Easter Ham

I had a surprise this year - a dear friend gave me a Honey Baked ham as a present. We don't normally eat ham on this particular holiday, but this year we did, and it was really delicious. In fact, we've been eating ham, panettone, pascha cheese and hard boiled eggs all week. Finally today, E cried uncle and begged for something different. So, tonight when I came home from work, I made hash browns - with ham and cheese. LOL! On the side, I served shoestring beets in raspberry vinaigrette. It was a very tasty dinner and there is enough left over for lunch tomorrow. Tomorrow night - Risi e Bisi with ham instead of prosciutto.

Artos

Christ is Risen!

This year at my church, I baked the Artos for Pascha since the lady who usually performs this service was not able to do it. Its been a long time since I've baked Artoklasia or even Qurban (aka prosphora), and I really enjoyed doing it. I've been at my current current parish for about 8 1/2 years, and its been that long since I've baked the qurban (the prosphora - the bread used for communion) and I've only baked the Artoklasia a few times in the very distant past - back in my COR days. I've never baked the Artos before, so I was a tad nervous about it, but excited and honored as well.

A word about the difference between the three breads: Prosphora has several names according to the liturgical language you are using, and is the bread used for Holy Communion. It is made from only pure white flour, water, yeast and salt - no other ingredients are allowed. It is made in either one large loaf with a seal depicting ICXC and NIKA imprinted on it, or five small double loaves with a small seal on it. Artoklasia is five loaves of spiced and sweetened bread, without a seal, which are blessed during the portion of Vigil called the Litya. It is sometimes erroneously called the Litya bread here in America. Artoklasia commemorates Christ's miracle of feeding the many when he blessed the five loaves and two fish and fed over 5000 people. These sweet loaves are brought to church as an expression of gratitude for God's bountiful blessings. Artos actually means "bread", so to say Artos bread actually means bread bread and is made only for Pascha. It is very similar to Artoklasia, and can be made from the same recipe, but is always made in one large loaf which has been decorated with grapes, wheat or olives, or with the traditional seal depicting the Risen Savior (which I don't have). Artos is blessed at the end of the midnight Paschal liturgy, and remains in the church until it is broken and distributed to the faithful one week later, on Thomas Sunday.

Paschal Artos

4 tsp or 2 packets of dried yeast
approximately 6 C of unbleached white flour
3/4 C white sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
freshly grated zest of one orange

Mix all the above listed dry ingredients together to make sure everything is well distributed. Then, mix together the wet ingredients in a separate measuring cup.

Freshly squeezed juice of one orange plus warm water to make at least 1/4 C
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp natural vanilla extract (do not use imitation vanilla flavoring!)
1 1/4 C water hot from the tap

Make a well in the flour and begin pouring in the liquid ingredients, beating with a spoon as you are doing so. Keep it up, changing to kneading with your hands, until all the liquid ingredients are incorporated into the dough. If the dough is very sticky, add more flour by the tablespoon until the dough is not sticky any more, and is stiffish but not overly dry. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour. Punch down, cover and allow to rise until doubled again, about another hour. Preheat oven to 350F.

To make Artoklasia, divide the dough into five portions and form into round balls. Let rise 20 minutes, then bake 20 - 25 minutes. Alternatively, roll the dough out to half an inch thickness, let rest till the gluten relaxes a bit, about 5 minutes, then using a 3" or 4" cookie cutter or a teacup, cut out rounds which can be decorated with a cross. Cover and allow to rise 20 minutes, then bake for 10 - 15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

To make Artos, pinch off one smallish handful of dough and set aside to make decorations. Form the rest of the dough into a round loaf. Then make your decorations and apply to the loaf by moistening them with water so that they will stick to the dough. Grapes, wheat and olive branches are traditional. Once the 3-dimensional decorations have been applied, brush the surface of all the decorations and the loaf with an egg wash. After about 10 minutes in the oven, check to see that the egg wash is not browning too much and tent the loaf with foil to cut down on browning more while it continues baking. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

If you have the special Artos seal, then you would not make other decorations. You would impress the seal in the center of the formed round loaf, and would not use the egg wash.

