Delicata Squash Stuffed With White Beans, Spinach and Sage

This meal evolved over the course of a day and a half, but it's hardly THAT laborious. This is the first time I'd ever cooked, and perhaps eaten, delicata squash. And it's one of the first times I've cooked with dried beans, besides throwing them into a soup, that is. It's a nod to using up what was around, and tweaking an existing recipe I found elsewhere online to make it gluten-free. Omitting the sprinkling of cheese I added at the end would make it dairyfree as well, but the picorino romano added lots of punch here and complemented the sage and the garlic quite nicely.

1 delicata squash, halved and seeds scooped out
1 c dried white beans, soaked overnight
1 large garlic clove, minced
extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 c baby spinach leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
1 c leftover brown rice
1/4 cup grated piccorino romano cheese


Bring a pot of water, about 4 cups, to a light boil over medium heat. Add beans. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender but not splitting. Drain (but reserve some of the liquid) and set beans aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash halves (cut side up) on a sheet pan or in a baking dish. Drizzle the surfaces with some olive oil, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake in the oven until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife or fork, about 1 hour. Remove the squash halves from the oven and set aside.

For the filling, heat a little extra-virgin olive oil (about 1-2 Tbsp) in a saute pan over medium heat until hot, then add the minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the greens and saute until wilted. Now add leftover rice and the cooked white beans and continue cooking the mixture until the beans and rice are heated through. The leftover rice is probably dry from being in the refrigerator, so add a few tablespoons of the bean liquid to the pan. Stir in the chopped fresh sage, season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, and set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fill the squash halves with rice mixture. Sprinkle freshly grated piccorino romano cheese over each squash half. Since everything is cooked this is really just a 5-10 minute cook time to warm up the squash and to melt the cheese (if using).

Serves 2

A Season for Drinking

lots of notable wines have crossed our table in the last few weeks.

Chateau Haut Peyruguet 2008 is my favorite white Bordeaux yet

Saracco Moscato D'Asti 2009 was delicious with Jeff's marzipan birthday cake

Perrin Reserve Cotes du Rhone 2007 was a nice, nice red for all ocassions

I don't usually like straight-up Pinot Noirs (too boomy) but Meinklang's Pinot is much more subtle and balanced, earthy and jammy.

Mas de Gougonnier Reserve du Mas 2004 les Baux de Provence was one of Jeff's favorites to date

And, I think we may have had this one before, but in case it hasn't been previously noted, a solild Gewurztraminer from Oregon: Montinore Estate 2007.

Cheers! Happy 2010!

A new favorite white

2008 Falanghina Ocone Taburno

Room temp is better on this one than chilled. Italian whites always hit me with a lot of sparkle up front and then make a quick getaway, but this one has a body that lingers with real beefy minerality.

From the wine librarian:
"Falanghina is one of Italy's most prized ancient varieties. Its name derives from the Latin word for the stake that supports the vine, which suggests that it originated at a point so early in viticultural history that staking a vine was a new technology, perhaps reserved for special grapes. It is now widely grown in Campagnia, a region well known for its mineral-rich volcanic soils. (Taburno is in the province of Benevento in the Campagnia region.)" -Importer; Certified Biodynamic

Teff Brownies

The first time I tasted teff (a few weeks ago, in peanut butter teff cookies), I thought "this is meant to go with chocolate" (but really, what isn't meant to go with chocolate?). Its hearty, dense, nuttiness was a shoe-in with loads if cocoa. Unlike the gluten free cookies we've tried lately (Bob's Mill mix, our own PB teff cookies), and don't get me started on GF breads, the sandy texture of most things baked sans gluten is less discernible here. Brownies fundamentally don't rely on flour as much as, say, muffins, so the transition is a smoother one for a gluten free sweet.

1/2 cup sunflower oil
1/3 cup teff flour
1/3 cup rice flour
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons agave nectar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

chocolate chips to top (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x8 glass pan. Combine all ingredients into a bowl. Mix until completely combined. Pour into bowl, spreading to the edges. If you want, you can add more chocolate by sprinkling chocolate chips across the top. I didn't and they were still plenty chocolatey.

Bake 25 minutes, or until the edges are brown. Don't overbake them, or they will be dry.

Zucchini Fritters

I've made these before with breadcrumbs, but here was a successful experiment in making them gluten-free.

1 large zucchini, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 c quinoa flakes
1/4 c rice flour
1/4 c minced onion
1/8 t white pepper
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1/8 t garlic powder
1/4 t dried parsley flakes
1/4 t sea salt
1/2 c sunflower oil for frying

1. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, egg, and 2 T olive oil. Stir in quinoa (uncooked), rice flour, minced onion, garlic and spices. Mix well.
2. Shape mixture into patties.
3. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Fry patties in oil until golden brown on both sides.

Makes 10 cakes.

Apple Tart with Teff-Walnut Crust

I love teff. What I discovered about the teff peanut butter cookies we made earlier in the week is that teff is so loaded with protein and iron and other mighty vitamins that it is impossible to have a sweet binge on things made with it. This is coming from a person who can easily sit down with a plate of cookies, mind you. Two teff cookies, three tops, and one is totally satisfied, thinking, maybe I'll read some difficult poetry instead of lying on the couch to stare at the ceiling fan in a carb and sugar coma.

So this crust is similarly exhilarating, and crumbly... holds together a little bit better after the whole pie has been baked and has had some time to cool in the refrigerator, but tastes deep and rich-- without overwhelming the fruit.

Filling:

5-6 apples, peeled and sliced (I used honeycrisp)

2-3 T Earth Balance

1 T cinnamon

Crust:
1 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c brown sugar
1/3 c sunflower oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 cup teff flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Crust:
Mix ingredients in Vita Mix blender (dry attachment) on lowest setting until consistency resembled coarse meal. Press mixture into bottom of lightly oiled 9-inch tart pan.
Bake 12 minutes, or until crust becomes a smidge darker.

Filling:
In a large bowl, toss apple slices with cinnamon. Heap the apple mixture into the tart pan. It creates quite a mound, but they cook down considerably. Dot the pie with Earth Balance. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

**Even better with almonds instead of walnuts and pears instead of apples!

Cranberry Sauce

Super easy, quick and delicious.

8 oz. fresh cranberries
3/4 c orange juice
1/4 c sugar

Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook on medium-high for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced – stirring occasionally. You’ll hear the cranberries popping – don’t worry, that’s what you want them to do. Remove from heat and serve.

Happy Gluten-free Thanksgiving

This year we were able to dictate a Thanksgiving menu all our own because we put ourselves under family quarantine. Our colds didn't stop us from putting on a feast for the three of us, however, and with zero pressure about timing and entertaining of guests, J and I, well, mostly J, whipped up a spread that was entirely gluten-free, healthy, and vegan-- except for the turkey and the goat cheese.

