Annelle's Table

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2011-12-21T10:38:00.000-08:00

THE MOST WONDERFUL, MAGICAL TIME OF YEAR!!

This is the most magical, joyful time of year for me. We've packed a lot of stress and high expectations into the month of December. But all things considered, there's no way to exceed the ultimate gift of Christmas.

It's the time of year when all over the world, believers, and many nonbelievers feel the tug to be with their families and loved ones and celebrate their ties to each other. Love is love, no matter what you call it, how you give and receive it, or how you celebrate it.

For a long time love involved a Rum Cake. It was my Daddy's favorite. No matter what I cooked, or how long I worked in the kitchen, my food didn't always suit Daddy. He was nice about it, and appreciative, and even supportive and complimentary, but there were times when the jar of peanut butter sitting on the table was his favorite thing. He said it wasn't what was on the table, but who was around it that really mattered. Except for the Rum Cake—the same rum cake you all have made over and over again—nothing new or different—no added twist. He loved my Rum Cake, and I tried to always have one on hand. It made me so happy to see him really enjoy something I prepared just for him.

The last Rum Cake I made he hardly touched. He was already on a journey that would separate him from worldly things. We saw it happening day by day, little by little, but that love I felt when I was close to my Daddy never went away. Even when the spirit left his tired body, his love was still there.

So, I'm making another Rum Cake for Christmas, in gratitude for his Love, and in memory of all the wonderful, happy times we shared, and the deep conversations, and the life lessons, and even the hard times. I am so grateful for that Love that continues to be part of my life.

Celebrate the season and enjoy each moment with those around your table!

Merry Christmas!

Rum Cake

1 cup chopped pecans

1 package butter golden cake mix

1 package vanilla instant pudding mix

One-half cup light rum

One-fourth cup water

One-half cup Mazola Corn Oil

4 large eggs, beaten

Hot Rum Glaze*

Preheat oven to 325º.

Grease and flour a bundt pan. Crumble pecans in bottom of pan.

Mix cake mix, pudding mix, light rum, water and corn oil until blended. Add eggs and beat for two minutes on medium speed.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 60 minutes.

Remove from oven, and while cake is still hot pour Hot Rum Glaze over cake. Leave in pan for 30 minutes.

*Hot Rum Glaze

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter

One-half cup light rum

Boil all ingredients while stirring for three minutes. Pour over hot cake.

Wrap the cooled cake in saran wrap, and then foil to store. This cake tastes better a day or two after baking. The cake seems to take on a more intense rum flavor.

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

(The sweet potato part of this pie is adapted from a recipe in Well, Shut My Mouth! By Stephanie L. Tyson and is absolutely one of the BEST pies I have ever tasted.)

(makes 2 deep dish pies)

Pecan Layer

2 deep dish pie crusts (Marie Callender's are great if you don't want to make your own)

One and one-half cups pecan pieces

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup light corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

one-half cup brown sugar

one-third cup melted and cooled butter

Preheat oven to 350°.

Divide pecan pieces evenly over the bottom of the two pie crusts.

Beat eggs, corn syrup, vanilla and brown sugar until thoroughly combined. Add melted butter slowly while continuing to beat. Divide this mixture between the two pies. Bake for about ten minutes while preparing the sweet potato layer.

Sweet Potato Layer

2 medium sized sweet potatoes, baked and mashed (I cook them wrapped in saran wrap in microwave for about ten minutes)

one-half cup sugar

1 T flour

3 eggs, beaten

1 can sweetened condensed milk

one-half tsp. Cinnamon

one-half tsp. Nutmeg

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 tsp. Lemon extract (optional)

one-fourth cup butter, melted

Mix the sweet potatoes, sugar and flour. Add eggs and combine. Then add sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, lemon extract and butter, mixing to thoroughly combine.

Remove pies from oven and pour this mixture gently over the pecan mixture. Fill the pies to the top and return to oven for 45 minutes, or until set. May have to cover crust edges with foil while baking. Some pecans and filling will rise into sweet potato layer.

Cool for one hour before serving with whipped cream.

Thanksgiving Debriefing

2011-11-28T15:41:00.000-08:00

The table is cleared and the dishes are done. A battalion of plastic containers stand ready in the frig, along with a ziplock bag of sliced turkey. We're all in a food coma semi-snoring through one football game after another. The fatigue from overeating is shifting into a pleasant state of culinary satisfaction. And I'm reviewing this year's Thanksgiving menu in my head.

Manchego Cheese with Prosciutto and Mixed Olives

Brined Fresh Herb Turkey Breast Roasted on Root Vegetables

Italian Sausage and Mushroom Dressing

Cream Turkey and Roasted Root Vegetable Gravy

Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes

Fresh Collard Greens

Buttered Turnips

Fresh Cranberry and Pear Compote

Yeast Rolls

Warm Sweet Potato Pie with Whipped Cream

How did it rate compared to years past?

The turkey was moist and delicious--no complaints there. And nobody seemed to miss the dark meat. The dressing was only so-so. The recipe still sounds good, but the taste didn't live up to the billing. Gravy-delicious thanks to the pan drippings from the turkey and vegetables. Mashed Potatoes--maybe the best we've ever had!?? Not really any different than last year. Perhaps someone has been craving mashed potatoes. Collard Greens--for those of us who like collards, these were superb--freshly picked and cooked with a nice ham hock and plenty of black pepper. But collards aren't for everyone. Turnips, also fresh from a local garden, were really delicious, but again, not for everyone. Mama cooked them with a little salt, sugar and butter. They were perfectly seasoned. Next, the cranberries and pears cooked with some brown sugar, butter and orange marmalade--they won an overwhelming thumbs up from everyone with a request to please remember how I made them so we could repeat. Rolls were rolls. Nothing exceptional. And finally, dessert, Sweet Potato Pie from a recipe I found in a new North Carolina cookbook. Mama and I thought this pie was absolutely delicious, however, Doug was not so enthusiastic. A pie made from a vegetable? Well, yes, and better than pumpkin. He didn't agree.

Looking forward, we'll have a similar meal for Christmas, with a few changes: a soup starter (Italian Dumpling), a better dressing (cornbread this time), and I'll add a Rum Cake to the dessert list, but the Sweet Potato Pie will remain!

I'm making my lists and checking them twice! It's that time of year.

Turkey Time

2011-11-15T07:58:00.001-08:00

There's going to be a new dish on our Thanksgiving table this year, an authentic Native American dish.

I found the recipe in Spirit of the Harvest, by Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs. After twenty years the James Beard Award Winning book has been reissued. Each section of the book describes the culture, diet and ceremonial use of food by Native Americans in different areas of North America.

The picture of the stuffed baked pumpkin looked so beautiful, I couldn't resist adding it to our menu. This little sugar pumpkin is stuffed with a mixture that is very similar to a Thanksgiving dressing. After giving it a test run, I can hardly wait to place it next to the turkey and cranberry sauce. It's going to make a beautiful presentation and a delicious addition to our table.

I couldn't resist giving another stuffed squash a try while working on a vegetarian dish for my non-meat eating friends. I tried both butternut and acorn squash for this dish. The acorn squash proved to be a better receptacle for the tortellini with pumpkin blue cheese cream sauce. The squash alone is so delicious when roasted. The addition of the pasta and sauce simply doubles the 'goodness'. One acorn squash will provide six side dish servings.

May your table be complete this Thanksgiving, your blessings be many and the spirit of gratefulness fill your holiday.

HIDATSA STUFFED SUGAR PUMPKIN

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1 4- to 5-pound sugar pumpkin

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon dry mustard

1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or rendered fat

1 pound ground venison, buffalo, or beef (I used sweet Italian sausage--delicious!)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup wild rice, cooked

3 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon crushed dried sage

¼ teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut the top from the pumpkin and remove seeds and strings. Prick cavity with a fork and rub with 1 teaspoon of salt and the mustard. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add meat and onion and sauté over medium-high heat until browned. Off the heat, stir in wild rice, eggs, remaining salt, sage, and pepper. Stuff pumpkin with this mixture. Place ½ inch of water in the bottom of a shallow baking pan.

Put pumpkin in the pan and bake for 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Add more water to the pan as necessary to avoid sticking. Cut pumpkin into wedges, giving each person both pumpkin and stuffing.

Acorn Squash with Tortellini and Blue Cheese Sauce

2 Acorn Squash

2 T butter, melted

8 T shredded Parmesan Cheese

Salt

1 package cheese Tortellini, cooked one minute less than package directions, and drained

2 cups half and half

1 (15oz.) can pumpkin puree

2 T butter

One-half teaspoon salt

One-half teaspoon pepper

One-fourth teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

5 oz. Blue cheese crumbles

Fried sage leaves as garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Split squash long ways (from stem to tip) and remove seeds. Slice a little piece off bottom of each half to allow halves to sit flat. Place squash into foil lined pan. Brush inside with melted butter, sprinkle a little salt and about a tablespoon of parmesan cheese into each half. Cover pan with foil and bake for about 40 minutes, until flesh is tender, but squash still holds its shape.

Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions, but about a minute or two less than directed. Drain and set aside.

Add half and half, pumpkin, butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg and sage to sauce pan. Stir to combine over low heat. Finally, add blue cheese, stirring until blue cheese melts into sauce. Add cooked tortellini, and remove from heat.

Remove roasted squash from oven. With slotted spoon, add tortellini to each squash, drizzling a little more sauce over top.

Return to oven and bake another twenty minutes, sprinkling the remaining parmesan cheese over top during the last ten minutes.

Garnish with fried sage leaves, slice and serve.

(I sprinkled the top of these squash with pumpernickel bread crumbs, but they didn't add to the flavor of the dish, and I don't think they look very good, so I won't do that again!)

Pumpkin Cake

2011-10-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

I saw this cake being demonstrated by pastry chef Katherine Thompson on the Martha Stewart TV show. It was such a quick, easy cake I had to try it to see whether the taste could stand up to the ease of preparation. It did.

It's a very moist cake with lots of flavor and good texture. I even substituted one cup of whole wheat flour (I didn't have quite enough regular flour on hand) with no complaints. There's one more reason you should try this cake: it makes your house smell absolutely wonderful while it's baking and for several more hours after you take it out of the oven!

Nonstick cooking spray with flour

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

2 cups canned pumpkin puree

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

For The Creme Fraiche Glaze

3 tablespoons creme fraiche (I used sour cream)

3/4 to 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-to 10-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; set aside.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg together into a medium bowl; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together pumpkin, sugar, and eggs on medium speed. With the mixer running, slowly add oil. Add flour mixture and chocolate chips; mix on low speed until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and transfer to oven. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 70 to 80 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes before inverting cake onto rack or serving plate.

Make the creme fraiche glaze: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together creme fraiche and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add more confectioners' sugar as necessary to reach desired thickness. Drizzle glaze over cake and serve.

Fall Soups and a Sandwich

2011-10-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

As much as I love to cook, there are times when I'd rather not. That's when I either call for takeout, or fall back on simple, quick meals that don't require much thinking or cleanup. Two of my easy favorites are soups-- Spicy Thai Kale and Chickpea Stew and Chicken Soup with Barley. The chicken soup can also serve as a good cold remedy if you add special hot sauce and some extra garlic. More good news: both these meals are healthy, filled with vegetables, and neither break the calorie bank. I think 'good and good for you' is how the saying goes.

Salads are never a bad addition to round out a dinner meal, but grilled cheese sandwiches are especially nice with soup. I love apple slices on my grilled cheese. I saute thin apple slices in a little Smart Balance just to soften. Layer the apples between pieces of your favorite cheese and good bread and grill until the cheese melts. The result is so good you could almost call it dessert.

The next time you don't feel like cooking, try one of these quick recipes. You'll hardly notice you're in the kitchen.

Thai Stew with Chick Peas and Kale

(8 servings)

2 tablespoons Smart Balance butter

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 inches of ginger, peeled and chopped

One-half teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

One-half teaspoon salt

One-half teaspoon pepper

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup lite coconut milk

One-third cup pad Thai sauce

2 cans (16 oz. each) chick peas, drained

1 bunch of Kale, triple washed, center stem removed and kale chopped

Add Smart Balance to large soup pot over medium heat with chopped onion and sweet potato. Stir and cook until onion begins to soften. Add garlic, ginger, and spices and stir and cook another minute or two. Now add chicken broth, coconut milk, and Thai sauce and bring to a simmer. When soup is bubbling add chick peas and kale, stir to combine, cover and simmer over low heat for 35 minutes.

Serve over cooked barley (or rice), garnished with cilantro and red pepper strips.

This is also delicious served with blue cheese crumbles on top!

