This week was our last Farm Share Basket- so sad. The past 2 hauls did give us a lot of vegetables with a long keeping time, so we should be enjoying fresh vegetables for the next few weeks. We have carrots, onions, potatoes, winter squashes and sweet potatoes. I have been making some soups to freeze for later. I have some kale soup that was made a few weeks ago and I made butternut squash soup last night. Tonight I will be experimenting with the Celeriac root. Alien territory for me, the root looks a bit intimidating.
The Butternut squash soup uses mostly seasonal ingredients that were in the farm basket: potato, onion, leeks and carrots as well as the squash. The recipe also calls for a granny smith apple, for some sweetness. I have used other kinds of apples with good results. This time I actually had an opened jar of applesauce, so I used that to save time. I was really tired last night and needed to go to bed. For the squash, it was already cooked, left overs from a meal earlier in the week. I actually used a buttercup squash, which is dark green and roundish, not creamy beige and longish.
Winter squash and Apple Soup
2 tbsp transfat free margarine
3 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
2 1/2 cups butternut or other winter squash
1/21 cup diced carrots
1 apple, peeled cored and sliced.
1 quart low sodium chicken stock
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pepper to taste
1/2 cup skim milk (milk or cream if you like)
1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in leeks and onions, cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add potato, squash, carrots, apple and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
2. Remove from heat. Puree the soup with an immersion blender. Add milk , nutmeg and pepper. Stir to combine. Gently reheat if needed.
Leaks are often dirty things. After trimming, slice lengthwise and run under cold water to wash out any sand. Dry on paper towels or a kitchen towel.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Yummy Gluten Free Italian Cake
Last week we were invited to my in-laws for dinner. Usually when I am asked "what do you want to bring", I chime in "desert". Why? Because usually my honey can eat most of the dinner, but the desert is usually a glutenous thing. Yes. Cookies, cake, something containing cookies or cake...
My mother in-law made salmon, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and salad. I brought cake, ice cream (low fat) and whipped cream. I like to bring something that does not scream "gluten free, weird taste". I actually made no one, but two cakes, in case one was weird. Yes, I do experiment on other people. My family is used to it. I usually have a plan B. This time all was good, both cakes were good. I preferred cake #1, my honey preferred cake #2. Cake #1- Almond-ricotta cake had a nice texture and flavor. Not too sweet, good with ice cream. It was made with finely ground corn meal, almond and almond meal. The recipe follows.
Cake #2 was Almond-pumpkin cake, made with almond meal, potato starch and eggs that were beaten to death. I found the texture to be weird, but my honey loved it. He likes pumpkin and cinnamon, anything like pumpkin pie, which is what this was like. So I will save that for a separate entry. I am not sure I beat the eggs to death enough, my arm got tired ( I made 2 cakes)
So almond-ricotta cake. I found this in "Gluten free Italian " By Jacqueline Mallorca. I only made one change, instead of almond extract I used orange extract. Reason being, I had no almond extract in the cupboard. Very unusual for this Swedish girl.
Almond-Ricotta Cake
3/4 cup (3 1/2 ounces) fine stone-ground cornmeal. (this can be bought or made by putting regular cornmeal through a coffee mill is used just for grains or has been thoroughly cleaned)
1 cup (4 ounces) almond meal
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) confectioner's sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (or transfat free margarine)
1/2 cup (4 ounces) sugar
6 ounces ricotta
4 large eggs
1 tsp orange extract
confectioner's sugar for top of cake
Makes 10 lovely servings.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides of a 9 inch cake pan, line base of pan with parchment paper and grease that too.
Combine cornmeal, almond meal, confectioner's sugar, baking powder and salt, mix well. I like to put through a fine sieve so there are no lumps.
beat the butter and sugar untill light and fluffy , then beat in the ricotta. Beat in the eggs and orange extract. Fold half of the cornmeal mixture into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula. Repeat with the remainder.
Transfer to the prepared cake pan,smooth the top and bake for about 30 minutes, until the cake is golden and an inserted toothpick emerges clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then loosen the sides with a knife and unmold. Peel off the parchment paper and let cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving if desired.
this is good - I have left overs that I keep eating.
