Monthly Archives: January 2010

Simple Supper: Bean Soup

Posted by Alaina in Simple Suppers and tagged with , ,

Our family likes to eat vegetarian at least once or twice a week and beans are one of the ways that we do that. They offer great nutrition and are filling! Here is a bean soup that we all enjoyed and it was great as leftovers!

A VERY BIG POT OF BEAN SOUP (you can 1/2 this if you prefer less but it really does make great leftovers!)
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4 c. dried beans (I used a mix)
1/2 c. rice
4 quarts water
1 Tb. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 med. onions, diced
2 c. carrots, diced
1 c. celery, diced, opt.
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 cans (15 oz. each) diced tomatoes
2 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp. baking soda 
Parmesan Cheese, opt.

Rinse the beans and place in a pot. Cover with water and soak overnight. Or for a quick soak – bring the pot of water to a boil, turn it off and let the beans soak for 1 hour. Drain and follow the recipes below.

Drain the beans and add the rice, water, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1-1/2 hours until the beans are tender.

Add onions, carrots, celery, chili powder, tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, and baking soda (soup will foam with the addition of the soda). Simmer 30 minutes more, stirring occasionally or until vegetable are tender. Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Market Fresh: Haiti

Posted by Alaina in International Cuisine, Market Fresh and tagged with , , ,

In lieu of our normal market fresh post, we decided that we would focus on Haiti today. Our hearts are heavy for the people of that country and both of us have spent helping our children to learn about Haiti and understand the disaster and devastation that has occured there.

As part of helping my 4 year olds in there study of Haiti, I decided to make several Haitian recipes. They helped out with the fried bananas. We enjoyed the food but more importantly it gave us a chance to continue our conversation about the needs of that country. A special thanks to Islandflave.com for the recipes. I adapted all of them from that site.

CORN MEAL (MAISE MOULINE)
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1 cup corn meal
4 cups water
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 finely chopped onion
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp parsley
1 tbs. oil
salt, black pepper, and hot pepper to taste

Saute garlic and onion in oil.
Add water and bring to a boil in a medium pot.
Combine remaining ingredients.
Whisk mixture repeatedly to avoid clumps.

CORN FRITTERS
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1 can corn (15 oz), drained
pinch of salt
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/4 cup butter
3 eggs

Mix flour, butter, salt, water, and 3 eggs.
Pour corn into batter and mix well. Drop by tablespoons into very hot oil.
Brown, drain on paper toweling. Serve with tomato sauce.  (We had ours plain.)

FRIED BANANAS
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3 Very ripe bananas
1 Tb. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tb. sugar
1/8 tsp. baking soda
sugar for topping (optional)

Mix bananas (we mashed the bananas), flour, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and soda in a medium size bowl.
Place spoonful of batter in very hot oil and fry until golden brown. Sprinkle sugar.

Weekend Fare: Pasta & Salad

Posted by Alaina in Weekend Fare and tagged with , , , ,

I’m not sure I would serve these dishes together but individually they are quite good. Citrus is delicious used in savory ways – it adds freshness and acidity.

This lemon pasta is very lemony. I used a lemon pasta which made it even more tart. We enjoyed it – I’ve given a couple of ideas of ways to make it more of a main dish at the bottom of the recipe.

LEMON CREAM PASTA
(adapted from Rachael Ray)

Salt
1 lb. pasta (spaghetti, fuseli – whatever you prefer – I used a lemon pasta)
3 Tb. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 lemons, zested and juiced
3/4 c, heavy cream
1 c. Parmesan Cheese, grated
Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 c. fresh basil, very thinly sliced

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and drop the spaghetti into the pot.

Heat a large deep skillet over low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.

When the pasta has been cooking about 5 minutes, add lemon juice, a ladle of the cooking water from the pasta and the cream to the garlic and oil. Raise heat a bit to bring sauce to a bubble.

Drain pasta when it still has a good bite to it, al dente. Add lemon zest and half of the cheese to the cream sauce. Season the sauce with salt, to taste. Add pasta to pan and turn off heat. Toss the pasta with sauce a minute or 2, allowing it time to soak up the sauce.

