Squashes and Pear Soup

I have perfected my butternut squash soup through a series of happy screw-ups.  One adjustment is adding different kinds of squashes--like acorn squash and pumpkin--which, you know is a squash.  What you’re looking for, when you start to tinker with this and make it your own, is a combination of sweet, savory, and creamy.  It’s supposed to be a comfort food that creates a bit of curiosity.  You may be tempted to low-cal this, but leaving the cream out leaves the taste out.  Have half, instead. You also may be tempted to use your own chicken broth.  Although I’m notorious for saving scraps and concocting huge pots of broth on a Sunday afternoon—to the disgust of my family members who have to smell something succulent that they’re not going to be eating for weeks--I use store-bought broth in this because it keeps the recipe consistent.  Meaning, I want the broth to be a constant—not a variable.

Let me pause for reflection lest I mislead you further.  It seems that I’ve been nonchalantly writing “broth” when maybe I should have been writing “stock.”  My Food Lover’s Companion comes to my rescue:

Broth: A liquid resulting from cooking vegetables, meat or fish in water. …OK sounds like I haven’t embarrassed myself. So what’s stock?

Stock: In the most basic terms, stock is the strained liquid that is the result of cooking vegetables, meat or fish and other seasoning ingredients in water.  A brown stock is made by browning bones, vegetables and other ingredients before they’re cooked in the liquid.  Most soups begin with a stock of some kind, and 

many sauces are based on reduced stocks.

Alert the fam.  I’ve been making stocks.  But for this recipe I use the box that says “chicken broth.”  Hmmm,  I thought stocks went into soups.  No worries.  Basically, grab the low-fat, low-sodium stuff off of the shelf and get on with the recipe. 

I think I'll go make some stock...just in case.

Squashes and Pear Soup       8 servings

• 1 tbl butter or bacon fat
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 15 oz. can pears, drained
• 1 small acorn squash
• 1 15 oz. can pumpkin
• 1-quart low sodium chicken stock or broth…whatever!
• 1 sprig rosemary
• Nutmeg to taste (1/4-1/2 nut)
• Heavy cream
• freshly ground black pepper
• sour cream (optional)

Melt the butter or bacon fat over medium-high heat and cook the onions until soft but not brown.

Roast the halved squashes in a 400 degree oven until soft. Let cool and scoop out the filling into a soup pot. Add rosemary sprig, nutmeg, pepper, drained pears, pumpkin, stock, and onions.  Cook on low for an hour, stirring.

Remove the rosemary. Puree with immersion blender. 
Add the cream and reheat gently. 

Dollop with cream or sour cream if desired.
Serve with crusty sourdough bread for a different dimension.

Help for Mel

Dear Readers,

My sister Mel is embarking on a 3 month kitchen renovation. She will not have use of a stove or oven but will have a toaster over, microwave, Crockpot, outdoor grill, and maybe a Foreman grill or Panini machine.

Let's extend our hospitality to her and her family by sending stove/ovenless recipes. 

Enjoy,
HospitalityMorality

I'll start us out...

Chicken Tostadas adapted from Marcela Valladolid (FoodTV) 4 servings
• 8 tostadas (fried in oil or toasted in a toaster oven)
• 1 cup refried beans, warmed (in microwave) (You could use soft beans, mashed to avoid fat of refried.)
• 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded (Buy rotisserie.)
• 2 cups finely shredded lettuce
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced into rings
• 8 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 cup crumbled queso fresco or mild feta cheese (or Monterey Jack)
• Mexican sour cream or regular sour cream, for drizzling
• salsa
*1/2 cup chopped olives
*1 chopped tomato
*avocado slices
                                  * optional
Spread the tostadas with the refried beans. Top with the chicken, lettuce, onion rings, radishes, and cheese. Drizzle with sour cream, top with a dollop of salsa, and serve.

Thank you, Chris, for sending this B B Q BEEF recipe!

