Cooking Tip: Waste Not, Want Not

culinaryconfessional:

Not sure what to do with leftover brownies or other baked goods, especially when they’re a couple of days old?  Try putting them in a food processor and hit Pulse to create crumbs.  


Save the crumbs for a crunchy layer in a fabulous parfait—layers of pudding, your crumbs, and a little whipped cream, then voila.  You’ve got a creative, delicious, and EASY dessert in just a few minutes.  


Or you can just sprinkle your crumbs over ice cream for an extra treat. 

Excellent tip! I do this all the time. I save the crumbs in a freezer bag or plastic container. Labelled, of course (challah crumbs, rye bread crumbs, etc). I still have those honey cake crumbs to deal with. People have sent me suggestions which I will be testing out in the weeks to come.

Roasted Chicken with Apples, Shallots and Mushrooms

Do you think Adam and Eve would have been tempted by an old, supermarket Red Delicious apple left over from last year?

I doubt it.

But a fresh, crisp, juicy apple is one of life’s sweetest gifts. And far from ordinary.

At least they’re not ordinary at this time of year, when the new harvest is in full swing. You can get new crop apples at a farm stands now, and some supermarkets have them too. And even though we can buy apples any time, they are like all other seasonal foods: best eaten in season. 

I bought a bushel of apples plus several bags of different apple varieties recently. Most went into pies, some cakes, baked apples, apple crisp and some snacks and stuff. But I still have some left over. 

These are for cooking with savory dishes like this Roasted Chicken with Apples, Shallots and Mushrooms.

Roasted Chicken with Apples, Shallots and Mushrooms

1 roasting chicken, about 5-6 pounds

2 tablespoons olive oil, softened margarine (or butter)

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 medium shallots, peeled

8 cloves garlic, peeled

1 cup apple cider

10 ounces fresh mushrooms, cleaned

3 tart apples, peeled and cut into large chunks

1/3 cup chicken stock or white wine

1/4 cup coconut milk (or cream)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and dry the chicken. Rub the skin with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Place the chicken, breast-side down, on a rack in a roasting pan.

Add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Immediately reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees and roast for 45-50 minutes, basting occasionally with the apple cider. Turn the chicken breast-side up. Add the mushrooms and apple chunks to the pan. Continue to roast until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees (45 minutes plus, depending on the size of the chicken). Baste occasionally with the pan fluids until 15 minutes before you expect the chicken to be done. Remove the chicken to a carving board, and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Reduce the oven heat to 140 degrees. Remove the vegetables and apples with a slotted spoon, and keep them warm in the oven. Add the chicken stock to the roasting pan, stir, and bring the liquid to a boil. Cook over high heat for about 2 minutes or until sauce has reduced to the consistency of heavy cream. Add the coconut milk, stir, and keep warm over low heat. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Carve the chicken, and place the pieces on a serving dish surrounded by vegetables and apples. Pour the sauce over the sliced meat and vegetables (or serve separately), and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Baked Kuri Squash

Yesterday I sang the praises of kuri squash, a large, hard-skinned winter squash that is exceptional for its flavor and texture. I buy this variety whenever I see it, usually during the autumn, because it isn’t around for very long. I roast the vegetable, scoop the flesh and freeze it in portions (lasts a couple of months).

Of course I use some immediately too. Like in this side dish, which is a terrific accompaniment especially to roasted chicken or turkey.

This recipe is really easy. Not too many ingredients either. And you can make it ahead, leave it in the fridge for a day or so and pop it into the oven to heat up.

Baked Kuri Squash

1 large kuri squash

1-1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

salt to taste

3-4 tablespoons orange or mango juice

2 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds, optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash into quarters; scoop and discard the seeds (or roast them separately to nibble). Wrap the quarters tightly in aluminum foil, place in the oven and roast for 50-60 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and let cool in the aluminum wrapper. When cool enough to handle, scoop the squash flesh from the shell and place the flesh in a bowl. Discard the shell. Add the butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and juice to the bowl. Mash and mix the ingredients until smooth and well blended. Spoon into a baking dish. Scatter nuts on top if used. Baked for 10-15 minutes or until hot. Makes 4-6 servings

For The Vice Presidential Debate

Yesterday I mentioned that I was hosting a Vice Presidential debate night dinner and wanted to make foods from each of the two states of the two men running for the office. And that I went to a website that listed the Official foods of various states and then said that there was no official food from either Wisconsin (Paul Ryan) or Joe Biden (Delaware).