Top the plates of pasta or platter with remaining cheese, parsley and basil.

*This would be excellent with broccoli and chicken added. Just reduce the amount of pasta to 1/2 lb. and cook 1 head of broccoli florets with the pasta. Drain and toss in sauce along with 1 - 1  1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken. Toss and serve.

My youngest son loved the avacado and grapefruit – even with the dijon dressing. We really like this salad – the original recipe does not call for it to be served on the lettuce but we much prefered it served over greens. Overall a delightful and unexpected combination of flavors. It’s a beautiful salad to serve as well.

GRAPEFRUIT AVOCADO SALAD
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

1 Tb. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. olive oil
4 ripe Hass avocados
2 lg. red grapefruits
1/2 lb. mixed greens or romaine hearts

Place the mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified.

Before serving, cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the seeds, and carefully peel off the skin. Cut each half into 8 slices. Toss the avocado slices in the vinaigrette to prevent them from turning brown. Use a large, sharp knife to slice the peel off the grapefruits (be sure to remove all the white pith), then cut between the membranes to release the grapefruit segments.

Arrange greens or lettuce on a large platter then top with the avocado and grapefruit slices. Spoon the vinaigrette on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

Tea Time: Orange Whole-Wheat Scones

Posted by Heather in Bread Basket, Tea Time and tagged with , , , ,

This time of year is when we want something warm and comforting, but also healthy, having just come out of the abundance of the holiday season. Orange Whole-Wheat Scones fit the bill, providing the comfort of a warm scone with the assurance that the whole-wheat and honey are doing your body good, not evil. To make your tea-time even healthier, consider drinking an herbal tea such as Orange Spice, or perhaps some decaf Constant Comment.

ORANGE WHOLE-WHEAT SCONES
(originally from The Kitchen of Two Sisters)

2 ½ c. whole wheat pastry flour (preferrably ground fresh, but store-bought whole-wheat flour will do)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ c. butter
2 Tbsp. honey (or try agave nectar)
¼ c. orange juice
2 tsp. grated orange rind
¼ c. milk

Preheat oven to 400F. Sift together dry ingredients. Cut in butter and rub in with fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine wet ingredients and add to flour mixture, mixing lightly to combine. If dough feels too wet, add just a bit more flour. Knead dough lightly and pat out on a flat surface. Cut rounds or triangles.

Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes.

Makes 12.

Off The Shelf: Seasonal Eating

Posted by Heather in Off the Shelf and tagged with , , , , , ,

Since we are at the start of another year, I thought it would be appropriate to review some “year-round” books that focus on seasonal eating.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver is a fascinating read about one family’s adventure to eat only what they can grow, or purchase locally, for one year. The book is arranged chronologically, beginning in March when the first tender shoots of asparagus appear. The story continues as their garden is planted and the family begins to harvest the fruits of their labors. It’s fascinating to read about the quantities that were necessary to actually feed a family of four for a year, and of course all the hard work that goes into such a venture!

Each chapter ends with several seasonal recipes, written up by Barbara’s daughter, Camille, and reflecting food that is eaten in the Kingsolver household.

For those interested in seasonal cooking, this book shows you where it’s really at. Obviously most of us can’t take the drastic measures the Kingsolver’s did, but the book does open one’s eyes to many things, remind us of what is in season when, and encourage one to take a few baby steps in the right direction.

I chose a recipe from the chapter entitled: What do you eat in January? The Sweet Potato Quesadillas were a nice idea, although, funny enough, I think I would prefer them without the sweet potatoes and just the onions, greens and brie.

SWEET POTATO QUESADILLAS
(Animal, Vegetable, Miracle)

2 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 onion (I used one whole onion)
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. basil
1 tsp. cumin
chile powder to taste
olive oil

Cut sweet potatoes in chunks, cook in steamer basket until soft, then mash. Chop and saute garlic and onion in a large skillet. Add spices and sweet potato and mix well, adding a little water if it’s too sticky. Turn burner to low to keep warm without burning.