1 (15 OZ) CAN TOMATO SAUCE 1/4 tsp PEPPER
1 CUP CHOPPED ONION FEW DROPS HOT PEPPER SAUCE
1/4 CUP CHOPPED GREEN PEPPER 2 1/2 LBS BONELESS SHOULDER
2 Tbs PACKED BROWN SUGAR ROAST -OR- CHUCK ROAST -OR-
2 Tbs WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE BRISKET (Most Lean)
2 tsp DRY MUSTARD GARLIC POWDER
1 1/2 tsp SALT ( I use 1 tsp) 2 Tbs FLOUR

TRIM EXCESS FAT FROM ROAST. CUT MEAT TO FIT COOKER. COMBINE TOMATO SAUCE, ONION, GREEN PEPPER, BROWN SUGAR, WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, MUSTARD, SALT, PEPPER, GARLIC POWDER & HOT PEPPER SAUCE. POUR OVER MEAT IN COOKER. COVER & COOK ON LOW 10-12 HRS OR UNTIL MEAT IS VERY TENDER. LIFT MEAT FROM COOKER. COOL LIGHTLY & SLICE ACROSS GRAIN. TURN COOKER ON HIGH. SKIM OFF FAT IN COOKER, WHEN MIXTURE BUBBLES, STIR IN FLOUR BLENDED WITH 1/4 CUP WATER. RETURN MEAT TO COOKER & HEAT, COVERED, 15 MINS. SERVE ON SPLIT BUNS.

Trader Joe's vegetable nests

 My sister Mel left me a voicemail message that began, "You'd better blog it...freakin' vegetable bird's nests at Trader Joe's."  She claims (and she's always right about stuff like this) that these "bird's nests" are easy to serve, nutritious, and "succulent." http://www.menupause.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Veg.jp

For those of you who need more convincing...

http://www.traderjoesfan.com/Trader_Joes/vegetable_birds_nest/details/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/431458/review_of_trader_joes_vegetable_birds.html

Now, I'm not disputing my sister's contention that they're nutritious; but face it, if you fry (not bake) these julienned veggies that are already covered in tempura batter, you've added fat.  But OMG, that sounds delish.  Up to you, of course.

HM would love your feedback on this matter.  Let me know if you've tried them and liked them.

Oh, and word of warning.  Evidently, these are hot TJ items that don't last long on the shelf.

Thanks, Mel!

PS If you'd like to read reviews of many brands of frozen food products, check out...


http://heateatreview.com/index.php?s=trader+joe%27s...

lap meals

Chicken satay...

Mel comes through again!  She hosted a Bunko group and served them a menu perfect for our HM reader's previous request for a meal you can eat away from the table, without a tray and a knife. 

1. Trader Joe's Vegetable Bird's Nests (See that post.)

2. chicken satay (See Lap Meal Take 1 post.)

3. antipasto pinwheels

4. bacon and tomato puffs

5. chicken cilantro bites

6. chocolate caramel bars

7. fresh mozzarella and pesto tart

fresh mozzarella and pesto tart

1-16 ounce loaf frozen pizza dough(1 bag of trader joes pizza dough will work)

1 egg beaten

1 TB olive oil

½ pd skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces

1 small onion sliced into rings and separated

1 small yellow or green sweet pepper, cut into this strips

¼ tsp lemon-pepper seasoning

¼ cup basil pesto, lemon pesto, or roasted garlic and red pepper pesto

3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

6 ounces smoked or reg fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Roll bread dough on a lightly floured surface into a 10 inch circle. Place dough in a greased 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom pressing to fit into a pan. Prick dough with a fork. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 400 for 12 to 14 min or till brown. Transfer pan to a wire rack, leaving oven on. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet. Stir-fry chicken, onion, sweet pepper and lemon-pepper seasoning over medium-high heat for 4-5 min. or till chicken is no longer link and vegetables are crisp-tender. Spread desired pesto over baked crust. Top with chicken mixture, tomatoes and fresh mozzerlla. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or till heated through and cheese is melted. Remove tart from pan cut into wedges. Makes 12 servings.

