Half-Hour Chili

I have been trying to find good, tasty, filling meatless meals that we all like. I personally have no problem with going without meat, but husband rather likes it, and I think he sometimes doesn't feel full without it, so I am particularly trying to find recipes that he likes. This is partly to save money, partly for better health, and partly to avoid being poisoned by contaminated factory-farmed meat. This year at the weekly farmer's market, I have bought some local, grass-fed beef from two vendors there, and been happy with it, but it costs $6 for a pound of ground beef. (One vendor sells larger amounts for less $$ per pound, but my family only uses a pound at a time, and I'm not sure if it's a good idea to thaw the meat -- which is frozen when I buy it -- divide it up, and re-freeze it.)

Anyway, today I tried this recipe for a meatless chili. I'm sure I could easily add meat to it if I wanted, but for now I did not.

6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 28-ounce can plus one 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, with juices
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 15-ounce cans red kidney beans, rinsed
• 1/3 cup bulgur (see Note)
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt for garnish
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions for garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, jalapeño, garlic, chili powder to taste and cumin. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and carrot are soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes with their juices, sugar and salt; cook for 5 minutes over high heat. Reduce heat to low; stir in beans and bulgur. Simmer until the chili is thickened, about 15 minutes.
3. Garnish with yogurt, scallions and cilantro, if desired.

Tips & Notes

• Note: Bulgur is made by parboiling, drying and coarsely grinding or cracking wheat berries. Don’t confuse bulgur with cracked wheat, which is simply that—cracked wheat. Since the parboiling step is skipped, cracked wheat must be cooked for up to an hour whereas bulgur simply needs a quick soak in hot water for most uses. Look for it in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets, near other grains, or online at kalustyans.com, buylebanese.com.

Nutrition

Per serving: 217 calories; 3 g fat ( 0 g sat , 2 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrates; 1 g added sugars; 10 g protein; 13 g fiber; 697 mg sodium; 854 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (49% daily value), Vitamin C (43% dv), Potassium (25% dv), Folate & Iron (24% dv), Magnesium (20% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 2
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat

I used dried beans, rather than canned, so it wasn't really half-hour chili for me, but that's okay -- husband was off work today to help wrangle our 3-year-old, and it's been a grey, drizzly day, nice for staying in and cooking all day.  I googled for information on how many dried beans to use to equal 2 cans, and found this very helpful site.

So, 1 cup of dry beans it is! I used the technique I'd read about in my old copy of "How to Cook Everything" (which I've had for years but barely looked at until the last year or two): brought them to a boil, boiled them for 2 minutes, then removed them from heat and just let them soak a while.  I think I gave them a couple of hours, while I did other stuff, then I really cooked them before putting them aside in a bowl and starting on the rest of the chili.

Once the beans were done the rest of it was indeed super-quick.  I did not have a jalapeno pepper, and since I don't like my food very spicy, I just left that step out.  I figured husband could add his own heat some other way if he wanted.  I used my old standbys of dehydrated chopped onion (soaked in a bit of water for a few minutes before cooking), and jarred pre-minced garlic in water.  I wanted to use up some bagged "baby" carrots I still had, so I estimated on how many looked like 1 whole carrot.  I also threw in 2 sticks of celery, chopped, that I wanted to use up.  Rather than go to the trouble of chopping whole canned tomatoes, I bought canned diced no-salt-added tomatoes.  I used all 2 tablespoons of chili powder, and some extra cumin, 'cause I like cumin. :)  Also, I did not have fresh cilantro, and rather than use it as garnish, I threw 4 teaspoons (if I remember correctly) of dried cilantro into the mix while cooking.  I did not try the yogurt yet; perhaps on my next bowl.   Did not have canola oil on hand, so I used grapeseed oil.

I thought it was all pretty tasty, but husband said he didn't really like it much. When he tried to pinpoint a reason, it wasn't flavor, but rather something about the texture didn't sit right with him.  I don't know what I can do about that, so I guess this recipe will be just for me (and our little boy, if he'll try it) in the future.

Spiced Apple Butter Bran Muffins

Today I tried Spiced Apple Butter Bran Muffins.

1 dozen muffins

Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup unprocessed wheat bran, or oat bran
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup spiced apple butter
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, or 1/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 cup finely diced peeled apple

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 12 standard 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with cooking spray. Place raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside.
2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in bran.
3. Whisk egg, milk, apple butter, brown sugar (or Splenda), oil and molasses in a large bowl until blended. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Drain the raisins; add them and the diced apple to the bowl. Stir until just combined. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan (the cups will be very full).
4. Bake the muffins until the tops spring back when touched lightly, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Tips & Notes

• Wrap leftover muffins individually in plastic wrap, place in a plastic storage container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. To thaw, remove plastic wrap, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on Defrost for about 2 minutes.

