September 17th, 2011
Well, it certainly got a little rainy on this Saturday. My thoughts went to a nice warm soup for dinner. That’s all I wanted.
The recipe I chose I have made it my own by adding a little bit of this, a little less of that.
A butternut squash is a type of winter squash. It has a nutty, sweet taste; you know, like a pumpkin.
It can be roasted, toasted, mashed into casseroles, breads, and muffins. It can also be pureed into a soup. That’s where my recipe comes into play.
I hope you like it. It does have curry. Get a mild curry, if you want. It is up to you. But, curry does add a lot to it.
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups yellow onions (chopped)
2 tablespoons mild curry powder
2 medium to large butternut squash
4 sweet apples
2 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
salt (optional) Kosher salt to taste
2 cups Apple Cider
Warm butter and olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions and the curry powder. Cook, uncovered until the onions are tender. About 12 minutes or so. Stir them occasionally.
The squash is a little hard to peel, but please do so, then cut in half, remove seeds. Cut into chunks.
Next step is to core the apples and cut into chunks. I did not peel the apples. If that is what you like; you know what to do.
Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper and the chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 1/2 hour or until the squash and apples are very soft.
In a food processor or blender, take your time to blend the majority of the soup. Return to the pot to keep hot. Make sure you keep chunks of squash, apples and onions whole so that you have more than a pureed soup. You can do this by just taking them out of the soup prior to pureeing, or just puree 3/4 of the soup only.
Add the 2 cups of apple cider. Stir.
As the pureed soup is kept warm, swirl into the soup the other 2 tablespoons of butter. This is an optional step. You can also add more butter, if you want to.
Serve garnished with homemade croutons, with an additional sprinkle of curry powder.
Note: My croutons were made with gluten free bread, but if you don’t want the croutons then a nice crusty bread will do.
I think this soup is buttery including a great balance of flavors, as well.
This soup is gluten free.
Enjoy!! Remember to make it your own. It will certainly, keep you warm…
August 22nd, 2011
I had to laugh. I got an e-mail from the Delray Beach Green Market. This market is the one I visit when in Delray Beach, Florida. Just like the markets in Delaware, it is that time of the morning when you can stroll and get fresh baked goods, produce, and flowers, while sipping your coffee. Great way to start the day, by the way.
I laughed because it said that in August, in South Florida, the mangoes are falling off the trees. Ha ha. Here, in Delaware, I found that Giant was having a sale; 4 for $5.00. I bought them. Why not? I love mangoes, probably as much as I love ice cream.
Growing up in Puerto Rico I remember sitting with a bag of mangoes and just diving into them; peeling them with my teeth; eating that sweet flesh. I am not kidding, no knife was needed. Some of the mangoes had fibers and some of them were just perfectly round.
If you do want to know how to eat a mango without getting messy, then go to You Tube and on the search put How to Eat a Mango. There is an informative video for you to check out. Still, in my book, you need to get messy!!
In a perfect world I would love to pick them directly from the tree. But, since beggars can’t be choosey, then a grocery store is probably the best bet on my neck of the woods.
Mangoes are native of India and are the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. Full of vitamins, as well.
The Fresh Mango Salsa is one of those that you can add a little bit of this or a little bit of that. You want a little more of a kick? Then, add more jalapeno. Don’t like the cilantro? Well, then you know what to do, but it does add so much.
The Mango Salsa is very versatile; on fish, pork, hamburgers, salads, omelettes, corn chips, or you can do like I did and top corn fritters with it.
Mango Salsa
1 mango, peeled, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 fresh jalapeno, chopped (I used canned jalapeno wheels; chopped)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and allow the salsa to rest at least 30 minutes before serving. It is really good. I love the combinations of the jalapeno, mango and cilantro along with the citrus flavors of the lime and lemon juices.
Corn Fritters
When I first came to Baltimore in 1976 someone introduced me to a place in Maryland that used to serve Whiskey Sours with a basket of corn fritters. I always remember that and as I made them, my thoughts went back to those times long ago.