J roasted a 10 pound bird (and I discovered that I have converted to the dark side... dark meat, that is). He also made mashed potatoes with Earth Balance butter and soy milk; a yummy stuffing made of corn meal, onions, celery and herbs; a salad of roasted beets with goat cheese and olive oil and balsamic vin. And in the interest of using all of the bird, J made a gravy comprised of all the ugly bits which, though I'm not a gravy fan, was deeply flavorful and yum.

I contributed a roasted butternut squash drizzled with date syrup, roasted brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, and an apple tart with a teff-walnut crust.

While we kept our nation's promise to overeat this evening, the meal didn't leave either of us feeling "logi," a term we use to mean leaden, bloated and immobile.

Of course, we regret not spending the day with either of our families. The only other time we were not at his family's table for Thanksgiving, or mine, was one year we lived out East and couldn't afford to fly back. Now that we're all in the same state it seemed unlikely that would ever happen again, but the prospect of hauling a congested toddler all over town we we weren't feeling up to snuff ourselves had us call it off early in the week. I'm sure our family members are thankful we weren't around them sharing our germs! And J is thankful he was able to eat everything on the table.

Cheers!

Teff Peanut Butter Cookies

Having never baked with teff before, I made these cookies strictly by the book, or, by the package, as it were. The Bob's Red Mill bag of whole grain teff flour featured this recipe for cookies, and, since dairy and gluten free J was itching for something sweet today, and since I am always itching for something sweet, I thought wed give em a try. I was skeptical to say the least. No egg and no sugar? Also, I expected a somewhat sour taste like the teff-infused injera bread I've had at Ethiopian restaurants. Well, the sourness is no doubt the yeast or starter for the injera, because teff by itself, while hearty and dense, is delicious. I almost added some chocolate chips to this-- for insurance purposes-- but J refused. I'm glad he did because they baked up yummily without it. Though I am tempted to experiment now... teff brownies, anyone? The one thing is that they are crumbly, so once one starts to handle a teff cookie, one better devour it quickly!

1 1/2 c teff flour
1/2 t sea salt
1/ c maple syrup
1/2/ c sunflower oil
1 t vanilla
1 c peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350. Set aside an ungreased cookie sheet. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Set aside. In a food processor blend syrup, oil , vanilla, and peanut butter. Add the wet ingredients tot he dry ingredients. Blend well. Shape dough into walnut sized balls. Place on cookie sheet and flatten gently with the tines of a fork. Bake about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Yields 24 cookies.

Buckwheat Pancakes

Here's a real stick-to-your ribs breakfast that's energizing at the same time. We enjoyed these cakes with syrup but they would be good with a berry coulis as well. The buckwheat is a thirsty grain, so the whole cup of soy milk here is needed for a good consistency to the batter. The buckwheat is also so robust tasting that I don't miss the milkfat flavor that regular pancakes have when I make them with soy milk.

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup soy milk
• 2 Tbsp melted Earth Balance
  

Mix dry ingredients together; add egg, soy milk and Earth Balance, beating well after each addition. Drop batter onto preheated griddle surface and cook until brown on both sides.

Wild Rice with Dried Cranberries and Toasted Almonds

I should mention that we are embarking on an experiment in gluten and dairy free eating. I've experimented on myself before, at the recommendation of my acupuncturist, but this time there are more imperative health issues for J that deem it so. I'm pleased for a new cooking challenge. What's in: fresh fruits and veggies; soy products; poultry and fish (in limited amounts); all other grains in the non-glutinous family (quinoa, rice, etc.)
What's out: dairy and dairy derivatives (casein, whey, etc.); wheat and all gluten lurkers; red meat (not that I ate it anyway, and J only ate it once in a while, but I think he's calling a moratorium on red meat now as well);
Not sure: oats? corn?
So we'll be mostly vegetarian, sometimes vegan, and increasingly inventive when it comes to breadiness from here on out.

Day 1's dinner involved rotisserie chicken (cheating already, I know... not home-cooked), roasted root veggies and this yummy wild rice dish. Tasted very autumnal as well.

1 cup wild rice, washed and drained
1/2 cup almonds, toasted in a dry pan
1/2 cup red onions, slivered
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Fill a large pot pot with generously salted water. Add the wild rice and boil, uncovered for 55 minutes or so. You will know the rice is done when many of the grains are cracked open and tender, revealing the lighter inside.

Remove from the heat and drain off the water. Stir in the nuts, red onions, and dried cranberries.

(Can also use pine nuts instead of almonds.)

Roasted Roots

For the past couple of years I've snapped up this bag of root vegetables from Harmony Valley Farms whenever I see it at Whole Foods. Something about this (relatively) local, organic grower makes the most delicate and savory little carrots and turnips. The bag also includes parsnips, rutabegas, celeriac, and, on ocassion, sunchokes. Beautifully colorful varieties of carrots and turnips, too, not the old wan standbys. If we lived in Madison, I'd be hopping on their CSA membership. Unfortunately they don't seem to deliver to Chicago. Another reason to love them, this tasty marinade for roasting they included on the package. This beats my plain old olive oil rub down any day.

2 T olive oil
2 T maple syrup
2 T tamari (wheat free)
1 bag of "soup mix" root vegetables, chopped into 3/4" pieces
2 t dried thyme

In a medium bowl, combine oil, maple syrup, tamari and thyme. Toss root vegetables in oil mixture and spread evenly in a roasting pan. Roast at 450 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

(Could also use ginger instead of thyme.)

Libby+2 Pie

I really do cook things besides pies and sweets. It's just that currently the sweet side is more ripe for experimentation. With the weather turning cool, fall being my favorite season, and having an eager helper in the kitchen if it means something to stir in a bowl with flour, the baking of pies and such is in full tilt.

This one began as the classic old Libby's pumpkin pie recipe. Once the oven was preheated, however, I discovered I only had less than a can of pumpkin leftover in the fridge. So it became a fridge cleaning affair, using up other bits of roasted squash from earlier in the week. I also reduced the sugar by 2/3s and used TJ's organic condensed milk. I'm not sure if it is less sweet than carnation, or what the difference between evaporated cane juice and sugar is exactly, but it makes me feel less guilty.

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

slightly less than 1 can (15 oz.) TJ's organic pumpkin puree

1/4 roasted acorn squash

1 baked sweet potato

1 can (14 fl. oz.) TJ's organic evaporated milk

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell, whole wheat, Whole Foods brand

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin-squash-potato and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Spiced Sweet Potato Pie

This is totally dairyfree because I use a frozen pie crust from Whole Foods that is made with oil instead of butter. It's whole wheat to boot, so the pie itself is almost healthy. I thought it would be too spicy, but it's OK. I lowballed the nutmeg and the freshly grated ginger a bit, but the ginger flavor still really stands out, in a good way.

3 large sweet potatoes
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 can coconut milk (5.6 oz)
one whole egg plus two egg whites beaten together lightly
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon ground powdered ginger
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
pinch of salt

In a large pot of water, boil the sweet potatoes until tender, but not falling apart. Start checking at 20 minutes and every five or ten minutes after that until done. Peel the sweet potatoes while hot. The skins should just about fall off. Look for and remove any eyes or dark spots in the flesh.