Indeed He is Risen!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
Update on Monday, May 1, 2006:

This Artos was blessed and broken yesterday at church. The verdict was that it was absolutely delicious - pretty much everyone told me that it was the best Artos they've ever eaten and that they love the orange flavor. So, this recipe is winner, for sure.

What would I do differently next time?

Well, our Deacon told me that there was a small ball of uncooked dough in the center of the loaf. I think that happened because it got very brown VERY fast, and I took it out before it was cooked. Next time, I would lower the heat 25 degrees, tent it with foil after the first five or ten minutes, and cook it about 15 minutes longer.

I also think the flavor would be improved doubling the spices and adding just a little bit of minced candied citron. I'm not a big lover of citron, and if I had some home-made candied orange peel, I'd use that. I think just a little bit, maybe 1/4 cup, would be enough. I'd pinch off the dough for the decorations first, then I'd knead the fruit into the bread.

I would also decorate it much more heavily - I put one bunch of grapes with a few on the side -- I'd probably make three large bunches of grapes and bunch of curly stems and leaves. Or, maybe I'd order the seal from www.prosfora.org if I knew earlier that I'd be making it.

But I doubt I'll be making it next year, and a young woman in my parish makes all the Artoklasia used at Litya in our parish, so who knows when I'll make this again? It was really delish, though.

Pizza Gaina / Pizza Chena

Pizza Gaina is a southern Italian savory cheesecake with cold cuts, encased in a bread crust, much like a pizza rustica. This is the one dish that means Pascha to me, that means "home". Its the only dish that I usually cry while I'm making it. My most favorite memories of my childhood are of my mother and her sisters helping my grandmother with the Easter baking, specifically this dish. I remember the smells and their voices and the easy way that worked together in that old green kitchen on B Street. The smell of the baking rising from the garland stove.... This is the essence of what home means to me - those four women, all in heaven now, cooking for Easter.

I've been thinking a lot of times past this week, and people who are gone, and how its only Ethel, Roseanne and me who remember those days. Before I give you this recipe, I'd like to quote the eulogy I wrote for my mother.

Beatrice Elena Cieri Babineau
March 13, 1919 – February 11, 2005
Eulogy

When I first saw my mother in death yesterday, I was struck by her hands – gnarled, work worn, scarred, but strangely shrunken and lifeless – not the hands that had smoothed my hair or held me tight, and certainly not the hands that my father so fervently kissed just the night before, the last time he saw her alive.

I thought about my mother’s hands a lot last night. My mother had big hands, strong hands, hands that were not afraid of physical labor. I pictured them in life, gathering me close when I was afraid, soothing my many bumps and bruises. I heard the incessant clicking of her knitting needles – the background music of my life. I saw my parents walking hand in hand as they always did, my father holding her close while they danced all alone in the kitchen at the Inn in the early morning. I saw those hands applauding all my concerts through the years, my every endeavor. I saw her knitting intricate clothing for those she loved, especially for her beloved granddaughter, Elisabeth. I saw her hand holding mine as we waited, week after week, in the Stanford Oncology Department. I saw those big, gnarled hands gently and tenderly cradling Elisabeth.

What would I have done without those big, strong, competent hands to love me, to show me how to cook, how to knit, how to love? I felt so sad…

Then I thought of my most favorite memory of my mother’s hands – the week before Easter, elbow deep in flour with Grammie, and Auntie Nettie rolling out piecrust, and Auntie Anna at the sink, up to her elbows in suds. I could almost hear them talking and laughing as they worked, like a well-oiled machine, in perfect sync with each other, and I was comforted. I can picture them all together again, those four who loved each other so very, very much, in a kitchen, cooking a never-ending Easter meal in heaven.

Jesus said, In my Father’s house, there are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you. So, I asked myself, why not a kitchen?

Pizza Chena (Gaina) Crust
5 - 6 C King Arthur unbleached wheat flour
1/2 C sugar
5 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C shortening (crisco)
3 Tbs yeast
1 - 2 C warm water (varies)

Beat eggs well and add 1/4 C of the warm water. Mix in 1 1/2 tsp sugar and set aside. Mix the following together: 1/4 C sugar, the yeast, and 1/2 C warm water, let stand to proof. Melt shortening with the rest of the sugar, let cool to body temperature. Slowly add in the eggs, making sure that they do not cook. When eggs are incorporated, slowly stir in the yeast mixture. In a big mixing bowl, measure 5 C of flour and stir in the salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the liquid ingredients. Knead in all the flour until it is like a soft, but not sticky bread dough. You may need to add more water or more flour, up to 1 C of flour, to achieve this consistency. Oil the dough, cover, and let rise two hours. While dough is rising, make the filling.

