Tips and Comments
This recipe is a good way to use zucchini or other summer squash when your plants are producing more than you expected. Shredding the zucchini makes this dish palatable to most people who don't like zucchini because of its texture. (You can only eat so much zucchini bread, another favorite recipe for "sneaking in" some zucchini). And the strong flavors of a tomato-based spaghetti sauce mask the flavor of even the darkest green zucchinis, with the overall effect of making the sauce taste milder.
Some of the extra moisture released from the squash is absorbed by the no-boil lasagna noodles as they cook. If you're too rushed to make lasagna, you can add a little shredded zucchini to almost any chunky pasta sauce. Or use part zucchini and part shredded carrots (for a slightly sweeter taste).
Yellow zucchini or straighneck squash looks especially nice in this recipe. It would also work with steamed and flaked-out strands of spaghetti squash. I prefer immature spaghetti squashes (when the rind can still be easily pierced by a fingernail) to ripe ones when serving with a tomato-based sauces. Even if you like ripe spaghetti squash, there are always a few fruits which don't mature to the hard-rind stage by the end of the season. This would be one good way to use them.
The recipe below makes a lot of lasagna. If you wanted to halve the recipe, a 9 x 9 inch baking pan or skillet would allow you to use one sheet of noodles per layer of the Ondine noodles. There are also "no boil" lasagna noodles which look more like the traditional ones, which might be more convenient for this recipe. Or see the 2-layer variation (using only 2 pounds of cottage cheese) at the end of the recipe. It cooks in about 25 minutes after layering the prepared ingredients. It's the one I usually make now.
You could also bake the recipe below in the oven (try 20 minutes at 350 degrees before topping with cheese, or estimate baking time from a recipe on the package of your no-boil lasagna noodles), but it's too hot here to bake right now, so I made it in a big (12 x 16 inch) non-stick electric skillet. I used "no boil" lasagna noodles which came in thin, corrugated sheets, about 8 x 8 inches. I broke them to fit the skillet. The Ondine brand noodles came with a recipe for vegetable lasagna, with no tomatoes, on the package. It includes only vegetables, oil, a little cheese, and chicken broth. The translation wasn't perfect, and I haven't tried it yet.
Ingredients
Vegetable or olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (leave out if kids hate onions)
1 pound very lean ground beef or turkey (optional)
5 to 7 cups coarsely shredded zucchini or other summer squash (remove seeds from really big squashes)
Salt to taste (about 3/4 teaspoon, less if spaghetti sauce or cheese are quite salty)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large jar (32 ounces) spaghetti sauce
3 pounds (5 1/2 or 6 cups) cottage cheese *
1/4 cup minced fresh scallions or sweet onion
3 to 5 oz. Parmesan or Romano cheese, finely grated
3/4 pound to 1 pound part-skim Mozzarella cheese, grated
No-boil lasagna noodles
Directions
Saute chopped onion in a little oil in the skillet in which you will prepare the lasagna. When onions are translucent and have begun to brown (or caramelize them if you like), add the meat, breaking it up as it cooks. When about half the pink has disappeared from the meat, add the zucchini, salt and pepper and stir into the meat. Cover and allow to cook until the meat is no longer pink and the squash starts to turn translucent .
Adding the zucchini while the meat is partially pink should result in meat which is more tender. If you want the shredded squash to retain more texture in the finished lasagna, add the spaghetti sauce as soon as you add the squash.
Reserve about 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce (to spread over the bottom of the skillet) and mix the remainder into the squash mixture. Allow to simmer for a few minutes, covered. Meanwhile, mix the minced sweet onion or scallions into the cottage cheese, along with 1/2 to 2/3 of the grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
Spoon squash mixture into a large bowl. Spread reserved spaghetti sauce evenly over the bottom of the skillet. Add a little water to reduce to the consistency of common canned tomato sauce, if necessary.
Place one layer of lasagna noodles over the spaghetti sauce, breaking pieces to fit as necessary. Leave about 1/2 inch between the noodles and around the edges of the skillet.
Working quickly, spoon half of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles and spread fairly evenly. Sprinkle with about 1/4 of the Mozzarella cheese. Dot with about 1/4 of the squash mixture, and spread it over the cheese layer.
Add a second layer of noodles, perpendicular to the direction you used for the last layer (more or less - don't be too concerned about precision). Working quickly, spread the remaining cottage cheese mixture over the noodles, followed by 1/4 of the Mozzarella cheese and 1/4 of the squash mixture.
Top with another layer of noodles, according to the directions above. Dot with the remaining 1/2 of the squash mixture and spread the mixture to cover all of the noodles.
Cover tightly and simmer (you want some bubbles reaching the top, but not vigorous bubbling) for about 40 minutes, until noodles are cooked through when you test a piece. Mix the remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan or Romano cheeses and sprinkle evenly over the lasagna. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. (If baking in the oven, do not cover after adding the last layer of cheese). Turn off heat to the skillet but leave it covered, allowing lasagna to rest for 10 minutes. Or remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve.