Grilled Cheese with Softened Apples

Chicken Soup with Barley

(adapted from Martha Stewart)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 carrots, diced

4 celery stalks, diced

1 medium sweet onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced (or more garlic if feeding a cold sufferer)

3 boneless chicken breasts cut into one-half to one inch pieces

Salt and pepper

6 cups chicken broth

5 thyme sprigs (remove stems after cooking)

1 cup quick cooking Barley

pinch of red pepper flakes

5 cups baby spinach leaves

Shredded Parmesan Cheese, optional

Mongolian Fire Oil, optional garnish (found in Asian food section) for cold sufferers

Add olive oil to large soup pot over medium heat. Stir in carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add chicken, salt and pepper, stir to combine and cook another two minutes, until chicken is becoming opaque on outer edges.

Add broth, thyme, barley and pepper flakes. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through and barley is tender, about 10-12 minutes.

Add spinach, cover and cook another minute or two until spinach is wilted.

Adjust to taste with salt and pepper and serve with shredded Parmesan cheese and Mongolian Fire Oil, if desired.

Shrimp and Baked Cheese Grits

2011-09-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

It's not unusual for the meals I cook to reflect my thoughts and feelings. Whether it's love I'm trying to share, excitement, joy, encouragement, or the need for simple comfort. What foods match my thoughts during this month commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11?

It's been ten years since we were attacked on American soil and so many lives were lost. Families and friends were devastated, and we as a nation were stunned, afraid, and not at all sure about what would happen next. Not only were we attacked, but it was a complete surprise, and it all happened right before our eyes. We watched in real time as the tragedy unfolded.

Some of us, and I fall into this category, went from being very naïve about our safety and security, to realizing just how vulnerable we are every day. I was over the half century mark, past the age of knowing better.

However, now that I look back, I realize I moved from one naïve mindset to another: after this life changing event, I believed our country would come together in brotherly love, working for the common good, righting past wrongs, moving forward united. It's never too late to begin.

As I watched the families and friends commemorate their losses of ten years ago I was reminded of the losses we have all suffered. No one is immune. There is no angel of the Lord passing down our streets marking the doorways of those who should be passed over. We're all vulnerable. Even more reason that we should be kinder and more caring.

It's fall, it's back to school, it's ballgames and changing leaves. It's hometown happenings with a family focus. Summer is over, and we're settling in. We're preparing for the colder months ahead. During this month of taking stock, I'm thinking of foods to share, foods to nurture, foods that say, “I care.”

My family's favorite recipe, the one they ask for more than any other, is my version of Shrimp and Grits. We've been eating it for as long as I can remember. It's good anytime of year. It's a great meal to share with friends or around the table with your family. Give it a try, and while you're sharing, think about how fortunate we are to live in this wonderful country, and what we need to do to preserve it.

Shrimp and Baked Cheese Grits

Shrimp:

2 lb. shrimp, cooked* , and peeled

One and one-half sticks butter, room temperature

3 tablespoons minced shallot

2 minced garlic cloves

Zest and Juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped chives

One-fourth tsp. Nutmeg

One-fourth tsp. red pepper

Three-fourths cup bread crumbs

*Boil shrimp in shells with bay leaf, quartered onion, and 3 tablespoons Old Bay or similar seafood seasoning mix in enough water to cover. Bring water to boil with bay leaf, onion and Old Bay. Add shrimp, cover pot and cook only 2 minutes, just until pink. Remove shrimp from water and cool immediately in ice bath to prevent further cooking. Drain. Peel and devein shrimp. Set aside.

Combine softened butter and remaining ingredients except bread crumbs, stirring and mashing together to combine. Put cooked shrimp in 9 x 9 inch casserole. Top evenly with butter mixture and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes (butter should be bubbling). Turn broiler on for just a minute to brown bread crumbs. Serve with Cheese Grits**

Baked Cheese Grits**

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups quick (NOT instant) grits

One-half stick butter

1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

One-half teaspoon Texas Pete

2 eggs

2 cups shredded cheese, half colby, have cheddar

Preheat oven to 375°.

Bring chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and slowly stir grits into simmering broth. Cover pan and reduce heat to low. Cook for seven minutes. Remove lid and whisk to remove any lumps. Add butter, Worcestershire sauce and Texas Pete, stirring to combine.

Beat the eggs in a small mixing bowl. Slowly add about a cup of hot grits to bowl to temper eggs, stirring to combine. Then add egg mixture back into grits, along with cheese, and stir well to combine.

Pour grits into buttered 9 x 13 inch casserole.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until grits are browned and puffed.

Beaufort Clams

2011-09-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

I've written before about my love for our new home-away-from-home. The friends we've made in this energetic community top my 'reasons why' list. Quickly following is the beauty of the area. No matter what time of year, it's a gorgeous place to be. Fighting for the number two spot is the food. There are so many good restaurants within walking distance of our house, not to mention frequent invitations to our neighbor's home just at the end of the street. Fred and Sue have given us such a good tutorial on the local fare. The other night we had clam chowder with cornmeal dumplings and fried cornbread (so I could try both). As I understand it, the cornmeal dumplings were cooked into everything with a broth, from beans to chowder, a generation or two ago.

My early exposure to seafood included fried catfish, occasionally grilled trout, and shrimp cocktail in a little glass jar found in the cold cut section of the grocery store. Oh, and fish sticks in the lunch room every Friday. Now, I can ride my bicycle to two fresh seafood markets. It's almost like heaven to me.

This week we enjoyed Clam Chowder with our neighbors, and then I made Beaufort Clam Soup with Cannellini Beans and Roasted Tomatoes. When the fresh, local clams are available, I can't help myself!

Beaufort Clam Soup with Cannellini Beans and Roasted Tomatoes (4 servings)

4 dozen fresh clams, cleaned (discard any clams that remain open)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cups chardonnay wine

1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained

1 can (15 oz.) fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice

2 tablespoons fresh basil cut into a chiffonade

Add butter and olive oil to wide bottomed pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, cook until transparent (3-4 minutes) and then add garlic and cook for another minutes, stirring to combine. Add parsley, red pepper flakes and wine. When wine is heated to a simmer (you may need to increase heat a bit) add clams and cover pot. Let clams steam in wine for about 5 minutes, until they open. May take an extra minute or two. Discard any clams that do not open.

Remove clams to separate serving bowls and add beans and tomatoes to pan. Stir to combine and simmer for a few minutes. Sprinkle basil over clams. Then spoon hot soup mixture over clams and serve with crusty bread.

Campfire Cookery

2011-09-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

I just read the book Campfire Cookery by Sarah Huck and Jaimee Young. 'Roughing it' never sounded so good.

My Dad was a dutch-oven master. We enjoyed his outdoor cooking over many years of wagon train vacations and weekend camping trips. His most popular dinner was Chicken with Dried Beef and Potatoes followed by Peach Cobbler. No one ever turned it down. They never said 'no' to his cornbread or biscuits, either!

And I can't tell you how many potatoes and onions I peeled over the years to satisfy the hungry faces around his breakfast fire. 'How you want your eggs?' was the question asked, but it was more of a polite morning greeting than a promise of giving a choice. They were always fried over easy, and served up with toast, fried potatoes and a big slice of tomato.

This new book, Campfire Cookery, throws a new light on camping meals. These ladies give all the needed tips on how to build and hold the fire, what type of wood produces the best coals, and the necessary cooking implements—all information you need to be a successful camp cook. But their recipes branch out with a near gourmet appeal.

Basic camp food is nothing short of delicious, even if it's a hotdog on a stick (as long as it's a good hotdog), but if you would like to take your campfire (or back deck) cooking to a new level, give this book a try. I'm sure you'll enjoy the new twists on old tried and true camping recipes, along with completely new ideas to tempt your adventurous side.

Pine-Smoked & Maple-

Glazed Wild Salmon

From CAMPFIRE COOKERY by SARAH HUCK AND JAIMEE YOUNG

PROVIDES 4 PORTIONS

For all the robustness of the ingredients of this dish, the end result

is notably delicate. One might ask, “Oh, but won’t the bracing scent of

pine make the dish taste of Christmas fir or, worse, freshly waxed parlor?” It

will not. The smoked needles impart a light, balsamic flavor akin to rosemary

(indeed one might substitute a bundle of that herb in this recipe), and the light

glaze allows the pine flavor to shine through. The overall effect proves an excellent

complement to the moist, flaky fish this cooking technique yields. Should

one desire a more intensely flavored glaze, one might make a bit extra to brush

over the fish before serving.

1 to 2 large handfuls green

pine needles

1/2 cup bourbon

1/2 cup grade-B, freshly

tapped maple syrup

3 tablespoons Dijon

mustard

2 teaspoons freshly milled

black pepper

Four 6-ounce salmon fillets,

patted dry

Kosher salt, to taste

One 9-inch round wire

cooling rack

1. Prepare a medium-high-heat fire, with

the flames occasionally licking the grill

grate. Let it burn for at least 30 minutes.

Whilst the fire heats, soak the pine

needles in the bourbon.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the syrup,

mustard, and pepper. Season the salmon

generously with salt and coat with the

glaze.

3. Place a large cast-iron skillet upon the

grill grate. Let it heat until very hot.

Using tongs or one’s own gloved hand,

press the needles into the bottom of the

skillet, taking care not to drizzle combustible

bourbon into the flames, and place

the rack on top of the needles. Place the

fish on top of the rack and cover the pan.

Cook until the fish is just opaque, about

15 minutes for medium. Serve, brushed

with additional glaze, if desired.

TOMATO AND CHEDDAR PIE

2011-08-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes are lining my window sill waiting to ripen. There are a few more on a cutting board ready for tomato sandwiches. Pasta Puttanesca is on the menu for the weekend. But today is all about Tomato Pie.

I just took my brand new August Bon Appetit out of its mailing wrapper, admiring the Blackberry and Lime Meringue Pie on the cover. All the while I was trying to figure out how I could work it into my daily choices of healthier foods—definitely a fruit source! This issue features pies of every sort. As I quickly thumbed through the magazine looking for the cover queen recipe my eyes locked on the picture of Tomato and Cheddar Pie. It wasn't nearly as pretty as the cover pie, which looked perfect and sported the elegance of Italian Meringue. No, the tomato pie picture looked sort of messy, slices were gone from the plate and I couldn't quite figure out the crust. Instantly, all thoughts of meringue and blackberries were fading and being replaced by my infatuation with tomato pie.

The recipe was on the next page and I liked the way it sounded—the crust was more like buttermilk biscuits rolled out like a pie crust. Tomatoes and two cheeses with a mayonnaise/dill sauce made up the filling. What could possibly be bad? Only one thing—a single slice had more calories than my entire dinner should contain.

I started reducing and substituting and produced a 'slimmer' pie that actually looked as tempting as its full figure counterpart. I'll probably never know if the original tastes that much better. Mine certainly satisfied my craving and far exceeded my expectations. I'll be using this recipe for brunches or company lunch for a long time to come!

Tomato and Cheddar Pie

(adapted from Bon Appetite August 2011 issue)

I changed a few things in the original recipe to make this a 'slimmer' pie: low-fat buttermilk and cheese, and only half the amount of mayonnaise filling. I don't think these changes harmed the results. I would also suggest trying a mozzarella/basil version, or adding bacon or pancetta. The possibilities are endless!

This is a sticky dough. I brought it together and briefly kneaded it while still in the bowl, then wrapped the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerated for an hour. When I was ready to roll the dough, I greased my hands with olive oil and coated the dough ball. I only used about three-fourths of the dough, which also helped reduce calories.

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

One and one-half teaspoons baking powder

One-half teaspoon baking soda

One-half teaspoon salt

6 T butter cut into small pieces and chilled

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Filling:

2 lbs. Large ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into one-fourth inch slices—place slices on paper towels to drain excess moisture

Two and one-half cups grated low-fat cheddar

One-fourth cup grated Parmesan

1 green onion, chopped

One-fourth cup mayonnaise

1 T freshly chopped dill

One-half tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. Sugar substitute

One-half tsp. Salt

One-fourth tsp. Pepper

One and one-half T cornmeal

For crust:

Whisk first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Using fingertips, rub in butter until coarse meal forms and some small lumps remain. Stir in buttermilk and knead gently with your hands until dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for one hour.

For Filling:

Preheat oven to 425°.

Use only three-fourths of the dough for the crust. Use the excess for individual tomato pie biscuits, or discard.

Roll out dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to an 11 inch round. Remove top layer of plastic wrap. Invert dough onto pie dish. Carefully peel off plastic wrap.

Toss both cheeses in a medium bowl until evenly mixed. Reserve one-fourth cup of cheese mixture. Whisk onion, mayo, dill, vinegar, sugar substitute, salt and pepper in small bowl.

Sprinkle cornmeal evenly over bottom of crust, then top with one-half cup cheese mixture. Arrange one-third of the tomatoes over cheese, overlapping as needed. Spread half the mayo mixture over the tomatoes. Repeat layering with 1 cup of cheese mixture, half the remaining tomato slices and the remaining mayo mixture. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese mixture over, then remaining tomato slices. Sprinkle with reserved one-fourth cup cheese mixture. Fold overhanging crust up and over the edges of tomato slices.