My mother in-law made salmon, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and salad. I brought cake, ice cream (low fat) and whipped cream. I like to bring something that does not scream "gluten free, weird taste". I actually made no one, but two cakes, in case one was weird. Yes, I do experiment on other people. My family is used to it. I usually have a plan B. This time all was good, both cakes were good. I preferred cake #1, my honey preferred cake #2. Cake #1- Almond-ricotta cake had a nice texture and flavor. Not too sweet, good with ice cream. It was made with finely ground corn meal, almond and almond meal. The recipe follows.
Cake #2 was Almond-pumpkin cake, made with almond meal, potato starch and eggs that were beaten to death. I found the texture to be weird, but my honey loved it. He likes pumpkin and cinnamon, anything like pumpkin pie, which is what this was like. So I will save that for a separate entry. I am not sure I beat the eggs to death enough, my arm got tired ( I made 2 cakes)
So almond-ricotta cake. I found this in "Gluten free Italian " By Jacqueline Mallorca. I only made one change, instead of almond extract I used orange extract. Reason being, I had no almond extract in the cupboard. Very unusual for this Swedish girl.
Almond-Ricotta Cake
3/4 cup (3 1/2 ounces) fine stone-ground cornmeal. (this can be bought or made by putting regular cornmeal through a coffee mill is used just for grains or has been thoroughly cleaned)
1 cup (4 ounces) almond meal
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) confectioner's sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (or transfat free margarine)
1/2 cup (4 ounces) sugar
6 ounces ricotta
4 large eggs
1 tsp orange extract
confectioner's sugar for top of cake
Makes 10 lovely servings.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides of a 9 inch cake pan, line base of pan with parchment paper and grease that too.
Combine cornmeal, almond meal, confectioner's sugar, baking powder and salt, mix well. I like to put through a fine sieve so there are no lumps.
beat the butter and sugar untill light and fluffy , then beat in the ricotta. Beat in the eggs and orange extract. Fold half of the cornmeal mixture into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula. Repeat with the remainder.
Transfer to the prepared cake pan,smooth the top and bake for about 30 minutes, until the cake is golden and an inserted toothpick emerges clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then loosen the sides with a knife and unmold. Peel off the parchment paper and let cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving if desired.
this is good - I have left overs that I keep eating.
Another spagetti sauce
Just a quickie and then a longie a bit later.
Have been looking for lower salt spagetti sauces since my honey has the high blood pressure. A common issue among old dudes. I found this one at Big Y - a New England chain grocery store. "Brad's Organic Pasta Sauce", tomato basil flavor. It is fat free and really low in salt. I could not believe this - it is the lowest I have ever seen- 25 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup serving. The kicker, it actually tastes good. It has a very fresh taste. I always doctor up jarred sauces. I sauteed some onion, garlic, mushroom and zucchini squash and poured sauce over. This leaves the sodium content vertually the same and adding some vegetable nutrition power.
The sauce is also gluten free!!!!! Kudos to Brad.
Have been looking for lower salt spagetti sauces since my honey has the high blood pressure. A common issue among old dudes. I found this one at Big Y - a New England chain grocery store. "Brad's Organic Pasta Sauce", tomato basil flavor. It is fat free and really low in salt. I could not believe this - it is the lowest I have ever seen- 25 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup serving. The kicker, it actually tastes good. It has a very fresh taste. I always doctor up jarred sauces. I sauteed some onion, garlic, mushroom and zucchini squash and poured sauce over. This leaves the sodium content vertually the same and adding some vegetable nutrition power.
The sauce is also gluten free!!!!! Kudos to Brad.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Summer Squash Soup
Every week I've been getting summer squash in my farm basket. Every week. Zucchini too, every week. I'm really not complaining, but I don't think I would buy 6-8 squashes each week. I pick out the smaller ones. I have been keeping up with them pretty well. I've grilled many of them. Last night I did a vegetable saute for pasta. Onion, garlic, yellow squash, zucchini and eggplant. Very yummy. I have a few product comments about this meal.