Nutrition

Per muffin: 197 calories; 6 g fat ( 1 g sat , 3 g mono ); 18 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 4 g fiber; 148 mg sodium; 221 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (16% daily value).
Carbohydrate Servings: 2
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat 

I ended up with 15 large muffins, rather than 12.

They're okay, but not great. I feel this is probably due to some shortcuts on my part, and plan to try them again another time to give them a fair chance.  For one, I wanted to use up the apple butter I had in my refrigerator, and it was not "spiced", just plain old apple butter.  I've never actually seen spiced apple butter in the grocery store before, so I guessed at how it might be flavored and attempted to make up for mine by doubling the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon (I like cinnamon anyway!) and adding 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.

Also, it turned out that I didn't have quite 1/2 cup left in the jar, so I added a bit of applesauce to make up the rest. 

The recipe didn't specify what kind of apple; I used Granny Smith, since I think I heard that kind is good for cooking with.  Think that has anything to do with the lack of flavor too?

Otherwise, the only things I did differently were: I used whole wheat pastry flour for the whole amount, rather than half all-purpose flour; and I didn't have canola oil so I used grapeseed oil, which if I understand correctly shouldn't have really made a difference in the flavor.

Other than flavor, the oat bran was still a wee bit crunchy in the finished muffins, which may not bother some people but I wasn't crazy about it.  There's another muffin recipe I've used before that uses oat bran or oatmeal (I've tried both), and it directs you to mix the bran/oatmeal with some of the wet ingredients first and let it sit a while before continuing. I think I will try that with this recipe next time.  I also may try some of the modifications people mentioned in their reviews on the recipe page.

Korean Chicken Soup

Today I decided to try something a bit new for me: Korean Chicken Soup.

6 servings, generous 1 cup each

Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1-2 teaspoons hot chile paste or hot chile sauce
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken (see How To)
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted (see Tip)

Preparation

1. Combine broth, garlic and ginger in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil over high heat. Add rice, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and sesame oil; add chile paste (or sauce) to taste. Add chicken and heat through. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Tips & Notes

• How To Poach Chicken Breasts: If you don’t have leftover chicken but you want to make a recipe that calls for cooked chicken, the easiest way to cook it is to poach it. Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or saucepan. Add lightly salted water (or chicken broth) to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 15 minutes. (1 pound raw chicken = about 2 1/2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken)
• Tip: To toast sesame seeds, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 149 calories; 2 g fat ( 0 g sat , 1 g mono ); 20 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 13 g protein; 1 g fiber; 857 mg sodium; 392 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Folate (16% daily value)
Carbohydrate Servings: 1
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 lean meat

 I have never tried cooking -- or eating -- anything labeled "Korean" before, so I had no real idea what to expect it to taste like. Being that husband and I are both fairly picky eaters, I worried we might not like it. I wasn't sure I'd like the ginger in the soup, but the rest of the ingredients sounded good to me for the most part.

I had to buy some sesame oil and chili sauce. This was the first time for me buying either one, so I wasn't really sure what to look for. Selection was limited, anyway.  I found a few brands of sesame oil, but only one specified toasted sesame oil, as stated in the recipe, and that one's ingredient list showed that it was diluted with canola oil, which didn't sound appealing to me.  If I'm going to buy sesame oil, I want just sesame oil, unless there's something I don't know. Anyway, the other two kinds listed only "pure sesame oil" as their ingredient, and despite their not saying "toasted", I bought one of those, hoping it wouldn't make a big difference.

Chili sauce (I did not see any chili paste) was a puzzler for me, as the varieties I found had ingredient lists quite different from each other; I especially noticed a big difference between the ones on the Asian food aisle and the ones shelved on a different aisle with "American" stuff like ketchup.  I ended up choosing one from the Asian food aisle with an ingredient list that sounded to me more like what I was probably looking for (for one thing, the first ingredient was not "corn syrups").  I used the smaller amount called for in the recipe -- 1 teaspoon -- which was plenty for me, and informed husband that he could add more to his if he wished.

I did not have leftover chicken to use; I bought an approximately 3/4 pound package for this instead.  I went ahead & cooked it all, thinking we'd use the rest for something else later, but after measuring out the 1 cup called for, and looking at the big pot of broth I had cooking,  1 cup seemed a bit skimpy, so I decided to use the whole amount.

I also used brown rice, rather than white, which took longer to cook.  I threw in some of my dehydrated chopped onions directly into the soup, rather than chopping scallions for garnish. I also used dried ginger from the spice cabinet and pre-minced garlic from a jar rather than fresh.

Despite my hesitation about the ginger, I thought the soup was very good!  It did turn out that I probably could have been fine with just the 1 cup of chicken that was called for originally, but the whole 0.75lbs was not overwhelming, and was probably more satisfying.