Bake pie until crust is golden and cheese is golden brown, 35-40 minutes (check crust halfway and tent with foil if it's getting too dark). Let pie cool before slicing. (Bon Appetit recommended resting 1-3 hours, but with less mayo mixture and using low-fat cheese, my pie was ready to slice by the time it had cooled.)

Quinoa and Kale

2011-07-25T16:51:00.001-07:00

I've posted this recipe before. I like it so much that I want to be sure everyone has seen it. If you're not familiar with Quinoa (keen-wah), let me catch you up.

Quinoa is a complete protein source with high levels of B vitamins, manganese, magnesium and iron. While the texture makes you think of eating a grain, quinoa really is a seed. Mixed with a phytonutrient-rich leafy green, you can't find a recipe that is much healthier! Then you add scallions, a little goat cheese or feta, olive oil, fresh lemon juice and zest, and pine nuts and you have a recipe filled with loads of complimenting flavors.

This recipe originated on the food blog Mostly Foodstuffs, and I think it's genius--one pot, twenty minutes total time, couldn't be easier or healthier, and it's really delicious!

I have substituted spinach and broccoli when kale isn't available, and it's equally as delicious and healthy.

Try it just once. I believe you'll enjoy it again and again!

Quinoa and Kale

(4 large servings, 7 Points Plus each)

1 cup quinoa

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 bunch kale, washed and chopped into 1" lengths

2 scallions, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese (for this Points Plus value, I used fat free feta)

salt and pepper

Bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil in a pot. Add the quinoa, cover, and lower the heat until it is just enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the kale and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam for 5 more minutes.
While the quinoa is cooking, take a large serving bowl and combine half of the lemon juice (reserving the other half), all of the lemon zest, scallions, olive oil, pine nuts, and cheese.

Check the quinoa and kale when the cooking time has completed -- the water should be absorbed, and the quinoa will be tender but firm, and the kale tender and bright green. If the quinoa still has a hard white center, you can steam a bit longer (adding more water if needed). When the quinoa and kale are done, fluff the pilaf, and tip it into the waiting bowl with the remaining ingredients. As the hot quinoa hits the scallions and lemon it should smell lovely. Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper, and the remaining lemon juice if needed.

Salmon Cakes

2011-07-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

Salmon Cakes

2 servings of two salmon cakes each

(6 Points Plus per serving)

8 oz. fresh salmon, roughly chopped

1 celery stalk, roughly chopped

2 scallions, roughly chopped

~1 inch ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped

One-fourth cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Zest from one lime

2 tsp. Nature's Seasons by Morton, or similar seasoning blend

1 egg

1 heaping tsp. Wasabi Sauce (I use Atlantic brand) or other wasabi product

One-half cup Panko Lemon Pepper flavored Crispy Bread Crumbs

1 T extra virgin olive oil

Lime wedges

Add salmon to food processor and pulse to chop. Add the next 8 ingredients and pulse until combined. Don't over-pulse. You want to be able to see the different elements.

Remove blade and add Panko, stirring to thoroughly combine.

Divide mixture into four equal parts. They will be very moist, so remove from food processor with a large spoon and add directly to hot pan.

Place nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When pan is hot, add salmon cakes. Cook for about 4 minutes per side without disturbing until ready to turn. Cakes should be nicely browned and firm before turning.

Serve with a wedge of lime.

Salmon Cakes with Dill Tzaziki Sauce

2 small cans wild Atlantic salmon, skinless and boneless

3 small scallions, chopped

One-half small can water-chestnuts, drained and diced or chopped celery

One-fourth tsp. pepper

One-half tsp. salt

1 T dried dill

1 T dried parsley

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 T lemon juice

One-third cup mayonnaise

1 egg, beaten

One and one-half cups saltine cracker crumbs

1 T extra virgin olive oil

Tzaziki Sauce*

Drain salmon well. Gently mix salmon, scallions, and water-chestnuts. Add pepper, salt, dill and parsley. Combine lemon zest and juice, mayonnaise and egg. Fold egg mixture into salmon mixture. Finally, add cracker crumbs and stir together with a fork. Form into eight patties.

Add olive oil to nonstick skillet over medium heat. When olive oil is hot, add patties. Cook on each side for four to five minutes, until browned and cooked through.

Serve with Tzaziki Sauce.

*Tzaziki Sauce

1 cup low fat Greek yogurt, drained

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)

1 T dried dill

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash cayenne

One-half cucumber, peeled and seeded, grated and drained (optional)

Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Peanut Butter Banana Pie

2011-07-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

This has to be the best really easy summer dessert in my collection of recipes. If you know of one that's as easy and is actually better, please let me know. Remember, I have a special affinity for anything 'banana'. I don't think anyone would complain if you added coconut to the bananas and garnished with coconut instead of peanuts and M&M's. I was catering to the younger crowd with this one.
Just a few hours in the freezer and you're ready to serve. Plus, it makes two pies--one for today, and another for tomorrow or to share with a friend.

As you can see, the ingredients are basic and there's nothing to cook. This would be a good recipe for the young aspiring chefs in your family. They could even do it themselves.

(For my Point Counting Friends, use Splenda Brown Sugar, reduced fat and fat free products and skip the garnish!)

Peanut Butter and Banana Pie

(makes 2 pies)

2 pre-made chocolate cookie crumb pie shells (I used Keebler's Ready Made Chocolate)

One and one-half cups brown sugar

8 oz. Cream cheese

1 cup good peanut butter (you chose, smooth or crunchy)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 large container (12oz.) cool whip

3 bananas

Prepared chocolate syrup (I used Reese's Shell syrup)

Extra cool whip, chopped peanuts, and M & M's for garnish, optional

Beat brown sugar, cream cheese, peanut butter and vanilla until well combined. Beat in half the cool whip, then fold in the remaining cool whip. (Don't forget to lick the beaters!)

Slice bananas, and divide equally between pie shells, covering the bottoms.

Pour peanut butter mixture over bananas. (Share licking the bowl!)

Cover and freeze.

Remove from freezer and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. This is an important step!

Serve with extra cool whip, chopped peanuts, M & M's and chocolate syrup as garnish (optional).

ENJOY!!

Summer Supper

2011-06-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

Grilled Flank Steak with Peppers and Onions

Tex-Mex Couscous

It was bound to happen sooner or later. There was an intervention in the making.

For our family, summer means lots of water fun (requiring a bathing suit) and forcing a reality check resulting from a winter of over indulgence and hardy eating. I don't know which is worse, trying to fit into last years Esther Williams one piece skirt type bathing dress or shopping for a new one.

All the good intentions in the world haven't controlled my appetite, so my family intervened. Weight Watchers, Annelle. You're going to Weight Watchers. I'm already a lifetime member. And I've used the program several times in the last 30 years to whip myself back in shape, but things have been so crazy lately, I couldn't imagine making it work, again. Never underestimate the power of a determined family.

Long story short, most of the recipes for the next few months will be a little lighter, a lot fresher and perfect for this hot summer weather. I say 'most' because there will be indulgences. My goal is to make the indulgences worth their weight.

I do know that the Weight Watchers plan is a way of eating that can easily translate to the rest of the family. It's healthy, varied and satisfying. It you've looked at the new USDA Food Plate (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/), you'll notice an uncanny similarity. The only difference between a good healthy diet and the Weight Watchers diet is a firm grip on portion control.

Yes, the secret is still healthy eating with portion control, moderate exercise, and a respectable amount of water. I should have it tattooed on my arm.

Grilled Flank Steak with Onions and Peppers

(6 servings)

One and one-half lbs. Flank steak

4 T Worcestershire sauce

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cumin

2 tsp. Stubbs Chili-lime rub (or your favorite Tex-Mex seasoning)

Add Worcestershire sauce, oil, salt, cumin and seasoning to zip lock bag and swish to combine. Add flank steak and refrigerate for several hours.

Grill over medium coals for about 5-6 minutes per side, for medium rare. Remove meat to platter, cover with foil and set aside to rest.

2 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (10 oz.) can Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Chilies (I recommend 'mild')

One-half tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Stubbs Chile-lime Spice Rub (or your favorite Tex-Mex seasoning)

One-half tsp. Chipotle Chile Pepper (or just plan Chili powder)

Add olive oil to pan over medium heat. Add peppers and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until becoming tender. Then add garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Finally add the can of diced tomatoes and chiles and seasoning, turn the heat down and let simmer until most of the liquid is gone.

Slice the flank steak thinly across the grain of the meat. Add to cooked vegetables.

Serve with tortillas and cheese.

Tex-Mex Couscous Salad

This is a slightly modified Weight Watchers recipe. I'll guarantee you'll prepare it again and again!

(6 servings)

three-fourths cup Original Plain Couscous, prepared as directed on box, fluffed, and cooled to room temperature

1 cup chopped tomatoes that have been seeded

1 cup peeled, chopped English cucumber

2 scallions, diced

one-third cup chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of one lime

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

three-fourths tsp. Salt

One-half tsp. Cumin

1 avocado, diced

When couscous is cool, add tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions, and cilantro and toss to mix. Add lime juice, olive oil, salt and cumin and toss again. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Dice avocado and add to salad just before serving.

Pecan Encrusted Grouper

2011-06-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

Our family has been enjoying summer vacations on the North Carolina coast since our now grown children were babies. Over the years we developed a routine of spending one day during the vacation in Beaufort, North Carolina, a little fishing village founded in 1709. Our favorite pass-time was sitting on the dock watching the boats come and go. It's such a peaceful place, but for the energetic there's plenty more to do!

The Beaufort Mariner's Museum recently opened a new exhibit featuring the Queen Anne's Revenge—Black Beard's Pirate Ship which came to its final resting place at the bottom of the ocean just off the Beaufort coast. Pirate lore is a big part of the mystique of Beaufort. If you don't believe it, take the evening Ghost Tour.

An old English double decker bus gives daily tours of the beautiful old homes, gardens, churches and cemeteries which are part of the Beaufort Historical Society. The tour ends at a small village area that has been restored to give visitors an idea of life in the seaside town during the 1700's.

There is boat building at the Watercraft Center. Wild horses graze on Shackleford Banks and Carrot Island which is only a few hundred yards across the waterway from the dock. Water taxis travel back and forth to Cape Lookout Light House just on the other side of Shackleford Banks.

There's also wonderful food. Each little restaurant has it's own specialty—oysters from Sharpies, crab cakes from Still Water, shrimp salad from Spouters, lemon meringue pie from Clawsons, Tuna Napoleon from Beaufort Grocery, Caesar Salad and a variety of small plates from Aqua, just to name a few of the culinary temptations you'll find.

I couldn't resist trying to recreate some of our family favorites. Grouper is a fish we often order, and this is how I like to dish it up at home. Thanks to Chef Charles Park from Beaufort Grocery for teaching me the basics! Hope you enjoy!

Pecan Encrusted Grouper with Browned Butter Sauce

4 Grouper filets (~6oz/each and ~one and one-half inches thick)

(You can certainly use another mild fish, even tilapia, but you will have to adjust the cooking time according to the thickness. )

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Olive oil

6 T butter, divided

one-half cup small pecan pieces (I pulsed pecan halves in a food processor several times)

12 grape tomatoes, halved

2 tsp. Grey Poupon mustard

Preheat oven to 400°.

Gently dry fish with a paper towel, then add a small amount of olive oil lightly coating each piece. Salt and pepper both sides of fish.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil and two tablespoons of butter in an oven proof skillet over medium heat.

Pour pecans into a shallow dish and coat each piece of fish, pressing the fish into the pecans so they will adhere.

Place coated fish pieces into heated pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, until underside is browning. Turn fish and place pan in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, add remaining butter to small pan over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes stirring occasionally. Cook until butter begins to foam. Remove from heat when it begins to brown and stir in the mustard. Set sauce aside.

Serve fish over rice with sauteed spinach. Top with browned butter sauce.

(I added a few tender asparagus tips to the sauce.)

Fresh Fruit Tarts

2011-05-19T18:55:00.001-07:00

And now, a dessert thrown in for good measure. These tarts are of the 'almost homemade' persuasion, and very similar to the Coconut Cream Tarts I made last spring. I only exchanged toasted coconut for fresh fruit. These little sweet bites would make a colorful dessert for July 4th. Eating one won't ruin your diet, if you can really eat only one!

Fresh Fruit Tarts

1 pkg. (24) refrigerated cookie dough

1 small pkg. Instant vanilla pudding mix

One and one-half cups whipping cream

One-half cup half and half

1 T almond flavoring

Strawberries capped and sliced vertically

Blueberries

Prepared whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray muffin tins with Pam

Sprinkle flour over counter. Roll each cookie (keep cookie dough very cold) into thin round and place in muffin tin. (You can also flour your hands, and pat each dough piece between palms into rounds.)

Bake for 16 minutes, or until beginning to turn golden.

Leave in muffin tin for a couple of minutes, until firmly set, then remove to wire rack and cool.

Combine pudding mix, whipping cream, half and half, and almond flavoring until well combined and thickened. Place in refrigerator until ready to assemble.

