Bulgur or Quinoa Dressing

Quinoa Dressing garnished with Giant Italian Parsley 

Bulgur Wheat or Quinoa Thanksgiving Dressing  (Serves 4 to 5 as a side dish)

Part 1 
Cook over medium heat:
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery with some leaves, in
2 to 4 Tablespoons oil and/or unsalted butter until onions are translucent. 

Add 1 cup medium to coarse bulgur wheat OR 1 cup (washed or prewashed) quinoa and 1 ¾ to 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, cover tightly, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Let sit off heat for 5 minutes. Taste and carefully adjust salt if necessary. It probably will not need any additional salt if you used salted broth.  

Part 2
Microwave 1/3 cup packed sweetened dried cranberries in 2 Tablespoons orange or apple juice or water, until water simmers. Stir, cover and allow to stand until liquid is absorbed. 

Shortly before serving, fluff warm quinoa with a fork and add softened cranberries, 2 Tablespoons chopped Italian parsley and 4 finely minced young scallions with some of the tender green parts, or some minced chives. Serve.   

Seasoning Tips: 

Bulgur Wheat version:  The original recipe called for 1/4 teaspoon of poultry seasoning, but I leave it out because I want this dressing to taste different from the more traditional dressing on the table. You can add some black pepper with the onions and celery if using bulgur wheat.

Quinoa version:  Try doubling the amount of softened cranberries.

On a day other than Thanksgiving, you can substitute a minced garlic clove or one or two shallots (added with the onion and celery) for the scallions or chives added at the end.

If there is a no-sugar purist coming to dinner, you can leave out the cranberries and garnish the finished dressing with pomegranate arils. 

Quantity Cooking:  

If you will be eating with a crowd where the kitchen will be busy, a quadruple batch of the bulgur wheat version (Part 1) holds nicely for a few hours in a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker or big covered electric skillet set to “warm”. I don’t know how well the quinoa version holds. Add cranberries, parsley and green onion shortly before serving. 

Even after adding Part 2, this dressing re-heats nicely in a microwave.  Great for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving.

 Alternate Grains and Allergy information: 

The quinoa recipe is gluten-free.  I think  a wheat and milk-free alternative with brown rice and maybe a little wild rice, cooked until done but still chewy, would also be excellent.  For a different flavor, try adding some minced green tops from a bulb of fennel and chopping some of the bulb into the dressing, or some fresh tarragon. Consider pressure-cooking brown rice at high altitudes. Or try other grains. Cook enough rice (and/or other grain) in broth to make about 3 1/2 to 4 cups of cooked grain.  Add to cooked onions and celery, add additional liquid if necessary for a moister dressing and proceed as above.    

You're on your own figuring out equivalent amounts of cooked wild rice, millet, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat or pearled barley (people who react to wheat gluten may not get along with barley, either).   Check basic cooking techniques for these grains online to determine cooking times and the proportions of liquid which will be needed. 

This dish could easily be made VEGETARIAN.  Just use vegetable broth or water instead of chicken broth and use oil rather than butter. 

This recipe can be made free of corn products - check chicken broth and cranberry ingredients. 

Stocking Up, Preparing Bulgur Wheat without Electricity:  
The classic salad made with bulgur wheat, Tabouleh (AKA Tabouli) generally uses bulgur wheat soaked in hot or cold water, then drained before adding other ingredients.  

 In an emergency, even if you had no way to heat food and no fresh veggies, you could serve a salad using similar ingredients by soaking medium bulgur in cold water for one hour (or until hydrated), adding dried celery, parsley and onion (not as much as in this recipe) plus dried cranberries or other dried fruit, desired seasonings, a little oil and lemon juice or vinegar.  Allow to sit until vegetables re-hydrate and flavors blend, stirring occasionally.  Stir in a can of tuna or diced chicken (with the liquid in the can) if you like and serve.

Hot Caramel Sauces

Take your pick of Brown Sugar, Vanilla or Maple "caramel" sauces.  These sauces are  rich and really wonderful on bread puddings, steamed puddings, baked apples and other apple or pineapple dishes, etc.

None of them contain real "caramel" - browned white sugar - or even "caramelized" milk. And they can be a little bit tricky - if cooked too long they could become like candy and if allowed to cool too much, they may turn grainy. But they're worth a little care. So don't cook the sauce too long, and serve it hot or warm.

VERY RICH Dark Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce (See slightly less rich microwave version below)

This sauce is from our favorite pumpkin bread pudding recipe. Its flavor is intense.

1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream or heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)

Whisk sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Microwave (or saucepan) Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce

1/4 cup butter
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a 4 cup glass measure or deep bowl, microwave butter on High for 45-60 seconds to melt. Whisk in brown sugar and heavy cream until smooth. Microwave on High for 2-2 1/2 minutes until bubbly and slightly thick, stirring once. Serve warm over bread pudding, cake or ice cream.

For a (convenient) double batch using a stick of butter, cup of heavy cream and 2 cups of sugar: prepare in a heavy saucepan, stirring constantly until bubbly and slightly thick.

VERY RICH Vanilla Caramel Sauce  (See slightly less rich microwave version below)

I like this variation using about half white sugar and a little vanilla. Vanilla is superfluous in the all-dark-brown sugar sauce. Think of the difference between See's dark brown sugar candy centers and their vanilla caramel centers. The vanilla sauce is convenient for me because I can use the 1/2 cup of brown sugar left over from a pound of brown sugar when I make a double recipe of Pumpkin Bread Pudding. Once I browned the butter before making the sauce. Adds a nice flavor.

1 1/4 cups suger, including at least 1/2 cup white sugar - the rest brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (may use half salted butter, or you may brown the butter)
1/2 cup whipping cream or heavy cream
1/16 teaspoon cream of tartar (if you want to cook the sauce until it's thicker)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in cream and cream of tartar (if used) and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes. Cook a little longer for a thicker sauce.

Microwave (or saucepan) Vanilla Caramel Sauce

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 Teaspoon vanilla

In a 4 cup glass measure or deep bowl, microwave butter on High for 45-60 seconds to melt. Whisk in brown sugar and heavy cream until smooth. Microwave on High for 2-2 1/2 minutes until bubbly and slightly thick, stirring once. Remove from microwave and stir in vanilla.

Serve warm over bread pudding, cake or ice cream.  Photos from a similar recipe here.

For a (convenient) double batch using a stick of butter, cup of heavy cream and 1 cup each brown and white sugar: prepare in a heavy saucepan, stirring constantly until bubbly and slightly thick. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Maple Caramel Sauce (big batch)

This recipe uses real maple syrup. It is expensive, but I think it's especially appropriate for holidays like Thanksgiving. It's a little thinner than the other sauces (cook it a little longer to thicken it up some) and may need to be stirred occasionally (butter may separate) if you serve at a buffet. I made the recipe below the last time I made Pumpkin Bread Pudding and kept it hot in a small slow cooker. I had a lot of sauce left over for other things like baked apples. This sauce is convenient when you make Pumpkin Bread Pudding because you can use a pound of brown sugar with none left over.

For a somewhat less rich maple sauce, try this one.

1 cup white sugar
1 cup real maple sugar (medium or dark amber - not "Grade A")
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1 cup whipping cream or heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in cream and cream of tartar (if used) and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes. Continue cooking for a few minutes longer, until the hot sauce is a little thicker than cold maple syrup. If serving at a buffet, keep hot in a small slow cooker. Stir occasionally if butter starts to separate.

Lentil Soup

It rained this weekend. I made a pretty conventional lentil soup for Munch and Mingle. People seemed to like it. I forgot the scallion tops, which I think add a lot to lentil or split pea soup, not to mention chicken soup. I used turkey ham in my soup this time.

