Tag Archives: recipe

kee-no-wah

Posted on December 31, 2011 | 3 Comments

Have you been guilty, as I have, of mispronouncing this fluffy whole grain (fyi-it’s actually a seed)?  I don’t know…it feels weird to pronounce it the way it was meant to be after years of mispronouncing it, but I’ll get used to it.

I whipped this up a few days ago with vegetables on hand, both fresh and fresh-frozen.  You could add anything you have, perhaps odds and ends left over form another meal.  It’s a delicious side, or the addition of cooked shrimp or chicken would turn it into a main course.

quinoa with vegetables and herbs

1 cup organic quinoa

2 Cups stock (I used homemade chicken, but vegetable works also)

1/2 tsp sea salt, divided

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

2 tsp fresh thyme, oregano, or tarragon

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp chopped fresh chives

Rinse quinoa (if it isn’t pre-rinsed) in a strainer.  In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa, stock and 1/4 tsp salt to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and continue to cook until liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Raise heat to medium and add garlic, zucchini, carrots, peas, herbs, red pepper flakes.  Saute, stirring frequently until vegetables are crisp/tender (I don’t like mushy vegetables), about 8-10 minutes.  Season with remaining salt and black pepper.  In a large bowl, combine quinoa, vegetables, and fresh chives.

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a pumpkin pie craving

Posted on December 24, 2011 | 4 Comments

 

Ever since I had to work through Thanksgiving, I’ve had a craving for pumpkin pie.  The rest of the traditional Thanksgiving meal is fine, and I really missed my mother-in-law’s cooking this year, but the thing I really missed was not having any pumpkin pie.

I came across this recipe on one of my favorite new blogs, foodloveswriting.  I love her blog because Shannalee does what I seem to be gravitating toward these days-more photo-blogging than recipes and cooking (probably a seasonal thing for me).

I didn’t change much about her recipe apart from using my own crust recipe.  Also, I didn’t roast a pumpkin for puree, canned organic pumpkin worked very nicely (and neatly).

I’ve included a few photos in this post from the train garden at Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville.  My husband and I had a free afternoon and strolled through the garden center.  I’ve always heard the decor is beautiful and that the train garden was especially impressive.

 

pumpkin pie

1 unbaked pie crust

2 eggs

1 cup sucanat or brown sugar

1 Tbsp flour (I used whole wheat)

2 cups organic pumpkin puree (NOT pumpking pie filling)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

12 ounces organic heavy cream

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat two eggs lightly.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix together well.

Pour mixture into unbaked pie crust, leaving a little space at the top.  Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees; then lower the temperature to 350 degree.  The original recipe says to bake another 40-50 minutes, but mine took more like 65 minutes.  It’s done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

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pot pie

Posted on December 7, 2011 | 1 Comment

Did you miss me last week?  Don’t think I was being lazy, or even out partying it up…no, I’ve been a bit under the weather.  It’s great when you’ve prepared for times such as these by making a few freezer meals to fall back on (it beats always having eggs, pancakes or grilled cheese in a pinch).

This recipe is adapted from my daughter’s recipe.  Usually it’s made with poached chicken breast, but I happened to have a delicious fully cooked smoked turkey breast on hand.  Also, you can change up the vegetables depending on what you have on hand.  Got wild Mushrooms?  Then use them.  Parsnips?  Lovely.  I need to be mindful about what I add, lest it get picked out and pushed to the side of someone’s plate.

The bottom crust is homemade from my favorite Martha Stewart recipe for pate brisee, but you can use any crust recipe.

pot pie (makes 2 pies)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 onions, chopped

4 carrots, diced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 cups whole milk

10 ounces frozen peas

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

2 9-inch pie crusts, rolled out and placed in pans

1 box puff pastry

sea salt and black pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees (if planning to bake immediately).

 Poach chicken in a pot of simmering water until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.  Let cool and then shred.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 6-8 minutes (don’t let them darken).  Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and continue to cook while stirring for 1 minute.

Add chicken stock and cook about 1-2 minutes.  Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes.  Stir in the chicken, peas, thyme 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.  Transfer equal parts to prepared pie pans.

Lay the puff pastry on top, pressing around edges to seal.  Flute crust, if desired. If cooking immediately, cut several vents in the crust.  Place pot pies on baking sheet and bake until bubbling and the crust is golden, 30-35 minutes.

If freezing, wrap tightly with foil or double plastic wrap.

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maple-glazed cornish game hens

Posted on November 2, 2011 | 2 Comments

Still recovering from a string of cooking mishaps.