#1- rice pasta - never trust the cooking time on the label. The time is always too long. The pasta I made last night had a cooking time of 15-19 minutes (no kidding), I checked after about 6 minutes and it was done. If I had cooked it the time suggested (and I have done this in the past) the pasta would have been total mush. I suggest checking at 1/2 of the suggested time and then one minute there after. Make a note of the cooking time for that shape and brand of pasta. I put my note on the inside of the cupboard.
#2- pasta sauce. Most jarred sauces are gluten free, but as always check the label. We usually use Muir Glen Organic because we like it and the sodium content is fairly low - 350-380 per 1/2 cup. Fat content is 1 gram. there is no added sugar.
Recently in Walmat I can across Bea's Brookklyn's Best sauces. The sodium content is remarkably low - 150-180 mg per 1/2 cup. The Fat is higher at 6 grams per 1/2 cup, one gram being saturated fat. This one also has no added sugar. The taste was good, we tried the vodka sauce.
So back to chatting about squash:
Last week, when the temperatures were a bit cooler, I made a soup using the summer squash.
I changed a few items in the original recipe. Mostly by using more vegetables than were called for.
Creamy Summer Squash Soup
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium potatoes, washed and cubed
4 carrots, sliced
3 small yellow squashes, sliced
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Saute onion in oil in large sauce pan over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, carrots, squash, pepper and turmeric.
Add broth and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
Blend with an immersion blender. Add milk and cheese. Gently reheat.
Serves about 7-8.
#1- rice pasta - never trust the cooking time on the label. The time is always too long. The pasta I made last night had a cooking time of 15-19 minutes (no kidding), I checked after about 6 minutes and it was done. If I had cooked it the time suggested (and I have done this in the past) the pasta would have been total mush. I suggest checking at 1/2 of the suggested time and then one minute there after. Make a note of the cooking time for that shape and brand of pasta. I put my note on the inside of the cupboard.
#2- pasta sauce. Most jarred sauces are gluten free, but as always check the label. We usually use Muir Glen Organic because we like it and the sodium content is fairly low - 350-380 per 1/2 cup. Fat content is 1 gram. there is no added sugar.
Recently in Walmat I can across Bea's Brookklyn's Best sauces. The sodium content is remarkably low - 150-180 mg per 1/2 cup. The Fat is higher at 6 grams per 1/2 cup, one gram being saturated fat. This one also has no added sugar. The taste was good, we tried the vodka sauce.
So back to chatting about squash:
Last week, when the temperatures were a bit cooler, I made a soup using the summer squash.
I changed a few items in the original recipe. Mostly by using more vegetables than were called for.
Creamy Summer Squash Soup
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium potatoes, washed and cubed
4 carrots, sliced
3 small yellow squashes, sliced
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Saute onion in oil in large sauce pan over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, carrots, squash, pepper and turmeric.
Add broth and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
Blend with an immersion blender. Add milk and cheese. Gently reheat.
Serves about 7-8.
Friday, August 27, 2010
What to do with Lots of Parsley
Parsley has been everywhere in my world this summer. No only did I plant some in the garden, but the CFA has had a good clump of it each week. What to do with all the parsley?
Some if it just got processed with olive oil and put into the freezer for making spagetti sauce in the winter. With the olive oil it does not turn brown. I figured there must be some kind of parley pesto kind of thing that I could make, so the search was on. What I found was accidental, in the september/october issue of "Clean Eating " magazine. A Chimichurri Sauce. This is inspired by South American cuisine. A spice pesto-like sauce made with lots of parsley. I adapted it a bit for the ingredients I had on hand. It turns out to be a good accompanyment for chicken and fish. We also liked it on grilled zucchini.
The sauce is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, pottassium and mono-unsaturate fatty acids.
My Chimichurri Sauce
1/4 cup plain greek style yogurt ( I ended up keeping it seperate)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
20 sprigs of fresh parsley, flat leaf
5 sprigs fresh oregano
4 cloves garlic
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Pinch of salt if desired
Place all ingredients into the food processor and process to form a pesto-like sauce. Scrape bowl down as neccessary. Makes about 2/3 cup
I did not mix the yogurt in with the sauce to allow the people to decide how much yogurt they wanted, if any. I have learned that if an ingredient is iffy for a family member and I can keep it seperate, this is a good thing.