Home-style Lentil Soup

Ingredients - amounts can be varied
1 pound dried lentils
2 medium to large chopped yellow onions (depending on whether you include scallions)
2 Tablespoons vegetable or olive oil (more if needed to caramelize onions)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried (optional)
2 large or 4 medium-sized ribs celery and some leaves, medium-diced
4 large or 6 medium-sized carrots, medium-diced
1 quarts water
1 pound diced ham, turkey ham or smoked turkey (optional)
Additional water or broth (about a quart)
Salt and additional pepper to taste
Rinsed, trimmed and diced green tops from 1 bunch scallions

Directions
Pick over and rinse lentils.

In a 6 quart or larger Dutch oven or stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, pepper and thyme until the onions are translucent and start to caramelize, stirring frequently. For richer flavor, you can caramelize the onions to a light brown color. Watch that they don't burn. Lower heat if necessary. Add the celery and carrots and saute for a few more minutes if you have time. Add a quart of water and the lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and start to simmer, covered. Dice meat (if used) and mix into hot soup.

If you need to transport the soup, this is a good time to do it, to prevent spilling. Place your kettle in a slightly larger cardboard box. When you reach your destination, add additional water or broth to the desired consistency (about a quart of water), bring to a boil again and simmer until the lentils are tender, about an hour. Or finish cooking in a 6-quart slow cooker. Lentils may continue to swell as they finish cooking, so you may need to adjust water or broth further. Shortly before the soup is done, add diced scallion tops, if you are using them. Add salt and additional pepper to taste.

Quantity Cooking: If you double the recipe, you will have enough for an 8-quart stockpot to take to a potluck, with about 2 quarts to leave home for later. Mix all ingredients after adding 2 quarts water and the diced meat, then transfer some to a 3-quart saucepan. Transport the 8-quart stockpot before adding additional water or broth. Take diced scallions with you in a little baggie if you plan to use them. If you have a big enough pot with a heavy bottom, you can multiply this recipe further. You could also transport cold soup in big plastic pitchers.

Other recipes

From our friend Jana, a healthy recipe with lemon and greens. We might use escarole, Tyfon Holland Greens, mild Asian greens such as Tatsoi, or even kale in place of spinach.

Lemon and Lentil Soup
This soup is a great dish to prepare when you don’t have a lot of time; we use a food processor for all of the chopping which cuts the preparation time in half. Serve this soup over cooked brown jasmine or basmati rice. This soup also freezes well for later use.

Serves 4 to 6
1 small onion
5 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups red (or green) lentils, rinsed and drained
8 cups vegetable stock or water
4 to 5 cups baby spinach
1 small handful fresh parsley
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt or Herbamare

1. Peel and cut ends off of the onion and place into a food processor fitted with the “s” blade. Peel the garlic and place it into the food processor along with the onion. Pulse the onions and garlic until finely chopped.

2. Heat olive oil in a 6-quart pot. Add onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft.

3. Add the lentils and the vegetable both or water. Cover pot and simmer for about 25 minutes or until lentils are very soft and cooked through.

4. While the lentils are cooking, place the spinach and parsley into the food processor and pulse until minced.

5. Add minced parsley and spinach to the cooked lentils along with the lemon juice and sea salt. Simmer on low for another 3 to 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if desired. Serve over cooked brown jasmine or brown basmati rice.

Recipe from pg 150 of The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook: The Recipes, by Alissa Setersten & Tom Malterre, MS, CN

Here's a recipe with lots of veggies, tomato paste and cumin.  It's vegetarian if you substitute water or vegetable broth for chicken broth. I would substitute lemon juice for the red wine or red wine vinegar, as I am allergic to the sulfites in wine. I might even add a little lemon zest.  I like lemon zest in spaghetti sauce.  Might also try it with basil in place of cumin.

Another recipe with a little fresh tomato, cumin, coriander and grains of paradise. Bet I would like it without the cumin, maybe with black pepper if I didn't have grains of paradise. Though maybe coriander and grains of paradise would go well together.

Here's one with chicken, kale and tomato. Have fun trying something a little different.

Oven-poached Turkey Breast

I wasn't sure exactly what what to call this. David's Mom once cooked for a fancy spa near San Diego where movie stars, etc. often went to lose a little weight. She sometimes prepared this turkey for 600 people. It was served cold with salads and such. Easy, low in fat and very moist and good.

Ingredients
Turkey breasts: If starting with a whole turkey breast, cut each half-breast from the bone and remove the skin. You can simmer the wishbone, ribs, skin, etc. for stock - for another recipe - if you like.

Salt, other seasonings to taste.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For each turkey breast half, place a square of heavy-duty aluminum foil shiny side up on a flat surface and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Season the half breast of turkey, boneless and skinless, with salt. If using other seasonings (celery salt, sage, thyme, pepper, etc.) mix them with the salt and rub onto the turkey. Place half breast on the foil sheet and fold foil fairly tightly around the turkey, making sure that all seams will be above the turkey when it is placed in the oven.

Place wrapped half-breasts on a rimmed baking sheet or in a baking dish with a little room between them and bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the half breast(s). Remove from oven. Do not open foil. Allow to cool in foil to room temperature. Some of the juices which developed during cooking will be re-absorbed by the meat. Refrigerate while still wrapped, or carefully unwrap to serve, as there will still be some juices around the turkey.

Slice and serve cold, or if you wish to re-heat the turkey, re-heat it in the juices saved from cooking.

Allergy information: No corn, wheat, milk or eggs.

Christmas Party Marinated Coleslaw

Adapted from this recipe. Christmas colors - light green, dark green and red. You will need a very large bowl or kettle in which to mix and marinate the salad. The volume of the salad will decrease during marination, and you can serve the salad in a more normal-sized large bowl.

5 tsp. celery salt or 4 tsp. salt and 2 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper or 1/2 tsp. red pepper (or to taste)
2 to 4 tsp. dry mustard or mustard seed
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups cider vinegar
1 large onion (for 1 cup minced onion) or equivalent in scallions*

1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped green pepper or Ancho or Pasilla chiles (optional)*
1/4 cup chopped pimento or one large chopped red bell pepper*
2 medium heads cabbage, about 5 pounds total, or a 5 pound restaurant pack shredded cabbage for coleslaw (remove bags of red cabbage and carrots for Christmas colors)

1/4 cup vegetable oil, or to taste
Watercress, green and red pepper rings for garnish

Directions
Mix dry seasonings and sugar in the bottom of a very large bowl or non-aluminum kettle. Add vinegar and mix well. If using an onion, peel, quarter and mince in food processor. If using scallions, mince white part and thinly slice tender green tops. Add onion to vinegar mixture. If the onion is strong, let it sit in the marinade for a while before adding the other ingredients. Chop and add green and red peppers, if used.

If using whole cabbage, cut into eights, remove core and any tough outer leaves. Shred in food processor. If using a restaurant pack of shredded cabbage and it's for a Christmas party, remove the small pack with carrots and/or red cabbage. Otherwise, use them, too. Add cabbage to other ingredients and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, mixing well 2 or 3 times. Drain just before serving or transfer to a smaller serving bowl using a slotted spoon. Toss in oil. Garnish with watercress or red and green peppers if desired.

* Chopped green pepper is colorful and flavorful, but some people cannot tolerate it. Red bell peppers are easier for most people to tolerate, but not all. You could cut green and/or red bell peppers in rings, strips or shapes for a fancy design and use them for garnish. Or leave the peppers in large chunks in the salad so guests who have sensitive tummies can remove them easily.

Ancho or Pasilla chiles have some mild heat and a nice, fruity flavor which could be a nice addition to this salad.

To add dark green color to the salad without fresh peppers of any kind, substitute tender tops from scallions, thinly sliced, for all or part of the onion in the recipe.  A few stalks of celery, diced, are also nice additions. 

Allergy Information: Some people are allergic to celery. Contains no corn, wheat, milk, soy or egg.

"Spanish" Green Beans

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks!. Entertaining directions at the link.

Pioneer Woman recommends her recipe as a Thanksgiving side dish.  It can be prepared in advance and holds for hours in a slow-cooker or electric skillet.  Recipes to serve 10 and to serve a crowd of 20 (more at a buffet) are below. Leftovers are good, too.
 
