Magic Bars

Who doesn't love Magic bars, or 7-layer bars, or whatever you call them?  Well, I love them but several years ago, I made them with Reese's PB chips instead of Butterscotch chips because that's what I had available.  I found that I like them better that way, so that has been my twist ever since.  This is such a simple recipe that I only allow myself to make it at Christmas.  Too tempting otherwise.

PB Magic Bars

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup Reese's PB chips
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 1 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

 Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter in a small bowl for 1 minute on HIGH in the microwave.  Stir in graham cracker crumbs.  Press into 11 X 7 baking pan.  Pour milk over the crust.  Then evenly sprinkle the chips, nuts and coconut.  Press firmly with a fork.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Christmas "Crack"

Yep, it's that time of year again.  I really, really love certain things this time of year.  Today I made the first batch of Chex Mix (or what I lovingly refer to as "Christmas Crack").  The nickname comes from the fact that I can just eat and eat this stuff and it never fills me up.  Because of that, I only make it if I have someone to give it away to.  This week, it's work.  We have our Christmas party on Wednesday, so I will bring both this and roasted butternut squash as my contributions.

Traditional Chex Mix (AKA "Christmas Crack")

• 4 1/2 cups Corn Chex
• 4 1/2 cups Rice Chex
• 1 cup Pretzel sticks
• 1 cup deluxe Mixed Nuts (no peanuts)
• 1 cup Cheerios
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder

Preheat oven to 250.  Mix together the cereal, pretzels, nuts and Cheerios.  In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the butter for 1 minute on HIGH.  Add the sauce and seasonings and mix well.  Pour evenly over the cereal mixture and stir to coat as evenly as possible. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Spread on paper towels to cool.  Store in sealed container.

Tomatoes & Beef

I love productive days.  Today it was productive because I managed to get caught up on most of my school work.  But I also got a bunch of cooking and baking done.

So, lets start with the cooking.  I am from a Sicilian/Irish family (with some other UK islands mixed in there).  Because of that, Italian was a staple in our house.  But since my gastric surgery, I don't really eat pasta, so Italian is rather non-existent.  I did, however, have a couple pounds of ground beef to use up and really had a taste for my mom's meat sauce, so I recreated it in my new crockpot.

Meaty Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 8 oz sliced button mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp mince garlic
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, broken up
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until just translucent.  Add mushrooms and continue cooking until moisture is evaporated.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant.  Pour into crockpot.

Return pan to heat and saute beef, breaking up as cooking, until no longer pink.  Add this to the crock pot.  Add the tomatoes, seasonings and cheese.  Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on LOW.

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

When I started cooking this weekend, I wasn't sure what I was going to make.  I knew I had Brussels sprouts I needed to cook, but wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them.  As I looked through possible recipes, I decided to try roasting them with balsamic and honey.  It's interesting how you do this, you actually roast them in oil and then "dress" them in the honey and vinegar.  I had also caramelized an onion before roasting the sprouts.  So, I decided to put them together and then go ahead and put them in my quiche for the week.  The results were interesting and yummy.

Balsamic and Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Adapted from: http://www.onceuponachef.com/2009/11/roasted-brussels-sprouts.html

• 1-1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, halved, stems and ragged outer leaves removed*
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 large onion

 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with 2 tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Transfer the brussels sprouts to baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning, until tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
3. While the Brussels sprouts are roasting, slice the onion and separate the rings.  Heat about 1 Tbsp olive oil in a saute pan over med-high heat.  Add the onions and stir to coat.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown.  Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown.  Set aside.
4. Place Brussels sprouts back in bowl. Add the caramelized onions.  Add remaining tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then serve.

Balsamic Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts Quiche

• Balsamic Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 cup 6-cheese Italian Blend
• 6 eggs*
• 1 1/2 cups 1% milk
• salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Spread Brussels sprouts in prepared baking pan.  Cook the bacon for 4 minutes in the microwave; cool.  Dice bacon and sprinkle it over the Brussels sprouts.  Sprinkle with cheese blend.  
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs until uniform in color.  Add milk and seasonings and mix until lemon yellow and frothy.  Carefully pour over the fillings.
3. Bake quiche for 35 minutes or until browned on top.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

 
*CSA ingredients
 

Shrimp Saganaki

Today's recipe is yet another from Hello Fresh!  I did end up ordering a second box because of this recipe.  I have to say, it was worth it!  Shrimp Saganaki is a Greek style spicy tomato and olive based dish.  Tomorrow, I am going to try to get up early enough to sear some short ribs to make braised short ribs ragu again (http://csafoodie.blogspot.com/2014/07/braised-short-ribs.html).  I have another spaghetti squash left and thought this would be perfect for the ragu (and I need to use the short ribs!).

Shrimp Saganaki
Recipe courtesy of Hello Fresh!

• 10 oz Shrimp
• 1 Onion
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp Chili Flakes
• 2 oz Feta
• Fresh Parsley
• 3/4 C Israeli Couscous
• 1 oz Olives
• 1 T Olive Oil

 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a small pot, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil with a pinch of salt.  Peel, halve and thinly slice the onion.  Crush the garlic with the side of your knife.  Coarsely chop the parsley and olives.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and sear for 2 minutes.  We will continue to cook these later, but we want to get a nice sear on them.  Set aside.

3. In the same pan, add the onion, garlic and as many chili flaces as you dare.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.  Add the tomatoes and olives and cook for 5 minutes more, until flavors have melded.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

4. Add the couscous to the boiling water and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente.

5. Transfer the sauce to a baking dish.  Place the shrimp on top and sprinkle with the feta.  Bake for 5-7 minutes, until shrimp have cooked thoroughly.

6. Serve the baked saganaki over the couscous.  Sprinkle the parsley on top!

Shredded Brussels Quiche

This year has been the strangest year for things like Brussels Sprouts.  I usually have gotten several batches and made bunches of dishes.  But this year, for some reason, the only Brussels Sprouts that showed up at the farmers market were ones that were quite large.  I like what people term "baby" Brussels sprouts.  It seems that once they get to a certain size, they are no longer as tasty as the young ones.  So, I avoided buying any because they were too big.