Empty the pot of water out and either return the potatoes to it for mashing or place the potatoes in a large bowl. Add all the filling ingredients to the pot with the potatoes. You may want to hold back a little of the coconut milk until you can judge the consistency of the filling. Mash all the ingredients together until you have a uniform mush. It should be about the consistency of oatmeal, maybe just a little looser.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake for 45 minutes.

Orange-Almond Cake

This is a tweaked Bittman recipe. Turned out rich and yummy, yet light. I'll remember the trick of adding ground nuts to the batter for future cake experiments... it's the key.

1/2 c sunflower oil
1 c sugar
2 eggs
3/4 c slivered almonds
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c (+) fresh squeezed orange juice, in this case it was the juice of 2 oranges
Grated zest of 1 orange

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush cake cake with some additional oil. Use an electric mixer to combine oil and sugar, and then add the eggs and beat until thick and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Grind almonds in Vita-mixer until fine. Mix them with flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Stir a portion of the flour mixture into the egg mixture, then add a little of the orange juice. Repeat, stirring after each addition, until well blended. Stir in the orange zest, then turn the batter out into the cake pan. Bake for 35 minutes.

**I didn't glaze the cake because I didn't think it needed the extra sugar, but after a day and a half it dried out quite a bit. If it's not all going to be consumed right away, I might think about a glaze for it just to give it an added bit of moisture.

A simple lunch kick

I ate this every day for lunch last week. Couldn't get enough of it, and good heirloom tomatoes are starting to appear. Pita sandwiches consisting of...

whole wheat pita
feta cheese
heirloom tomato slices
dolmas/grape leaves
kalamata olives

Simple. Light. Summery.

J's dinner for 4

J did a bangup job replicating the chicken with summer fruits we had at Ambrosia, a slow food restaurant in Valletta, Malta. I told him to write down what he did, or at least remember it, and hopefully I'll be able to return here and post it. All I can say is it involved a sauce of cherries, plums and marsala wine. We enjoyed it with some roasted potatoes and carrots and a nice Sicilian red, Nero D'Avola, Vendemmia 2007.

Dessert was also astonishing. Spiced figs via The Silver Spoon cookbook, with a dash of creme fraiche at the table. This is one sexy dessert! This was complimented by a Sori' Gramella 207 Moscasto d'Asti.

Spiced Figs:

1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground coriander
2 cloves
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 c superfine sugar
rind of one orange, thinly pared and cut into strips
12 ripe figs

Put the spices, sugar and orange rind in a pan, add 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the figs and simmer for 5 minutes more. Do not let the syrup boil. remove the pan from the heat and let cool. Drain the figs, reserving the syrup, and put them in a dish. Bring the syrup back to a boil and cook over medium heat until reduced by half, then pour it over the figs. Let cool completely.

Meinklang

We have enjoyed Meinklang Gruner Veltliner on a few occasions, and now we have tried the 2008 burgenland white as well. This is a biodynamic winemaker and I can taste the vibrancy of the landscape in both of these wines. The burgenland white is 5-% Gruner Veltliner, 40% Welschriesling, and 10% Muskat grapes.

Cashew Cardamom Rice Pudding

1 cup cooked basmati rice
1 cup milk, I used 2%
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
2 cardamom pods, seeds crushed
1/2 cup chopped cashews

In a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat, combine the cooked rice and milk. Heat until the mixture begins to boil. Decrease the heat to low and cook at a simmer until the mixture begins to thicken, stirring frequently, approximately 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium, add the coconut milk, sugar, and cardamom and continue to cook until the mixture just begins to thicken again, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Once the mixture just begins to thicken, remove from the heat and stir in the cashews. Transfer the mixture to individual serving dishes or a glass bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

(Original recipe called for raisins and pistachios, which also sounds good.)

2006 Domaine Filliatreau, Château Fouquet, Saumur

2006 Domaine Filliatreau, Château Fouquet, Saumur, Loire Valley, France

Dean had this one open in the store and I tasted it along with the flight of other things. I was struck by how extraordinary it was compared to the others, and since J wasn't with me, I bought the bottle so we could both study it further. I love earthiness and a good cab franc, but it turns out that something about this bottle struck us both as very challenging. It was a little too assertive on the earthiness and the subtleties of minerality that I usually enjoy were hard for my (brutish, unsophisticated) palate to discern. It was better with food, I believe it was a tomato, garlic, spinach, zucchini pasta primavera that toned it down a bit.

Profile of the wine from a retailer on the web:
"We’re pleased to welcome the exemplary portfolio of the Domaine Filliatreau, one of the truly great names in the Saumur region of the Loire Valley. The Château Fouquet is a sixteen-acre estate on clay and limestone soils near the hallowed town of Brézé. Employing strict organic methods, the father and son team of Paul and Fredrik Filliatreau have captured the essence of Cabernet Franc as expressed in this special terroir. Opaque plum-ruby in the glass, the Château Fouquet casts deep aromas of red currants and pungent clay and limestone soil. Plump and velvety on the attack, the Château Fouquet Saumur tightens mid-palate with fine tannins, crunchy acidity and a lashing of classic Saumur soil. Long, plummy and chocolaty on the finish, the wine is overwhelmingly drinkable and a versatile pair for fresh chèvres, braised pork dishes, grilled burgers and a myriad of vegetarian dishes, especially those employing tomatoes, potatoes, roasted red peppers and grilled eggplant. Enjoy now and over the next three years."

Fennel and Lima Bean Soup

1/2 a white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c chopped carrots
1/4 c white wine
2 c frozen lima beans, thawed
1/4 c (or more) fresh fennel, green tops and stalk, chopped
1 container of Imagine No-Chicken broth
1/2 t white pepper
1 t dried thyme
1 t dried parsley

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in the bottom of soup pot over medium heat. When transclucent, add white on all other ingredients. Cook together for 30 minutes or so. Then transfer to a blender and process until smooth.

Some Yummy Wines

2007 Nicole Chanrion Domaine de la Voute des Crozes our favorite Beaujolais yet, thanks to a good recommendation from Dean.

Jean-Paul Brun Terres Dorees Beaujolais L'Ancien

And one of our souveniers from Santorini, a very crisp white
2008 Santorini Assyrtiko

Carrot Cake

I trimmed the sugar and fat down from the original recipe, but this cake still turned out very moist and decadent. The frosting allotment barely covered the cake, but doubling the amount would be too much. The nuts around the sides covered up the streaky, bald parts where the frosting ran out, and they looked purty and tasted good too!