This dish would also be good served in individual bowls for a light supper (or breakfast or brunch) with a nice roll or some toast. Reminds me of Grandma's farm breakfast of stewed tomatoes and grilled cheese sandwiches.  Or serve over a little brown rice, over drained and heated canned corn or with some good tortillas.

Recipe for 10 servings (as a side dish)

I prefer slightly-sweet stewed tomatoes for this dish, especially if you're a little short on time to cook the beans after adding the tomatoes. This dish tastes best if simmered for at least 45 minutes.

Ingredients
5 slices bacon (or 1/3 to 1/2 pound)
1 medium onion, diced
4 cans (14.5 oz. ) whole or cut green beans (or 1 1/2 to 2 Pounds fresh or frozen)
2 cans (14.5 oz.) stewed, whole or diced tomatoes (or one 28 oz. can)
Cayenne pepper to taste (Up to 1/8 teaspoon, or 1/4 teaspoon of regular red pepper)

Preparation
Slice the bacon into pieces  one inch wide or less and start cooking them in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until bacon startes to turn brown, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, dice the onion. When the bacon is beginning to brown, drain off most of the fat and then add the onions. Cook, stirring now and then, until bacon and onions are both turning a nice  color, but do not cook until bacon is crisp.

Add the two cans of tomatoes with their juice.  Stir, loosening browned bits from the bottom of the pan and breaking up the tomatoes a little if you wish. Drain the green beans and add them to the pan.  Stir gently.   If you add the cayenne pepper to the pan with the bacon and the onions now, the heat may increase as the dish cooks.  You can also add the pepper just before serving, when it will be easier to adjust the flavor to your preference.

 If you wish to take this dish to a potluck, you can heat it through at this point, then transfer it to a 3 to 4 quart slow cooker to finish cooking.  Or if you are starting several hours in advance, combine the onions, bacon and tomatoes with the drained, unheated beans in the slow cooker and stir gently).  Start cooking on "high" heat then turn to the low or warm setting when you think the dish has cooked long enough. 

If not transferring to a slow cooker, cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Recipe for a Crowd 

Your chance to use a restaurant-size can of green beans.  This double recipe serves about 20, more at a buffet or potluck, where you might want to serve this dish with a slotted spoon.  Save the soupy part in the bottom of the pot or skillet to eat later with crackers, toast or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Ingredients
10 slices bacon (I sometimes use a 12-ounce package)
1 very large onion or two medium onions, diced
1 food service-size can (6 lb. 5 oz. ) whole or cut green beans OR two 50-ounce cans, PLUS one 14.5 oz. can.
2 large cans (28 oz.) whole, stewed or diced tomatoes (or four 14.5 oz. cans)
Cayenne pepper to taste (up to 1/4 teaspoon or up to 1/2 teaspoon regular red pepper)

Prepare as above, in a large electric skillet, Dutch oven or kettle with a heavy bottom. For a potluck or buffet, a 6 to 8 quart capacity slow-cooker or large, deep electric skillet is easy to transport.

Some Other Ideas
For a meatless dish, consider the following:

1. Increase the amount of chile. Brown the onions slowly in a little oil.

2, Substitute 1/4 teaspoon (or more) of whole celery seed for the cayenne and add two medium diced potatoes and some fresh-ground black pepper with the tomatoes after browning the onions slowly in a little oil. The Crab Cooker's wonderful red clam chowder - a Newport Beach tradition - contains a LOT of celery seed.  Well, green beans and clams are not exactly interchangeable, but there is some similarity in the flavor of the finished products.

Family Green Bean Gardening Traditions and Preferences

David called this dish "Okie beans" at a branch party, but I think of "Okie beans" as big, fresh green beans - "beany" ones like the ones his mother prefers - cooked for a long time with onion and some ham or bacon. She likes varieties like Kentucky Wonder and Pinto (picked as green beans, with seeds developed), but both have strings. Contender is her choice for a stringless, "beany" bean, but it will get fibrous in cool fall weather. It's for spring planting. The Blue Lake-type beans you find in cans are the kind David's Mom calls, "just green, not beans", along with filet beans and other delicate types. The kind my Mom likes. Fortex is her favorite. Great choice. David's mom and my mom both like Romano-type beans, too. But my mom picks them when they're still young, before the seeds develop.

Even though this recipe, as written, is made with beans that taste more "green" than "beany", Pioneer Woman does live in Oklahoma. So David isn't too far off in calling this dish "Okie beans", even when it's made with skinny, city-slicker beans. I expect that David's mom could make this dish wonderful with fresh Kentucky Wonders or her home-canned "beany" beans, too.  Wouldn't work as well with Mom's ultra-tender baby beans.

You could also use flat Italian green beans, using one or more cans of Italian-style stewed tomatoes in place of regular stewed tomatoes.  Don't over-do the Italian seasoning.  You might want to use black pepper rather than cayenne for an Italian variation.

Allergy information: Tomato sauce and some canned tomatoes may contain corn products. Check the label. Some bacon contains corn products. Some people get headaches from cured meats.

Stocking up: You can keep the beans, tomatoes and cayenne pepper for this recipe on hand all the time. In a pinch, you can leave out the bacon.  Use dried, minced onion if you don't have fresh onions (don't try to saute them), and a touch of vegetable oil.

Last Year's Thanksgiving Tips - plus more

CRANBERRIES
One thing I always do at Thanksgiving now is to make a batch of cranberry sauce from scratch, from the Ocean Spray Cranberry package. Sort through the berries while washing (they float) and follow the recipe exactly, breaking berries which don't burst. It's so easy, and much better than canned whole-berry sauce. Wonderful if you're transporting food to someone else's house, as it doesn't need to be refrigerated and is best made ahead. For a different flavor, less assertive, add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Recommended by Cook's Illustrated as the best recipe for cranberry sauce.

You can also use part orange juice in place of water and a little orange zest mixed in, or as a garnish. Plus a teaspoon of ginger or some other spices. If using orange and/or spices, try using part brown sugar in place of white sugar. Some people like red grape juice in place of water (or port wine - a no-no for those with sulfite allergies), plus the zest from a couple of lemons.

I've been going the purist route in recent years. Just a 12-oz. bag of berries and a cup each of sugar and water. Makes a zingy sauce (though if the fresh cranberries available this year are not completely ripe, a little salt will cut the bitterness). If it's a good year for cranberries, make extra for later in the season. Process canning jars as for jelly if you're serious about having extra homemade sauce.

I have been leaving the oranges, etc. for raw cranberry relish. There's a recipe on the Ocean Spray bag. And you can find others easily. If chunky relish is too bold, try blending it in a food processor until pureed.

For kids, have some mild, jellied cranberry (even better, cranberry/raspberry) sauce on hand. Remove the "log" from the can, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into half-rounds and fan them out on a serving plate, or cut in half again lengthwise before slicing quarter-logs into wedges. Individual servings will take up less room on the plate and will be less "floppy" than big round slices.

Update: More Cranberry Sauce ideas here. And from NPR, the famous pink cranberry/horseradish/sour cream relish. And relish with orange and ginger here.

VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
One idea for keeping guests happy while simplifying your Thanksgiving Day menu (and cutting down on rich foods) is to expand the number of vegetable dishes you serve and to set out platters of fruit and nuts for nibbling. Very much in keeping with the idea of gratitude for the harvest. And this holds true for the entire Thanksgiving weekend, when fruits and vegetables can fill in around meals based on leftovers. If guests arrive a day early, fruits and vegetables, and marinated salads, can be kept on hand to accommodate variable schedules.

Here's a pretty fruit salad you can make mostly ahead. It features pomegranates. Our friends in Switzerland could make it in summer, substituting red currants for pomegranates.

