The Newfangled Country Gardener

Fun to say, fun to serve, Ratatouille is great sauteéd veggie dish

2012-02-13T05:03:00.000-08:00

The minute I saw photos of the slightly aged, typewritten recipe cards in the article, I knew I would adore the food suggestions associated with the January 2012 issue of Southern Living. The writer was honoring her mom, a longtime food editor of the Shreveport Times. She was featuring some of her mother’s prized recipes; the headline read, “Every Recipe Has a Story.” The subject of my two cookbooks exactly! Plus, a blessing of my own past was to share office space with Ann Criswell, revered former food editor of the Houston Chronicle. I remembered the pride in taking some of Ann’s recipe classics and making them my own.

I hope to be able to try out each of the recipes of editor Carolyn Flournoy, as discussed in the magazine by her daughter, Kate Nicholson, but the one I started with was Ratatouille. Who could argue with that great melting pot of fresh veggies—yellow squash, zucchini squash, red pepper, green pepper, yellow pepper, eggplant, and tomatoes? The author said that as much fun as consuming the dish was listening to her mother say its name—“Ra-tuh-TOO-ee”. I tried it out on my granddaughter, to whom I was serving the Ra-tuh-TOO-ee, with emphasis on the TOO-ee part. She giggled at the odd sound. (But she didn’t buy my tease that it was so named because it contained rat’s tails. Wonder why?)

The author states that all the chopping and dicing (which takes way longer than does the ultimate cooking time) is plenty worth it when the end-result is this fresh veggie dish. I might also add that the recipe fixes worlds! Four to six servings, the recipe tells us, but Hubby and I say this is a way-conservative estimate. Unless you’re preparing to feed a soccer team, you could halve what’s called for and still have an ample amount to serve.

You’ll find yourself stuck on this delightful dish as well as stuck on saying the enticing word Ra-tuh-TOO-ee—fun whether you’re a kid or a kid at heart.

Ratatouille

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1/2 pound zucchini

1/2 pound yellow squash

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes (I used the no-salt variety)

1 small eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

2 tablespoons chopped basil

freshly ground pepper

Cut the first 5 ingredients into 1-inch pieces. In a large skillet over medium heat sauté onion and garlic 5 to 7 minutes or just until onion is tener. Stir in tomatoes and next 2 ingredients. Sauté 8 to 10 minutes or just until eggplant begins to soften. Stir in bell peppers, zucchini, and squash; cover and cook. Stir occasionally and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and liquid is slightly reduced. Stir in basil. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and sauté 3 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

How comforting is this? Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits. Wow!

2012-02-08T06:43:00.000-08:00

I could tell that the Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits was labor-intensive (i.e, lots of chopping, mainly). Who but Hubby would be more interested in the outcome? After all, Chicken Pot Pie is his favorite dish. So I humored him a little and promised that I’d mention his name in my blog today if he’d be willing to help a little in the kitchen. He rose to the bait!

Boy, was he glad he did! Many minutes later (every vegetable in the produce department, practically, went into the mix) he was dining on this steamy, savory comfort-food dish with its tasty bacon-cheddar topping and tossing out enough superlatives to fill a dictionary. Wow!

Southern Living (January 2012 issue) really outdid itself with its section of shortcut chicken suppers, which included this recipe. The magazine recommends using grocery deli chicken to speed things along, but I boiled some chicken breasts so I’d have the homemade (and salt-free) broth to go along with them. The recipe called for Creole seasoning; I didn’t have this but did have Mrs. Dash chicken grilling seasoning that I subbed. It was excellent. Fresh parsley for the Chicken Pie Filling and fresh chives for the biscuits really livened things up.

Hands-on time: 50 minutes, the recipe says. Having a buddy in the kitchen really helped speed this up. Best of all, the recipe, baked in a 13-inch-by-9-inch dish, will last us the rest of the week (6-to-8 servings, says the list of instructions). I know that this little meal will only get better as the week progresses.

Chicken Pie Filling

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)

1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

2 tablespoons butter

1 large sweet onion, diced

1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

4 cups shredded cooked chicken

2 cups frozen cubed hash browns

1 cup matchstick carrots

1 cup frozen small sweet peas

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt 1/3 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; add flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually add chicken broth and milk and cook, whisking constantly, for 6 to 7 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in Creole seasoning. Set aside. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion and mushrooms and sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken, next 4 ingredients, and sauce. Then prepare topping as instructed below.

Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits (topping)

Spoon chicken filling into a lightly greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish. In separate bowl cut 1/2 cup cold butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Cut butter cubes into 2 cups self-rising flour with a pastry blender or fork until mixture is crumbly and resembles small peas. Add 3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup finely chopped cooked bacon (I used turkey bacon), 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, and 1 cup whipping cream (I used skim milk). Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly 3 or 4 times. Roll or pat dough to 3/4-inch thickness; cut with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter to form 15 biscuits. (I skipped this rolling step and simply spooned 15 big tablespoons of batter onto the top of the chicken mixture. When baked my topping looked just like the one in the magazine and saved me the trouble of the pastry-roll step—and the cleanup.) Bake Chicken Pie Filling at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and arrange biscuits on top of hot chicken mixture. Bake 25 to 30 more minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and chicken mixture is bubbly. Remove from oven; brush biscuits with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Scones packed with blueberries—what treats!

2012-02-06T08:13:00.001-08:00

I’ve always loved the whole idea of scones—you feel as though you are eating an indulgent pastry, but the sweetener in these small quick breads is minimal and the health benefits (such as this one replete with blueberries) are great.

“Boo Berry Scones”, a play on the name of the fruit that’s folded into the batter, are baked on a cookie sheet after the dough has been patted out to fill the pan throughout (no rolling is necessary). The recipe instructions call for cutting the dough into triangles before it’s baked, but the triangles are not separated until afterward. I used a pizza cutter to make the slices. After the scones bake for 30 t0 35 minutes, they separate easily when they’re removed from the baking pan.

Sprinkling sugar on top of the dough (I used sugar substitute) is the final touch before these bake to a golden brown. We enjoyed them plain or with sugar-free jam.

Boo Berry Scones

2 cups flour

1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup margarine, cold

1 3/4 cups buttermilk, reduced fat

1 1/2 cups blueberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

cooking spray

1 tablespoon sugar (or sugar substitute)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl mix flours, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in margarine until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk until moist. Fold in blueberries and lemon juice and lemon zest. Turn onto a floured surface and knead 10 times. Place dough on a 10-inch-by-15-inch baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Pat into a large rectangle. Cut into 16 triangles, but do not separate. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 16 servings. (Recipe courtesy Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services.)

Southwestern Turkey Soup delights even when the jonquils bloom

2012-02-03T04:53:00.000-08:00

Easy to keep falling back into my winter-soup routine with tantalizing recipes such as this one for Southwestern Turkey Soup. Even though the jonquils are blooming and the peach trees are budding in this Texas non-winter event of ours, my insides still enjoy being warmed by this spicy soup that I load up with cheese and black olives and serve with tortilla chips.

Once again I threw in my supply of shredded chicken instead of turkey as the recipe specifies. Beans, tomatoes, and frozen corn load up the dish. The recipe calls for 2 to 3 tablespoons diced jalapeno pepper. I went ahead and used the entire 3 tablespoons to make it way-spicy, but the recipe notes that one should adjust for preference. Yes, the soup was so hot-tangy, it made my eyes water a little, so a smaller amount of the peppers would have less added punch and still give the jalapeno flavor.

I may have mentioned before that this is the first recipe book I’ve ever seen that (with each pertinent recipe) contains a warning to wear disposable gloves and to avoid touching the face when you are cutting hot peppers. So glad someone thought to be up-front about this. I’ve certainly learned about this the unfortunate way; just a tiny bit of hot-pepper residue on the hands can burn mightily, especially if you happen to touch an eye. Put on those disposable gloves!

Southwestern Turkey Soup

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (14-1/2 ounce) can chicken broth

2 to 3 tablespoons diced jalapeno pepper

3 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 cups cubed cooked turkey (I used shredded chicken)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

1 1/2 cups frozen corn (or could use fresh)

optional toppings: sour cream, coarsely crushed tortilla chips, shredded Cheddar cheese, and/or sliced ripe olives

In a large saucepan sauté onion in oil until tender. Stir in the broth, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne. Add the turkey, beans, tomatoes, and corn. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Garnish with sour cream, chips, cheese, and/or olives if desired. Makes 7 servings. (Recipe courtesy tasteofhome.com)

Got a winner here: Italian Herb Zucchini skillet

2012-02-01T04:32:00.001-08:00

Hubby and I liked this Italian Herb Zucchini skillet a whole lot. It was a real treat—cubed fresh zucchini, tomatoes, and green onions stirred into cooked rice and seasoned with lots of good herbs and laced together with Cheddar cheese.

Seems as though lately all our dishes have been highly colorful, but that’s always a sign of fresh, healthy ingredients. This skillet was a meal in itself. I cut up a large avocado and sprinkled a few grapes as extras on the plate, served up a big spoonful of the zucchini dish, and we were in business. This has been our dinner for the past two nights. I’m sure it will be on our favorites list for more meals.

Italian Herb Zucchini

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 cups zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup green onions, sliced

1 teaspoon garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon basil, dried (I used fresh basil)

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried

1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes, diced, drained and rinsed (I used the no-salt-added variety)

1 cup reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the zucchini, green onions, and garlic for 5 minutes or until tender. Season with garlic powder, basil, paprika, and oregano. Mix in cooked rice, tomatoes, and 1 cup cheese. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture is heated through. Makes 15 1/2-cup servings. (Source: Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services)

Italian Herb Zucchini

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 cups zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup green onions, sliced

1 teaspoon garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon basil, dried (I used fresh basil)

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried

1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes, diced, drained and rinsed (I used the no-salt-added variety)

1 cup reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

These colorful salad cups dazzle the eyes (and taste buds)

2012-01-30T05:07:00.000-08:00

Seldom have I prepared a dish so colorful. These Colorful Turkey Salad Cups were just filled with good, healthy little bites that made a beautiful dish as well.

Who could argue with ingredients such as mango, avocado, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, and toasted pecans, all tossed with a light dressing of a cranberry sauce/sugar-free orange marmalade mixture? Truly healthy; truly attention-grabbing. Hubby kept asking, “Nothing unhealthy about this, right?” (I think he just wanted permission to have another serving.)

Again, without chopped cooked turkey on hand, I subbed cooked chicken for it. The recipe called for hoisin sauce, to be purchased in the Oriental section of a traditional grocery, but I skipped this step (didn’t have this ingredient) and instead subbed about 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce. One more sub: spinach leaves for Bibb lettuce. Any time I can work a little spinach, because of its health benefits, into a recipe, I try to do so.

This was a goodie for us! We cleaned up the last morsel yesterday after several days of storing the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator—a wonderful salad that (like the rest of us!) only improves with age.

Colorful Turkey Salad Cups

1/2 cup jellied cranberry sauce

2 tablespoons orange marmalade (I used sugar-free.)

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (I used soy sauce.)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 cups cubed cooked turkey (I subbed cooked chicken.)

1 small sweet red pepper, chopped

1 small sweet onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber

1 medium mango, peeled and chopped

1 medium avocado, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

12 Bibb lettuce leaves (I subbed fresh spinach leaves)

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

In a small saucepan combine the cranberry sauce, marmalade, hoisin sauce, and pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until blended. Stir occasionally. Cool. In a large bowl combine the turkey, red pepper, onion, cucumber, mango, avocado, pecans, ginger, and cranberry mixture. Spoon onto lettuce leaves; sprinkle with mint and basil. Refrigerate until you serve. Makes 6 servings. (Courtesy Tasteofhome.com).

The things I learned about pomegranate while tossing this Pear Harvest Salad

2012-01-27T04:42:00.000-08:00

We fell in love with this Pear Harvest Salad, although the addition of pomegranate seeds in the recipe at first gave me pause. Hubby helped me remove the seeds from the pomegranate. I know pomegranate is BIG right now; it’s said to have antioxidant health benefits and be effective against heart disease and hypertension. I surely didn’t want to leave it out and miss those possible plusses.

I simply couldn’t see how those seeds were going to work in a salad. They looked as if they were the sort of things that would immediately get stuck in your teeth and detract.

When I tossed them in—reluctantly—and bit into my first seed as part of the mix, it unleashed a tiny burst of pomegranate juice that was the perfect tart/sweet addition to the salad. The seed casing then seemed to dissolve in my mouth. I’m pleased to report that not one seed got stuck. I don’t think this salad would be nearly as delicious without it. (Plus the skin from the seeds is thought to add fiber to the diet.)

The recipe called for 4 cups cubed turkey breast, but as I do with many recipes, I subbed cooked chicken breast, which I’m more likely to have on hand. We loved the pear/avocado combo and the topping of blue cheese and honey-roasted sliced almonds. The cider vinegar/honey/Dijon mustard dressing was wonderful.

This would be a scene-stealer salad at a bring-a-dish event or merely one your family will enjoy down to the last morsel in the bowl.

Pear Harvest Salad

2 packages (5-ounces each) spring mix salad greens

4 cups cubed cooked turkey breast (I used chicken breast)

2 medium pears, sliced

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Dressing:

6 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Topping:

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup honey-roasted sliced almonds

Divide spring mix among six plates. (I merely put my spring mix in a big salad bowl and tossed all ingredients together instead of dividing the mix.) Layer with turkey, pears, avocado, pomegranate seeds, and onion. Whisk the dressing ingredients; drizzle over salad. Sprinkle with cheese and almonds. Makes 6 servings. (Recipe source: Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards)

Baked Potato Soup--love it for winter evenings

2012-01-25T04:56:00.000-08:00

What could be more cozy than a steaming dish of Baked Potato Soup? I had some soon-to-be-over-the-hill white potatoes in my veggie bin and a Southern Living November 2011 recipe for this comfort-food classic. It was a no-brainer for a winter evening meal.

This recipe called for a 24-ounce package of frozen steam-and-mash potatoes, but I simply peeled, boiled, and mashed four medium-to-large white potatoes and measured out 24 ounces of them once they were mashed. (OK, Hubby did the peeling and mashing. I need to be truthful here, because he proofreads my blog and will certainly call this omission to my attention.)

Nothing to the prep time: cooking the onion and garlic in melted butter, stirring in flour, the bouillon cube, and 3 cups water and cooking for 10 minutes; and then stirring in potatoes, milk, and pepper to simmer for about 10 more minutes. Done!

Of course the toppings are what turn this dish into a soup-like baked potato. I piled on turkey bacon bits, shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, and chives. It was a winner of a dinner!

Baked Potato Soup

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 extra-large chicken bouillon cube (can use the lower-sodium variety)

3 cups water

1 (24-ounce) package frozen steam-and-mash potatoes (I used regular potatoes that had been

peeled, and mashed, and measured out to equal 24 ounces)

2 cups milk (I used skim)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, 5 to 10 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle onion mixture with flour and stir until coated. Stir in bouillon cube and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; stir often. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Meanwhile microwave potatoes according to package directions. (Do not add butter or milk.) Stir potatoes, milk, and pepper into onion mixture. Cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally, 10 minutes, or until mixture is thickened. Serve with desired toppings, such as bacon, shredded cheese, sliced green onions, and/or chives. Makes 8 cups.

"Fun-Fetti" should be the name of this great salad mix of turkey, rice, and veggies

2012-01-23T05:17:00.000-08:00

I’m drawn to anything that has “Texas” in the title, so I loved finding this recipe for Texas Confetti Rice Salad. The flavors were South-of-the-Border; the cook who submitted the recipe to the cookbook hailed from the Lone Star; and the salad was as colorful and diverse as is our great state, so guess that explains the name.

The recipe was designed as a way to use leftover turkey (I subbed chicken); its other contents were a healthy combo—fresh tomatoes, fresh corn, green pepper, red onion, cilantro, avocado. And so pretty in the bowl! This would be a knockout on a buffet table, for sure.

Other than the time required for chopping all those ingredients, this is a quick-fix side dish that you’ll rave about for many a day!

Texas Confetti Rice Salad

2 cans (14 1/2-ounces each) chicken broth

2 cups uncooked long grain rice

1/2 cup water

4 cups cubed cooked turkey (or chicken)

4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 cups fresh or frozen corn, thawed

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 medium-ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

In a large saucepan bring the broth, rice, and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Transfer to a large bowl; cool completely. Stir in turkey, tomatoes, corn, green pepper, and onion. In a small bowl whisk the oil, cilantro, green chilies, vinegar, lime juice, mustard, cumin, garlic powder, and pepper flakes. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Chill until you serve. Just before you serve, stir in the avocado. Makes 12 servings. (Recipe courtesy Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards.)

Hooray for Brulée, especially the pumpkin variety

2012-01-20T04:53:00.000-08:00

The notation by the recipe card in my source summed up everything correctly: “I’ve never met a creme brulée that I didn’t like!” My sentiments exactly. On my birthday several months back, the restaurant brought me a creme brulée as a complimentary birthday dessert. A treat indeed!

So when I saw a recipe for Pumpkin Creme Brulée, my heart did a somersault. Of course I had to try it, especially since I had some fresh pumpkin on hand. I loved the fact that I could bake this dessert in individual ramekins. The recipe called for heavy whipping cream, but I used whole milk instead. I usually have some leftover whole milk around since I use it in the sippy cups of the grandmunchkin when he visits, but I often have a lot of the milk container remaining.

The custards have to be broiled in the oven for from 4-7 minutes until the sugar is caramelized.