* 2-LAYER VARIATION: I later made this recipe using 2 pounds of cottage cheese and only 2 layers of noodles, leaving the rest of the ingredients about the same. I reserved plenty of sauce/squash mixture to go over the cottage cheese layer which topped the second layer of noodles. It cooked faster with only 2 pounds of cottage cheese - in 25 minutes. I still let it rest, covered, with the heat off, for 10 minutes. The time necessary to cook the noodles may vary with the brand of no-boil lasagna.
Allergy Information: We have a friend who is allergic to squash. Some people with a latex allergy have a cross-allergy to squash or to some other foods, especially certain immature fruits (like summer squash). Some varieties of Classico Spaghetti Sauce contain no corn products.
Showing posts with label Protein foods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Protein foods. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
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.
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.
Mexican crockpot chicken
Our friends Manuela and Ana taught us to make this wonderful, amazingly simple dish.
Medium-spicy rather than hot, if you fill a 3 or 4-quart crockpot with chicken thighs and use one small can of hot sauce.
Menos pollo, màs piquante. - The less chicken, the spicier the dish.
DIRECTIONS
Place thawed chicken thighs in slow-cooker. One family-pack (4 or 5 pounds) will usually fit in a 3-quart cooker if you remove most of the skins (you may want to leave the skins on the top layer of chicken. Pour a small (about 8 oz.) can of El Pato Mexican hot sauce (in the little yellow can) over chicken. Add a little salt. Cook for several hours, until chicken is tender, stirring at least once after juices are released from chicken. Adjust salt and skim fat from sauce. Serve with rice and/or tortillas, spooning some of the sauce over the rice. Serve with some vegetables or a salad. David likes refried beans with it.
Serve with hot sauce for those who want more heat.
Leftovers still taste good. For a milder flavor, use enchilada sauce (El Pato brand is in a red can. For a slightly different, spicy flavor, use Jalapeno salsa. I think the sauce in the yellow can is the best choice.
VARIATIONS
This is a family-style dish. There's an easy-to-serve variation for a crowd here.
Or you can make this dish "gringo style" by cooking the chicken thighs first, removing skin, bones and cartilage, skimming fat from liquid then adding the hot sauce and cut-up or broken-up chicken to the cooking liquid and allowing everything to cook together for a few more minutes. If you don't have time to cook the chicken in a slow-cooker, you can simmer it on top of the stove in a little broth or water until tender but not falling apart.
You should end up with chunks of chicken in about enough sauce (including liquid from cooking the chicken) to almost cover the meat. This method allows you to remove a little more fat from the dish. You can serve the chicken and sauce with Spanish or white rice or mix the chicken and sauce with cooked white rice. Plus vegetables, beans, etc. as desired.
Medium-spicy rather than hot, if you fill a 3 or 4-quart crockpot with chicken thighs and use one small can of hot sauce.
Menos pollo, màs piquante. - The less chicken, the spicier the dish.
DIRECTIONS
Place thawed chicken thighs in slow-cooker. One family-pack (4 or 5 pounds) will usually fit in a 3-quart cooker if you remove most of the skins (you may want to leave the skins on the top layer of chicken. Pour a small (about 8 oz.) can of El Pato Mexican hot sauce (in the little yellow can) over chicken. Add a little salt. Cook for several hours, until chicken is tender, stirring at least once after juices are released from chicken. Adjust salt and skim fat from sauce. Serve with rice and/or tortillas, spooning some of the sauce over the rice. Serve with some vegetables or a salad. David likes refried beans with it.
Serve with hot sauce for those who want more heat.
Leftovers still taste good. For a milder flavor, use enchilada sauce (El Pato brand is in a red can. For a slightly different, spicy flavor, use Jalapeno salsa. I think the sauce in the yellow can is the best choice.
VARIATIONS
This is a family-style dish. There's an easy-to-serve variation for a crowd here.
Or you can make this dish "gringo style" by cooking the chicken thighs first, removing skin, bones and cartilage, skimming fat from liquid then adding the hot sauce and cut-up or broken-up chicken to the cooking liquid and allowing everything to cook together for a few more minutes. If you don't have time to cook the chicken in a slow-cooker, you can simmer it on top of the stove in a little broth or water until tender but not falling apart.
You should end up with chunks of chicken in about enough sauce (including liquid from cooking the chicken) to almost cover the meat. This method allows you to remove a little more fat from the dish. You can serve the chicken and sauce with Spanish or white rice or mix the chicken and sauce with cooked white rice. Plus vegetables, beans, etc. as desired.
French Garlic Chicken
Easy. Requires an oven, so it's not a recipe for summer.
Spray the inside of a glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Use a baking dish in which the number of chicken pieces you are cooking will fit fairly tightly. Sprinkle salt and fresh-ground pepper on the dish, then sprinkle lightly with peeled, sliced fresh garlic.
Place one layer of chicken thighs over the salt, pepper and garlic in the dish, skin side up. Sprinkle with a little more salt, pepper over the chicken and lay at least 3 garlic slices on each piece of chicken. Cover fairly tightly (if using aluminum foil, grease the side which will touch the chicken, or spray with non-stick cooking spray). Run your finger along the inside edge of the foil-covered dish to push the foil below the top of the dish (to keep liquid from falling outside the dish).