One year here in our garden, we had fresh shelly beans in the garden at Thanksgiving, several varieties, and I combined them with corn, a little caramelized onion and a touch of heavy cream for a "more traditional" succotash. I got the idea from the Joy of Cooking. No cup of butter in the succotash for me. Though tomatoes in succotash are another way to go. Keira's mom used to cook dried corn and add a little cream for fall sometimes to remind everyone how things used to be.

I cooked some of the shellies (fresh seeds from over-grown, but not dried, green beans) separately for myself, since I can't eat corn. Black Valentine and Coco Rose de Prague are good varieties for variable fall weather, and make good shellies as well as green beans. Supplement with frozen lima or green beans if you are short of "shellies".

GENERAL

Nothing wrong with having two or three kinds of dressing.

Don't think I'll be doing deep-fried turkey.

My rolls will be from frozen dough, not "scratch".

Hoping that everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Let me know if you have any particularly wonderful dishes for next year.

Slightly Spicy Chicken and Rice for a Crowd

A variation on Mexican Crockpot Chicken. Great for a potluck or buffet. Completely fills a 6-quart slow cooker if made with thigh filets (7 or 8-quart cooker is better if you use whole thighs), also appropriate for a large, deep electric skillet.  May be prepared in a large kettle or saucepan, too.  Halve the recipe for a family dinner. Prepare in a 3-quart (or larger) slow-cooker, large saucepan or in an electric skillet.

The ingredient list is about as simple as you could imagine.  Serve with small bowls of condiment-type hot sauce, cilantro or Italian parsley, onions or scallions, radishes, corn kernels and/or other typical Mexican additions to hot dishes if you like.   It's also fine by itself. 

INGREDIENTS:
2 Family Packs (about 5 pounds each ) chicken thighs.  About 12 thighs per pack for a total of about 24 chicken thighs.  You can also used 2 family packs of skinless, boneless thigh filets (about 12 per pack) if you're more short on time than money.


2 - 4 cans, about 8 ounces each, El Pato Mexican hot sauce (the one in the yellow can).  Lately I have been using 3 cans for thigh filets, 4 cans for whole thighs.

1 - 2 large, dark green Ancho/Poblano or other mild chiles - optional

Chicken broth
Salt to taste

Fluffy rice (start with 4 cups dry rice). Or use an equivalent amount of brown rice, cooked in a rice cooker (or maybe a pressure cooker at high altitude)

DIRECTIONS
Chicken thighs and sauce
Cook chicken until almost tender in a slow-cooker or electric skillet (the latter will require some added water or chicken broth) until almost tender, but not falling apart. You may want to add a can of single-strength chicken broth now if you use thigh filets, which don't release as much moisture as whole thighs.  Cool, remove the skin, bones and cartilage after thighs are cooked. Skim fat from liquid. Cut meat into chunks.  (If the meat falls apart, it will be O.K.  The meat just won't be as noticeable in the finished dish). 

Put the meat and liquid back in the electric skillet or electric skillet.  (If you use whole thighs, you may be able to save part of the broth for soup or another dish).  Add hot sauce, rinsing out cans with a little water and adding to the liquid.  Add additional chicken broth if liquid does not come up to the level of the top of the chicken meat.  Seed chiles, cut into large chunks and add to sauce.  Heat through until sauce is steaming and chiles are partially cooked.    Cool and refrigerate  if made ahead.

(You can continue cooking the skin, bones and cartilage in a smaller slow cooker with a little water and any extra broth for a really good chicken stock.)

Serving day: Putting it all together
Rice
Within about 3 or 4 hours of serving, cook rice in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan (about 4 quarts) or in a heavy-bottomed kettle. Do not remove cover during or after cooking. Keep warm. Rice should be completely cooked before adding it to the chicken and sauce.

Chicken and sauce
 Heat chicken in sauce if it was refrigerated. Adjust salt to taste.

Transport hot chicken and sauce in the 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker or electric skillet and transport the warm rice in the covered saucepan or kettle if not making on-site. Maintain chicken at the "keep warm" temperature until serving time. Within a few minutes of serving, gently fluff rice and mix into the chicken. 

NOTE:  All of the rice may not fit into your slow cooker with the chicken and sauce, and you may not want to add it all even if it fits in yours.  I generally leave some of the rice out for other uses. 

VARIATIONS
Leftovers and Home Meals: You may need to add a little extra chicken broth to leftovers if the rice seems dry. David likes this chicken and rice with re-fried beans (maybe covered in melted cheese) and a salad. If serving the chicken at home, you can leave the chicken and sauce in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days, heating some up to serve over rice, with good tortillas, in burritos, etc. as needed instead of mixing the chicken with rice.

"Lots of Chicken" variation: Add additional boneless, skinless chicken breast  meat. Cut away any fat or tough connective tissue and cut into 1/2 inch pieces or smaller. The breast meat won't need as long to cook as the dark thigh meat, so add it partway through cooking. You may need to add a little extra chicken broth to get a "mouth-feel" similar to the original recipe.

Allergy Information: El Pato hot sauce contains no corn, wheat or soy products. There are a few brands of boxed chicken broth which do not contain corn products. Most canned chicken broth contains corn products. Update: Swanson has removed the corn products from its chicken broth. But check the label.

Buffet-style Pozole Rojo - chicken or pork

A big, easy-to-serve version of Family-style Pozole.   Instructions for the pork version are below the chicken version.  Very popular for parties in the fall to winter season, especially as Christmas approaches. Pozole is traditional for Christmas Eve.  It is very simple but somewhat time-consuming to prepare. It's way easier to make than homemade tamales. Special tamales, including sweet tamales, are about the most labor-intensive Christmas-time food project in our town.  And Pozole is easier than its cousin, Menudo, too.

Pozole can be largely prepared in advance of a party, except for the raw vegetable accompaniments. It is served in bowls. Not for a formal-style gathering.  Good for brunch on cold mornings, or for people with a cold. The recipe may be doubled or tripled to serve from an electric roasting pan (they vary in capacity), but the weight could strain the handles of the roaster if lifted. Transport part of Pozole (especially liquid) in a separate container.

CHICKEN POZOLE

Ingredients

One family-pack chicken thighs (about 5 pounds)
Chicken broth or water
One very big can of Mexican-style hominy - about 3 Kg or almost 7 pounds
One 8-oz. package dried pods of Chile California or similar very mild chiles
One 2-oz. package dried pods of Pasilla, Pasilla Negro or Pasilla-Ancho chiles (optional)
Garnishes (see below)

Chicken and Broth: Simmer chicken thighs in enough water and/or chicken broth to cover, until tender but not falling apart. Remove from broth. Cool, remove skin, bones and visible fat and cut chicken into chunks.  Strain chicken broth, mix some warm water with the skin and bones and strain into broth.  Skim fat from broth.  If making ahead, it will be easier to remove the fat from the broth after refrigeration. 

Chile Puree (Red Sauce): Tear off and discard stem ends of chiles. Tear in half lengthwise (or break very dry chiles into pieces). Remove as much of the central seed membrane as can be done without too much work and shake out loose seeds.  Tear each chile into several pieces.  Sometimes chiles are toasted at this point, but I learned to make this dish without toasting the chiles.  Pack chile pieces into a large saucepan, cover with water, cover pan and bring to a boil. Remove covered pan from heat, setting aside for 30 minutes to soften and cool chiles.

When at least cool enough to leave your hand on the bottom of the pan, process chiles and part of the liquid in a blender or food processor until skins are reduced to about 1/4 inch chunks, or until smooth. Work sauce through a coarse sieve to remove skin and seed fragments. Or use a food mill or berry press to remove the seeds and skins. You may add the remaining liquid or some water to the skins, stir and strain again. Discard skins. Chile puree may be prepared the day before and refrigerated, or up to a couple of weeks in advance and frozen.