A couple weeks ago, I did find a bunch that were medium sized (a little smaller than a golf ball).  I gave in and purchased them.  And then, because life got crazy, I forgot about them.  I found them in my refrigerator this morning and they were still in good shape, so I decided I would make a quiche.  In the past, when I have made Brussels sprouts quiche, I have halved or quartered the sprouts.  But I am never satisfied with the texture of the quiche.  While we were organizing my house last week, we uncovered my mandolin, so I decided this morning that I would shred the sprouts and see if I liked that better.  This can be done by hand, but it is so much easier when you have a good mandolin.  But basically, you just thinly slice the sprouts and then separate the leaves.  I did remove all the cores from the mix because they can be bitter.  I also have fresh garlic and just bought a garlic slicer.  So, I decided to thinly slice the garlic and mix it with the sprouts before cooking them and putting them in the quiche.  I finished the quiche with crumbled bacon (turkey this time, but I bet regular bacon would be super too) and shredded Swiss cheese.  It turned out beautifully and I love the texture with the shredded Brussels sprouts.  I will do it this way every time from now on.

Brussels Sprouts, Bacon and Swiss Quiche

• 1 pint Brussels sprouts**
• 1 clove garlic*
• 1 cup Swiss Cheese
• 4 slices bacon (I used turkey this time)
• 6 medium eggs*
• 1 cup 1% milk
• salt and pepper

 Wash and dry the Brussels sprouts and then shred by slicing thinly (I used a mandolin, but this could be done with a knife).  Remove the cores for better texture.  Thinly slice the garlic and mix with the sprouts.  Put about 2 Tbsp of water in the sprouts (in a microwaveable dish).  Microwave for 4 minutes to start cooking the sprouts.  Drain the sprouts and transfer to your quiche dish.  Microwave the bacon slices about 4 minutes or until crisp.  Allow to cool and then crumble.  Mix with the sprouts.  Sprinkle with the Swiss cheese. 

In a bowl, beat the eggs with salt and pepper until smooth.  Slowly add the milk while continuing to beat until the entire mixture is pale yellow.  Carefully pour over the filling and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a knife, inserted into the center, comes out clean.  Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

*CSA ingredients
**Farmers market ingredients

Low-carb Spaghetti & Meatballs

Tonight's dinner has been in a long line of "healthified" comfort foods.  I have been sick for about 4 weeks with first a cold (which had almost gotten better) and now a sinus infection.  This latest started with a fever a week ago and I have been craving comfort foods all week.  Today, with a nod to HelloFresh!, I made a low-carb version of spaghetti and meatballs.  Since they had $30 off a box, I ordered my first HelloFresh! box this week and it contained ingredients and recipes for Basil Meatballs over Spaghetti Squash, Cashew Chicken with Snow Peas and Carrots, and Baked Shrimp and Linguine.  These recipes are supposed to be for 2, but as you know, I have had gastric surgery, so I have frozen the shrimp and chicken and chosen to do the meatballs because they sound good and because they have the most perishable ingredients.  It wasn't bad, if a little complicated.  However, I now remember the reason I don't pan-fry things like bacon and meatballs in this house.  There are 4 fire alarms in a very close vicinity to the kitchen (this is a small house) and every time I do, all 4 get set off.  Then it's a battle to get them to stop.  I end up losing my hearing for short periods of time (if you can imagine having four fire alarms going off within 100 ft of each other!).  But the meatballs were worth it!  If I do this again, I will roast them in the oven to avoid a repeat.

Basil Meatballs over Spaghetti Squash
Courtesy of: HelloFresh!

• 12 oz Ground Beef
• 1 (15oz) can Crushed Tomatoes
• 4 cloves Garlic (this may be a bit much)
• 1/2 oz fresh Basil
• 1 small Spaghetti Squash
• 5 oz Spinach (I would use baby spinach next time)
• 1/4 cup Panko Crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Shallot
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 T Olive Oil*

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Halve the squash lengthwise to remove the seeds with a spoon.  Smash two garlic cloves.  Rub the inside of each squash with 2 tsp olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Place the squash halves on a baking sheet cut side down with a clove of (smashed) garlic in the center of each squash to roast.  Cook for 30-35 minutes or until the squash is easily pierced with a knife or fork.

2. While the squash is roasting, chop the remaining cloves of garlic.  Stack the basil leaves and tightly roll into a cigar shape.  Then, thinly slice.  Chop the shallot.

3. In a bowl, combine the chopped garlic, basil, panko, and ground beef.  Season with a large pinch of salt & pepper.  Once combined, roll the meat into ping pong-sized balls.

4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.  Sear the meatballs for 2-3 minutes or until they are golden brown.  Turn the heat down to medium low.  Add the shallot, Italian seasoning, and crushed tomatoes and simmer for 6 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, as needed.

5. Once the squash is done, set aside until it is cool enough to handle.  Take the roasted garlic and finely chop it.  In a pan heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and spinach and cook until just wilted.  Season with salt and pepper.

6.  When the Squash is cool enough to handle, scrape the squash with a fork to release the strands.

7. Finish: Place the sauteed spinach and the meatballs on top of the squash.  Finish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

*Not included in HelloFresh box

Spaghetti Squash Pie

I received a large spaghetti squash from the CSA a couple weeks ago and have been trying to decide what to make with it.  Well, looking through my refrigerator, I realized that I had everything to make spaghetti pie, a favorite from our childhood.  But since I don't eat pasta anymore (it fills me up too fast), I figured I would try substituting the spaghetti squash for the spaghetti.  Since this was a large squash, it will yield about twice as much squash as I need for a regular sized pie, so I am doubling everything and making it in a 13" X 9" pan.  Since I have roasted vegetables left over, I put them in the sauce along with some cooked ground round. 

Spaghetti Squash Pie

• 1 large spaghetti squash*
• 3 farm-fresh eggs*, beaten
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2/3 cup grated parmesan
• 1 cup roasted vegetables* (http://csafoodie.blogspot.com/2014/09/roasted-veggies.html)
• 1 1/2 cup roasted heirloom tomato sauce** (http://csafoodie.blogspot.com/2014/08/pork-heirloom-tomatoes-and-apples.html)
• 4 oz cooked ground round
• 16 oz large curd 1% cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded Italian cheeses (I used fontina)

Roast spaghetti squash: Preheat oven to 375F.  Poke several holes into spaghetti squash with a sharp knife.  Roast for 1 hour.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting.  Cut squash in half.  Scoop out seeds and membranes.  Then pull strands of squash with a fork.  Place in a large bowl.  Reduce oven heat to 350F.

Prepare crust: Mix  squash, butter, eggs and parmesan until well blended.  Pour into a prepared 13" X 9" pan. 