(Creme brulée means “burnt cream”. It has a custard base with a topping of caramel that has been broiled until it is deep butterscotch brown. Often the broiled caramel forms a hard layer. Sometimes cooks use small cooking torches instead of the oven broiler to brown the top portion.) Watch the process carefully while the custards are oven-broiling so they will not burn or get overly toasty. Chilled after cooking, these desserts may be served with or without whipped topping. I think I like creme brulée because it resembles Mexican flan, one of my food weaknesses.

This makes an impressive, delicious dessert that you don’t have to work very arduously to create. Best of all is digging past the hard, glazed layer to spoon out the smooth, spicy underside.

Pumpkin Creme Brulée

8 egg yolks (I used 2 cups of egg substitute)

1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided (can use sugar substitute)

3 cups heavy whipping cream (I used whole milk)

3/4 cup canned pumpkin (can use fresh)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves

In a small bowl whisk egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar. In a small saucepan heat cream over medium heat until bubbles form around sides of pan. Remove from the heat; stir a small amount of hot cream into egg yolk mixture. Return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Stir in the pumpkin, vanilla, and spices. Transfer to eight 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins in a baking pan; add 1 inch of boiling water to pan. Bake uncovered, at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until centers are just set (mixture will jiggle). Remove ramekins from water bath; cool for 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. If you use a creme brulée torch, sprinkle top of desserts with remaining sugar. Heat sugar with the torch until the sugar is caramelized. Serve immediately. If broiling the custards, place ramekins on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Broil 8 inches from the heat for 4-7 minutes or until sugar on top is caramelized. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm. Makes 8 servings. (Source: Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards.)

A hint of spring in those Blueberry Muffins with the lemony topping? If so, we're ready.

2012-01-18T05:52:00.000-08:00

They were featured in a magazine article on Christmas-morning breakfast goodies, but when I baked them and dined on them, I was certain a touch of spring breezed through. (Our unusual springlike weather in mid-January may have contributed to that.)

I’m a blueberry muffin adorer and preparer from way back, but I’ve never topped them with with anything like this Lemon-Cream Cheese Glaze. The fluffy lemony topping brings out the flavor of the blueberries amazingly. I used frozen blueberries in my mixture, but fresh blueberries, of course, are ideal if you can encounter some.

Christmas morning (as the Southern Living December 2011 issue suggested), Easter morning, or just plain ole Saturday morning (the time when ours were enjoyed), these gorgeous muffins are winners.

Blueberry Muffins with Lemon-Cream Cheese Glaze

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or salt substitute)

3 large eggs (or 3/4 cup egg substitute)

1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 cups frozen (or fresh) blueberries

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir together first 4 ingredients. Whisk together eggs and next 2 ingredients; add to flour mixture; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour; gently fold into batter. Spoon mixture into 1 1/2 lightly greased 12-cup muffin pans. Fill muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 450 degrees for 14 to 15 minutes or until muffins are lightly browned and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pans to wire racks. Let cool 10 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 dozen muffins.

Lemon-Cream Cheese Glaze

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat cream cheese)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add lemon zest and next 2 ingredients; beat until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Frost muffins.

These Mason jars hold pure delight: BLT Turkey Salad

2012-01-16T05:31:00.000-08:00

I thought it was just the cutest idea ever—serving a salad in Mason jars. That’s how the colorful recipe card depicted it. Then I read that the menu item would appeal to the pickiest of eaters. I know a few of those. So I had to get busy and round up the ingredients to see how this all worked out.

The recipe was intended to use turkey (BLT Turkey Salad was its name), but I subbed cubed cooked chicken. Typically I would have subbed the darker leafy spinach for the called-for romaine lettuce, but then it wouldn’t have been a BLT! Lettuce, tomato, and bacon were joined by healthy green pepper, cucumber, and red onion. I suppose if I had had leftover avocado, green onion, or black olives, I could have tossed those in as well. The dressing was amazing and tied everything together. My recipe card suggests pairing the salad with a slice of garlic bread.

This was an absolutely darling salad that Hubby and I devoured down to the last piece of shredded cheese.

BLT Turkey Salad

6 cups torn romaine or leaf lettuce

4 cups cubed cooked turkey

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (I used turkey bacon)

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

Dressing:

1 cup (8 ounces) plain yogurt

1 cup mayonnaise (I used lite mayo)

1/4 cup sugar (I used sugar substitute)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

In a large salad bowl combine the first nine ingredients. Just before serving whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing mixture over turkey mixture; toss to coat. Makes 12 servings. (Recipe courtesy Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards.)

Happy that this fresh guacamole is so healthy; orange you?

2012-01-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

I’m not sure I’ve ever enjoyed any guacamole recipe any more than I did this Fresh Orange Guacamole. It was thick, chunky, and indulgent.

Only problem was, that hint of orange that drew me to preparing this dish was nowhere around.

Perhaps another cook would achieve a different outcome. But, to me, the recommended addition of 1 large navel orange, peeled, sectioned, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus the 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice didn’t have a great deal of impact on the flavor. My taste buds are a wee bit dulled from sustaining an upper-respiratory infection since the first of the year, so, thinking I might not be the best judge, I asked Hubby for his take on it. He wasn’t picking up an orange taste either. Bummer.

On the other hand, this dip was absolutely amazing when you consider the content—no mayo, no sour cream, nothing to add unnecessary calories. With the mashed avocados, chopped red onion, jalapeno pepper, and seasonings, plus the orange additions, it needed nothing else in terms of ingredients. Low-calorie, healthy—and the orange, while it didn’t bowl you over with flavor, sure couldn’t hurt in terms of healthy composition.

We served with fresh chips, although the source (Southern Living December 2011 issue) mentioned that Fresh Orange Guacamole would be a wonderful addition to a buffet spread of taco-makings.

Orange we glad we tried it?

Fresh Orange Guacamole

4 medium-sized ripe avocados, halved

1 large navel orange, peeled, sectioned, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, pressed

3/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

tortilla chips

garnish: fresh pomegranate seeds

Scoop avocado pulp into a bowl; mash pulp with a fork just until chunky. Stir in orange and next 5 ingredients. Cover and chill 1 to 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips. Garnish, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce great January-blahs buster

2012-01-10T03:37:00.000-08:00

Unlike with yesterday’s recipe, from the start I expected to be wowed by this dish; it even exceeded my expectations. But how can anything with apple as its main element be far from spectacular?

This Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce was just way terrific—easy to make, with lots of chunky, fresh apples. It baked in an 8-inch square pan and cut into nice-sized squares. Atop it went a thick caramel sauce. You could serve the cake either warm or cold as long as the caramel sauce was a warm top layer. Splendid! People normally think fall or Christmas when apples are mentioned, but to me this dessert was a great January-blahs buster.

Interestingly my sauce turned out to look nothing like the sauce in the photo of the recipe. Mine was decadent and creamy; the recipe photo had sauce resembling pancake syrup—clear and much thinner than mine. Yet I checked the recipe carefully and determined I hadn’t missed a step. Either way seemed as though it would be tasty.

Hubby enjoyed a tablespoon of sugar-free whipped topping on top of the caramel sauce on top of the cake. He really got into this dessert! And while it lasted, which for us wasn’t long, Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce was a terrific end-of-meal treat to anticipate.

Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups chopped peeled tart apples

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup evaporated milk or half-and-half

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 egg lightly beaten (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

In a small bowl cream butter and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Stir in apples and pecans. Pour into a greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center emerges clean. Meanwhile for caramel sauce combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve cake warm or cold with warm caramel sauce. Makes 9 servings. (Recipe courtesy Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards).

(Amended post from earlier) A dash of apple, a dash of bacon—this red-cabbage side really sings

2012-01-09T08:31:00.001-08:00

(See amended ingredients below. Original post left out amount of red cabbage.)

Ever cooked something when you didn’t have very high expectations? I was intrigued by the recipe for Red Cabbage with Apple—I thought it looked pretty in the bowl. Quite frankly, it wasn’t something I expected to see recommended for a holiday table (in my little Taste of Home holiday recipe cards book I’ve been using), except that its ruby-red color seemed festive. But I had some leftover turkey bacon and thought I’d make smart use of it by trying out this cabbage dish.

How nice to be pleasantly surprised! Hubby, too—he kept remarking, “Wow, I REALLY like this red cabbage dish.” With his emphasis and intonations on the word REALLY, I knew what he probably was thinking was, “And I didn’t expect to be.” Me, too!

The tangy tartness with the hint of bacon mixes with the sweetness of the apple to create a wonderful flavor. We used this dish as a side with broiled salmon filets, but I can imagine it being great with turkey or chicken as well.

How nice to start the new year off with a good surprise—even one of the food variety!

Red Cabbage with Apple

3 bacon strips, diced (I used turkey bacon)

1 medium apple, peeled and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small head of red cabbage, chopped

1 cup water

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar (I used sugar substitute)

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

In a large saucepan cook the bacon over medium heat until it is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towels to drain. In the drippings sauté onion and apple until they are tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Stir in reserved bacon. Makes 6 servings. (Courtesy Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards).

Mini-morsels of healthy goodness in these Broccoli Cornbread Muffins

2012-01-06T04:49:00.000-08:00

Some fresh broccoli in the veggie bin of my fridge was giving me a guilt trip. I had purchased it on Christmas week to use some in the festivities, but by now the little green tree-like spikes were turning yellow around the gills. I needed to cook them in something quickly. What would be a good use?

Dinner was a big pot of our Easy Vegetable Soup, which has been covered in previous blogs (and springs from my cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden). It needed a cornbread accompaniment to make things just perfect. I surfed the Internet for a broccoli cornbread recipe and immediately found something on www.myrecipes.com

This recipe (originally from April 2003 Southern Living) was for mini-muffins—all the better. Hubby and I could have that “just a bite” without feeling overloaded. The recipe said it yielded two dozen muffins, but I was able to get about 30 from the ample amount I stirred up. The fresh broccoli (subbed for the package of frozen broccoli called for) made the Broccoli Cornbread Muffins extremely tasty. The broccoli, onion, and cheddar cheese mixture was power-packed in these little gems. With the homemade veggie soup they were perfect. Wish I could say “perfect on a cold night”. In our part of Texas this winter we haven’t had too many of those yet. But it was perfect for the balmy January night that was an ideal clime outdoors for getting Christmas yard decorations removed, packaged, and put away.

I was thankful that I had saved that broccoli from extinction and made it into some darling muffins that we will enjoy for many days. And of course accolades for the little green veggie continue to pour in; an online list just yesterday commended broccoli once again as being a top cancer-fighting food.

Broccoli Cornbread Muffins

1 (8 1/2-ounce) package corn muffin mix

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed (I used 10 ounces of fresh broccoli)

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

1 small onion, chopped

2 large eggs (I used egg substitute)

1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Stir together eggs and butter. Blend well. Add to broccoli mixture and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon into lightly greased mini-muffin pans. Fill three-fourths full. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes before you remove muffins from pans. (Makes 24 to 30 muffins.)

Cashews give crunch to this veggie-laden Turkey with Curried Cream Sauce

2012-01-04T04:18:00.000-08:00

Soothing, healthy, colorful, good re-use of leftovers. I got all those qualities and more more in this Turkey with Curried Cream Sauce dish. My recipe book billed it as a great way with holiday turkey leftovers, but I enjoyed it so much, I’d find some fresh turkey breast to fix (you probably also could use some chicken, such as a chicken breast) just to make it happen.

One cut-up yellow squash and one cut-up zucchini, along with chopped onion (I also added a few red bell pepper strips that I had on hand), are cooked until tender in the curried gravy. Add turkey and lemon peel.

This recipe assembles quickly and disappears just as fast—a great idea for these first-of-the-year meals when everyone is hastening to get “normal” restored to their lives. I love that the recipe called for sprinkling cashews (my fave nuts!) on the top. It suggests serving this sauce over rice, but I had some biscuits that needed to be devoured, so I served this wonderful creamed dish over them and just loved it.

Foodwise (thanks to Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards for this one), our new year has gotten off to a delicious start.

Turkey with Curried Cream Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 cup chicken broth (I used low-sodium)

1/4 cup milk (I used skim)

1 small yellow squash, sliced

1 small zucchini, sliced

12 small onions, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons canola oil

2 cups cubed cooked turkey breast

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

hot cooked rice

3 tablespoons chopped cashews

In a small saucepan melt butter; stir in flour and curry until smooth. Gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened; remove from the heat; set aside. In large skillet saute the squash, zucchini, and onion in oil until all are tender. Add the turkey, lemon peel, and reserved sauce; heat through. Serve with rice. Sprinkle each serving with cashews. Makes 4 servings.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad—what could bring better luck in the new year?

2012-01-02T04:58:00.000-08:00

They were a “must” to be prepared, of course—the requisite black-eyed peas for good luck on New Year’s Day. I had saved a Southern Living recipe from last year and thought it was just perfect for getting the deed accomplished in a tasty way.

Assembling it was no trouble, but rounding up one of the ingredients involved a small marathon. Red-pepper jelly was one of the main parts of the marinade; our standby Kroger didn’t seem to have it. Hubby pawed around in the traditional jams-and-jellies aisle, the international foods aisle, and the health-foods aisle. He called over the manager, which he never hesitates to do when he needs help. He even encountered a neighbor who makes delicious jalapeno salsa with some of the peppers from our garden. No one seemed to know where to get red-pepper or even jalapeno jelly.

Thankfully the good ole Internet let our fingers do the walking. Hubby tippy-typed a question about where to purchase red-pepper jelly in our area. He was directed to the Wal-Mart that was on our way to pick up our grandbaby who was our New Year’s Eve charge. Hubby walked into the store and immediately spotted the red-pepper jelly—tons of it—on the jams-and-jellies aisle. He didn’t even have to scour the store. What a nod to technology!

The recipe itself was immensely simple and merely involved marinating cooked black-eyes, red onions, cilantro, red bell pepper (although I used yellow bell pepper since I had it on hand), red-pepper jelly, red-wine vinegar, and cut-up jalapeno for about eight hours and then tossing in two diced peaches and some shredded spinach just before serving. The salad recipe definitely was a suggestion worth saving for an entire year. Sweet, tangy, and unusual, this pea salad was a great way to take care of that New Year’s tradition. Even little grandboy ate a morsel—a lucky 2012 is guaranteed for him!

I may not wait until New Year’s 2013 to prepare Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Salad again. This is a great salad side for any important occasion.

Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Salad

1 (16-ounce) package frozen black-eyed peas

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup red-pepper jelly

1/4 cup red-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

3/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup diced red onion

2 large fresh peaches, peeled and diced

2 cups torn watercress (I subbed shredded spinach, which I had on hand)

Prepare peas according to package direction. Simmer them only until tender; drain and let cool 1 hour. Whisk together cilantro and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add cooked black-eyed peas, bell pepper, and onion, tossing to coat, and cover and chill for 8 hours. Stir peaches and watercress (or spinach) into pea mixture just before you serve. Makes 6 servings.

Brussels sprouts, bacon, balsamic vinegar—great mix for a great veggie side

2011-12-30T05:26:00.000-08:00

On a holiday, when I see Hubby return to the table to graze on leftovers, I can pretty well suspect that he’ll emerge with a piece of pie on his plate.

But on Christmas Day afternoon, what showed up on his leftover plate that he brought to his easy chair to munch on while we watched the movie “Santa Clause 2”?

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon. I couldn’t believe my eyes—he was armed with this flavorful side we paired up with Maple-Glazed Salmon for our Christmas Eve dinner. Hubby thought it was one the best veggie items ever and thought the blend of bacon, onion, and balsamic vinegar just made the dish.

In the booklet which furnished the recipe, the comments say, “Who knew brussels sprouts could taste so good?” My sentiments totally. The balsamic vinegar gave it a tangy taste. I happened to have a couple of bags of frozen brussels sprouts in the freezer and needed to use them up, but fresh brussels sprouts, of course, would be wonderful as well.

I’m not sure Brussels Sprouts with Bacon (Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards) will replace Eggnog-Sweet Potato Pie (Wednesday’s blog) on Hubby’s all-star fave holiday food list, but it sure gave him a new take on the sometimes-minimized brussels sprout. I’ve placed a star by it to remind me to fix for next year.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

3 bacon strips (I used turkey bacon)

1 1/4 pounds fresh or frozen brussels sprouts, thawed, quartered

1 large onion, chopped

2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until it is crisp. Remove to paper towels; drain, reserve 1 tablespoon drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside. In the same pan saute brussels sprouts and onion in reserved drippings until crisp-tender. Add the water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes until brussels sprouts are tender. Stir in bacon and vinegar. Makes 12 servings.

Nutty topping and sweet potato-eggnog combo gives this pie holiday appeal

2011-12-28T03:33:00.000-08:00

I had intended only to place it on my next year’s “be-sure-to-cook” wish list, but when we found some lovely sweet potatoes at a late-season farmer’s market, I could wait no longer. The photo in the recipe booklet just almost leaped off the page, it was so mouth-watering.

So I whipped up some Eggnog Sweet Potato Pie and took it as a contribution to the family Christmas Eve gathering. The nutty topping and eggnog-sweet potato filling made a memorable dessert—truly holiday in every way.

I was glad to find eggnog made with skim milk; the caramel ice-cream topping that I had on hand was sugar-free. The crunchy topping contained coconut, brown sugar, and chopped pecans that’s mixed with butter and flour and is sprinkled over the pie after it’s cooked for 45 minutes and the filling solidifies.

Hubby thought the taste was that of pumpkin pie with a crunchy layer on top—and he does love pumpkin pie! He was begging to have the leftovers of this pie for breakfast the next day, just as he does on the morning after Thanksgiving. A little sugar-free whipped topping was a tasty garnish.

