in unexpected places, so be sure and read the labels on products so you know what and how much you’re eating. Don’t forget to check the labels on your drinks as well. A 12-ounce can of soda can contain as much as 8 teaspoons of sugar.

Instead of eating a sugary snack, eat fruit. The natural sugar in fruit can be a satisfying substitute for added sweeteners, and fruit has all kinds of things in it that are good for you. You can also cook with fruit. Banana Bread Pudding uses bananas, apple juice and raisins to create a delicious treat with only two tablespoons of brown sugar.

Try cutting back on sugar rather than eliminating it all together. If you put sugar in your cereal or coffee, try putting in half as much. You can cut back on sugar in baked goods too. According to Nancy you can reduce the sugar by one-third to one-half in most baked goods and still get good results. That’s the case with Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. This recipe contains one-third less sugar than most chocolate chip cookie recipes. The cookies also feature miniature chocolate chips, which is a great trick to give your treats a hint of chocolate flavor without all the sugar and fat in regular chips. These cookies are a good way to meet what Nancy calls the “three bite rule.” “I tell people, you can have three bites of anything,” Nancy says. “That’s all most people need to deal with a food craving.”

Spices and extracts can be a great way to “beat the sweet.” Try eating foods spiked with cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg, or prominently featuring peppermint, vanilla, or almond flavoring. Spices and extracts are flavor enhancers, according to Nancy. Like sugar, they make whatever you’re eating taste even better.

With sweet apples and pears in season and the holidays coming up, now is a great time to start consuming less added sugar. If you think about it in terms of “cutting back” rather than “giving up”, it should make the idea more palatable. When you think about the benefits to your health, cutting back on sugar sounds even sweeter.

Banana Bread Pudding
Makes 16 servings
1 c. golden raisins
¼ c. rum (optional)
2 T. butter
2 T. brown sugar
3 ripe bananas, cut into chunks
1 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk
1/3 c. apple juice
2 eggs
4 egg whites
2 t. vanilla
½ t. cinnamon
¼ t. nutmeg
¼ t. salt
4 c. cubed stale white bread
2/3 c. shredded coconut
2/3 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If desired, soak raisins in rum for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir to combine. Add bananas and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Mash banana mixture.

In a large bowl combine coconut milk, apple juice, eggs, egg whites, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Drain raisins. Place bread cubes in an 8” square ungreased pan. Add raisins, coconut and walnuts and toss to combine. Carefully spread banana mixture over the bread. Pour coconut milk mixture over banana mixture, making sure all bread cubes are submerged in liquid. Let sit for 15 minutes. Bake bread pudding for 45 minutes or until set.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about two dozen cookies
2 c. flour
½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
½ c. white sugar
½ c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. natural peanut butter
½ c. soft tub margarine
½ c. roughly chopped dry-roasted peanuts
1 c. mini-chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the sugars, egg, and vanilla extract, and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the peanut butter and margarine; beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture and beat until all the flour is combined. Add the chopped peanuts and mini-chocolate chips; stir until thoroughly combined.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, then press the balls flat with the tines of a fork, making a criss-cross pattern on the top of each cookie. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the edges are barely browned. Remove from the sheet to cool.

Preserving Food Pays Off in Winter

2009-10-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember my family has preserved food in the summer. We would freeze berries, jam, green beans and corn and can tomatoes, pickles, applesauce and apple juice. Canning tomatoes was always my favorite. My mom and sisters and I would work all afternoon to peel the tomatoes and pack them into jars. At the end of the day, after the jars had been sufficiently heated, a melodic sound would begin to filter out of the kitchen: the “pop” of canning lids sealing, which I still believe is one of the most rewarding sounds you’ll ever hear in the kitchen. Of course, the best part came later in the winter, when you got to open the jars and use the tomatoes in lasagna, pasta sauce, soups, chili, and stew.

Much of America seems to have caught the canning bug. Susan Busler, Family Community Development faculty member with the OSU Extension service in Lane County, confirms the trend is taking hold locally. Susan oversees the Master Food Preserver program, which offers individuals advice on safely canning, freezing, drying and otherwise preserving food. “We seem to be handling about 120 to 150 calls daily on the hotline. We have 10 to 15 people who have either never canned before … or haven’t canned for 20 to 30 years and need a refresher.”

Springfield residents Kimberly and Sarah Stalker, both Master Food Preservers, are good examples. Kimberly grew up on a farm and preserved food when she was growing up. She got interested in it again when her daughter Sarah began taking classes at Extension. “Things you make yourself taste better,” Sarah says. “I like being able to say I made something.” Preserving food can also help you save money, monitor what your family is eating, and reduce your carbon footprint.