Bake at 325º F. for at least 1 1/2 hours. Longer is better. You may cook at 275 degrees for several hours if you will be away. If chicken is not slightly browned as cooking nears completion, lift edge of cover to allow juices to concentrate and chicken to brown very slightly. Serve with French bread, roasted potatoes or baked potatoes to soak up juices. And some vegetables or a salad. Leftovers lose some of their flavor, especially if you're short on leftover pan liquid, so don't make too much extra.
Note: The original recipe calls for whole chicken, cut-up, many cloves of whole, peeled garlic and lots of butter. You may dot thighs with a little butter before cooking, if desired. Or remove skin from chicken and baste with butter and broth from the pan during cooking.
Spray the inside of a glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Use a baking dish in which the number of chicken pieces you are cooking will fit fairly tightly. Sprinkle salt and fresh-ground pepper on the dish, then sprinkle lightly with peeled, sliced fresh garlic.
Place one layer of chicken thighs over the salt, pepper and garlic in the dish, skin side up. Sprinkle with a little more salt, pepper over the chicken and lay at least 3 garlic slices on each piece of chicken. Cover fairly tightly (if using aluminum foil, grease the side which will touch the chicken, or spray with non-stick cooking spray). Run your finger along the inside edge of the foil-covered dish to push the foil below the top of the dish (to keep liquid from falling outside the dish).
Bake at 325º F. for at least 1 1/2 hours. Longer is better. You may cook at 275 degrees for several hours if you will be away. If chicken is not slightly browned as cooking nears completion, lift edge of cover to allow juices to concentrate and chicken to brown very slightly. Serve with French bread, roasted potatoes or baked potatoes to soak up juices. And some vegetables or a salad. Leftovers lose some of their flavor, especially if you're short on leftover pan liquid, so don't make too much extra.
Note: The original recipe calls for whole chicken, cut-up, many cloves of whole, peeled garlic and lots of butter. You may dot thighs with a little butter before cooking, if desired. Or remove skin from chicken and baste with butter and broth from the pan during cooking.
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:
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.
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.
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.
Family-style Pozole
When the weather gets cooler in the fall, we start seeing big bags of dried, whole Chile California on sale at the store. It's time to think about making Pozole, a cousin to Menudo. We're not quite up to making Menudo. Pozole looks like it contains tomatoes, but the color comes entirely from dried chiles. In summer, diced green chiles and chunks of chicken are often used.
Pozole can be prepared a day or two in advance of serving. Leftovers are good. David likes it for breakfast on cold mornings.
For Pork Pozole, follow the recipe on the 29-oz can of Teasdale Mexican-style hominy, substituting about 7 large dried Chile California peppers for Ancho or Chile sauce and Cayenne pepper. These peppers are mild, but the ones we buy are not smoked like dried Ancho (Poblano) peppers sometimes are. You could also used other dried, mild chiles, or combine California and Pasilla chiles for richer color and flavor. as our friend Rosie does. I use lean "country-style spare ribs" in place of the pork and pig's feet in the recipe on the can.
Remove stems and most of attached membrane and seeds from chiles, rinse and tear into pieces. Place in small covered saucepan and bring to boil in water to cover. Turn off heat and allow to sit until cool enough to comfortably keep your hand on the bottom of the pan. Process cooled chiles and some of the liquid in a blender or food processor until the skins are broken into about 1/4 inch pieces, or until smooth. Strain and press (while stirring) liquid and pulp through a coarse sieve, leaving skins in sieve. Add remaining liquid to skins, stir and press again. Or try using a berry press or food mill to remove skin and seeds. Add chile puree to Pozole to taste. Adjust salt.
For Red Chicken Pozole, substitute 6 to 8 chicken thighs or a whole, cut-up chicken for pork and pigs feet. Cook chicken until tender in water and/or broth to cover. Remove from broth. People who grew up eating Pozole often like chicken or pork neck and/or pig's foot pieces served whole. For Gringos or for a big party, you may cool chicken enough to remove skin, bones and visible fat, breaking or cutting into bite-sized pieces. Skim fat from broth and return chicken to broth. Drain and add a 29-oz can hominy. Add salt and strained Chile puree to taste as above. Add water or additional chicken broth to produce a soupy consistency. Adjust salt. Simmer until flavors are well-blended.
Serve either pork or chicken Pozole with finely shredded or chopped cabbage, chopped onion or minced scallions, lemon or lime wedges or juice and sliced radishes to be added individually by diners. Also offer dried oregano to rub into Pozole (or finely minced fresh oregano to add) and hot sauce or hot pepper flakes.
Allergy information: Contains corn.
Pozole can be prepared a day or two in advance of serving. Leftovers are good. David likes it for breakfast on cold mornings.
For Pork Pozole, follow the recipe on the 29-oz can of Teasdale Mexican-style hominy, substituting about 7 large dried Chile California peppers for Ancho or Chile sauce and Cayenne pepper. These peppers are mild, but the ones we buy are not smoked like dried Ancho (Poblano) peppers sometimes are. You could also used other dried, mild chiles, or combine California and Pasilla chiles for richer color and flavor. as our friend Rosie does. I use lean "country-style spare ribs" in place of the pork and pig's feet in the recipe on the can.