Eggnog-Sweet Potato Pie (instructions courtesy Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards) was a very good way to help end a year of spectacular food experiences.

Eggnog-Sweet Potato Pie

1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping (I used sugar-free)

1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes

3/4 cup eggnog (I used skim)

1 egg, lightly beaten (I used egg substitute)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup cold butter

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Carefully spread caramel topping over bottom of pastry shell; set aside. In a small bowl combine the sweet potatoes, eggnog, egg, butter, and vanilla. Stir in the sugars and cinnamon. Carefully spoon over the caramel layer. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake 30 minutes longer. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine the coconut, flour, and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly; stir in pecans. Sprinkle over pie. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center emerges clean and topping is golden brown (cover edges with foil if necessary to prevent overbrowning.) Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 8 servings.

Tango with the mango to yield an awesome cranberry-sauce version

2011-12-23T04:35:00.001-08:00

Cranberry-sauce time is upon us again; doesn’t every holiday table need some of the tart, crimson mixture to enliven the Christmas turkey and dressing?

I found a version with such an unusual twist, I just had to share it—Mango Cranberry Sauce, with such healthy and diverse ingredients that it definitely got my attention when I saw it in my Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards book. Only healthy elements all around—mangos, whole cranberries, chopped cilantro, tangerine, pineapple, red onion, and jalapeno.

Makes for a terrific combination; my booklet says it will “wow your gang” when you put it on the table. I’m serving it for tomorrow night’s Christmas Eve dinner. We’ll see if my gang is wowed—certainly hope so. It also keeps very well, so it can accompany leftovers for several days.

Instructions with the recipe contain the reminder to be sure to wear disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers and to avoid touching your face. An important caution that can save you lots of grief! This is the first time I’ve ever seen a recipe contain this heads-up alert, but talk about something that quickly could turn your Christmas tearful—using your hands to swat away a stray eyelash immediately after chopping up a jalapeno!

This post does it for The Newfangled Country Gardener until after Christmas, but I already know of two can’t-miss, scrumptious dishes I’ll be sharing in the days ahead. I can guarantee these will be must-tries!

Merry Christmas—and happy and healthy cooking! May your tables reflect all the goodness that preparing foods the garden-fresh way has to offer—and may our hearts all reflect the reason for the season!

Mango Cranberry Sauce

1 1/2 cups whole-berry cranberry sauce (I instead used fresh cranberries and prepared them according to package directions; then I measured 1 1/2 cups of the cooked whole berries)

3 tangerines, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 medium mango, peeled and diced

1 cup diced fresh pineapple

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, and finely chopped

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until you serve it. Makes 4 1/2 cups sauce.

Thinking outside the box brings forth comforting Curried Acorn Squash Soup

2011-12-21T04:16:00.000-08:00

Acorn squash—just so many things you can cook with it, right? For years Hubby has done a great job of sawing those large green orbs in two, dotting them with butter and brown sugar, and baking them on trays in the oven—then scooping out the sweet, tender insides for us to enjoy.

But when I saw a recipe for Curried Acorn Squash Soup, I was intrigued. A new twist on the baked variety—seasoned with curry and nutmeg, then topped with bacon bits. Had to try, had to try.

The recipe book’s comment on this soup (source: Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards again) mentioned that this dish was easy to make and that it kept well. All true. The smooth, unique combination of the squash and the spices was delightful. This would make a great first course for a sit-down Christmas dinner. For us it became a wonderfully warming treat on the night this week that the winter storm blew in and the frightful-sounding gales outside made indoors around our kitchen table a comforting place to be.

Thinking out of the box for you, acorn squash! You do yourself proud in this mellow, interesting soup.

Curried Acorn Squash Soup

3 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 to 4 teaspoons curry powder

2 tablespoons butter

3 cups chicken brown (I used low-sodium variety)

1 cup half-and-half cream (can use whole milk, 2 percent, or skim)

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

salt (or salt substitute) and pepper to taste

crumbled cooked bacon (I used turkey bacon bits)

Place squash, cut side down, in a greased, shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the squash is almost tender. In a large saucepan sauté onion and curry powder in butter until onion is tender. Remove from the heat; set aside. Carefully scoop out squash; add pulp to saucepan. Gradually add the broth. Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until squash is very tender. Cool slightly. In a food processor or blender process the squash mixture until smooth; return to the saucepan. Stir in the cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat until heated through (do not boil). Garnish with bacon if desired. Makes 4-6 servings.

This veggie pasta toss has Christmas written all over it

2011-12-19T05:01:00.000-08:00

I’m surprised I remembered it. After all, a full year had passed. I’d slept a lot since I made the notation to myself.

But on a page of my Christmas binder in which I keep the recipes I love to cook at Christmastime, I found a notation—“Make this for next year’s holiday gathering.” I further noted that the green and red colors of the salad contents would look festive on a party buffet.

So when my cousin called to announce the date she was having folks in for a pre-Christmas lunch, I was ready to sign up for my food item: the Italian Vegetable Toss.

One luncheon guest, as she dined on my salad, asked me what all was in the melange. Another question might be, “What’s not in it?” Lots of fresh veggies—broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado, green onion, and artichoke hearts—along with cooked bow-tie pasta (which I subbed for the called-for shell macaroni) and the simple addition of bottled Italian salad dressing are mixed up to make this winner of a food item.

Unfortunately the recipe in my Christmas binder was clipped in the long ago and doesn’t contain the source. I’m going to guess it’s from a holiday Southern Living issue at some point in the distant past. The demo dish was photographed with pine cones and Christmas greenery around it, so I’m not the only person who once deemed this perfect for a holiday occasion.

The salad tasted great, but the best part for me was serving it in my mother’s cut-glass salad bowl, which has contained countless other salads in past years as we made the trek to my cousin’s house for holiday get-togethers. Although the elegant bowl didn’t house her usual gelatin, I think she would have enjoyed this dish that just looks like Christmas.

Italian Vegetable Toss

1 1/2 cups shell macaroni (I subbed with bow-tie pasta)

2 cups broccoli flowerets

1 cup cauliflower flowerets

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 (6-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and chopped

1 cup sliced pitted ripe olives

1/2 cup chopped green onion

2/3 cup Italian salad dressing

1 medium avocado, seeded, peeled, and sliced

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. In a large bowl combine macaroni, broccoli flowerets, cauliflower flowerets, sliced mushrooms, artichoke hearts, ripe olives, and chopped green onion. Toss with Italian dressing. Cover and chill for several hours. At serving time toss vegetable mixture with avocado and tomato. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Calling a truce with raisins makes for enjoyment of this sweet salad

2011-12-16T04:49:00.000-08:00

In earlier blogs I’ve discussed how I finally made peace with having raisins as ingredients in carrot salad. I’ve mentioned how my adoration of the carrot salad offered during the glory days of Wyatt’s Cafeteria during my growing-up years was tempered only by the detestable raisins that swam in the sweet, juicy dressing that held the shredded carrots together.

Then, years later, my own child began picking at her foods and strategically working her way around parts of salads, casseroles, and veggie dishes that she didn’t want to eat. When I adjured her, she said, in effect, “Why not? You pick the raisins out of your carrot salad.” Ouch! Out of the mouth of babes . . .. Lesson learned. I began eating ALL my carrot salad—raisins, too!

My Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe cards that I’m so in love with featured a beautiful, colorful Carrot-Raisin Salad and recommended it as a side dish. Because of my fascination, dating back to my early years, with carrot salad, I just had to try this. But before I did, I had to make sure that I could use some raisins from the stash that Hubby uses for snacks. See, I’ve made peace for sure.

This easy recipe merely calls for grating the carrots, adding chopped celery and onions, and tossing it all with 6 ounces of nonfat vanilla yogurt. I didn’t happen to have celery, so I used pineapple tidbits, since the Wyatt’s cafeteria version often contained pineapple instead of the celery.

It was good to the last bite—with not one raisin left on my plate! We’re now the best of friends.

Carrot-Raisin Salad

2 1/2 cups shredded carrots

1 celery rib, chopped

1/2 cup raisins

3/4 cup (6 ounces) vanilla yogurt (I used non-fat)

(I tossed in 1/2 cup diced pineapple tidbits as a sub for the celery;

or it could be tossed in as an additional ingredient)

In a small bowl combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Stir before you serve. Makes 4 servings.

This delicious Pear Cobbler brought pleas for repeat performance

2011-12-14T04:33:00.000-08:00

This one has netted repeated “Do-again!”s from Hubby. I think he really liked this recipe. He (not-so-subtly) hinted that he’d be just fine with my turning around and immediately making this dish a second time—RIGHT NOW! I think that means it was a winner!

The scrumptious dish was a Pear Cobbler made in a 13-inch-by-9-inch pan, so it lasted us many days (and still Hubby begs for more servings). I’ll have to admit that it was a big adaptation of a very good recipe card I just received from the Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services. The card called it a Fruit Cocktail Cobbler, but I didn’t have any fruit cocktail on hand and had an abundance of canned pears instead. My wheels started spinning: Why wouldn’t pears work just as well?

I also have to admit that I used the canned variety of pears rather than the fresh, but I heartily recommend that you simply sub 2 cups of fresh, chopped pears that you have cooked in a small pan on the stove until the pears have just softened a bit. This will sub nicely for the 15-ounce can of pears I added in. I also sprinkled in about 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to spice up the flavor.

This dessert actually can be served warm or cold; hubby and I got into quite a conversation about which version was better. He liked his heated and served with sugar-free, fat-free caramel sauce (We use Smucker’s sundae topping) and sugar-free whipped topping. Plain or with these additions, this was a wonderful, low-calorie, virtually sugar-free dessert adoption that shouldn’t produce Diner’s Remorse.

This Pear Cobbler represents a great way to feel indulgent at holiday time without lots of regrets about eating something not good for you.

Pear Cobbler

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1 (15-ounce) can pears (in their own juice) or 2 cups fresh pears chopped and cooked on the

stovetop until just softened

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

cooking spray

1/2 cup brown sugar (or 1/4 cup brown-sugar substitute)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 13-inch-by-9-inch pan with cooking spray. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, egg, cinnamon, and pears with their liquid in a bowl. Transfer mixture to the pan. Top with 1/2 cup brown sugar (can add a little more if you desire). Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Beautiful first-course salad for Christmas (or anytime) meal makes great impression

2011-12-12T05:00:00.001-08:00

Don’t let the recipe title fool you. This salad can be the “Taste-of” whatever season in which you desire to serve it—a perfectly beautiful Christmas salad for the first course of a holiday meal; an Easter menu item; or a cooling, refreshing summer buffet number. Take your pick—but this recipe, named Taste-of-Fall Salad, is a winner.

The toasted pecan halves that have been bathed in a balsamic vinegar wash and seasoned with cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and sugar (or sugar substitute) make a flavorful, crunchy topping. The simple oil-and-Dijon mustard dressing is terrific; shredded Parmesan is dusted on the greens; thinly sliced pears, of course, represent the key ingredient.

The recipe hailed from my Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards, which suggested it for the Thanksgiving table. I’m still mining them for ideas that seem to work just as well pre-Christmas as they did for the previous holiday. This salad is a beauty, for sure.

Taste-of-Fall Salad

2/3 cup pecan halves

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, divided

dash cayenne pepper

dash ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons sugar (or sugar substitute), divided

1 package (5 ounces) spring mix salad greens (I used fresh spinach)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 medium pear, thinly sliced

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In a large, heavy skillet cook the pecans, 2 tablespoons vinegar, cayenne, and cinnamon over medium heat until nuts are toasted, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Cook and stir for 2-4 minutes or until sugar is melted. Spread nuts on foil to cool. Place salad greens in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk oil, mustard, salt, and remaining vinegar and sugar; drizzle over greens and toss to coat. Arrange the greens, pear slices, and pecans on six salad plates. Sprinkle top of salad with cheese. Makes 6 servings.

Gingered Pumpkin Bisque a lovely first course for Christmas meals

2011-12-09T04:38:00.000-08:00

Our orange Thanksgiving pumpkin had brightly cheered us during the entire fall, but the time had arrived to put it out to pasture and to claim its succulent insides for some pre-Christmas meals.

A recipe for a pretty Gingered Pumpkin Bisque had leaped off the page at me as I first surfed my Taste of Home resource. I was glad I now had the fresh puree (after we carved and boiled the aforementioned pumpkin) to cook this delicious soup.

The recipe called for 1/2 cup whipping cream or half-and-half. I recoiled at this and wondered whether the bisque would be just too, too watered down if I made it with only skim milk.

Not to obsess about this at all—the skim milk worked just fine, so I could dine in good conscience. Processing a portion of the well-drained batch in the blender, as the recipe directs, makes the soup thick and rich, so the substitution worked just fine. The recipe (from Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards) said this made enough for four servings, but Hubby and I used it as a main course, so in our giant soup mugs we found none left over after the two of us consumed it readily.

This would be a great first course at a sit-down Christmas dinner. Guests would think you were utterly amazing if you tantalized them with a bowl of this special delight.

Gingered Pumpkin Bisque

1/3 cup chopped shallots

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin (or fresh pumpkin puree)

2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup (I used the sugar-free variety)

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon pepper

dash ground cloves

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half cream (I used skim milk)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

additional whipping cream, optional

fresh thyme sprigs, optional

(I dusted the top with a little cinnamon.)

In a small saucepan sauté the shallots, onion, and ginger in oil until tender. Stir in flour until blended; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Gradually stir in broth and cider. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the pumpkin, maple syrup, thyme, cinnamon, pepper, and cloves. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly. In a blender process soup in batches until soup is smooth. Return all to the pan. Stir in cream and vanilla; heat through (do not boil). Drizzle individual servings with additional cream. If desired garnish with thyme sprigs. Makes 4 servings.

Special-event perfect are these Triple Berry Muffins

2011-12-07T04:50:00.000-08:00

Time to start thinking about those Christmas-morning breakfasts. In my recipe binder that houses Christmas-y recipes I’ve clipped over the years, I found this little jewel tucked away: Triple Berry Muffins. A wonderful and healthy combination of fresh blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries makes a beautiful muffin that’s special-event perfect.

The original recipe (from Quick Cooking September/October 2002) called for chopped fresh strawberries as the third berry in the ingredient list, but in place of those I used blackberries; as I’ve already mentioned numerous times, Hubby can’t be on the same planet with a strawberry without having an uncomfortable reaction, so the chopped blackberries worked just as fine.

We enjoyed a warm sampling briefly as they popped from the oven, but as soon as they cooled, I stored them away in an airtight container and sequestered them for a short winter’s nap in the freezer until the Big Day arrives. What a wonderful treat to look toward!

Triple Berry Muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar (or sugar substitute)

4 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)

1 1/4 cups milk (or milk substitute)

1 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries (or blackberries)

In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl beat the eggs, milk, and butter; stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in berries. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick emerges clean. Cool for 5 minutes before you remove these muffins from pans to wire racks. Makes about 1 1/2 dozen.

Soup month, Christmas month—great go-togethers; this corn chowder helps

2011-12-05T05:16:00.000-08:00

Is December soup month, or what? These cool days, many of them rainy (no one in parched Texas is complaining about that fact, even if the weather seems less than Christmasy) are open invitations to have a stove top with a pot bubbling—with soup that warms all the way down.

I’m still finding recipes in my Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards book that beg to be tried; next Thanksgiving seems too long to wait for them. One of those I had starred was a recipe for Corn Chowder. To me, golden chunks of fresh corn floating in a creamy base looked just beautiful as I gazed at the photo. (I had some fresh carrots on hand, so I threw them in as a taste addition.)

Hubby pronounced this the best soup he’d ever had. Well, you know Hubby; he’s always full of superlatives and affirmatives, but he may have been close to right on this one. Don’t know when I’ve dined on a more tasty soup. Preparation was simple, too. Boil the first part on the stove; process it in batches in a blender until the corn is blended smooth; then return to the pan and add the remaining fresh corn , carrot, red pepper, and spices.

I served this with some warm cornbread, which the recipe card recommends. Hubby and I had ourselves a feast!

Corn Chowder

1 medium onion, chopped

6 cups fresh (or frozen) corn, divided

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon pepper

dash cayenne pepper

1/2 cup grated carrot (my addition)

Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray. Add onion; cook and stir mixture over medium heat for 4 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add 4 cups corn; cook and stir until corn is softened, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until corn is tender. Cool slightly. In a blender process soup in batches until smooth; return all to the pan. Add the red pepper, rosemary, thyme, pepper, cayenne, and remaining corn and broth (I added the carrot here). Cook and stir for 10 minutes or until the corn is tender. Makes 6 servings.

Soothing soup eases busy December mealtimes—physical complaints, too!

2011-12-01T04:26:00.000-08:00

Good thing I already had planned a blog break, or one would have been forced on me.

After announcing in this column that my 365th blog would end my daily postings, with others still to be added but not quite so frequently, Hubby and I both got laid low by upper respiratory maladies. Since Thanksgiving we’ve been swimming upstream trying to recover. One of the doctor's remedies (yes, she even wrote it on her list of instructions she sent home with me) was chicken soup!

We’ve always known that chicken soup was a legendary remedy for what ails you, but never have I seen it actually a part of a physician’s written orders! In looking up information online I found the actual health benefits listed—including carrots (fight off infections), celery (good for lung disorders), pepper (said to reduce infections), onions (anti-inflammatory effects), and garlic (boosts immune system). Chicken soup is said to break up congestion and ease the flow of nasal secretions.