My mother makes a really delicious chicken & wild rice casserole, with mushrooms added if she's making it for me (she's not a fan of mushrooms).  I ask her to make it for me every year for my birthday.  At some point it occurred to me that it must not be all that easy to make, because she doesn't make it very often.

One day I decided I wanted some of that casserole, but I didn't have her recipe, and so I went searching for another good one.  I settled on this one from EatingWell.com, and the first time I made it, I got an idea of why my mom doesn't make hers all that often.  In fact, this time I divided the recipe among 2 dishes in order to freeze one to have later without all the trouble.  It takes me, personally, quite some time to make this casserole, and I have to have someone around to keep the kidlet out of my hair too, simply because of all the prep work -- once all that's done and it's assembled in a dish to bake, it only bakes for 30 minutes!

Chicken, Mushroom & Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 leeks, chopped and rinsed
• 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup dry sherry (see Note)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups frozen French-cut green beans
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preparation

1. Combine water and rice in a small heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, place chicken in a large skillet or saucepan. Add lightly salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a clean cutting board and let cool.
3. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until their liquid has been released and has evaporated, 12 to 14 minutes. Add sherry, increase heat to high and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle the vegetables with flour and stir to coat. Add milk; bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Stir in Parmesan, sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch (or similar 3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
5. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Spread the rice in an even layer in the prepared baking dish. Top with the chicken, then green beans. Pour the sauce over the top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with almonds.
6. Bake the casserole until it is bubbling and the almonds are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

(As always, especially with EatingWell.com, see link for further details and other cooks' suggestions.)


I have made this one a few times now, and I love it; it's a very delicious dish, in my opinion.  I have made it with and without sherry, and I'm really not sure I can tell a difference.  This time I happened to already have some cooking sherry on hand, but if I didn't I probably wouldn't go to any great trouble to go buy some.

The first time I made it, I felt it could use more rice; the amount called for didn't even cover the bottom of the dish!  I have been playing around with that part of it, and I think 1 cup before cooking is a good amount, personally.  This time I also used half wild rice and half long grain brown rice, just because I had some on hand (previously I'd used all wild rice -- and I mean really just the black wild rice, not the mixture that is sometimes labeled "wild rice").  I also threw in some celery, carrot, and chives that I had in the refrigerator (used 1 stick each of celery and carrot, and later realized I could have added more, but I had been worried about making too much).  I substitute unflavored Greek yogurt for the sour cream, and I used 2 tablespoons dried parsley instead of chopping fresh.

Previously, I had grated my Parmesan cheese myself, but recently I discovered a brand of Parmesan (also comes with Romano) in the noodles-and-sauces aisle that doesn't contain anything but the cheese -- none of the anti-caking, anti-mold, and preservatives that most pre-shredded cheeses contain.  This leads me to wonder how those things can really be so necessary, if this one works just fine without them! Anyway, I used that kind this time, rather than grate my own, to save time and effort.  (I don't like using a shredder/grater -- it always gets my fingernails, and they're not even that long!)

By the time I'm halfway through step 3, the sauce is smelling so tasty I could just eat it by itself with a spoon!  For some reason I never seem to cook out all of the liquid as called for after the mushrooms and again after the sherry, but it still works out just fine every time, so I've stopped worrying about that and just been using the cooking times indicated in each step.  It thickens a little bit as it sits while I chop the cooled chicken, anyway.

As I mentioned before, this time I divided it in half between two 8"x8" glass dishes, to freeze one for later, and baked them together for 20 minutes instead of 30, based on advice I'd requested from my mother.  I checked it by tasting a couple of the green beans from the middle of the one we're eating from today, and they were done.

Blueberry Popsicles

Been meaning to get around to this one for a while, but naps have been sounding like a better idea lately than blogging!

Ever since our little boy got old enough to enjoy popsicles, I have made his myself, usually simply freezing some kind of fruit juice, which has worked out wonderfully.  I came across this recipe earlier this summer, and decided to try it, to use up some blueberries that needed to get eaten.  (It was in Family Fun magazine, but I don't see it on their website at the moment.)  The nutrition information below the recipe is as provided with the recipe in the magazine.

Blueberry Pops


1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup nonfat Greek vanilla yogurt


Simmer all ingredients except yogurt in a medium saucepan for 10 minutes.  Let the mixture cool for 20 minute, then blend it in a food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth.  Stir in yogurt.  Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze.  Makes eight 3-ounce pops.