Some if it just got processed with olive oil and put into the freezer for making spagetti sauce in the winter. With the olive oil it does not turn brown. I figured there must be some kind of parley pesto kind of thing that I could make, so the search was on. What I found was accidental, in the september/october issue of "Clean Eating " magazine. A Chimichurri Sauce. This is inspired by South American cuisine. A spice pesto-like sauce made with lots of parsley. I adapted it a bit for the ingredients I had on hand. It turns out to be a good accompanyment for chicken and fish. We also liked it on grilled zucchini.
The sauce is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, pottassium and mono-unsaturate fatty acids.
My Chimichurri Sauce
1/4 cup plain greek style yogurt ( I ended up keeping it seperate)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
20 sprigs of fresh parsley, flat leaf
5 sprigs fresh oregano
4 cloves garlic
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Pinch of salt if desired
Place all ingredients into the food processor and process to form a pesto-like sauce. Scrape bowl down as neccessary. Makes about 2/3 cup
I did not mix the yogurt in with the sauce to allow the people to decide how much yogurt they wanted, if any. I have learned that if an ingredient is iffy for a family member and I can keep it seperate, this is a good thing.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Russian Cabbage Soup
This is a quicky, before I run off to my real job. The August skys have been cool and dreary. Seems like this happens right before school is getting ready to start. I actually had a sweater on the other day. Soup in August seems a little weird, but two night ago it was just right. Having 2 heads of cabbage in the crisper, something needed to be done about that. What to do with the cabbage -- hmm--- cabbage soup. So off I go to my favorite web site - all recipes-- to find a recipe that I think everyone will like. The result was a russian cabbage soup. It contains ground beef - i use the ground buffallo- but I think it would work with port or cubed beef just as well. I even think it could be made vegan. It is gluten free and companied well with the corn muffins in a previous blog.
Sweet Russiona Cabbage Soup
1 pound ground beef or buffallo (90% lean)
1 can diced tomato, no salt added
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups beef broth, low sodium
4 carrots, sliced
1 onion chopped
2 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar ( i would go 1/3 cup next time)
1/2 tsp salt
/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
1. In a large pot crumble the ground beef. Add the diced tomato, tomato paste, broth, carrot, onion, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour in 4 cups of beef broth and bring to a boil. Stir to break up the beef. Simmer for 30 minutes once it comes to a boil.
2. Pour in 2 cups of water and return to a simmer. Add garlic and cabbbage, simmer for 25 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
This says it makes 4 servings - but no it makes a whole lot of soup. more like 8 servings.
Sweet Russiona Cabbage Soup
1 pound ground beef or buffallo (90% lean)
1 can diced tomato, no salt added
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups beef broth, low sodium
4 carrots, sliced
1 onion chopped
2 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar ( i would go 1/3 cup next time)
1/2 tsp salt
/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
1. In a large pot crumble the ground beef. Add the diced tomato, tomato paste, broth, carrot, onion, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour in 4 cups of beef broth and bring to a boil. Stir to break up the beef. Simmer for 30 minutes once it comes to a boil.
2. Pour in 2 cups of water and return to a simmer. Add garlic and cabbbage, simmer for 25 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
This says it makes 4 servings - but no it makes a whole lot of soup. more like 8 servings.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Zucchini Bonanza
August is the laziest month of the year. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it. I've been procrastinating and wasting my time. Someone has to gobble up the last rays of summer.
So I have some catching up to do. I have piles of recipes and cookbooks next to the computer waiting for action. Our CSA has been delivering some veggies that we don't normally use; Fennel, tomatillos, okra, large cabbages, and some familiar favorites; tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers. This I will dedicate to the Zucchini. We have been pulling in tons of the stuff. Lovely dark green squashes. The yellow squash has been coming to as well as some unusual varieties that we use just the same.
My favorite way to use the summer squashes is to grill them. I simply slice them lengthwise into 1/4 inch pieces, brush the slices with olive oil and pop them on the grill. Yum and easy.
Leftovers are great on sandwiches with some hummus or dices into a pasta dish. The same can be done with eggplant.