It started with the apple tart oven fire incident (honest-this is the last time I’ll bring that up) and it seemingly hasn’t let up.  A couple of examples:

Taking a trip to the local Honeybaked Ham store to buy a fully cooked smoked turkey breast, only to take it out on Halloween day to make smoky white chili and realizing it had a brown sugary coating on it just like their trademark ham.  Really, when I tried it it tasted more like ham than turkey.  Before you say “why would you NOT think it would taste like that coming from that particular store?”  let me tell you that a business acquaintance of my husband’s sent us a smoked turkey from the Honeybaked Ham Company last year for Christmas and, while I initially was skeptical, it turned out to be a darn fine juicy bird (without the trademark sugar coating) and resulted in some fabulous pot pies stored away for wintry nights.  Last minute poached chicken was a stand in for the chili.

Then there was the day I slightly overbaked granola, setting the usual fear of the smoke alarm going off into motion.

It really wasn’t burnt.  Okay, maybe bits of it were.  My husband still loved it.  He loves all things crunchy, slightly burnt or not.

This called for a simple, no fail dinner.  Some simple comfort food I couldn’t mess up.  Cornish game hens look pretty impressive simply roasted.  My son was delighted to have his own tiny succulent bird on his plate.

I prepared these on a rare day in October when the temperatures were freezing and all manner of precipitation was falling from the sky.  It’s very unusual for it to snow here before January and it was a welcome day for staying in pajamas, building a fire in the fireplace, and watching movies.

This would be good with any sort of root vegetable such as potatoes or parsnips.  I happened to have carrots and turnips from the farm box.

maple roasted cornish game hens

2-3 Cornish game hens

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp ground cumin

3 teaspoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

6 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried thyme

1-1/2 pounds root vegetables:  Onion, carrot, turnips, parsnips, potatoes-cut into bite size chunks

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Using kitchen twine, tie hen legs together and tuck wings underneath.  Place hens on a shallow rimed baking sheet.  Rub with 1 tsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Mix maple syrup with cumin in a small bowl until well blended.  Season syrup mixture with salt and pepper.

Brush hens with maple syrup mixture.  Toss vegetables with 2 tsp olive oil, garlic, and thyme.   Scatter on baking sheet around hens.

Roast in oven until golden brown and thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh measures 165 degrees, approximately 105-115 minutes.  Remove from oven twice during roasting and baste with remaining maple syrup mixture.  Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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2 for Tuesday

Posted on October 18, 2011 | 2 Comments

There is a radio station I listened to when I was younger that, on Tuesdays, would play two songs by an artist.  The disc jockey would announce “two songs coming up from your favorite artist.”  Even though my musical tastes have, shall we say, evolved tremendously since those days (Despite what my teenage daughter might think!), I’m offering my version of the “2fer”…acorn squash.  Roasted and prepared two ways-one sweet, one savory.

It seems that when I make the roasted squash bread, sometimes it’s more orange and has a stronger, richer squash taste.  Not sure what to attribute this to, since I’m uncertain how to judge if the squash is ripe or not.  Nevertheless, it’s still delicious every time.  The raw sugar on the top gives it a nice, sweet (but not too much) crunch.

Just as when I bake zucchini bread, I freeze individual slices on a parchment lined cookie sheet, then wrap them individually.  This makes it so easy to pop one in the toaster oven for a minute or two.  So delicious with a bit of cream cheese or apple butter.

penne with acorn squash

2 acorn squash

1/2 cup leeks, washed and sliced thinly

1 pound penne

4 teaspoons olive oil

6 ounces pancetta, diced to 1/4 inch thickness

1/2 cup chicken stock or broth, preferably homemade

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup light cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon.  Cut each half crosswise into wedges, about 1/2 inch thick.  Lay the slices on a baking sheet and spray with organic olive oil cooking spray.  season with salt and pepper.  flip the squash and do the same to the other side.  Bake about 30 minutes, turning the slices over halfway through baking, until soft and slightly carmelized.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to directions.  Drain pasta, reserving approximately 1/2-1 cup of the pasta cooking water.  Let pasta sit in colander for now.  Peel squash and cut into chunks.

Heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat in large pot (you can use the same one you cooked the pasta in).  Saute the pancetta and leeks together until pancetta is slightly crispy and leeks are transparent and tender.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Add the chicken broth/stock and scrape up any brown bits in the pan.  Stir in the rosemary.  Add pancetta, leeks and squash to the pan.  Stir in penne.  Add cream to the mixture and stir gently to coat.  This is where you can add a bit of the reserved pasta water if it’s too dry.  Stir in Parmesan cheese.  Serve with additional parmesan on top.

roasted acorn squash bread

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 1/4 cup squash puree

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup raw sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

To make squash puree:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut one large acorn squash in half and scoop out seeds with a spoon.   Place each half on a cookie sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray.  Bake in oven approximately 50 minutes or until fork tender.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Scrape squash into bowl with spoon.