Remove stems and most of attached membrane and seeds from chiles, rinse and tear into pieces. Place in small covered saucepan and bring to boil in water to cover. Turn off heat and allow to sit until cool enough to comfortably keep your hand on the bottom of the pan. Process cooled chiles and some of the liquid in a blender or food processor until the skins are broken into about 1/4 inch pieces, or until smooth. Strain and press (while stirring) liquid and pulp through a coarse sieve, leaving skins in sieve. Add remaining liquid to skins, stir and press again. Or try using a berry press or food mill to remove skin and seeds. Add chile puree to Pozole to taste. Adjust salt.
For Red Chicken Pozole, substitute 6 to 8 chicken thighs or a whole, cut-up chicken for pork and pigs feet. Cook chicken until tender in water and/or broth to cover. Remove from broth. People who grew up eating Pozole often like chicken or pork neck and/or pig's foot pieces served whole. For Gringos or for a big party, you may cool chicken enough to remove skin, bones and visible fat, breaking or cutting into bite-sized pieces. Skim fat from broth and return chicken to broth. Drain and add a 29-oz can hominy. Add salt and strained Chile puree to taste as above. Add water or additional chicken broth to produce a soupy consistency. Adjust salt. Simmer until flavors are well-blended.
Serve either pork or chicken Pozole with finely shredded or chopped cabbage, chopped onion or minced scallions, lemon or lime wedges or juice and sliced radishes to be added individually by diners. Also offer dried oregano to rub into Pozole (or finely minced fresh oregano to add) and hot sauce or hot pepper flakes.
Allergy information: Contains corn.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tomato Flowers with Cottage Cheese Salad
When Miss Hauser taught us how to make these in high school cooking class, we peeled the tomatoes after rotating them over the flame on our gas stoves on a fork stuck in the stem end. You can also blanch tomatoes to remove the peels. I prefer to use a variety of tomato which is easy to peel while it is raw. This works best with fully-ripe tomatoes.
A fancy-looking dish from ordinary ingredients. I don't have Miss Hauser's exact recipe, but I do remember being surprised that MSG and a little extra salt were added to the cottage cheese. The MSG really does make a difference in flavor, but I don't use it anymore.
Cooking Science: In China and Japan, where the use of monosodium glutamate is commn, there is a theory that our tongues have receptors for a "meaty" flavor in addition to sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Monosodium glutamate is the sodium salt of an amino acid (one of the building blocks of protein), glutamic acid. I believe it is sometimes extracted commercially from sugar beets. It is also present in hydrolyzed protein products. If you react to it with a headache, flushing or other symptoms, don't use it. The higher the dose, the more likely a reaction is. A 5 mg dose reportedly causes a reaction in many people.
I have a cookbook from the 1950s, and era when exploration of the uses of processed foods was in full swing, in which almost every recipe with a savory flavor contained MSG. It is most familiar in the US under the brand name ACCENT. It is used in a variety of foods, especially soups and salad dressings (like Ranch). Some evidence suggests it increases weight gain (perhaps by making food tastier).
Ingredients
1 pint cottage cheese, regular or low-fat
1/8 teaspoon salt - optional
1/16 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (ACCENT) - optional
2 Tablespoons diced or chunked green bell pepper
1 - 2 Tablespoons minced scallions (white part, maybe with some of the tender inner green tops) and/or up to 2 Tablespoons chives
3 or 4 medium to large tomatoes
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Lettuce, if desired
Directions
Mix all ingredients except tomatoes and allow flavors to blend for a few minutes to overnight, refrigerated.
When ready to serve, peel tomatoes and remove a slice from the stem end so that they will sit flat on a plate. Remove the shallow white cores from the cut end and place cut side down on a cutting board. Carefully cut across tomatoes to make eight segments, stopping an inch or less from the bottom. Gently spread into "flowers", sprinkle with a little salt and fresh-ground pepper and allow to drain for a minute or two. Carefully transfer on a spatula to individual serving plates, over lettuce leaves or on a bed of shredded lettuce if desired.
Pile cottage cheese mixture into the center of the tomato flowers. Serve.
Variations:
1. I cut the peppers in chunks because I have trouble digesting them. They will flavor the salad, but I can push them aside when eating the salad. If your tummy REALLY can't take raw green peppers, substitute ripe red, orange or yellow bell peppers or canned diced mild chiles or pimento. Or add minced Italian parsley in place of peppers.
2. Use a different hearty salad mixture in tomato flowers - chicken, tuna, potato, etc. Let me know if you have other ideas.
A fancy-looking dish from ordinary ingredients. I don't have Miss Hauser's exact recipe, but I do remember being surprised that MSG and a little extra salt were added to the cottage cheese. The MSG really does make a difference in flavor, but I don't use it anymore.