Assemble pie: Spread cottage cheese over crust.  Mix the tomato sauce, roasted vegetables and ground round.  Spread mixture over cottage cheese, leaving 1/2" edge all around.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until crust is set.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake another 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

*CSA Ingredients
**Farmers Market Ingredients

Stuffed Poblanos

I have spent several days trying to figure out what to stuff my poblano peppers with this week.  This experience is brand new all around for me this week.  I have never roasted whole peppers before and thus, have never stuffed them before.  I went back and forth on the method of roasting.  I knew that fire was out because I have an electric range.  When I asked for tips on using the broiler, it was suggested to me that I should use an iron skillet and I considered it for about 20 minutes.  Then I remembered that I have 4 very loud and sensitive fire alarms in this house and decided against it.  Once they start going off, it takes me about a half hour to get them all turned off again.  So, not my idea of fun this time.  That left me back with using the broiler.  I researched it and saw an equal number of recipes which used oil to those which did not.  So, I decided to try it without.

Then there was the task of deciding what to fill them with.  Yes, I know, chiles rellenos traditionally are filled simply with monterey jack cheese.  However, I had such a supply of meat in my refrigerator, I decided I should choose from one of them.  The choices were chicken taco meat with corn and black beans, pulled pork or ground beef.  I really needed to use the ground beef (or at least cook it up), so I did that while I continued to decide what to fill the peppers with.  Then I figured, what the heck, let's take that meat, add corn and Rotel and fill the peppers with that.  So, here is what I did:

Beef and Corn Stuffed Poblanos

• 5 poblano peppers*
• 1 lb ground round
• 1 1/2 cups fresh sweet corn*
• 1 (10.5 oz) can Rotel tomatoes with peppers
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chile pepper
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup sharp cheddar, divided
• 1 cup Monterey jack, divided
• 1 1/2 cups homemade heirloom tomato sauce

Turn on broiler.  Wash and dry the poblano peppers.  Place peppers onto a foil-lined baking sheet and place about 6" from broiler.  Broil about 5 minutes per side (three sides), turning each 5 minutes, until the skin is blackened and bubbly.  Place cooked peppers into a Ziploc bag and seal; let stand for 15 minutes.  Open bag and let peppers cool until you can handle them.  Once cooled, pinch the skin and pull, the skin should easily pull away from the flesh.  Set peppers aside.

Meanwhile, cook beef in a large skillet over medium heat until no pink remains.  Add the corn, tomatoes, cumin and chile pepper and cook for an additional 15 minutes.  Turn off heat and cool for 30 minutes.  If peppers are ready, add bread crumbs and half of the cheeses; mix well.

To assemble, hold one pepper in your hand and stuff with the meat mixture.  Make sure you push down into tip of pepper and stuff as full as you can.  Place the peppers in crock of your slow-cooker.  There will be filling remaining.  Mix heirloom tomato sauce into the remaining filling and then spoon over the stuffed peppers.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.  Then turn heat to HIGH, sprinkle with remaining cheese, cover and cook until cheese is melted.

Picture of finished recipe is coming!
*CSA ingredients

Roasted Veggies

I had half a refrigerator full of zucchini, eggplant, and peppers, plus a few heirloom tomatoes and a large onion left.  I just ran out of ideas for things to make, so I decided to roast everything.  Then I'd have time to figure out what to do with them (or, I could just eat them as a side).  This time, I roasted the peppers whole and then chopped up everything else and roasted them separate.  In the end, I decided to take my rainbow of peppers and dice them to add to the rest of the vegetables, but they sure were pretty after roasting them whole.

Roasted Sweet Peppers

• 4 large bell peppers*, mixed colors

Wash peppers and cut any blemishes.  Place on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Heat oven to broil.  Place peppers under broiler and broil about 4 minutes each side until the skins are bubbled and black.  Place peppers into a Ziploc bag and allow to sit for 20 minutes sealed.  Then open the bag and allow peppers cool to handling temperature.  Cut away the stem and core, remove any ribs and remaining seeds.  Peel the skin by pinching and then pulling away.

*CSA ingredients


Roasted Vegetables

•  2 medium zucchini*
• 3 small summer squash*
• 2 small eggplant*
• 1 large onion*
• 1 ancho chili*
• 4 orange heirloom tomatoes**
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400F.  Wash all vegetables.  Dice into large dice and split between 2 Ziploc bags.  Drizzle with about 1 Tbsp olive oil per bag.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.  Seal each bag and shake to coat the vegetables.  Transfer each bag to a 13" X 9" pan.  Roast vegetables for 40 minutes, stirring twice. 

*CSA Ingredients
**Farmers market ingredients

BBQ Sauce

Okay, I'll admit it, I was lazy on that last post.  I didn't link the bbq sauce recipe for the pulled pork.  Probably because I knew it was part of another post from a couple years ago.  But my mom mentioned it this morning when I dropped off some of the pulled pork for her and Dad to enjoy.  So, here is the BBQ sauce recipe all by itself.  I created it when I received a bottle of sorgham from the CSA in Cleveland (FreshForkMarket.com) and it has become my favorite bbq sauce for pork (I've used it for both ribs and pulled pork).  You could easily adapt it for a light molasses and I think it would taste very similar.  Not sure where you could get sorghum around here.

Sorghum Honey BBQ Sauce

• 3 C ketchup
• 1 C sorghum*
• 1/2 C cider vinegar
• 1/2 C honey (this is the raw honey from Bob's hive)
• 6 sprigs fresh lemon thyme

Wash the thyme and then gently pull the leaves from the stems; discard stems.  Place all ingredients in small saucepan.  Heat until boiling; reduce heat and simmer 1 minute.  Adjust flavors as needed (I did add a bit more honey because this seemed a bit tart).

I prefer this sauce on pulled pork and believe it would be good on beef brisket, but not sure how it would be on chicken. 

 *CSA ingredients

Pork, Heirloom Tomatoes and Apples

I am going to combine recipes on this post because I have been making all of these things at the same time.  My cousin, Chris Douglas and her husband, Don, were in town this weekend and asked if I was going to the farmer's market this morning.  Of course I will go to the farmer's market for the chance to catch up with them!  While I was there, I found (well, she found) my favorite heirloom tomatoes.  This is the solid orange ones.  The seller said they were valencia, but when you look them up online, they come up amana.  Either way, I have discovered that I really like these for making slow-roasted tomato sauce.  So, I bought two quarts (at least, that's the size container they put them in). 

On Thursday, after mom and I went to pick up the CSA, she wanted to go get some meats at Jack's Market.  While there, I decided to get a pork shoulder.  I ended up with twice what I intended to get, but today was the day to braise it and make pulled pork. 