Lower oven temperature 350 degrees.  Lightly oil and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, allspice and cloves in a medium bowl until combined.

Beat squash puree, sugar, honey and oil in a large mixing bowl with electric mixer or a stand mixer until smooth, about 1 minute.  Beat in eggs and egg whites.  Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients until combined.  Fold in chopped walnuts.

Pour into prepared loaf pan.  Sprinkle with raw sugar.  Bake approximately 75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Start checking for doneness at around one hour.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes after removing from oven, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool.

*What radio station did you listen to when you were younger?

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soba noodles with broccoli and peanut dressing

Posted on September 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

A few days ago, I was browsing my daughter’s photos on Facebook and I came across a batch that was taken at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC.  Sadly, although I’ve lived in the Baltimore Washington region my entire life, I have never attended the festival, or for that matter driven through just to see the beautiful trees in bloom.  The exact date of the festival varies (usually the first or second week of April) and, although the weather  comes into play in determining when the trees blossom, usually the festival planners get it right.

Mid-September has arrived and I’ve already seen the leaves turning along the highway.  With winter looming, it gave me quiet joy to peruse her photos of the festival-a time when the hope of warmer weather is in the air.

One particular photo caught my eye.  It was a picture of our grandson sitting on the ground slurping up a serving of homemade noodles that was packed in a picnic lunch.  I don’t know the ingredients in the noodle salad he was eating (note to self to ask daughter), but it got me thinking about a cold noodle salad I used to love from a place that doesn’t exist anymore that I can’t even remember the name of.  The store was located next to David’s Natural Food Market.  This place sold organic produce, had a hot and cold food bar, an organic coffee bar, daily hot soup bar, as well as harder to find (at least at that time) gourmet items and a catering menu.   When cooking during the holidays, or heading to a barbecue in the summer, I would stop into this place and pick up a quart of noodle salad.  One day I pulled into the parking lot to purchase some gourmet goodie, only to see “out of business” signs in all the windows.  I cried (OK…not really, but I was crying on the inside).  I remember sitting in the parking lot and calling my husband to comfort me.  That noodle salad was gone forever, as were the platters of antipasti, fresh fruit, key lime pies, fabulous cheeses…  Was I actually going to have to cook on Christmas now?

Truthfully, this noodle salad isn’t comparable to that beloved noodle salad of yesteryear.  In fact, the noodle is the only thing they share in common, as the ingredients and flavors used in this recipe are different and wonderful in their own right.  All of the ingredients I had in the pantry, except the broccoli and spring onions, which came from the CSA.  Feel free to add any seasonal vegetable, such as asparagus or shredded carrot.

soba noodles with broccoli and peanut dressing

one 8 ounce package soba noodles

2 broccoli crowns, cut into bite size pieces

dressing

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/8 cup rice vinegar

one clove garlic, crushed

drizzle of sesame oil (not exact, I know.  It has a strong flavor, so start small and add to taste)

pinch of red pepper flakes, or a pinch of cayenne

1/4 – 1/2 cup hot water

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup peanuts

Cook soba noodles according to package instructions.  Be careful not to overcook.  In the last minute or so of cooking, add the broccoli.  Drain the noodles and broccoli, run under cold water to cool.

While the noodles are cooking, you can make the dressing…

Combine peanut butter, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, red pepper, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl.  Thin with hot water.  This is where it gets a little tricky and you will have to experiment with the consistency.  How much water you need will depend on the consistency of the peanut butter and preference.  Natural PB is a little thinner than the more common brands.  The first time I made this, it was too thick and creamy so I would advice to make it pretty thin.

Toss the noodles, broccoli, spring onions, and peanuts.  Add the dressing a little at a time until it is the way you want it.

*By the way, if anyone remembers the name of the store I talked about in this post, feel free to shout it out…this is the kind of thing that keeps a person awake at night!!

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Perfect creamed corn

Posted on September 9, 2011 | 3 Comments

I love corn and pretty much everything made with corn:  cornbread…grilled corn…I make a very tasty corn pudding for Easter.  As much as  I say I love corn, my husband love LOVES corn on the cob.  It was an almost every dinner affair during the summertime when he was growing up.  He could sit down and make a meal out of two or three cobs exclusive of any other accompaniments.

There was a week about a month or so ago when I started receiving six ears of corn every week in my CSA box.  Despite our  his affinity for corn straight up, I wanted to make something simple-an alternative to corn on the cob-that would still allow the corn flavor to be the star of the dish.  If you are using fresh corn off the cob,  I recommend owning this…it is quite handy and tidy.