Nutrition information per serving (one 3-ounce pop): Calories 69, Total fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 16mg, Total carbohydrate 14g, Fiber 0.6g, Sugars 12g, Protein 4g, Vitamin C 8g

I did not have nonfat Greek vanilla yogurt available, only unflavored Greek or vanilla regular yogurt; I went with the vanilla regular yogurt.  I am considering trying it with unflavored Greek yogurt next time; I imagine it will only be slightly less sweet, which doesn't seem to be a big problem for my kid at the moment.  I also spontaneously decided to use honey instead of sugar when I made these, but I wasn't crazy about the way that tasted (though I like honey), so next time I plan to go with sugar as recommended.  My kid didn't seem to care; he has happily gobbled up every popsicle I've given him and asked for more.

Homemade Hamburger Helper

A day or two ago I came across this recipe on EatingWell.com, and we decided to try it for supper tonight.  It's kind of like beef stroganoff and Hamburger Helper, only better (than H.H., anyway).

Hamburger Buddy

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 10 ounces white mushrooms, large ones cut in half
• 1 large onion, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 pound 90%-lean ground beef
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups water
• 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth, divided
• 8 ounces whole-wheat elbow noodles, (2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or chives for garnish

Preparation

1. Fit a food processor with the steel blade attachment. With the motor running, drop garlic through the feed tube and process until minced, then add carrots and mushrooms and process until finely chopped. Turn it off, add onion, and pulse until roughly chopped.
2. Cook beef in a large straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped vegetables, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften and the mushrooms release their juices, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Stir in water, 1 1/2 cups broth, noodles and Worcestershire sauce; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Whisk flour with the remaining 1/4 cup broth in a small bowl until smooth; stir into the hamburger mixture. Stir in the sour cream. Simmer, stirring often, until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley (or chives), if desired.

I used ground beef that was 92/8, 'cause that's what I found at the store (I pondered using ground turkey, and I'm sure it would work here).  I did not need to drain the meat after browning it.  I used my usual pre-minced garlic and dehydrated chopped onion, and just added them separately at the same time as the veggie mix (which somehow ended up as more of a puree for me instead of finely chopped, but oh well).  I also added 2 sticks of celery in with the other veggies in the food processor.  I added some mushrooms in whole slices, apart from the veggie mix, because husband and I love mushrooms.  I used unflavored Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream, and the garnish we chose was chives. 

I thought it was delicious, and relatively quick to make.  If you want any variation, there are many suggestions from reviewers on the page I took the recipe from; I didn't read all 100.  I noticed a few of the reviewers complained that it was bland and/or the thyme was too strong; we didn't have either problem.  Might be because I like thyme.  Might be because we've been cutting out sodium wherever we can for years now, so what's good to us might be bland to some.  My picky-eater 3-yr-old wouldn't even taste it, despite the presence of noodles (which he loves by themselves), but husband approved and said he would eat it again.  Also, no doubt it was much healthier than the boxed Hamburger Helper stuff!

Last week at the farmers market I bought some squash.  Prior to the last few years, the word "squash" (for me) only brought to mind one thing: those standard yellow squashes that the grocery store always has.  When I was a kid, if we bought squash at the grocery store, if Mama served squash with dinner, it was those.  More recently, as I learned more about food and as the foodscape in the USA -- or at least where I live and shop -- changed to include more types and wider varieties of everything, I became aware that there are so many different kinds of squash, with different names! (Not talking about things like pumpkins and zucchinis, because while I knew they were related to the yellow squash I was used to, they were obviously not actually called "squash".)  So when I sat down to start telling you about these squash I bought last week and the recipe I used them in, I thought to myself, I should make sure I'm clear about what kind of squash, since squash doesn't simply mean squash anymore, especially in the context of modern farmers markets.  So I googled "types of squash", and came across this website first -- which didn't really help because I didn't see exactly the kind I meant in the pictures, but which lists many cooking tips for different kinds of squash so I want to keep it handy! -- and then this website, which leads me to believe the squash I have is called summer squash, yellow squash, crookneck squash, or maybe all 3?  The kind I'm talking about is smooth-skinned, not bumpy like in those photos, and sometimes has a slightly bent neck (not as much as in those photos) or sometimes has a straight one.  Anyway, it's that typical yellow one which I referred to at the beginning of all this, if that helps anyone.  Perhaps I should have taken a photo before I gobbled them up! :)

I have also concluded that "squash" is another one of those words that starts to look funny after you've looked at it a lot.

Anyhow, I hunted for a recipe, hoping for a new and interesting way of cooking squash other than my old standard of slicing it into a pan on the stove with some oil.  I found this one!