Unfortunately I didn’t have any chicken on hand, but I did round up a lot of these same ingredients to make something that I believe was indeed soothing—Heart-Warming Minestrone Soup. This terrific concoction not only warmed the heart (as in comfort), it warmed all the way down and seemed to pour a balm around the irritated passageways to help with breathing.

A beauty of this recipe is that it’s absolutely quick as everything to prepare. When you’re under the weather—or facing a busy December with no time to cook—you’re grateful for time not having to be spent over the stovetop. I could feel health returning to my bones as I downed this food item (thanks to the Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services, which provided the recipe). It made a big batch, too (9 1-cup servings), which will keep me away from the stovetop for several days—just what the doctor ordered!

Heart-Warming Minestrone Soup

5 cups beef broth (fat-free, reduced sodium)

3 carrots, medium, diced

3 celery stalks, sliced

1/2 cup onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon basil, dried

1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (my addition)

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5-oune) can tomatoes, diced, drained and rinsed

2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (to make about 2 cups)

1/2 cup whole-wheat macaroni

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, optional

In a large saucepan boil broth, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, and pepper. Stir in beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and macaroni. Return to a boil; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve and top with Parmesan cheese if you desire.

A goal accomplished; a Pumpkin Pie baked in tribute

2011-11-22T04:07:00.000-08:00

365—the number of days in a year . . . also, the number of today’s blog post. At the outset of my writing The Newfangled Country Gardener, I set a personal goal—to write a year’s worth of blogs. A year doesn’t seem as though it would be too arduous of a commitment, I reasoned. Most anyone could purpose to keep a promise to one’s self for a year.

At that time I didn’t actually reckon that I was talking about blog-post days, not calendar days. To hatch up 365 separate blogs really has taken more than 18 months, since I haven’t posted on weekends. I began my blog on May 16, 2010, in conjunction with the release of my second cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden, to help me promote the book’s premise—that cooking the garden-fresh way is best. I have thoroughly enjoyed trying scads of new recipes—some from my cookbook and many others from a variety of reliable sources—and reporting on them as I heartily recommended them to readers.

With today’s blog numbering 365, I am pleased to report that I have accomplished what I set out to do—even if the time frame has been slightly more elongated than I figured at first. With today’s post I no longer will be making daily entries five days a week—although I’ll never cease my yen for cooking healthy, fresh foods and trying out new recipes. After today I’ll post again frequently but without the necessity of the daily component attached. Hubby no will longer have to rise before each weekday dawn to read my blog drafts to catch potential typos, nor will he have to make daily, last-minute dashes to the grocery to fill in some missing ingredient for me.

I plan to compile all my blog posts into a book—with a recipe for each day of the year. In the near future be on the lookout for this. Please tell your non-blog-reading friends about it, too.

In thinking of the best recipe for blog number #365, I decided on a dish that would pay tribute to Hubby and his tremendous support role in making this daily blog possible. Pumpkin Pie is his all-time favorite food. He lives not for Thanksgiving Day but the day after, in which he can dine on a leftover slice of Pumpkin Pie for breakfast. I felt sure that no one would do Pumpkin Pie better than the queen of domesticity, Martha Stewart, so here is her recipe from www.marthastewart.com. My hero and the hero of this blog—Hubby himself—is shown holding the just-prepared prize in his hands—and dreaming of the Morning-After!

Pumpkin Pie

2 large eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice

1 (15-ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin, or 1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree

1 cup half-and-half

1 basic pie crust (I used Easy Pie Crust from my first cookbook, Way Back in the Country)

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, pumpkin-pie spice, and pumpkin. Whisk in half-and-half. Prepare pie crust according to your favorite recipe. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line dough with aluminum foil. Fold foil over rim of pie pan. Fill foil-covered crust (on top of the foil) with dried beans or pie weights; bake until crust is firm, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and beans. Cool crust completely before you fill. Pour mixture into cooled pie crust. Bake until set, about 1 hour. Cool on rack at room temperature for about 1 hour; then refrigerate to cool completely. Serves 8. (A tip from Martha: When refrigerating pie, cover the surface first with a paper towel and then plastic wrap. The towel absorbs moisture and keeps the surface free of droplets. It tried this; it works!)

Festive Spiced Pears a divine idea for Thanksgiving side

2011-11-21T05:26:00.001-08:00

Although today’s feature, Spiced Pears, resembles the recipe in Friday’s blog, it’s definitely not the same. This dish was so amazing and was such a great idea for a Thanksgiving side, I just had to include it even though it, at first glance, looks as though it might be a re-run of that marvelous Cranberry Orange Relish from last week.

Spiced Pears was included in my Taste of Home Thanksgiving recipe cards in which I’ve found all sorts of treasures. The description (by recipe contributor Ruby Williams) stated that this was a change of pace from the typical Thanksgiving sides and that it was easy to fix and looked festive on the table.

It consists of six pears, two oranges, and a can of whole berry cranberry sauce. I had a bag of fresh cranberries on hand, however, so I boiled them until they were soft and measured 14 ounces of them in a cup (same amount as in a can of cranberry sauce). So everything in my recipe was fresh.

The sliced, cooked pears taste absolutely wonderful aswirl in the cooked cranberries and oranges. Added spices give the mixture a nice perk-up. Hubby wouldn’t get near these Spiced Pears at first because he thought they contained strawberries, his nemesis, but when I assured him of the contents, he waded in for a bite . . . and then more and more. And our little grandmunchkin, while he was staying with us over the weekend, went nuts over this dish, so if you’re looking for a Thanksgiving dish that will appeal to the kiddos and all other ages as well at your table, look no further!

Spiced Pears

1 (14-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce (or fresh cranberries

cooked to measure 14 ounces)

1/3 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

6 medium pears, peeled and sliced

2 medium navel oranges, peeled and sectioned

In a large saucepan combine the cranberry sauce, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in pears and oranges; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until pears are tender.

This simple, beautiful Cranberry-Orange Relish has star quality

2011-11-18T04:48:00.000-08:00

My fall recipe binder contained this note alongside Cranberry-Orange Relish: “Star of the 2010 Thanksgiving table”. Now, when you think about it, that’s quite a compliment. Consider the competition: pecan pie, turkey, dressing, scrumptious casseroles. A small little dish of relish trumps these other glories of the holiday? Amazing.

However, Cranberry-Orange Relish is not just any relish. Fresh whole cranberries mixed with orange juice, orange sections (could be from fresh oranges such as the ones that grow in our son’s back yard or from canned Mandarin orange segments), and crystallized ginger make a tasty combination. Chilled to let the flavors co-mingle and then served in my mother’s pretty glass dish—I do remember it being a divine little number. Enough inspiration to make Cranberry-Orange Relish again for this year.

Clipped from the pages of a Family Circle magazine of bygone days (no date of publication remained on my well-worn clipping), this relish is crazy-easy and requires no tedious chopping. Let the cranberries, sugar, and orange juice boil on the stovetop for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens and most of the berries pop open. Stir in the orange segments and it’s ready to chill until serving time. Star quality!

Cranberry-Orange Relish

1 (12-ounce) bag fresh whole cranberries (can also use frozen)

1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger (buy this in the spice section of your grocery)

1 (15-ounce) can Mandarin oranges or 1 3/4 cups chopped fresh orange segments, drained

In a medium saucepan combine cranberries, orange juice, sugar, and ginger; mix well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, uncovered, 5 minutes, or until mixture has thickened and most berries have popped. Remove from heat; stir in oranges. Transfer to bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of relish; refrigerate until chilled. Makes 3 cups (1/4 cup per serving).

Mint-to-Be Frothy Hot Cocoa a homemade, soothing ticket to dreamland

2011-11-17T05:35:00.000-08:00

Hubby was insistent. Why hadn’t I blogged about the splendid hot cocoa mix that he brews each evening for our nighttime wind-down regimen? After all, it utilizes mint leaves as a key element for its flavor—and as we all know, the mint plant (irrepressibly) springs from the garden. Doesn’t this blog honor foods that are garden-fresh?

I bowed my head in shame. After all Hubby does to aid and abet this column—after-dark trips to the garden to bring in a homegrown item, emergency dashes to the grocery for a last-minute ingredient, hosts of kitchen clean-ups with all my dirty pots and pans scattered about—the least I could do was to blog about the homemade, stovetop cocoa mix that he has perfected through night after night of experimentation.

So here it is: Hubby’s Mint-to-Be Frothy Hot Cocoa, certainly the best from-scratch cocoa mix you’ll ever sip—so good, in fact, that it was a part of our nighttime routine all summer long, even on those broiling, ridiculous evenings when the thermometer still read 100-degrees at bedtime. On with the hot cocoa, regardless!

Of course now we are learning about chocolate’s health benefits—and that the natural flavanol antioxidants contained within cocoa contribute to cardiovascular health. A soothing cup of milk before bedtime also is said to be sleep-inducing, because it contains tryptophan, the same chemical found in turkey—just as with the after-Thanksgiving-dinner sleepiness that seems to descend. The calcium in milk is thought to have better chance of getting into the bones and muscles while you rest, so bedtime is prime time for ingesting it.

Besides those attributes, the sweet sip of hot cocoa (the mix recipe is adjusted with lighter options, as you’ll see) at the end of the day is just plain soothing and aids in our mellowing out to put the day’s cares aside. The mint from our garden spikes it with freshness—the same as peppermint candy does in those expensive, gourmet coffee-shop brews might but without the calories and sugar.

We are big believers in our nightly Mint-to-Be Frothy Hot Cocoa. Thanks to Hubby for reminding me to be evangelical about it and to spread the word in this blog so readers can have more replenishing z-z-z-z’s as well.

Hubby’s Mint-to-Be Frothy Hot Cocoa

1/2 cup sugar (we use sugar substitute)

1/3 cup cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 cups milk (we use skim)

4 teaspoons vanilla

20 mini-marshmallows

4 mint springs

(dash of sugar-free whipped topping, if desired)

In airtight container mix sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon. In small saucepan on stove heat milk over medium-high heat. Stir constantly. When milk is warm stir in cocoa mix. Stir until cocoa mix is dissolved and chocolate drink reaches desired temperature. Stir briskly with a wire whisk to make the liquid froth up a bit. In the bottom of each cup place 1 teaspoon vanilla, 5 mini-marshmallows, and 2 leaves from the mint sprig. Allow drink to steep for a few minutes until it cools a little and the mint leaves flavor the drink. Remove the mint leaves or let them remain, according to your preference. (This recipe makes enough for four cups of hot cocoa. Hubby and I make up the powdered drink and divide it in half so that it lasts for two nights. The second night, all we have to do is to warm up the milk and do the add-ins to the cups.)

The perfect taste combination for this season—Cranberry-Pecan Corn Muffins

2011-11-16T04:34:00.001-08:00

I thought they looked so cute and Thanksgiving-y, I just had to whip up a batch. A combination of cranberries, pecans, and cornbread—who could beat that when looking for a little bite of Thanksgiving in one mini-muffin?

My recipe for Cranberry-Pecan Corn Muffins found in my Taste of Home book of Thanksgiving recipe cards actually called for making these in a regular-sized muffin tin, but I always like to have something mini among my Thanksgiving bread offerings, so I adjusted the cooking time accordingly. I followed the regular recipe, but my mini-version of the muffins tested done at about 12 minutes instead of the recommended 18-20 minutes for the regular size.

A wonderful tip accompanied this recipe, which calls for 1/4 cup honey. It suggests that when honey is needed to be measured for baking, first to oil the measuring cup, which then causes the measured honey to slide out easily without the gooey scraping that sometimes accompanies the process. This worked well for me. I was happy not to have to clean up the messy cup.

The recipe also states that Cranberry-Pecan Corn Muffins have the perfect taste combination for this time of year. I totally agree. Little bits of cranberry and tiny pecan morsels peek through the crown of the golden muffins. I can’t wait to serve these on the big holiday–now just a week and a day away!

Cranberry-Pecan Corn Muffins

1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) fat-free plain yogurt

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl combine the yogurt, egg, oil, and honey. Stir moist ingredients into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and pecans. Coat muffin cups with cooking spray; fill three-fourths full with batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center emerges clean. Cool for 5 minutes before you remove muffins from pans to wire racks. Serve warm. Makes about 1 dozen. (If trying the mini-muffin route, the recipe makes about 32 mini-muffins.)

"Tastes like Thanksgiving!" No better compliment for Chicken Squash Casserole

2011-11-15T04:26:00.000-08:00

Back to that fabulous new cookbook from Calvary Baptist Church in Little Rock. Still prowling through it I encountered a squash casserole that was different than any I’d ever seen (and I’ve been around the block a few times where squash casseroles are concerned.)

As its basic elements, this casserole combined squash, cornbread stuffing, and cubed chicken (new to me in a squash casserole). I already had in my possession a box of cornbread stuffing and a container of the chicken. With a brief trip (I should say, with Hubby’s brief trip) to the grocery produce section for a little fresh squash, I was in business.

Other than the small amount of time necessary for slicing the squash and chopping the small onion, this was an amazingly easy prep. Stir-ins of cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and seasonings completed the assemblage. I couldn’t resist sprinkling a little Cheddar cheese on top. I mean, to me, a squash casserole just doesn’t look right if it isn’t crowned with a smattering of orange. Only about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cheese was all I added, but the effect was achieved.

“This tastes like Thanksgiving!” Hubby gushed when I plunked some Chicken Squash Casserole on a plate and set it before him last night. Genius! That’s the general idea. After all, ’tis the season. Another winner from Calvary Culinary Creations (and from this recipe’s contributor, Adrian Self).

Chicken Squash Casserole

2 pounds yellow squash, sliced

1 box cornbread stuffing mix

1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup

8 ounces sour cream (I used fat-free)

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups cooked and cubed chicken

salt (or salt substitute) and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan cover squash and onion with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until squash is tender. Drain. Stir in salt, pepper, soup, stuffing mix, chicken, and sour cream. Pour squash mixture into greased 2 1/2-quart casserole dish. Bake for 35 minutes. Serves 6.

One was not enough of this colorful Vegetable Pie

2011-11-14T04:26:00.000-08:00

In an earlier blog I mentioned how very much I love to explore new cookbooks and to search out recipes that would be appropriate for The Newfangled Country Gardener. My friend Kay knew this and for my recent birthday generously sent along Calvary Culinary Creations, a collection of recipes by her church, Calvary Baptist Church in Little Rock, AR.

Now, as many people know, no greater source for good cookin’ exists than getting hold of a church cookbook. Some years back I cooked my way through a cookbook produced by Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth. I left almost no recipe untried in my quest to prepare each and every suggestion in that album.

In this recent one from the Little Rock church I’ve already been through and dog-eared (or put sticky notes beside) numerous suggestions, including some I intend to hop right onto for Thanksgiving week. Those that don’t get cooked for this holiday or Christmas for sure will go on a wish list for the new year.

The first that caught my eye was Vegetable Pie, made with baking mix and reminiscent of the baking-mix-underscored crustless pies that have been popular in the past. I liked this one because it gave me an opportunity to tuck in some veggies that have been lingering in the vegetable bin of my refrigerator. Besides the chopped fresh broccoli the recipe mentions, I also added about 1/2 cup chopped carrots and used chopped red pepper instead of green. (I steamed my veggies in the microwave instead of cooking them in boiling water as the recipe states.) These substitutions made for a very colorful end-product.

My subs didn’t end there. I didn’t have enough Cheddar cheese for one cup, so I added bits of shredded Mozzarella and Swiss to the Cheddar I did have on hand. In fact, Hubby recently asked me, “Isn’t the theme of your blog the fact that you don’t need to avoid cooking a recipe just because you don’t have all the ingredients on hand?” Well, sorta. I have become far more adventuresome where subbing what’s available is concerned. I don’t see that mixing the cheeses hurt this recipe one bit.

Long story short, we loved this version of Vegetable Pie (thanks to Calvary’s Jan Harrendorf, who submitted it). We dined on it all weekend and found it to be both nourishing and soothing. I’ve already made an extra pie and put it away in the freezer for meals during rat-race December. Making just one simply wasn’t enough.

Vegetable Pie

2 cups chopped broccoli, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)

3/4 cup baking mix (I used lowfat Bisquick)

3 eggs (I used 3/4 cup egg substitute)

1 teaspoon salt (I used salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 10-inch pie pan. (I found that using a large-enough pie pan was absolutely crucial so the mix won’t spill over into the oven and will stay contained in the pie pan.) Cook broccoli in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain. Mix broccoli, cheese, onions, and pepper in pie plate. Beat remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour over vegetables. Bake 35 minutes until golden brown. Leftovers may be re-heated.

Hold on to your tastebuds to make way for the pie of the century—Blackberry-Apple with White Cheddar Cheese Crust

2011-11-11T05:26:00.000-08:00

I had mentioned that my second birthday goal, besides making yesterday’s veggie casserole, was to bake myself a birthday pie. I’m pleased to report that that was accomplished in fine fashion and that it was a colossal success. I don’t think I’ve ever had such an amazing dessert. The photo of Blackberry-Apple Pie with White Cheddar Cheese Crust drew me in when I first saw it in the Thanksgiving issue of Southern Living. I don’t know how the one SL baked as its “model” could have tasted any better.

This called for six apples (a combination of Granny Smith and Braeburn) and 2 cups of blueberries (the recipe said frozen could be used, but Kroger had some packages of fresh ones, so I went for fresh all the way). The apples were cooked until tender and the blackberries stirred in before they were added to the crust.

Now for the awesome crust! I’ve never blended anything into a piecrust mixture except the traditional water, butter or shortening, and flour. But this called for 1 1/2 cups shredded white Cheddar cheese to be part of the mixture. I know lots of folks love big slices of cheddar atop apples pies (I remember seeing this on pies in cafeteria lines), but I never considered actually making the cheese a part of the pie itself. How would this work?