There are so many recipes for corn fritters. I have to use gluten free flour so I decided to use Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix. This mix is for waffles, cookies, crepes, muffins, and more. When I saw that it said “and more”, I made the corn fritters using:
1 cup of Pamela’s Mix
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 can corn, drained
You want the mixture to be nice and thick in order to drop them by the spoonfuls in hot oil.
Fry them until they achieve a nice golden brown color. Careful not to burn. Place on paper towels to drain. Then, just serve them like I did; with the Mango Salsa. Could be an appetizer, a tapa, or a side dish.
Corn fritters go well with ham or poultry. But, they are delicious with maple syrup, butter or jelly.
Traditional Corn Fritter Recipe
1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 (20 ounce) can cream-style corn
1/2 cup canned corn, drained
1 egg, slightly beaten
Sift dry ingredients.
Combine corn and egg. Stir corn and egg mixture into sifted dry ingredients until just blended.
Drop batter by tablespoons into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes, turning once during frying. Drain on paper towels.
Note: Since we have an abundance of corn in the summer, using fresh corn is the way to go. In a hurry? Use canned corn.
Enjoy and make it your own!!…Talk to you later…
August 7th, 2011
I wish I could take credit for this recipe. I don’t. It was in a Southern Living Magazine some years ago. Roberta, one of my usual suspects, gave it to me. I have passed it around. I put it here, on my blog, without pictures, last year. The other night I had that craving for it. Then, I took a couple of pictures. I am not kidding. It is pretty good.
It is not the concept of a meatloaf (icky, mushy and nasty). Tha’s what some might say. It is the way it has been prepared. There are more people that don’t know how to cook a good meatloaf, than the ones that do. Does it make sense? Or, you might not even care. Once you try this one, you might think twice about it.
Meatloaf has its origins in Europe. It is a traditional German, Belgian and Dutch dish. It is said that it is a cousin of the Italian Meatball. But, here, they say that meatloaf has its origins in scrapple? What? No wonder I like it. Scrapple is one of my favorites. My friend, Missy, loves it too.
So, here is the recipe again, with photos.
Sweet and Saucy – A Meatloaf
For the meatloaf you will need:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb pork sausage (I used Jimmy Deans low fat)
1 cup fine breadcrumbs (I made my own; gluten free)
1 large egg, beaten
1 medium, onion diced
1/2 cup milk
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tblsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tblsp. curry (mild or hot)
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1/2 tsp. pepper
Pre-heat oven to 375 degres.
Combine the ingredients that are in the meatloaf. Shape into a loaf and place in a very lightly greased pan.
You can place the meatloaf in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes while you make the sauce.
Sauce:
2 tblsps. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used Splenda Brown Sugar Blend)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup beef broth (I used the low salt)
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 tblsp. instant coffee (decaf or regular)
2 tblsps. rice vinegar
2 tsps. lemon juice
 It is a sauce full of flavor. Melt butter in a deep skillet or other pan and heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup Ketchup and the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat immediately, and simmer for 10 minutes.
After the meatloaf has been baking for 30 minutes, then pour 1/2 of the sauce over it and bake for another 45 minutes. Soon it will be ready with a wonderful color.
I served it just with a salad. But if you are in the mood for comfort food, then add mashers or rice.
Leftovers? I love a good meatloaf sandwich!!
Make it your own and enjoy!!….Talk to you later….
July 17th, 2011
The word spanakopita (spinach pie) brings a smile to my face. Susan and I were in charged of the teachers appreciation luncheon, for a few years, when our kids went to school together. Trying to get everyone to prepared their specialties was our responsibility. Susan’s own never failed; her spanakopita always appeared that time of the year.
Last week when I was in Florida, Anita mentioned that she had gone to a good and reasonable Greek restaurant in Delray Beach. So, four of us headed in that direction. Melissa was with us. Her heritage? Greek.