Final Preparation:  Heat broth and chunks of chicken meat in a large kettle.  You can also use an 7 or 8-quart slow cooker turned to high heat, but heating and simmering will take longer. Drain, rinse and add hominy to chicken and broth. Add chile puree and salt to taste. You should have leftover chile puree (red sauce).  Many recipes call for 4 ounces of dried chiles to make puree for this much hominy and meat.  The packages above should make enough sauce for 2 big batches unless you serve additional red sauce as a garnish.  The red sauce can also be used to flavor other dishes.   

Add water and/or additional chicken broth to bring Pozole to a soupy consistency. Adjust salt and simmer to blend flavors, for at least half an hour. The hominy swells as it simmers, so you may need to add additional water, broth and/or chile puree later. Refrigerate or freeze extra chile puree.

To Serve: Ladle into serving bowls and serve with these garnishes:

• A big bowl of thinly shredded or finely chopped cabbage (with tongs for adding cabbage to the Pozole).  I think pre-packaged Angel Hair Coleslaw (cabbage only) works very well.

• Finely diced red or white onion (offer minced scallions for more sensitive tummies or when available onions are very strong)

• Lime and/or lemon wedges (or lemon or lime juice)

• Sliced or julienned radishes

• hot pepper flakes, reserved red sauce and/or hot sauce 

• dried whole oregano to rub over individual servings as desired. 

 Cool and refrigerate leftover Pozole.   You may need to add additional liquid when reheating.   

Notes, including directions for Pork Pozole

The cabbage, onion and/or scallions and citrus are mandatory accompaniments. Other garnishes are optional but may be expected. Minced cilantro and/or Italian parsley are not traditional garnishes for this dish in winter in many regions, but are often offered.  Sometimes shredded iceberg lettuce is substituted for the cabbage and avocado is offered.  I don't know if these are traditional, however.    

I learned to make this style of Pozole from a friend who grew up in Michoacán.   Many of the people who live in our little town are from this state of Mexico.  This state includes mountainous regions where it freezes in winter, so cilantro is not available then.  This state also includes wintering grounds for Monarch butterflies.

PORK POZOLE

In our little town, Pozole made with pork butt or pork neck and a pig's foot is common at Christmas-season family gatherings. You may also use pork in the recipe above.  Pork shank and Boston pork butt are common choices for this size recipe.  Four or 5 pounds of lean country-style spare ribs (not real spare ribs) is an easy choice. Cut into large chunks before or after simmering in water or broth until tender.  Cool meat enough to remove visible fat and any bones.  For buffet-style Pozole, shred meat with two forks.

In some recipes, the pork is cut into one inch or 1 1/2 inch chunks and browned before simmering, adding some minced garlic at the end.   Rubbed oregano or coriander and a bay leaf may be added to the liquid as the meat simmers.   In some regions, the cook may add garlic cloves, cumin and/or a little ground allspice to the red sauce as it is placed in the blender to be pureed.   Garlic, cumin and oregano will make the dish taste more like chili.  Coriander is the seed of cilantro, but has a different flavor.  I have made pork pozole with bay leaf and a little coriander added to the meat, and liked it.  Remove bay leaf before serving. 

Our friend Rosie likes to add some dried Pasilla chiles with the traditional dried California chiles.   I believe that the name "Pasilla" refers to the wrinkled appearance of the dried chiles (like a raisin).   You could also try Ancho/Poblano chiles, which are sometimes smoked while drying.  Here, one popular choice is called "Pasilla-Ancho".  These may be dark Ancho peppers, but I'm just guessing.  Any of these will give a deeper color and more complex flavor to the dish. None of them are very spicy.   We have used a 16 oz. bag of Chile California and an 8 oz. bag of Chile Pasilla-Ancho to make red sauce for a season's worth of Pozole. Chile California is a red, dried version of the Anaheim Chile.  It is very similar to New Mexico Chiles, but milder.  Guajillo chiles are also used for Pozole, often in combination with one of the others above. 

Sometimes we see red hominy (made from red corn) in big cans this time of year, too. 
 
In Mexico, various raw or cooked vegetables (and other accompaniments like chopped hard-cooked eggs) are also offered when other kinds of soup are served, so diners can add the ones they like.

Allergy information: Contains corn.

Marinated Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad for a Crowd

Mom taught me how to make this great salad for fall and winter. Even most kids like this salad despite its strongly flavored ingredients. I think the original Good Seasons dressing made with real apple cider vinegar and vegetable oil (add a little olive oil if you like) makes it really good. Use raw cider vinegar from the health food store for even more flavor.

Wonderful for buffets, because it is made ahead and is good at room temperature. It won't take up refrigerator room if you make it two or three hours ahead. You can also transport it in a cooler.  To simplify preparation, use pre-packaged broccoli and cauliflower florets and cut florets to bite size when assembling.  You can start marinating the onion a few hours in advance, especially if the onion is strong.

You can halve the recipe for smaller family meals. Or multiply the recipe for really big events.

Good Seasons Italian Dressing (the kind you make in a shaker jar) - buy a 4-pack.
1 medium to large red (or other mild) onion
2 large or 3 small bunches broccoli (3 to 4 lb.)
1 large head cauliflower (about 3 lb.)
4 to 6 carrots
1 regular can (or more) pitted black olives, sliced or halved, or equivalent of canned sliced olives
Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste

Prepare first shaker jar of salad dressing mix according to package directions, adding more vinegar in place of the water in the directions. Marinating the salad will dilute the dressing.  Soak some slices of macerated raw garlic in part of the vinegar you intend to use (then discard garlic) if you want to ramp up the flavor a bit more. 

Place onion, sliced in thick slices, into a large bowl containing enough salad dressing to cover the onion. I like to quarter the slices except for the center ones.  You can leave some attractive slices whole to garnish the top of the salad. If mild onions are out of season, use a smaller amount of strong onion, slice it thinly and marinate longer before adding other ingredients. Or substitute diced scallions.

Peel and thinly slice carrots on the diagonal.  Sprinkle with water.  Microwave just until easily pierced by a fork, stirring every 15 seconds.  Set aside to cool.   Or cut carrots in long shreds in a food processor rather than slicing. Use less carrot if shredding. 

Wash broccoli and cut into small florets. You may peel and add part of the sliced stems. Pile on top of the onions, shake on more salad dressing and mix. Add salad dressing until there is a little remaining in the bottom of the bowl after you toss. It will take more dressing than you think for the finished salad, sometimes more than 2 little shaker bottles for this big recipe.

Wash cauliflower and cut into small florets. Add with carrots to other veggies in the bowl.  Toss, add more salad dressing until there is just a little at the bottom of the bowl after you mix. Drain and slice or halve olives or use equivalent drained weight of pre-sliced olives.  Add fresh ground black pepper to taste and toss in.

Cover and marinate for two or three hours at room temperature, tossing occasionally. Or marinate overnight refrigerated. Refrigerate leftovers. The second or third day, you can shred some cabbage, savoy cabbage, Napa cabbage or mild Asian greens into the leftovers just before serving if you like, to take advantage of all the dressing left in the bottom of the bowl.  Angel hair cabbage works nicely. 

Allergy information for the salad dressing is here.

Old-Fashioned Coleslaw with Celery Seed Dressing

An old-fashioned coleslaw dressed with oil and vinegar. Good for buffets or potlucks, as it can be served at room temperature. Adapted from an old Betty Crocker cookbook. Makes 6 servings.

The recipe may be easily multiplied for large groups, but you would really want a food processor to shred or chop your cabbage.

Allergy Information: Some people are allergic to celery. Contains no corn, wheat, milk, soy or egg.

1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery seed*
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup chopped green pepper or Ancho or Pasilla chiles (optional)
1 Tablespoon chopped pimento or red bell pepper (optional)
2 Tablespoons minced scallions or 1 tsp. instant minced onion
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup cider or white vinegar
4 cups finely shredded or chopped cabbage.

Mix dry seasonings and sugar in the bottom of a large bowl. Add other ingerdients in order listed, mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Drain just before serving. Garnish with watercress if desired.