3/4 pound (340 grams) raw carrots (about 2 1/2 cups finely grated)

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 large eggs

¾ (scant) c white sugar

¾ c date syrup

½ c sunflower oil

½ c applesauce

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Note: This cake can be baked in a 9 x 13 x 2 inch (23 x 33 x 5 cm) pan. Just increase the baking time to between 30 to 40 minutes

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Twice as much frosting would have been useful for a two layer cake. This barely covered it. Also, I only used ¾ c confectioner’s sugar and it was fine.

1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cups (230 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

finely grated lemon zest of one lemon

Garnish:

1 cup (100 grams) toasted and finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Carrot Cake: Preheat oven
to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter or spray two - 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper.

Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

Peel and finely grate the carrots. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 3 - 4 minutes). Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting.

To assemble: place one cake layer, top side down, onto your serving plate. Spread with about one third of the frosting. Gently place the other cake, top of cake facing down, onto the frosting, and spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. If desired, press toasted and finely chopped nuts on the sides of the cake and decorate the top of the cake with carrots. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Serves 10 - 12.

Chocolate Chip Rectangle

This is a cookie-in-a-pan concoction. Doesn't make portion control any easier, but I made scaled down the recipe in the hopes that even if we consumed the whole pan in a day and a half, at least it wasn't twice as much! This also evolved from what I thought was half a bag of chocolate chips I found languishing in the cupboard. By the time I had the modest amount of cookie dough all mixed up and ready to accept the chips, I discovered it to be more like 2/3 of a bag, so the end result is a super chocolatey treat. I think the proportions are kind of nice, actually. And the texture on these beat the crispy hard little discs my butter laden drop cookies tend to be. In rectangle form it becomes a melty, flaky, chewy, gooey sensation.

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c dark brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 t vanilla
1 1/8 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 -2/3 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Butter (dimensions of pan) glass pan to prevent rectangle from sticking. In an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the white and brown sugars and beat until fluffy. Beat in the egg. Then add the vanilla and beat until incorporated.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and beat until incorporated. Lastly, fold the in chocolate chips. Spread dough into rectangular pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Park Grill

Discovered a new Gruner today-- this Kurt Angerer "Spies" Gruner Veltliner from Kamptal, Austria. Went nicely with PG's hummus appetizer which is dolled up with cumin, sweet peppers and olives; and later with a smoked salmon club sandwich. Must find this one on my next trip to a proper wine shop. Can't wait to sip it again.

Carrot Ginger Soup and Sesame Dressed Salad

The soup is quick and easy.. and vegan. The salad ended up being kind of elegant in its simplicity by virtue of using a few things that I jsut happened to have on hand (hard boiled eggs, raw broccoli sticks.) Of course, it too could be vegan without the egg (although I personally love the flavor combination of egg and sesame). This made a nice, light dinner on a hot, steamy evening.

Carrot Ginger Soup

1 carton of Imagine No-Chicken broth
7-8 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
1 1/2 T grated fresh ginger (I grate a frozen piece of ginger, it's easier to handle and it dissolves as soon as it is heated.)
salt, white pepper & freshly grated nutmeg to taste
2 T sunflower oil

Heat oil in the bottom of a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add ginger and stir to dissolve, about 1 minute. Add broth and carrots and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes. Transfer soup to blender and puree until smooth. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Makes 4 servings

Salad
2 c herb salad, or other baby greens, mix
1/4 c Trader Joe's broccoli slaw (this is basically just raw broccoli and carrots cut into shoelace-size sticks)
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
1 T black sesame seeds

Dressing
3 T rice wine vinegar
1 T sesame oil
1 T tamari
pinch of sugar

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake. Drizzle onto salad.

Makes 2 servings

Coffeecake Muffins

Woke up the other morning craving a cinnamon bun, but since I can't be bothered with yeasts, and doughs that need time to rise and be rolled out, I decided to make some nutty, cinnamony quick muffins instead. These were made pretty much to the letter according to a recipe in Bittman's How to Cook Everything, which, with the exception of pancakes, has been an indispensable resource in this house.

Recipe to come...

Cauliflower Au Gratin

I've never made an au gratin before, and though we tend to avoid dairy I thought I could lighten it up a bit. This was laborious as all get-out... when am I going to learn that Bechamel sauces and sauces like this one that require constant tending on the stovetop do not mesh well with a toddler in need of constant entertainment! I omitted additional butter that the original recipe called for, and I used 2% milk instead of whole. It still sank my battleship. In a good way. In a good, but in small doses because I have to wear a bathing suit in less than a month kind of way.

Cauliflower Gratin
Adapted from Ina Garten

1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
1 t salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided (I used Emmetaller instead)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (I used romano instead)
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (I used not fresh instead)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Chateau Guiraud-Cheval-Blanc 2006

A dark horse of a little Bordeaux that was more appealing days 2 and 3 after opening and with a bowl of oil-cured olives.

Pear Cardamom Bread

Ingredients

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• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar (scant)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 1/2 cups chopped peeled pears (1-2)
• 1/2 cup sunflower oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs

topping

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F; grease bottom of loaf pan. Combine all wet ingredients in one bowl and all dry ingredients in another. Then combine all ingredients, except topping, into one bowl. Pour into loaf pan. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle on top. Bake 55 minutes.

Yummy Reisling

2007 Ayler Kupp Rielsing Spatlese

Enjoyed this Reisling with the Two Peas Curry mentioned below. A delicious match! Sweet and light. Well balanced.

Two Pea Curry with Garam Masala Roasted Carrots

Garam Masala Roasted Carrots

4 carrots, peeled
1/4 c olive oil
2 T Garam Masala

Slice carrots lengthwise into 4 thin strips. Toss with olive oil and spices and spread out on a caking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until brown in a 400 degree oven.


Easy Two Pea Curry

2 cardamom pods
1 t turmeric
1 T fresh ginger*
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 t mustard seed
1/2 t cumin
5 T sunflower oil
1/4 c chopped onion
1 c frozen (thawed) green peas
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 c diced tomatoes (and juice from the can)
1 c fresh baby spinach leaves

Gring mustard seed and cardamom in a mortar with pestle. Add oil to large pan on medium heat. Add spices, garlic and ginger. Saute until fragrant. Add onion. Saute until translucent. Add peas, chickpeas. Saute 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and reserved juice from can. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Just before removing from heat, add spinach and stir it through the curry until it wilts but remains bright green.

*My trick with ginger is to keep it frozen and then cut it with a vegetable peeler. The strips dissolve in the hot oil without having to mince them with a knife.

Strawberry Short(cup)cakes

Viv's sugarfree birthday cupcakes as detailed here. Next time I'm going to replace half of the oil with applesauce to lighten them up a bit. The oil makes them moist, but kind of dense. Fluffier would be better. And for the adults, I added a mascapone frosting. It did contain sugar, so V didn't have any of that (plus she's not doing dairy yet). But she was happy with her cake topped with strawberries (her current favorite food) and we were rewarded with the classic one-year-old fist in the cake, mouth stuffing takeown.