Please be aware, however, that the foods you preserve are only as good as the precautions you take when handling them. Food poisoning can be a concern for foods that are preserved incorrectly. “Food preservation is a science, not an art form,” Susan says. “Be cautious of family recipes that have not been analyzed for safety. Don’t rely on recipes from the web unless they are from a reliable site for safe food preservation techniques.” Kimberly advises, “Follow recipes to a “T” and practice good sanitation when canning. Wash you hands and make sure you sanitize your equipment.”

Good sources for recipes include the OSU Extension services website (http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Ball Blue Book or Ball Complete Book of Food Preservation. For advice on preserving food, contact the Master Food Preserver hotline at 682-4246 or 1-800-354-7319. The Hotline is staffed Monday-Thursday from 9:00am to 4:00pm.

If you’re ready to try your hand at canning this year, check out these recipes for Pickled Baby Carrots and Microwave Apple Butter. The pickled carrots have already produced good results for Sarah, netting several awards at 4-H events and the Lane County Fair. Apple Butter, she says, is delicious on toast. Try it on pancakes or straight out of the jar for a taste of summer come January.

Pickled Baby Carrots
8½ c. baby carrots
5½ c. white distilled vinegar (5%)
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. canning salt
8 tsp. mustard seed
4 tsp. celery seed

Wash and rinse four pint-sized canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids and bands according to manufacturer’s directions. Wash carrots well and peel if necessary. Wash again after peeling.

Combine vinegar, 1 c. water, sugar and canning salt in an 8-quart Dutch oven or stockpot. Bring to a boil and boil gently for 3 minutes. Add carrots and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and heat until the carrots are half-cooked, about 10 minutes. Place 2 tsp. mustard seed and 1 tsp. celery seed in the bottom of each clean, hot pint jar.

Fill hot jars with the hot carrots, leaving a 1-inch headspace. Cover with hot pickling liquid, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a damp clean paper towel, then place lids and bands on jars. Process jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes at altitudes of 0-1,000 feet, 20 minutes at altitudes of 1,001 to 6,000 feet, and 25 minutes at altitudes above 6,000 feet.

Let cool, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours. Check to make sure jars have sealed. Allow carrots to sit in jars for at least 3 to 5 days before consuming for best flavor.

Microwave Apple Butter
8 medium apples, quartered, cored and thoroughly rinsed
1 c. apple cider or juice
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves

Wash and rinse four pint-sized canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids and bands according to manufacturer’s directions.

In a 2 quart glass casserole dish, combine the apples and cider. Cover and microwave 8-10 minutes on high power. Stir every 3 minutes until the apples are soft. Press the cooked apples through a food mill or sieve to puree.

Return mixture to casserole dish and add sugar and spices. Microwave, uncovered, 10-15 minutes on high power, stirring often, until the mixture thickens. The butter is ready when it rounds slightly on the spoon and is glossy.

Pack cooked butters immediately into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Adjust lids
and process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. When cool, test seals, remove bands and
store in a cool place.

Greatest. Cake. Ever.

2009-10-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

Chocolate lovers, this one's for you! I make it once a year because it takes me three days.

Cuban Opera Cake
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cuban-Opera-Cake-108593

Fresh Bread For Dinner Is Easier Than You Think

2009-09-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

What could be better than a fresh loaf of bread for dinner? For some that may be a pleasure reserved for the weekends, when there is time to mix, kneed and bake a crusty loaf. For others, it may be something exclusive to those able to stop at a bakery on their way home from work. But there’s no reason the average person can’t enjoy a fresh loaf of bread for dinner with just a little preparation.

If you want to try making yeast breads but are afraid it takes too much time, check out Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg, MD and Zoe Francois. The authors describe a method for making bread dough that can be stored in the refrigerator, cut into smaller pieces, and cooked in the oven any time you want fresh bread. The book has many delicious recipes that require less work than you would think.

For those who already have a favorite yeast bread recipe, try making a loaf and freezing it. After you make the loaf, let it cool then wrap it in a double layer of foil and pop it in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat it, take it out of the freezer, unwrap it and let it thaw completely. Heat your oven to 400 degrees and cook the loaf for about 10 minutes. The time in the oven will heat the bread through and make the outside of the loaf nice and crispy.

Even an inexperienced bread baker should have good luck with Pesto Bread. This recipe yields a tall, nicely textured loaf that makes great sandwiches. Try setting your bread dough in the sun during both the first and second rising for stellar results.