 

perfect creamed corn

6-8 ears cooked corn, stripped from the cob*

4 ounces chopped pancetta

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1 1/4 cups milk

1-2 Tablespoons honey (to taste)

pinch cayenne pepper, if desired

Saute pancetta in a small skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove from skillet and place on plate with paper towel to drain.  Heat a large skillet and add butter to melt.  Whisk in the flour until combined and foaming, about 2 minutes.  Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick, 2-3 minutes.  Stir in corn kernels and pancetta.  Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne (if using), and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

*A note about cooking corn:  You can grill the corn if you wish,  but sometimes I don’t feel like firing up the grill, especially if I’m cooking other things inside and I can’t run back and forth.  Lately, I’ve been cooking corn in the husk in the microwave.   It seals in the moisture,  and the husk and silk practically slip off afterward.  Microwave 10 minutes for 6 ears of corn.

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Plum Almond Tart

Posted on August 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

   This week at the CSA we got more plums. I don’t really like plums….. I can’t eat them raw because they make my throat itchy and I hate peeling them and cutting them. But I persevered and made this yummy dessert, so you can too!

Plum-Almond Tart
Adapted from Bon Appetit, October 1998

Makes 1 9-inch tart or 8 4-inch mini-tartlets

For crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons ice water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For filling
1/3 cup whole almonds (about 2 ounces)
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 teaspoons framboise (raspberry liqueur) or brandy
12 ounces ripe red-skinned plums, pitted, cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges
1/4 cup red currant jelly

Whipped cream (optional)

Make crust: 
Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix 2 tablespoons ice water and vanilla in small bowl. Pour water mixture over dough. Process until moist clumps form.

Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Roll out on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold overhang in and press, forming double-thick sides. Using fork, pierce dough all over. Freeze 15 minutes.

Bake crust until pale golden, about 30 minutes (crust may shrink slightly). Cool on rack. Maintain oven temperature.

Make filling:
Finely grind almonds with sugar in processor. Add egg, butter and 2 teaspoons framboise. Process until batter forms. Pour filling into crust. Arrange plums atop filling. Bake until plums are tender and filling is golden and set, about 50 minutes.

Melt jelly with remaining 2 teaspoons framboise in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat. Brush jelly mixture over plums.

Cool tart. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream, if desired.

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Another Eggplant and Another Guest Post

Posted on August 18, 2011 | Leave a comment

Hi there, Lauren again. This week my Mom is at the beach, that lucky devil! I however make out when she goes on vacation because I get her CSA bounty! As some of you might remember , last time she was away I got two eggplants and made a delicious eggplant parmesan that my kids devoured. This dish had the same effects and I highly recommend it.

Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree
Adapted from Giada DeLaurentis

1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, whole
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 pound rigatoni pasta
1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Glug of balsamic or red wine vinegar or freshly-squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Spread the vegetables out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the eggplant is golden, about 35 minutes.

While the vegetables are roasting, brown your ground beef. Set aside, but keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve (at least) 2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add the torn mint leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Puree the vegetables.

Transfer the pureed vegetables and beef to the bowl with the pasta and add the Parmesan. Stir to combine, adding the pasta cooking liquid 1/2 cup at a time until the pasta is saucy, as well as a glug of vinegar (optional). Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top and serve.

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grilled stuffed peppers

Posted on August 9, 2011 | 2 Comments

Have you been grilling much this summer?

Even though we purchased a brand new gas grill this year, I have to admit that I have not. Sure, the usual stuff makes it on there during a cookout-burgers, a beautiful piece of salmon, the occasional hotdog; but even that happens more infrequent since I’ve joined the farm co-op.  I’m only just starting to venture into the world of grilling things other than meat.  This recipe combines the best of both worlds.  Beautiful green peppers, charred slightly tender and flavorful from the grill with a meat stuffing.

Both my sausage and my beef were from my local farmer.

grilled stuffed peppers

1/2 pound breakfast sausage, ground or links with casing removed

1/2 pound ground beef

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup minced onion

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3 green peppers

Combine the sausage, ground beef, rice, eggs, onion, parsley and spices together in a bowl.  Cut the peppers in half through the stem and remove seeds and membranes.  Fill each pepper with meat mixture.  Mound the meat no more than 1/2 inch over the top edge of each pepper.

If you own a gas grill, turn burner(s) on medium only on one side of the grill.  If you use charcoal, build a fire off to one side.  Cook pepper side down on the cooler side of the grill until the pepper is charred and soft, about 15 minutes.  Turn the stuffed peppers over and cook on the hotter side of the grill for about 5-10 minutes until browned and cooked through.

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