The recipe for the frosting a: made twice as much as I needed for 28 cupcakes, so next time cut it in half, and b. insisted it be made just prior to serving, but the extra leftover stored well in the fridge and tasted just as good the next day, so this too can be made in advance next time.

Martha Stewart's Mascarpone Frosting

1 pound mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup confectioners sugar, I lowballed this and use slightly less
1-1/4 cups heavy cream, I used half and half instead

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat themascarpone, cream and confectioners' sugar until medium-soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes on high speed setting. Be careful not to overbeat. Use immediately.

Viv's Birthday Lunch

For my girl's first bash, I did a simple lunch for the family. Viv had hummus, prunes, cucumber and noodles, but the rest of us had chickpea bruschetta, a green salad and two kinds of lasagna. I made almost everything the day before and just popped the lasagnas in the oven once everyone arrived. It was the lowest-stress cooking for 12 people I've done yet. Recipes follow, plus notes on what I'd tweak for next time.

Roasted Chickpea Bruschetta

2 cans chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) drained
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
3/4 cup roughly chopped olives (i used a mix of some cheap regular old black olives plus some capers)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper

Spread the chickpeas and whole cloves of garlic on a baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix it all up. Roast in an oven preheated at 450 for 20 minutes or so, or until golden brown. Chop garlic. In a large bowl, mix with chopped parsley, olives, garlic, and balsamic. Serve on toasted slices of baguette.

*I don't think I'll make this version of chickpea bruschetta again. It was too dry and the roasting made the chickpeas into had little nuggets that didn't have a prayer of staying on the bread. Needed more tang and acidity. Maybe next time I''ll ad some tomatoes and use more pungent olives.

***

My Winging-It Red Lasagna

1 jar of TJ's tomato and basil marinara sauce (this is a good sauce without sugar or vinegar)
8 lasagna noodles
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 cups fresh, baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 c freshly grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, if baking right away. Boil lasagna noodles until done. Drain and toss with a little bit of olive oil to prevent them from sticking together. In a separate bowl beat egg and add ricotta cheese. Mash together and stir until well combined. Cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with a layer of sauce. Then add noodles (4). Top noodles with 1 cup of spinch leaves. Add ricotta mixture, dotting it over the spinach layer and gently smoothing it out to create an even layer. Add another layer of noodles (4). Add the rest of sauce and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes until done. If assembling anf refrigerating, overall bake time will increase by about 15 minutes.

**
This next one ended up being quite laborious, but worth it. I had never mae a bechamel sauce before, so now I feel like I've earned some major cred as a home cook for having made one. Thanks Mario Batali for the web guidance. And thanks Jeff for whisking constantly the final 10 minutes after my arm gave out. This lasagna is also notable for perking up a not-so-special Viognier I ha bought for cooking and ended up drinking with the leftovers. I lightened up the recipe I followed, but it still produced a rich, creamy lasagna.

Artichoke Lasagna

12 lasagna noodles
2 jars of TJ's artichokes, quartered
1/2 c pine nuts
1/2 large white onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 c dry white wine
salt and white pepper to taste
3 t fresh minced thyme
1 c freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
3 T butter
3 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, if baking right away. Boil lasagna noodles until done. Drain and toss with a little bit of olive oil to prevent them from sticking together. In a large pan over medium heat, heat butter and olive oil. Add onion and garlic. Stir and cook until onion is translucent. Add artichokes and thyme and saute 5 minutes more. Add wine and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the bechamel sauce.
--
Bechamel sauce

5 T butter
4 T flour
4 c milk, I used 2%
2 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use.

--

To assemble lasagna, butter a 9 x 13 baking pan. Line the bottom with a layer of noodles. Follow it with béchamel sauce, artichokes, and some grated cheese, and repeat the order, until all is used up, divvying things out so the last layer is béchamel, cheese, and artichokes. (Made two complete layers, plus an additional top layer of noodes, béchamel and cheese. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes until done. If assembling anf refrigerating, overall bake time will increase by about 15 minutes.

M. Chapoutier 2007 Belleruche Cotes-du-Rhone

A Grenache Noir and Syrah blend. I'm the biggest straight-up Syrah fan, but this blend offered a full-yet-subdued jammy flavor with a good body. Paired nicely with a spinach salad with goat cheese, strawberries and balsamic vinaegrette.

Shittake and Beansprout Noodles

Improvising something Japanese-ish with pantry items from way back (kombu and bonito flakes) and whatever was on hand. Additionally, most of the things for this dish are available at the big chain corporate grocery store right around the corner from my house, which I hate to shop at, and seldom do, but on this particular day convenience won out.

Dashi:
1 inch chunk of fresh ginger, cut up into smaller bits
1 large spring onion, chopped
8 cups of water
2 sheets of dried kombu, rinsed
1 1/2 packages (about 5 T) dried bonito, tied up in a little steeping bag

Noodles:
1 package Nasoya Japanese style noodles
4 T black sesame seeds
4 hard boiled eggs
1 package of bean sprouts
4 T spring onion, chopped
1 package of shittake mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 c baby spinach
3 T sunflower oil
1 T sesame oil

To make the dashi, bring water to a boil and add kombu, ginger, and onion. Cover. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add bonito and let simmer for 10 more minutes.

Boil noodles. They only take 3-5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a pan over medium-high heat, heat sesame and sunflower oils. Add garlic and onion and saute until translucent. Add mushrooms and beansprouts and saute for 10 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked through and tender. Stir in spinach and cook 2-3 minutes more, until spinach is wilted but still bright green.

Serve noodles in a bowl topped with warm mushroom mixture, slices of hard boiled egg, sprinkling of black sesame seed and a ladle or two full of dashi. Tamari may be added to taste.

This made extra dashi which ought to freeze well and be useful to have on hand for future okayus or noodley brothies.

Viv's sugarfee birthday cupcakes

Sugarfree experiment #2 yielded a winner. I was a little worried because the batter looked kind of rubbery, but the texture of the cupcakes once they were baked was moist and cakey. Not sure what I'm going to frost them with yet, or if I'll frost them. Maybe I'll just top hers with a strawberry.

1 cup unbleached white flour, less 1 tablespoon
1/4 tablespoon arrowroot
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 c sunflower oil
1/2 c brown rice syrup
1/8 c milk
2 eggs
½ tsp organic vanilla extract

Preheat the over to 325 degrees. Measure the 1 cup flour, then remove 1/4 tablespoon of flour and replace it with the 1/4 tablespoon arrowroot. Mix flour, salt, arrowroot, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, combine oil, milk, vanilla, rice syrup, and eggs. Mix well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. Pour batter into silicone cupcakes cups (don't require greasing). Bake for 28 minutes. Makes 9 cupcakes.

Pumpkin Muffins

Pregnancy and then breastfeeding has really cranked up my sweet tooth for the past 2 years, but now that Viv is wanting to eat everything off of my plate I've decided to bake without sugar so she doesn't get conditioned to have a big sweet tooth from an early age.
Since I've found a local supply of date syrup I'm experimenting with this and rice syrup and agave nectar as sugar replacements.