You may also mix the seasonings, sugar, onion, oil and vinegar together and allow flavors to blend before adding to cabbage and other vegetables. This is a good option if you wish to make less salad at one time or if your electricity is out and you cannot refrigerate the salad to blend the flavors. Most of the ingredients, other than the cabbage, can be kept in the pantry for emergencies. Cabbage keeps in a cool place longer than most vegetables.

* If whole celery seed is a little too strong for you or if you're short on time to blend the flavors of the salad, substitute 1 1/4 teaspoons celery salt for salt and celery seed.

Fire and Ice Salad

A fat-free marinated tomato salad for summer. Good for buffets and potlucks, served with a slotted spoon.

I think I'll try the dressing for this salad on some finely shredded cabbage (maybe with a little shredded carrot and/or minced scallions or red onion) for coleslaw. I will probably omit the water in the dressing and add a touch of oil to carry flavor, but I have seen other beloved recipes for fat-free marinated coleslaw. This dressing has less sugar than the dressing for this marinated coleslaw recipe.

¾ cup white or cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons mustard seed
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoons red pepper (ground)
¼ cup cold water
1 ½ teaspoons celery salt
4 ½ teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

6 tomatoes peeled and quartered
1 green pepper sliced in strips
1 cucumber sliced
1 red onion, sliced

Bring first 8 ingredients to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Allow to cool slightly; then pour over veggies and chill. Gently stir occasionally.

Allergy information: No corn, wheat, soy, egg or milk products.

Marinated Italian Tomato and Cucumber Salad

David's Mom makes this great salad in the summer. She once prepared a big bowl for friends waiting in anxiety for news about a hospitalized child. It was a great stress-reducer and a welcome change from "hospital food". Made them feel loved.

This tomato and cucumber salad has a marinated character, good cold or at room temperature for summer buffets, if served with a slotted spoon.

It is also wonderful in bowls with some of the liquid which will develop in the bottom of the bowl. Try it with some Italian, French or other quality bread and maybe some cheese for a light meal.

Tomatoes and cucumbers are added in about equal proportions, maybe heavier on tomatoes during home-grown tomato season. Onion and bell pepper are for flavor and color, in smaller amounts to taste. In winter, try this broccoli salad.

If someone has a hard time digesting onions, leave them out, use a little minced scallion or sweet onion or allow onion slices to marinate in the dressing for a while then remove them to eat on an Italian sandwich or something. Or cut the onions in big chunks so that they can be avoided by those who have trouble with them. I have a similar tendency to indigestion with green bell peppers, but I still love their flavor this salad. I cut them in chunks so that they will flavor the dressing but I can easily avoid eating too much of the actual fruit. It's also O.K. to leave them out or to substitute deep green Ancho or Pasilla chiles instead of green bell pepper for a touch of heat. Or try ripe yellow bell peppers.

1. Cover slices or chunks of sweet red onion (or minced scallions) with Good Seasons Italian DRESSING, prepared according to package directions in the bottom of a large bowl. I use cider vinegar. Vegetable oil, such as canola, or vegetable oil with a little olive oils will work in this salad. Allow onions to marinate while preparing other ingredients.

Add green or yellow bell peppers or Ancho chiles cut in chunks or slices, freshly ground black pepper and more salad dressing until covered. Allow to marinate for a while to develop flavor, if you have time.

2. Cut tomatoes in bite-sized chunks, removing some of seedy, liquidish pulp (Roma and other low-moisture tomatoes work very well in this salad). This salad is better if you peel the tomatoes first.

Peel and cut cucumbers in slices or chunks and add to the bowl, along with the tomatoes. You may leave the skins on young, tender "burpless" type cucumbers if you like.

Add more dressing until there is 1/4 inch deep layer or more in the bottom of the bowl after tossing.

Cover and marinate for up to two hours at room temperature or a few hours in the refrigerator, tossing occasionally.

Allergy Information: Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix contains maltodextrin and Xanthan Gum, which are typically manufactured using corn products. I can usually tolerate a little of this dressing without a problem, however. The Garlic and Herb and Mild Italian varieties contain xanthan gum, but not maltodextrin. I prefer a non-sweet dressing for this salad. The Garlic and Herb variety works, but the original Italian is particularly suited to the ingredients in this salad.

Check for soy sauce, which includes wheat.  

Fat-Free Alternative: This salad has a different character, with a little sugar in the dressing, different seasonings, and no fat. Also contains no corn products.

Chewy Chocolate Chip or Coconut Cookies or Bars

The Best Recipe includes recipes for both traditional chocolate chip cookies and big, chewy cookies like the ones you get at cookie stores. And they tell you how they came to the ideal recipes. The latter recipe uses melted butter. Following are tweaks and variations on that recipe. The bars are seriously chewy.

You can divide the dough to make more than one kind at the same time. You might want to prepare some cookies to eat while warm and bars to cool for later. Or make part nut or coconut and part chocolate-only cookies. If preparing part of the batch with nuts, prepare them after the no-nut cookies to prevent problems for anyone allergic to nuts.

If you don't have two big cookie sheets (around 11 x 17 inches) or if you want to make smaller cookies, you may not be able to get all the cookies in the oven at the same time. But you could make one sheet of cookies and one pan of bars at the same time - say a 9 x 13 inch pan of coconut bars and 6 chocolate chip cookies (slightly smaller than in the directions) to eat while warm. They would fit on a smaller cookie sheet. Or make a big sheet of big cookies and a 9 x 9 inch pan of bars. I would put the sheet of cookies on the top oven rack if I chose this option. Cookies will be done before the bars. You could move the bars to the top rack when you take the cookies out if you like.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled to warm. (1 1/2 sticks, 12 Tablespoons)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons flour (stir, spoon into cup, level without shaking)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks
I prefer not to use the full amount of chocolate chips in most chocolate chip cookie recipes. Half a cup for the entire recipe below is fine for me. Choose your personal chocolate level.

Directions

Set oven racks at medium-high and medium-low levels. Set oven temperature to 325 degrees. This is a lower temperature than most cookie recipes. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and the sugars well. Beat in the egg and egg yolk, then the vanilla until well-combined.

Sift baking soda into some of the flour, whisk together with the rest of the flour and the salt. Beat flour mixture into butter/sugar mixture just until combined. Do not over-mix. Stir chocolate pieces or other additions (below) into dough.

Big Cookies

If dough seems too soft to handle, refrigerate for a few minutes while preparing cookie sheets. Line 2 large cookie sheets with baking parchment. Roll scant 1/4 cup portions of dough into balls. For a "bumpy" look, pull apart and jam together again with jagged sides facing up. Space on cookie sheets. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, reversing sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking. For smaller cookies, reduce baking time. When cookies are golden brown and have started to harden at the edges but are still soft and puffy in the center, remove from oven. Cool on cookie sheets on rack. Serve warm (not hot) or allow to cool completely then peel from parchment. Makes about 18 big cookies.

Bar Cookies

If you are worried about the bars sticking to the pan, oil the pan or spray with non-stick spray and line the bottom and two sides (leave enough at the two sides for "handles" to remove cooled cookies for cutting) with parchment or waxed paper, folded under to fit the bottom flat, while missing the corners. Oil waxed paper again to plaster it flat to the pan. This is a good idea if you are baking the bars in a metal pan which you could mar while cutting the bars.

Press dough in a 10 x 15 x 1 (at least) inch baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 23 minutes or more, until golden and starting to harden at the edges but still soft and puffy in the center. You may also bake half the dough (with chips, etc.) in a 9 x 9 inch pan or 3/4 of the dough in a 9 x 13 inch pan for 20 minutes or more. Prepare the remaining dough as cookies. See above.

Cool bars in pan on a wire rack. If you lined the pan with waxed paper or parchment, loosen the sides of the cooled "cookie" and lift out of the pan with the paper "handles" to a cutting board. Peel paper off the bottom, place right-side up and cut into bars with a serrated knife. Cover when fully cooled. You may put cut bars back in the baking pan if you don't want to dirty more dishes.