Cover the bottom of each cookie tart with about two teaspoons of pudding.

Fill the center of each tart with blueberries, and add three strawberry slices around outside edge.

Add a dollop (or squirt) of whipped cream and top with one blueberry.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pimento Cheese Rolls

2011-05-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

Pimento Cheese Rolls

This is a variation of the mayonnaise rolls my mother-in-law used to make. They were so delicious, and easy. But wait until you try them with added cheese, pimento and a couple of secret ingredients I'm going to share. Add a little butter to the warm roll and they are downright decadent!

Pimento Cheese Rolls

2 cups self-rising flour

One-fourth cup mayonnaise (I use Dukes!)

1 cup buttermilk

2 T finely chopped pimento, very well drained

1 tsp. Smoked paprika

Dash hot sauce (I use Tabasco)

Dash Worcestershire Sauce

1 cup shredded Havarti cheese (or your choice)

Preheat oven to 450°.

Spray muffin tin with Pam.

Combine mayonnaise, buttermilk, pimento, paprika, hot sauce, Worcestershire Sauce and shredded cheese. Add flour and stir make thick batter.

Dip about one-third cup batter into each of twelve muffin cups.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden on top and feel firm.

Serve warm with butter.

Crab Cakes with Mango-Pineapple Salsa

2011-05-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

Crab Cakes with Mango-Pineapple Salsa for a Special Birthday!

It's a busy time. May and early June compete with December for the busiest months of the year. If you're entertaining, especially for a brunch, luncheon, or even a lazy Saturday morning get together, I have three recipes you're going to love. This menu would also be perfect for a bridal shower, a graduation celebration--just about any special event.

These are two of my favorite recipes, with a dessert thrown in for good measure. I first made the crab cakes for a special friend's birthday celebration. We combined some of our favorite mild flavors with the crab meat, and left out all the ingredients we don't like in most restaurant crab cakes. I've never understood why Old Bay seasoning and red and green peppers are added to crab meat—a mild, delicately flavored meat that is easily over-powered. And frankly, the salsa combination may be the best blend of flavors I've ever tasted. It compliments the crab cakes perfectly.

Next up: Pimento Cheese Rolls and Fresh Fruit Tarts!

Crab Cakes

(makes 10 large crab cakes or 20 appetizer size)

1 lb. lump crabmeat

1 large egg

one-half tsp. salt

one-fourth tsp. pepper

3 T mayonnaise

1 T grated fresh ginger

3 scallions, finely chopped

one-half cup finely chopped jicama or firm Asian pear, peeled

three-fourths cup small toasted pecan pieces

2 cups breadcrumbs, divided

Peanut oil

Lightly beat egg with salt and pepper. Mix in the mayonnaise. Add ginger, scallions, jicama and pecans. Gently fold in crabmeat and half of the breadcrumbs.

Firmly form into cakes (about one-half cup each), and lightly bread each one with remaining breadcrumbs.

Place crab cakes on covered sheet pan in refrigerator until ready to fry.

Pour about 1 inch of peanut oil into deep sided heavy skillet over medium high heat. Fry crab cakes without crowding in two or three batches for about 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown, turning once. (Fry until firmly browned on bottom, then carefully turn.)

Serve with Pineapple Mango Salsa.

Pineapple Mango Salsa

1 mango peeled and diced

Equal amount of diced fresh pineapple

Juice and zest of 2 limes

2 T finely chopped cilantro

3 T orange marmalade

Mix all ingredients together in food processor. Pulse several times, but leave little solid pieces of fruit. Cover and chill.

Spring Chicken for Easter

2011-04-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

SPRING CHICKEN for YOUR EASTER TABLE

I know ham is the traditional Easter dish, but this year we're having Spring Chicken. If you feel obligated to serve ham, you might want to consider adding these chicken and vegetable dishes to your Easter table.

You can bake a whole chicken using this recipe, but my family is partial to the white meat, so I did a little recalculating and transcribed it into white meat only. You could also use a turkey breast and adjust the baking time according to the weight of the breast. This is such a versatile recipe, and when you're done, you have everything except dessert in one pan in the oven.

There's also a nice surprise at the end of this recipe if you plan carefully: Spring Chicken Potato Salad. This was one of those happy accidents made from leftovers. I love chicken salad, and I love potato salad, but I had never thought of combining the two. Turns out, it's a great combination. Add boiled eggs, celery, onions and dressing and tomorrow's dinner is done.

The method of cooking corn in this recipe was a nice surprise, too! I'll be using it again, especially when I want corn on the cob for a crowd. Add lemon pieces, thyme and about an inch of chicken (or vegetable) stock to a baking pan large enough to hold your corn in one layer. Salt and pepper generously and drizzle with a little olive oil. It takes about an hour for the corn to become nice and tender and absorb all those great flavors. No need for adding any condiments before eating. (Turn the corn several times while cooking.)

It doesn't have to be Easter to enjoy this food around your table!

Spring Chicken

4 large chicken breasts with skin and bones

2 lemons

Several sprigs of Thyme

Salt and pepper

1 cup chicken broth

Olive oil

4 small ears of corn, shucked and cleaned

4 small potatoes, halved

1 bunch of asparagus

Preheat oven to 350°.

Wash the chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Slice lemons into thick pieces. Squeeze a good amount of the juice over both sides of the chicken catching the excess juice in a bowl. Place the breasts in a roasting pan, salt and pepper both sidesliberally, slip a couple of lemon slices under the skin of each breast along with a sprig of thyme. Place chicken skin side down in the pan and cook for fifteen minutes.

Remove pan, turn the chicken pieces over. Add corn to roasting pan between chicken pieces. Pour chicken broth into bottom of pan and add any remaining lemon pieces (even the squeezed ones) and thyme sprigs. Drizzle remaining lemon juice over the chicken. Then drizzle a small amount of olive oil over chicken and corn. Return to oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the corn occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a small pan of salted water, cook potatoes just until barely tender, not fully cooked. Remove potatoes from water and add to roaster pan with some extra salt and pepper and a little drizzle of olive oil. Should be in the roasting pan about 45 minutes.

Place asparagus into same water you used to cook the potatoes. Boil for a couple of minutes, drain and set aside.

During last ten minutes of roasting chicken, add asparagus to the tops of chicken breasts.

Don't forget to serve pan juices with the meal!

Spring Chicken Potato Salad

2 cups cooked chicken, cut into medium sized cubes

3 celery stalks, diced

2 cooked potatoes, cut into medium sized cubes

3 boiled eggs, cut into large dice

One-fourth cup red onion, small dice

One-fourth cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

One-half cup mayonnaise (Dukes)

One-half teaspoon salt

One-fourth teaspoon pepper

1 T seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. Minced fresh thyme

Add red onion to small bowl with one-fourth cup rice wine vinegar and three or four ice cubes. Stir and set aside while you prepare the rest of your salad.

Combine chicken, celery, potatoes and eggs in large mixing bowl.

Combine mayonnaise, salt, pepper, a tablespoon of rice wine vinegar and minced thyme.

Drain onions well, and add to chicken. Then dress the chicken salad with mayonnaise mixture, tossing gently completely combine.

Serve with fresh baby greens and toasted bread.

It's delicious!

SPRING FRITTATAS

2011-03-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

Pair asparagus, the Queen of the spring garden, with eggs for a meal suitable for any vernal table. I avoided the frittata, an Italian dish very similar to a large omelet, until I owned a frittata pan. Now that I have the pan, I realize it's totally unnecessary. Any non-stick skillet or well seasoned iron skillet will work. If you use the oven to finish the dish you don't have to do any flipping, which is the purpose of the frittata pan.

There are so many ways to use a frittata: appetizer, side dish, or full blown main course. By adding different vegetables and cheeses you can literally have hundreds of combinations. Be adventurous and try your favorites. I recommend precooking any vegetables, and draining well before adding to the egg mixture. The frittata cooking time really isn't long enough to completely cook a vegetable.

You can also add cooked meats, for example bacon, sausage, ham, chicken, salmon, to the egg mixture before cooking. The possibilities are endless, and have led to a parade of frittatas through our kitchen in recent weeks.

Spring Frittata

2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced, then cut the slices in half

2 T extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Freshly ground pepper

4 green onions, roughly chopped (save some of the greens for garnish)

6 slices of bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled

16 small asparagus spears, cut to about 5 inches

10 fresh eggs

One-half cup heavy cream

2 T fresh thyme leaves, plus a little more for garnish

One-half cup blue cheese crumbles

Preheat oven to 375°.

Add the olive oil to a ten inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place potato slices over the bottom of the pan, cook for a couple of minutes and turn before adding another layer of potatoes. Keep turning until they've all had a turn on the bottom of the pan and are lightly browning and tender, about ten minutes total. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the green onions and crumbled cooked bacon. Stir to combine and cook for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile bring salted water to a boil in a small saucepan, and blanch asparagus for a couple of minutes. Remove to paper towel and drain well.Beat eggs with heavy cream, thyme, salt and pepper.

Pour egg mixture over the potatoes in the skillet and stir around to separate potatoes. Fan the asparagus on top of the egg mixture.

Put pan in oven and bake for about ten minutes. Then add blue cheese to top and continue baking for another ten minutes, or until eggs are set.

Slip frittata to serving dish, garnish with onion greens and thyme. Slice and serve.

Corned Beef Two Ways for St. Patty's Day

2011-03-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

For St. Patty's Day we're skipping the traditional corned beef and cabbage and going straight to Reubens. A good Reuben sandwich is hard to beat. I tried to find a little history, but no one seemed to have a definitive answer. It probably happened just as our Reubens do: left over corned beef with added ingredients that naturally compliment the meat flavor. Corned beef and cabbage have always been a good pairing, but corned beef and sauerkraut: priceless. Add good bread, I prefer pumpernickel instead of rye, Russian dressing and swiss cheese, plus grilling the sandwich with butter and you have the perfect Reuben. Serve your Reuben with dill pickles and Leek and Potato Gratin for a full meal.

If you want the traditional meal, begin exactly the same way—with a good corned beef brisket. I rinse the meat and cut off the excess fat cap. My brisket weighed 3 lbs. I put it in my heavy stock pot, covered it with beef broth, added the spice packet and a quartered onion and simmered on low for 2 ½ to 3 hours. For sandwiches, remove the brisket from the broth and let it rest for fifteen or twenty minutes before slicing. Thinly slice, sprinkle with a little cooking broth and cover until ready to make the sandwiches.

If you're going the traditional route, I usually cook the meat a little longer, and add halved red potatoes, carrot pieces and cabbage during the last hour of cooking. Either way, corned beef is a great way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day around the table.

Leek and Potato Gratin
(I saw this recipe in the New York Times, and then changed, using the ingredients I had on hand.)

3 leeks, remove the tops and discard

6 T butter, divided

2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Salt and Pepper

1 cup sour cream

One-fourth cup milk or cream

One-half teaspoon dried thyme, or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

One and one-half cups shredded cheese of choice (cheddar, gruyere, asiago, parmesan)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Slice leeks open lengthwise and rinse under running water. Dry with paper towel.

Cut into quarter inch rings.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to saute pan over medium heat.

Saute leeks in butter until softened.

Salt and pepper potato slices, add about a tablespoon of melted butter and mix potatoes well with hands, coating and separating slices.

Butter casserole dish.

Layer potatoes into dish and cover with leeks.

Heat sour cream, milk, remaining butter and thyme in pan that held leeks. When warm, add cheese, stirring until cheese combines with cream. Taste for salt and pepper.

Pour mixture on top of leeks.

Cover casserole with foil and bake for one hour, or until potatoes are tender.

Reuben Sandwiches

3 lb. Corned beef brisket with spice packet

2 quarts beef broth (or enough to cover brisket)

1 onion, quartered

Russian Dressing*

Prepared Sauerkraut (I used Kroger brand refrigerated section)

Spicy Brown Mustard

2 lb. Swiss cheese sandwich slices

1 stick butter, melted

1 loaf Rye bread (I prefer marbled rye or pumpernickel), sliced

Dill pickles

Cook brisket in beef broth with added spice packet and onion for about 3 hours, on low heat at a slow simmer, slightly covered.

Remove brisket and tent with foil, letting it rest until ready to slice.

Heat heavy iron skillet or grill pan. Butter outside of both pieces of bread for one sandwich. Spread Russian dressing thinly on inside of each piece of bread. Add a little spicy mustard to inside of slice.

Build sandwich beginning with bottom slice of bread, swiss cheese, thin layer of sauerkraut, several slices of corned beef, another slice of cheese and then the top of the sandwich.

Grill on each side until bread is toasted, and cheese is melted.

Serve with dill pickles.