Cooking Science: In China and Japan, where the use of monosodium glutamate is commn, there is a theory that our tongues have receptors for a "meaty" flavor in addition to sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Monosodium glutamate is the sodium salt of an amino acid (one of the building blocks of protein), glutamic acid. I believe it is sometimes extracted commercially from sugar beets. It is also present in hydrolyzed protein products. If you react to it with a headache, flushing or other symptoms, don't use it. The higher the dose, the more likely a reaction is. A 5 mg dose reportedly causes a reaction in many people.
I have a cookbook from the 1950s, and era when exploration of the uses of processed foods was in full swing, in which almost every recipe with a savory flavor contained MSG. It is most familiar in the US under the brand name ACCENT. It is used in a variety of foods, especially soups and salad dressings (like Ranch). Some evidence suggests it increases weight gain (perhaps by making food tastier).
Ingredients
1 pint cottage cheese, regular or low-fat
1/8 teaspoon salt - optional
1/16 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (ACCENT) - optional
2 Tablespoons diced or chunked green bell pepper
1 - 2 Tablespoons minced scallions (white part, maybe with some of the tender inner green tops) and/or up to 2 Tablespoons chives
3 or 4 medium to large tomatoes
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Lettuce, if desired
Directions
Mix all ingredients except tomatoes and allow flavors to blend for a few minutes to overnight, refrigerated.
When ready to serve, peel tomatoes and remove a slice from the stem end so that they will sit flat on a plate. Remove the shallow white cores from the cut end and place cut side down on a cutting board. Carefully cut across tomatoes to make eight segments, stopping an inch or less from the bottom. Gently spread into "flowers", sprinkle with a little salt and fresh-ground pepper and allow to drain for a minute or two. Carefully transfer on a spatula to individual serving plates, over lettuce leaves or on a bed of shredded lettuce if desired.
Pile cottage cheese mixture into the center of the tomato flowers. Serve.
Variations:
1. I cut the peppers in chunks because I have trouble digesting them. They will flavor the salad, but I can push them aside when eating the salad. If your tummy REALLY can't take raw green peppers, substitute ripe red, orange or yellow bell peppers or canned diced mild chiles or pimento. Or add minced Italian parsley in place of peppers.
2. Use a different hearty salad mixture in tomato flowers - chicken, tuna, potato, etc. Let me know if you have other ideas.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Sarah's Favorite Twisty Pasta
We had Sarah, age 3, over to visit not long ago during a stressful time for her, and she wanted this pasta at every meal. Definitely kid comfort food. No onion, pepper or other strong flavors added. Slightly more palatable to adults than the canned kid stuff. A nice way to incorporate some vegetables for veggie-resistant kids. Divide and freeze some of the sauce if you like.
Ingredients
about 1 pound ground turkey or extra-lean ground beef
about 2 medium or 3 small grey zucchini (Mexican or Lebanese type), finely shredded. Sarah will pick it out if she can see it. You could use dark green zucchini for less-picky kids. You could also try adding shredded carrot, skipping the sugar in the recipe.
1 jar spaghetti sauce (about 26 ounces)
1 tsp. sugar or to taste (optional)
salt to taste
Cooked rotini or other twisty pasta
Shredded or diced medium cheddar cheese (or cheddar and mozarella, etc.)
Directions
Thaw meat if frozen. Frozen 1-pound chubs of ground turkey are convenient for this recipe, and the fats are more healthful than those in ground beef.
Cooking Lesson Adapted from a recipe for Sloppy Joes by the obsessive people who produce books like this:
Boil twisty pasta until done. Drain and mix with hot sauce and a little cheese and serve.
Leftovers keep refrigerated for a couple of days, though some of the moisture may be absorbed into the pasta. Microwave individual servings topped with a little extra sauce and/or cheese if you like.
Sloppy Joes: Use the same principle of partially cooking meat before adding zucchini. You could probably work up a nice recipe using undiluted condensed chicken gumbo soup, tomato sauce or paste and ketchup. Aunt Elizabeth prepared Sloppy Joes once for a family party using condensed chicken gumbo soup when I was a teenager, and they were wonderful. I can't eat it now. Corn products. Let me know how it works.
Allergy Information: You can find commercial spaghetti sauce with no corn sweeteners if you look hard. Many Classico varieties contain no corn sweetener.
Ingredients
about 1 pound ground turkey or extra-lean ground beef
about 2 medium or 3 small grey zucchini (Mexican or Lebanese type), finely shredded. Sarah will pick it out if she can see it. You could use dark green zucchini for less-picky kids. You could also try adding shredded carrot, skipping the sugar in the recipe.
1 jar spaghetti sauce (about 26 ounces)
1 tsp. sugar or to taste (optional)
salt to taste
Cooked rotini or other twisty pasta
Shredded or diced medium cheddar cheese (or cheddar and mozarella, etc.)
Directions
Thaw meat if frozen. Frozen 1-pound chubs of ground turkey are convenient for this recipe, and the fats are more healthful than those in ground beef.