Greek Bistro is located at 1832 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach Florida, off Linton and next to The Original Pancake House. Tel. 561-266-8976. Fax 561-266-8984. Website? www.floridagreek.com. It opens 7 days a week from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
The restaurant was comfortably crowded for a Monday, early evening. The restaurant is small but it does have a bar. It is family owned and operated
Hummus was brought to the table. A blend of chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice served with toasted pita bread.
Melissa ordered the Keftethakla or meatballs to accompany her traditionally made Greek Salad. The meatballs did not photograph well. My thought, at the time, not to put the picture. No comments, please, o.k.? But, they were probably the best meatballs I have tasted in a long time. So here, they are. They were small, flavored with garlic and spices and slightly crispy on the outside and very moist inside.
The salad was large; almost enough for two people. Anita had the same salad and added grilled Gyro to it. The grilled Gyro did not photograph well either, but I am putting the picture up, anyway.
I had to have the Spanakopita or spinach pie. Fresh leaf spinach, mixed with Feta cheese and spices in a thin, and delicate layer of filo dough. It was served with vegetables, rice, and oven roasted potatoes. I had not had this dish in a long time. I have never made it; so hard to work with filo leaves. They gave me a nice portion and it was very well seasoned.
Then, Rosalyn had a dish that I had never seen; the Papoutsakia or Little Shoes. It is like a Moussaka, except that it does not have potatoes and the eggplants are halved and then stuffed. They looked very good and already I was thinking that I was going to try to make them when I got back to Delaware.
For dessert we ordered a Calaktobureko. It is a traditional Greek dessert, filled with a light lemony semolina custard. I think of the 4 of us I liked it the most because I love custard. The others? They thought it was just o.k.
We had a nice evening and as usual, I have to comment that sharing a meal with friends, is, well…priceless!!
Upon arriving at the Delmarva Peninsula, the first thing I did was go to Freeman’s. I was having some withdrawal symptons; not having that sweet corn for a whole week. Imagine that. I notice that they had some white eggplants.
White eggplants are milder than the aubergine ones. They are available seasonally and are, actually, very trendy nowadays.
A lot of recipes tell you that you should have eggplants rest in salty water for an hour or so. I did not do that in the following recipe. Remember you have to play with the recipe and make it your own.
Papoutsakia or Little Shoes (stuffed eggplants)
4 white eggplants (or the regular ones) - not too big
1 lb. each of ground pork and ground lamb. You will have leftover meat so you can even cut that in half.
1 onion finely chopped
1 or 2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 cup of finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 ripe tomatoes blended in the blender or 1 small can of whole tomatoes blended
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
A pinch of thyme
1 shot of dry white wine.
1 cup of grated Kasseri Cheese (or melting Greek cheese)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the eggplants in half and scoop out the pulp and chop it. Set aside.
Heat oil in a frying pan and saute onion and garlic until they soften; are translucent, without browning. Add the ground meats and eggplant pulp and saute them well.
Add tomato, parsley, salt, pepper, 1/4 tsp. nutmet, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and thyme. Cover and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Grate the cheese.
Make the bechamel sauce:
Mine is my own version, using gluten free flour.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a pan, melt. Then add 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk it well until combined. Then, add about 1 cup of half and half. Whisk again. Add the other 1/4 tsp of nutmeg, and keep on whisking. Add shot of white wine. Whisk again and set aside.
Place the eggplants on a baking dish and sprinkle the inside with some of the grated cheese. Then fill the cavities with the meat mixture.
Top the eggplants with the bechamel sauce. Sprinkle more cheese over all of them.
Bake for about an hour. Prick the eggplant to make sure they are done. You want the bechamel to get a nice color without burning it.
That’s it!! Serve it with a salad or vegetables and you have a meal.
A tip: Before placing the eggplant halves in the baking dish you can sprinkle some of the meat juices; just a bit. The eggplants will absorb that flavor from the bottom and will keep them from sticking to the baking pan.
Enjoy!!….see you…
July 13th, 2011
Woke up early in Delray Beach, Florida. There was a plane to catch. Comfortably seated on Southwest with 2 well behaved boys next to me. That’s when the screams started. Not an emergency; a little toddler. She screamed for over an hour and she was in closed proximity to my seat.