The cheese is added after the butter is cut into the flour mixture so that it resembles small peas. After the cheese, water is drizzled onto the mixture until the dough can stick together to form a ball. Shaping the mixture into two flat disks, wrapping it in plastic wrap, and allowing it to chill (from 2 to 24 hours) is essential. By that point (I think I waited 6 hours) the dough is firm. It never stuck to the rolling pin or to the pastry board a single time during the rolling-out process. Lattice strips are cut from the second crust and woven over the top of the fruit. Again the pastry strips, cut from the chilled dough, were easy to work with and didn’t fall apart during the weaving process.

After having been brushed with a beaten egg, the crust is prone to brown speedily. The recipe directs that after 45 minutes, you cover it loosely with foil and bake a remaining 25. I had to cover mine before 45 minutes; I actually covered the edges with aluminum strips after about 10 minutes of baking because they were an over-browning disaster waiting to happen. After 75 minutes of baking the pie’s insides were bubbly; the outside, having been protected, was golden.

After Hubby and I returned from our promised birthday run both ways over the Two-Mile Bridge (over Lake Ray Hubbard), our daughter had arrived at our house to bring a balloon and birthday greetings, so we considered that to be our occasion to dig into the waiting pie. It became my birthday lunch. (I don’t suggest having pie for lunch every day, but on one’s birthday, living a little is surely sanctioned!) Absolutely stunning! The fruit combo of apples and blackberries and the from-scratch cheesy crust was a once-in-a-lifetime treat. On a birthday, Thanksgiving, or anytime table, Blackberry-Apple Pie is a memorable winner.

Blackberry-Apple Pie

3 pounds Granny Smith apples

3 pounds Braeburn apples

1 1/2 cups sugar (or sugar substitute)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter

1 (12-ounce) package frozen blackberries (I used 2 cups fresh blackberries)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Peel apples and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges; toss with sugar and 1/2 cup flour. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add apple mixture and sauté 15 to 20 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from heat. Cool completely (about 1 hour). Toss blackberries with 1 tablespoon flour and stir into apple mixture. Use immediately.

White Cheddar-Cheese Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter, cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups (6-ounces) shredded white Cheddar cheese

1/2 to 3/4 cup ice water

1 large egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute), lightly beaten

1 Tablespoon sparkling sugar

In a large bowl stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup ice water over flour mixture. Stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened and dough is crumbly but forms a ball when pressed together. Add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary, up to 1/4 cup. Divide dough in half. Place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Shape each dough half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap; chill 2 to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place 1 dough disk on a lightly floured surface; sprinkle dough lightly with flour. Roll dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Starting at 1 edge of dough, wrap dough around rolling pin. Place rolling pin over a 9-inch pie plate; unroll dough over pie plate. Press dough into pie plate; trim off excess crust along edges. Spoon Blackberry-Apple Pie Filling into crust. Mound filling slightly in center. Roll remaining dough disk to about 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 9 (1-inch-wide) strips. Arrange strips in a lattice design over filing; gently press ends of strips into bottom crust; crimp edge of crust. Brush lattice with egg; sprinkle with sugar. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees on lower-oven rack 45 to 50 minutes. Cover loosely with foil to prevent excess browning. Bake 25 more minutes or until juices are thick and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Birthday party in one casserole dish—thankful for this veggie lasagna . . . and another year of life

2011-11-10T04:16:00.001-08:00

It’s my birthday and I can cook what I want to. That’s my maxim on this day as I celebrate another year of life. Hubby asked what kind of birthday celebration I wanted. I replied that this was no big milestone year—just thankfulness for being able to rejoice in another year lived.

But I did specify these three things: that we would get up and run the Two-Mile Bridge (over Lake Ray Hubbard) as we had on his 65th, months back (we’ll do this as soon as I get this blog posted) and that I would make myself a birthday casserole and a birthday pie. Seems like a fairly easy wish-list to achieve.

The birthday casserole I spotted was for Zucchini-and-Spinach Lasagna. The recipe appeared in the August 2011 issue of Southern Living magazine and was featured as being one way to use farmers' market finds, which were plentiful during the summer.

I love any kind of lasagna but hate all the fuss. Compared to preparing the meat-and-tomato sauce traditional version, this was a snap. To make lasagna you'll always have to contend with the layers and with stirring up the various elements in separate pans, so you’ll always have some degree of complex cleanup. But the wonderful, healthy ingredients that blend together so delightfully represent a reward for all that.

Even though today’s the official day, Hubby and I sneaked in a few bites of Zucchini-and-Spinach Lasagna last night. After all, how can I post something about this dish on my blog if I don’t first sample it?

Ahhh—smooth, well-blended, flavorful, filling, nutritious. Loved this menu item! Truly a birthday party in one casserole dish! A happy birthday present indeed.

Zucchini-and-Spinach Lasagna

1 (8-ounce) container whipped chive-and-onion cream cheese

1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon salt

5 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 pounds)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach

2 garlic cloves, pressed

6 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package instructions (the recipe specified no-boil lasagna noodles, but I subbed the regular variety I had on hand)

1 (7-ounce)package shredded mozzarella cheese

Garnish: fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Sauté zucchini in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add spinach; gently toss until wilted. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Spoon one-third of vegetables into a lightly greased, 9-inch square baking dish; top with 2 cooked and drained noodles and one-third of the ricotta mixture. Repeat twice. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake, covered with aluminum foil that you have lightly sprayed with cooking spray to keep it from sticking to lasagna, at 425 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and noodles are tender. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes or until golden. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Everybody’s happy with this new take on fish and pasta with fresh tomatoes and lemon

2011-11-09T04:26:00.000-08:00

“We just haven’t had much fish lately,” Hubby intoned. He’s a great guinea pig and cheerfully tries all my oddball food ideas, but occasionally the basic meat-and-potatoes guy that he is (or in this case, fish-and-potatoes) surfaces.

I had clipped a recipe for Crispy Oven-Baked Tilapia with Lemon-Tomato Fettuccine for the next time I wanted some new ways with fish. It appeared in Southern Living’s (9-2011 issue) Quick-Fix Suppers feature. A reader had asked for some inspirations for her family’s Italian night; she stated that she was tired of the “same old spaghetti”. The recipe to which I was attracted was one of two of the magazine’s suggestions for her.

For me this wasn’t exactly a “quick-fix”. The magazine stated that “hands-on” time was 33 minutes. But I didn’t have panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and had to make my own crumbs by pulsing leftover wheat-bread slices in the blender. I also decided to add a couple of fresh, chopped tomatoes besides the can of petite-diced tomatoes the recipe specified. Hubby hadn’t been able to round up spinach fettuccine when he went to the store, so I subbed with some basic spaghetti I needed to use up. Prep-time minutes, for me, probably were closer to 45.

However, the meal, once on the table, was wonderful and truly did represent a new way with fish. I thought adding the fresh tomatoes significantly added to the flavor of this entree. Definitely not the “same-old, same-old”. Hubby got his wish for fish; I scratched my perpetual itch for cooking up something different. Everybody was happy.

Crispy Oven-Baked Tilapia with Lemon-Tomato Fettuccine

2 lemons

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1 teaspoon paprika

4 (4-ounce) tilapia fillets

2 teaspoons salt (or salt substitute), divided

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1 (16-ounce) package spinach fettucini (I subbed spaghetti)

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped sweet onion

4 garlic cloves, pressed

1 (14.5-ounce) can petite-diced tomatoes (I used the no-salt variety and added 2 chopped, fresh tomatoes)

2 tablespoons drained capers

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grate zest from lemons to equal 4 teaspoons. Cut lemons in half; squeeze juice from lemons into a measuring cup to equal 2 tablespoons. In a shallow dish combine panko, paprika, and 2 teaspoons lemon zest. Sprinkle fish with 1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute). Dip fish in 1/4 cup melted butter; dredge in panko mixture. Press panko to adhere. Place fish on a lightly greased rack in an aluminum foil-lined boiler pan. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter over fish. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Meanwhile prepare pasta according to package directions. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until golden. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until tomato mixture begins to thicken. Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons capers, and remaining 2 teaspoons lemon zest and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, Remove from heat and toss with hot pasta, feta cheese, and basil. Serve with fish. Makes 4 servings.

Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chip Muffins promise some wonderful feasting on Thanksgiving week

2011-11-08T03:55:00.000-08:00

If anything can top a muffin with pumpkin in it, it’s a muffin with pumpkin and chocolate chips in it.

I so wanted something with this flavor combo, I went a-surfin’ it. My Internet search turned up Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chip Muffins at www.bbonline.com, the website of prized recipes from bed-and-breakfast inns throughout the country. This recipe apparently is legendary at Justin Trails Bed and Breakfast Resort in Sparta, WI. Must be a fab place.

The commentary accompanying the muffin recipe states that this recipe calls for half the usual amount of pumpkin and requires only 1 cup, or 8 ounces, of pumpkin. It says that most pumpkin muffins include an entire 16-ounce can of canned pumpkin, which makes them too heavy. I’ll have to say that these were some of the lightest pumpkin muffins I’ve ever tasted—like biting into air with the occasional chocolate morsel interspersed. The occasional chocolate morsel is what gives them the wow! factor, of course. (I used fresh pumpkin instead of canned but used only 1 cup, or 8 ounces, as the recipe states.)

After a few nibbles to test, Hubby and I (very reluctantly) tucked these away into our Thanksgiving-week freezer supply, as we have been with most baked goods recently. Putting away anything with a chocolate chip inside it is a struggle, but it’s for a good cause—feasting on that week of feasts and thankfulness!

Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup canola oil

4 eggs (or 1 cup egg substitute)

1 cup pumpkin (fresh or canned)

2 cups chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (I didn't have plain, so I used nonfat vanilla yogurt)

1/2 cup crystallized ginger

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

3 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon ginger, ground

1/4 teaspoon cloves

Cream brown sugar and oil. Add eggs and beat. Stir in pumpkin, chocolate chips, yogurt, and crystallized ginger. Measure dry ingredients together and mix. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the liquids; gently stir. Add 1/3 more dry ingredients. Gently stir until blended. Add remaining dry ingredients; stir just until moist. Use an ice-cream scoop to scoop batter into paper-lined, medium-sized muffin tins. Bake at 375 degrees for 17 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 dozen muffins.

Cheering on a lively, healthy carrot dip good for tailgating or any time

2011-11-07T04:44:00.001-08:00

Three cheers for the Baylor Bears, who won our college’s homecoming game this past weekend. And three cheers for Carrot Dip; since last year’s homecoming, I’d saved the recipe in my file to make for this year’s tailgate party. In the middle of a weekend of fast-food and not-always-healthy eating it gave us a reason to bring out the veggies for digging into a tasty and healthy dip.

I shredded enough fresh carrots to make 1 1/2 cups and also chopped green onions to make 1/3 cup. All this was folded into a mixture of fat-fee sour cream, low-fat mayo, and low-fat cream cheese (I use Neufchatel). Seasonings included lower-sodium soy sauce, prepared horseradish, salt, and pepper.

Dippers were zucchini sticks, red Bell pepper strips, fresh carrot chips, and three varieties of chips. The recipe (courtesy www.bhg.com) called for using an electric mixer to make the mixture smooth (before you fold in shredded carrots and green onions), but mine turned out plenty smooth just by beating it with a wooden spoon. (This also saved having to clean up the beaters for the electric mixer). The recipe advised chilling the dip in a covered container for from 4 to 24 hours and not to prepare further ahead than this, or the dip would become too thin. I stuck within the 24-hour limit; everything was just fine, but I can see how very much beyond this might affect consistency.

We feasted and fested and lavished in our annual weekend with family and friends at our alma mater. Carrot Dip helped make things wonderful.

Carrot Dip

1/2 of an 8-ounce carton sour cream

1/2 of an 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

2 teaspoons soy sauce (I used the lower-sodium variety)

1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots

1/3 cup chopped green onions

dippers such as flatbreads, crackers, tortilla chips, celery sticks, sweet pepper strips, jicama sticks, and/or zucchini sticks

In a medium mixing bowl beat together sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, soy sauce, horseradish (if using), salt, and pepper. Use an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Stir in shredded carrots and green onions until combined. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours (do not prepare further ahead than this, or the dip will become too thin). Keep the dip chilled while you are transporting it. Stir dip before you serve with dippers. Makes about 2 cups dip (approximately 10 servings).

Bold, colorful, healthy—we hit the "Like" button a bunch on this unusual chili

2011-11-04T04:51:00.000-07:00

This was some of the most incredible chili I’ve ever tasted—and it was absolutely brimming with healthy ingredients.

Tomatoes, zucchini, squash, corn, and two varieties of beans rose to the surface in this bold-flavored mixture—Big-Batch Veggie Chili. It was spiced up with chili seasoning mix for a South-of-the-Border flavor.

Toppings such as cheese, cilantro, sour cream, green onions, and/or guacamole are icing on the cake to raise this dish to get a mega-good rating. In Facebook parlance, I hit the “Like” button a whole bunch.

Regarding the chili seasoning, the recipe source (Southern Living magazine) calls for 1 (3.625-ounce) package chill seasoning kit and states that the recipe was tested with Wick Fowler’s 2 Alarm Chili Kit. Not finding that, I purchased two 1.25-ounce envelopes of Kroger-brand chili seasoning (lower-sodium variety). I started to pour in both envelopes but hesitated. That seemed a little much for me—I tend to “walk on the mild side”. What a fortunate hesitation! Adding only one envelope was totally enough spice, according to my tastes.

This makes an ample chili supply (12 to 15 servings), so after Hubby and I feasted for a couple of nights, I froze the remainder for a future busy time (can we really be so near Christmas that I’m starting to put away my December emergency meals in the deep freeze?) This fired-up chili certainly will be warming on a cold night a little further down the road!

Big-Batch Veggie Chili

2 large carrots, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 (3.625-ounce) package chili seasoning mix

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce (I used the no-salt-added variety)

3 cups tomato juice

2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes undrained (I used no-salt-added)

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 (15-ounce) cans great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 large zucchini, chopped

1 yellow squash, chopped

1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn

toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream, chopped green onions, shredded sharp

Cheddar cheese, chopped tomatoes

Sauté carrots and onion in hot oil in a 5- to-6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat 7 minutes or until onions are translucent. Stir in half of red pepper packet from chili kit; stir in all of remaining packets (using my one 1.25-ounce chili-seasoning envelope, which did not contain separate packets, I added mine all at once). Sauté mixture for 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and next 7 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve with desired toppings. Makes 12 to 15 servings.

Apple Muffins—savor now or save for Thanksgiving week

2011-11-03T04:39:00.000-07:00

For me, a new cookbook with untried recipes inside operates as though it were a giant magnet pulling me into its pages. I start purposing to try out each suggestion and to write my comments in the margins after the item is prepared. The fresh-produce recipe book from the Southwest Chili Peppers Nutrition Task Force (mentioned last week) is one such lure. The highly basic nature of the recipes—designed to help people learn to cook produce in the most elemental manner—appeals to me.

I wanted to try its recipe for Pear Muffins but had only apples (of course!) and not pears in my produce bin. So I merely subbed 1 cup diced apples (about 2 medium ones) for the 1 cup diced pears it called for; for a little spiced-up flavor I also added 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. The zest of 1/2 orange (you also could use the zest of 1 lemon or 1/2 grapefruit, the recipe says) plus 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans) are nice additions. I think its flexibility is the thing I like most about the recipe—it allows for various adaptations. If you don’t have a particular ingredient on hand, try similar one that is available to you.

Tempting to devour all of these now, but they were soon spirited away to the deep freeze to save for Thanksgiving week. Apple-y and spice-y, they represented an easy way to put a little fall away for some family time later.

Apple Muffins (adapted from the recipe for Pear Muffins)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1 cup milk (I used skim)

1 egg beaten (I used egg substitute)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

zest of 1 lemon, 1/2 orange, or 1/2 grapefruit

1 cup diced apples (about 2 medium apples, peeled)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat together milk, beaten egg, oil, and zest of lemon (or orange or grapefruit). Mix apples and nuts into flour mixture. Gently stir milk mixture into dry ingredients. Batter should be lumpy and not smooth. Do not over mix. Spray muffin pans with nonstick spray. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until tops are browned. Remove from pan immediately; serve warm. Makes 12-14 muffins.

A salad so splendid, it instantly nets "Thanksgiving-worthy" label

2011-11-02T04:31:00.000-07:00

“Thanksgiving-worthy!” That was the pronouncement of both Hubby and me when we began sampling Apple-Pear Salad with Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing, a new dish I’d put on the table to go with our Turnip Green Stew from a few days back.

After you take a few bites of this combination, you’ll think you’ve been transported to the most elegant multi-fork restaurant on the planet. This truly was one of the best salads I’ve sampled in a long, long time. That’s why we immediately assigned the recipe to accompany the holiday bird—one menu item that I can say without a doubt will be found on our Thanksgiving dining table.

Thinly sliced apples and pears are tossed with dried cranberries and romaine (I subbed with spinach for the greens). A smattering of cashews (what recipe can go wrong if it has cashews in it?) and shredded Swiss cheese are added. The Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing is divine and makes enough to be stored and be poured over additional salads.

The instructions, furnished by myrecipes.com and listed as springing from a March 2007 Southern Living issue, state that some grilled chicken could be added to transform this salad into a main course.

Thanksgiving, we’re marching toward ya! Only 20 more cooking days left until that dinner of dinners! Gotta get busy.