Well, I was WRONG!

And, I have to say, it was my daughter Meredith, a super-smart, super-researcher who told me so. She read the blog and actually went to that site and saw right there that there WAS an official food for Delaware. Peach pie. 

She offered me an excuse. She said that I must have been so excited by the Indiana Sugar Cream Pie that I chose for the evening that my eyes went right by the Delaware option. 

Well, that’s very generous.

Truth to tell, when I saw Meredith’s reply online I thought, “that can’t be” and then I went to the website and sure enough, there it was, Peach pie as the official food for Delaware.

And I thought “did they put that there overnight?” I would have sworn it wasn’t there the day before.

But it must have been. And I missed it!

And really, maybe that Sugar Cream Pie option just distracted me! I have to say, it was so good that my practice pie is ALL GONE thanks to my husband mainly, who usually doesn’t eat dessert. 

Meredith suggested I make both another Sugar Cream Pie and Peach Pie for tonight. But the peaches are no longer as wonderful as they were just a few short weeks ago. So I won’t. But if anyone out there can get a hold of good peaches and would like to make one, here’s the recipe I posted just a few short weeks ago.

Kuri Squash with Tangerine

These are Kuri squash and if you see them in a store near you be sure to buy some because — in my opinion — there is no other variety that tastes as good. Also, they’re not around for long, so you have to get them while the getting is good (usually during October and November). 

Look for Kuri near the overflowing acorn and butternut squash bins. There may only be a small basket of them. 

But do look. They’re worth the time and yes, they are more expensive than the others, but it’s a treat, even if you only cook it once a season.

Kuri are hard shelled, which makes them difficult to peel. You’ll do best with roasting. Cut the squash into quarters, scoop the seeds, wrap the halves in aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the flesh is tender. 

Kuri flesh sweet, like all winter squashes, especially when you roast it. The texture is soft and velvety in a way, like chestnut. You don’t need to add any sweetener, but if you must, a tablespoon or two of brown sugar or honey for an entire squash is sufficient.

To make a quick casserole side dish, scoop the flesh from the shell, put it in a bowl and mash it with juice — maybe tangerine or orange juice or apple cider. Add a sprinkle of one spice or another: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and so on. If you like it richer, whip in a small amount of butter.

I buy several kuri squash when I see them and pack away the cooked flesh in small freezer packages. Then I have what I need to make a vegetable side dish or soup or muffins, quickbread and so on. 

You can freeze the cooked Kuri squash for about 2 months. I froze a few batches yesterday and also made this side dish, which got terrific reviews:

Kuri Squash with Tangerine

1 large Kuri squash

salt to taste

1 large tangerine

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash into quarters and remove the seeds. Sprinkle the quarters with salt. Wrap them in aluminum foil and close the foil tightly. Roast for 50-60 minutes or until tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the skin and place the flesh in a bowl. Grate the tangerine peel into the bowl. Cut the tangerine in half, scoop the seeds and pour the juice from one half into the bowl. Add the honey, butter, cinnamon and cayenne pepper and stir until well mixed. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste. Makes 4-6 servings

Indiana Sugar Cream Pie

Ed and I are hosting a Veep Debate night at our house tomorrow so I wanted to find some foods from both Delaware and Wisconsin, the respective home states of Joe Biden and Paul Ryan.

Wisconsin was easy. Cheese. Cheese anything. It’s a no brainer. I could make Cheese Soup or Mac and Cheese or Grilled Cheese. So many choices.

But Delaware.

What?

Delaware cuisine?

So I went on the internet to find some inspiration and found a site that said it listed the Official Foods for all the states.

