whpa.

Apple Pancakes

We are a family who love us some pancakes.  And we especially love 'em with stuff - blueberries, apple slices, pumpkin puree, etc.  A plain pancake - it seems almost criminal.

These pancakes have applesauce in the batter in place of oil.  Then I thinly sliced apples and cooked them on top with a sprinkling of cinnamon.  Top with a bit of syrup or whipped cream, and you have a scrumptious treat.

Navy Bean Soup

I haven't been feeling much like cooking lately - I don't even think I could tell you what we've eaten the past month.  Finally, I've tried something new and I really liked how it turned out.  It was thick and savory and brimming with delicious veggies.  The original recipe called for a 2 lbs ham hock, I substituted smoked turkey leg, the results were quite nice.

Navy Bean Soup with Smoked Turkey

1 lb Navy beans, rinsed and soaked 

4 TB olive oil

4 C chopped onion (about 1 large onion)

1 C chopped carrots

1/2 chopped celery

3 minced garlic cloves

6 C chicken broth

3 C water

2 bay leaves

6 sprigs parsley chopped

2 lbs smoked turkey legs

2 C chopped, peeled potatoes

2 1/2 tsp thyme

1.  Saute carrots, onion, celery & garlic in oil until soft - about 10 minutes.  Add beans, broth, water, bay leaves, parsley, turkey, potatoes and thyme.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and skim off foam.  Simmer partially covered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2.  Remove turkey and bay leaves.  Cut turkey off bone.

3.  Set aside about 3 C of soup and beans.  In a food processor, puree until smooth.  Return mixture to soup along with turkey pieces.  Season with salt and pepper.

May be refrigerated two days or frozen.

Serves 6 to 8.

Delicious Minestrone - Move Over Olive Garden

This is a very tasty soup!  And it is chock full of vegetables, so it is very healthy.  (Sorry, I don't have a picture today.)

Makes about 10 cups

ingredients

1/2 lb dried white beans, rinsed and soaked overnight - or - 2 14.5 oz cans canellini beans, drained and rinsed and 1 14.5 oz can chick peas

1/4 lb pancetta (I found this at Trader Joes) - or - use sliced, lean bacon, chopped

1/3 C olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 large carrot, sliced

2 ribs of celery, sliced

3 cloves garlic

2 zucchini, diced

1/4 lb green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 lb potatoes, diced

4 C shredded cabbage

1/2 lb kale, chopped - or - spinach, chopped

28 oz can diced tomatoes

4 1/2 C chicken broth

1/2 lb macaroni noodles

freshly grated Parmesan, bruschetta, and sausage to accompany

preparation

If using dried beans.  After soaking overnight, drain beans.  Place in saucepan and cover with water and simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they are tender.  Add the salt.  Remove from heat and let the white beans stand uncovered.

In a heavy dutch oven or large pot, cook the pancetta in oil until crisp and pale golden, add the onion.  Cook, stirring, until the onion is softened.

Add the carrots, celery and garlic.  Cook for 4 minutes. Add zucchini, green beans, and potatoes.  Cook for 4 more minutes.  Add the cabbage and the kale, cook until that cabbage is wilted.  Add the tomatoes and the broth.  Simmer, covered for 1 hour.  

Drain the white beans, reserving the liquid.  In a blender or food processor puree half of them with 1 C reserved liquid.  Stir the puree and remaining beans into the soup.  Add the pasta.

Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  Thin if desired with remaining reserve liquid.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Chicken Rice Soup

From:  epicurious.com

This is a simple soup made from scratch.  Throw everything in the pot and walk away.  The rice cooks in the pot along with the chicken.  Use brown rice, its starchiness and heaviness work as an advantage.  White rice would get mushy.  It is very good.

Ingredients

2 T butter

1 Large onion, chopped

3 large celery ribs, sliced and diced

3 medium carrots, sliced

1 (3/12-4 pound) chicken  (I substituted chicken breasts because that's what I had)

1 C brown rice

1/3 C fresh parsley  (I used 2T dried parsley)

3 t salt - or to taste

4 C chicken broth (you can use all water, but the added broth gives a greater richness))

8 C water

Freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Saute veggies in the butter for about 5 minutes.  Add the rice and brown for an additional minute.  Add liquid and chicken, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour.

Transfer chicken to a colander. When cool enough, remove meat, discard skin and bones.  Coarsely shred chicken and return to soup.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Thank you Serena for the suggestion.