Chocolate Chip/Nut Cookies or bars

Add 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans with chocolate chips. You may substitute white baking chips for half the chocolate chips. Save a few nuts to garnish the top if making bars.

Coconut/Nut Cookies or Bars

Toast 1 cup sliced almonds or whole almonds or pecans and cool, or use raw almonds or pecans. Chop nuts if not using sliced almonds.

Lightly mix nuts and 1 1/2 cups sweetened dried coconut into the prepared dough. You may also add chocolate chips as above. You may reserve up to half the nuts to garnish the top if making bar cookies (try to pick the large pieces if using chopped nuts). Press into the dough lightly before baking.

Bake as for chocolate chip cookies or bars (see above).

Milk Chocolate-topped Coconut/Nut bars

Omit chocolate chips. Press dough containing coconut and half or more of the nuts (in the variation above) into baking pan. See directions under "bar cookies" above. Sprinkle remaining nuts over the dough and press into dough lightly. Bake as for bars above. Remove from oven and cool for three minutes in the pan, or until center feels "set". Sprinkle with Guittard Milk Chocolate baking chips (or other favorite chocolate). Leave some of the bars "bare" if you like. Allow chocolate to melt and swirl over the top of the bars. Chocolate may not harden for several hours after cookies are cooled. You may wish to refrigerate cooled cookies for a while if you want the chocolate hardened sooner.

To cover about half of a 9-inch square pan use 1/2 cup chocolate chips. For the entire pan, use 1 cup.

For a 9 x 13 inch pan use 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Use 3/4 cup to cover half the pan. If you cover half the bars lengthwise with chocolate, you can make 5 rows of bars (the long way) with the middle row half plain and half chocolate.

For a 10 x 15 inch pan use 2 cups milk chocolate chips (1 package) for the entire pan of bars, 1 cup to cover half the pan.

Traditional Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies (Like David's Mom's)

David's Mom makes great Chocolate Chip Cookie bars. She uses the recipe from the Nestle Chocolate Chip bag, substituting shortening for half the butter. This improves the texture when making chocolate chip cookies as bars. She mixes her dough with a heavy-duty mixer. If you don't like the flavor of shortening in cookies but still want improved texture for bar cookies, try using 1/4 cup shortening or high-quality lard and 3/4 cup butter.

This recipe is very similar to the Nestle recipe, but uses more brown sugar and less granulated sugar, 1/4 cup more flour, less salt and less soda. See notes at bottom of the recipe.

The recipe below may be conveniently halved. If baking as bars, bake a half-recipe in a 9 x 9 inch baking pan. Or a 9 x 13 inch pan for thinner bars.

To use this recipe to make all-butter drop cookies, reduce the flour to 2 1/4 cups and add 1/2 teaspoon water with the vanilla. (Per The Best Recipe, the original Toll House Cookie recipe contained a little water). Unsalted butter may produce better results than salted butter. Substitute an extra stick (1/2 cup) of butter for the shortening in the recipe below.

I prefer not to use the full amount of chocolate chips in most chocolate chip cookie recipes from chocolate chip packages. I think they want to sell more chocolate chips. Less than a cup of chocolate chips or chunks is fine with me. Easier to taste the non-chocolate part of the cookie. I do like nuts in these cookies.

Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening (room temperature)
1/2 cup butter, (softened but not squishy)
1/2 cup granulated sugar or superfine sugar*
1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt **

1/2 cup to 2 cups (12 ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks
Up to 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening and butter on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugars. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla until combined.

Sift baking soda into some of the flour, combine with the rest of the flour and the salt. Beat in as much of the flour as you can into the creamed ingredients with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Stir chocolate pieces and nuts, if desired, into dough.

Bar Cookies

Press dough in a 10 x 15 x 1 (at least) inch baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack and cut into bars. Makes about 48 bars. For thinner bars, use a 10 x 17 inch jelly roll pan, a 11 x 17 inch half sheet cake pan or half hotel sheet and bake a few minutes less.

Drop Cookies

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 1 or 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack with a metal spatula. Makes about 60 cookies.

Cookie Pizza

Prepare dough as above, but do not add chocolate chips. Press dough into two ungreased 12-inch pizza pans. Sprinkle half of chocolate chips and nuts on dough in each pan. Press in lightly. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, until golden. Meanwhile, melt about 4 ounces white chocolate baking pieces or cut-up white baking bar. Drizzle over baked cookie pizzas. Cut each into 8 wedges, then cut a middle circle. Makes 32 pieces.

* Most traditional chocolate chip cookie recipes use 3/4 cup each brown and white sugar. Granulated and superfine white sugars may be measured the same. Superfine sugar produces a finer texture, which may or may not be an advantage in this recipe.

** Many similar recipes include an entire teaspoon of salt plus an entire teaspoon of soda, even though there is not sufficient acid (mainly from brown sugar) in the recipe to react with an entire teaspoon of soda. Some people may prefer the saltier flavor from a full teaspoon of salt and soda. The Better Homes and Gardens recipe upon which the recipe above is based contains no salt, but I think a little makes the cookies taste better. You may wish to increase salt to 1/2 teaspoon if using unsalted butter. An alternate recipe substitutes chopped, salted peanuts for chocolate chips, which would negate the need for extra salt.

Lemon Bars

I can't eat these because of the cornstarch in the powdered sugar. But people still expect me to make them for parties and big gatherings. This is due to the cooking reputations of David's mother and his sister.

Cookie Layer:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Filling:
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice plus a little finely grated lemon zest if desired
(lemon zent not included in original recipe)

Powdered sugar for dusting

Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven and preheat oven to 350º. Spray the inside of a light-colored, shiny metal or glass 9 x 13 inch baking pan (not a flat cookie sheet) with non-stick cooking spray and spread to a thin layer (including where bars meet the sides of the pan).

For the cookie layer, beat together powdered sugar and butter. Stir and knead in flour, avoid overmixing. Pat evenly into the 9 x 13 inch pan. Form a slightly higher rim of dough, about 3/8 inch, around the edge. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Meanwhile, prepare filling. Lightly beat eggs, mix flour into some of the sugar, then add sugar and flour to eggs along with the lemon juice. Beat until frothy.

After cookie layer has baked for up to 20 minutes, remove from oven. Quickly pour filling over hot cookie layer and return to oven. Bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack, then dust with powdered sugar, using a fine sieve or sifter. Cut carefully with a sharp knife and remove from pan with a flat spatula. Makes 2 or 3 dozen small bars.

Big Batch:
Double all ingredients. Bake in a 1/2 hotel sheet pan or 1/2 size sheet cake pan, about 12 x 17 inches. Bars will be slightly thicker than those made with the single recipe, and may need to be baked a minute or two longer at each step. Note: Smart & Final or other restaurant suppliers sell 1/2 hotel sheet pans and foil sheet cake pans, which have higher sides. The 1/2 size sheet cake pan will fit inside the hotel sheet pan, which will give it added stability while cooking and removing from the oven, if you wish to bake the bars in a disposable pan. Be sure to grease the pan well to prevent an interaction between the filling and the aluminum pan. You may also slide the foil pan onto a cool, flat cookie sheet as you remove it from the oven to transfer it to a wire rack or racks.

Cream Cheese Marble Brownies

I often make a 10 x 15 inch pan of these brownies, using a brownie mix for a 9 x 13 inch pan, plus the cream cheese filling.  

A double recipe (two brownie mixes) in a 1/2 sheet cake pan is shown in the photo below.  It was baked in a shallow, 1-rack oven, so it shows a little more browning than brownies baked in a big oven.  This pan of brownies was made with two Pillsbury mixes and baked for about 34 minutes at 350 degrees.   The cream cheese filling was made with 3 packages of cream cheese (see directions).

9 x 13 inch Pan or 10 x 15 inch pan of Brownies:  Try these with either "Pillsbury Brownie Classics - Traditional Fudge" or "Duncan Hines Family-Style Brownies". Both these mixes make a 9 x 13 inch pan of brownies. Directions call for the addition of 2 eggs, oil and water. Once I accidentally left one egg out of the brownie batter and the brownies were very dense and gooey. People loved them.