And finally, at the farmer's market near school, I picked up some Paula Red apples.  They are a bit tart, so I stopped at Bayne's Apple Farm and picked up some Gingergold (I think), which are a bit sweeter.  Today, I am making applesauce out of them in my crockpot.  So, without further ado, here are my recipes:

Oven-Roasted Heirloom Tomato Sauce

• 10 medium valencia (or amana) heirloom tomatoes**
• Garlic cloves (I used 4)*
• Italian Seasoning
• Salt, as needed

Preheat oven to 250F.  Wash and dry the tomatoes.  Cut them in half and remove stem end.  Place cut side up on cookie sheet covered with foil.  Peel garlic cloves and intersperse them between the tomato halves.  Sprinkle all with Italian seasoning.  Roast in slow oven for 3 hours or until tomatoes are cooked through.  Remove from oven and transfer everything to blender bowl.  Puree until smooth.  Taste sauce and season, as needed, with salt.

*CSA Ingredients
**Farmers market ingredients


Braised Pork Shoulder
Adapted from: http://csafoodie.blogspot.com/2011/04/pork-shoulder.html

• 1 9-lb pork shoulder roast
• sea salt and pepper, to taste
• cayenne pepper
• 5-6 sprigs fresh lemon thyme
• 1 ancho chile, sliced*
• 1 med candy onion, thinly sliced*
• water

Season the roast with sea salt, pepper and cayenne.  Place in a large Dutch oven.  Add thyme, ancho pepper and onion slices.  Fill the Dutch oven halfway with water.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 4-5 hours or until thermometer inserted into the center reads 160-180F.  Remove roast to plate; cover and allow roast to sit at room tempurature for 10 minutes.  Drain onions and peppers and place in a large bowl. Skim fat off cooking liquid and save to use as pork stock.  Pull the pork, mix in the peppers and onions and then mix with BBQ sauce (I used my homemade sorgham bbq sauce).

 *CSA Ingredients


Slow-cooker Applesauce

• 4 Gingergold Apples
• 6 Paula Red Apples**
• 2 Tbs water
• Sugar (optional)

 Wash and dry the apples.  Peel the apples, remove the cores and then slice.  Place all apple slices into crockpot.  Sprinkle with water and mix until apples are all coated.  Cook covered, on LOW, for 4 hours, stirring periodically.  If needed, break up apples with potato masher.  If you prefer sweet applesauce, add sugar or sweetener.

   
 **Farmers market ingredients

Tomato strata

The interesting thing about strata is that to do it right, you have to have 2 days.  Unfortunately, when I thought I had two days to make this one, I really had to take 3 days.  I forgot when I started making this strata that I had a morning appointment and then ended up having a very busy day.  So, this morning, I got up early to finally get around to baking the strata.  We got all kinds of wonderful vegetables this week from the CSA: squash (summer and winter), tomatoes, eggplant, onions, peppers (green, anaheim, and poblano!), corn, etc.  Following picking up our vegetables, we then stopped at Jack's and I ended up with bacon and a pork shoulder.  So, obviously, this is going to be a cooking weekend!  The tomato was a bit on the ripe side, so I decided to use it right away.  I combined it with the bacon and a loaf of cheddar onion bread to make a wonderful strata.  This loaf of bread, as well as the asiago bread that I get from Family Faire are addicting!  I have never had loaves of cheese bread that have such a great cheesy flavor and I was sure it was perfect for this use.

Bacon Tomato Strata

• 3 slices thick-cut bacon
• 4 cups cubed cheddar onion bread
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1 large tomato*, diced
• 5 farm-fresh eggs*
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Butter a 9 x 13 pan and set aside.
2. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan, let cool and chop. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease to saute the onion and garlic until tender. Toss onion and garlic with chopped bacon and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk and seasonings and whisk to combine.
4. Place 4 cups of the bread cubes in the 9 x 13 pan and pour half of the egg mixture over top. Top with 1 cup cheese, ½ of the onion mixture and half of the tomatoes. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and chill overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
6. Remove foil and bake for 1 hour. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and return to oven until the cheese melts and the center is set. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

- See more at: http://www.garnishwithlemon.com/cheese-bacon-and-tomato-strata/#sthash.VgJ3QFcy.dpuf

Instructions

1. Butter a 9 x 13 pan and set aside.
2. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan, let cool and chop. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease to saute the onion and garlic until tender. Toss onion and garlic with chopped bacon and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk and seasonings and whisk to combine.
4. Place 4 cups of the bread cubes in the 9 x 13 pan and pour half of the egg mixture over top. Top with 1 cup cheese, ½ of the onion mixture and half of the tomatoes. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and chill overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
6. Remove foil and bake for 1 hour. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and return to oven until the cheese melts and the center is set. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

- See more at: http://www.garnishwithlemon.com/cheese-bacon-and-tomato-strata/#sthash.VgJ3QFcy.dpuf

 Spray a 9" X 13" pan with cooking spray.  Cube the bread and layer it in the pan.  Cook the bacon in the microwave between paper towels for 3 minutes on HIGH or until bacon is crisp.  Cool bacon until it can be handled, then cut into bite-sized pieces.  Dice tomato and mix with bacon.  Top the bread with the tomato mixture.  Sprinkle with cheddar.  Beat eggs, milk and seasonings until very smooth.  Carefully pour over fillings.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, remove the strata from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature (about 40 minutes).  In the meantime, preheat oven to 325F.  Remove foil and bake strata for 1 hour.  Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

*CSA ingredients

Instructions

1. Butter a 9 x 13 pan and set aside.
2. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan, let cool and chop. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease to saute the onion and garlic until tender. Toss onion and garlic with chopped bacon and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk and seasonings and whisk to combine.
4. Place 4 cups of the bread cubes in the 9 x 13 pan and pour half of the egg mixture over top. Top with 1 cup cheese, ½ of the onion mixture and half of the tomatoes. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and chill overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
6. Remove foil and bake for 1 hour. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and return to oven until the cheese melts and the center is set. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

- See more at: http://www.garnishwithlemon.com/cheese-bacon-and-tomato-strata/#sthash.VgJ3QFcy.dpuf

Okra Eggplant Stew

The journey to enjoying my favorite southern foods continues, although I did do something a little different than you may expect.  At the farmers market today, one of the vendors had beautiful small okras.  I also had an eggplant that I needed to use and about 5 tomatoes to use up from my last CSA pickup (two weeks ago!).  So, I decided on stewed okra with eggplant.  Simple, quick and delicious!

Stewed Okra and Eggplant
Adapted from: http://eatingappalachia.com/2010/10/07/stewed-eggplant-okra/

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium candy onion*, diced
• 3 cloves garlic*, minced
• 1 medium eggplant, diced into 1/2" pieces
• 1 pint small okra**, washed and tops removed
• 5 small tomatoes*, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• salt & pepper, to taste
• water, as needed

 In a deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and saute for 4-7 minutes or until onions are translucent.  Add the garlic and saute another minute until fragrent.  Add smoked paprika and cook another 30 seconds, then deglaze with a splash of water (you could use white wine or chicken stock here for added flavor).