Official!

That sounded promising, but when I got there I saw that there was no official food for Wisconsin (but everyone knows it’s the cheese state). And there was nothing official for Delaware either.

In case you’re interested, Massachusetts has FIVE official foods.

Oklahoma has an official meal.

And then, as I was looking down the list of official foods of the other states my eyes zeroed in on —— Indiana! Because its official state food is Sugar Cream Pie!

Sugar Cream Pie!

Ohmyohmyohmy. Doesn’t that sound unbelievably wonderful? Sugar. Cream. It doesn’t get much better does it?

It’s really too bad no one from Indiana is debating because this sure sounds like a winner.

And that’s what I am serving for dessert. I made one for practice and you know, it tastes as good as it sounds.

Indiana Sugar Cream Pie.

Who knew?

Sugar Cream Pie

half recipe for pie dough

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups half and half (or heavy whipping) cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Place the dough in the pie plate and make a fluted rim around the edge. Set aside. Place the brown sugar, flour and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk the ingredients thoroughly to form a uniform mixture. Mix the cream and vanilla extract together and pour it into the brown sugar mixture. Whisk ingredients to blend thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the pie plate. Mix the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the surface of the pie. Bake the pie for about one hour, or until browned on top and set in the center. Look at the pie about halfway through baking. If the crust seems to darken too much, place some aluminum foil loosely around the edge for the remainder of the baking time. Let the pie cool in the pan. Serve at room temperature or cool.

Makes 8-10 servings

Squash Bread with Kefir

When my kids were little we had lots of books in the house. There were favorites of course, like “Come Over to My House” by Theo LeSieg (aka Dr. Seuss). We’ve kept some of them (that particular one has been read so many times that it is falling apart).

But there was one book, whose title I can’t recall (and I can’t find the book) that ended with a recipe for pumpkin bread.

If anyone knows the title/author — I would surely appreciate if you could tell me.

Anyway, at the time I’d never heard of pumpkin bread, which became increasingly popular as the years rolled by. But the idea of such a thing intrigued me, if only because I was familiar with other quick breads like cranberry-orange and banana.

So I tried the recipe and liked the result.

But it was only a beginning. Over the years I’ve made dozens of versions of pumpkin bread.

Including this one, using kefir because I happen to have some in the house. 

You can substitute buttermilk of course, or yogurt. And use more vegetable oil if you don’t like or have coconut oil. Also, use any kind of winter squash, pumpkin or otherwise.

Squash Bread with Kefir

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted, or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 cup mashed cooked squash

3/4 cup raisins

1/3 cup kefir (or buttermilk)

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a bowl and set it aside. Beat the brown sugar, coconut oil and vegetable oil with a handheld or electric mixer set at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the squash and raisins and beat the mixture to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Add the flour mixture, stirring only enough to blend in the dry ingredients. Add the kefir and vanilla extract and stir them in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan 15 minutes, then invert onto a cake rack to cool completely. Makes one loaf. 

Pear and Green Tomato Chutney

I goofed. Really, really goofed.

This past summer I decided to plant tomatoes. Just one plant, because in years gone by the deer came and ate everything, flowers, tiny green fruit and all. So I gave up for a while, but this year risked it with one plant.

But I did it too late. So in late August when everyone was harvesting gorgeous red fruit from their vines, my plants were flowering. I got some lovely green tomatoes by mid-September and thought I had a chance to get some good red ones — if only there was time and temperature. Well it got colder at night. And the earth is in a different place with respect to the sun (thanks Galileo!).

The tomatoes were getting bruised looking and ratty. Some had soft spots. 

I realized I would not get one red tomato this year.

Never mind. This became the perfect opportunity to make green tomato chutney, don’t you agree?

Next year I’ll start earlier. The deer have found greener pastures than my back yard.

Btw, if you prefer, make this with apples instead of pears.