chocolate caramel bars

36 Brach caramels
3 T. cream or evaporated milk
¾ c. melted butter
1 c. flour
¾ c. brown sugar
1 c. old fashioned oatmeal
¾ tsp. salt
1 c. choc chips
½ c. chopped walnuts

Melt caramels and cream and 3 T. butter. Mix ¾ cup butter, flour, b. sugar, oatmeal and salt. Pat ¾ of oatmeal mixture in 9 X 13 pan. Bake 10 min at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and pur caramel mixture over top. top with chips and nuts and crumbled remaining ¼ oatmeal mixture on top. Bake 12 min. more.

chicken cilantro bites

Whisk these together:
1 tsp lime zest
3 TB lime juice
1 clv garlic
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp grp red pepper
1 TB olive oil
Marinate chicken breasts(2) in Caribbean Jerk marinade. Grill and shred.
1/2 avocado chopped
1/4 c thinly sliced red onion
2 TB chopped cilantro
1 jalepeno sedded and chopped
Can also add shredded mexican chese mixture
Mix with shredded chicken and dressing and serve in tortilla cups..

bacon and tomato puffs

4 slices cooked bacon crumbled,

2 vine-ripened tomatoes, finely chopped
½ onion finely chopped

3 ounces shredded swiss cheese (about ¾ cup)
8 TB mayo
2 TB finely chopped fresh basil
1 can (16 ounces)reduced-fat buttermilk biscuit dough
Lightly coat a non-stick mini-muffin pan with canola spray. combine bacon pieces, tomatoes, onion, swiss cheese, mayo, and basil to a bowl and stir. Heat oven to 375. Cut each biscuit into quarters and press each quarter into cups of prepared pan to make crust. Fill each crust with a heaping tsp. of the tomato-basil-bacon mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

 antipasto pinwheels

12 thin slices provolone cheese (6-7 oz)

½ cup Gorgonzola cheese softened (2 oz)

1 Tbsp. milk

12 thin slices of Genoa salami (4 oz)

Let provolone cheese stand at room temp for 30 min. Mix gorgonzola and milk in bowl. To make one of two rolls, on waxed paper slightly overlap 6 slices of provolone to form a rectangle. Top with 6 slices of salami and 6 basil leaves. Roll, beginning from the short side of the rectangle and using the waxed paper to lift and roll. Wrap roll in waxed paper and place seam side down on platter. Repeat to make second roll. Refrigerate wrapped rolls at least 30 min. Cut rolls in ½ inch slices. Serve with crackers or flatbread.

chile rellenos with a Turkish flair

After an awesome meal of chile rellenos at my step-daughter's apartment, I decided to revisit this Texan favorite, attempting to remove it from my kitchen disaster file.  Searching the internet, I found a recipe, courtesy of Ann Hazard, which I adapted because I wanted meat. Unfortunately, I had no ground beef in the house (scandalous!), but I had lamb patties.  Hence, the reason for the substitution.  I'm breaking this recipe's steps into 2 categories: 1-2 days before and pre-eating.  The proportions depend on how meaty, cheesy, or beany you prefer.