Quick breads are another option for the home baker. Quick breads are often sweet – think banana or zucchini – but there are many good recipes for savory quick breads as well. I’ve included my favorite recipe for Corn Bread. Like so many great recipes this one came about by accident. My best friend is allergic to milk so I made her a batch of corn bread with rice milk. The extra sweetness and the slight vanilla flavor in the rice milk yielded such a great result that I’ve never gone back. The recipe contains some whole wheat flour and whole corn kernels, so your family gets a little extra nutrition and doesn’t have to give up anything in taste. You can substitute regular milk for the rice milk if you don’t keep it on hand.

With fall just around the corner and schedules getting busy again, rest assured that you can still enjoy fresh bread with dinner on any given night. Just be careful – your family might enjoy it so much that they’ll ask for bread every night!

Pesto Bread
½ c. plain yogurt
1 c. warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 T. honey
1 package active dry yeast
2 c. wheat flour
1¾ c. white flour, plus more for sprinkling
¼ c. pesto
1 t. salt

Place yogurt in a small bowl and allow it to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Mix together warm water, honey and yeast. Let sit until yeast is foamy, 5-10 minutes. Pour yeast mixture into a large bowl and stir in yogurt, flours, pesto and salt. Stir until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. You can add small sprinkles of white flour if necessary until the bread reaches the correct texture. Place bread on a floured breadboard and knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Grease a large bowl with oil or cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, then turn until dough is coated in oil. Cover with a dish towel and let dough rest until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Punch dough down. Shape into a rectangle roughly 8” x 4”. Place dough into an 8½” x 4½” loaf pan, pressing dough into corners of pan. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook until top is brown and bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 40 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack. Once bread has cooled slightly (about 5 minutes), remove from pan and let loaf cool completely.

Corn Bread
½ c. all-purpose flour
½ c. whole wheat flour
1 c. corn meal
1 T. baking powder
½ t. salt
1 c. vanilla rice milk
¼ c. canola oil
2-3 T. honey (plus more for serving, optional)
2 eggs
1 c. frozen corn kernels
Butter, optional

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9” pie pan. Set aside. In a large bowl mix flours, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl combine the milk, oil, honey and eggs. Mix well then stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Fold in frozen corn kernels. Pour mixture into pan. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cut into wedges and serve with butter and extra honey if desired.

Tapas Make Cool Summer Party Menu

2009-09-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

I love to have people over to share a meal. Unfortunately hot evenings have a way of suppressing both my desire to cook and my desire to eat. How to resolve the inherent dilemma in this scenario?

Tapas, of course! These Spanish appetizers are traditionally served as a snack between lunch and dinner. The purpose is to ensure that bar-goers are not drinking on an empty stomach, and to provide a snack to tide people over between the afternoon and evening meals. The word “tapa” means lid or cover. In Spain tapas are often presented on top of a glass of alcohol, which is one explanation for the origin of the name. Others believe the word “cover” refers to masking the bad taste of cheap spirits, or suppressing one’s appetite.

Serving several different kinds of tapas makes for a terrific meal, especially in the summer time when your appetite may have waned and turning on the oven is the last thing you want to do. Tapas are a great party food because guests can take a small plate and mingle while eating. They are also a great way to take advantage of summer’s tastiest crops, including tomatoes, basil, green beans, and bell peppers.

Many tapas can be cooked up quickly right before you eat, or prepared in advance and refrigerated. Take, for example, Mediterranean Tuna Salad. This dish looks beautiful on small plates presented on a tiered serving tray. If you have any leftovers it will make a delicious lunch the next day. If you use garlic-stuffed green olives in the recipe you might omit the garlic clove from the dressing, or you risk your co-workers scooting their chairs away from you all afternoon.

Tomato Garlic Bruschetta may technically be an Italian recipe but it makes a great addition to a tapas menu. This recipe isn’t for the faint of heart. Chunks of tomato, garlic and basil are spooned onto bread and drizzled with olive oil. Ciabatta bread is great for this recipe because it has a soft and chewy crust (the result of lots of olive oil mixed into the dough). This is a wonderful way to use the purple, white, green and yellow-red striped heirloom tomatoes you can get at the farmers market. Here’s a tip for cutting the basil: take several leaves of a similar size and stack then. Starting on the long side of the leaves, roll the stack into a tight tube. Using a sharp knife, cut the basil into thin strips.

