Vermont Cheddar Cheese Bread

It’s been about 6-12 months ago that I first read about the No-Knead Bread. It’s made the rounds of bloggers around the world. Not too long after I read about it I tried it. And was positively amazed how good it was. And how easy it was. It’s just that it requires about 18-24 hours of time (very little of it with any work, though) to make. The dough develops a sourdough kind of flavor, and is baked in a heavy Le Crueset-type pan, with a lid. The pan creates its own hotter-than-heck oven, within the oven. Gives the bread a great crispy crust like the artisan loaves you may buy at your local bakery.

Some other blogger mentioned a book out there – Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. I ordered the book, have read parts of it, and decided I’d have to try this recipe last weekend. The prep and baking method is very similar to the no-knead bread, although maybe easier since this one requires only a two-hour rise to start the batter.

The bread is a cinch to make, i.e., don’t be intimidated by the long list of instructions . . . they’re just wordy and very thorough. You can do everything by hand if you choose, but I utilized my stand mixer (with dough hook) to perform the harder work for me. This dough does not require kneading at all. In fact the recipe indicates you do not knead it. The less you mix it, the more of those wonderfully big holey holes you’ll get in the loaf.

The steps include:
(1) mixing up the dry stuff, the wet stuff and combining the two
(2) letting the dough rest for 2 hours
(3) refrigerating the dough to bake at a later time (up to 7 days later)
(4) shaping the loaves (takes about 3-4 minutes) and allowing them to rise
(5) baking in a 450 oven, on a pizza stone

I’ve only made one recipe so far, from this new book. But if this bread is any indication of the others, I’ll be making more of them in the future. Next time I am going to try using hard wheat flour too, and do my best to do less kneading. This version doesn't have quite the sourdough flavor the no-knead (18-24 hour) bread does, but it's certainly a worthy competitor.

Cook’s Notes: be sure to use ample cornmeal under the formed loaves so they don’t stick to the pizza peel. A pizza peel is ideal. Most peels are made of wood, but mine is a lightweight metal with a plastic edge (the peel is a big, wide, flat kind of spatula the pizza makers use to slide pizza off of onto the hot oven floor), but you could also use a cookie sheet that has no lip.

Vermont Cheddar Cheese Bread
Recipe By: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day -- Hertzberg & Francois
Serving Size: 24
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast -- granulated type
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup grated cheddar cheese -- sharp, or New York
1. Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast, salt and sugar with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
2. Mix the dry ingredients and the cheese, without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment) or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with dough hook). If you're using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
3. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately two hours.
4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next seven days.
5. On baking day, dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a grapefruit-sized piece (if baking one loaf). Alternately, weigh the entire amount and divide into 4 equal portions, about 1 3/4 pounds each. Dust the pieces with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Allow to rest and rise uncovered on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel for one hour (or just 40 minutes if you're using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).
6. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, with a baking stone placed on the lowest rack. Place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.
7. Sprinkle the loaf liberally with flour and slash a cross, a scallop, or tic-tac-toe pattern into the top, using a serrated bread knife. Leave the flour in place for baking; tap some of it off before eating.
8. Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone. If it sticks, gently coax it off the pizza peel. Pour one cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until deeply browned and firm. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments to baking time.
9. Allow to cool on a rack before slicing or eating. Makes 4 approximately one pound loaves.
Per Serving: 147 Calories; 2g Fat (12.0% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 430mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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Provolone Pesto Torte (an Appetizer)

One year, many years ago, my DH and I took a driving trip up to Wine Country, in northern California. We stopped here and there, wineries, the Napa Valley Olive Oil Company, restaurants (Mustard’s was my favorite), and a darling little gourmet market that’s located on Highway 29. I can’t remember the name of it, but it’s still there, on the east side of the highway. They carried mostly gourmet jars, cans, and a lovely selection of cheeses and olives, tapenade, grilled peppers, fresh bread and snacks. I was in heaven shopping in that little store. The clerk behind the counter recommended a cheese torte thing, to make a little picnic lunch we planned. He sliced off a wedge and off we went. Well, since you’re getting a recipe here, you can guess the torte was out of this world.

Once home, I researched a few cookbooks, and found nothing. I knew it had provolone cheese in it, some cream cheese and pesto, but I couldn’t pick out anything else. Weeks and months went by, and then one momentous Thursday morning our local paper (this was in 1989) featured an article about cheese tortes. Aha! I made it immediately, with just a couple of little alterations to it.