Cooking Lesson Adapted from a recipe for Sloppy Joes by the obsessive people who produce books like this:
For some recipes, we want ground beef to "give" easily when chewed. This result can be accomplished by not browning the meat too much before liquids (or moist vegetables, etc.) are added. For this recipe, saute meat in a lightly oiled skillet just until it starts to lose its pink color, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks. We don't want the meat to turn firm. We're feeding kids. (For adults, you can start with some chopped onion sauteed until it becomes translucent, or until it starts to caramelize.) Mix in zucchini (and/or carrots), stir and cook until vegetables are limp. Mix in spaghetti sauce.Simmer for at least 10 minutes. Add sugar and salt to taste. You can cool and freeze part of the sauce at this point.
Boil twisty pasta until done. Drain and mix with hot sauce and a little cheese and serve.
Leftovers keep refrigerated for a couple of days, though some of the moisture may be absorbed into the pasta. Microwave individual servings topped with a little extra sauce and/or cheese if you like.
Sloppy Joes: Use the same principle of partially cooking meat before adding zucchini. You could probably work up a nice recipe using undiluted condensed chicken gumbo soup, tomato sauce or paste and ketchup. Aunt Elizabeth prepared Sloppy Joes once for a family party using condensed chicken gumbo soup when I was a teenager, and they were wonderful. I can't eat it now. Corn products. Let me know how it works.
Allergy Information: You can find commercial spaghetti sauce with no corn sweeteners if you look hard. Many Classico varieties contain no corn sweetener.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Apple and Cottage Cheese Salad
I used to eat this salad at work in winter. It reminds me of Waldorf Salad.
APPLE AND COTTAGE CHEESE SALAD
Core and chop an apple and add up to a cup of cottage cheese. Add two or three chopped dates. Add some chopped celery if you like. Mix and eat.
Allergy information: Check cottage cheese carton for corn products.
APPLE AND COTTAGE CHEESE SALAD
Core and chop an apple and add up to a cup of cottage cheese. Add two or three chopped dates. Add some chopped celery if you like. Mix and eat.
Allergy information: Check cottage cheese carton for corn products.
Monday, January 12, 2009
"Boiled" ham - better than it sounds
Mom introduced me to the idea of boiled ham, which she prepared for some holiday (I don't remember which). Over the years, I've decided that for busy holidays and for potlucks or buffets, "boiled" (actually, gently simmered) ham makes a lot of sense. It frees up the oven for other foods, and the ham is a little less salty than a baked ham. You run less risk of over-cooking or of scorching a glazed ham in the holiday rush.
A "boiled" ham generally doesn't look as impressive as a baked ham. If you're a fan of glazed ham, try turning your favorite glaze ingredients into a sauce and serve it alongside the ham to partially compensate for the missing sight of a gloriously glazed ham. Then people who want their ham "straight" have a choice. And the leftovers are useful in more ways. You might even throw caution to the wind and offer two different sauces or condiments.
You could hardly pick an easier choice for a buffet or potluck. You can start a slow cooker on high heat and turn to low heat after the ham has heated through, or cook overnight on low heat. For holidays, you can even cook your ham in a slow-cooker a room other than the kitchen if you need to. Same with one of those large electric roasters that go on sale just before Thanksgiving.
Types of ham to choose: Spiral-sliced ham DOES NOT work out well when simmered like this. Though I prefer natural, bone-in hams, I have had good luck doing inexpensive (but not the very cheapest) formed hams in an oval slow-cooker. All the hams I have prepared this way have been pre-cooked. For saltier "country" hams, typical directions call for covering the ham with water in a pot just larger than the ham, simmering for several hours then turning off the heat and leaving the ham in the liquid. Look up the full directions before doing a country ham.
Directions: To simmer a bone-in ham on top of the stove, choose a shank or butt portion which fits into a heavy-bottomed kettle which you already have. You can cut off a piece and place it to the side if the ham is too wide, but it's difficult to accomodate a shank bone which is too tall for your pot. Place cut-side down in about 1/2 inch to an inch of water and simmer gently for several hours. Check and replenish water occasionally. The key to a tasty, tender result is to cook it slowly for a long time, but not to use too much water. About 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the pan is usually about right to start. The ham may release more liquid as it cooks.
I've done small formed hams in a 3-quart slow cooker in half an inch of water, and a small butt portion of a natural ham in an oval 6-quart slow cooker. The natural hams I've cooked this way have been wonderful, and the formed hams have been better than baked formed hams. Always turn off the heat completely at least half an hour before serving.
I have simmered a 22 pound pre-cooked natural whole ham in an 18-quart electric roaster for 6 hours at 265 degrees, leaving the ham in the roaster with heat turned off for an additional hour and a half. I added just a pint of water. But remember Mark Twain's definition of eternity as "two people and a ham" and plan your quantities accordingly.
If you let the ham it cook too long, it can get TOO tender, so be prepared to turn the slow cooker or roaster to "warm" after several hours, say, if you cooked it overnight and you're serving it at noon. If you let the ham boil or simmer too long, it could become a little stringy. It is particularly important in this case to let the ham "rest" in the pot with the heat turned off before trying to slice it. A too-tender ham is better sliced warm than hot.
Save the liquid and leftovers for bean, lentil or potato and ham soup and other dishes.
Migraine and allergy information: Many migraineurs are sensitive to cured meats, which often contain vasoactive compounds. Don't overdo it with ham even if you've never noticed a problem before. Some people get migraines from all pork, especially when eaten more than once within a few days. Many hams contain corn sweeteners. Check the label.