Other ideas for tapas include:
· Roasted red and yellow bell peppers sprinkled with parsley.
· Green beans cooked with olive oil and finely minced onion and garlic.
· A frittata, which is similar to an omelet or egg scramble. The traditional Spanish version
(called “tortilla de patata”) is made by mixing fried potatoes and onions with beaten eggs. I
typically use whatever I have on hand. An Internet search will yield many versions of this
recipe.
· A plate of cheese or cured meats, such as salami or prosciutto.
· Bowls of olives or nuts.

Not only will these tapas make your stomach growl with hunger, they’re good for you. Cannellini beans, also called white kidney beans, are a great source of iron and folate. Tuna is a good source of omega-3 fatty acid, thought to be good for the heart and brain. Both these recipes have a decent serving of tomatoes, which are high in vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber. The small portions can also help prevent overeating.
Serve some or all of these dishes with some chilled Willamette Valley white wine or sangria and – buen apetito! – dinner is served.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad
1 6-ounce can tuna, drained
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
½ c. garlic-stuffed green olives and/or Kalamata olives, quartered
½ c. cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped
¼ c. red onion, chopped
2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 T. water
3 t. olive oil
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. balsamic vinegar
½ t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

Place tuna, beans, olives, tomatoes and onion in a large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients (omitting garlic clove if using garlic-stuffed olives) and mix well to combine. Pour dressing over tuna mixture and toss well.

Tomato Garlic Bruschetta
1 c. chopped tomato
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
8-10 basil leaves, cut into thin strips
Salt
1 small loaf ciabatta bread, cut into ½-inch slices
Olive oil

Place tomatoes, garlic and basil in a small bowl. Add salt to taste. Spoon tomato mixture on top of ciabatta bread. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Dining Outdoors at Summer Events is Easy

2009-08-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the setting and the company for a meal can be as important as the food. If you want to do something special for your family or friends this summer a picnic can be a fun and easy outing. If you make the food ahead of time, dinner can be as quick as packing a cooler and jumping in the car.

My mother always kept a simple picnic kit on hand when we were kids: plastic plates, silverware and glasses plus lots of paper napkins. She would bring an old blanket so we could all sit in the grass, and a large jug for punch. To keep us on our toes she would mix together four different flavors of a powdered drink mix with plenty of ice. We liked to see if we could guess the flavors as we were drinking it.

A simple but elegant menu for your gathering might include Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches and Tabbouleh. The sandwich is based on one I tried at a restaurant in South Carolina. These over-sized mushrooms are delicious seasoned with a simple blend of salt, pepper and olive oil. I made this sandwich on my second date with my significant other. He doesn’t usually like vegetarian dishes but finds this one quite satisfying.

I’m including instructions for making the roasted red peppers at home. They’re easy and delicious in many other dishes, including pasta salad and pizza. Try them sprinkled with parsley as simple appetizers or toss a couple in the blender the next time you make hummus. If you don’t have time to roast the peppers yourself they are available in jars at most supermarkets.

Tabbouleh is one of my summer staples. It’s best served cold and with summer’s ripest tomatoes. It’s also a great picnic choice because there is no mayonnaise, meaning it’s less likely to spoil on a hot day. (That being said, do what you can to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. The Oregon Health Division recommends keeping foods below 40 degrees or over 140 degrees to prevent the growth of dangerous bacteria). A good quality olive oil will really make a difference in this recipe.

Finish your picnic with a simple dessert, such as your favorite cookies or some plain yogurt topped with nectarines. If it’s a hot evening use that as an excuse to stop for ice cream on the way home. Summer will be over before you know it. I hope all of you have time for at least one al fresco meal this season.

Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches
2 large red bell peppers
4 Portobello mushrooms
8 t. olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large loaf focaccia bread
1 8-ounce container prepared pesto
8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
4 lettuce leaves

Heat oven to broil. Place peppers on a broiling pan and put in oven. Cook peppers for 2-3 minutes or until skin blisters and begins to turn black. Using tongs, turn peppers and put back under heat. Keep turning peppers until skin on all sides is blistered. Remove from the oven and place on a plate or cutting board until cool. Once peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the skin (it should peel off easily) and cut peppers into strips. Set aside.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove mushroom stems by cutting them off as close to the gills as possible. Brush dirt off mushrooms or wipe with a damp paper towel. Brush each mushroom with 2 t. olive oil, covering both sides. Season well with salt and pepper. Put mushrooms on a broiling pan and cook for 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender when pierced with a fork. Let mushrooms cool.

Cut focaccia bread in half widthwise, then cut into four wedge-shaped pieces. Spread pesto on bottom half of bread. Top with mushroom, 2-3 red pepper strips, 2 mozzarella cheese slices and a lettuce leaf.