Easy Double Chocolate Chip Brownies

I grew up believing that baked goods should be made from scratch.  My mom made cookies, cakes and brownies this way.  And for the most part I believe.  Except, I love a good brownie mix.  They are usually so much better than scratch brownies.  But this recipe is quite tasty and comparable to a mix I think - moist and chewy with a pretty papery crust on the top.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate, cut into chunks

1/2 C butter, cut into pieces

3 large eggs

1 1/4 C flour

1 C granulated sugar

1 t vanilla

1/2 t baking soda

1 Cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet

1/2 C chopped nuts (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 13x 9 inch baking pan.

2.  Melt semi-sweet chocolate and butter in a large, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat.  Stir until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Stir in eggs.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Spread into prepared baking pan.

3.  Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Quick Vegetarian Chili

This is one of my favorite comfort dishes.  It is made with barley and beans, every once in a while I also add diced chicken.  This has a certain flavor that just hits the spot for me.  I made this today but was missing some of the key ingredients (diced green chiles and the right kind of tomatoes.)  Many times, substitutions work without changing the essence of a given dish.  Today's chili tastes just fine, but for me it is missing a certain je'nais se quois.  So if you do decide to try this, get the ingredients from the recipe the first time you make it.  Top it off with some avocado, shredded cheese and maybe a dollop of sour cream.  Let me know what you think.

Quick Vegetarian Chili

2 t canola oil

1 C chopped onion

1 C chopped red bell pepper

2 t chili powder

1 t ground cumin

1 t dried oregano

3 garlic cloves

1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles

2/3 C uncooked barley

1/4 C water

2 15 oz cans black beans, drained

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can vegetable or chicken broth (I get a little loose on the definition of vegetarian)

1.  Heat oil in a Dutch over.  Saute onion and bell pepper 3 mins.  Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic and chiles.  Cook for 1 minute.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until barley is tender.

Serve with sour cream, lime wedges, fresh cilantro, chips and avocado.

Note:  store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.  Also freezes well.

Homemade Play Dough is the Best!

I have taken to making our own play dough. It's great fun to mix up a batch and then let the kids mix in the colors. I give them a scoop of dough, they add a few drops of food coloring (first they make an indentation with their finger to put the drops in). Lastly, the go to town kneading it until the color has been incorporated. It's also a great way to talk about how to mix primary colors to make secondary colors.

The recipe is very simple:

2 C boiling water
1 C salt
2 C flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
food coloring of choice

Dissolve the salt in the boiling water. Then mix in the flour and cream of tartar. Allow the mixture to cool. Have your kids knead in the food coloring.

Note: If you prefer, mix the food coloring in with the water.

'Foodies' Unite

I have read a several blogs now that have group authorship centered around a common theme.  I am wondering if anyone else would like to be a contributor to a food blog?  I would love to have a place where we could all share since many of us love food, most of us have to prepare food several times a day and we all have really great recipes.  Let me know if you are interested.  

You Don't Make Friends With Salad - H. Simpson

We had our annual neighborhood Potluck Block Party this weekend.  I decided to see what I could do with a little yellow cake mix, pudding mix and sour cream.  This is the cake I created.

I used a 9x14 rectangular dish to bake this in.  I thought a square shaped cake fit my mood.  To make layers, I simply cut the cake in half. Then I piled raspberry jam on one half and placed the other half on top.  I wanted the frosting to match the filling so I added a couple of drops of red food coloring to a buttercream frosting to get pink.  Just for fun I used a pastry bag and piped little flowers around the bottom and on the top.

I have to bring dessert to a Enrichment Night on Tuesday.  I am planning on making this again and using 9 in rounds instead.  I want to do a ribbon piping around the sides next time.  I'll post a picture after I've made it.

Recipe:

1 yellow cake mix

1 vanilla pudding mix

1 C water

2/3 C oil

3 eggs

1/2 C sour cream

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease and flour desired pans.

Slowly beat all ingredients together until smooth and incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape sides of the bowl occasionally.  Increase mixer speed and beat additional 5 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake 30 minutes or until cake tester inserted in middle of cake is comes out clean.

Cool cakes in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

Buttercream Frosting

3/4 C butter, at room temperature

6 C powdered sugar

2 T vanilla

1/4 C milk

1.  Beat butter at high speed until light and fluffy.  Decrease speed and beat in sugar, vanilla and milk.  Check frosting consistency.  For thicker frosting, add more sugar.  To thin frosting, add milk 1 T at a time.

