by jphilo | Feb 1, 2012 | Recipes
According to the calendar, this is the first day of February. According to the pile of grease-spatted notes on my desk, all the new recipes from our family Christmas celebration still haven’t be shared with y’all. So it’s time to look at another of the delicious treats we sampled when the kids were home.
Today’s recipe for Dutch Baby with Cranberry-Orange Syrup comes from Pam Anderson’s CookSmart column in USA Weekend Magazine‘s December 23-23, 2011 issue. I’d never heard of them before, but knew it would make a hearty, vegetarian breakfast treat. So see what you think of the sweet version of this eggy, puffy pancake and come back next week for its savory companion.
Dutch Baby with Cranberry-Orange Syrup
1 cup skim milk (original recipe calls for whole milk)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup marmalade
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons butter
Adjust rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk milk, eggs and salt in a medium bowl; vigorously whisk in flour until mostly smooth with a few small lumps; let stand for a few minutes and whisk again. Or use a blender for instantly smooth batter. (I used the blender method – super easy.)
Bring marmalade, cranberries and 1/4 cup water to simmer over medium heat; continue to simmer to light syrup consistency, just a few minutes; cover and keep warm.
Meanwhile heat butter in a heavy-bottom 10 inch skillet (cast iron works well) over medium heat until light golden brown. Pour milk mixture into skillet. Transfer to oven and bake until puffed and golden brown, 15-17 minutes. Turn oven to broil and broil until very puffy and golden brown. (Careful on this step. As the picture shows, it goes from golden brown to that’s-not-burned-it’s-nicely-browned-now-shut-up-and-eat-it in a flash.) Serve immediately from the skillet and drizzle with sauce.
by jphilo | Jan 25, 2012 | Recipes
Today’s recipe comes from a friend. She teaches high school Family and Consumer Science and found the recipe in her school mailbox one day. Being a woman of adventure, she made the soup at home, where it received two thumbs up from her husband and daughter.
Since I’m always on the hunt for new vegetarian recipes to prepare when the fam comes home, she passed it along to me. I made it one night when Mom was visiting. It wasn’t her favorite. No surprise since she likes meat with every meal. But Hiram did like it, which was surprising, since he usually pitches his tent in Mom’s culinary camp. My take? I can take it or leave it, kind of like meatloaf.
Here’s the recipe for you to try. Anne, who cooks quite a bit with lentils, suggests boiling the lentils a little longer than the original recipe suggests. Her suggestion is incorporated in the recipe below. Also, if you have left overs, you may need to add water when reheating this on the stove or in the microwave. The lentils tend to soak up water.
Lentil-Tomato Soup
4 1/2 cups water
4 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2/3 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 tablespoons minced, fresh parsley
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
In a large saucepan, combine the water, onion, and lentils. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes or until vegetables and lentils are tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients; return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for five minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serves 6.
by jphilo | Dec 28, 2011 | Recipes
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.
by jphilo | Dec 7, 2011 | Recipes
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.
by jphilo | Nov 16, 2011 | Recipes
My kids love homemade applesauce. Maybe it’s because Grandma Dorothy used to tell them the applesauce she made had smiles in it. All they had to do, she said, was taste it and they would start to smile. She was right. It worked every time.
During the fall and winter, our grocery store often sells their culled apples for $.99 or $1.99 for a four to five pound bag. I snatch up those bargains, bring them home, and make applesauce. Here’s the recipe – very easy, but it takes some time!
Crock Pot Applesauce
12 – 15 medium apples 1 cup water
¼ – ½ cup sugar (to taste) 1 – 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Scrub apples with vegetable brush. Quarter each apple (do not peel or core) and put them in the crock pot. Add water. Cook for 8 – 10 hours, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft and mushy. Place colander over a large mixing bowl. Ladle cooked apples into a colander and press them through. When finished, stir sugar and cinnamon (to taste) into sauce. If sauce is thick, add a little water. Serve warm or cold. Store in the refrigerator for a week or freeze some to enjoy later.
If you prefer chunky applesauce, peel, core and slice the apples before putting them in the crock pot. Once the apples are soft, don’t run them through the colander. Just add sugar and cinnamon, and you’re done.