*Russian Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

One-fourth cup chili sauce

1 shallot, finely minced

2 T sweet pickle relish

1 T Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp. Prepared horseradish

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Mai Fun in March

2011-03-02T08:09:00.000-08:00

Try something new this spring! It may be too early to plant, but it's never to early to plan. I saved the seeds from a little Sprite Melon last year. I love the small size and pear/honeydew flavor. It's time to get the seeds started inside. I'm going to plant some in peat pots, and later I'll try some seeds directly into the warm ground. We'll see which works best. Look for the Sprite Melon at your farmer's market in a couple of months. It's a fairly new melon being grown predominantly in North Carolina.

How about a new hobby that would make you a provider of locally grown food? When I drove by the feed and seed store last week and saw their sign, I began thinking about an old dream to have honeybees—bees that would produce wonderful honey made from the surrounding field flowers. This idea has been in the back of my mind for a long time.

There are clubs for beekeepers dedicated to raising and protecting the honeybee in Southwest Virginia. Since the honeybee is essential to pollinate many crops, there are even grants for more serious entrepreneurs. Call the Virginia Cooperative Extension for more information, or stop by your farm supply store.

Meanwhile, here's something new and a little different to make at home. Mai Fun doesn't have to come in a box. I'm not a big fan of 'almost homemade' because it usually leads to an 'almost good' result, but for this recipe I did use some packaged products.

House Fried Mai Fun with Chicken and Vegetables

1 lb. Skinless chicken thighs

Asian Orange Ginger Stir Fry Sauce (I use La Choy) or other similar sauce of choice

1 quart Chicken Broth

2 cups small broccoli florets

1 cup small carrot sticks

6 oz. Mai Fun (thin rice noodles)

2 T vegetable oil

3 spring onions, including greens, chopped

1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained

2 eggs

1 (¾ ounce) package Fried Rice Seasoning Mix or other similar seasoning mix (I use Sun-Bird)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray casserole dish with Pam.

Coat chicken thighs with Orange Ginger Sauce, place in casserole and bake until meat is tender, and coming away from bone, about 45 minutes. Remove from dish, and when cool enough to handle, remove meat from the bones and shred it. Return shredded meat to drippings left in casserole.

Add broth to sauce pan, bring it to a simmer, add broccoli and carrots and blanch, cooking for only a few minutes. Drain, setting vegetables aside, and save hot broth.

Soften noodles by covering them with the very hot broth. Allow them to stand for ten minutes. Drain noodles, saving one-fourth cup broth.

In large nonstick skillet add oil over medium-high heat. Add drained noodles and onions and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Next, add seasoning mix and reserved one-fourth cup broth and stir to combine. Push noodles to the side and add eggs, cooking just until scrambled, then stir them into noodles.

Finally, add blanched vegetables, chicken and water chestnuts to noodles. Stir to combine and heat through.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

2011-02-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

1 head fresh cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets

1 head fresh broccoli cut into bite-sized florets

1 sweet onion, cut into sixteenths

2 sweet red peppers, cut into sixteenths

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2-3 tablespoons

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 cup pecan pieces

2 cups orzo (rice shaped pasta), cooked as directed in salted water and drained

One-half stick butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup grated parmesan, plus extra for garnish

Lemon slices for garnish

Preheat oven to 430°.

Combine vegetables in large mixing bowl. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to completely coat.

Spread in one layer onto large sheet pan covered with foil for easy cleanup.

Roast for about 45 minutes or until vegetables begin to toast on the edges. Turn several times with tongs while cooking.

Add pecans (you can use other nuts, ie pine nuts or walnuts, but pecans are a good choice) during the last 15 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, cook orzo according to package directions.

Drain and add butter, cut into small pieces, and grated parmesan. Toss to combine.

Toss in roasted vegetables.

Garnish with extra parmesan cheese curls.

Serve immediately with a slice of fresh lemon.

Cooking with Intention

2011-02-17T05:41:00.000-08:00

LOVE MAKES the WORLD GO 'ROUND...

Valentine's Day 2011 is now just a memory: chocolates, flowers, romantic dinners and Cupid's arrows have come and gone. I'm left with a couple of extra pounds and some really good food memories. Valentine's Day and my birthday are so close together, I get a double dose and love every bite. The next time you're trying to think of a good gift, consider one of these 'food' ideas.

Candy is not just for Valentine's Day, especially not these unique chocolates. Norman Love Confections (www.normanloveconfections.com) are not only unbelievably delicious, but each piece is like a work of art. A favorite is their intense dark chocolate infused with jalapeno pepper. Burdick Chocolates (www.burdickchocolate.com) are miniature bite sized pieces (no sharing!). The wooden box is filled with miniature chocolates, each little bite revealing a big surprise, like the white chocolate ganache infused with lemongrass and a hint of vodka, garnished with pink peppercorns.

I also received a cheese tasting from the wonderful Murray's Cheese on Bleeker Street in New York City along with their famous cheese straws. The cheeses were specifically chosen for me by one of their cheese experts (www.murrayscheese.com). All you have to do is call, and ask. They will help you select the perfect cheese.

The next one is really unique: a container, overnighted by Fedex, of Rice Pudding (The Edge of Rum Raisin was our flavor) from Rice to Riches. There are over thirty flavor choices, shipped chilled in a special bowl with spoons designed for proper eating, and directions to ensure that you enjoy every morsel. I'm not kidding, it is so delicious I'm not even going to try to recreate. I'll let the masters orchestrate their magic (www.ricetoriches.com).

Box number five held a collection of artisanal mustards from the Lusty Monk (www.lustymonk.com), beginning with Altar Boy, a honey mustard with plenty of spunk, and progressing to Original Sin, guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes if not eaten with respect. There was a mustard to suit everyone's taste.

Finally, my daughter baked one of her famous cream cheese pound cakes for the big number birthday. She used a new cake pan shaped like a giant cupcake. The result was a cake sized cupcake with chocolate ganache and gold sprinkles. It was delicious and beautiful. Maybe the best cream cheese pound cake she's ever made. Her explanation for why this particular cake was better than usual was most interesting. She said she baked that cake with intention, with thoughtful love intention.

Does intention really make a difference when we cook? I've always thought so and hoped so, but now I have proof. Cooking with love does make a difference, whether it's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich tucked into a lunch box or an elaborate meal served on your best china. Or even an elaborate meal at your dining room table on your best china with a jar of peanut butter on the side, just incase the rich food doesn't suit everyone. It's the intention that matters. And it's always who's around that table rather than what's on it that really makes the difference. After all, LOVE DOES MAKE THE WORLD GO 'ROUND.

Thank you for all the love!!

Making Memories

2011-01-24T06:54:00.000-08:00

Making Memories

Vegetable beef soup has been on everybody's menu lately. Nothing goes better with a wintery-mix than a big pot of soup. If you haven't already satisfied your comfort food cravings, you're in luck: the meteorologists are predicting more of the same.

I've been at home in Galax for the last couple of months. The first week it snowed just enough to give everything a good covering. The wind blew, the temperatures dropped and everything froze right where it stood. It was like a time warp for me. The roads were slick and a little dangerous, so I shifted into four-wheel drive and headed to the grocery store for the necessary ingredients: stew beef, onions, celery, carrots, canned tomatoes, potatoes, and my frozen vegetables of choice. By the time I got home it was already mid-day, and I knew the beef needed to be stewing to be tender by dinnertime.

I was moving around the kitchen pretty quickly when Mama pulled out her pressure cooker. I owned a pressure cooker once in early marriage, but was so fearful of its energy that I sold it in a yard sale. Mama is fearless, as were my grandmothers. She seasoned the meat with salt and pepper, roughly chopped some celery and half an onion, and added it all to the pot with beef broth and a good amount of butter and brought it up to a simmer. She clamped that lid down like she's done hundreds of times before, stuck the jiggle thing (pressure gauge) on and turned up the heat. When it started jiggling, she turned the heat down and let it cook gently for thirty minutes.

Meanwhile the smell of our evening meal filled the house and brought back so many memories of years gone by: snowy days playing outside until every pair of gloves and all my socks were icy wet; being pulled all over town on the sleigh hitched to Daddy's German Shepherd, Flint; having to be 'swept' clean of snow by the back porch broom before entering the warm house that smelled of soup—those were the days, the really wonderful days of my winter childhood. The memories came flooding back as that pressure cooker jiggled on the stove.

After the first few weeks, our soup started coming in a different way: it was delivered by our wonderful friends and neighbors in big containers, with cornbread wrapped separately for whoever needed a comforting, sustaining meal.

All this vegetable soup and cornbread sustained us, and Daddy loved it. It was probably the very last thing Daddy really enjoyed eating.

Perry, Daddy, Goose, Papa: he gave us all the tools to carry on with a great life. Now it's up to us.

Let's Have Brunch!

2011-01-02T09:33:00.000-08:00

Tuscan Eggs on Toast with Pesto

Eggs Poaching in Tomato Sauce

What's for brunch on a dreary weekend?

We had eggs poached in a very basic tomato sauce, covered with fresh mozzarella and prosciutto, and served on a piece of artisan whole grain toast with pesto. Add the Sunday paper, or even your favorite Sunday morning TV (we enjoyed Joel Osteen this morning) and the day doesn't seem quite so dreary anymore.

Tuscan Eggs with Pesto Toast

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1/2 sweet onion, diced

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. sugar

2 T freshly chopped parsley

2 (15 oz.) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes

6 eggs

6 pieces of prosciutto

6 pieces of fresh mozzarella

6 pieces of artisan whole grain bread

Pesto for toast

Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish

Add olive oil to large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft and translucent. Then add parsley, salt, sugar and tomatoes (juice and all). Stir and simmer for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Next, push away a little area in the tomato sauce and break an egg into it. Repeat with the other eggs, cover the pan and simmer until eggs are cooked to your preference. Cover egg with a piece of prosciutto and mozzarella and a little pinch of chopped parsley, and cover again until cheese melts.

Slice bread, toast, and then spread with pesto. Top with a little fresh parmesan.

To serve, place an egg and some extra sauce on each piece of toast.

Collard Greens-Black-Eyed Peas-Country Ham-Cornbread

2010-12-31T06:23:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 2011!

Our family traditions spill directly into the New Year. I'm just now realizing how comforting a lifetime of traditions can be. They are the glue for our widespread family. Even when circumstances keep us apart geographically, we know the drill. Some traditions are our own, some we share because of our Southern Heritage, and some we have picked up from new family and friends. No matter whether they're old or new, our traditions, along with lots of love, hold our family together.

For many, the New Year signals a rededication to healthy eating and living. We don't restrict our health consciousness to January. You can do that anytime of year—any day is good.

But we do begin the New Year with a traditional meal of collard greens, black eyes peas and ham, signifying money, luck and good health. I personally can't imagine not having this meal on January 1^st. I've changed it up a little, with Collard Greens and Ham Soup garnished by my version of Hoppin' John: black eyed peas combined with chow-chow. Add cornbread, cooked in my grandmother's old black cast iron skillet, and you have our traditional New Year's Day meal. It's OK if you don't eat it on January 1^st. As long as you consume during the month of January, you're giving yourself the chance for a year filled with prosperity, luck and good health.

Happy 2011!

New Year's Collard Greens and Country Ham Soup with Black Eyed Pea Chowchow

Having the 'pot likker (vitamin rich broth from cooking greens)' in the soup is a little like 'having your cake and eating it, too'. The pot likker was my grandmother's favorite part of a pot of greens.

1 T canola oil

1 sweet onion, diced

~10 oz. Country Ham trimmings (more lean than fat)

1 lb. Trimmed Winter Collard Greens (center stem removed, rolled and cut into strips)

One teaspoon tabasco, or more to taste

6 cups water

Salt to taste

1 tsp. Black pepper

pinch of Sugar

2 cups cooked white rice

2 cups cooked black eyed pea chowchow* for garnish

Add canola oil to large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onions with ham until onions are soft and translucent. Add collards, stirring to coat and wilt down. Add tabasco, water, salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover pot with lid slightly ajar, and cook for about 2 hours.

Check seasoning, add cooked rice and serve with Black Eyed Pea Chowchow and cornbread.

*Black Eyed Pea Chowchow

1 tsp. Canola oil

2 strips bacon, diced

One-half sweet onion, diced

2 cups frozen black eyed peas

One and one-half cups water

1 tsp. Salt

One-half cup chowchow

Add canola oil to medium sized pot over medium heat. Add diced pieces of bacon and cook until beginning to brown, stirring occasionally. Add diced onion, and continue to cook until onions are soft and translucent. Now, add the black eyed peas and stir to coat with bacon drippings, then add water and salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover with lid ajar to simmer and cook until peas are tender, about 40 minutes.

Drain peas, onion and bacon (you can add the remaining cooking liquid to your Collard and Ham Soup.)

Combine pea mixture with chowchow and serve as a garnish to soup.

BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD

(The buttermilk makes this a nice, moist cornbread.)

3 cups self-rising stone ground corn meal (ie House Autry Self-Rising Cornmeal)

1 T sugar

Pinch of salt

2 eggs

2 T canola oil

2 cups buttermilk

3 T butter for pan

Preheat oven to 425º. Add butter to 10 inch iron skillet and preheat in oven.