Tabbouleh
½ c. bulgur wheat
¼ c. olive oil
¼ c. lemon juice
1 t. salt
2-3 large tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large bunch fresh parsley, large stems removed
½ c. fresh mint leaves
5 green onions, white and light green parts only

Put bulgur in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Soak until bulger is soft, about 20 minutes. Drain any excess water. Put bulgur in a large ceramic or glass bowl and add olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Stir well. Place tomatoes on top of bulgur.

Finely chop parsley, mint and green onions. Place on top of tomatoes. Cover bowl and put in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Just before serving, mix salad contents well.

Cooking at Summer Camp Creates Fond Memories

2009-07-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

Like many American children I attended summer camp when I was growing up. Camp is such an iconic part of our culture, with its canoe rides, counselors randomly bursting into song, and opportunities to make new best friends. It seemed like something I had to try. Maybe I was too young, or too much of a homebody. Maybe it had something to do with developing a terrible rash the week before I went, which meant no swimming and generally feeling terrible. Whatever the reason, I was not really a fan and only went once.

I was lucky to get a second chance at camp later in life, when I spent a summer as the head cook at a camp for girls. For eight weeks I lived in the woods and cooked two meals a day for 80-120 kids. Most days started at 6:30 with breakfast and ended around 9:00 when we finished cleaning up from dinner.

“Cooking” was a misnomer for a lot of what I did at camp. It’s a stretch to call heating tater tots and pre-made sausage patties cooking. I did most of the baking from scratch, though, and would make homemade French toast every other week, using my family’s secret of adding a little vanilla and cinnamon with the usual egg and milk mixture.

My favorite thing to do in the kitchen was make pancakes. There was something very relaxing about standing in front of the griddle for an hour and a half, pouring circles of batter and flipping them over once they were set on top. My least favorite thing was cooking rice. We did it in gigantic pans in the convection oven, and no matter what I did it never came out right.

Camp was where I finally learned to stop following recipes to the letter. Since I had no previous food service experience, my boss planned the menus and ordered the food. The first time macaroni and cheese was on the list I went to her and asked for the recipe. Here’s what I got in return: “a bag of macaroni noodles, a couple scoops of sour cream, one or two pats of butter, some milk, and lots of cheese.” I used my best judgment, and one of the counselors told me later that she liked my version of mac and cheese better. It gave me the confidence to trust myself and try new things.

My biggest adventure at camp came not during a raid from the boy’s side, but while experimenting with new foods. Once a week the campers cooked dinner in their campsites. A group usually invited me to join them so they could cook for me for a change. One night the campers planned to make s’mores for dessert. Not just any old s’mores, however. These were a graham cracker topped with a mix of peanut butter and honey, with chocolate candies and a marshmallow on top. They were delicious. I ate four of them. I haven’t had a sugar high like that since I was in elementary school. I wasn’t so happy the next morning, when I had a major headache, but it was worth it.

I was able to adapt one of my favorite childhood recipes for camp: Tater Tot Casserole. My grandmother used to make this when we went to visit her. It’s a sure winner for any kid except those who “don’t like their food to touch.”

The counselors’ favorite dessert was Pumpkin Cake, which I tinkered with over the summer until I had it perfected. The cake is so moist it doesn’t require frosting. The original recipe called for a quart of vegetable oil. Granted, it served 50 people, but that still seemed like a lot to me. I replaced some of the oil with applesauce, which is a great trick to slim down recipes. I measure the oil and the applesauce together in a liquid measuring cup to ensure I have the right amount of wet ingredients.

If your kids or grandkids are at summer camp this year, I hope preparing these recipes with them will help spark conversations about their experience. Maybe they can also bring back fond memories for you, of days and nights spent cooking around a campfire or playing games under the warm summer sun.

Tater Tot Casserole
1 lb. ground beef
¼ c. chopped onion
1 t. parsley
½ t. seasoning salt
1 14½ ounce can green beans, preferably French-style, drained
1 10½ ounce can cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup
1 12-ounce package tater tots
1 12-ounce package onion rings

In a medium skillet, cook ground beef and onion until beef is brown. Drain grease and add parsley and seasoning salt. Put meat in a 9” square pan. Top with green beans. Spread soup carefully over the top. Arrange tater tots sparingly in a single layer on top, so about half the soup mixture is covered. Add onion rings to fill in blank spaces (you may not use all the tater tots or onion rings in a package). Microwave for six minutes or until tater tots are warm.