Pizza Chena (Gaina) Filling
2 lbs part cream or whole milk ricotta
4 - 6 oz freshly grated parmesan
8 large eggs
1/2 lb prosciutto. sliced paper thin
1/2 lb Genoa salami, sliced paper thin
1 lb fresh Italian mozzarella cheese, packed in water (can use Queso Panella from Mexico)
white pepper
1 extra egg for an egg wash

Beat eggs, ricotta, grated cheese and 1/4 tsp white pepper together.

To assemble the pizza in a lasagna pan, about 10 x 12 x 2 1/2 or so:
Punch the dough down and divide into two parts, 1/4 and 3/4 and let rest, covered. Spray the lasagna pan well. Roll the 3/4 sized dough out to a rectangle about 15 x 20, and place in the lasagna pan. Let the edges drape over the pan. Don't roll it out to thin or it will break and leak. Using a fork, prick the dough well on the bottom and all the sides. Layer the filling as follows: ricotta mixture, then prosciutto, then the fresh cheese, then the salami and repeat until all the ingredients are used up. Make sure that the last layer is the ricotta mixture. When you are layering the ham, place the fatty edges against the dough. Roll the 1/4 portion of dough to about 11 x 13 size and place on top, crimping the top and bottom crusts together very well. Prick the top crust all over and spread beaten egg wash all over with your fingers. Make the sign of the cross over the completed pie, and thank my grandmother, Josephine Catalano Cieri, for being such an exceptional cook.

Bake for 30 minutes in an oven which has been preheated to 350F. Cover the pie with aluminum foil, return to the oven, and turn the oven down to 325F. Bake at 325F for about 1 1/2 hours until a knife comes out clean.

Notes: You may want to actually turn it over part way through the baking time so the bottom is as brown as the top, as my grandmother always did, but I don't usually do that - its too dangerous! This year, I bought 3" deep 9 x 13 and 8" square springform pans, and I'm going to make the pizza in that. I'll post a photo after I make it tomorrow.

Pascha Cheese

Its time to begin cooking for Pascha. The first thing that must be prepared is the Pascha cheese so that it has adequate time to drain in the fridge. When I became Orthodox in an Antiochian church, no one made this delectable soft cheese. In fact, I clearly remember the first time I had it -- my friend Diane brought a huge (and I do mean HUGE) Pascha cheese to my house for Pascha dinner. She has an enormous traditional pyramid-shaped mold, probably a foot or more high, and when it is unmolded, it is really spectacular. Tastes spectacular, too! The traditional flavoring is vanilla, but years ago, I sampled a pale brown mocha-flavored pascha cheese at the Teshin's, and I fell in love with it, as did my family, so now I always make two - one vanilla and one mocha. But this year, I decided to make a third - a hazelnut flavored one. I havent' tasted it yet, but it SMELLS heavenly!

Since I moved from California to the deep south, I haven't been able to get farmer's cheese and have been using ricotta instead, which works alright. I've been experimenting with different recipes, some cooked and some not, and haven't found "the one" yet. If you have "the one" please share it! This is what I did this year:

Paska Cheese
1 vanilla bean (can substitute 1 1/2 Tbs pure vanilla extract - the highest quality)
1/2 lb unsalted butter at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 C confectioners sugar
16 oz part cream ricotta (can use whole milk ricotta instead)
2 Tbs finely chopped candied orange peel (optional)
3 new 5 inch flower pots with two saucers each, scrubbed clean with a brush
3 lengths of cheesecloth

Place the ricotta in a sieve which is lined with two layers of cheesecloth and weight it to press out as much liquid as possible. Let sit for at least overnight until ready to put the Pascha cheese together.

Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Save the bean to flavor sugar or vodka. In a food processor fitted with the sharp steel blade, beat the butter, vanilla seeds or extract, cream cheese and sugar until perfectly smooth. Add in the drained ricotta and beat again until perfectly smooth.