Parmesan-Squash Cakes

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups shredded seeded summer squash, (2-3 medium, about 1 pound; see Tip)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Beat egg in a large bowl. Stir in shallots, parsley, salt and pepper. Place shredded squash in the center of a clean kitchen towel; gather up the ends and twist to squeeze out any liquid. Add the squash and cheese to the bowl; stir to combine.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pack a 1/3-cup measuring cup with the squash mixture and unmold it into the pan; gently pat it down to form a 3-inch cake. Repeat, making 4 squash cakes. Cook until browned and crispy on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently turn the cakes over and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

One of the things I love about the recipes on EatingWell.com is the "tips & notes" bit that's in many of them, in which they briefly explain about some part of the recipe that might not be common knowledge, and usually wasn't for me.  In this case, I'd never tried to remove the seeds from a squash or grate a squash before; it helped to have someone say, "This is exactly the way to do it," rather than wonder if my guesses/attempts are right or not.

Anyhow, when I made this, my cakes did not hold together at all and I ended up with something more like hashbrowns than patties.  Knowing me, I'm sure it was something I did a bit wrong, and not a failing of the recipe, so you'll probably have better results.  It really didn't matter anyway -- I just scooped up the pieces and ate them as they were, and it was still really delicious!  Otherwise, the only thing I changed was using my trusty dried chopped onion bits rather than buying shallots, and using 1 teaspoon of dried parsley rather than fresh.

Dessert: Blackberry Cobbler

I bought some blackberries at the farmers market yesterday.

(Gosh, they look awfully red here, more so than they did to my eye!)

So today I wanted to find a quick and easy recipe for blackberry cobbler.  I used this one, halving it for the amount of blackberries I had.

Easy Blackberry Cobbler

• YIELD: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh blackberries
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Garnish: fresh mint sprig

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 375°. Place blackberries in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish; sprinkle with lemon juice. Stir together egg, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit. Drizzle melted butter over topping. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired. Garnish with fresh mint sprig, if desired.
• For a neat presentation, bake for the same amount of time in 6 (8-oz.) ramekins on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.

Didn't have any whipped cream or fresh mint on hand; I bet it would be good with milk though!  It was tasty enough by itself.

I also happened to come across this useful tip in a magazine today:

"Prolong the life of berries by using a sieve or colander to dip them in very hot (about 125 degrees) water for 30 seconds, then dry them off, let them cool, and store them as usual.  The process kills mold spores but won't hurt the fruit."
(Family Fun magazine, June/July 2011)

Good to know! I haven't tried it yet though, since I cooked all my blackberries and blueberries (recipe later) today!

Dessert: Triple Chocolate Brownies

I got this recipe from my mom, who says she got it from Cooks Illustrated (the recipe appears to be here; I can't read it because I'm not a subscriber).  It's my current favorite brownie recipe, and I've made it many times already!  I thought it seemed a bit complicated when I first read it, but once I actually tried it, I found it was quick and simple in practice.

Chewy Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies

5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick vegetable spray.  Fold two 12-inch pieces of foil lengthwise so they measure 7 inches wide.  Fit one sheet in bottom of greased pan, pushing it into corners and up the sides of the pan; overhang with help in removal of baked brownies.  Fit second sheet in pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first.  Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium heat-proof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally, until mixture is smooth.  Whisk in cocoa until smooth.  Set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl until combined, about 15 seconds.  Whisk warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture; then stir in flour with a wooden spoon until just combined.  Pour mixture into prepared pan, spread into corners, and level surface with a rubber spatula.

Bake until slightly puffed and toothpick inserted into center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35-40 minutes.  Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan using foil handles.  Cut into one-inch squares (do not cut until ready to serve).

I never really saw the point of all the tin-foil, so after obediently doing it that way a few times, I have since done without the foil, simply spraying the dish, and have been happier without the foil.

I have also toyed around with using whole-wheat flour, whether half all-purpose and half regular whole-wheat, or, most recently, replacing all of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat pastry flour.  I thought both worked out fine.

I have debated trying to replace some (not all) of the butter with a healthier substitute, whether applesauce or just a different kind of oil, but I'm not sure it would work out and haven't had the courage to try. (Don't want to waste all that delicious chocolatey goodness!)  If you have any suggestions or advice, I'd love to hear it.

Lunch: Tuna Salad!

Disclaimer: I'm quite aware that this, and many of the cooking/eating revelations I have had and will have, are probably new to no one but me.   That said, they are still new to me, and that's partly what this place is for.

It took many many years, but I recently realized I was bored with my usual way of making tuna salad.  It's been the same ever since, well, long enough ago that I can't remember the first time I made my own tuna salad, but I've always made it the same way: canned tuna, boiled egg (chopped), dill pickle (chopped), some mayonnaise & mustard, maybe a wee bit of salt & pepper.

Recently I came across mention somewhere of using dill itself in a tuna salad, or even salmon salad (which is a totally new concept to me, but we'll come to that another time), and I tried it, and liked it.  Then I realized I could undoubtedly change several other things about how I made my standard tuna salad, and more than likely ought to do so.