Apple-Pear Salad with Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing

1 (16-ounce) package romaine lettuce, thoroughly washed (I used spinach pieces)

1 (6-ounce) block Swiss cheese, shaved

1 cup roasted, salted cashews (I used unsalted)

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1 large apple, thinly sliced

1 large pear, thinly sliced

In a salad bowl toss together all ingredients. Serve with Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing (recipe follows). Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing:

2/3 cup light olive oil

1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds

2 teaspoons finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

Process 2/3 cup light olive oil and remaining ingredients in a blender until smooth. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week; serve at room temperature. Makes 1 1/4 cups.

Very orange (and nutritious) drink for a very orange evening

2011-11-01T03:54:00.000-07:00

On Halloween night, Hubby was pacing . . . no trick-or-treaters yet. I reminded him that most of the neighborhood

Halloween parties had occurred the previous night (Sunday) . . . that it was Monday night, a school night, and that kids go door-to-door later in the evening here than in other places we’ve lived (45 minutes after I mentioned this fact, we had quite a few callers). So while he waited, he decided to fix himself one of his famous smoothies from a recipe suggestion I had placed on his desk. Hubby hates nothing worse than having little pieces of paper on his desk; he’s always eager to get things cleared away.

Power Gold Smoothie was a good choice for Halloween night because (despite the name) it was very orange—and with good reason. Its main element included two cups of chopped or grated carrots (this amounts to about two large carrots, grated), combined with unsweetened pineapple juice, honey, ice cubes, and yogurt. The power

part of the title pertains to the fact that carrots are fat- and cholesterol-free, a good source of fiber, and high in beta-carotene and vitamin A. In other words, it’s pretty power-packed.

Incidentally all this information, including the recipe, was furnished by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension program. The printout on Power Smoothies included this interesting factoid: in Roman times carrots were purple or white, but in the 16th century Dutch growers bred the vegetable to grow in the colors of the House of Orange. Well, who knew that?

Onto Hubby’s smoothie, which he was sipping when our first candy-seekers finally arrived. He pronounced it quite excellent, though with a chunky texture, since it contained the grated-up carrots. The recipe noted that if you want a smoother texture, microwave the grated carrot with 1 tablespoon water in a covered microwave-safe dish on high for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain water and proceed with the recipe.

Now, with the smoothie made, Hubby has one less stray piece of paper on his desk and a lot more power-ful nutrition in his tummy.

Power Gold Smoothie

2 cups carrots, chopped or grated or cooked in microwave. (This amounted to

about 2 large carrots, grated.)

1 1/2 cups pineapple juice (I used unsweetened)

3 tablespoons honey

3-4 ice cubes

1/2 cup vanilla non-fat yogurt

In blender combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth. Makes 4 servings.

An enticing brew of Turnip Greens Stew goes with the Halloween season

2011-10-31T04:29:00.001-07:00

Halloween just feels as though it should call for a big, bubbling pot of stew. My mother always believed a wee trick-or-treater should have something warm in the belly before venturing out door-to-door.

An enticing brew of Turnip Greens Stew made the Southern Living September 2011 pages in the article about lightened-up Southern favorites. It stated that lean ham and fat-free broth offer the same good flavor as the original, heavier Southern staple but without the saturated fat. The beans boost the fiber content.

This turned out to be as tasty as can be. We had just brought in a new crop, from our garden, of our own green and red Bell peppers. These fresh-from-the-garden additions added to the flavor.

Our in-town grandmunchkin momentarily was due for trick-or-treat (a day early), so in advance of that, we enjoyed this hearty Halloween meal even though we weren’t the ones going door-to-door.

Turnip Greens Stew

2 cups chopped cooked ham (I used the lower-sodium variety)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 cups fat-free chicken broth (I used the lower-sodium variety)

2 (16-ounce) packages frozen chopped turnip greens (could also use fresh)

2 (15.5-ounce) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups diced onion, red and green Bell peppers, and celery (can use the frozen, packaged

variety or a combination of whatever fresh you have on hand)

1 teaspoon sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Sauté ham in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add broth and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil Cover; reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally for 25 minutes. Makes about 10 cups stew.

Apple Crisp and a crisp, fall morning—just what we’ve been waiting for

2011-10-28T03:49:00.000-07:00

I had a new cookbook and was rarin’ to go with some new ideas. I didn’t have to look further than the first recipe—a highly simple version of Apple Crisp . . . and me still with an abundance of fresh apples on hand. What’s more, these apples didn’t have to be peeled—the most time-draining portion of many apple recipes. Just wash, core, slice, and place in the dish.

The cookbook was from the Southwest Chili Peppers Nutrition Task Force and was designed to instruct people in some of the most basic ways of preparing fresh fruit and vegetables. For people who know that fresh is best but don’t know where to start, this colorful, spiral-bound volume presents one illustrated, highly simple yet interesting recipe suggestion for each item of produce.

I loved the simplicity of this Apple Crisp—loved the outcome, as well, but found I needed to increase the cooking time beyond what was specified. Likely my apple slices were a little too thick and just needed some extra oven time, but after the recommended 20 minutes, they weren’t tender. I merely covered the baking dish with a sheet of foil and let the apples steam without over-browning the topping. An extra 10-15 minutes gave them the doneness they needed. Then I removed the foil for the last few minutes so the Crisp could get . . . well, crisp.

What a good little bowl of breakfast bounty (I didn’t wait for the dessert part) on this “Fall-Seems-Here-to Stay” morning! Warmed and served with a sliver of sugar-free whipped topping crowning it, it got a Friday morning kicked off well.

Apple Crisp

4-5 medium apples (I used a combination of Golden Delicious and Gala)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a square pan. Remove the cores from the apples. Slice the apples. (Leaving the apples unpeeled adds to the nutritional value and is recommended, but some cooks might prefer to remove the peel as well.) Spread the sliced apples on the bottom of the pan. Cut the butter into small pieces and place in medium-sized bowl. Add the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Using two knives cut the margarine into the mixture until it looks like small crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the apples. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. (May need to bake longer, with a sheet of aluminum foil over the top, for at least 10 more minutes to be sure apples are tender. If you find you need to cover because of increased cooking time, be sure to uncover for a few minutes at the end to allow the topping to get crisp.) Makes about 6 servings.

Pumpkin-Apple Muffins with streusel topping transport me to Amish country

2011-10-27T04:47:00.000-07:00

I had some fresh pumpkin left from yesterday’s dish; I also still had p-u-l-l-en-ty of fresh apples. So I tippy-typed an Internet search to find something that would combine the two.

Up turned a website, www.bbonline.com (Bed & Breakfast Inns Online), that listed the most memorable recipes of B&B’s nationwide. I loved it. Where can you find better, more original cooking than in a good ole B&B? I had to try some of their ideas.

This particular recipe, Pumpkin-Apple Muffins, was presented by Fields of Home Guest House and Cabins in Millersburg (Holmes County), OH. After reading this recipe and the promo about the inn ("Enjoy log-cabin comfort, quiet country fields, and flower gardens in the heart of Amish Country!”) I was ready to throw my toothbrush in a travel bag and head out driving for there. If you’ve ever spent any time in Amish Country, you know the meals make memories to linger the rest of your life. Sounded delightful!

But since traveling there wasn’t possible, my next-best option was to enjoy these muffins, which I proceeded to do. Simple recipe with the chopped apple folded in (Hubby did this part. He enjoyed himself so much over the weekend with his cooking spree when I was under the weather, he volunteered for more. Is he the perfect Hubby, or what?)

Well, these muffins turned out to be absolute sweethearts. The apple bits tucked into the spicy pumpkin batter were just exceptionally yummy. Then to top it all with that divine streusel—what can I say? This was a great Internet find. I’m depositing at least half of them into my airtight container to preserve in the fridge for Thanksgiving-week breakfasts. Apple and pumpkin will make a healthy start to the morning. And the rest? Hubby is already seeing to putting them away.

Pumpkin-Apple Muffins

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

3 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

2 eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)

1 cup canned pumpkin (I used fresh pumpkin puree)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 chopped peeled apple

1/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

In large bowl combine flour, sugar, pumpkin-pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In separate bowl combine eggs, pumpkin, and oil. Make a well in the dry ingredients, then insert the moist ingredients. Stir together until dry ingredients are just moistened. Fold in apples. Fill greased muffin cups almost full. For streusel topping combine 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Over each muffin sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before you remove to a wire rack. Makes 12 muffins.

Easy to go a little nutso over this pecan-pumpkin sticky bun recipe

2011-10-26T04:56:00.001-07:00

Normally the event would have left me tearful and despairing. I was using my last two cups of pecans produced from our own pecan trees—once so ample but recently rendered almost nonproductive because of drought and fickle weather conditions. I had hoarded the last batch like a miser and thought I might could hold onto it for my Thanksgiving pecan pie, annually made using my Nanny’s handwritten recipe. But then I saw these sticky buns in the “pecan issue” of a recent Southern Living magazine and had to try them. There went the absolute last of the last of my supply. The whole situation could have left me weeping.

But then Hubby found them—as he was picking up branches from the weekend’s strong winds and rain. “I’ve actually seen some brown nuts,” he reported rejoicing as he returned from the portion of our yard that’s on the south side of the house. Those trees usually are our nominal producers; they drop the smaller pecans that we usually let pecan-seekers take home for their own, since they fall near the public alleyway and we usually have plenty to spare.

But our prized paper-shell tree near the house has shown no signs of promise. We’ll take the tiny ones on the south side and get there first before the pecan-happy outsiders can stake their claim. My own fresh nuts for our Thanksgiving pie this year, even if we have to scrounge for a cup full!

Now to the Sticky Bun Pumpkin Muffins that prompted me to fork over the LAST of the LAST. Southern Living said this was from among the best pecan recipes its staff had ever tasted. I had to agree. Fifteen ounces of fresh pumpkin puree (I could also have used a 15-ounce can of storebought) made these little buns super-moist. A mixture of toasted pecans stirred into a butter/brown sugar/corn syrup topping went into the bottom of greased muffin cups; the pumpkin batter went on top of that.

On emerging from 25-minutes of baking, the muffins had to be turned out (the pan inverted) immediately, topping-side up. Then they cooled on a wire rack so that things could solidify. Any extra topping that remained in the muffin pan was spooned over the muffins so that not one drop of that sweet, gooey stuff was wasted.

Cute little muffins on the outside, smooth and spicy on the inside! I was glad I tried them—and even gladder that making them hadn’t had to bring on sackcloth and ashes after all.

Sticky-Bun Pumpkin Muffins

2 cups pecan halves and pieces

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup (I used dark brown; worked just fine)

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups granulated sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin (or 15 ounces fresh pumpkin puree)

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs (or 1 cup egg substitute)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Stir halfway through. Stir together melted butter and next 2 ingredients. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoonful butter mixture into each cup of 2 lightly greased 12-cup muffin pans. Top each with 1 rounded tablespoonful pecans. In a large bowl stir together flour and next 4 ingredients. Make a well in center of mixture. Whisk together pumpkin, next 2 ingredients, and 2/3 cup water. Add to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans. Fill three-fourths full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center emerges clean. Invert pan immediately to remove muffins. Arrange muffins on wire rack. Spoon over muffins any topping remaining in muffin cups. Let cool 5 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Comfort food reaches new heights with this veggie-laden Shepherd's Pie

2011-10-25T05:07:00.000-07:00

I always wondered what might happen. Then I didn’t have to wonder any more. A tummy bug laid me low for the weekend—my usual prime time for cooking and blog-readying. Too yucky-feeling to lift more than a finger, I was panicked. This was zero hour for stirring things up in the kitchen, yet there I lay, stretched out on the sofa, dishrag-limp. Plus I needed some mild comfort food to try to digest for my own well-being.

Hubby to the rescue—as always. My wonder-spouse who cheerfully dashes off to the grocery at the last minute to ferry home obscure missing ingredients so I can cook some blog item stepped up to the plate (pun intended?) He’d make some of the dishes I had had on my weekend wish list! Bless him!

No better food could have existed than Shepherd’s Pie, with the recipe furnished by a recent Kroger grocery circular. It was just what the doc ordered for my recovering system—and it contained some wondrous fresh veggies that helped make it a meal-in-one.

Carrots and onion wedges roasted in olive oil in a 425-degree oven until they were tender (Hubby says 20-25 minutes wasn’t quite long enough; he went for about 35). Then the meat mixture (we subbed ground turkey), its seasonings, cornstarch, and broth simmered in a skillet until thickened; the roasted veggies stirred into that. Atop all was a layer of mashed potatoes, which can be ready-made, leftover, or instant. In our case hubby found in the veggie bin several potatoes he needed to use up. Nothing makes him jollier than being caught in the act of preventing food wastage.

Hubby muttered a little about the logistics of the assembly process (his tendency would be to get all ingredients neatly lined up on the counter first, whereas I would just fling them from the shelf as needed). But after he got in the groove, he kinda found himself having fun—and took pride in the finished product. (A future foods blogger in the making?)

Shepherd’s Pie was soothing and flavorful—best of all, in this case, it was prepared by someone else, which says something about the relative ease of this recipe. Meat and potatoes—a true guy-thing that warmed this gal’s heart.

Shepherd’s Pie

3 carrots, cut in 1- or 2-inch pieces

1 onion, half-diced and half cut in rough wedges

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt (or salt substitute), pepper, and dried Italian herbs, to taste

1 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/4 cups beef broth

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 cup frozen peas

3 cups mashed potatoes (ready-made, leftover, or instant)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place carrots and onion wedges in baking dish; toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until fork-tender. Meanwhile brown the ground beef, diced onion, and garlic in a large skillet. Drain excess fat. Combine beef broth, cornstarch, Worcestershire sauce, and spices in a separate bowl. Pour liquid over meat; simmer over medium heat until rich and bubbly. If desired chop roasted vegetables into smaller pieces. Add peas and roasted vegetables to meat mixture; pour into a casserole dish. Top with prepared mashed potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown. Serves 6.

You won’t forget these novel Bell-pepper chips with delicious stuffing

2011-10-24T04:45:00.000-07:00

Our green Bell peppers have really been showing off among the garden rows. Our garden looks as though a second spring has arrived. Pitiful-looking green-pepper plants that barely held their heads up through the summer drought now are bushy and thriving. Yesterday Hubby brought in a bushel basket of them. I had just the recipe I had been saving for this moment.

Pepper and Chicken Nachos were just the most adorable things—pictured in the July 2011 Southern Living issue that told us how to put our farmers’ market finds to good use. In July, because of the drought, we had no green peppers in sight, but what’s happening now makes up for that shortage.

The green-pepper wedges (I tucked in a few red ones for variety as well) were soaked in a flavorful marinade, chilled for 15 minutes, and then grilled until they were tender. A chicken-pea stuffing (the meat shredded from a Kroger deli chicken) went atop them, with cheese and cilantro on top of that.

Hubby just devoured these; although originally meant for appetizers, he made an entire meal out of them. He found the stuffing of the novel nacho “chips” to be highly filling and nutritious atop the healthy pepper.

Green peppers, we missed you months ago but are happy to have your hopeful yield during this fall season.

Pepper and Chicken Nachos

4 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 medium-sized Bell peppers, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 cups chopped deli-roasted chicken

1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 (7.5-ounce) package sliced sharp Cheddar cheese

1/3 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium-high) heat. Combine garlic and next 5 ingredients. Reserve 3 tablespoons garlic mixture. Pour remaining garlic mixture into a large, shallow dish; add peppers; turn to coat. Cover and chill for 15 minutes, turning once. Remove peppers from marinade. Reserve marinade for basting. Grill peppers, covered with grill lid, for 8 to 10 minutes or until peppers blister and are tender. Turn occasionally and baste with marinade. Preheat broiler with oven rack 4 inches from heat. Combine chicken and peas with reserved 3 tablespoons garlic mixture. Place peppers in a single layer on a lightly greased rack in an aluminum-foil-lined broiler pan. Quarter cheese slices. Top each pepper with chicken mixture and one cheese quarter. Broil 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve immediately Makes 4 servings.

How can you drink a caramel apple? Smiling all the way, with this fruit slushie.

2011-10-20T05:46:00.001-07:00

I had purchased a Thanksgiving prep book from Taste of Home magazine. I mean, if Taste of Home can’t hatch up some dandy recipes for that great food-fest holiday, who can? Page after page of divine-looking ideas met my eye until . . . I saw it—a recipe and a photo for Caramel-Apple Slushies!

My hubby is the smoothie-slushie king of the universe. I can envision him standing atop a giant blender, his arms outstretched, proclaiming, “I’m the king of the world!” (See what Leo started in Titanic?) Anyway, I knew just exactly for whom this recipe was created.

An apple from our farm-stand supply was peeled, sliced, and put into the blender, along with thawed apple-juice concentrate, sugar-free caramel topping, lemon juice, and ice cubes. I called my resident Smoothie King in to be sure I was pressing the right buttons. “You for sure don’t want any bit of ice left,” he directed me to blend a little longer as I made my first-ever of these concoctions. When the finished slushie went into a chilled glass, I drizzled on a bit more caramel-flavored topping and added a thin apple slice for garnish.

“It tastes just like drinking a caramel apple,” the king reported after a few gulps of the new creation. Exactly the goal, according to the Taste of Home recipe. In the Caramel-Apple Slushie I’d found a new fall favorite for entertaining.