1-2 days before:
1. Making the filling...
Sauté some chopped green or white onions. Remove from the pan.
In the same pan, cook your ground lamb.
Add onions back in and some refried beans to lamb. Cook on low until warm.
Refrigerate to cool.
2. Charring the peppers...
Coat the poblano peppers with oil, place on a sprayed rack on a sprayed baking sheet, and broil until charred all around (turning).  Don't chicken out.  Get 'em scorched.
Remove from oven with tongs and plop into a paper bag.  Roll up to seal for 15-30 mins.
Remove from the bag and peal off the skins.
If there's a puncture from the broiling, use that place to cut from below the stem to the narrow end.  If not, pick a spot and slice.
Leaving on the stem (for presentation), remove the seeds and membranes unless you're a fiery guy.
3. Stuffing the peppers...
Nestle a wedge of some variety of Mexican cheese in each pepper. Don't use shredded cheese. This is the secret to sealing the pepper and keeping it closed during the frying.
Pack the remaining area with the filling.
Close and suture with toothpicks, driven through the wedge.
Refrigerate.
Pre-eating:
4. Concocting the coating...
Separate 3 eggs--> whites & yolks.
Whip the whites until stiff.
With a fork, combine the yolks.  Add 1 TBL. flour and a pinch of salt.
Fold the yolks into the whites. Be gentle.  You'll have an opportunity in a minute for an aggression release.
Roll each pepper in flour and then cake in the egg mixture.  You must be a stern disciplinarian, forcing the egg mix to play well with the flour coating the pepper.  That sad, just do your best to slather as much on as you can.
5. Frying your masterpiece...
Heat peanut oil--enough to cover the bottom half of the peppers.  Peanut oil is the best because it withstands high heat.  That means less smoke in your hacienda!
Fry the peppers until golden, turning once.
Remove and place on that sprayed rack on baking sheet.  You can keep warm in a low oven if you need an hour.
6. Spicing it up with the Salsa...
Make your own (tomatoes, garlic, salt, avocado, onions...) or use store-bought.
Serve with rice and the salsa.
The recipe that inspired my variations is posted on http://www.mexgrocer.com/534-killer-chiles-rellenos.html.

friend and food

Yesterday, I made a meal for an injured friend. At the onset of her Baltic cruise, she fell on her back and remained inside her inside cabin for the duration of the cruise.  The story gets worse, but you get the idea.  Anyway, my meal.  I wanted to keep it simple and "comfort foody."  I chose gravy and turkey breast (roasted in gravy with mayo smeared all over it), a slightly spicy and really gooey squash casserole, and crock pot mashed potatoes with butter and cream cheese.  Can you picture all that on the plate--a study in whitish-grey?  It comforted about as much as a Robert Rauschenberg white painting.  And, frankly, it looked just as unappealing.  Too late to revamp (or too lazy), I decided to mock my aesthetically-challenged meal and added rolls, apple pie, and daisies to complete the look.  

That night, my husband and I ate the other half of the main meal.  After serving our portions on bright blue plates, I couldn't stand the blahness of it and threw in sugar snap green beans at the last minute.  

OMG it was so yummy. Except for the last-minute green beans.  In fact, they really didn't fit in at all. It would have been better tasting as an all-white creation.  Rauschenberg redeemed.

This brings me to my culinary epiphany: Why shatter the perfect velvety bite of cheesy casserole, gravied turkey, and mashed potatoes with crunch and...nutrition?  

Crockpot Garlic Smashed Potatoes

·         potatoes—however many you want and a mixture of sweet & white

·         garlic cloves, minced—amount depends on your taste and # of potatoes

·         shredded onion—amount depends on # potatoes

·         cracked pepper to taste

·         chicken broth   For 8 potatoes, I use about 2 cups.

·         cream cheese—as much or as little as you like but don’t omit

·         butter—as much or as little as you like but don’t omit

·         whole milk or cream (optional)—unnecessary if you whip well.

Quarter potatoes to the same size. Place potatoes in a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Add garlic, onion, pepper, and broth and mix to coat. Cover crockpot and cook on high for 2 ½ -  4 hours until potatoes are tender.  Stir a bit here and there to incorporate the liquid into all of the potatoes.  Check every hour for doneness.

Mash potatoes roughly with a potato masher. Stir in cream cheese and butter. Whip and see if you want to add milk or cream. You can serve this right away or keep in the crockpot for up to 2 hours on warm.