4 flour tortillas (I used whole-wheat)
4 ounces Brie or other medium soft cheese
Swiss chard or other greens (I used spinach)

Preheat oven to 400F. Brush oil lightly on one side of tortilla. Turn over and spread filling on half of each. Top with slices of Brie and shredded greens, then fold tortillas to close (oiled side out).

Bake until browned and crisp (about 15 minutes); cut into wedges for serving.

 How to Pick a Peach - by Russ Parsons is a fascinating and helpful book that surveys the fruits and vegetables available in our markets, giving their genetic history, storage and preparation information, and suggested recipes. The books is arranged seasonally beginning with spring and its produce: artichokes, asparagus, onions, leeks and garlic, peas and fava beans, salad greens, strawberries. The book closes with a large section on all types of citrus (so check this book out if you want to know more about what to do with the glut of citrus in the market right now!).

I found myself fascinated  by the statistics of how many tons of what vegetable are grown in which states. And then to trace back the genetic history to find out just how we got tomatoes that look so red but taste so white in our stores today. There is also a full explanation of why strawberries no longer taste like the berries I remember as a child. I found the refrigeration instructions helpful too. For instance, you should never refrigerate bananas, potatoes, onions and tomatoes. You can refrigerate briefly (3 days) cucumbers, eggplants and peppers. And, only after fully ripened can you refrigerate avocados, peaches, plums, and pears.

There are quite a few recipes in this book as Parsons provides recipes for each fruit or vegetable talked about. I chose to try the Turnip and Potato Gratin.The idea of the dish was very nice, but I felt my turnips were a bit too spicy and would have done better with allowing the potatoes to be the main ingredient and the turnips just the sideline.

TURNIP AND POTATO GRATIN
(How to Pick a Peach)

1 garlic clove, peeled
6 turnips, peeled
2 large boiling potatoes, peeled (I did not peel mine)
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
3 ounces Gruyere or Comte, grated or sliced

Heat the oven to 450F (I did 425F for my oven). Rub the garlic clove all over the inside of a heavy gratin dish, then butter the dish well and set aside. Discard the garlic.

Slice the turnips and potatoes as thinly as you can, ideally using a mandoline or Japanese slicing tool. Toss the vegetables with the salt and place them in rough layers in the gratin dish. Don’t worry about arranging them; you’ll be stirring them later. Bake until softened, 20-30 minutes. Stir with a spatula every 10 minutes, making sure the bottom layer doesn’t scorch.

Pour the cream over the potatoes; it should come just to the top layer without covering it. Distribute the cheese over the top and bake until the cream thickens and the top is browned, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 8.

Baker’s Delight: Citrus Desserts

Posted by Alaina in Baker's Delight and tagged with , , , , , ,

I LOVE citrus desserts. I grew up enjoying lemon glaze cake, lemon meringue pie and more. The combination of sweet and tart is delightful.

These orange brownies were unbelievable!There is no chocolate in them – they are simply a dessert bar. We will definitely make them again for a wonderful treat!

ORANGE BROWNIES
(slighly adapted from Paula Deen)

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 eggs
2 tsp. pure orange extract (I didn’t have this so I used 2 tsp. orange juice and 1 tsp. of a citrus extract)
Zest of one orange
1 recipe Orange Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 pan.

Stir together flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add butter, eggs, orange extract, and orange zest. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven, allow to cool and pierce entire cake with a fork. Spread the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting over completely cooled brownies. Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator.

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
4 Tb. butter, softened 
1 (1-lb.) box confectioners’ sugar (3-4 c.) 
 zest of one orange 
2 Tb. fresh squeezed orange juice

In a large mixing bowl, whip the butter and cream cheese together with a hand-held electric mixer. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until it is all combined and smooth. Beat in the orange zest and juice. Spread over brownies.

I’ve not been a huge fan of key lime desserts until the last few years. This key lime cheesecake is delicious. It’s light and creamy and the fresh squeezed limes make it so fresh. I like to garnish this with fresh whipped cream, fresh lime slices, and white chocolate curls.