Pumpkin Cake
3¼ c. all-purpose flour
2¼ t. baking powder
2¼ t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
½ t. ground cloves
½ t. ground nutmeg
3 eggs
1¾ c. sugar
½ c. applesauce
¾ c. canola oil
1 15-ounce can pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9” x 13” pan. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

In a mixing bowl beat eggs and sugar. Mix in applesauce and oil. Add dry ingredients alternately with pumpkin, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Pour into prepared pan. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Berries Signal Start of Summer

2009-07-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

There are lots of things that remind me of summer: cotton skirts and dresses; the colors red, white and blue; lazy afternoons in the backyard; baseball games; and concerts in the park. The two things that stick out in my mind the most, however, are the Fourth of July and berries.

Growing up in Oregon, my memory is that it rained from the beginning of November to the 4th of July. I’m willing to concede that my youthful mind may have exaggerated that a little. Still, it wasn’t until after the last fireworks had gone off that it felt like the grey rain clouds took a much-needed vacation and it finally got hot outside.

Every year on the Fourth we would have a picnic at home. We were often joined by my grandparents or neighbors from down the street whose children were the same age as my siblings and I. After dinner we would set off fireworks in our driveway. We could hardly wait until dusk to start spinning and twirling with sparklers in our hands. These were followed by smaller fireworks, ending with one or two big fountains as a grand finale.

No Fourth of July picnic would be complete without salads, and Mustard Potato Salad is one of my favorites. Dijon mustard adds richness and snipped dill adds an incredible fresh taste. To make the salad even more appropriate for the Fourth of July, see if you can find red and blue skinned potatoes. This salad is delicious served warm or cold and is quite easy to make. I learned recently that you should put potatoes in a pot of cold water then heat them, rather than dropping potatoes into a pot of boiling water. Placing them in cold water ensures even cooking.

The best thing about Oregon in the summertime is the berries. Oregon has some of the best berries in the world, owing to acidic soils, plenty of rain, and mild weather. Most years my family would pile in the car and go to a nearby farm to pick berries. If we got lucky my grandfather would pick them for us. He would pull into the driveway with a bucket full of blueberries or raspberries in the bed of his blue pickup, and we would pile in the back and eat them as fast as we could. We always froze berries and made freezer jam so we could enjoy their sweet goodness all year long.

Maybe it’s because they’re the first to ripen, but there is something particularly magical about strawberries. My favorite ways to eat them are with strawberry shortcake, whole-wheat pecan waffles, strawberry biscuits cooked with a sprinkling of sugar on top, and Strawberry Pie. This recipe calls for a pie crust, strawberry gelatin made from scratch, and a pile of ripe, shiny berries. The general consensus is that it’s best eaten with both whipped cream and ice cream. Then again, what isn’t?

Both of these recipes would be perfect additions as you gather friends and family around the picnic table this 4th of July. Start the season out right with these recipes and any others that scream “summer!” and remind you of all the good things to come.

Mustard Potato Salad
2 lbs. potatoes
½ c. low-fat mayonnaise
¼ c. Dijon mustard
½ small red onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, diced
1 T. snipped fresh dill or 1 t. dried dill weed
½ t. salt
½ t. pepper
½ t. lemon juice
2 green onions, white and light green parts sliced
3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

Cut up potatoes and put in a pan of cold water. Place pan on stove and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.

In the meantime, combine mayonnaise, mustard, onion, celery, dill, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a large bowl.

Drain potatoes and add to bowl with mayonnaise mixture. Stir well. Sprinkle chopped green onions over the top and place sliced eggs in the center. Serve warm or cold.

Strawberry Pie
1 8-inch pie shell
3 pints fresh strawberries
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
¾ c. sugar
Vanilla ice cream, optional
Whipped cream, optional

Cook pie shell according to package directions. Cool completely on a wire rack. In the meantime, wash and slice strawberries.

Put ½ c. of cold water in a small bowl. Add gelatin and let sit at least 5 minutes to soften.

Place 1 c. of berries in a small saucepan. Add sugar and ½ c. of water. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, and cook until sugar has melted and berries are very soft, about five minutes. Place a colander over a large bowl and pour strawberry mixture into it. Press on berries with the back of a spoon to drain out as much liquid as possible. Discard berries and transfer liquid to a glass measuring cup. Add additional warm water if needed to equal 1 cup. Add softened gelatin and stir until it has dissolved. Put gelatin in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes or until it starts to thicken.

Put remaining berries in pie shell and carefully pour gelatin mixture over the top. Refrigerate for at least three hours or until gelatin is firm. Serve with ice cream and/or whipped cream if desired. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Fava beans from the yard!

2009-06-30T20:16:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow I am going to do something really exciting. I am going to make Lemon and Fava Bean Risotto with fresh beans from my garden.