If you have a new hotter cooking crockpot, check this after 2-1/2 hours. You might also want to stir the potatoes after 1-1/2 hours to prevent over browning or burning.

This can be transferred onto an oven-ready serving dish, sprinkled with shredded Gruyere, and broiled on low for 10 mins.

Summer Squash Casserole   Makes 6 servings

5 cups summer squash, sliced    I suppose you could mix with zucchini.

1  sm. can chopped green chilies

2 TBL flour

2 scallions, sliced

½  cup yellow onion, shredded    I use a box grater. 

2 jalapeno peppers, roasted & diced

1 cup Gruyere, shredded

1/3 cup salsa verde

Preheat oven to 400. 

Coat 9 by 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Mix squash, onion, chilies, peppers, scallions, and half of the cheese in pan.  Sprinkle with flour & toss to coat. Cover with foil. Bake the casserole until it is bubbling and the squash is tender, about 35 minutes. 

Spoon salsa verde  and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese on top.  Bake, uncovered, until golden, about 30 minutes.

Turkey Breast

Turkey breast

Low-fat mayonnaise

Turkey gravy or broth (chicken or turkey)

Thoroughly dry the turkey breast.  Place in a sprayed roasting pan. Slather with low-fat mayo—on top of and under the skin.  Pour turkey gravy or broth around bottom  Cook at 350 for an hour, basting frequently.  Cover with foil if desired brownness is already achieved. Turn down to 250 and continue roasting until your trusty thermometer indicates doneness.  Let it rest.  Make gravy with the defatted liquid.  Save half the gravy for the next time and serve the other half.

Pickled

I returned from 16 days visiting family (but who's counting?) to find a nearly bare refrigerator.  Faced with only veggie burgers and my homemade pickles, lunch was slim pickin's. However, this provided me with an opportunity to savor the pickles I made a few weeks ago and to research in my newly acquired Food Lover's Companion (by Sharon Tyler Herbst) the subject of pickles.

As a noun, pickles are created from submersion in brine or vinegar.  You can pickle cucumbers, onions, watermelon rind, cauliflower, pig's feet, eggs, herring....You can add spices, like dill for dill pickles.  You can go sweet, sour, hot, or a combination.  As a verb, to pickle is to preserve in a brine or vinegar mixture, which is one type of curing.

Here's how I adjusted Tyler Florence's recipe for Quick Sweet Pickles  Serves:  1 quart

·         6 kirby cucumbers or 2 regular cucumbers (I used kirbies from the farmer's stand and tiny cukes from WalMart.)

·         1/4 cup kosher salt

·         1 cup water

·         1 cup rice vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar because it's alkaline and I'm watching my acidity level.  Don't ask.)

·         1/2 cup sugar

·         1 tablespoon coriander seed

·         1 tablespoon mustard seed

·         1 tablespoon whole allspice berries

·         1 cinnamon stick

·         3 cloves

·         1 bay leaf

Wash and dry the cucumbers. Using a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice the cucumbers thinly and place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Place the colander over a bowl and allow it to sit, covered, for about 1 hour. Rinse off the salt and dry the cucumber slices well. Place them into a sterilized quart jar. [I just hauled out a big plastic canister.] 

In a small saucepan add the remaining ingredients. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. Pour the brine over the cucumbers in jar. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Will keep, refrigerated, for about 2 weeks. [maybe longer?]

Let's talk about something good to eat.

My mother's family and my mother are not known for confrontation.  When the subjects of politics, religion, finances, health, or sex became the least bit controversial, my grandfather and later, my mother, would forcefully interrupt, "Let's talk about something good to eat."  Immediately, the subject changed to the latest jello mold concoction, pot-luck casserole dish, or newspaper recipe.  You may think that a family who avoids dissension is not close.  You may be right.  All I know is that despite my protests against such avoidance, I find myself frequently obsessing about food--cooking it, ordering it, shopping for it, watching someone prepare it...