Dampen the cheesecloth and wring out well. Use to line the three flower pots. Firmly pack 1/3 of the vanilla flavored cheese into one of the pots, stirring in the candied orange peel as you go. Fold the ends of the cheesecloth over, place the pot in a saucer, and weight the top with a can or jar.

Divide the remaining cheese in half. Into one half, stir in 1 Tbs of hazlenut syrup, then pack as above into the second flower pot. Into the remaining portion of cheese, add 1 tsp instant coffee, 1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder and 2 Tbs more confectioner's sugar, then pack as above into the third flower pot.

Let drain in the fridge for about 3 days, more if you have the time. Empty the sweet and sticky syrup that exudes from the pots about twice a day. Unmold onto a pretty plate when you are ready to serve, and surround it with slices of kulich or panettone, strawberries, or cookies.

Diet another day - you will want to eat every bit of this yourself!

Gujerati Cabbage and Carrots with Red Lentil Dal

Dear daughter and I have been hankering for some Indian food for a while, so tonight I made a simple meal. First I made the cabbage and carrots from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey and let it sit at room temperature while DD made the Lebanese style rice and I made the dal.

About the rice - I don't have a real recipe for this - I just do what my mother-in-law did. She was a really fantastic Lebanese cook. All you really do is to replace some rice with pasta, either broken angel hair or fideos. Melt about a tablespoon of butter or margerine in a pan, toss in the pasta and saute until it turns golden brown. Be careful because you don't want it to burn at all. Then add the long grain rice and stir for a minute until each grain is coated with the margerine as if you were making risotto. Then add the water and salt, cover and cook as usual. This is pretty much the only way we eat rice - we never eat plain rice anymore.

Madhur Jaffrey's Gujerati Cabbage and Carrots

3/4 lb cabbage, shredded
3/4 lb carrots, shredded
1 fresh green chili, julienned or 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
2 Tbs vegetable oil (not olive)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs mustard seeds
1 whole dried red chili
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
4 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs lemon juice

Heat oil in a 10" skillet that has a cover. Add garlic and red chili, then the mustard seeds, and stir to coat. Cover the skillet until the mustard seeds have mostly stopped popping. Uncover, add the cabbage and carrots and green chili (or red chili flakes), reduce heat to medium, and stir fry until tender-crisp. Add the salt, sugar and cilantro, stir well, and finally, add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Let sit for half an hour to combine flavors. This is good hot, room temperature, or cold.

Red Lentil Dal

1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 med bay leaf
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 inch of ginger, peeled and grated or minced
1 tsp salt
1 C red lentils
3 C water

In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for a minute or two, then add everything except the lentils and water, and saute until the onions are translucent and fragrant with the spices. Add the lentils and stir to mix well so that all the lentils are coated with the onions and spices. Add the water, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes until the lentils are soft and beginning to melt. Stir vigorously to help them melt a bit more. Taste for salt. Serve over rice.

Notes: I didn't use a grater for my carrots - I used a plain old vegetable peeler to peel strips of carrot. I think it made for a more attractive presentation, and it helped to keep the carrot nicely crunchy. I recently bought a tube of pureed ginger and used that in lentils. I think that this is an ok product in that it cuts down on spoilage, but it certainly doesn't have the fragrance, flavor or heat the fresh ginger does. I ended up using about 2 heaping tablespoons of the stuff. In future, I'll leave this product at the grocery store and take my chances with fresh ginger which tends to become shriveled in my vegetable drawer before I use it all. Even with that, I think that fresh ginger is a better deal.

Open Faced Sandwiches

It was lunchtime, and I really needed to go food shopping. In the fridge there was a little lima bean dip left, a tomato and some bread..... the answer to what we were going to eat for lunch was pretty easy! No real recipe here, but this is what I did. You can do exactly the same thing, just use what is in YOUR fridge.

First I toasted some bread in the toaster oven. Once it was toasted to our liking, I spread some dip over the bread, layered sliced tomatoes over, sprinkled with a little bit of Cavender's Greek Seasoning (my current favorite), and topped with some vegan provolone (Yves vegan deli slices). Melted the cheese under the broiler in the toaster oven, and man oh man, was it delicious, and filling too! Had an apple for dessert.