This is my first year growing fava beans and they are really a wonder. I planted them in April and by May they had the most beautiful white flowers with a deep purple center. Now it's June and they're already yielding gigantic green pods.

If you've never cooked fava beans before they can be a little tricky. They have two pods: a large green shell that looks like a big pea pod, and a white membrane that covers each individual bean. I remove the beans from the outer shell and cook them in boiling water with the membrane still attached. They don't need to cook for long, just 4 minutes or so. Once they're cooked they easily pop out of the membrane.

This batch of risotto will be even more special than usual because the lemon will be one hand-delivered to me by my aunt and uncle, who are visiting this week from the Bay Area. They have a lemon tree in their back yard and bring us a bag of fresh lemons every year.

The rest of the year, when I can't get fava beans, I used frozen baby lima beans in this recipe. If I can still get fresh asparagus at the farmers' market I often include that as well. Add the asparagus (washed, woody stem ends removed and each piece broken into two or three pieces) when the rice is almost cooked. It will lightly steam in the rice while it finishes cooking.

As if fava beans weren't wonderful enough on their own, they also fix nitrogen in the soil, so I know that even once they're gone they're still doing good things for my raised beds.

Lemon and Fava Bean Risotto
5 c. vegetable stock
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 c. Arborio rice
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 t. grated lemon zest
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 c. parmesan cheese plus more for serving if desired
1/2 pound cooked fava beans (about one pound of beans still in pods)
Salt and pepper to taste

Put vegetable stock in a large pan. Heat until simmering and keep warm.

Put butter and oil in a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until butter has melted. Add shallot and cook 1-2 minutes. Add rice and stir for 2-3 minutes. (Each rice grain must be coated in oil before you add any liquid.) Add white wine and cook, stirring, until almost all the wine is absorbed. Add 1/4 c. vegetable stock and cook, stirring, until stock is almost absorbed. Keep adding stock 1/4 c. at a time and stirring until rice is tender but not mushy. You may not use all the stock.

Remove the pan from heat and add lemon zest, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine. Add beans and salt and pepper and stir gently. Serve immediately.

Farmers’ Market Feast

2009-06-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

Farmers’ markets are one of the hallmarks of spring. The market is a great place to get vegetables and fruits at the peak of freshness. It’s a great way to support the local economy. I love talking to vendors about their products, proudly displayed on tables and in baskets, and asking their advice on how to cook different things. You’ll find salad greens, new potatoes, radishes, turnips, carrots and many other vegetables in abundance this time of year.

Even if you’re not a cook the market may have something for you. Most markets have vendors selling plants, prepared food, fresh bread, jams and jellies, soap or artwork. Farmers’ markets are more than a shopping trip – they’re a great social experience. You can combine meeting up with friends, eating lunch and doing some of your grocery shopping in one trip.

Farmers’ markets are making a resurgence across the country. The United States Department of Agriculture reports that in 1998 there were 2,746 farmers’ markets in the country. By 2008 the number was 4,685. People seem drawn to local food producers for many reasons: the desire to know where their food comes from, to buy from local businesses and preserve local farms, to eat food that is fresher and has more nutrients, to experience shopping in a different way.

After a long winter filled with storage onions and sprouting, browning garlic, it’s a relief to go to the market and see the piles of glistening spring onions and tiny white and purple bulbs of garlic. Of all the things I look forward to in the spring, they’re at the top of the list. Kidney Bean Stew is a great recipe for using both, as well as the hearty greens such as kale that are so prolific this time of year. I got a similar recipe from a dear friend and have modified it over the years. This is a very filling recipe that is appropriate for vegetarians or vegans.

Roasting vegetables has become my favorite way to cook them. The roasting process brings out the natural sugars in the vegetables and makes them sweeter. Like so many good recipes, this one came about my accident. I had a couple roasted vegetables left over from dinner one night. Rather than throw them away I tossed them in with the leftover salad. When I ate it the next day I was astounded at how well the cooked vegetables mixed with the raw greens. I like the cauliflower best, especially when it’s roasted and steamed to make it extra tender. Although the recipe has several steps, none of them are hard. Think of it as making stir-fry. You want to stir the vegetables often to make sure they don’t burn.

This salad is also terrific in the summer with roasted green beans and steamed peas. Try substituting your favorite veggies as well.

Kidney Bean Stew
1½ c. uncooked wild or brown rice
2 t. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (preferably fire roasted)
2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
½ t. salt
1 small bunch kale, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 t. toasted sesame oil

Cook rice according to package directions. In the meantime, in a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and ginger and cook until onion starts of soften, 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes, kidney beans and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add greens and cook until wilted, another 3-5 minutes. Add sesame oil and stir to combine, then remove stew from heat. Serve over cooked rice.