Pear and Green Tomato Chutney

• 6 medium pears, peeled, cored and chopped

• 2 pounds green tomatoes, chopped

• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped

• 2 small chili peppers such as serrano, deseeded and chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 1-1/2 cups chopped dried apricots

• 1 cup golden raisins

• 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger

• 3 cups apple cider vinegar

• 2 cups brown sugar

• 1-1/2 tablespoons curry powder

• 1 tablespoon mustard seed 

Place the pears, tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, garlic, apricots, raisins, ginger, vinegar, brown sugar, curry powder and mustard seed in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 2-1/2 hours or until very thick.

Makes about 2-1/2 quarts

Old Fashioned Carrot Soup

In our family, when there’s a baby about to be born, we cook a bunch of stuff to freeze so that the tired, sleep-deprived new Mom and Dad don’t have to worry about dinner. My daughters Meredith and Gillian and I make stuff like Spinach Pie, Baked Ziti, Bean Soup and so on, pack them into family-size containers and put them in cold storage until the time comes.

So it’s a good thing we start well ahead because SURPRISE, we got a call at about 4:00 a.m. on September 30th that Gillian was on her way to the birthing center, 17 days before the due date and lickety-split, baby Carina Joy was born before we could even get there.

We are thrilled of course. New babies do that. Carina has a head-full of hair and two fat dimples. Gillian, who worked out almost every day and is fit as ever, is doing well and looks great.

All of this happened suddenly to Gillian and Jesse after a big move and in the middle of pre-school applications for Remy, age 2 (for next year!).

So yesterday I opened the freezer and brought them a few stored items, including this carrot soup. Dinner was all done.

Old Fashioned Carrot Soup

·      2 tablespoons butter or margarine

·      2 tablespoons vegetable oil

·      1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

·      2 pounds carrots, coarsely chopped

·      2 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

·      1/4 cup chopped parsley

·      2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

·      1-1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

·      freshly ground black pepper to taste

·      7 cups vegetable stock

·      pinch of sugar

·      1 cup cream (any kind) or cream substitute

Heat the butter and vegetable oil together in a soup pot over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the carrots, potatoes, parsley, dill, salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and sugar. Bring the soup to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 45 minutes. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender (or use a hand blender). Return the soup to the pan. Stir in the cream. Heat the soup through and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Squash Soup with Honey Croutons

Squash Soup with Honey Croutons

I love how the leaves turn to fire in autumn. 

I start a foliage watch in late August, mostly as I’m driving on the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut (one of the country’s really beautiful roads). The green is washed out by then and the leaves look bleached. And then, slowly, they yellow a bit and you see a few flashes of red and orange here and there. Like they’re on fire.

By early October, at least where I live, the blush is so beautiful I understand why people travel from afar to see it. In southwestern Connecticut, peak will be around October 15th. I look forward to that time every year. 

It’s a new season. Beginnings are always full of surprises and mystery. It makes life interesting, don’t you think?

New seasons mean a switch in food too. No more of the light salads and cold soups we needed for refreshment during the hot days of summer.

Now it’s warmth we want. Like this soup. A perfect dish for the cool weather. Good for company dinners too. Delicious with or without the honey-croutons.

Squash Soup with Honey Croutons

Soup:

• 2 pounds butternut squash 

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 serrano or other small, hot chili pepper

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

• 5 cups vegetable stock

• 2-inch piece cinnamon stick, broken in half

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup half and half cream or non-dairy cream substitute

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half, scoop the seeds and wrap in aluminum foil. Roast for 45-60 minutes or until tender. Scoop the flesh into a bowl and set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, chili pepper, parsley and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes to soften them slightly. Add the squash, stock, cinnamon stick pieces, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon. Puree the soup in a blender or with a hand blender. Return the puree to the pan. Stir in the cream, blend thoroughly and heat through. Makes 6-8 servings

Croutons:

• 3 dozen 1/2-inch bread cubes 

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter or margarine

• 1 tablespoon honey

• salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine the bread cubes with the vegetable oil, melted butter or margarine, the honey and salt to taste. Toss the ingredients to coat the bread with the honey mixture. Place the croutons on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.