I searched for some tuna salad recipes online for ideas.  I wasn't looking for something on top of greens & other things making a standard salad, really, so I didn't pay as much attention to those types of recipes.

With those ideas in mind, I looked in my fridge today, and threw together a very yummy (probably because it was new to me, but still!) tuna salad for my lunch:

small (3 oz) can chunk light tuna in "water"*
1/2 stick celery, chopped very small
part of a green onion, chopped very small
1 leaf from a bunch of mustard greens, chopped
1 boiled egg, chopped
dried dill and dried cilantro
just enough mayonnaise

It was really tasty with some crackers.  If you have any other suggestions for variations on my tuna salad, please share them!



(*the label reads "in water", but the ingredients actually read "vegetable broth")

ipl2: Organic Food

In The News: Organic Food

May 11, 2011 — theipl2blog E. coli outbreaks, salmonella scares, contaminated food recalls. It seems like food safety is frequently in the news. You may be one of the many people who are looking at organic food options as a way to improve the quality and safety of the food you and your family eat. But what does the term “organic” really mean? How is it different than “natural?” Is organic food really healthier? Here are some sites to help you sort through these questions and to help you if you decide to make the switch to organic.
New resources that will be added to the ipl2 are noted NEW! All other resources are already listed in the ipl2 collection.

The Organic Center (find it on the ipl2)
http://www.organic-center.org/
This advocacy site for organic farming features articles and reports on subjects such as pesticides in foods, nutritional quality, antioxidants, and food safety. Also find links to related sites. From an organization whose mission is “to generate credible, peer reviewed scientific information and communicate the verifiable benefits of organic farming and products to society.” From The Organic Center.

NEW!  The Mayo Clinic – Organic foods: Are they safer? More nutritious?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/nu00255
The famed Mayo Clinic provides numerous articles on nutrition and healthy eating. Articles include, “Learn the difference between organic foods and their traditionally grown counterparts. Decide which is best for you considering nutrition, quality, taste, cost and other factors.” From the Mayo Clinic.

NEW! Organic Trade Association: Organic Facts
http://www.ota.com/organic.html
Provides a comprehensive listing of organic facts including a definition of organic, information on genetic engineering and the use of antibiotics in agriculture. The Organic Trade Association promotes organic products, advocates for organic standards and supports scientific research into the environmental and nutritional impacts of organic products.

If you decide going organic is the way for you, these sites will help you find recipes, choose products and even grow your own organic vegetables.

Organic Authority.com – Organic Food, Organic Living (find it on the ipl2 : Resources by Subject — Food — Recipes & Cookbooks)
http://www.organicauthority.com/
Provides information on organic food and organic living, including recipes, articles, health and beauty tips, and news.

Organic Gardening (find it on the ipl2 : Resources by Subject — Magazines — Entertainment and Leisure — Home and Garden)
http://www.organicgardening.com/
In its print form, Organic Gardening has long been a trusted resource for both new and experienced organic gardeners. This companion website offers organic gardening tips and solutions, monthly advice, national events listing, links to other organic commercial sites and organizations, book recommendations, and subscription information for the print magazine.

Vegetable Gardening in Containers (find it on the ipl2)
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/guides/e-545_vegetable_gardening_containers.pdf
This illustrated article provides ideas for growing vegetables in containers such as pots and planter boxes. Discusses crop selection, growing media, fertilization, water, light, and diseases and insects. Includes planting charts and sample vegetable varieties for containers. From the Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University.

Thanks for your continued support of ipl2. We hope these resources help satisfy any questions you may have about organic foods. For more information, search ipl2 for Organic Food or Organic Gardening.

Side: Oriental Garden Pilaf

Tonight Beloved Husband baked chicken, and I made the following recipe to go along with it (taken from the back of a box of "Mother's Quick-Cooking Barley").  It was delicious!


Oriental Garden Pilaf


1 1/3 cups single strength chicken broth
2/3 cup Mother's Quick-Cooking Barley
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce


In medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil.  Stir in barley; reduce heat.  Cover; simmer 10-12 minutes or until tender.  In large skillet, heat oil.  Cook carrots, celery, and garlic over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes.  Add mushrooms and green onions; continue cooking 1 minute.  Add cooked barley and soy sauce; mix well.  Continue cooking over medium heat until heated through.


4 servings

I can't remember the last time I cooked with soy sauce -- I had to go buy some!  We have been trying to avoid high-sodium products and added salt in food because of Beloved Husband's high blood pressure; we've been low-salt for so long that our tastebuds are more sensitive to salt tastes than they used to be.  Additionally, last time I bought soy sauce was before I started really reading labels and learning about the ingredients you come across in the supermarket.  So this time I was hunting for not only a lower-sodium soy sauce, but one not made from genetically modified soy.  I really only found 2 choices: Kikkoman Organic (organic foods are not supposed to use genetically modified ingredients), and Eden Organics (which is actually listed in the Non GMO Project) Tamari soy sauce.  After reading their ingredients, I was baffled: the Eden sauce listed grain alcohol and koji among its ingredients (but no wheat), and the Kikkoman sauce listed wheat (but no alcohol or koji). I'd never heard of koji, or tamari soy sauce; thank heavens for portable internet! After a few quick googles, I decided to go with the tamari. 