I have been asked for a good gluten free zucchini bread. I am still working on that, but I have made a yummy zucchini souffle that is gluten free. The results are like a moist cornbread. this is not a simple recipe, but it was well worth the time. It is adapted from a recipe in Bert Green's (no relation) "Green on Greens". This is a great example of a dish that is gluten free without trying.
Zucchini Hoe Cake
1 pound zucchini, trimmed and coarsely grated
Salt
6 tbsp trans fat free margarine
1 small onion, minced
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
2 tbs p chopped fresh parsley
pinch ground allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 1/2 cups light cream
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 cup cornmeal
4 egg yolks (I did not say this was low fat)
1 tsp baking powder
ground black pepper
5 egg whites- beat to soft peaks
1. Place the zucchini in a colander and lightly sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 20 minutes. Gently press the zucchini with a heavy duty paper towel to remove the excess liquid. Do not skip this step.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Melt 2 tbsp of margarine in a heavy skillet. Add the onion, zucchini, basil, parsley, allspice and nutmeg. . Cook covered for 5 minutes. Then remove the cover and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture is dry, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Combine the cream, remaining margarine, the sugar and the honey. Cook stirring constantly, until the butter melts. Stir in the cornmeal. Cook, still stirring constantly, until thick, about 5 minutes. Do not allow to boil.
4. Transfer the cornmeal mixture to a large bowl. Beat in the egg yolks, one at at time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the baking powder and black pepper. Stir in the zucchini mixture.
5. Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into a buttered 2 quart souffle dish or casserole. Bake until puffed and golden, 30-35 minutes. Serves 6-8.
Enjoy. Later today (time permitting - as well as motivation) I will attempt a gluten free zucchini bread that is moist and yummy.
Comming next --- Gluten free corn muffins.
So I have some catching up to do. I have piles of recipes and cookbooks next to the computer waiting for action. Our CSA has been delivering some veggies that we don't normally use; Fennel, tomatillos, okra, large cabbages, and some familiar favorites; tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers. This I will dedicate to the Zucchini. We have been pulling in tons of the stuff. Lovely dark green squashes. The yellow squash has been coming to as well as some unusual varieties that we use just the same.
My favorite way to use the summer squashes is to grill them. I simply slice them lengthwise into 1/4 inch pieces, brush the slices with olive oil and pop them on the grill. Yum and easy.
Leftovers are great on sandwiches with some hummus or dices into a pasta dish. The same can be done with eggplant.
I have been asked for a good gluten free zucchini bread. I am still working on that, but I have made a yummy zucchini souffle that is gluten free. The results are like a moist cornbread. this is not a simple recipe, but it was well worth the time. It is adapted from a recipe in Bert Green's (no relation) "Green on Greens". This is a great example of a dish that is gluten free without trying.
Zucchini Hoe Cake
1 pound zucchini, trimmed and coarsely grated
Salt
6 tbsp trans fat free margarine
1 small onion, minced
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
2 tbs p chopped fresh parsley
pinch ground allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 1/2 cups light cream
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 cup cornmeal
4 egg yolks (I did not say this was low fat)
1 tsp baking powder
ground black pepper
5 egg whites- beat to soft peaks
1. Place the zucchini in a colander and lightly sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 20 minutes. Gently press the zucchini with a heavy duty paper towel to remove the excess liquid. Do not skip this step.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Melt 2 tbsp of margarine in a heavy skillet. Add the onion, zucchini, basil, parsley, allspice and nutmeg. . Cook covered for 5 minutes. Then remove the cover and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture is dry, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Combine the cream, remaining margarine, the sugar and the honey. Cook stirring constantly, until the butter melts. Stir in the cornmeal. Cook, still stirring constantly, until thick, about 5 minutes. Do not allow to boil.
4. Transfer the cornmeal mixture to a large bowl. Beat in the egg yolks, one at at time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the baking powder and black pepper. Stir in the zucchini mixture.
5. Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into a buttered 2 quart souffle dish or casserole. Bake until puffed and golden, 30-35 minutes. Serves 6-8.
Enjoy. Later today (time permitting - as well as motivation) I will attempt a gluten free zucchini bread that is moist and yummy.
Comming next --- Gluten free corn muffins.
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