Caramel-Apple Slushies

1 medium apple, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup thawed apple-juice concentrate

5 teaspoons carmel-flavored ice-cream topping (I used Smucker’s brand sugar-free)

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

7 ice cubes

additional caramel-flavored ice-cream topping, optional

In a blender combine the apple, apple-juice concentrate, ice-cream topping, and lemon juice. Cover and process until blended. Add the ice cubes, cover, and process until smooth. Pour into chilled glasses. Drizzle with additional caramel topping if you desire. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

Apple-pear cobbler with an oatmeal muffin on top—that's the idea of this great dessert

2011-10-19T06:05:00.000-07:00

Baked apples and baked pears—doesn’t that sound as though it would be a divine combination in a cobbler? Then top it with a crust that tastes like a warm oatmeal muffin—how absolutely scrumptious!

That was what I thought when I read the recipe for Caramel Apple-Pear Cobbler with Oatmeal Muffin Crust. I couldn’t wait to get it all whipped up and ready to stick into the oven. The results indeed were heavenly—as good as it gets where fall desserts are concerned.

One of the neat things about this cobbler idea is that its topping, the Oatmeal Muffin Crust, can just as easily be used to make regular oatmeal muffins. If you take the batter and spoon it into greased muffin cups in a muffin pan and alter the cooking time just slightly, some flavorful muffins will appear from the oven. But as a top layer for the combined apples and pears, it was just too good to be believed. Dig down past the oatmeal-muffin layer; you’ll find some tender apples and pears that have been merged to make a terrific filling.

The mixture is great with sugar-free ice cream or sugar-free whipped topping. All the thanks go to www.myrecipes.com, which reprinted the instructions for this wonderful cobbler from the September 2004 issue of Southern Living.

Caramel Apple-Pear Cobbler

3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter

3 large pears, peeled and sliced

Oatmeal Muffin Batter (see below)

Garnish: toasted pecan halves

Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to coat apples. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple mixture; bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add pears to skillet and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Spoon the hot fruit mixture into a lightly greased 10-inch (8-cup) deep-dish pie plate or shallow 2-quart baking dish. Spoon Oatmeal Muffin Batter evenly over fruit mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Garnish with toasted pecan halves if you desire.

Oatmeal Muffin Batter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup uncooked regular oats

1/2 cup chopped dates (I subbed raisins)

1/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

3/4 cup milk (I used skim)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 large egg, lightly beaten (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

In a large mixing bowl combine flour and next 5 ingredients. Make a well in center of mixture. Stir together milk, melted butter, and lightly beaten egg; add to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. (If you want to use the batter for oatmeal muffins, spoon batter evenly into lightly greased muffin cups in a muffin pan. Fill them 2/3 full. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes 10 muffins.)

Way-unusual pea cakes pack the protein with fresh veggies on the side

2011-10-18T06:05:00.000-07:00

Can anything good emerge from a can? When garden fresh tomatoes and homemade slaw form an accompaniment to what a canned good yields, certainly good things happen. This recipe sounded so weird, it lured me to try it just to see what turned up. Black-eyed Pea Cakes with Heirloom Tomatoes and Slaw—has anybody except the staff of Southern Living magazine, source of this unusual dish in its August 2011 issue, ever heard of such a thing?

Well, Hubby and I have now. Over the weekend we took the plunge and now are great appreciators of this terrific menu item. Hubby even poured sugar-free syrup on his pea cakes; I can’t say I went that far (the finished product amounted to a cross between pancakes and cornbread), but I definitely enjoyed them, especially when I piled on tomatoes (we used Roma instead of beefsteak tomatoes) and the slaw (recipe calls for fresh broccoli slaw, but I still had some of the slaw left from the Lemon-Apple Coleslaw from a few days back, so I stuck with it. (But below I’ll reprint the original recipe with the broccoli slaw instructions included.)

I just loved the black-eyed pea cakes, that look like pancakes but are much more substantial—a dish straight out of the South.

Black-eyed Pea Cakes with Tomatoes and Slaw

1 (15-ounce) can seasoned black-eyed peas, undrained

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 (6-ounce) package buttermilk cornbread mix (I used Betty Crocker brand)

1 large egg, lightly beaten (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons Southwest chipotle salt-free seasoning blend (I used Mrs. Dash brand)

1 teaspoon salt, divided (or salt substitute)

1/3 cup fat-free sour cream

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 (12-ounce) package fresh broccoli slaw

2 large heirlooom tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (I subbed Roma tomatoes)

Coarsely mash peas with fork. Stir in garlic, next 4 ingredients, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until blended. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter for each cake onto a hot, lightly-greased griddle. Cook cakes for 2 minutes or until edges look dry and cooked; turn and cook 2 more minutes. Stir together 1/3 cup sour cream, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Stir in broccoli slaw. Place each cooked cake on a serving plate; top each with tomato slices. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with slaw; serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Fun cones piled with healthy apple filling

2011-10-16T18:48:00.001-07:00

I’ve had this one in my “Kid Fun Ideas” binder for many a day. Just completing a visit with those “kids” for whom I keep the idea file, I had to put together these Apple Pie Cones for them, especially since I still had numerous apples from my apple bushel basket that I acquired on our recent farm-stand visit.

The idea behind this treat (courtesy www.foodnetwork.com) was to use some fresh apples to bake up an apple filling and then to stuff it into an ice-cream cone. Sugar-free whipped topping went atop the whole assemblage.

I used 8 large baking apples (a combination of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious) that were peeled and chopped, then stirred with cornstarch, vanilla extract, apple-juice concentrate, brown sugar, and raisins. All this cooked in a baking dish in the oven for 40 minutes—the first 20 of that time covered with foil and the last 20 uncovered. By the time 40 minutes have passed, the mixture is the consistency of regular apple-pie filling. At that point it’s ready to fill up the cones. (The website says this recipe is courtesy Wayne Brachman, Retro Desserts, Harper Collins Publishers 2000).

We shared these finished cones with the grandkiddos, but cones bring out the kid in any person, so the big kids—Hubby and I—enjoyed this healthy treat as much as any younger person could.

Apple Pie Cones

8 large baking apples

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup apple juice concentrate, thawed

1/4 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup dark or golden raisins

8 ice-cream cones

whipped topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel, core, and cut the apples into 3/4-inch chunks. In a medium bowl whisk together the cornstarch, vanilla extract, apple-juice concentrate, and brown sugar. Add the apples and raisins; toss. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking. The mixture is done when the apples are just tender and the filling is clear and thickened. Set aside to cool a bit. Scoop warm filling into the ice-cream cones and serve, topped with whipped topping.

Little Thanksgiving in sandwich form—Turkey Burger Patty Melts

2011-10-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

I have been using them oh-so-sparingly—my tiny horde of pecans—all that remains from the last big pecan production of our favorite tree. Who knew that the fall of two years ago would be the last time our prized pecan, a giant paper-shell producer up near our side door, would shower its blessings on us for a long while?

This fall was supposed to be THE YEAR for a great pecan harvest again, but all that was foiled by this past summer’s drought. We're very dubious about what kind of pecan crop we’ll see this year. I’m down to only a few cupsful in my stash that I keep in my freezer. Only the most appealing project causes me to dig in. Actually I was saving the last tiny batch for Thanksgiving and Christmas baking—no more than for just a couple of pies.

Then arrived the Southern Living October 2011 issue—all about pecans. No fair! So many tempting things to try; so few pecans (and they’re SO expensive at the grocery store). What weakened my resolve occurred when I saw the recipe for Turkey Burger Patty Melts.

I’ve already blogged about my yearning for all kinds of burgers. This featured recipe had some great combinations—ground turkey mixed with chopped, toasted pecans and Gorgonzola cheese plus seasonings. The bread (recipe called for sourdough, but I used some whole-grain sandwich bread I had on hand) was spread with a cranberry sauce-Dijon mustard combination. Over the warm meat patty went a slice of Monterey Jack cheese. Last went on pieces of fresh arugula (I used pieces of fresh spinach instead). The whole combination was skillet-toasted on both sides.

So I gave in and yielded up the 3/4 cup chopped, treasured pecans required by the recipe. It was tough to part with them but so rewarding! Hubby called this creation “Thanksgiving in sandwich form”. So true—it had turkey, cranberry sauce, nuts, and even spinach—tastes that remind one of the Thanksgiving table. Preparation was a wee-bit time-consuming (first toast the pecans, then broil the meat, then toast the entire sandwich), but the good news was that the same skillet could be used for all three stages with no clean-up in between.

We had some good eatin’ out of these patty melts, but after this, the pecans go back under lock-and-key for sure. No more sacrifices until my annual holiday pecan pie!

Turkey Burger Patty Melts

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey

2/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

1 teaspoon garlic salt (or garlic powder)

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup canned whole berry cranberry sauce

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

12 sourdough bread slices (I used whole-grain bread)

6 (1/4-ounce) Monterey Jack cheese slices

3 cups loosely packed fresh arugula (I used fresh spinach)

Heat pecans in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir often. Heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until pecans are toasted and fragrant. In a large bowl combine ground turkey, next 3 ingredients, and pecans. Shape into 6 (1/2-inch thick) patties, shaped to fit bread slices. Cook patties in a large, lightly greased skillet over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until done. Stir together cranberry sauce and Dijon mustard. Spread 1 tablespoon cranberry mixture on 1 side of each bread slice. Layer 6 bread slices with Monterey Jack cheese, spinach, and turkey burgers. Top with remaining bread slices. With cranberry mixture side down, cook sandwiches in batches on hot griddle or in a lightly greased skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until sandwiches are golden brown and cheese melts. Makes 6 servings.

Fresh apples, lemon perk up traditional coleslaw recipe

2011-10-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

The huge bushel basket of apples (both of the cooking and eating variety) seems to be getting no smaller. I brought it home from our recent farm-stand visit and have used numerous apples for dishes as well as have given several away, but the pile seems to be enlarging! So once again I’m on the hunt for apple recipes—not a bad position to be in, since the apple is the signature fruit of fall.

This recipe for Lemon-Apple Coleslaw from myrecipes.com is an enjoyable mixture that is a cross between traditional slaw and apple-laden Waldorf Salad. Tossing apples and lemon rind into the traditional shredded carrots/cabbage mixture brought delightful results. I love the apple-y crunch that the apple addition brings. With the use of a food processor to do the chopping, this slaw gets done fast. Chilling for 1 hour before you serve is recommended for the dressing to permeate.

My food-processor blade chopped up the veggies fairly fine; the photo that appeared with the online recipe showed the cabbage and carrots in longer shreds than mine turned out. This is an appearance-only matter; to me, the flavor of the finely ground carrots and cabbage (with the apples still left in fairly large chunks, skin on) was smooth and tangy.

I’ve never met a variety of coleslaw I didn’t like. I was happy to have this one (which myrecipes.com says appeared in Southern Living in Feburary 2005) to add to my idea stash.

Lemon-Apple Coleslaw

1 small cabbage, shredded (8 cups)

2 apples, chopped (I used the Golden Delicious from my barrel of mixed varieties)

2 carrots, shredded

1/3 cup mayonnaise (I used the lite variety)

1 tablespoon sugar (or sugar substitute)

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl combine cabbage, apples, and carrots. Whisk together mayonnaise and next 6 ingredients; toss with cabbage mixture. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

A dish you don’t see every day—Stuffed Patty-Pan Squash

2011-10-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

Patty-pan squash had always fascinated me. I had seen the little round, scalloped, somewhat flattened veggies on display at farmers markets and was curious about them. What would they taste like? How did one cook them? I heard various versions of how-to’s described but never had tried any out.

Then at the most recent outdoor farm stand we visited, I finally succumbed. Two varieties were present—one, a pale yellow-green and another, deep golden with green flecks. They just looked so . . . well, like fall. I knew that with a little online help, I could turn up some cooking instructions.

Cooks.com helped me out with this recipe that used a filling of chopped onion and celery, tomato soup, and crushed cheese crackers, plus the cooked innards that have been chopped and stirred back in. Hubby and I snack on lots of Ritz Hint-of-Salt crackers, so we always have those around. The key was cooking the patty-pans until they were soft enough to scoop out but not so soft that they cratered and couldn’t hold up to the stuffing process (think the doneness of a green Bell pepper just before the meat mixture goes inside).

The recipe didn’t say to, but to me, almost anything tastes better with a little cheese on top. Some shredded Italian-blend cheese worked just fine dusted atop the baked patty-pans. The two different colors of squash made a unique contrast in the dish. Crumb topping and the cheese made the patty-pans look appealing and taste like one’s own personal squash casserole. Mixing in the touch of tomato soup gave them a good flavor.

I was really pleased with myself for pursuing this original recipe and thought Stuffed Patty-Pan Squash would be a nice addition to a Thanksgiving table (and prompt an exercise of “name-the-vegetable”). It’s definitely a dish you don’t see every day.

Stuffed Patty-Pan Squash

6-8 patty pans

2 tablespoons butter

3-4 tablespoons chopped onion

3-4 tablespoons chopped celery

4 tablespoons tomato soup

salt (or salt substitute) to taste

10-12 cheese crackers, crushed (I used Ritz Hint-of-Salt round crackers.)

Wash and trim squash. Drop in boiling water and simmer until squash are about half done. Drain and cool. Spoon out centers. Leave shell of about 1/2-inch in thickness. Do not cut through to bottom. Chop removed centers and set aside. In skillet melt butter; sauté onion and celery until they are soft. Add chopped centers, tomato soup, salt, and pepper. Mix and then add enough crushed cheese crackers to thicken filling (thick enough to stuff). Fill shells with mixture. Sprinkle a handful of crushed cheese crackers over tops. Bake at 350 degrees until squash is done (about 20 to 30 minutes). (I topped the baked patty-pans with about 1 cup Italian-blend shredded cheese.) Makes 6-8 servings.

Multiple good uses for fresh Mushroom Brushetta topping

2011-10-11T05:07:00.000-07:00

It was one of the last recipes remaining to be cooked from my “Celebrating a Healthy Harvest” book, which features two recipe ideas for almost every veggie and fruit around. I’ve checked off almost every item and blogged about them in this column. Very few untested ones remain. Yet I’d been unable to find an occasion for Mushroom Bruschetta, an appetizer.

But when I studied the recipe, I realized this mushroom dish, sautéed with onion and seasonings, could be just as good a topping for burgers or for chicken and rice as it would be spread on French or Italian bread, as the recipe specified. I decided to get some fresh mushrooms, cook them up, and just see where this topping landed.

Wow, was this a sensational dish! (courtesy Chickasaw Nutrition Services, which published the cookbook). Actually the topping landed on all of the above mentioned items except for burgers, but I promised myself that it would be a do-again next time I have some turkey burgers on the grill. The blending of the mushrooms and onions (I actually used red onions) along with the curry set the stage for a tremendous mixing of flavors. This grew better with each day it had “leftover” status. The picture above shows the topping on French bread slices that had been toasted in the oven before I added the mushroom spread. I certainly could see this as a party dish.

I was sorry I had held off trying Mushroom Bruschetta, but it had been worth the wait.

Mushroom Bruschetta

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 pound button mushrooms, diced

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 cup fresh parsley (or 2 tablespoons dried parsley)

1 loaf Italian or French bread

Heat oil, pepper, and curry powder in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms, onions, garlic, and oregano. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove the pan from the heat; mix in the vinegar and parsley. Cut bread into 16 half-inch slices; toast. Place 2 rounded tablespoons of mushroom mixture on each toast slice; serve. Makes 12 appetizer servings.

Pumpkin in chili? Be ready for possibly your best chili recipe ever.

2011-10-10T05:07:00.000-07:00

Tailgate time! Although I already have my menu planned for our upcoming tailgate lunch at our alma mater’s Homecoming game, I couldn’t resist the attractive Kroger grocery flyer sent out to promote tailgating recipes.

Pictures showed Pumpkin Turkey Chili filling a slow cooker and ready for the gameday crowd. I had to look twice at the title: Pumpkin Turkey Chili. Whoever thought to use pumpkin as a chili ingredient? Pumpkin I had plenty of on hand, thanks to our garden. But what would this ingredient do to a chili mixture?

I’m pleased to report that this turned out to be possibly my all-time fave chili mix. The addition of the 2 cups pumpkin puree added a smooth texture and slightly sweet flavor. Note that this is a beanless chili. The combination of the diced tomatoes, ground turkey, chopped onion, chopped yellow and green peppers, pumpkin puree, chili powder, salt, and pepper was all anyone could ever want in a pot full of chili.

Please remember to allow four to five hours for this to cook on low in the slow cooker. My big mistake, at first not having paid close attention to the cooking instructions, was in thinking initially that this was stovetop chili and could be stirred up in time for dinner, so I dashed to the kitchen in late afternoon to get it together. Wrong! Slow-cooker cooking time was what was required. Glad I quickly subbed something quick for dinner and took my time in getting the Pumpkin Turkey Chili ready. The slow, low cooking works wonderfully on getting this mixture to blend in a taste-tempting way.

Yes, pumpkin does belong in chili! You’ll see what I mean.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup green Bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup yellow Bell pepper, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pound ground turkey

1 can (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes, no salt added

2 cups pumpin puree

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 dash salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion, green Bell pepper, yellow Bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Stir in the turkey and cook until evenly browned. Pour meat mixture into slow cooker. Mix in tomatoes and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, pepper, and salt. Cover and set on low. Cook for 4-5 hours. Serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream (I had no sour cream on hand but know it would have been a plus). Refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Sweet potato fries are all the rage; here's a healthy take on them

2011-10-07T05:07:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that the food demonstration we observed this week when we visited the Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services had more goodies in store besides the marvelous Autumn Spice Cake that we sampled after the demo.

Also amazing were the Southwest Sweet Potato Fries and the dipping sauces that accompanied them. Food Demo Specialist Kathy Bean sliced some sweet potatoes into strips (similar to the size of restaurant fries) and then placed them in a zip-top bag that contained spices. The spices consisted merely of cumin and a Southwest chipotle seasoning (the one she used was produced by the Mrs. Dash brand of salt-free seasoning).