And, guess what? Upon landing, she decided to fall asleep. You know what my thoughts were, right?
After driving for a few hours I was received in Rehoboth with the question I had not heard for a whole week. What’s for dinner? A blank look is what I returned. I regained my composure. Yeah, it was back to reality. Off to Giant I went and the following recipe is what I thought would be good for dinner.
Pork Chops with Caper Sauce
4 lean pork chops, about 1 1/4 inch thick
salt and pepper to taste (optional)
2 tablespoons salad oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup of chicken broth
4 tablespoons of drained capers
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons of fresh sage
1 tablespoon butter
parsley for garnish
Heat salad oil in a skillet large enough to hold chops in 1 layer. Add chops and cook over medium-high heat for 7 minutes on each side. They should be lightly browned.
Remove chops and keep warm. I just put them on a plate.
Since the chops should be lean, no need to pour off excess fat from the skillet. Add onions and garlic and cook until wilted.
Then, add vinegar, cook for a minute or so. Continue then by adding the chicken broth, capers, mustard, tomato paste and sage. Cook for about 3 minutes or until nice and hot but not boiling.
Reduce heat to low and add the pork chops with any juices that accumulated on the plate back into the pan and heat. Swirl in butter and check the seasonings.
This sauce is so delicious. And, the recipe can easily be doubled. I usually do that because I like a lot of sauce with the pork chops.
I mashed yams, put a little brown sugar and that was our dinner this evening.
Garnish with a little bit of parsley, if you want.
Note: This recipe is gluten free. If you don’t like yams, then you know what to do; mashed potatoes, rice, or polenta.
Talk to you later….Remember to make it your own….
July 4th, 2011
 I found him in the neighborhood. “Let’s go blueberry picking”…I can still hear myself telling that to a good friend, Deveraux. At other times, it was to Shelley or Nancy. All summer long we would go, at least once a week, to Ryan’s Blueberry Farm located at, where else but at Blueberry Lane in Gumboro, Delaware. This was west of Bethany Beach, crossing over Rt. 113.
Later on, as we all had kids, at times, we would put them on our backs and still go blueberry picking. Then, the older ones had their own empty margarine buckets with holes on the sides and string over their necks for “easy” and “faster” picking. I don’t know who picked or ate more from the blueberry bushes. My older son thought his were bigger than anyone else’s, except we might have been picking from the same bush. It was so much fun. We used to get so dirty.
But, that seems like ages ago. Wow, it was. On May 8, 1999 the United States Department of Agriculture proclaimed July as the National Blueberry Month.
As July gets underway with a celebration, I thought a blueberry crisp was a good addition to my crab, corn and tomato eating extravaganza. It is an easy recipe with that buttery crunchy top; warm it up, top it with vanilla ice cream and, oh boy, it is so delicious!!
At the present time, North America produces 90% of the world production of blueberries. The harvest runs from mid-April to early October; the peak harvest being in July.
Hope you like this recipe because it is so easy; can be doubled and can also be adapted so that people with gluten allergies can enjoy it, as well.
Blueberry Crisp
2 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries, washed and drained well
1/4 cup granulated white sugar (I used Splenda blend)
1 tablespoon corn startch
2 teaspoons lemon juice
a sprinkle of black pepper
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used Splenda Blend)
1/2 teaspoon (or more) cinnamon
1/3 cup of flour (I used Pamela’s Pancake & Baking Mix Gluten Free)
3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats (I used Lara’s Rolled Oats)
Pinch of salt
1/2 stick softened butter (about 4 tablespoons)
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
In a bowl combine the blueberries, granulated sugar, corn starch, lemon juice, and pepper. Mix and combine evenly.
Pour into a buttered baking dish.
In the same bowl combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, oats, salt, and butter. Stir with a fork until the mixture is crumbly and evenly blended.
Spread the mixture over the berries and bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.
Let cool to warm before serving.