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sunflower oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c date syrup
1/4 c brown rice syrup
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

2 Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, date and rice syrups, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly.

3 Pour into muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes for small, silicone cups; 30 minutes for large muffins in muffin tin pan.

Makes 8 large muffins or a dozen small.

Verdict: Cut the allspice next time because the date syrup already lends it that smoky flavor. Try the agave in place of the rice syrup next time for more sweetness? They aren't decadently sweet, but moist and spicy and perfectly tasty.

UPDATE 10.2.09: I used 1 full cup of date syrup and no rice syrup; canned sweet potato instead of pumpkin; and omitted the allspice altogether. Much more dense and rich tasting as a result. J even thought they were chocolate muffins.

Carrot and Fava Bean Tagine

I'm certain I've prepared a meal or two since January. I'm shocked to find no posts here since then! Most likely they have been replays of old standards, as time to experiment in the kitchen continues to be minimal with the soon-to-be-one-year-old Vivi Bea in full-throttle toddle. I'm also now cooking with shortcuts: i.e. Trader Joe's presteamed beans, or precut broccoli florets; and cooking with the grocery store restrictions of our new, suburban locale. Future posts may feature rare foodie finds in this neck of the woods. All I can say is, we're cooking a lot at home because the restaurants down here leave much to be desired. And now for that tagine...

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, sliced
1½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
¾ pound carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch coins
1 1 oz. package of Trader Joe's presteamed fava beans
1 cup No-Chicken broth
⅓ cup capers
1/3 c raisins

1. Heat a wide-bottom pan over medium heat. Add oil, then onions and ginger. Cook until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add cardamom, cinnamon, and cayenne. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds.

2. Add carrots, beans, and broth. Cover and simmer until carrots are almost tender, about 8 minutes. Add capers and raisins. Cover and simmer until carrots are fully tender, 8-10 minutes. If tagine is a bit dry, stir in a few extra tablespoons broth. Add salt to taste.

Some Recent Wines

2006 Pares Balta Penedes Calcari
Jeff loves the Helvetica label, but I recall it was a pretty snappy sweet Spanish white

2007 Rayun Syrah, Rapel, Chile
I'm not the biggest Srah fan, but this one was earthy and understated

2007 Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais
A little sassier than my absolute favorite Gamay (Roches Blanche), but still a good sipper

2006 Brooks Reisling, Willamette Valley, OR
Crisp, slightly sweet, it played nicely with a Crab Rangoon

Potato Korma Curry

I started out with best intentions, but as the preparations for the two curries started to become time-consuming, and my evenings are a narrow window of feeding 2 adults, an 8-month-old, giving baby a bath and then getting her down for the night, I backed out of a delightful andhra aloo recipe I found online once my potatoes were boiled and improvized a quick solution with a spice packet I found in the back of my cupboard.

3 large potatoes, unpeeled, whole
1/2 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1/3 large white onion, chopped
1/4 c water
1 packet of Sukhi's Korma Curry paste

Boil potatoes until they are done when poked in the center, about 30 minutes. Cool, peel and cut into cubes. Heat curry paste and water in a large pan on medium heat. Add onion and saute for a few minutes. Add potato and tomatoes (with some of their juice from the can). Heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

*Here's what's in the Korma curry paste: onions, canola oil, ginger, poppy seeds, vinegar, cashews, garlic, granulated onion, salt, coriander, tumeric, chickpea flour, lentil flour, sugar, cardamom, cayenne, black pepper, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, citric acid, spices, lemon grass, shallots, kafir leaves, lemon oil.

It was tangy and had some heat! Unlike any curry I've made from scratch at home. Maybe because I don't usually have all of the ingredients (like kafir leaves or lemon grass on hand).

Golden Dal

from the yummy food blog Mental Masala. there squash and kale are added, but I was doing a separate potato & tomato korma curry so I just wanted the dal. it's hard to find Indian recipes for dal that don't assume you have a pressure cooker!

1 cup toor dal
6 cups water
1 T. vegetable oil or ghee
3/4 t. turmeric
1 dried bay leaf
1 hot green chili
1 T. grated ginger

1 t. brown mustard seeds
2 t. cumin seeds
1 t. fenugreek seeds
2 dry red chilies
1 T. sugar or jaggery

Cooking the dal
Pick through the dal for stones, sticks and other unacceptable items. Rinse the dal thoroughly, drain, and put into a large pot. Add the 6 cups of water, 1 T. oil, bay leaf, green chili, ginger, and turmeric to the pot containing the dal. Bring to a boil (be careful that it doesn't boil over), then reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot and cook until the dal are tender (30-40 minutes). Add 1 t. salt or more to taste. Reduce heat to very low.

Heat some vegetable oil or ghee in a small skillet over medium heat. Have a pot lid handy in case the mustard seeds start to scatter and splatter. When it is hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin, fenugreek, and dried chili, cook for about 30 seconds, then add the sugar. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, or until the sugar carmelizes. Pour the spiced oil over the dal and stir. Add the cooked squash and stir.

Gingersnaps

From Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book -1989

2 1/4 C Flour
1 C packed brown sugar
3/4 C sunflower oil
1/4 C molasses
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 C granulated sugar for tops of cookies before baking

Combine half the flour and all the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Gradually add in the rest of the flour. Roll in 1 inch balls and dip in sugar. Bake at 375 until tops are crackled.

Note: Dough is dry and kind of hard to work with, but cookies turn out delicious.

French Simmered Pumpkin and Lentils

2 T olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
1 14 0z. can diced tomatoes
1 c green lentils, rinsed
1 1/2 T dried tarragon
1 t dried rosemary
1 T dried thyme
1 t dried garlic
1 t dried basil
1 t white pepper
1 2-lb. pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
1/4 c tomato puree or sauce
2 1/2 c water

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and saute 10 minutes, or until onion is translucent and golden. Add tomatoes, lentils, and spices, and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Stir in pumpkin cubes, tomato puree or sauce, and 2 1/2 c water. Season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 40 minutes, or until pumpkin and lentils are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 8

Good served with baked potatoes. This is an improvization based on the Moroccan Pumpkin and Lentils recipe I tried a while back. J says he likes it even more this way with the French spices. I'd have used fresh spices if I had them, and some white wine in place of water. Next time...

2007 Clos Roche Blanche Gamay T ouraine

This is the wine we've been looking for. The wine of our dreams. Light, mineraly, bashful even. Santa, please bring me a case for Xmas!

Pear Pie

Ingredients
1 frozen pie crust, thawed (Whole Foods brand)
5 cups coarsely chopped peeled pears (about 5 medium, or 6 small)
¼ cup turbinado sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 t Earth Balance buttery spread

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Combine pear and the next 6 ingredients and toss well. Pour pear mixture into pie crust. Dot top of pie with Earth Balance and bake for 20 minutes on the lowest oven rack. Pie is done when fruit is tender and crust is golden brown.