Stir cornmeal, sugar and salt together. Beat eggs and oil and add to cornmeal. Add buttermilk, stirring with a fork to mix well. Pour into hot skillet and bake for about 25 minutes, until top is beginning to brown.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

Only a few days left 'til Christmas—but don't panic. I have good tips for all things 'Christmas' including gifts!

I've learned that the world won't stop turning if I don't finish everything on my Holiday To Do List. No one even notices. It seems that we're all trying to do too much, so I'm asking myself more often, 'what really matters today?'. That's Tip #1. Ask yourself, and then listen quietly for the answer.

I remember the year we made all our tree ornaments. That's all we could afford, and they mattered. The homemade ornament year was followed by several years of homemade gifts. When I spot one of those hand crafted treasures, and some are still hanging around, it takes me back to a much simpler time. Then came a string of Santa Claus years when the absolute thrill of believing was most important, even if it meant driving half way across the state to make it happen. I loved those years, and I'm told they'll come around again.

A bunch of years have passed since the Santa Clause era, and I'm ashamed to admit I can't really say what mattered from one year to the next. We were busy. We did it all, but I don't remember much about what 'it all' was. Here's Tip #2: Try not to let that happen to you. Whatever you're doing this year, whatever matters most to you, take the time to acknowledge it, and really enjoy the moment!

Tip #3: a Pecan Bar from Martha Stewart that can replace pecan pie in a snap, or be wrapped for a lovely gift.

Tip #4: David Libovitz Spiced Glazed Nuts and Pretzel Mix—quick, easy and delicious as a party snack or for a gift that will be appreciated by everyone.

Tip #5: Artichoke Spread—again, serve it yourself, or put it in jelly jars and share with your friends and neighbors (must be refrigerated).

Have a very Merry Christmas, and enjoy each precious moment!

Pecan Bars

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, December 2004

Prep: 15 minutes Total: 1 hour

Ingredients

Makes 24

FOR THE CRUST:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

FOR THE FILLING

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 ounces (about 2 cups) pecans

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg; pulse just until a dough forms.

Transfer dough to prepared pan; with floured fingers and an offset spatula, press firmly into bottom and 3/4 inch up sides. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Prick bottom of dough; bake until lightly golden, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool while preparing filling.

Make the filling: In a large saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly, until smooth; continue boiling, without stirring, until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Whisk in cream and salt; mix in pecans.

Assemble and bake: Spoon hot filling evenly over crust, using spoon to arrange and press in nuts so they fit snugly (create as flat a surface as possible).

Bake until bubbling and amber-colored, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Using foil, lift cake from pan; peel off foil. With a sharp knife, trim edges (if desired). Cut into 6 even strips; cut each strip crosswise into 4 even strips to make 24 bars.

Spiced Glazed Nuts and Pretzel Mix

Adapted from The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz

2 cups (200 gr) mixed raw nuts (untoasted); any combination of cashews, whole almonds, peanuts, pecan halves, and hazelnuts

1 tablespoon (15 gr) unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons (45 gr) dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or another red pepper)

1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt or kosher salt

2 cups (100 gr) small pretzel twists

1. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and roast in a 350F (180C) oven for 10 minutes, stirring once for even toasting.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, and maple syrup.

3. Add the warm nuts, stirring until coated. Then mix in the salt and pretzels, and stir until the nuts and pretzels are completely coated.

4. Spread the mixture back on the baking sheet and return to the oven for 12-18 minutes, stirring twice during cooking. Remove from oven and cool completely, separating the nuts and pretzels as they cool. (12 min. was plenty for mine)

Once cool, this mixture can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

Artichoke Spread

2 cups packed artichoke hearts, drained

zest of half a lemon

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoons sea salt

2 generous tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (or curly if that's all you can find)

1 cup toasted pecan pieces (you can substitute almonds or pinenuts)

One and one-half cups shredded parmesan cheese

4 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a food processor, pulse artichokes, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic clove, salt and parsley until combined and artichokes are coarsely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spoon. Add pecans, and pulse just until chopped. Scrape down again. Add parmesan cheese and olive oil, and pulse several more times to combine. Add more olive oil if needed.

Store in refrigerator for two weeks, or freeze in freezer containers.

Use as spread with crackers or crostini, or you can add to hot pasta as a sauce.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T07:41:00.000-08:00

OUR BLESSINGS ARE OVERFLOWING

I'm posting this a day early because this afternoon we really are going over the river and through the woods to no internet, and no cell phone coverage; no tv and no double oven; no Thermador cooktop, and no huge Samsung frig with ice and water dispenser.

But we will have two wood stoves, and a whole house full of people who are very thankful for each other (and that includes those we're carrying in our hearts!).

My Daddy's best saying: it's not what's on the table, but who's around it (again, including 'in heart'). So Happy Thanksgiving to All, and know that if I'm not looking at you, you're still with me.
LOVE

Chocolate Pecan Tart

Your favorite double pie crust
3 eggs, beaten

1 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

three-fourths cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup chopped pecans
One-third cup butter

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1 egg, beaten, to brush top crust and sugar to sprinkle over crust

Place pie crust on floured surface and roll to 12 inch circle. Place pie crust in buttered 10 inch spring form pan (should have about 1 inch edge on sides). Spread chocolate pieces evenly over crust.
Add pecans to small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir for 3-4 minutes, then add butter and continue stirring until melted and bubbling. Remove from heat and cool.
Combine remaining ingredients and beat until well mixed. Add cooled pecans and butter and stir to combine. Pour into crust. Roll out second crust and cut decorative leaves and lattice. Place on top of pie. Brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 350º for 45-50 minutes.

Turkey--More than the main event!

2010-11-19T12:53:00.000-08:00

The Main Ingredient that Keeps on Giving!

With the Thanksgiving Feast fast approaching, I cook with left-overs in mind, especially when there's lots of company and many more meals to come. Extra turkey for later is almost more important to me than the warm slices that will nestle against the dressing and cranberry sauce.

I cook an extra turkey breast to assure that everyone gets a turkey sandwich or two. That's one time I highly recommend white bread (specifically Pepperidge Farm House White): turkey, mayo (Dukes of course), lettuce and plenty of salt and pepper on really fresh white bread. I'm already there!

I'm a big turkey fan. I learned to do the carving long before I was actually doing the cooking. I can admit now that it was a selfish gesture. No one seemed very interested. We didn't do the dramatic carving at the table, so while Mama whipped the potatoes and kept the rolls from getting too brown on top, I sliced my way through the bird, which meant that I could also steal the very best bites of crispy skin that dislodged from the meat and would never make it to the table anyway! My very favorite part of the turkey!

I learned a lesson from those carving days. Now I want everyone to enjoy their favorite bite, so while the turkey rests, waiting to make its way to the table via carving board, I encourage those who are so inclined to snitch a little bite. It's our Thanksgiving 'amuse-bouche'!

I also take care of the entire bird while carving, right down to cleaning the bones. The tiny little pieces that fall apart or cling to a bone get stored in a ziplock bag and refrigerated. When the feast is over, I store the sandwich pieces in a separate ziplock, and all the extra little pieces left on the platter join their friends in the scrap bag. These little scraps are going to turn into two of my favorite post-feast turkey meals: Curried Holiday Turkey Salad and Turkey and Corn Chowder. Both of these recipes have such nice flavors, and are distinctly different from their origin. You don't really notice that you're eating leftovers.

There's no better place to count our blessings than around the Thanksgiving table. May yours be especially thankful and delicious this year.

Turkey and Corn Chowder

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

4 slices of lean bacon, diced

1 sweet onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, diced

1 T butter

2-3 cups cooked turkey, diced (or chicken)

1 small can green chilies

1 teaspoon cumin (or more, to taste)

1 T hot sauce

One-half tsp. Salt

2 (~15oz.) cans white and yellow corn, drained (or fresh or frozen corn)

32 oz. chicken broth

2 cups half and half

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or your choice of a flavorful melting cheese)

Chopped fresh cilantro to garnish

Lime slices to garnish

Extra shredded cheese to garnish

Extra hot sauce to garnish

Pour olive oil into soup pot over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook for a couple of minutes, then add diced onion and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Now add butter, and when melted add diced turkey and stir to combine. Next add green chilies, cumin, hot sauce and salt, along with corn and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and add half and half. Next, add cheese, and stir until melted and combined. Taste and adjust for salt and hotness.

Serve with chopped cilantro, lime slices, extra cheese and hot sauce as garnish.

The garnishes add great 'kicks' of flavor!

Curried Holiday Turkey Salad

Tip: for a really pretty presentation, cut the ends from croissants and fill with turkey salad. They look like little cornucopias.

1 cup dried cranberries

One-third cup orange juice (or wine, or apple juice)

7-8 cups chopped cooked turkey (light and dark meat)

1 cup quartered seedless grapes

1 cup toasted pecan halves, roughly chopped (want big pieces)--

2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 T cider vinegar

2 T sugar

1 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Curry powder

1 cup mayonnaise

Add dried cranberries and orange juice to small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stir, remove from heat and let the cranberries plump while making the rest of the salad.

Add chopped turkey, grapes, pecans and celery to large mixing bowl. Gently toss to combine.

Whisk together vinegar, sugar, salt and curry powder. Then add to mayonnaise and thoroughly combine. Add more salt or curry to taste.

Pour dressing over turkey mixture.

Drain cranberries and add to mixture. Gently fold together until everything is well combined.

Store in refrigerator.

Fantastic Weeknight Lasagna: Back to Italy!

2010-11-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

Lasagna--So Easy You HAVE to Try It!

This sounded so good, and looked so easy, I had to try it. I found the recipe in a recent Rachel Ray magazine, but instead of being an original 30 Minute Rachel Ray special, it was emailed by a reader in New York. Here are the original recipe ingredients, followed by my changes. They are both delicious, fast and easy! I'm definitely going to make this during the holidays for a non-turkey company dinner.

Original Ingredients:

1 lb. Spicy Italian Sausage

1 head of escarole, chopped

1 (24 oz.) jar tomato sauce

1 (9oz.) package fresh cheese ravioli

16oz. Shredded mozzarella

My Changed-Up Recipe

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 large sweet onion, chopped

1 lb. Hot Italian Sausage

4 slices thick, meaty bacon, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (12 oz.) package large mushroom slices

1 (9 oz.) bag fresh spinach

Salt to taste

1 (24 oz.) jar pasta sauce (I used Emeril's Tomato Basil)

1 (24 oz.) package fresh three cheese Ravioli

5 cups shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350°.

Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat. Add Sausage and cook until browned. Drain excess oil from sausage and onion and set aside.

Add chopped bacon to pan, and saute until browning. Add garlic, stir around for about 30 seconds and then add mushrooms. Cook just until mushrooms begin giving off liquid. Don't cook all the way. Add spinach and toss with tongs until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.

In greased 9 x 13 inch casserole, begin layering. Add half the tomato sauce, cover with half the raviolis in a single layer, then half sausage, spinach and cheese. Repeat layers.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until bubbling all the way through. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Tricks for Your Treats...

2010-10-19T06:37:00.000-07:00

Tricky Ingredients Make Healthy Treats

If you like peanut butter as much as I do, you're going to love these recipes! I came by my peanut butter addiction honestly. There's always a jar of peanut butter mixed with honey on the counter at home. In my mind, peanut butter falls under the 'kids meal' category, but my heart knows better. Peanut butter is a food mildly tolerated by kids and only sometimes enjoyed. My peanut butter palate didn't fully mature until I was also enjoying other more adult foods. Maybe that's because there was nothing smooth about peanut butter when I was growing up. It was a challenge to spread it without tearing the bread—but no more!

Good peanut butter has a satisfying depth of flavor, and there are so many delicious pairings. Remember your first Reese Cup? Chocolate and peanut butter: a memory worth savoring. And how about jelly? I've experimented with some interesting flavors, but grape jelly continues to be my first choice. Many love the peanut butter/honey combination. I can't deny that it does have its own special appeal. If you're really hungry, with only time for a bite, nothing is more lasting or satisfying than a big bite of peanut butter.

I first published this recipe in 2007 as a healthy lunch box choice for kids as they were going back to school. When I saw the cover of Cooking Light this month sporting banana bread with peanut butter, I decided to dig this out of my recipe archives and compare. By combining the two recipes, I was able to add some yogurt, remove some butter, losing a little fat, and produce some pretty darn good cupcakes. Truthfully, they're more like muffins, and don't need the frosting, but don't tell the kids.

The second recipe is a homemade health bar with lots of protein, fiber, and antioxidants, but if you don't tell, no one will know they're eating something that's really good for them.

So, take a little time and make healthy treats for the goblins this year.

Banana Cupcakes with PB & J

One and one-half to one and three-fourths cups mashed, very ripe bananas

Tip: if your bananas aren't very soft, cut them up and microwave for one minute on high. If you have a 'muddler' it's a good tool to use to mash your bananas.