I used only 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, and it was plenty for us.  I used one of my garlic scapes, chopped as tiny as I could manage but not minced, rather than garlic.  (I also tried one of the garlic scapes chopped up in my scrambled eggs this morning -- yum!)  I went a little bit over on the amounts of carrot, celery, and mushroom the recipe calls for, but it was fine.  I have no idea what the recipe means by "single strength" broth?  I just used the broth I had.

Book: Cooking For Geeks; Garlic Cheese Grits; market purchases

Beloved Husband gave me a new cookbook for our wedding anniversary: "Cooking For Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food".  I haven't gotten to read very far in yet, but I'm excited about it!

Last night we had "brinner": bacon, eggs, and grits.  I re-used a recipe I've posted on Facebook before, that I really like, for garlic-cheese grits. 

• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup grits, quick or old-fashioned (not instant)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup grated sharp Italian cheese, such as Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or 1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch-square baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Bring water, grits and salt to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer until the grits are thick, 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the type of grits.
3. Meanwhile, combine oil and garlic in a small skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
4. Stir the oil and garlic into the grits along with the cheeses and cayenne (or hot sauce); transfer to the prepared pan.
5. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling and crusty on top, about 45 minutes.

Last time we had too much left over, so this time I cut it in half.  I used Parmesan cheese.  I put a wee bit too much cayenne pepper in it -- Beloved Husband likes spicy food, but I don't, so I try to find a middle ground, and I had tried for barely 1/8 teaspoon but I guess I should have used just a pinch.  Otherwise, I don't really make any changes to this one.

I kicked myself later, though, because at the farmers market recently I bought garlic scapes, and I meant to use them here but I forgot!  I'd never heard of garlic scapes before, but the vendor selling them is one I have bought from frequently, and she gave me a taste right there, and told me basically to use them where I would garlic.  I also bought some mustard greens from her, with no specific recipe in mind at the time, so I need to find something for them!

Wil Wheaton's Black Bean Soup

A while back, I saved this recipe that Wil Wheaton shared with his minions for hot black bean soup.  I finally got around to trying it.  (Follow link to get the recipe.)



I used dried beans (1/2 cup dry, based on the advice here) instead of canned. I could not find Roma tomatoes at my grocery store so I just grabbed 3 medium-ish tomatoes.  I used my usual dehydrated chopped onion bits and jarred minced garlic.  From the get-go, I was not planning to make it very hot, so I did not have, or go shopping for, a chipotle chili.  I chopped the tomatoes into relatively large chunks, because I very much like tomatoes and my husband very much does not, so I wanted to make it easy for us to pick them out as needed.  I did not have a lime; I used 2 tablespoons of lime juice from a bottle.

During the hour or so that the beans were pre-cooking, I got terribly sleepy, to the point that all I wanted was for my little boy to take his nap so I could take one too; but I was determined to finish making the soup first.  I blame that sleepiness for the reason that I forgot what I was doing and dumped out the bean cooking water rather than saving it to use in the soup. (D'oh!)  So when I added any more liquid, I used some chicken broth that I had, rather than just water, for fear it might be too bland.  After tasting it at the end, I also added just a few shakes of chili powder, trying to get in the general vicinity of what W.W. was going for without it being too spicy for me.

When I had a bowl, I decided that rather than the suggestion of yogurt or sour cream (thinking it might be too tangy for me with the tomatoes & lime juice too), I'd go with cheddar cheese on it instead.  It was good!

Egyptian Edamame Stew

I discovered this recipe only relatively recently -- you might have seen me link it on Facebook -- but I keep coming back to it.  For one thing, it's quick and easy to make, and it freezes well; also, it's delicious!

• 1 1/2 10-ounce packages frozen shelled edamame, (about 3 cups), thawed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or mint
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add edamame and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, covered, until the onions are starting to brown, about 3 minutes more. Add garlic, cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the edamame and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro (or mint) and lemon juice.

One thing I learned the first time I made it is that it's better to let it sit for a little while and let the flavors mellow a bit before filling your bowl; the first time, I scooped some up right away after mixing in the lemon juice & cilantro, and it was too tart for me.  The leftovers are even better the second day.

