Minestrone Soup

Posted on April 17, 2013 by jphilo

The calendar says mid-April, which means grilling season to me, but the weather outdoors says otherwise. Nothing can be done about the unusually cold temperatures this spring, so I’m trying to grin and bear it with a new soup recipe. Turns out, that was a good move because the recipe turned out to be a winner, winning the coveted Hiram seal of approval.

The recipe was featured by author Deborah Vogts at her website, Country At Heart Recipes. My consumption of Italian food, which I love, has been sorely curtailed by this dairy allergy thing. But the Parmesan cheese is added to this soup after it’s ladled into bowls. So it works for both the man of steel, who things Parmesan cheese should be added to everything he eats, and for me, too.

Minestrone Soup

1 pound ground sausage
1 cup onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
14 oz. diced tomatoes
14 oz. Italian style stewed tomatoes, crushed
15 oz red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup elbow macaroni
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Brown sausage in large dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add mixed vegetables, tomatoes, beans, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add macaroni and cook for another 10-12 minutes until pasta is tender. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese. Serves 6-8.

Dairy-Free Turkey Hash

Posted on October 3, 2012 by jphilo

Turkey hash is one of the few recipes handed down to our family by Hiram’s mom, Elsie Philo. She was, by her own admission, a reluctant cook. Part of that reluctance may have stemmed from learning to cook in the territory of Alaska in the 1950s–on a wood stove, with limited provisions, while raising three very active little boys, and teaching school.

Fresh milk was hard to come by, even though her husband was a dairy farmer, and she added canned evaporated milk to almost every main dish. Turkey hash was no exception, and for years I made it according to her recipe. Not too long ago, I finally worked up the nerve to try it with almond milk. To my surprise, it tasted delicious. It even received Hiram’s coveted seal of approval. So here’s the non-dairy version (dairy ingredients are in parentheses) of the ultimate Philo comfort food, turkey hash.

Elsie Philo’s Turkey Hash

1/4 cup margarine (1/4 cup butter)
5–6 medium potatoes, peeled, washed, and sliced in thin rounds
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cups cooked turkey, chopped
1 1/2 cups unflavored, unsweetened almond milk (1 large can evaporated milk)
1/4 cup flour (omit for dairy version)

Set a large frying pan over medium heat. Add margarine and melt.

Put sliced potatoes in the pan. Cover and cook for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in onions and cover again. Cook for 5–10 minutes more, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat to avoid burning, until potatoes are soft. Stir in turkey. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes, until turkey is warmed through.

Sprinkle a few tablespoons of the flour on top of the meat and vegetable mixture. Stir until flour is absorbed. Repeat until all flour is absorbed. Pour 1/3 cup of almond milk and stir well. Repeat until the milk is gone. Continue cooking until the hash begins to bubble and the milk thickens.

Salt and pepper to taste at the table.

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

Posted on May 2, 2012 by jphilo

My husband quit eating sugary foods a couple months ago for health reasons. His decision meant I needed to come up with a new method of preparing and serving pancakes, another one of our favorite breakfast-for-supper meals. Therefore, I was delighted when a recipe for blueberry buckwheat pancakes was published in the February 3 – 5 edition of USA Weekend Magazine. When I served them, we were both delighted to discover they were delicious and satisfying. You’ll be delighted to know the recipe received the coveted Hiram Seal of Approval. Rock on!

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

3/4 cup buckwheat flour (I ground buckwheat groats in my coffee grinder)
3/4 cup whole grain pastry flour or whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
3/4 cup non-fat milk (I left this out as I prefer a thick batter)
1 tablespoon honey
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable, corn, or canola oil

3 cups fresh or (thawed) frozen blueberries (I used 1 1/2 cups frozen berries, thawed)

In large bowl, mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl beat together the buttermilk, milk, honey, eggs, and oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to combine into a lumpy batter. Fold in one cup of the blueberries.

Use a 1/4 cup measure to ladle batter onto a hot, non-stick griddle or seasoned electric skillet. Flip the pancakes when the top is riddled with bubbles and the bottoms are golden brown (2-3 minutes). Serve with remaining blueberries (our frozen blueberries created a good deal of juice, so we used it too) and maple syrup.

Between the blueberries and their juice, the pancakes were naturally sweet. I used only a tablespoon of maple syrup on my stack and Hiram used none at all. If you give the recipe a try, leave a comment about how it worked for your family.

DYI Chai Tea Concentrate

Posted on April 4, 2012 by jphilo

My daughter Anne loves chai tea. I’ve tried it a few times at my favorite coffee shop. Though I love it’s spicy, mellow flavors, most chai teas are too sweet for my taste. But when USA Weekend Magazine (Jan. 20-22 edition) published Pam Anderson’s recipe for chai tea concentrate, I decided to give it a try.

The biggest challenge presented by the recipe was finding all the spices. Thankfully, we have a bulk food store nearby, and I was able to find everything there. (Did you know cardamom costs $70+ a pound? Thankfully, they sell it by the ounce!) Other than gathering the ingredients, this recipe was easy to follow.

Compared to the cost of specialty drinks at the coffee shop, this recipe is a bargain, even with the price of cardamom. Not only that, Hiram gave the hot chai drink his coveted seal of approval. The ingredient list for the recipe below matches the original one exactly. But, I added more details to some of the directions.

DYI Chai Tea Concentrate

4 teaspoons each ground ginger and cinnamon
4 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground (I ground them in a coffee grinder)
2 teaspoons each ground black pepper, cardamom and corriander
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup loose black tea such as Earl Grey
3/4 cup blue agave
2 tablespoons molasses
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Heat spices in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until fragrant and smoke starts to rise, a couple of minutes. (This sounds so weird, but it works!) Add 1 quart of water and tea; bring to a simmer.