KEY LIME CHEESECAKE

CRUST:
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
6 Tb. butter, melted

FILLING:
24 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. white sugar
1 Tb. cornstarch
3 eggs
1 Tb. grated lime zest
2/3 c. key lime juice

Combine cookie or graham cracker crumbs with butter or margarine. Press into bottom and partially up sides of 9 inch springform pan. Refrigerate.

In a large bowl, beat with an electric mixer the cream cheese, sugar, lime peel, and cornstarch until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, blending just until smooth. Add key lime juice with mixer on low. Finish mixing by hand. Do not overbeat, or cake will crack during baking. Pour batter into prepared crust.

Bake at 300 degrees for 55 to 65 min., or until set. To minimize cracking, place a shallow pan half full of hot water on lower rack during baking.

Turn oven off, and let cheesecake stand in oven 30 min. with the door open at least 4 in. Remove from oven. Refrigerate cake overnight, and up to three days.

This cake is so lemon-y! We all loved it! I served it topped with blueberry sauce but it’s great by itself, too. It’s like a pound cake.

LEMON CAKE
(Ina Garten)

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 c. granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 c. grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 c. buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

GLAZE:
2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
3 1/2 Tb. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 2 1/2-in.) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.

Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 min. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 c. lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 min. to 1 hr., until a cake tester comes out clean.

Combine 1/2 c. granulated sugar with 1/2 c. lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

BLUEBERRY SAUCE
3 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 c. sugar
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tsp. cornstarch

Combine all ingredients and cook over medium heat until bubbly and thickened.

Market Fresh: Grapefruit

Posted by Heather in Market Fresh and tagged with , , , , ,

Walk into the supermarket just now and you will see piles of large, round, yellow “softballs” stacked in pallets or on display at the end of the citrus aisle. Grapefruit — one of the quintessential winter fruits.

I distinctly remember my mother getting up morning after morning to cut grapefruit, carefully winding her knife around each little section, so we could sit down to breakfast with half a grapefruit each. I also remember the day we watched a guest take a whole grapefruit and carefully peel the skin away to reveal a beautiful, pink ball that could be plucked apart and eaten like a peeled orange. It opened a whole new realm of grapefruit eating for us.

Nowadays I am too lazy to do as my mother did and I just cut our grapefruit in handy little wedges for easy eating:

Don’t just get stuck in a rut though. Think outside the morning breakfast bowl. Think salads, desserts, juice, and cake. I’ve sectioned grapefruit and added it to spinach salad instead of an apple or mandarin oranges. Squeeze the leftover juice to replace lemon juice in the salad dressing. Recipes for grapefruit cake can be found, and of course one can always squeeze the fruits to make juice.

For a delicious and healthy dessert, why not try this salad?

ORANGE AND PINEAPPLE PLATED SALAD
(from www.bbcgoodfood.co.uk)

1 medium pineapple
2 pink grapefruit
1/4 c. sugar
small bunch mint, leaves only

Use a sharp knife to top and tail the pineapple, then stand it upright on a chopping board. With the sharp knife, carve the skin away and discard. Rest the pineapple on its side, then cut into wafer-thin slices. Repeat with the grapefruit, cutting away the peel and pith, then cut into slices. Arrange the fruit on a serving platter, catching any juices, and set aside.

Using a pestle and mortar, pound the sugar and mint together until completely blended. Scatter the mint sugar over the fruit and serve on its own or with yogurt (preferable Greek yogurt).

NOTE: I loved this salad. I’m also eager to try substituting lime zest for the mint and also trying it sometime with shards of crystalized ginger over top, or even a little fresh ginger grated into the sugar.

Lots of Snow = Lots of Cooking

Posted by Heather in Winter Recipes and tagged with , , , ,

Indiana finally got snow (of significance) this week! While there are always downsides to being stuck at home on snowy days, there are lots of benefits as well, one of the biggest being more time to cook! Years ago I had so much more time to spend hours on end baking in the kitchen. Nowadays it is rare that I spend more than the time necessary to make our meals. This week was different.