Lima Bean Dip

Last weekend, some friends brought dinner over to my house and I was left with a lot of leftovers, including about 1 1/2 cups of southern style lima beans. Since dear daughter bemoaned the fact that we have absolutely NO dip left in the house last night, I decided to make a dip from the limas. Limas are really good for dips because they are quite mealy and soft, and because they firm when they are cooled. This is what I did this morning:

Lima Bean Dip

1 1/2 C cooked lima beans (or one can)
approx 1 Tbs minced onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp Tony Chacheres (or any spicy seasoning salt of your choice)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 C lemon juice
1/4 C olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In the food processor, I first finely minced a 1/2 inch slice of a very small onion which yielded about 1 Tbs of minced onion. Add the limas, garlic, seasoning salt, cumin and lemon juice to the bowl and process till smooth. Taste for seasonings and adjust salt and pepper. With processor running, drizzle olive oil through the feeder until you reach the consistency you want. I used about 1 1/2 Tbs.

This tastes really delicious. This afternoon, after the flavor meld, I'll taste it again and post any changes I may make.

Broiled Pears with Amaretto-Apple Dip

Tonight we ate leftover Tuscan White Bean Soup with garlic bread for dinner, but we really, really wanted a nice dessert. Tonight is my rehearsal night for I Cantori, so I just couldn't spend much time cooking, so I offered my daughter a piece of fruit for dessert. No go. She wanted something a little less simple. I decided to broil two bosc pears until almost carmelized and provide a dip. Oh boy, was this GOOD, and simple... and something that will lend itself to all kinds of variations. This one is going right into my recipe box.

Broiled Pears with Amaretto-Apple Dip

2 firm, but ripe, bosc pears, cut into eights lengthwise
2 Tbs cinnamon sugar
1/2 C yoghurt
1/4 C apple butter
2 Tbs amaretto

I used my toaster oven for this dish.

Lightly oil (or spray) a rimmed cooking sheet. Place the wedges of pear on the sheet, cut side up. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar. Broil until the tips of the pears begin to carmelize, about 20 minutes. While the pears are cooking, make the sauce. Stir together the yoghurt, apple butter and amaretto. Try not to eat it all before your family has a chance to taste it. Or, double the amounts and eat half right away while hiding in the pantry with the door closed and serve the other half to your family with the pears. Its THAT good!

Note: Obviously, this would work well with apples or bananas, but I think any stone fruit would be delicious as well, such as plums, apricots, nectarines, or even Georgia peaches! Pineapple slices should broil well as well. Any kind of preserves should be good with the yogurt for the dip. You could add toasted nuts to the dip, or sprinkle the broiled fruit with coconut. What about my favorite, Nutella, thinned out with a little hazlenut liqueur as a dip? Oh, I think I have to try THAT one as soon as Lent is over!

Serves 2

Tuscan White Bean Soup

Sometimes you just want a nice soup with some garlic bread for dinner, don't you? I love soup - I could eat it every day. I had a few yellow crookneck squash sitting in my fridge, and I wanted soup, so I decided to make a white bean soup with them. Everything is cooked al dente, so that each spoonful bursts in your mouth with flavor. I just love this soup. Its even better with some parmesan sprinkled over the top, but that has to wait just two more weeks.

Tuscan White Bean Soup

2 C cooked or canned white beans
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 Tbs minced garlic
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil to saute
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 med zucchini or yellow squash, chopped
8 oz fresh mushrooms or 2 oz dried mushrooms, soaked
1 15 oz can of veggie broth
4 C water
2 tsp Herbes de Provence
1 bay leaf
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 C soup pasta, cooked al dente

In 5 quart dutch oven, saute onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent. Add the celery and zucchini and saute till toasty. Season with salt and pepper and Herbes de Provence. Add mushrooms and saute till they have released their liquid, or, add dried mushrooms and reserve soaking liquid. Add the beans, tomatoes with their juice, bay leaf, and the veggie broth. Measure the mushroom soaking liquid and add water to make 4 cups. Simmer lightly for 20 minutes for flavors to develop. Taste for salt, pepper and seasoning.

You may cover and refrigerate at this point. To serve, bring to a simmer and drop in about 1 1/2 cups of soup pasta and cook till al dente. Taste for seasonings. Serve with a splash of lemon juice, freshly grated parmesan cheese and garlic toast.