Blueberry Pie

I made this in order to use up the 3/4 bag of organic Trader Joe's blueberries I had in the freezer, but I should double this amount next time because it didn't fill up the pie shell.

1 Whole Foods whole wheat frozen pie crust, thawed
5 c frozen blueberries, thawed under running warm water and drained
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/4 t ground cinnamon
2 T Earth Balance vegan butter substitute, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly combine all ingredients except for fake butter in a mixing bowl. Pour mixture into pie shell. Dot the top with butter pieces. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Almond Bread

Only slightly sweet, a little dry... kind of like a lighter version of a scone. Will be nice for breakfast. Could be muffins but I made 2 small loaves instead.

1 egg
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. sunflower oil
1 c. soymilk
2 c. flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
3/4 c. almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat egg, salt and sugar until light and fluffy. Add oil in a stream and continue beating. Beat in milk and almond extract. Add flour and baking powder to batter, stirring several times and add to batter, stirring until just mixed. Add nuts. Bake in greased loaf pans for 25-30 minutes.

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage

1 medium butternut squash
1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oi
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
1 pound farfalle pasta
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Heat the oven to 375°. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the strings and seeds the middle cavity. Flip the squash halves upside down and peel them. Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in a roasting pan, covered, for about 40 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Heat salted pasta water to boiling and cook the farfalle until al dente. Drain and set aside. As the squash finishes roasting, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large high-sided sauté pan. The oil is ready when it pops and sputters. Saute onion and garlic until translucent. Drop the sage leaves and fry for about a minute, or until they begin to just shrivel up.

Remove with a slotted spoon and salt lightly. Crush with the back of a spoon.

Add pasta to the pan, along with the roasted squash mixture. Crumble in the sage. Cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes or until the pasta is heated through and getting crispy on some of the edges. Add the pine nuts and cook for another minute.

Serves 4

*I forgot the pine nuts when I made this and it was still fabuous. Original recipe called for roating sqaush with onion, sage and garlic on a baking sheet in the oven but this gassed us all and we had to aerate the house and eat around browned up the garlic and the sage into toasty bits. So I simplified the existing recipe to prevent this happening the enxt time I make this.

Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup

I took the curried cauliflower recipe from this old post and buzzed it through the blender with about 3 cups of vegetable broth and 1 cup of goat's milk. It made a thick, hearty soup that is nicely spiced.

Pumpkin Pie

This uses coconut milk so it's dairy-free. I used an extra 1/4 to 1/3 c of pumpkin that I had leftover, so it's more spicy and pumpkin-y than it is sweet and creamy rich. But in a good way.

1 frozen pie shell (I like Whole Food's whole wheat brand), thawed
3 large eggs, stirred
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 ounces canned pumpkin
1 cup coconut milk

Mix the filling ingredients together. Pour the mixture into the thawed frozen pie shell. Bake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees.

*I went a little heavy on the spices and a little light on the sugar, both of which I would play with next time I'm making this. I might also bump up the coconut milk to 1 1/2 cups so it's a little creamier. J said the pie would be perfect as is with some sweet whipped cream on top. At least it didn't feel super decadent when I finished off the last huge slice at 2 a.m. this morning!

Date Syrup

What I rhapsodized over in a recent post I have found online. The gods be praised.

Check out this bit o' history:

"The date palm has flourished in Israel since the Neolithic period near the site of Jericho. It was grown for its leaves (lulav for Sukkot) and general thatching, wood, it was a symbol of immortality or fertility; it had sweet fruit fresh or could be dried, made into date honey or syrup, date liqueur, even the palm leaves could be woven for many items, fibers for ropes and such, woven baskets and brooms, sandals and fans. Apiculture or bee-hive raising was never a major industry of the Jews, and thus it had to be date honey.

Agam Hagalil’s Silan Date Honey is not actually a honey, rather a date syrup that can substituted in its place, this sweet elixir from Israel could put a lot of bees out of business! Use it as a flavorful sweetener in tea or in baking."

Irv and Shelly's Fresh Picks

Last Wednesday I received my first box of produce from Irv and Shelly's Fresh Picks. They deliver fresh, locally-grown organic produce right to your door. And what a bounty- even without the green onions and sweet potatoes they erroneously left out of my order. A gigantic, beautiful head of cauliflower, 2 fuji apples, a bunch of beets, a big head of tat soi greens, garlic chives, a pie pumpkin, a red cabbage and a gigantic portabello mushroom.

I love the cooking challenges presented by the randomness of the week's picks. Here's what's happened to the bounty so far:
I roasted the beets straightaway and had a yummy beet and goat cheese salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
I sauteed the beet greens in a little olive oil and water, but we haven't eaten them yet.
I made a few awesome salads out of the tat soi greens- which I'd never had before. Kind of hearty, peppery in flavor. Went nicely with avocado, beets, cherry tomatoes and goat cheese in a vinagrette. Still have a lot of these green guys to eat though.. Perhaps I'll try cooking with them..
Made the Moroccan Pumpkin and Lentils recipe with the pie pumpkin.
Snipped some of the garlic chives over poached cod, but still have a lot of them left...
Ate the apples.

That leaves the cauliflower (perhaps an Indian curry with it and some peas later in the week); the cabbage (a slaw? another soup? I don't know); and the giant mushroom (risotto!) left to deal with. Also a friend gave me 4 giant stalks of brussels sprouts from his garden, so I've got to roast those up today! He suggested braising and freezing the extras.
How I love the fall harvest!

*Update: Cauliflower became creamy curried cauliflower soup; Giant mushroom was sauteed with garlic, olive oil, basil, sliced zucchini and some cherry tomatoes for a pasta topping (but I ate half of it right out of the pan for lunch, sans pasta!); garlic chives went a little limp in the veggie drawer before they got all used up; red cabbage may become a Japanese sesame type of slaw...

Zucchini Soup with Cinnamon, Cumin and Goat's Milk

Original recipe calls for buttermilk, but I substituted goat's milk here and it's still very yummy. The fennel seed is a pivotal flavor here.

2 1/2 c veg broth (Imagine No-Chicken broth)
1 lb. zucchini, cut into chunks
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (1 c)
1/2 t minced serrano chile, or to taste
1/2 t whole fennel seed
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 1/2 c goat's milk
Chopped cilantro or mint, for garnish
Kime wedges, for garnish

Bring broth to a boil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add zucchini, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until zucchini is barely tender and bright green. Cool.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, serrano, fennel seed, cinnamon, and cumin, and saute for 7 to 10 minutes, or until onion is soft. Cool.
Place zucchini and onion miztures into blender and pulse until well chopped but textured. Transfer to bowl, stir in milk and season with salt and pepper. Chill at least 2 hours. Serve garnished with sprinkling of cilantro and lime wedges.