Add the eggplant, okra and tomatoes.  Stir to mix well and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until eggplant and okra are soft.  Check frequently and add more water (or wine or stock) if necessary.  Check seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

*CSA Ingredients
**Farmers market ingredients

Taco Time!

I had been trying to figure out something different to use the corn in and wasn't quite in the mood for chicken tortilla soup (this is a default for me).  I decided to try making chicken taco filling in the crockpot.  It helps that they had chicken thighs on sale in the grocery store this weekend.  I do love cooking with chicken thighs.  I made some homemade salsa with some of the fresh tomatoes and jalapenos from the CSA and that is the base of the mixture.  Add some black beans and fresh corn and I think it's going to be a tasty mix!

Crockpot Chicken Taco Filling

• 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin and fat removed
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup fresh salsa* (tomatoes, jalapenos, green pepers)
• 1 tsp Cajun spice
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic*, minced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups fresh corn kernals*
• 1/2 Tbsp lime juice

Place chicken in crockpot and pour water and salsa over the chicken.  Next, add the spices, garlic, black beans, corn and lime juice.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.  The chicken should shredd very easily.  Remove the bones and thoroughly shred the chicken.  Serve in tortillas with your favorite taco toppings.

*CSA ingredients

Avocado Breakfast

When we lived in Chicago, I discovered that I actually like avocados for breakfast.  We were doing a fitness challenge through he Discovery Channel and one of the breakfast ideas was an omelet with shrimp and avocado.  It was one of our favorites and I adjusted it to also use bay scallops instead of the shrimp.  I haven't thought of that recipe in a very long time, but this morning had an avocado that I needed to use before it got too ripe.  Last week, in my weekly pins from Pinterest, I got a pin that looked quite yummy.  It was a spicy tomato avocado egg bake from Kalyn's Kitchen (http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2014/07/baked-eggs-skillet-with-avocado-tomatoes.html). It was so pretty, I thought I would give it a try.  Of course, I had to add cheese to it because I need the extra protein, but it looked pretty simple and I have just recently come into a cast iron skillet, which is what she recommends to use.  Oh, and if you haven't spent any time perusing this website (www.kalynskitchen.com), you should.  She's got a lot of really yummy looking, healthy recipes on her site!

So, here is my version of the recipe:

Baked Eggs Skillet with Spicy Tomatoes and Avocado

• 1 can (10 oz.) Ro-Tel tomatoes 
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced lengthwise into 10 slices
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 eggs*
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded  
  

 
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Break eggs into individual ramekins and let the eggs come to room temperature while you proceed with the recipe.  (This might seem a bit fussy, but if you start with cold eggs the yolks will get too done by the time the whites are cooked.)

Spray a medium-sized ovenproof frying pan with non-stick spray or brush with oil, add the tomatoes, and start to simmer over medium heat.  (I used a 10.25 inch Cast Iron Skillet, and I highly recommend using cast iron for this if you have it.)

While the tomatoes simmer, peel the avocado, cut in half, and then cut each half into 5 thin slices. When all the liquid has evaporated from the tomatoes (about 4-5 minutes), turn the heat to low and arrange the avocado slices like spokes of a wheel in the pan.  Gently put each egg between two avocado slices, spacing them evenly apart.  Season to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.

Put the skillet into the pre-heated oven and bake until whites are completely set and the yolks are done to your liking, about 6-8 minutes for runny yolks.  Add the cheese and return to oven for a minute to melt the cheese.  Serving size (for me) is one egg plus 1/2 vegetables.  

*CSA ingredients

The Southern Tour Continues: Corn

I guess I started a theme this week which was probably spurred on by the opening of Bayne's Apple Farm.  You see, the opening of the cider mills is my signal that autumn is upon us.  True, they haven't started selling cider yet (that will start Labor day weekend), but I did have a cider doughnut (the other requirement for autumn).  Given this event and having made corn pudding last weekend, I was reminded of my other favorite autumn food...one that is rather uniquely Southern.  We received corn again this week in our CSA shares and the vegetables which make Brunswick stew are corn and lima beans.

If you do not know what Brunswick stew is, there is a bit of history you need to know...and a decision to be made, which I still haven't quite figured out.  According to the stories, the origin of Brunswick stew can be traced to either Virginia or Georgia.  Each state has a city/town called Brunswick.  Each of these cities/towns claims to have created this lovely dish.  As a matter of fact, if you stop at the rest area off I-95 nearest Brunswick, GA, there is a stewpot monument explaining their version of the story.

Regardless of which state actually was responsible, one of my favorite things in the autumn near Richmond was when people would set up massive cast-iron kettles on the side of the roads out in the country and cook up stew...and then sell it by the quart.  I mentioned on my FB tonight that apparently the key to it was smoked paprika.  To this, I got the response "I thought the key was squirrel".  The rumor always was that the reason these roadside Brunswick stews were so good was because they included the local "roadkill" (squirrel or oppossum).  When we had a block party and made a big pot, we actually used shredded pot roast.

The interesting thing is that I could never quite get the right texture or flavor when I tried to make Brunswick stew at home.  Thus my comment above.  I saw something that suggested adding smoked paprika to the stew and sure enough, that did the trick.  I finally managed to make a Brunswick stew that is similar to the stews I remember from my days in Richmond, VA.

Brunswick Stew

•  3 ears of corn*, kernels cut from the cob
• 6 small to medium tomatoes*
• 1 (10-oz) bag frozen lima beans
• 1 small sweet onion*, thinly sliced
• 2 medium red-skinned potatoes*, diced
• 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cups shredded chicken (rotisserie)
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large Dutch oven.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.  Add chicken paprika and cayenne.  Cook, simmering, until vegetables are cooked and to desired texture.

*CSA ingredients

Pickle Relish

This week when I went to pick up my CSA, they had some tubs on the side with some very interesting looking cucumbers in them.  As I was looking at them, I was told that they were relish cucumbers.  They were pale green, yellow and a combination of green and yellow.  They also looked more like spaghetti squash than cucumbers.  I have never made relish before, but I thought I would give it a try.  It took me a while to find a relish recipe that could be made and refrigerated rather than having to can it right away.  But I was able to find a sweet relish recipe and decided to give it a try. I didn't have red peppers, but had gotten some lovely green peppers, so I substituted them.

What I didn't know before I found this recipe is that making relish is a two-day process.  So, I had to put it off a day so that I could start it at night and finish in the morning.