Notes: This is a very forgiving soup - you can use pretty much any combination of vegetables that you have, as long as you cook them al dente and you use a white bean, such as cannellini, great northern, or even navy beans. I think small green limas would be nice also, as well as borlotti or cranberry beans.

For dessert, we had broiled pears with amaretto-apple dip. I'll post that shortly.

Time: 40 minutes in total

Serves about 8

Hash Brown Scramble

This morning we were pretty hungry and wanted something really stick-to-your ribs good. After having a quick look in the fridge and pantry, I decided on some kind of hash browns. My mom always made homemade hash browns and I always do too, especially since they take just a couple of minutes to prep and taste so delicious!

Hash Brown Scramble

2 med sized russet potatoes, peeled, in 1/2 inch dice
2 small onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
1 12-oz box of extra firm MoriNu tofu, drained and crumbled
pinch tumeric
1/4 C chopped parsley
1 tsp Herbes to Provence
salt and pepper to taste OR use seasoning salt and herb mixtures of your choice

In a large fry pan, saute the potatoes in about 1 Tbs of oil for a couple of minutes while you chop the onions. When the onions are ready, toss them in, along with the minced garlic. Season with seasoning salt and pepper. Saute the onions for about five minutes until they are about halfway cooked (a sharp knife point just just pierce a potato cube, but still meet some resistance). Add in other veggies, if you are using them (see note below). Saute some more, adding another tablespoon of oil if necessary, or adding a bit of liquid like broth or water to keep everything from sticking. You want the potatoe and onion to be fully cooked and golden brown, but still retain its shape. A few minutes before the potatoes are perfect, add in the crumbled tofu, and stir well. Taste - you will probably need to add some more salt and pepper, and this is the time to add some herbs as well, like parsley and Herbes de Provence. Stir until the tofu and potatoes are dry - just a minute or two.

We made pita sandwiches out of this with some of the spicy black bean dip I made earlier in the week. This was a delicious combo which tasted very buttery, which is odd because there were no dairy products used at all. But it sure was yummy!

Notes: I wanted to make the tofu look slightly yellow, more like scrambled eggs, and I used way too much tumeric, as you can see from the photo. Next time, I might just use a pinch of tumeric mixed into the crumbled tofu before I add it to the potatoes, or I might just leave it au naturel. You can add lots of other veggies to this, like chopped celery or peppers. Occasionally my mom would add really good oil cured olives, maybe about a dozen, which she pitted and chopped and believe me, there is NOTHING that tastes better than potatoes with olives! Some halved cherry tomatoes would also work well, as would some chopped zucchini or other summer type squash. I happen to be in love with three salty spice mixes: Soul Seasoning, Tony Chachere's and Cavender's Greek Seasoning - you may have your favorites, so use the flavors that YOU like. Instead of salt and pepper, I used about a tsp of Tony Chachere's.

This would be delicious with curry powder and peas!

Try this with cumin and chili powder, and then rolling it up in a tortilla with some salsa!

A note about frozen hash browns: Try dicing your own potatoes instead of spending a lot of money on these. It really doesn't take much more time, maybe about five minutes or so, and not only will you save a lot of money, but you will have superior nutrition and save all the added salt and sugar that are in most processed potato products. This is one case when the convenience food is not more convenient, IMHO.

Time from potato bin to mouth: 25 minutes

Four stars!

Ann King's Surprise

Tonight we ate the leftover crab cakes and roasted veggies. I have a several heads of cauliflower which I got on sale, and decided to mash one like my office mate, Ann King, does. She's often talked about how yummy this is, and how much her husband likes it, so I thought I'd give it a try. Here is what I did: I cut the leaves off the head, then cut the head into florets. Put them in a 3 qt pan with about 3/4 cup of water, covered the pan and let them steam until they were very well cooked and soft. Then I put the cauliflower into the food processor with about 1/3 C nondairy creamer, half a stick of nondairy butter, about 1 tsp of seasoned salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp Greek seasoning. Man, was it delicious! It could have used a little bit more salt, IMHO, so I added a quick sprinkle to my plate. So smooth and white and creamy and comforting. Maybe you've been pureeing your cauliflower for a long time, but it was a first for me.