Stocking up: Hams keep quite well in the refrigerator and can be left out in a cool location for a little while during winter. Fully cooked hams can be served without cooking if the power goes out. Though you might think that hams would keep practically forever in the freezer, long freezer storage is not recommended by sources I have read. They may lose quality in the freezer faster than some fresh meats (not that the ham would become unsafe). Check recent recommendations from authoritative sources.
A "boiled" ham generally doesn't look as impressive as a baked ham. If you're a fan of glazed ham, try turning your favorite glaze ingredients into a sauce and serve it alongside the ham to partially compensate for the missing sight of a gloriously glazed ham. Then people who want their ham "straight" have a choice. And the leftovers are useful in more ways. You might even throw caution to the wind and offer two different sauces or condiments.
You could hardly pick an easier choice for a buffet or potluck. You can start a slow cooker on high heat and turn to low heat after the ham has heated through, or cook overnight on low heat. For holidays, you can even cook your ham in a slow-cooker a room other than the kitchen if you need to. Same with one of those large electric roasters that go on sale just before Thanksgiving.
Types of ham to choose: Spiral-sliced ham DOES NOT work out well when simmered like this. Though I prefer natural, bone-in hams, I have had good luck doing inexpensive (but not the very cheapest) formed hams in an oval slow-cooker. All the hams I have prepared this way have been pre-cooked. For saltier "country" hams, typical directions call for covering the ham with water in a pot just larger than the ham, simmering for several hours then turning off the heat and leaving the ham in the liquid. Look up the full directions before doing a country ham.
Directions: To simmer a bone-in ham on top of the stove, choose a shank or butt portion which fits into a heavy-bottomed kettle which you already have. You can cut off a piece and place it to the side if the ham is too wide, but it's difficult to accomodate a shank bone which is too tall for your pot. Place cut-side down in about 1/2 inch to an inch of water and simmer gently for several hours. Check and replenish water occasionally. The key to a tasty, tender result is to cook it slowly for a long time, but not to use too much water. About 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the pan is usually about right to start. The ham may release more liquid as it cooks.
I've done small formed hams in a 3-quart slow cooker in half an inch of water, and a small butt portion of a natural ham in an oval 6-quart slow cooker. The natural hams I've cooked this way have been wonderful, and the formed hams have been better than baked formed hams. Always turn off the heat completely at least half an hour before serving.
I have simmered a 22 pound pre-cooked natural whole ham in an 18-quart electric roaster for 6 hours at 265 degrees, leaving the ham in the roaster with heat turned off for an additional hour and a half. I added just a pint of water. But remember Mark Twain's definition of eternity as "two people and a ham" and plan your quantities accordingly.
If you let the ham it cook too long, it can get TOO tender, so be prepared to turn the slow cooker or roaster to "warm" after several hours, say, if you cooked it overnight and you're serving it at noon. If you let the ham boil or simmer too long, it could become a little stringy. It is particularly important in this case to let the ham "rest" in the pot with the heat turned off before trying to slice it. A too-tender ham is better sliced warm than hot.
Save the liquid and leftovers for bean, lentil or potato and ham soup and other dishes.
Migraine and allergy information: Many migraineurs are sensitive to cured meats, which often contain vasoactive compounds. Don't overdo it with ham even if you've never noticed a problem before. Some people get migraines from all pork, especially when eaten more than once within a few days. Many hams contain corn sweeteners. Check the label.
Stocking up: Hams keep quite well in the refrigerator and can be left out in a cool location for a little while during winter. Fully cooked hams can be served without cooking if the power goes out. Though you might think that hams would keep practically forever in the freezer, long freezer storage is not recommended by sources I have read. They may lose quality in the freezer faster than some fresh meats (not that the ham would become unsafe). Check recent recommendations from authoritative sources.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Blackeyed Pea Confetti Salad (and variations)
Above: Confetti Salad and "In the Pink" variation
Happy New Year!
Blackeyed Pea Confetti Salad
Amounts of ingredients can be varied to taste.
The honey in this recipe seems to go especially well with blackeyed peas and mild chiles. Feel free to use sugar instead if you're in a hurry.
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon celery salt with regular salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup salad oil or olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 to 1/3 cup diced onion or scallions, or up to 3/4 cup diced sweet red or white onion
1 pound frozen blackeyed peas, cooked until firm but tender (about 3 cups)
(or substitute canned blackeyed peas - up to two 15 oz. cans, drained)
about 1/3 to 1/2 cup diced red and/or yellow bell pepper, diced
about 1/3 to 1/2 cup diced Pasilla chile (or Ancho, Poblano, Mulato Isleno, Anaheim
or other mild green to brown/black chile)
Combine vinegar, seasonings, oil and honey (measure honey in the same cup as the oil). Add onion and allow to sit while cooking blackeyed peas according to package directions - but just until you can mash a pea easily against a spoon with your finger - as little as 5 minutes after bringing to a boil. Watch carefully that you don't cook them too long or they will be mushy. Drain and rinse to cool peas to lukewarm.