Savory Tortilla Soup

This is so yummy and refreshing. I used a recipe I found online but modified it to lower the fat content. This basic recipe can easily be modified to fit your tastes.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 C carrot, diced
1 C celery, diced
1 C onion, diced
1 garlic clove, diced
salt and pepper to taste
2 T olive oil or safflower oil, divided
2 boneless chicken breasts
32 oz chicken broth, low sodium
juice of 1 lime
1 15 ounce can, Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1/2 packet taco seasoning (I used McCormicks)
10 corn tortillas cut into small pieces
1/2 C milk

Toppings:
shredded cheese
cilantro
avacado
corn chips or tortillas

1. Heat 1 T of oil and brown chicken. Remove from pan. Dice into bite size pieces.

2. Keep the drippings, add 1 T oil and saute carrots, onions, celery, garlic and salt and pepper until tender.

3. Return chicken to pan and add taco seasonings. Stir until all ingredients are coated with spices.

4. Add chicken broth, tomatoes and lime juice. Add the tortillas pieces and let boil 20 minutes until they are thoroughly incorporated into soup. Stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

5. Add milk and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

6. Serve the soup with a sprinkling of cheese and other toppings of your choice. Delicious!

This soup also freezes well.

Arroz con Pollo

Yummy, yummy family favorite.  This is a very popular dish with dozens of variations depending on your country of origin.  Some like to add chili peppers and paprika for spice, other areas use saffron and bell peppers.  However you make it, it is always a crowd pleaser.  This is my version.

Chicken & Rice with Spicy Italian Sausage

Ingredients:

1 lb meaty chicken (thighs, legs) on bone

1 lb hot italian sausage

1 lg green pepper

1 C chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 C long-grain rice (I use brown rice - NOT INSTANT)

3 C warm chicken stock

1/4 t saffron

bay leaf

oregano

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

14 oz can diced tomatoes (you may use fresh)

1/2 bag frozen peas

Coat the bottom of a large Dutch oven with olive oil.  Brown the chicken on both sides, about 10 minutes.  Remove chicken with slotted spoon.  Saute onion, garlic and pepper in oil.  Add the sausage.  Stir frequently.  Add rice and brown 1 minute.  Pour in the chicken stock, add saffron, bay leaf and oregano.  Stir in the tomatoes.  Return the chicken to the pot, nestling it on the top of the rice mixture.  Cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until rice is cooked.  Add peas for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Oatmeal Bread

I've been in a bread making mood lately.  I've been trying to find a bread that is good for sandwiches.  I found this recipe on the back of the King Arthur's Flour bag.   It was mighty tasty!

As claimed by the company:  This tender, high-rising bread makes wonderful sandwiches and great toast.

Oatmeal Bread

3 C King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

1 C rolled oats 

2 T butter

1 1/2 t salt

3 T brown sugar or honey (I used honey)

2 t instant yeast OR 1 packet active dry yeast

1 1/4 C lukewarm milk

1.  In a saucepan, heat the milk with the butter just until the butter begins to melt.  Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let sit 5 minutes until frothy.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, mixing to form a shaggy dough.  Knead by hand or machine till it's smooth.  Add flour as needed.  Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow to rest for 1 hour.  It'll become quite puffy, though it may not double.

3.  Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled surface, and shape it into a log.  Place in a lightly greased 9x5 - inch loaf pan.  Cover the pan and allow the dough to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till it's crested 1 to 2 inches over the rim of the pan.

4. Bake the bread in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 to 40 minutes.  Yield:  1 loaf

Too Much Zucchini - Two Yummy Recipes

Last week at Trader Joes, I purchased a container full of zucchini.  There was way more of the obnoxious vegetable than I realized.  I've been trying to use it up ever since.  Here are two recipes to get rid of zucchini.  (For those of you with gardens, you may want to file these away for the summer season!)

Linguine with Clam and Tomato Sauce

This is a very easy, quick meal.  It gives a hint of seafood without the price tag.  We paired it with fresh artichokes that the Potter's brought back from Gilroy.

There are two types of traditional Italian clam sauce, one with and one without tomatoes.  This version can be made with canned or fresh clams.  I used canned clams.

Ingredients

2 lb fresh clams or 12 oz canned clams, with liquid

6 T olive oil

1 - 2 cloves garlic, crushed

14 oz canned or fresh tomatoes, finely chopped

1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

4 T chopped parsley

black pepper to taste

1lb linguine

Directions

1.  Place the olive oil in a medium saucepan with the garlic.  Cook until garlic is just golden.  Discard garlic. In the meantime, begin cooking the pasta.

2. Add chopped tomato and zucchini to the oil.  Pour in the clam liquid.  Mix well and cook over low to moderate heat until the sauce begins to dry out and thicken slightly.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. A minute or two before the pasta is ready, stir in the clams and parsley into the tomato sauce, and

 raise the heat.  Pour the hot sauce over the drained pasta and mix well.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread - To die for!