Roasted Vegetable Salad
2 T. finely minced onion, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
½ head cauliflower, florets separated
¼ pound sugar snap peas
2 t. olive oil, divided
¼ pound fresh salad greens
Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

In a small saucepan with a lid, heat 1 t. olive oil over medium high heat. When pan is hot add half the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 15 seconds. Add cauliflower and cook until it begins to brown, stirring often. When most pieces of cauliflower have dark brown spots, add ¼ cup water and cover with a lid. Steam cauliflower until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate or bowl and set aside.

Add additional 1 t. of oil to pan. Add remaining onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 15 seconds. Add sugar snap peas and cook, stirring often, until peas are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add peas to cauliflower and set aside to cool.

Put salad greens in a large bowl. Add cooled cauliflower and peas and serve with dressing.

Welcome One and All!

2009-06-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Everyday Stories About Food. Whether you are a lover of food, a grudging home cook or somewhere in between, there will be something for everyone in this space. Thanks for joining me.

I love food. Perhaps the only thing I enjoy more than eating food is talking about food. I’m an amateur home cook with a passion for all things culinary. I spent one summer as the cook at a summer camp, but other than that my culinary experience is limited to cooking for my friends, family, co-workers and the occasional bake sale. In other words, I have the same level of experience as most people.

As a child I learned the basics of cooking from my mother and grandmother. As I got older I discovered cooking magazines and began experimenting on my own. But I didn’t learn to love food until I was in mid-20’s and met a woman who was a passionate foodie. She was an amazing cook and an equally amazing storyteller. She had a way of describing the process of cooking a dish that made you hang on to every word. The more she talked, and the more I ate, the more food morphed into something else. Eating was no longer something I did to sustain myself three times a day. It became an obsession, an art form that has given me endless hours of entertainment and enjoyment.

Our lives are full of stories. Stories are one of the things that give our lives richness and meaning. Food and cooking are no different. It’s for that reason that I want to tell you stories about food, its origins, and its preparation.

Although we don’t always think about it this way, very few things in our lives are more powerful than food. Along with water and shelter, it is one of the basic things we need to live. A taste or smell can bring back memories of places we’ve been or people we’ve loved. It is an essential part of our culture. It can comfort us in times of sorrow and help us celebrate life’s important milestones. The way we buy it can be a powerful political and economic statement.

This week I will share a couple of my recipes I remember fondly from my childhood. Beef Stroganoff was my favorite meal growing up. My mother made this for my birthday and every time I could convince her it was a good choice for dinner. Most stroganoff recipes are served with noodles but I think this one is delicious over brown rice. Substituting fat-free yogurt for the sour cream lowers the saturated fat in the recipe.

French Apple Crisp is the first recipe I developed on my own. It was a combination of my mother’s apple crisp recipe and a French apple pie recipe from a cookbook. My sisters love this dessert; they often request it when they come to visit.

When you make a favorite recipe this week, or shop at the Farmers’ Market, or share a good meal and a bottle of wine at a restaurant with friends, think about the story behind it. Savor it as much as your casserole, or your salad, or your pinot noir, or whatever you happen to be consuming. It will remind you of the joy that comes with eating good food. Hopefully that joy will stay with you the next time it’s your turn to do the dishes.

Beef Stroganoff
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef
1 10-3/4 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 6-1/2 ounce can mushroom stems and pieces
½ t. pepper
1 T. dried parsley flakes
1 c. sour cream or plain yogurt
1-1/2 c. cooked brown rice

In a medium saucepan, cook onion, garlic and ground beef over medium heat until beef is brown. Drain grease and return mixture to pan.
Add soup, mushrooms, pepper and parsley. Fill the soup can halfway full with water and add to the mixture. Bring to a low boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer until thick, 10-15 minutes. Stir in sour cream or yogurt. Cook until heated through, 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over brown rice.

French Apple Crisp
For Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

For Filling:
8 small apples, sliced (Granny Smith or other tart apple)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup oats
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
Vanilla ice cream, optional

In a bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Stir in butter to form a dough. Press ¾ of the dough into the bottom of a glass 8-inch square pan or pie pan. Reserve remaining mixture for topping.
Place sliced apples on top of crust. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon. In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oats and nutmeg. Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Sprinkle oat mixture over apples. Sprinkle remaining crust mixture over oat mixture.
Microwave for 10 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream if desired.