Serves 4

Moroccan Pumpkin and Lentils

2 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced (about 1 1/2 c)
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and sliced
1 14 0z. can diced tomatoes
1 c green lentils, rinsed
1 T paprika
1/ t cayenne pepper
1 t cumin
1 2-lb. pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
1/ c tomato puree
1/4 c chopped cilantro, for garnish

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and jalapeno and saute 10 minutes, or until onion is translucent and golden. Add tomatoes, lentils, and spices, and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Stir in pumpkin cubes, tomato puree, and 2 1/2 c water. Season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 40 minutes, or until pumpkin and lentils are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Serves 8

*Good over quinoa!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Milk and Ginger

There isn't more to it than the title implies. I roasted 5 sweet potatoes in the oven for an hour at 400. Then masked them up with 1/2 can of coconut milk (full fat, not light... rrrrow) and a tablespoon of minced ginger. And whoa. I've been eating it in the evenings when I get a sweet craving because it's quite dessert-y. I guess for official dessert I could add eggs and make it a custard next time. But this is a good T-giving/X-mas variation next time we're bringing a dish. Makes 5-6 servings.

Creamy Pea Soup

This soup is made with goat's milk as an experiment and I think the tang of the goat's milk compliments the other flavors nicely. Regular milk or soy milk could certainly be used instead. It's a fast and easy soup.

1/2 package frozen peas
1/2 onion, diced
1 box Imagine No-Chicken broth
1 t white pepper
1 t dr1ed thyme
1/2 t salt, optional
1/2 c goat milk

Combine all ingredients except milk in a deep saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Let it all cook together for 15 minutes. Then transfer to a blender and process until smooth. Add goat's milk and process until jst incorporated.
Serves 4.

Pecan Pie

I've always loved pecan pie even though it's usually too sweet for my liking. I'd never made it before but J suggested it tonight and I used what I had in the pantry. I've never bought or cooked with corn syrup, and as a rule I avoid eating it. But I think in this case the rice syrup and the date syrup don't just make this pie more healthy, but the give it more of a depth of flavor too. The date syrup I inherited from someone I used to work with and I had never tasted or cooked with it before today. Wow. I love the stuff. I hope it's not too hard to find because I'm going to make it a pantry staple from now on.

1 Whole Foods brand whole wheat frozen pie crust, thawed
1 c chopped pecans
3 T Earth Balance butter substitute, melted
3/4 c date syrup
3/4 c brown rice syrup
3 eggs
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/8 t salt
1 T flour

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. Add date syrup, rice syrup, spices, Earth Balance and salt, and mix well. Stir in pecans and flour. Place mixture into an unbaked 9-inch pie shell. Bake for 40 minutes or until firm in the center. Cool.

**Added later: WOW. Date syrup. My new best pantry friend. So good over oatmeal and roasted squash. Please let me find you at a Middle Eastern grocery somewhere. Whole Foods does not carry you.

Quick Gumbo

This can easily be vegetarian without the sausage, or by using Boca sausage. In this case I used andouille-flavored chicken sausage.

2 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, pressed
3/4 onion, chopped
1 package of frozen red, yellow and green pepper strips (365 brand)
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 T cajun spice
4 spicy veg or chicken sausage links, cut into 1" pieces
3/4 c rice (white or quick-cooking brown)
8 oz. frozen cut okra

Heat oil in large, deep pan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute until fragrant. Add pepper strips and stir. Cook 4 minutes.
Add tomatoes, beans, Cajun spice, and sausage. Bring to a boil, and stir in rice. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add okra and simmer 10 minutes more, or until rice is cooked, but not sticky.

Coq Au Vin

Having very few experiences cooking meat, and even fewer using the slow-cooker, I found this recipe to be an easy success. Good with a baguette and butter, or without to keep it gluten and dairy free.

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (if frozen, be sure they are thawed)
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
3 T olive oil
1 12 oz. box white or baby bella mushrooms, quartered
3 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 c broth (veg or chicken)
1 1/2 c dry red wine
2 fresh thyme sprigs

Rinse chicken and arrange on a sheet of wax paper or a plate. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, smooth side down, and cook 3 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Remove chicken and set aside. Heat remaining 1 T olive oil in same skillet; saute mushrooms 3 to 5 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Add carrots, onion, and garlic, and season with salt; cook 10 to 12 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. transfer vegetables and broth to slow cooker. Arrange chicken on top. Add wine and thyme sprigs.
Cover slow cooker and cook on med-low for 6 to 7 hours.

*J liked this dish a lot but I thought it was a little too "dark tasting"

Granola

This proved to be a good way of clearing out my pantry of misc. nuts and seeds so that I can go restock with a fresher supply when it comes to baking and sprinkling on salads and hot cereal. Next time I make this though I've got to get the stuff off of the baking sheet before it cools and turns into concrete. It's a terrible mess scraping it all off of there. Maybe transferring the hot mixture into a bowl or spreading it out onto wax paper will work better.

2 c rolled oats
1 c mixed seeds (flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame)
1 c mixed chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios)
1/2 t salt
1/2 honey
1/3 c sunflower oil
1 T vanilla extract
1 c assorted dried fruit (dried cranberries, raisins, dried blueberries, goji berries)

Prehear oven to 350 F. Combine oats, seeds, nuts, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together honey, oil, and vanilla and stir into dry ingredients. Spread granola on baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring once or twice during baking. Cool until dry and crunchy.
Break granola into bite-size pieces and stir in dried fruit. Store in airtight container.

Azuki Bean, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Stew

1 can Eden Aduki beans, drained and rinsed

1 large sweet potato, cut into 1" cubes

3/4 c quinoa

2 c vegetable broth (Imagine No-Chicken broth)

1 medium onion, diced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 T cumin

1 T tumeric

1/2 T ginger powder

1/2 T cinnamon

2-3 T olive oil

Warm olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add spices and stir until spices release their fragrance (about a minute or two). Then add onion and garlic and stir until translucent. Add vegetable broth to prevent spices from scorching. Add sweet potato and azuki beans. Stir, cover, and let simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender and cooked through. Stir in quinoa and let cook for 10 minutes or until quinoa is done (the little tails emerge from the quinoa seeds and they resemble commas). Stew should be quite soupy when quinoa is added and then the quinoa absorbs the rest of the liquid. More broth may need to be added as quinoa cooks.

Makes 6 servings

*This is really good served with collard greens sauteed in a little garlic and olive oil

Blueberry Muffins 2.0

3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 c sunflower oil
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 Tbsp flour (if using defrosted frozen berries)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix oil and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each one.

Beat in one half of the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Beat in one third of the yogurt. Beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients. Beat in a second third of the yogurt. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and then the remaining yogurt. Again be careful to beat until just incorporated. Do not over beat. Fold in the berries. If you are using frozen berries, defrost them first, drain the excess liquid, and then coat them in a light dusting of flour.

Use a standard 12-muffin muffin pan. Coat each muffin cup lightly with canola oil spray. Distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Test for doneness. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin and serve slightly warm.

Makes 11 huge muffins