2 large eggs

One-fourth cup vanilla yogurt

One-fourth cup creamy peanut butter

2 T canola oil

3 T melted butter

One-half cup white sugar

One-half cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Salt

One and one-half teaspoon baking soda

One and one-half cup plain flour

Filling:

One-fourth cup creamy peanut butter

One-fourth cup grape jelly

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix bananas, eggs, yogurt peanut butter canola oil and melted butter until well blended. Add white and brown sugar and mix to thoroughly combine.

Stir the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together, and then mix it into banana mixture.

Swirl peanut butter and jelly together gently, without thoroughly combining.

Put cupcake liners into muffin tins.

Fill each liner about two-thirds full. When batter settles into liner, add a heaping teaspoon of the peanut butter/jelly mixture. Then cover with a little more batter, smoothing with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove and cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 T butter, room temperature

1 heaping T grape jelly

One and one-half cup confectioners' sugar

Cream cheese, butter and jelly. Add confectioners' sugar a little at a time until all incorporated.

Store in refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Tip: I used my nonstick wok to mix this, and it worked nicely. Also, you can substitute or add extra nuts and dried fruit as you desire.

One cup honey

One-half cup white sugar

One-half cup brown sugar

One and one-half cups smooth peanut butter

1 (15oz.) box of your favorite granola-like cereal (shouldn't be sweet)

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup dried cherries

One and one-half cups 60% chocolate cacao chips

Preheat oven to 325°.

Heat honey, and both sugars in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring.

Remove from heat, add peanut butter, and stir until completely combined. Immediately add cereal, pecans and dried cherries and stir to combine.

Pour into parchment lined 9 x 13 inch pan, and spread evenly.

Pour chocolate chips evenly over top.

Place in oven just for a minute to let chocolate melt. Remove and smooth chocolate over top with an offset spatula.

Set aside and cool completely.

When cool, slice into bars and store in zip lock bags.

Weeknights Around the Table--Cubano Tenderloin

2010-10-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

Cubano Tenderloin (or Pork Chop) and Black Bean and Sweet Corn Salsa with Lime Slaw

It's another weeknight-winner! In a little more than 30 minutes you can have this on the table, and your family enjoying a healthy meal. Planning is key. Begin with doable recipes and make a specific grocery list, noting the items you already have in your pantry. It really speeds things along if you have a time line, even if it's only a 30-40 minute one. I always check my recipes, and then make a list:

1)preheat oven and make sauce;

2)make ham/cheese/pickle packets;

3)slice tenderloin or chops, coat with seasoned flour and brown meat;

4)place ham packets into pockets, put in baking dish, drizzle with sauce and bake;

5)drain beans and corn;

6)slice tomatoes, chop cilantro and mix with beans, corn and sauce;

7)toss slaw with remaining sauce;

8)remove meat from oven, mix mustard with pan juices; and

9) SERVE!

One last tip: make 2 tenderloins and you'll have some outstanding sandwiches the next day!

Cubano Pork with Black Bean Corn Salsa and Lime Slaw

(4 servings)

Sauce

One-half cup orange juice

Juice from two limes (or ~ one-half cup lime juice)

Zest from limes, optional

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

Mix all sauce ingredients together and set aside.

1 pork tenderloin (~ l lb.) or 4-6 center cut chops

1/2 cup seasoned flour (salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder)

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon hot sauce

8 thin slices of deli ham

4 slices of swiss cheese, halved

8 thin pieces of dill pickle

2 tablespoons mustard

1 can black beans drained

1 can sweet corn drained

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 package (10oz.) angel hair cabbage

2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 400°

Make 8 slices into the tenderloin on a slight angle without slicing all the way through (or make pockets in chops).

Add olive oil to pan over medium high heat. Dredge meat in seasoned flour and sear on all sides.

Place one-half slice of cheese on each piece of deli ham. Fold in half, then fold again. Set aside.

Place seared meat into oven proof pan or casserole dish.

Put a ham and cheese packet and a piece of pickle between each slice of pork. Drizzle hot sauce mixed with 2 oz. of citrus sauce over top of meat, and place in oven for about 20 minutes, until desired doneness. When meat is done, pour pan drippings into a small bowl, add the mustard and whisk. Serve meat slices with mustard sauce.

While meat is cooking, mix beans, corn, tomatoes and cilantro together. Add half the remaining sauce (should be about one-fourth cup). Stir to combine and set aside.

Mix remaining sauce (another one-fourth cup) with the mayonnaise. Combine this dressing with the cabbage, and toss to combine.

Serve pork slices with bean salsa and slaw.

The leftovers make a fabulous sandwich—so good I made two tenderloins to assure the second meal!

Weeknights Around the Table

2010-09-14T17:52:00.000-07:00

First Stop, Italy!

As much as I hate to see it go, the freedom of summer is nearly gone. Even though I aged out of the 'back to school' blahs quite awhile ago, my subconscious still remembers. We went from sleeping in, not worrying about clean clothes, staying up late and eating lots of casually grilled meals, to the regimented routine of fall: school, sports practice, music lessons, homework, baths every night, clean clothes every morning—and dinner. No more dawdling. A 'meat and two' on the table every night. How many ways can you really serve chicken?

Well, let me tell you: Hundreds!

My favorite is and always will be old fashioned fried chicken. Not your 'oven fried' or Kentucky Fried (even though their extra crispy isn't bad!). No, I'm talking about iron skillet, crisco, buttermilk, double dipped in seasoned flour fried. But that's a Saturday or Sunday labor of love.

And my second favorite is Chicken with Slick Dumplings, again a time consumer. When I make Chicken and Dumplings, I always make a big pot, so the leftovers morph into a wonderful week night meal.

The 'meat and two' chicken kind of meals I'm talking about usually involve skinned, deboned chicken breasts or thighs. They can be split open and pounded into thinner versions that cook quickly. You can take a spin around the culinary world with a change of sauce and seasonings. When paired with the appropriate starch and vegetable you can turn week night meals into geography lessons with a culinary twist!

My first suggestion is of the Italian persuasion. The chicken is stuffed with basil pesto, tomato slices and a little parmesan cheese, browned in a skillet, and then finished in the oven. While the chicken is cooking, saute some asparagus with a little balsamic vinegar in the same skillet you used to brown your chicken. Transfer the asparagus into the oven on top of the chicken with a little added parmesan cheese.

To round out the meal, one of my favorites: spaghetti squash. The hardest thing about this squash is cutting the thing open, so be very careful. Scrape out the seeds, put cut side down in a pyrex plate and cover with saran wrap, and into the microwave for about ten minutes. That's it! With a fork, scrape the insides into a serving bowl with butter, salt, and pepper (more cheese if you like). That's it—it comes out sort of like spaghetti strands.

The full meal is done in about thirty minutes. The trick, of course is to have everything you need on hand, so a little weekly preplanning is required.

Italian Chicken, Asparagus and Spaghetti Squash Dinner

(recipe/grocery list)

(4 servings)

4 Skinless, deboned chicken breasts

8 teaspoons Pre-made basil pesto

3 Italian tomatoes, slices

1 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

1 cup Seasoned flour (you can make you own—I use House Autry)

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 bunch of Fresh Asparagus (several spears per person)

2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

1 Spaghetti Squash (one squash makes 4 servings)

Salt/Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons Butter

1 quart of your favorite Ice Cream for dessert

Preheat oven to 325°.

Slice chicken breast open (like a book) without cutting all the way through. With the edge of a saucer, pound the meat across, then up and down. This tenderizes and thins. Spread about two teaspoons of pesto on one of the cut sides, top with a couple of tomato slices and a good sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Close chicken and dredge both top and bottom with seasoned flour. Repeat with all breasts.

Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place floured chicken breasts into heated pan. Do this in batches if you're making more that 3 or 4 pieces. Don't overcrowd your pan. May need to add a little more oil. Brown for about 4 minutes on each side, turning carefully.

Move browned chicken to a casserole dish and place in the preheated oven. Cook for about twenty minutes.

Add asparagus to nonstick skillet and shake the pan to coat the asparagus with drippings. Then top with a little balsamic vinegar, and shake the pan again, to get everything coated. Turn heat to low and cook for a couple of minutes, then place asparagus on top of chicken in oven and sprinkle with a little shredded parmesan cheese. Leave in oven until chicken is done.

Cut spaghetti squash in half longways. They have a very hard outer skin, so be careful. When halved, scrape out the seeds, and place cut side down in a pyrex dish that fits in your microwave. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and cover with saran wrap. Cook on high for about ten minutes a half. The outside will 'give' a little when they're done.

With a fork, scrape the insides of the squash into a serving dish, and season with salt, pepper and some butter.

Serve and enjoy!

(Dessert? Ben and Jerry's Pistachio Ice Cream)

Tomatoes and Squash to Share?

2010-08-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

More vegetables than you know how to use?

The first fresh tomato of the season (which turned into the most delicious tomato sandwich I'd eaten since last year--on fresh white bread with Dukes Mayonnaise, salt and pepper) is long past. It's now August, the dreaded month when the summer heat beats the living daylights out of everything green, and it never rains as much as we want. The gardens are coming in, and that includes every single tomato and squash we all planted back in May, or even earlier.

I remember the gardens my Mother- and Father-in-law planted each year. They were beautiful: as perfect as a garden could be. Planted with precision, groomed almost daily, staked and strung like a picture in Progressive Farmer. Papa started the tomato plants from seeds he saved from the very best tomatoes of the year before. He planted each one in a little peat pot and grew them to adolescence in a cold frame he made from old windows.

I'm always so anxious to begin planting in early spring, and usually have to replant at least once. Papa never planted his teenage tomato plants until the middle of May, and then hoped for fresh tomatoes by July 4th. By August the plants had grown tall and strong, with lots and lots of tomatoes tugging on their stems, ready to be picked. Yes, several rows, yielding hundreds of tomatoes, turning their perfect red, pink or yellow, and begging to be sanctified all at the same time.

It was hard work from beginning to end. At the time, I didn't fully understand the numbers. There were always little baskets of tomatoes and squash sitting in the carport for gifting or delivery. No one could leave the house without tomatoes or squash. My mother-in-law canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato juice—even made tomato jam—that we enjoyed all year long. There were squash casseroles, zucchini breads, squash pickles—you name it, we had all things tomato and squash! It was very hard work, but they loved it, and they loved sharing the fruits of their labor.

So, when someone offers a basket of tomatoes or a sack of squash in the next few weeks, take a moment to be grateful for the work that went into the offering. Then try these great recipes using lots of tomatoes and squash!

Stuffed Pittypat Squash

4 medium sized Pittypat squash (or other squash such as zucchini)

1 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil

4 slices thick smoked bacon (for vegetarian dish, perfectly OK without bacon), diced

1 large sweet onion, diced

3 medium tomatoes, excess seeds and juice removed, diced

1 tsp. Salt

One-half tsp. Pepper

Dash of crushed dried red peppers

1 cup shredded mixed cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup roughly chopped rustic bread pieces

Preheat oven to 325°.

Remove thin slice on stem side of pittypat squash so squash will sit flat.

With a small paring knife, slice around perimeter of other side, removing 'cap'.

Scoop our pulp from squash with a small spoon, roughly chop and reserve.

Bring pot of salted water to boil. Boil squash 'containers' and lids just until tender, about 3-4 minutes, then drain on paper towels and reserve.

Brown bacon in skillet over medium heat. Remove when crisp and reserve. Add onion to pan and saute until onion softens, then add squash pulp and tomatoes. Cook until it all comes together and squash and tomatoes begin to lose their shape. Add salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.

Spoon squash mixture into mixing bowl. Add bread and cheese and stir to combine. Finally add bacon and toss.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbling.

Summer Vegetable Gratin

(For this casserole, I use all the vegetables I have on hand that need to be cooked, plus some onions and garlic for extra flavor. The amounts can vary according to what you have.) I also 'roast' in layers while preparing the vegetables. And, I line the pan with foil for easier cleanup.)

Preheat oven to 450°. Place oven rack in top third of oven.

2 lbs. (or more) squash, zucchini, eggplant, (or a mixture) sliced into quarter inch rounds (if using a hard squash variety, cut open, remove seeds, peel and cut into pieces close to the size of the other squash)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Mixed fresh or dried herbs

2 lbs. Onions, sliced or cut into pieces similar to squash and potatoes

6 garlic cloves, sliced

2 lbs. Potatoes, sliced into similar sized rounds

2 lbs. Tomatoes, sliced and placed on paper towels to remove excess moisture (if using cherry sized tomatoes, just cut in half)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or melting cheese of choice)

1 stick butter

2 cups roughly chopped bread crumbs

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and stir until they begin to brown. Remove from heat, add to a bowl, and combine with parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Line a roasting pan with foil (for easier cleanup).

Toss squash mixture with half the onions and garlic. Add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, one-half teaspoon salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of herbs. Toss to coat vegetables, and spoon into roasting pan. Place in oven while you prepare the next layer. Roast for about fifteen minutes or until beginning to brown, stirring once.