I was reminded this week of the wonders of homemade bread and how delightful it is to have it around all the time. Three days in a row I made bread and I’ve been trying to work out in my mind just how I could continue keeping homemade bread made when life gets back to normal (read busy). Where there’s a will, there’s a way….we’ll just have to see how strong my will is on this matter.

Another item made in quantity this week was soup — three different batches turned out in the space of 18 hours! And they were so good. We had White Chili from Food Network Magazine as well as their Vietnamese Soup and then a tried and true recipe for Italian Sausage and Red Lentil Soup. All were made in quantity and it was helpful to have freezing temperatures so I could use the back patio for extra cooling space!

I did have one moment of kitchen panic this week. After putting off starting supper until way beyond when I should have, I went down to have a look again at the recipe I had chosen only to read that I needed to allow 3 hours for simmering! Oooppps!! That wasn’t going to work in the less than 40 minutes I had. I whisked a few chicken breasts out of the freezer where they were just beginning to harden after a shopping trip and pulled out the Food Network magazine and opened to their white chili. And that’s how we tried that delicious recipe.

We’ve had little company this week other than family, a change from the past few months. New Year’s Day found me calmly sipping tea at 4:30 when my sister called to see if we could change our dinner plans from quiet family dinner to dinner party for 14. Why not? I decided on 10 more minutes to sip tea and then dived head first into the deep waters of a Chinese meal. The results were good, we all had a ton of fun, and the recipes will appear next month!!!

And now, I think I’ll pull some of that frozen soup out of the freezer for dinner. I’m just about baked and cooked out! I’m off to the knitting shop and an afternoon of quiet tea and knitting with a few friends. And maybe I should hope the snow sticks around for awhile….

Calendar Winner!

Posted by The Cooks Next Door in Blog Business, Giveaways

The random winner of our calendar giveaway is….MARY W.! Mary, we will send you an e-mail to get your  address and get it in the mail!

Thank you all for entering – we enjoyed hearing your goals and plans for this year! Look for another giveaway of the chocolate variety in February! Have a wonderful weekend!

Weekend Fare: Game Day

Posted by Alaina in Weekend Fare and tagged with

Today, I wanted to share a few favorite football/game day snacks as well as some other easy, great dishes to serve! And lest you stop reading because you don’t care about football or sports in general, let me assure you that this would be suitable for ANY gathering – game night, movie night, you name it.

This caramel corn is so good and so addictive!

IMG_7590
CARAMEL CORN
(I believe this recipe orginated from allrecipes and I adapted it for our taste! We love it!)

7 quarts plain popped popcorn
2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
1 c. butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans. You may use roasting pans or jelly roll pans.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 min. while stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat.

Bake for 1 hr., removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 min. Line the counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.

This dip is always popular. I have a mini crockpot that I make it in so it stays warm. It’s delicious served with a variety of crackers.

HOT CHIPPED BEEF DIP

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 Tb. milk
3-4 Tb. dried chipped beef or lunch meat beef, finely chopped
2 Tb. onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. pepper
dash of garlic salt
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. pecans, chopped

Combine all ingredients except the pecans in an oven safe dish or a small crockpot. If baking in the oven, sprinkle the pecans on top and bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. If using crockpot, turn on low and thoroughly heat then sprinkle nuts on top.

Chex mix is an old standby! You can make it in the oven or even in the microwave. It’s so good and so easy!

CHEX MIX
3 c. rice chex
3 c. corn chex
3 c. wheat chex
2 c. pretzels
1 c. mixed nuts or peanuts
6 Tb. butter
2 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder

Melt butter and Worcestershire. Add salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Pour over cereal mix. Bake at 250 for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. OR microwave 6 min., stirring every 2 min. Spread on a waxed paper or brown bag to cool.

A few other good things to serve:
- Veggies & Dip (pepper, cucumbers, and carrots are the most popular around here)
- Chips & Salsa or Nachos
- Crackers & Cheeseball
- Cookies
- Assorted candy – M & Ms, Skittles, mini candy bars etc.