There is a lot of this left over.... I'm thinking that it might be good with a little nutritional yeast stirred in for a cheesy taste. I could think it out and make it the basis of soup -- maybe add some boiled onions for a vichysoisse effect.... or maybe add some mushrooms, corn and dill -- that would make a tasty soup. Maybe I should add a roux and thicken this up, and then add some corn or something and make little patties. Or I could curry it and make it bright orange, and then serve it like grits with a fried egg on top..... I'm thinking about what to do with the left overs. Readers, if you have any good ideas, please post a comment!

Time from raw to plate: about 20 minutes

Serves 8 or so as a side dish

Four stars!

For a nice snack/dessert later on, perhaps I'll poach a couple of pears in wine.

Lightly Curried Couscous

More years ago than I want to count, I attended a potluck and ate this delicious couscous which was made by my friend Diane. She was always willing to share recipes, and thank goodness for me, because this is one of my staple lenten recipes. I've made this a million times, taken it to dinner parties, to church potlucks, to picnics and sometimes I just eat it at home. I'm not sure if Diane still makes it, but if she's reading this, consider this a reminder of how easy, adaptable to what you have on hand, and how delicious this is.

Lightly Curried Couscous
2 C quick couscous
1/2 C raisins or currants
1 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 C boiling stock or water

1/2 C pine nuts or sunflower seeds or other nuts
1/4 C olive oil

6 med scallions, sliced very thin, with some green parts
2 large shallots, minced
2 med zucchini, sliced lengthwise into quarters and then sliced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 red peppers, chopped coarsely
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
4 - 5 Tbs lemon juice

Boil the water with the curry powder, then pour it over the couscous and the raisins. Cover and let stand. In a large frypan, saute the nuts in the oil until toasty brown and aromatic. Remove the nuts and put them in a large bowl, leaving the oil behind. Saute the veggies in the oil till al dente. When almost cooked, sprinkle with the salt, cumin and pepper, and finish sauteing. Mix the couscous with nuts and the veggies, including the oil from the frying pan. When everything is mixed well, stir in the lemon juice to taste.

Notes: To make this a main dish, just add one can of rinsed and drained beans such as chick peas, black beans or red beans, or use 8 oz of seitan or tempeh shredded, or even salad shrimp. If its not Lent, this is delicious with cubes of leftover chicken or pork. I use any combination of veggies that I have on hand, as long as I have about 3 cups raw, or 2 cups cooked veggies, and some type of onion is included. Tonight I used sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts, yellow crookneck squash instead of zucchini, one green pepper instead of two red peppers, 8 oz of sliced mushrooms, two large shallots and one bunch of green onions. This makes a wonderful side dish to grilled meats and fish. There are endless variations. Diane doesn't add the lemon juices since she has citrus allergies in her household, but I can attest that it adds just the right piquancy to finish this dish off. The one ingredient that is absolutely crucial to the yumminess quotient of this dish is the raisins - it really needs that little bite of sweetness in each mouthful.

Serves four as a main course, eight as a side dish.

Five stars!

Roasted Veggies on the side

I went shopping yesterday and bought four Maryland-style crab cakes as a treat, which we ate tonight. They were ok, not fantastic, but ok. What was really delish was the roasted veggies. I don't really have a recipe for roasted veggies but this is what I did.

The size of the veggies is very important, because you want all your veggies to be ready at the same time. I quartered the small potatoes and cut larger potatoes in sixths. This balanced the cooking time of the baby carrots. Next I cut the yellow crookneck squash in about 2 inch chunks, since they cook quicker. I drizzled all with a good amount of olive oil - enough to coat each vegetable and to leave a tablespoon or two on the bottom of the pan. Then I sprinkled them with herbs, about a tablespoon (I like herbes de Provence for this), a tablespoon of minced garlic, and about a good teaspoon of seasoned salt (I use Soul Seasoning from Gold Medal). Toss well, and cook in a preheated 450F oven for about 30 minutes, tossing every ten minutes, until the veggies are all cooked through and beginning to carmelize. Pretty much any vegetable can be roasted: try asparagus, brussels sprouts, string beans, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, any kind of squash or potato, mushrooms, parsnips, peppers.