Several shakes of the bag to evenly distribute the seasoning over all of the potato wedges—then the potatoes were arranged onto a cooking-spray sprayed pan. After I returned home from seeing these prepared and from sampling them, I had to try cooking these myself. After I baked the potatoes for about 20 minutes in a 425-degree oven, as the recipe instructed I turned them once and cooked the other side of the fries during the remaining cooking time (15 to 20 minutes).

The Southwest kick these oven-baked fries had to them by having been dredged into these two simple seasonings was incredible. These were terrific by themselves but were even better with the homemade dipping sauces that Kathy had arrayed on the counter. The one I chose to try with the Sweet Potato Fries was Honey Mustard Sauce, featured below. I tried the fries warm straight from the oven and cold straight from the fridge after I had stored them a while. I found them to be good warm or cold, if you can believe it.

Kathy had extolled all the health benefits of sweet potatoes, not the least of which was the fiber aspect (one serving of the sweet potato fries, with a serving estimated to be about 10 fries) was 5 grams of fiber. Oven-baking them instead of frying in oil on the stove gave them a zero-gram fat and cholesterol content with only 85 grams of sodium. She spoke of how sweet potato fries are becoming a popular restaurant menu item.

Now, with this recipe for Southwest Sweet Potato Fries, appreciators can make their own, the healthy way.

Southwest Sweet Potato Fries

2 pounds sweet potatoes

2 teaspoons no-salt Southwest chipotle seasoning (prepared with Mrs. Dash brand)

1 teaspoon cumin

cooking spray

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut each potato into 4-inch chunks; then cut chunks crosswise into strips. In a large zip-top bag mix Southwest and cumin seasonings. Add potatoes and toss until coated. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange potatoes in a single layer. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Turn once until potatoes are lightly browned. Makes 6 servings.

Honey Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Chill. Makes 10 1-tablespoon servings.

A 70-calorie cake slice! Who, after sampling Autumn Spice Cake, can argue with that?

2011-10-06T04:34:00.000-07:00

We had just finished Hubby’s regular eye exam and had wandered in to pick up some recipes before we hit the road. The Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services building, across the street from the eye clinic, always has some intriguing new recipe cards laid out in its kitchen demo area. I usually sweep through, see what offerings are new since our last visit to the Ardmore, OK, campus, and with my free recipes in hand make a quick exit.

To my surprise a cooking demo was under way. Food Demo Specialist Kathy Bean was in the demonstration kitchen area and was stirring something in a bowl. A small audience on several rows of chairs was intently absorbed. Wonderful aromas invaded our nostrils the moment the door into the building opened. We slipped to the back of the room so we could peek over heads to see what was cooking. When I heard the words, “70 calories a slice”, my ears definitely perked up.

Kathy was mixing the batter to Autumn Spice Cake and was describing to the listeners the ingredients. Part of Kathy’s job is to help citizens of the Chickasaw Nation, of which Hubby is a proud member, to learn to cook and eat healthier. She was promoting the benefits of using skim milk instead of whole, using applesauce as a sweetener, and using sugar substitute instead of regular sugar in the cake batter. Also into the batter went bran flakes, raisins, orange peel, mashed carrots, grated carrots, and whole-wheat flour, among other ingredients.

The mixture was poured into a 9-inch-by-13-inch pan to bake. Once it was removed from the oven, Kathy used a fork to poke holes into the top of the cake. Then she drizzled orange juice on top and sprinkled the top with chopped pecans. Cutting the cake into 24 servings (the cake square I sampled was a tiny bit larger than 2 inches on all sides) each square contained 70 calories (as well as only 2 fat grams, 0 cholesterol, 70 mg sodium, 12 carbs, and 1 gram fiber). The orange-juice topping made it plenty sweet. (We can live without that traditional cream-cheese frosting that so often appears on carrot cakes!) Seventy calories! Just as I was, other members of Kathy’s audience were murmuring about how sweet the cake tasted when they sampled it. Clearly no one felt deprived at all.

Kathy’s assistant, Rhonda, let me take a photo of the demo cake (pictured above left) just before she cut it. Hubby and I certainly were glad we made the little detour to pick up recipe cards before we headed back to the Metroplex. (In the next few days I’ll share with you two more healthy recipes that Kathy taught us while we watched.)

Autumn Spice Cake

cooking spray

1 cup skim milk

1/4 cup margarine

1 cup bran flakes

1/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup canned carrots, mashed (could use fresh)

3/4 cup carrots, grated

1/3 cup raisins

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar substitute

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons orange juice

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray. Place milk and margarine in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute or until margarine is melted. Add cereal and let mixture stand for 5 minutes. Add applesauce, mashed carrots, grated carrots, raisins, orange peel, and vanilla. Mix well. In a separate bowl mix flours, sugar substitute, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add flour mixture to the wet mixture. Mix well. Spread into the 9-inch-by-13-inch pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Using a fork poke holes into the cake in 1-inch to 2-inch spaces. Drizzle orange juice on top of cake. Sprinkle top with pecans. Makes 24 servings.

Like eating candy atop a delicious fall loaf—Praline-Apple Bread

2011-10-04T04:34:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine a layer of praline candy that crowns a bread absolutely packed with the goodness of fresh apples? That was the happy outcome of a new find—a recipe for Praline-Apple Bread. I was prowling around the Internet to see what I might still turn up for some more fall apple fixin’s. This 2009 listing on www.myrecipes.com caught my eye. Saturday morning-type fare, it seemed to call to me. Wow, was it a wonderful addition to our weekend!

In following the recipe I made an interesting substitution. The secret to a moist bread was said to lie in the 8-ounce container of sour cream to be added to the mix. I had on hand only about 1/3 of the 1 cup of sour cream necessary. Hubby had some fat-free vanilla yogurt that he uses for his smoothies. His sacrifice of his yogurt (that I added on top of the existing sour cream to make a 1 cup measure) kept him from having to make an emergency dash to the grocery. I normally am not very gutsy when (off-the-cuff) subs are concerned and don’t like to take risks for fear of a bad outcome, but if moistness was the goal, then yogurt seemed that it might add that attribute.

I shouldn’t have worried. This turned out to be a terrific loaf with the smoothest texture and most amazing flavor imaginable. And the butter/brown sugar topping, stirred to a 1-minute boil and then poured over the bread once-removed from the pan, hardened into a glaze that was like biting into a creamy praline. (The recipe said this appeared two Septembers ago in Southern Living.)

We dined happily ever after.

Praline-Apple Bread

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided

1 (8-ounce) container fat-free sour cream

1 cup granulated sugar (or sugar substitute)

2 large eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples (about 3/4 pound apples)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan for 6 to 8 minutes or until pecans are toasted and fragrant. Stir after 4 minutes. Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or until blended. Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to sour-cream mixture. Beat until just blended. Stir in apples and 1/2 cup toasted pecans. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup chopped pecans. Lightly press pecans into top of batter. Bake loaf at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center emerges clean. (After 50 minutes of cooking shield top of bread with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.) When loaf is done and before removing it from its pan, place pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then remove bread from pan to wire rack. For glaze bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat; stir constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and spoon over top of bread. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. (To freeze, cool bread completely, wrap in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.) Makes 1 loaf.

Okra-Shrimp Beignets a novel way to enjoy a combo of some faves

2011-10-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

I love okra. I love shrimp. I love beignets. Who ever would have imagined that a recipe existed that combined all three?

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that Southern Living, in its September 2011 feature on Lowcountry fare, ran this recipe for Okra-Shrimp Beignets plus Fresh Tomato Salsa and Cilantro Sour Cream condiments. This was a have-to-try and turned out to be one of the most fun items I’ve ever cooked and served.

Easy, easy, easy. Chop the shrimp, slice the okra, dice the green pepper, onion, and jalapeño. Add egg, flour, and heavy cream (I subbed skim milk) to make a batter. Drop the batter into hot oil and deep fry. Even with making the salsa and sour cream, this entire process took no more than 45 minutes (the recipe says 47, but I was a little more speedy).

At this stage in the game the diners around our table are getting a wee-bit bored with okra, but it’s out there in the garden still bloomin’ like crazy. Having a delightful new recipe to try sent me out to the okra plants with renewed enthusiasm. The fresh jalapeno was in the row next to the peppers; the fresh onion was from our garden of weeks ago.

We were so entranced, we could have turned around and made a fresh batch of these beignets the next night. Topped with the fresh salsa and sour cream mixture, the whole ensemble made a memorable meal.

Okra-Shrimp Beignets

Peanut oil

2 cups sliced fresh okra

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 large egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream (I subbed 1/4 cup skim milk)

1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

3/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 pound unpeeled, medium-sized raw shrimp, peeled and coarsely chopped

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Cilantro Sour Cream

Pour oil to a depth of 3 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 350 degrees. Stir together okra and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl until all are blended. Stir in shrimp. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into hot oil. Fry, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels. Serve with salsa and sour cream. Makes about 30.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

4 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced

3 tablespoons finely diced red onion

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt (or salt substitute) and pepper to taste

Stir all ingredients together. Chill until time to serve.

Cilantro Sour Cream

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

salt (or salt substitute) and pepper to taste

Stir all ingredients together. Chill until time to serve.

Marvelous veggie melange makes soup a great fall kick-off

2011-09-30T05:56:00.000-07:00

Rain fell overnight. Highs today are to be only 85 (a miracle for our scorched neck-of-the-woods). Time to really celebrate fall. For many years my Easy Vegetable Soup has been a fall kick-off tradition at our house. Assembling it yesterday and dining on it last night got my fall groove on for sure.

This vegetable soup calls for a pound of ground beef (I use ground turkey) for its base. This makes it extra hearty. The recipe calls for adding a package of frozen vegetables at the end, but I keep a freezer container into which I dump leftover veggies from whatever I’ve been preparing. Instead of buying a package of frozen veggies I simply use these fresh ones from the deepfreeze. I had a little leftover squash from my earlier blog recipe for Sautéed Squash and Tomatoes, so I added it as well. Makes for a colorful, healthy combination.

I acquired this recipe when I was an officemate of the legendary foods editor Ann Criswell at the Houston Chronicle. She was forever recommending recipes she thought I’d like; my files are stuffed with her “bests”. I featured this recipe in my cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden, as a dish that bespeaks of a fall day. That’s what we’ve got today; we plan to enjoy every minute of it and every bite of this glorious soup.

Easy Vegetable Soup

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey

1 cup chopped onion

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup sliced celery

1/4 cup uncooked regular rice

2 (16-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes (I used 2 cans of no-salt-added peeled tomatoes)

3 1/2 cups water

5 beef bouillon cubes

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon basil

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, unthawed (or leftover fresh veggies that have been frozen)

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can low-sodium tomato soup

In large kettle brown ground beef or ground turkey; drain fat. Add all ingredients except frozen vegetables and tomato soup. Cook covered for 40 minutes. Add frozen vegetables and tomato soup. Cook additional 10 minutes. Serves 10-12.

Just one last peach dish—Buttermilk Peach Pudding a good sayonara to summer

2011-09-29T05:35:00.000-07:00

Pretty sneaky of Kroger to run a great grocery store ad on peaches. Pretty sneaky of Southern Living’s fall issue to feature a last-blast of a peach recipe. Here we are in apple season with all of our peach harvest finished long ago and turning out apple desserts, salads, entrees right and left. What pops back up to tempt us? Peaches, that summer delicacy that is so tough to leave behind.

So we hadn’t bidden sayonara to peaches after all. Buttermilk Peach Pudding was not to be resisted, even though it seemed slightly out of order in the midst of all the fall finery. I was very happy to have an excuse to prepare a dish with peaches on just one more occasion.

Buttermilk Peach Pudding cooks up with a texture like bread pudding. As the photo above shows, I also stirred in a few fresh blueberries along with the peaches to give it a little more color. The addition of buttermilk may sound off-putting calorie-wise, but I used my age-old substitute of 3 teaspoons vinegar poured into a one-cup measure plus whatever amount of skim milk is necessary to fill the cup up to the 1-cup line. Stir and let this sit on the counter for about five minutes; you’ll have your buttermilk substitute. Three tablespoons of vinegar into the 1-cup measure filled with milk has the same effect.

Sitting down the baking dish into a roasting pan filled with 1-inch of water while the pudding cooks helps keep the pudding moist for serving. We served it with sugar-free whipped topping, although sugar-free vanilla ice cream would work great as well.

Just one more peach recipe, my heart had pled as summer seeped out the door. My wish was realized; it was a lovely period to put at the end of summer’s sentence.

Peach Buttermilk Pudding

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

3 1/2 peaches, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 cup buttermilk (can also be made by filling a 1-cup measure with 3 teaspoons white vinegar and then adding skim milk to reach the 1-cup line)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar(or sugar substitute)

3 large eggs (or 3/4 cup egg substitute)

2 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (about 1 pound)

vanilla ice cream or whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together first 7 ingredients; sift again. Process chopped peaches in a food processor or blender until they are smooth. (should make about 2 cups puree). Stir in buttermilk. Beat butter and sugar at high speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add peach mixture; beat until well-blened. Layer sliced peaches in a greased 13-inch-by-9-inch pan. Fold flour mixture into butter mixture. Pour batter over sliced peaches in pan. Place pan in a large roasting pan and add boiling water to roasting pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until set. Pudding still will be moist. Serve warm or cold with ice cream. Makes 8-10 servings.

Unusual black beans recipe celebrates our jalapeno plants’ surviving the summer

2011-09-28T04:58:00.000-07:00

Black beans. Tabasco sauce. Jalapeno pepper. Italian seasoning. Orange juice. These are some of the elements that were called for in my new recipe for Spicy Black Beans. I wondered how this combination would work. (Orange juice in a bean recipe? Didn’t seem right.)

But out in our garden, our lone jalapeno plant is in its post-summer flourish. Ever since the temps have begun to diminish, all the pepper plants (Bell peppers as well) are showing off—as though they’re saying, “Nanny-nanny-boo-boo, you can’t kill us, you ole nasty Summer Heat Wave.” Although a few short weeks ago they looked withered as a limp dish rag, they’ve returned with a fresh wind for fall. Good thing, since the fall pepper crop is where we get our green pepper supply for the next year as we chop and freeze what appears on the plants.

So I wandered out to the pepper rows, plucked a shiny new jalapeno, brought it in, and got to work on Spicy Black Beans, which are featured in the Chickasaw cookbook, “Celebrating a Healthy Harvest.” Besides being an excellent source of fiber, beans also provide iron, zinc, folate, and calcium.

The night before, Hubby had put a package of black beans on to soak, so early the next morning he brought out a ham hock from the freezer and let the beans cook on low for about three hours so he’d have three cups cooked beans ready for me when I started my recipe.

I’m not here to tell you that I now can explain how some of these disparate ingredients blended together for a hugely tasty bean dish; I just know that they did. I served the beans over cooked, whole-grain rice with cheese on top. The aroma of the beans cooking personified a fall day.

We looked on it as a great way to celebrate our pepper plants hanging in there by their toenails until the searing heat passed and a little hint of fall could infiltrate our remaining garden rows.

Spicy Black Beans

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 large onion, diced
1 red Bell pepper, chopped
1 green Bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cumin (optional)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or just oregano)
3 cups cooked black beans (drained)
1 large can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon Tabasco (or other hot sauce)

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions, peppers, garlic, cumin, jalapeno, and Italian seasoning; sauté until vegetables are soft. Add beans and stir until some break apart and become pasty. Stir beans, tomatoes, orange juice, and Tabasco into the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 15 minutes while you stir frequently until mixture becomes a thick sauce. Serve over rice or pasta. Makes 4 servings.

Yogurt addition makes fruit muffins wonderfully smooth

2011-09-27T04:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning breakfast time . . . because I’d thought ahead and set most of my ingredients and cooking implements out the night before, everything was a breeze. I had been wanting to try this muffin recipe that called for a container of fruity yogurt as part of the muffin batter. The recipe specified blueberry low-fat yogurt and blueberries as key elements but noted that you could substitute your favorite fruit and flavor of yogurt (or use what you had on hand).

I was glad it also specified that at the end, the batter would be thick. The mixture was like churning butter, it was so thick and heavy. But it made a wonderfully smooth, solid muffin. The addition of the yogurt gave it a wonderful texture plus added to the muffin the health benefits of yogurt.

The recipe says the mixture makes 20, but I only got a dozen muffins. Perhaps that’s because I really like to fill the tins pretty full.

The weekend morning was cool with a light breeze—perfect for breakfast on the deck so we could utilize our new lawn furniture that has been the subject of Hubby’s mutterings: “We bought this new patio furniture and never sit out here to use it.” I had kept consoling him by saying, “We will. Just wait until cooler weather arrives.” Finally I got to be right—and made sure he observed that fact.

Everything made for a lovely Saturday morning with some lovely fruit-and-yogurty muffins.

Fruit and Yogurt Muffins

Cooking spray

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup wheat flour

1 cup white sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 (6-ounce) container low-fat blueberry yogurt

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 tablespoons margarine, melted

2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 20 muffin cups or line muffin pan with paper muffin liners. Stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. In a separate bowl combine yogurt, egg, vanilla, margarine, and blueberries. Stir mixture together just until combined. Batter will be very thick. Scoop into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes. You can substitute your favorite fruit if you'd rather have something besides blueberries—strawberry yogurt and strawberries, blackberry yogurt and blackberries, etc. Makes 12-20 servings. (Recipe courtesy Chickasaw Nutrition Services.)