Sweet Pickle Relish

• 3 large relish cucumbers*
• 1 large green pepper*
• 2 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 Tbsp mustard seed

Wash cucumbers and cut into quarters.  Remove the seeds.  Using a food processor, first shred the cukes and then switch blades and process until evenly processed.  Repeat with the green pepper.  Place both into a large bowl and mix in the salt.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, drain the cucumbers through a fine sieve.  Rinse well and press out the water with a spatula.  In a medium sauce pan, combine the vinegar, sugar and mustard seed.  Bring to a boil then add the cucumbers.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes stirring a couple times.

Cool and then store in the refrigerator.

 *CSA ingredients

A Little Southern Style Corn

Anybody who knows me knows that I lived in Virginia for 20 years and really did not enjoy living there.  It was too hot, too humid and people were too "in your face".  But I will admit that there are a few "guilty pleasures" that I still have to revisit when I have the ingredients to do so.  And it has been about 20 years since I've had today's recipe.  One of my favorite side dishes I discovered on a trip to Tangier Island.  Corn Pudding!  While there are many, many different versions of baked corn casseroles, there is nothing quite like real, good, old-fashioned, southern corn pudding.  Most corn casserole recipes are more like rich cornbread...many using Jiffy Corn Bread Mix.  Real corn pudding is more like a really rich quiche bursting with fresh corn cut form the cob.  It took me a while, but I figured out how to put together the real thing.

Corn Pudding

• 3 eggs*
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 cups milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 cups fresh corn*
• ½ stick butter
• 3 heaping tbsp. almond flour

Melt butter in 9x13” baking dish in 350° oven.  Combine eggs, flour and sugar; beat well.  Add milk, corn and salt.  Stir corn mixture to combine and add to melted butter in baking dish.  Bake for 45-60 minutes or until firm.

*CSA ingredients

Broccoli and Sausage

This week, I had purchased some broccoli at the farmer's market.  As I've mentioned before, I love eggs and broccoli.  I still have some of the Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage left, so this morning I decided to make a quiche with broccoli and sausage.  As you will see from the pictures, this is an especially hearty quiche, but I still prefer quiche to frittatas. 

Sausage & Broccoli Quiche

• 6 oz cooked crumbled sausage (I used Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage)
• 1 small crown broccoli**, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 6 farm-fresh eggs*
• 1 1/2 cup 1% milk
• 1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder

Preheat oven to 350F.  Place broccoli into a small casserole with 1/4 cup water.  Cover and microwave on HIGH  for 5 minutes.  Drain broccoli and place into bottom of baking dish.  Mix in crumbled sausage.  Beat eggs with milk and seasonings until very smooth. Pour over fillings.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 40 minutes or until knife, inserted into center comes out clean.  Allow to set for 6 minutes before serving.

*CSA ingredients
**Farmers market ingredients

Corn and Sausage

We got the first ears of corn of the season from the CSA this week.  Since there were only 2 ears, I felt like I needed to go ahead and make something out of them.  I really do not eat corn on the cob anymore...habit from having braces for 2 years.  So, I husked the corn and then cut the kernels from the cob.  I also found some Jimmy Dean sage sausage in my freezer and thought maybe a frittata might be a good choice.  I do not usually make frittatas because I prefer the custardy texture of quiche.  However, I was making it for dinner and figured this would be a nice light meal for a warm day.

Sausage and Fresh Corn Frittata

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 oz cooked crumbled sausage (I used Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage)
• Corn cut from 2 cobs fresh corn*
• 4 eggs*
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup 1% milk
• garlic powder

 Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Add corn and cook for about 4 minutes.  Add sausage and mix well.  In a small bowl, beat eggs with milk and garlic powder.  Drizzle over the corn and sausage.  Cook over med-low heat until almost cooked.  Sprinkle cheddar over frittata.  Cover and turn off heat.  allow to continue cooking for another 2-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Makes 4 servings.

*CSA ingredients

Braised Short Ribs

Yesterday a friend posted a recipe for soy-braised short ribs with mushrooms.  It sounded really good and I asked for the recipe.  Well, I have filed that recipe because it still looks really good to me, but today, I decided that I wanted to make a ragu with the ribs and got the idea that using marinara and red wine might produce a great ragu.  I am going to give my CSA, Middleton Farms, credit for the ribs even though I don't get a meat share, because I bought the ribs from them at the farmers market.  I used a Classico 4-cheese marinara, but next time, I probably will make my own as we will be getting tomatoes very soon in our Harvest Share.

Braised Short-Rib Ragu

• 2.5 lbs beef short ribs*
• salt & pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 jar (or 4 cups) marinara sauce
• 8 cloves garlic*, crushed
• 2 cups red wine (I used Ruffino Il Leo Chianti)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Brown the short ribs in batches (about 5 minutes per batch)

Add the garlic cloves, Donatella’s Marinara Sauce, and the red wine (enough so the meat is just covered).

Bring to a simmer on the stove-top then braise in the preheated oven until the meat is very tender, about 2 ½ – 3 hours.  Pull meat from bones and shred.

Serve over rice, pasta, spaghetti squash or zucchini "noodles".

*CSA ingredients

Nutrition (1/2 cup serving)
Calories, 221
Fat 13g
Carbs 8g
Protein 13g

Spanish Rice Soup

There are certain vegetables that you get in surplus every year from your CSA.  As you can imagine, zucchini and summer squash are a couple.  What surprises me about our CSA is that there hasn't been an excess of greens.  We have had the greens attached to root vegetables (which is just fine with me if it means beet greens), however, other than some random kale, this CSA doesn't seem to go in for the greens.  I will say that I am grateful for that because, as much as I have grown to like greens, after a while, you run out of ideas. This year, it appears that the squash and zucchini will be the vegetable that I run out of ideas for.

To use up some of the squash, as well as fresh green beans and peas, that I received, I decided to make a chicken vegetable soup.  Yes, I do cheat and buy rotisserie chicken to use in things like this.  For the price, you can't beat pre-cooked whole chickens!  However, when the soup cooked, it was nice but not very hearty.  I figured I would take a look at my past stash and see what I could add to thicken it up.  I ran across a package of Lipton Spanish Rice and decided, hmmm, this might be nice.  Thus, Spanish rice soup was born.  Very hearty and tasty, I think I will have to freeze some of this because a small amount is enough to fill me up!