Toss potatoes and remaining onions and garlic with another 2 tablespoons olive oil, half teaspoon of salt and pepper and sprinkling of herbs. Spoon onto squash layer. Place in oven and roast another fifteen minutes or until potatoes begin to brown.

Next, add cheddar cheese. Then layer tomatoes on top of cheese. Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper and herbs.

Top with bread crumb mixture.

Place in oven, reduce temperature to 400°, and bake until cheeses are melted and all vegetables are fork tender, about 30 minutes.

Around the table with a new cookbook...

2010-07-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

CLOSED ON TUESDAYS

Do you ever enjoy something really delicious while dining at a restaurant, and wish you could recreate it at home? Now you can! Closed on Tuesdays, written by Chef Charles Park, gives easy to follow instructions for many of the famous dishes from his two restaurants, Beaufort Grocery Company in Beaufort NC, and Shepard's Point in Morehead City, NC.

A few weeks ago, Chef Park and I met for a cooking lesson—I'm trying to learn all I can about preparing his special dishes. We met at Shephard's Point, in Morehead City. And we met EARLY—at 8:00 AM, because that was the only free time he had. Hence, dinner for breakfast—local grouper and clams—two of my favorites. I'm being spoiled.

First things first, fresh herbs from the raised bed herb garden just behind the restaurant. He placed the clams in fresh water just for a few minutes to allow them the opportunity to spit out a little sand. White wine, shallots, sliced garlic, cold butter, fresh basil, pepper and toasted baguette slices completed the ingredient list.

We shared a Mess o'Clams as soon as they were plated. It took just about the same amount of time to make the dish as it did to toast the bread. Chef Park showed me how he really likes to eat clams, piling some of the shallot and basil on the clam, filling the shell with wine broth, and then slurping it down, biting the clam loose with his teeth. He assured me that it was perfectly acceptable to eat oysters, clams, and mussels using fingers and slurping. Then he demonstrated soption, an original family word emerging from the verb 'to sop', which is also acceptable as well as necessary when eating anything with such a delicious broth. We vigorously participated in both soption and slurping.

Mess o' Clams

Serves 4

48 fresh clams

One-half cup white wine

2 large shallots, chopped

2 T chopped garlic (Chef Park actually thinly sliced the garlic, so it could be avoided, to taste)

2 T cold butter, sliced

1 sprig fresh basil, chopped

pinch of pepper

1 loaf French bread, sliced and toasted

Wash the clams and place in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the wine, shallots and garlic. Cook, covered, over high heat just until the clams open; do not overcook. Discard any clams that do not open.

Spoon the clams to a serving dish with a slotted spoon, taking care not to stir up the cooking liquid. Drain the liquid into a smaller saucepan, leaving any sand in the larger saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir in the butter gradually. Add the basil and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the clams and serve with the toasted bread. Garnish with sprigs of basil.

Next dish was Pan Seared Grouper with Dijon Dill Sauce. I wondered if Chef Park even realized all the little details he was sharing as he cooked. Searing versus sautéing, using the oven to finish dishes, making pan sauce from the fond (pan juices), using nonstick spray appropriately, when to salt, when not to salt, cold, cold butter added at the end to make a creamy sauce without cream, when to add fresh herbs, how to plate the dish for the best presentation. I tried to get it all down, but sometimes I was so busy eating, I forgot to write. Fortunately, as I think through the process, I'm remembering.

I would gladly have paid the price of the book, Closed on Tuesdays, for my two favorite recipes, the Tuna Napoleon, featuring fresh yellowfin tuna, wasabi slaw, and crisply fried wontons; and Collard Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings and Slivers of Country Ham.

For more information on Chef Park, his restaurants or your very own Closed on Tuesdays, visit www.BeaufortGrocery.com.

Asian Tuna Salad (Tuna Napoleon )

from Closed on Tuesdays by Chef Charles Park

(Serves 4)

12 thick won ton wrappers

2 cups vegetable oil

One-half cup Wasabi Cole Slaw*

8 oz. sashimi-grade yellowfin tuna, very thinly sliced

2 T pickled ginger, julienned

Chopped fresh cilantro and Toasted sesame seeds to garnish

Seafood Dipping Sauce**

Cut the won tons into halves diagonally. Fry the won tons in the vegetable oil in a deep fryer until crisp; drain.

Spoon one tablespoon Wasabi Cole Slaw onto a serving plate and arrange three won tons in the slaw. Top with a second tablespoon of the Wasabi Cole Slaw, one tuna slice, a second wonton and a second tuna slice. Sprinkle with the pickled ginger. Garnish with chopped cilantro and 1 tsp. Toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle with Seafood Dipping Sauce. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

*Wasabi Cole Slaw

1 cup mayonnaise

One-fourth cup milk

One-fourth cup white or cider vinegar

One-fourth cup confectioners' sugar

One-fourth cup wasabi powder blended with 2 tsp. water

1 tsp. Celery seeds

One-half tsp. Salt

One-half tsp. Freshly cracked pepper

4 cups finely shredded green cabbage

1 cup finely shredded red cabbage

1 cup finely shredded carrots

Combine the mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, confectioners' sugar and wasabi powder blended in water in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth. Whisk in the celery seeds, salt and pepper.

Combine the green cabbage, red cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise mixture and mix well. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving. You can prepare the slaw in advance and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

**Seafood Dipping Sauce

(makes 1 cup)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1 T chopped garlic

1 T fish sauce

Combine the brown sugar, vinegar and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by one-half. Stir in the fish sauce.

Jalepeno !Bang! for July 4th

2010-06-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

Explosions of Flavor!

Fireworks won't be the only thing lighting up your 4^th of July picnic! Stuffed and grilled jalapeños will have a flavor explosion in every single bite. It would hardly be July 4^th without burgers and dogs, but they don't have to be your everyday, run of the mill variety. Kick everything up a notch or two as Emeril would say.

Begin with fresh sweet corn that hasn't been shucked. Peel back the shucks leaving them intact, remove the silk, pull the shucks back up and soak for an hour or two, or even all day (great to do ahead). Prepare a medium heat grill (plenty of charcoal, probably a second chimney full). Place corn directly on grill, close and cook, turning occasionally for 30 to 40 minutes. After corn steams, it will begin to caramelize adding even more sweet flavor. Take corn from grill to sheet pan, remove and discard shucks, and brush corn with melted butter mixed with fresh lime juice, smokey paprika, sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a little grated parmesan. Cover sheet pan with foil, and hold in low (225°) oven until ready to serve.

And for those special dogs, choose your favorites, whether sausage, chicken or beef, and grill them over medium heat. Be sure to brush the inside of the buns with butter. Grilling the bun makes all the difference in a good hamburger or hotdog. To take your hamburgers and hotdogs over the top, add Cheese Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped Grilled Jalapeños. They're absolutely delicious and the ultimate condiment, adding that 4^th of July explosion of flavor you're looking for.

For juicier burgers, add some sauteed onions, BBQ sauce, an egg, salt and pepper, and some grated cheese to your meat. Toss together with forks and avoid compacting too much when making patties. Chill patties until ready to grill. Over medium heat, add patties to grill, DO NOT press down with spatula. Cook about 3-4 minutes per side, turning once. Serve on grilled buns with condiments. They will be DEE-LICIOUS!

HAPPY GRILLING!

Cheese Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped, Grilled Jalapeños

8 Jalapeno peppers

1 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil

8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese, small dice

8 cherry tomatoes

4 strips bacon, microwaved about 4 minutes, until about half done

4 (12 inch) bamboo skewers

Soak bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes before using.

Cut the stem end off the peppers, and with a small paring knife loosen the ribs and scrape out the ribs and seeds, leaving the pepper intact. (The seeds and ribs are the hottest part of the pepper.)

Add the olive oil to a small saute pan, and over medium heat saute the outside of the peppers just until they begin to blister, only a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Stuff as much cheese as you can into the peppers, and tread a stuffed pepper onto a soaked skewer beginning with the closed end. Follow with a cherry tomato, pushing it down to plug the top of the pepper and hold the cheese. Put two stuffed peppers and two tomatoes on each skewer.

Wrap peppers with partially cooked bacon, using tooth picks to secure. Use one strip of bacon for each skewer.

Grill for several minutes over medium heat, turning until bacon has finished cooking and cheese is melted.

Remove from skewers, and eat as appetizers, or use as condiments for hamburgers or hotdogs.

Marinated Tuna and Vegetable Skewers

2010-06-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

FATHER'S DAY GRILLING!

Father's Day Alert! Just in time for the celebration I have a new grilling favorite—Marinated Tuna and Vegetable Skewers. This entree is delicious served over cheese grits. Add an Asian salad of cold cucumber slices, green onions, halved cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas and iceberg lettuce (I use Makoto Ginger Dressing found in the refrigerator section at local grocery stores--garnish the salad with Wasabi flavored wonton strips) and you have a complete meal including a no-fail new recipe for Dad to master on the grill.

The recipe came about when I found tuna 'chunks'--beautiful fresh tuna pieces--for a much lower price than the tuna steaks at the fish counter. A marinade combination I've used with cedar plank salmon turned them into a brand new, very healthy recipe.

When making kabobs, whether beef, chicken or fish, I recommend doing the meat and vegetables on separate skewers. That way you can control the cooking temperature and time. Vegetables need to grill long enough to begin caramelizing on the edges and tenderize in the center. This can take a longer or shorter time than the meat, depending on which meat you're using. Chicken takes a little longer, while beef and tuna require shorter cooking times, depending on your taste.

Always use a marinade to get the flavor into your meats and vegetables before grilling. And if you're using bamboo skewers, don't forget to soak them for at least thirty minutes in water before loading them up.

Marinated Tuna and Vegetable Skewers

One-half cup soy sauce

One-half cup mirin (found near soy sauce)

One-fourth cup seasoned rice wine vinegar (found near soy sauce)

One-fourth cup extra virgin olive oil

2 T sugar

2 tsp. ground pepper

2 lbs. Tuna cut into 2 inch pieces

4 small zucchini, sliced into half inch rounds

2 medium red onions, cut into pieces about the size of the zucchini

1 green pepper, cut into pieces about the size of the zucchini

One-half cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. ground pepper

1 tsp. Sea salt

12 (12 inch) wooden skewers, soaked for at least 30 minutes in water

pickled ginger and wasabi as condiments

Combine soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, olive oil, sugar and pepper in large zip lock bag and swish to combine. Add tuna pieces, close bag and turn to completely coat tuna. Place in refrigerator for one or two hours, turning occasionally to keep tuna coated.

Place zucchini, onion and pepper pieces in medium bowl, and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Divide evenly between six skewers and set aside until ready to grill.

Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Prepare grill grate by brushing with oil.

Remove tuna from marinade and divide evenly between six skewers.

Place skewers on grill arranging according to temperature. Move to outer edges of grill when skewers are nearly done. Tuna should take just a couple of minutes per side for medium rare. Vegetables will take longer.

Serve with pickled ginger and wasabi paste as condiments.

Makes 4-6 servings

OM GROWN FOODS

2010-05-27T05:43:00.000-07:00

Locally Grown Organic Vegetables--

The Sunflower Marks the Spot!

We received our first share of vegetables a couple of weeks ago from OM Grown Foods, a combination of two farming families near Ferrum, Virginia, who have joined forces to provide top quality organically grown vegetables. They sell shares of their vegetable crop each season, and plant accordingly. Every Monday the shareholders pick up their vegetable bag loaded with the week's harvest. You never know exactly what you'll get, only that you're receiving a huge bag of fresh, beautiful produce to feed your family for the coming week. They also share recipes through email of their favorite ways to use the different vegetables.

Several of the vegetable share-holders living in Martinsville take turns picking up the vegetable bags each week, since it's a little bit of an adventuresome road trip to wind through the countryside, especially if it's your first trip—no cell phone coverage if you're lost. It almost seems appropriate to go back to pre-cell days to pick up these great organic vegetables from a local organic gardner.

Our first bag contained spinach, collards, bok choi, asparagus, mixed baby salad greens, and arugula. I'll have to admit, I didn't even recognize

the collard greens. They were beautiful little young leaves that could have been eaten raw right out of the bag. And the baby bok choy looked like something from the produce section of an upscale green grocer. I've grown asparagus myself and had to leave the beds when we moved, but never has asparagus tasted so good. In other words, I'm in vegetable heaven!

It really does matter what we put into our bodies for fuel. Knowing where our food comes from and that it has been grown with the TLC that will promote my family's best health is important. There was news last week that linked ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) with the pesticides used on fruits and vegetables. Children who tested positive for a pesticide byproduct had roughly twice the odds of being diagnosed with ADHD according to a study appearing in the The Journal of Pediatrics (http://www.jpeds.com/ ).

It's early in the season, and the gardens are ready!

A simple pasta with sauteed greens, tomatoes and pancetta was our first Om Grown Meal--DELICIOUS!