Two 8 oz. package cream cheese, low fat or Neufchatel cheese, softened (room temperature - microwave at low power if you are in a hurry.)
½ cup sugar (scant)
¾ to 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1 egg or two egg yolks

One fudge brownie mix (9 x 13 inch pan) plus eggs, water and oil per package directions

Prepare filling by beating softened cream cheese and sugar together until smooth - no lumps of cream cheese. Do not add egg until sugar and cream cheese are thoroughly mixed. Beat in vanilla and egg. Cover and chill filling until ready to finish brownies.

Preheat oven and prepare pan per directions on brownie mix. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and spread in pan. Spoon filling onto brownie mix in 3 or 4 longitudinal stripes. Using a circular motion with a fork, fold some of brownie batter over the filling, working along each stripe. Then lightly move the fork across the stripes crosswise, back and forth in a large wave pattern, to create swirls. Don't overdo it. Bake according to package directions for a 9 x 13 inch pan of plain brownies if you are using a 10 x 15 inch pan.   Thicker brownies in a 9 x 13 inch pan may take two to four minutes longer.

Pale filling will be very slightly browned at the edges when brownies are done if baked in the middle of a big oven and may show no browning if baked on a rack under a second batch of brownies.
 
Notes: Feel free to experiment with 1 package of fat-free cream cheese and 1 package of low fat.

You may also use only 1 package of cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla and one egg yolk for the filling. One package of cream cheese for the filling is also suitable for a smaller (8x8 or 9x9 inch pan) brownie mix like the Betty Crocker mix that comes in a bag instead of a box.

Photos below show cream cheese "stripes" on a double recipe, folded stripes (my fork fell in the batter) and swirled stripes.  The finished product is at the top of this post.

DOUBLE RECIPE: You can prepare a double recipe in a 1/2 size sheet cake pan (about 12 x 17 inches). Make sure the pan fits in your oven with a little room to spare first. I like to use a foil ½ sheet cake pan on a sturdy ½ size hotel sheet (from Smart & Final or another restaurant supply). Allow a few minutes extra baking time for the larger recipe.

For the double recipe, use 3 packages cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar (scant), 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla and  one egg  OR 4 packages cream cheese, 1 cup sugar (scant), 1 ½ to 2 tsp. vanilla and two eggs.  If you like, you can add a little almond, coconut or orange flavoring with the vanilla (to taste -- before adding egg).  

For a BIG crowd, two kinds of brownies at once:  If you need to bake a lot of brownies in a hurry for a party or buffet, you can bake nut brownies or plain brownies on the upper shelf of the oven and the marble brownies on the lower shelf. Press a few pieces of nuts into the top of nut brownies so people can tell they contain nuts. The marble brownies take a little longer to bake. With two ½ sheet cake pans, you can make a very large number of brownies at one time.  Frost plain brownies if you like. 

Allergy information: Brownie mixes generally contain corn products and may contain traces of nuts. Check ingredients. There are now a few gluten-free brownie mixes out.

Okie Squash and Tomatoes

Family Memories
David's Grandma used to fix this dish a lot in the summer, when they ate mostly out of the garden. It is a good way to use bigger summer squashes which are beyond the tender, baby stage which we prize (especially in the case of crooknecks or straightnecks) for more delicate recipes. But if the seeds have started to harden or the skin is tough, you'll have to seed and/or pare the squashes first.

While I was staying with Yvonne's family in Switzerland, her mother prepared sliced kohlrabi with tomato, onion and bacon and froze it for winter.  It tasted something like "Okie squash and tomatoes" with a little cabbage flavor.  I haven't tried freezing the squash, onion and tomato dish (no cheese until serving time), but I bet it would work. 

David's Mom currently prefers to make this dish with bacon - no cheese - using fresh tomatoes.  Jana recently did a layered variation using spaghetti sauce and roast beef.  Vary at will.  

Basic Ingredients
Squash to fill a 10 to 12 inch covered skillet (or a big electric skillet for a larger batch)
One medium onion (10-inch skillet), more for a larger skillet
Salt to taste
Fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce or diced or stewed canned tomatoes
Ground red or black pepper to taste

Optional Ingredients
• Bacon, fried until crisp, or diced ham
• Diced Ancho, Pasilla or other mild, fresh chiles, to taste.
• Roasted Jalapeno or other hot chiles to taste
• Italian or other seasoning to taste
• Cheese - cheddar, pepper jack, cheddar plus mozzarella, parmesan plus mozzarella, Swiss. Pair the type of cheese you use with the ingredients you add (pepper jack with fresh chiles, cheddar or Swiss with bacon, Italian cheeses with Italian spices, etc.)

Directions
Heat a large covered skillet over medium heat. Add some vegetable or olive oil (or bacon grease for authenticity) to lightly coat the skillet. If you plan to add bacon, fry the bacon first, drain away most of the fat and cook the onions in the same pan. Quarter and slice an onion into the oil or bacon fat and sautee until it starts to become translucent. You can continue to sautee gently until the onion caramelizes if you like.

Cut washed and trimmed summer squash into slices, about 1/2 inch, and cut into quarters if squashes are large. I like to use at least part zucchini for this dish - green or yellow. Pattypans and straightnecks or crooknecks also work. Start with the largest, firmest squash. Place in the skillet with the onion and sprinkle with a little salt to draw out some liquid. Cover while preparing additional squashes. Continue adding squash with salt and pepper to taste until you have a skilletful, or as much as you want. Cover, stir occasionally until the flesh of the squash starts to lose its white color, If you add tomatoes too soon, the squash may squeak on your teeth when you eat it.

Add a few peeled, diced tomatoes and/or a small can (about 8 oz.) of tomato sauce. For a big electric skillet full of squash, you can use a can (about 15 ounces) of stewed tomatoes, diced tomatoes or tomatoes with Mexican or Italian seasonings. Add a little tomato sauce if you want the liquid to be thicker. Or use two cans of tomato sauce. Stir and simmer until raw tomatoes are done or until canned tomatoes are heated through.

Adjust seasoning. If you like, add some crumbled bacon or diced ham. You can also top it with cheddar cheese, a little Parmesan or other cheese of your choice.   Cover skillet until cheese melts.

We usually skip the meat and top the squash with cheese. You may want to serve this dish in bowls if you make it with tomatoes rather than tomato sauce, because it will have considerable liquid. If you make it with tomato sauce, it's less invasive on a plate with other foods.

Nice for dinner, maybe with some Pinto beans for a real Okie experience.  Also great for breakfast with buttered toast. Reminds me of my Grandma's stewed tomato, toast and cheese breakfasts on the farm. For a fancier presentation, spoon into individual oven-proof ramekins or casseroles, top with cheese and buttered bread or cracker crumbs and run under the broiler. If the weather's not too hot to turn on the oven.

For a Potluck
With a big electric skillet, you can feed a lot of people. Just increase the amounts of ingredients and use a bigger onion, or two onions.  This recipe and Spanish Green Beans (below) are very popular at potlucks.  You can make the bean dish in winter, when fresh squash is hard to come by.

Other Recommendations
You could also use Lagenaria gourds in this recipe - pared and seeded if large. These Italian gourds have some advantages over squash in the garden - they have no spines on their stems, have velvety leaves and are less susceptible to common squash diseases and pests. They are vining, and would be dramatic on an overhead trellis with the long fruits hanging down. One year I planted them with Trombocino summer squashes (also useful in the recipe above). These vining summer squashes are related to butternuts (C. moschata) and the plants are also free from spines. They tend to continue producing fruits after common summer squashes have given up. Their flavor and texture is different from the more common C. pepo summer squashes.

If you like this recipe, you might like another Okie dish, okra with onions and stewed tomatoes, or this recipe for "Spanish" Green Beans.