Spanish Rice Soup

• 1 small green zucchini*
• 1 small yellow zucchini*
• 1 small crookneck squash*
• 1/2 cup shelled fresh peas*
• 1 1/2 cup green beans, snapped*
• 4 cans tomatoes with basil & oregano
• 2 cans water
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 package Lipton Spanish Rice

Wash vegetables and drain.  Cut ends off squashes, cut in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/4 inch pieces.  Shell the peas and snap the beans into 1 inch pieces.  Place all the vegetables, tomatoes (undrained), water and chicken into crock of slow cooker.  Cook on HIGH for 1 hour and then reduce to LOW and cook 6-8 hours or until vegetables are cooked.  Turn cooker back to HIGH.  Add rice mix and cook for about 40 minutes or until rice is cooked.

*CSA ingredients

Nutrition (1 cup):
Calories, 190
Fat, 2.3g
Cholesterol, 15mg
Carbs, 34g
Protein, 9g

Leeks and Beet Greens

I was looking through my stock of produce trying to figure out what use in this weeks quiche and realized that I had a few leeks and some more beet greens to use up.  Leeks are interesting to me because I am not much of an onion person and for years never wanted to even try them.  But then someone taught me the proper way to use them (may have been Alton Brown or some online cooking show, who knows?) and ever since then, I have bought them when they looked beautiful or taken advantage of them when available from the CSA.  The term I have often heard in conjunction with cooking leeks is "melting" and there is a reason they call it that.  These vegetables, which have a flavor reminiscent of garlic and chives, when cooked properly, do sort of "melt".  They become rather creamy and beautiful!

I decided that leeks and beet greens, with the contrast of garlic and chives and the sweetness of the beet greens would make a lovely combination for my quiche today.  Unfortunately, I was out of Swiss cheese, so I had to settle for sharp cheddar, but then I decided that sharpness would only add to the flavor profile.  Finally, I took some fresh basil from my garden and chiffonaded it and put it on top before baking the quiche.  There is a danger that the basil will turn blackish as it cooks (why you shouldn't add fresh basil to your tomato sauce until the very end), but I thought that the flavor would heighten the flavor profile.  And besides, when you have fresh basil available, why not use it?

Leek and Beet Green Quiche

• 3 small leeks*
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp butter
• 1 small bunch beet greens, stems removed*
• 1 cup sharp cheddar
• 5 farm fresh eggs*
• 1 1/4 cups 1/2% milk
• salt & pepper
• 6 basil leaves**

Cut leaves and roots off the leeks leaving only white and light green portions.  Slice leeks in half and rinse to remove sand; drain well.  Slice leeks to 1/4 inch slices; set aside.  Wash and drain the beet greens; set aside.  Wash and drain the basil leaves; set aside.

 Preheat oven to 350F.  Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat until the butter starts to bubble.  Add the leeks and saute, stirring frequently, until they start to "melt" (this is fairly easy to see as the texture seems to change).  Tear the beet greens into bite-sized pieces and add to skillet.  Cook until the greens wilt and most of the water is evaporated.  Place these vegetables into your prepared baking dish.

Beat eggs until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper, then add the milk and mix until completely smooth.  Pour eggs over the vegetables.  Sprinkle with shredded cheddar.  Roll the basil leaves and slice very thinly (known as chiffonade).  Sprinkle the chiffonaded basil over entire quiche.  Bake for 35 minutes or until knife, inserted into center, comes out clean.  Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

*CSA ingredients
**Farmers market ingredients

Nutrition (1/8 quiche)
Calories        136
Fat                    9g
Cholesterol   131mg
Sodium         162mg
Potassium     159mg
Carbs                6g
Protein              8g

Bread & Butter Pickles

They had some beautiful pickle cukes at the Saginaw farmers market this week, so I bought some with the intention of making refrigerator pickles.  As I was looking in my cupboard for vinegar, I realized I only had cider vinegar, which they don't recommend for regular pickles because it can discolor the pickles.  So, I searched refrigerator pickle recipes using cider vinegar and was reminded that I love bread and butter pickles, but had never tried to make them.  Thus, the recipe today.  As I was looking through my spice stash, I realized that while I did have mustard seed, I didn't have celery seed.  I did, however, have cumin seed and decided to see what would happen if I substituted.  I chose to use about half the amount and now that they have marinated some, I am glad I made that decision.  While it doesn't taste bad, it is different, and it could have been a little overwhelming.

Refrigerator Bread & Butter Pickles

• 8 pickle cucumbers**
• 1 medium candy onion**
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1.5 tsp yellow mustard seed
• 1/4 tsp cumin seed (recipe recommended celery seed)
• 1/8 tsp tumeric

Wash and thinly slice cucumbers.  Thinly slice onion and mix with cucumbers.  Mix remaining ingredients in medium bowl until sugar is dissolved.  Pour over vegetables and mix well.  Refrigerate stirring once a day for about 10 days.  Will keep in refrigerator for about a month.

**Farmers market ingredients

Dutch Baby

The nice thing about having herbs growing in my flower box and all this wonderful produce around are all the possibilities.  This morning, I wanted to do something a little different for breakfast.  It's been a number of years since I have made a German pancake and since I now have a cast iron skillet, it was time to give it a try.  I always forget how easy they are to make. 

The last time I made one of these, it was a sweet apple pancake.  But at some point in time, we had gone out to breakfast and had a savory version that I really enjoyed.  So, this morning, I decided to make a savory one myself.  I need to use up some of the basil I've been growing (the plants are probably 3 times bigger than they were when I planted them).  And I have a bunch of beet greens to use up as well.  Combined with sharp cheddar, I was hoping for a very tasty combination.  I was not wrong! As an added bonus, I used almond flour, so this is a gluten-free dish.  I will have to pass it along to my uncle who is allergic to gluten.

Savory Dutch Baby Pancake

• 1/2 C unsalted butter, sliced
• 3/4 C almond flour
• 3/4 C skim milk
• 3 large farm-fresh eggs*
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 handful beet greens*
• 1 heaping Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 2/3 C sharp cheddar

Place cast iron skillet into oven and preheat oven to 425F.

Wash and dry basil and beet greens.  Chiffonade the basil and cut beet greens into bite sized pieces.  Set aside.

Blend eggs in a blender.  Add flour, milk and salt and process until very smooth.  Scrape down sides, if needed, until all flour is incorporated.  Add basil and greens and pulse until incorporated (do not worry about chopping, the pieces are fine).

Place butter into skillet and return to oven until melted.  Pour pancake mixture into hot pan and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake about 15 minutes or until edges are browned and the center is set.  Remove from oven and allow to further set 5 minutes before serving.  Makes 2-4 servings.

*CSA ingredients

Simply Broccoli!