Remove seeds and membranes from chile and taste to be sure it isn't too hot for the people who will be eating it. Vary the amount of chile depending on spiciness. Pasillas or Anchos are normally quite sweet with a fruity taste and just a little heat. You can substitute green bell pepper if necessary.
Mix all ingredients. Allow to sit for two hours at room temperature to blend flavors, or refrigerate overnight, stirring a couple of times. Serve over salad greens or steamed vegetables. If you really want to impress people, try using a good raw apple cider vinegar from a natural food store.
Update 2011 New Years Day - Canned garbanzo recipe: I couldn't find frozen blackeyed peas this year. I made half a recipe with a can of organic (no sulfite) garbanzo beans and all Ancho peppers. Traded confetti appearance from red bell pepper for more picante zing. The garbanzos were quite crunchy. The Ancho peppers were a little hotter than expected. I served the salad over greens with shoestring beets and black olives.
Leftovers: Added a can of green beans and a little more onion and chile to the leftover marinade with remaining garbanzos - a remembrance of "three bean salad" for tomorrow.
Variation: In-the-Pink Salad
This is a good recipe to make if the power is out, as it requires no cooking or refrigeration.
Add some diced celery before serving if you want more crunch. Serve over greens. A good way to shake off holiday sleepiness, but this salad is good all year. Try black beans and shoestring beets at Halloween for a spooky-looking salad
1/2 cup distilled white or apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon celery salt with regular salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste
Up to 1/4 cup sugar (beets add some sweetness)
1/2 cup liquid drained from beets (below). See notes.
1/4 to 1/3 cup diced onion or scallions, or up to 3/4 cup diced sweet red or white onion
Two to 4 cups cooked light-colored beans - up to two 15-oz cans, rinsed and drained.
(Lima, Peruano or Pinto for soft texture, Cannellini or garbanzos for firmer texture)
About 1/3 to 2/3 cup diced Pasilla, Ancho, Poblano, Mulato Isleno, Anaheim
or other mild green to brown/black chile. Or use green bell pepper. Or omit peppers.
One 15-oz can sliced or shoestring beets, drained. Cut sliced beets in quarters or sixths.
2 Tablespoons to 1/4 cup salad oil or olive oil
Combine marinade ingredients. Add onions (allow to soak for a while if onions are strong) then the beans, chiles and beets. You can cover and refrigerate at this point.
When ready to serve salad, remove from the marinade to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon and toss with a little oil. If you are not refrigerating the salad, waiting until serving time to add the oil is a good idea for food safety.
NOTES: To serve after just 2 or 3 hours, leave out the beet juice and leave salad on the counter. Stir occasionally. Use liquid from canned beets to increase volume of marinade if you want to leave the salad in the refrigerator for several hours unattended. Marinate should almost cover bean mixture. You can add more marinate ingredients proportionally if you need more marinade.
Stocking up: If the power is out, this salad can be made without cooking if you use canned beans in either of the salads above. The salads will keep for a few hours without refrigeration and it tastes good at room temperature. Don't push the unrefrigerated storage time too long in hot weather.
Vinegar, honey and oil are standard storage items. In place of frozen blackeyed peas, you can use 3 or 4 cups of firm, canned or cooked dried blackeyed peas, small white beans or pink beans - or whatever beans you have. You may not need added salt in the salad. Drain well any beans you use. Rinse canned beans.
If you make the salad with regular beans and bell peppers instead of chiles, try using a tablespoon or two of sugar in place of the honey and adding some Italian seasoning. You can mix green or wax beans with cooked or canned dried beans for a multi-bean salad. In a pinch, dried onions and bell pepper flakes or dried, flaked or powdered hot red pepper can be used instead of the fresh ingredients, though they won't taste the same. Serve this salad with a grain product for a complete protein, or add some drained, canned hominy.
Background: In much of the South and among the Okies of California, it's traditional to eat blackeyed peas (usually as Hoppin' John, -- or at least with ham) on New Years Day, as a good-luck dish. The peas are supposed to resemble coins. I think the original European tradition called for the eating of lentils, which actually do resemble coins a little. I don't place much stock in the power of legumes to help me make money in the coming year. But you could eat worse things than blackeyed peas or lentil soup on New Years Day.
This is a takeoff on three-bean salad. It looks sort of like confetti, making it appropriate for a New Years celebration, and has a little zing and a little sweetness as a way to start off the New Year. Try it with garbanzos, limas or butterbeans, too. Or maybe light-colored lentils (slightly sprouted or not, cooked until tender but still firm). Blackeyed Peas, small white beans or lentils would give the most confetti-like appearance to the salad for New Years Day.
Food Sensitivities, Migraine: Blackeyed peas are not really my thing, though David's family is attached to them. The whole cowpea family is a problem for me, especially if I eat the pods. If I eat too many of them, I get a migraine. Same with some other legumes (especially if eaten two days in a row). Migraineurs are warned to watch their reactions to snow peas and Italian beans, but not regular garden (English) peas or green beans. I say, watch your own personal reactions. Somehow, I am OK with a small serving of this salad.
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