Feel free to throw in other ingredients you may want to try with it.  Today, I used up my last 3 green onions instead of 1 large regular onion, and I threw in 2 carrots and 2 sticks of celery as well.  (I think I once added mushrooms to it too.)  I didn't thaw the edamame first, and I followed the cooking directions for them on the package, rather than the recipe, since there was a slight difference.  The recipe doesn't specify (I was probably the only noob who wondered), but when you put the canned tomatoes in, throw in all their juice with them, and that's all the cooking liquid you need; it will be a bit thick.  The first time I made it I automatically left out the cayenne pepper -- I'm not fond of overly spicy food.  But when I saw how much stew it made and thought about the tiny amount of cayenne that is suggested, I decided to try it the following time, and it was just fine.  The 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne doesn't really make it hot, just adds some extra flavor.  I tend to be generous with the cumin, coriander, and cilantro, because I really like them.  I haven't gotten up the nerve to try it with mint yet.

Supper: Easy Salmon Cakes with Creamy Dill Sauce + Mushroom Sauté + Baked Potato Chips

For our dinner tonight, I tried this recipe for Easy Salmon Cakes for the first time--

• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 15 ounces canned salmon, drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked salmon
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 3/4 cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs, (see Tip)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Creamy Dill Sauce, (recipe follows)
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in parsley; remove from the heat.
3. Place salmon in a medium bowl. Flake apart with a fork; remove any bones and skin. Add egg and mustard; mix well. Add the onion mixture, breadcrumbs and pepper; mix well. Shape the mixture into 8 patties, about 2 1/2 inches wide.
4. Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in the pan over medium heat. Add 4 patties and cook until the undersides are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a wide spatula, turn them over onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining patties.
5. Bake the salmon cakes until golden on top and heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare Creamy Dill Sauce. Serve salmon cakes with sauce and lemon wedges.

--accompanied by this recipe for Creamy Dill Sauce, as recommended.

• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, or parsley
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, scallions, lemon juice, dill (or parsley) and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.

For the salmon patties, I used canned salmon, regular mustard instead of Dijon, and store-bought non-whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs (I ended up being 1/2 cup short on the breadcrumbs, but it worked out just fine; in fact, it felt like the whole amount might have been too much).  I did not have a fresh onion and I strongly dislike chopping onions anyway, so I used some store-bought dried chopped onion that I keep in the cabinet just for such an occasion.  I'm sure some cooks would turn up their noses at such a tacky thing, and that's just fine if they want to chop a fresh onion for me every time I need one. :)  Also didn't have any lemons, so didn't bother with lemon wedges.

For the dill sauce, I did not use lowfat/nonfat ingredients.  We had regular mayonnaise and actually whole-milk yogurt in the refrigerator, and that's what I used.  I almost told you that I used green onions because I didn't have scallions, but then I wondered and I googled and apparently they are the same thing?  I used dill, not parsley, in the sauce.

Beloved Husband said he didn't care for the sauce; I thought it was delicious.  The recipe did make too much for us anyway, though, and I should have halved it (or quartered, even).  I have a tendency to not actually look at how many servings a recipe makes.  I really should do that!  I stuck the leftover sauce in the refrigerator.

Both adults approved of the salmon patties, and even our 3-year-old son tried one and didn't spit it back out!  (This is a kid who, so far, I haven't been able to convince to try much fish or meat.)  I will have to try this again.

We also had sauteed mushrooms, using a recipe that I copied from a mushroom package label some time past:

Mushroom Sauté

2 tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 eight-ounce package sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste


Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Sauté garlic 30 seconds, then stir in last 3 ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sauté until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

(Leftovers? ha! This is a mushroom-loving household!)

Again with the dried, pre-chopped onions.  I also keep a store-bought jar of pre-minced garlic in water, and used that here too.  I didn't have fresh thyme, so I used dried, and honestly, even though I know you're supposed to use less dried than fresh, I went with the whole teaspoon still.  *shrug* I like thyme.  It worked fine, wasn't overpowering.

Finally, I wanted some oven fries.  I got this recipe from this post on RaiseHealthyEaters.com.

Baked Potato Chips

2 unpeeled Russet potatoes, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon rosemary, oregano, or other dried herbs, if desired
 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Toss potato slices in a bowl with all other ingredients.  Lay slices in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray.  Spray the tops of the potatoes, too.  Bake for about 20 minutes until lightly browned & crispy, flipping them once.

I have tried this recipe multiple times, each time tweaking it a little, trying to find the right way for me.  Today, I wanted to use up some small red potatoes we had in the cabinet (about 6 of them), and instead of slicing thinly, I just quickly cut each one into chunks.  I doubled the other ingredients, and went with both rosemary and oregano today.  Using the same cooking time worked fine; I didn't flip them exactly (so I didn't spray the potatoes with nonstick spray this time), only stirred them around good midway through the cooking time.  They were yummy!