There are times when you just begin craving things and nothing will do until you fill that craving.  For me, that craving happens to be broccoli and eggs.  I know, how weird is that?  But it all started about 2 years after I started doing my postdoctoral studies at Case Western Reserve University.  I don't remember if that is when Bon Apetit took over the food serve at the school or if it was just a fluke, but they started making this breakfast sandwich that was simply eggs broccoli and cheese on an English muffin.  It was the tastiest breakfast sandwich I had ever had and I would hate to try and estimate how many of them I had that year.  It taught me how much I LOVE vegetables, and most specifically broccoli, for breakfast. 

But alas, all good things had to come to an end and after that year, they never made that sandwich again.  I suppose that is part of the reason I started to play around with making quiches.  With all the beautiful produce that I always had available through the CSA, it seemed a shame not to enjoy some of it for breakfast.  Last Saturday, at the farmers market, vendors started bringing in broccoli.  Because I didn't know what to anticipate for the CSA, I resisted picking any of it up.  Well, Amy, one of my colleagues at work, and I decided to find an excuse to escape our offices and go to the farmers market near campus on Thursday and I couldn't resist any longer.  And it turns out that there was not any broccoli at the CSA, so I don't feel guilty at all.  This morning, I took half the head of broccoli, steamed it, and put it together for this week's quiche.  I thought about using one of my candy onions or leeks that I picked up from my CSA, but then, I decided I just really wanted the broccoli and eggs (and cheese, of course).  So, today's quiche is very simple, but satisfying!

Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche

• 1/2 head farm-fresh broccoli**
• 1 cup sharp cheddar
• 6 farm-fresh eggs*
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, to taste

Preheat oven to 350F.

Wash the broccoli and chop the florets into bite-sized pieces.  Place in a covered glass bowl with about 1/4" water.  Cover and microwave for about 4 minutes, or until the florets are bright green.  Place broccoli in bottom of prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs with milk and seasonings until very smooth.  Carefully pour over the fillings.  Bake for 35 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.  Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

*CSA ingredients
**Farmers market ingredients

Nutrition:
Calories       132.8
Fat                   8.4g
Cholesterol  155.4mg
Carbs               4.0g
Protein           10.5g

Beet greens and Quinoa

I decided to do something a bit different with my quiche this week.  At the farmers market, they had beets with the most beautiful green tops I have seen in a long time.  Beet greens are my preferred green because they have a unique flavor that is very subtle, but nice.  I have wanted to try and come up with a crust for my quiches because sometimes they come out quite liquid-y depending on what vegetables are in the quiche.  I believe the reason you have a crust is to absorb some of that off-liquid.  So, this morning, I decided to try and make a crust out of quinoa.  The reason that I chose quinoa is because the grain stays compact and has 4 grams protein per serving.  These are useful qualities for a person who has had gastric surgery.  You have to put together the crust and bake it.  Then once done baking, you fill the crust with your fillings and bake the quiche.  Today's quiche will have caramelized candy onions, Michigan ham and beet greens and stems.  To finish the flavor profile off, I have a nice aged Swiss cheese.

Beet Green and Ham Quiche with Quinoa Crust

Quinoa Crust

• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 large farm-fresh egg*

Filling 

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium candy onion**, sliced
• 1 small bunch of beet greens and stems**
• 1 cup Michigan ham, diced
• 2 oz aged Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
• 5 farm-fresh eggs*
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 tsp garlic powder (I didn't have fresh garlic)
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.  To make crust, cook quinoa as directed (I chose to use the microwave).  Beat egg; then mix quinoa, cheese and eggs completely.  Press into the bottom of prepared pie plate.  Bake for 15 minutes or until edges brown. Remove from oven.

Reduce oven to 350F.

Thinly slice the onions, set aside.  Wash and dry the beet greens and stems.  Separate stems from leaves.  Cut stems into 1/2" pieces.  Stack leaves and roll up; cut into 1/2" pieces.  Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and mix well.  Cook until just translucent, then reduce the heat to med-low.  Cook, stirring frequently, until onions begin to caramelize.  Add stems and ham to pan and continue cooking until stems start to become soft.  Add leaves and mix well.  Cover and cook until greens just begin to wilt (about 5 minutes).  Cover and set aside allowing mixture to steam for about 10 minutes.

 In a medium bowl, beat eggs.  Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Pour in milk and beat until completely smooth.

To assemble, place fillings into crust.  Layer with thinly sliced Swiss.  Pour egg mixture over fillings.  Bake for 30 minutes or until knife, inserted into center, comes out clean.  Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

*CSA ingredients
**Farmers market ingredients

Nutritional information (1/6 quiche):
Calories                                 279
Total Fat                                  14
Cholesterol                            194
Carbohydrates                         21
    Fiber                                      3
    Sugar                                     2
Protein                                     18

Baby Back Ribs

For the 4th, I decided to make baby back ribs.  My thought was that I would pre-roast them in the oven and then finish them on the grill with the grill.  To make them even more compelling, I made my own bbq sauce because for some reason, I can never find a premade sauce I like.  I am still using up some sorgham "molasses" that I have left from Fresh Fork Market (freshforkmarket.com), my CSA in Cleveland. I also had honey from my brother's hive, which I thought would be very nice to use in the BBQ sauce, as well as fresh thyme.

But as things go, we ended up with other plans.  My Department Chair, Mark McCartney called me up and asked if we would like to join him on the lake (Sanford Lake) for the fireworks.  As I was trying to figure out what to do about dinner before we headed out, I chose to cut the ribs to see how much they needed to be cooked.  It turned out that they were perfect and lovely!  We enjoyed some ribs on the way out to Mark's along with some of the beans I had cooked earlier.  Lovely dinner.  On the 5th, I took the remaining 1/2 rack, basted it with the bbq sauce and cooked them off to enjoy for dinner.  As you can see, we must have liked them as only 1 lone rib remains.  I am sure I will enjoy that for lunch tomorrow!

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

•  1 rack baby back ribs
• cumin
• paprika
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• tumeric
• BBQ sauce (see below)

Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place a loose sheet of foil on top of the pan.  Sprinkle ribs liberally with dry spices and pat in to flesh.  Place rib rack onto loose foil, cover with another sheet of foil and seal around ribs.  Bake at 300F for 2 hours.  To finish, raise temperature to 425F.  Brush ribs with BBQ sauce and bake, on top rack for 10 minutes.  Turn ribs and baste again, bake for 15 minutes longer or until the bbq sauce starts to caramelize. Allow to settle for 5 minutes before serving.

BBQ Sauce

• 1 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup sorghum "molasses"*
• 1/4 cup fresh local honey
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 6 sprigs lemon thyme, leaves removed

   Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Heat to boiling and then simmer for about 1 minute.  Cool and store in the refrigerator until use. 

 
 *CSA Ingredients