Remove from heat, cover and let steep for about 10 minutes. Strain out tea and spices. (I strained out the tea and ground spices by lining the strainer with a cloth.) Stir in agave, molasses, vanilla, and lemon juice.

To serve, combine 1/4 cup concentrate with either 3/4 cup hot or cold milk or water. The rest can be covered and refrigerated up to a couple weeks until ready to use. (The photo shows the concentrate in the background and a cup of tea made with 1/4 cup concentrate and a 3/4 cup mixture of equal amounts of water and milk.)

Creamy Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

Posted on March 21, 2012 by jphilo

IMG 0480 300x200 Creamy Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

One of our favorite foods is ham and scalloped potatoes. Hiram loves it because it tastes good. I love it for its flavor and because it’s a good way to use leftover ham and stretch those food dollars.

This recipe originally came from the Betty Crocker Cookbook Grandma Josie gave me before my wedding in 1977. I’ve mentioned it before. You know, the cookbook with the inscription “May you have many happy hours making delicious meals for a contented husband.” Grandma was an old school kind of gal.

This recipe is kind of old school, too, but it’s mighty tasty old school. Be sure and give it plenty of time to cook so the potatoes are cooked completely. They’ll cook faster in a wide, flat pan than in a casserole bowl.

Creamy Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

2 pounds potatoes (about six medium)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 1/2 – 2 cups cubed ham

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash potatoes, pare thinly and remove eyes. Cut potatoes into thin slices. Set aside.

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour and salt until smooth and bubbly. Add pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.

Layer half of the potatoes in a greased 2 quart casserole (or 9 x 13 pan). Sprinkle with 1/2 the ham, half the onion, and half the milk mixture. Repeat with remaining potatoes, ham, onion, and milk.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 60 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven. Let stand 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

Pasta Frittata

Posted on December 28, 2011 by jphilo

All our kids will be here in a few days (two are here already), so the hunt for tasty vegetarian recipes is on. I found this one while visiting my sister over Thanksgiving. It comes from the November 24, 2011 issue of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The recipe did receive the coveted Hiram seal of approval, a rare feat for a no-meat recipe. I liked it for two reasons: it was tasty and very easy. Of course, I couldn’t follow the recipe exactly. My modifications are noted in parentheses.

Pasta Frittata

4 ounces spaghetti (Does anyone know how to exactly measure 4 ounces of spaghetti?)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced (I used a garlic press instead.)
4 egg whites
3 eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons light sour cream (I used half and half.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup low-fat marinara sauce, warmed
3 tablespoons julienned fresh basil (I didn’t have this, but it sounds good!)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the spaghetti to al dente, according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Heat oil in 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant, but not browned. Stir in the cooked pasta. Remove from heat. Arrange the pasta evenly in the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites, eggs, cheese, sour cream (or half and half), salt, and pepper and pour over pasta mixture. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until frittata is set (eggs should be just firm), 15 – 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Cut into six wedges, spoon warm marinara sauce on top of each wedge and garnish with basil. Serve.

Classic Meatloaf

Posted on December 14, 2011 by jphilo

Today’s recipe may say meatloaf, but it’s really part of my oatmeal-as-it’s-own-food-group campaign. In fact, the recipe comes from the back of the Quaker Oatmeal box, though I adjusted the amounts downward by 1/3.

Being mostly meat, the recipe did receive the coveted Hiram seal of approval. But it did not receive the Jolene seal because I don’t like meatloaf, so no recipe for the stuff ever gets my seal, not even when oatmeal is an a. So the final verdict is yours. Give the recipe a try and see if it gets your seal of approval.

Classic Meatloaf

1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 cup oatmeal (quick or old-fashioned)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup catsup
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 black pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing lightly, but thoroughly. Press meat into loaf pan, or small casserole dish. (I prefer the casserole dish as it cooks quicker.) Bake 40-50 minutes to medium doneness (160 degrees for beef, 170 degrees for turkey) . Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Quick Vegetarian Pot Pie

Posted on December 7, 2011 by jphilo

Today’s recipe comes from the Nov. 4 – 6 issue of USA Weekend, a newspaper magazine. I’d been looking for a new vegetarian recipe to serve when the kids come home for Christmas, and this one looked promising. When I served it for supper last week, it did not get the coveted Hiram seal of approval. But that’s not surprising since hardly any meatless recipe does.

Of course, I didn’t have all the ingredients so some substitutions were required. Here’s the original recipe with the substitutions in parenthesis. I didn’t have mushrooms (but think they would add an interesting flavor) and added a little more of the other veggies to compensate. Next time I’ll experiment by using less thyme and adding a little oregano, rosemary, or dried basil.

Quick Vegetarian Pot Pie

1 large, sweet onion, diced
1/2 pound sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 pound chopped cabbage – about 1/4 small head
1 pound red boiling potatoes or sweet potatoes, diced (I used russets)
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, divided
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable broth and 1 cup low-fat evaporated milk, combined
2 tablespoons dry sherry ( I used white cooking wine)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup frozen peas
1 9-inch pie crust from a 14.1-ounce refrigerated box (I used homemade crust)

In a 31 x 19 pan, toss onions, mushrooms, cabbage and potato with 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and place pan on rack; turn oven to 425 degrees and cook vegetables, stirring occasionally until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in over medium heat in a large sauce pan or Dutch oven. Whisk in flour and remaining 1/4 teaspoon thyme; cook until golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk mixture; simmer until sauce comes to a boil and fully thickens. Turn off heat, stir in sherry and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cooked vegetables to sauce, along with peas. Pour mixture into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Cover with pie crust and flute as desired.

Bake on lowest oven rack until sauce is bubbly and crust is golden brown, 25 – 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.

Down the Gravel Road www.jolenephilo.com

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