Ingredients:

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate

3 eggs

2 C sugar

1 C vegetable oil

2 C grated zucchini

1 t vanilla

2 C flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 t ground cinnamon

3/4 C semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.

2.  Melt chocolate in microwave.

3.  Combine eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini, vanilla and chocolate.  Beat well.  Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Fold in chips.  Pour batter into prepared pans.

4.  Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Yummy!

Searching for the Perfect Scone

I love the blueberry scones at Starbucks.  They have a dense texture but are not too dry.  I cannot duplicate them.  I tried these scones from the Better Homes & Garden cookbook this week.  They were good - very light and flaky and not too sweet.  Yet, they are not the scone for me.  I must keep searching.

  

Ingredients

2 1/2 C flour

2 T sugar 

4 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/c C cold butter, cut into pieces

2 beaten eggs

3/4 C whipping cream

1/2 C dried currents (I used dried cherries, snipped)

milk 

sugar

1.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. 

 

2.  Combine eggs, cream and cherries.  Add wet mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Using a fork, stir until just moistened.

3. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.  Knead dough by folding and gently pressing for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth.  Pat or lightly roll dough into an 8-inch circle.  Cut into 8 wedges.

4.  Place wedges 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden.  Serve warm.

What To Do With Veggies?

When I have a lot of extra veggies sitting around I like to make a red sauce for pasta.  You can also serve it with chicken, over beans, or freeze it for later.  Using fresh herbs adds really great flavor as well.

Red Sauce

Saute the following veggies in 2T olive oil until tender (about 10 minutes)

garlic

onion

carrots

celery

zucchinni

yellow squash

Add 28 oz can of plum tomatoes

1/2 C water or broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh rosemary or oregano

Allow to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. (The longer you simmer, the better it tastes.) You can either serve it chunky style or put 3/4 of it through a food processor.  If you have finicky eaters who don't like whole veggies, definitely puree the mix and they will never know that they are eating squash!  Sprinkle on parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Beans & Rice

Douglas is still between jobs (that's very euphemistic isn't it?) Our little joke is how many ways can we serve beans, rice or pasta.  Here's what I've come up with.

Bean Soup w/ Avocado salsa & chips

Roast Chicken w/ potato salad

Chicken Soup w/ orzo pasta & caesar salad

Stir Fry Veggies & Rice Bowls

Spaghetti 

Leftovers (i.e. Bean soup)

And this week we will sing,

Beans, beans, the musical fruit . . .

More Veggies Please

I hit the farmer's market again this week with 27 dollars in my pocket, determined to support local farmers and get fresh, organic produce.  I was surprised at how far my dollar stretched.  I started with the basics that I would need for dinner, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro.  I also found carrots and beautiful little eggplants.  I really wanted asparagus while it is still in season and got 1 lb for $3.50.  I passed on the artichokes and picked up some apples for Douglas. These were more expensive than I usually like to pay for apples, but I wanted to try our local fare.  I kept passing on the strawberries too until one stand owner started advertising 3 packs for $5!  That was a steal and took the last of my moola.    I came away with a lot of fresh, beautiful food and didn't spend a fortune.    

We are also fortunate to have friends with citrus trees and are phat in oranges, lemons and tangerines.  No scurvy here!  I really love a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice, especially when the oranges came of the tree 2 hours before being squeezed.

Here is my menu for the week.

• Black Bean Taco Salad
  
• Foccacia with Potatoes and Bacon
  
• Spaghetti Pomodora
  
• Curry with Eggplant
  
• Roast Chicken with grilled veggies
  
• Chicken Soup
  
• And of course, pizza night

An Old Standby

Black Bean Taco Salad

Suggestions for the Salad:

• Romaine lettuce
  
• black beans (drained and rinsed)
  
• chopped tomato
  
• chopped green pepper
  
• finely diced red onion
  
• avacado
  
• shredded cheddar cheese
  

For the Dressing:

1/4 C chopped tomato

1/4 chopped cilantro

2 T olive oil

1 T cider vinegar

1 t lime zest

1 T lime juice

1/4 t salt

1/4 t cumin

1/4 t chili powder

1/4 t pepper

1 garlic clove

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Toss with salad ingredients and serve with chips.  For the kids I also add a side of quesadilla!

Menu Whatever

What to do with my spoils from the farmer's market?  Hmmm - How about this.

• Wild Mushroom Risotto and Spicy Italian Sausage
  
• Leek and Potato Soup
  
• Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Breast with Artichokes
  
• Black Bean Chili with fresh salsa
  
• Salmon with Grilled Asparagus
  
• Spinach and Mushroom Frittata
  

Check out your local farmer's market - What is coming into season where you live?