What do you do with leftover roasted veggies? Well, other than just eating them because they are so darn GOOD, they make a wonderful frittata, especially if there are still a goodly number of potatoes. Also, take a page from Giada DiLaurentiis, who roasts veggies, then tosses them with pasta and dresses them with lots of olive oil and parmesan for the most delicious pasta primavera you will ever eat. I have made her recipe many times, and it gets rave reviews every time, especially at lunch at church. Here is her recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_25693,00.html Roasted veggies make a wonderful soup, and they also taste very good chopped into a pot pie. But I never have enough leftovers to fool around with - we always eat them all up!

Caponata or Muffaletta

Caponata and Muffaletta....... Don't be afraid of the odd sounding names or the long list of ingredients. These are quick and easy to make, and so very delicious that they will become favorites in your house.

What is the difference, anyway? They are both delicious vegetable mixtures that are used as either a salad or a pickle, with Caponata being the Italian version and Muffaletta being the Cajun version. Caponata is cooked and always contains eggplant; muffaletta is marinated and always contains olives. I love them both and have two killer recipes.

This will be a splurge for us, but we haven't gone out to eat, not even to get McDonalds fries in weeks! We've been sooooo good about our food budget that I think we can handle the specialty items like artichoke hearts.... I'll decide which one I make after I go food shopping later on today, and will post a photo then.

So, what do you DO with these two zesty vegetable mixtures anyway? Well, certainly you can use them as a garnish for burgers, patties, chops... I've put them on pizza! My daughter eats them as a dip, scooping huge mouthfuls out with pretzels.

But my favorite is as a sandwich filling. What you do is take a round loaf of bread and cut the top off. Pull out the insides so you have a bread bowl. Layer some caponata, then sliced cheese and Italian coldcuts, then repeat. Put the lid on the bowl, wrap in aluminum foil, and bake in a slow oven for about 15 minutes so that everything is nice and melty. Let sit for another 15 minutes (or until it reaches room temp, even). Then cut wedges and enjoy. Yum! However, its lent now, so the cold cuts and cheese slices are out, unless you use vegan versions (which I don't), so I'll probably use it as a garnish and a dip, or maybe mixed with pasta for a nice pasta salad.

Muffaletta
1 C chopped green olives
1 C chopped celery
1 carrot, peeled and sliced very, very thin
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
1/2 C chopped artichoke hearts
3 green onions sliced or 1/2 C minced sweet onion (like Vidalia)
1/4 C lemon juice or white wine vinegar
2 anchovy fillets, chopped fine or 1 1/2 tsp anchovy paste or 1/2 tsp salt
1 C chopped black olives
1/2 C chopped pimentos
1/2 C chopped cauliflower florets
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbs capers
1 tsp Herbes de Provence, or equal parts of oregano, basil and thyme
1 tsp hot cajun seasoning like Tony Chachere's (E's favorite spice)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together well, cover tightly, and let marinate in the fridge at least overnight.

Caponata
1 eggplant cut in 1/2 inch cubes (about 1.5 - 2 lbs)
3 med zucchini in 1/2 inch cubes
2 onions finely chopped
1 Tbs chopped garlic
3 stalks celery, sliced fine
2 green peppers, chopped
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 C chopped parsley, or 1 heaping Tbs dried
2 tsp dried basil
3 anchovy fillets (optional)
4 oz sliced mushrooms
1 lb Italian plum tomatoes or 1 lb crushed canned
3 Tbs red wine vinegar (or more to taste, up to 1/2 C even)
1 Tbs brown sugar
1/4 C raisins
1/4 C chopped green olives
1 tsp salt (more if you don't use anchovies)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 C chopped black olives
2 Tbs capers (optional, but I love them)
1/4 C browned pine nuts or sunflower seeds

Saute first 12 ingredients together in the olive oil until soft and limp, about 15 minutes. Add in tomatoes and saute over med heat another 10-15 minutes. Stir in vinegar and remainder of ingredients except nuts and saute for 5 more minutes. Take off heat and let sit for several hours or overnight in the fridge to blend flavors. Stir nuts in last.

To cook in crockpot: Combine all ingredients up to and including the raisins in the crockpot and cook on low for 5 - 6 hours. Stir in the remaining ingredients and let sit for several hours or overnight in the fridge to blend flavors. Stir in nuts last.