Enjoy…..and make it your own….talk to you later…
May 12th, 2011
This is one of those recipes that surprised me. I had never tried it. I picked it up at the grocery store and made it my own. A little more of this here and a little less of that there.
It is pretty easy and versatile. It can be used as a side dish. That’s exactly what I did, except that I paired them with my softshells. Too much of the same colors on the plate. I admit that I ruined my softshells by dusting them in cornmeal and spices. When will I learn that the best way to enjoy softshells is by sauteeing them on their own. They are so wonderful that not additives are needed.
The stuffed poblanos could be also good as a side dish for barbecued meats. On their own they would make a light lunch or dinner, accompanied, perhaps, with sliced tomatoes or any other salad. The perfect meatless meal.
A poblano is a mild chile peper from Puebla, Mexico. When it is in dry form, it is called ancho chile.
Predominantly mild, at times one might surprise you and give considerable heat; otherwise, don’t worry about it.
This recipe called for Poblanos or Cubanelles. I like the poblanos intense green color. Visually, I go more towards them. In the end, it is a matter of whether you can find one or the other in your friendly grocery store.
Stuffed Poblanos
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, halved and seeded (fresh or canned)
2 large cloves of garlic (optional, but it does add to the dish)
1 can (14 1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes, no salt
1/2 cup vegetable broth
3 tablespoons chili powder (if you want to use less, well, you know what to do)
2 cups cooked brown rice
3/4 cup frozen or canned corn
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp. salt, optional
4 large poblanos, stemmed, halved lengthwise, seeded
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with hot peppers (it is not hot)
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine jalapeno pepper, garlic, stewed tomatoes with juice, broth, and 2 tablespoons of the chili powder in a food processor or blender. Process to get a consistency of medium to coarse texture. Pour into a 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish and set aside. Easy, isn’t it?
Mix rice, corn, chopped tomatoes, onion, egg whites, salt, and remaining tablespoon of chili powder in a bowl. Then, spoon about 1/2 cup of the stuffing into each poblano. I filled them up pretty high and then placed them stuffed side up in the baking dish.
Cover with foil and bake about 40 to 45 minutes. Then remove foil and sprinkle the peppers with the cheese. Bake another 5 minutes or so, or until the cheese melts.
Serve peppers with the sauce.
Note: This recipe is gluten free.
Enjoy….talk to you later….
May 1st, 2011
Chilly and rainy, don’t you think? I had seen this recipe in a Cooking Light Magazine but I changed it all around. Different chiles and chicken broth used instead of water. It is also “wet” instead of the traditional dryer version.
A Paella is a Spanish dish from the city of Valencia. It is served as a main course. There are 3 types: The Valencia Paella, the seafood paella and the mixed paella. But, there are many other variations, as well. The key ingredient? Olive oil and saffron.
I hope you like this one; perfect for tonight’s weather.
“Wet” Paella with Green Chiles, Corn and Clams
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can of whole green chiles, chopped (usually 2 or 3 per can)
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon, black pepper, divided
3/4 cup short-grain brown rice.
1/2 teaspoon, saffron threads, crushed
2 1/2 cups low sodium broth (If you want the regular, well you know what to do.)
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 1/2 cups corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 lbs. littleneck clams
A sprinkle of parsley for garnish.
Lemons wedges on the side
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, green chiles, 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional), and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Saute for around 3 minutes.
Add rice and saffron. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Then, add two cups of the chicken broth, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover.
Bake at 450 degrees for 50 minutes or until rice is done.
Stir in the corn and tomatoes and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Then, nestle the clams into the rice mixture.
Keep baking at that same 450 degrees for another 12 minutes or until the shells open. Then, take the ovenproof skillet out of the oven and discard any unopened clams.
Place skillet on top of the stove. Cook without stirring on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or so, covered.
You can top it with parsley and serve it with a wedge of lemon.
It will serve 4.
Please note that this dish is gluten free.
As usual, the best way is to make it your own, just like I did. This dish hit the spot tonight.
 
|
0 Comments