It's layers of provolone cheese, a cream cheese mixture, and pesto. It takes about half an hour to assemble it, maybe less, then it needs to rest in the refrigerator overnight. The instructions may seem a bit elaborate, but it's not difficult to make. Honest. It looks like something you'd buy in the gourmet deli, but I assure you, you can make it yourself easily enough.

Leftovers (left): I almost always have some leftovers of this torte, and we can only eat so much of the appetizer night after night. So one time I cut what was left into little chunks (I used a chef’s knife and just chopped and chopped, then tossed it into a piping hot pot of pasta. It’s almost good enough to combine these ingredients without making it into a torte. Everything melts when you toss it with piping hot pasta.

Necessary items: a 7-inch round bowl, flat bottomed, or non-metal bread sized pan or dish. It needs to have sides that are about 3 inches high. You also need cheesecloth - not something every home cook has in her repertoire. But it really is necessary. I suppose you could use plastic wrap, but the torte oozes a little, and the cheesecloth absorbs the fluid.

Cook’s Notes: This is easiest using thinly sliced provolone – maybe thinner than you get as sandwich slices at the grocery store – so ideally buy from a butcher who can do that for you. It makes the molding of the slices a lot easier if they’re thinner. Allow the provolone to sit at room temp for about 30 minutes before starting the assembly, as it's easier to mold it. As you arrange the cheese in the mold, try to press the cheese edges together to keep the pesto from oozing through as you construct the torte. The cream cheese mixture needs to be at room temp in order to spread it easily. Have everything ready and at hand when you begin the layering, and it will come together quickly. For ease, buy ready-made pesto, rather than making your own.

Provolone Pesto Torte
Recipe By: Adapted from a recipe in Orange County Register, July 1989
Serving Size: 30
1 pound provolone cheese -- sliced
1 cup pesto sauce
GARLIC CREAM:
8 ounces cream cheese -- softened
1/4 cup butter -- softened
1 clove garlic -- minced
1 dash white pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts
GARNISH
1/2 c fresh basil
1/4 c pine nuts
1. GARLIC CREAM: In food processor, blend cream cheese, butter, garlic and pepper. Stir in pine nuts and set aside.
2. TO ASSEMBLE: line a 9x5x3 loaf pan (or 7-inch round dish with moderately high sides) with clean, dampened cheesecloth, leaving excess to hang over the sides. Line the bottom and sides with HALF the provolone, slightly overlapping slices and pressing edges to seal. This is important because the pesto will leak through otherwise. Also, arrange the cheese on the bottom layer as neatly as possible, because when it's unmolded, it becomes the top.
3. Divide the remaining cheese slices into 3 portions. Spread half the pesto on top of the provolone in bottom of dish. Make a layer of cheese slices and spread evenly with HALF of the garlic cream. Make another layer of cheese slices, garlic cream and pesto. Cover entire surface with the last of the sliced cheese. Fold cheesecloth over the pan/dish and press firmly to compress it. Refrigerate loaf at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
4. PRESENTATION: Unfold cheesecloth. Holding cheesecloth edges like a sling, gently lift loaf up a little to loosen from pan and release it back into the pan. Invert pan onto a serving platter or suitable tray. Shake pan gently to ease the loaf out and remove cheesecloth. Garnish with branches of fresh basil and pine nuts. Accompany with thinly sliced French bread, Table Water Crackers or other cracker. NOTES: IF you have leftovers, this is absolutely wonderful melted into fresh pasta - it just becomes the pasta sauce all by itself, and it also can be crumbled up in a big green salad, too. You can use pistachio nuts instead of pine nuts, if preferred. I prefer my own pesto - because I use less oil than prepared sauces. In a hurry you can substitute jarred pesto and Boursin-style cheese for the garlic cream portion as well. It will keep several weeks.
Per Serving: 147 Calories; 13g Fat (79.0% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 25mg Cholesterol; 226mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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Grilled & Marinated Provolone

Believe it or not, I'm not certain I'd make this again. Not because it wasn't good. It was. There are a variety of reasons: (1) the grill meister had difficulty keeping the cheese from melting right down through the grates (maybe the temp was too high?); and (2) once served, it didn't stay hot very long (we didn't put it on a hot, hot plate). Not long enough, anyway.

This is a

Michael Chiarello recipe - a show he did a few months ago that was an all-grilled meal, from appetizer through dessert. On the program, grilling the cheese looked really easy. It didn't appear to be when we made it. Obviously there's a technique here that we just didn't get. According to the reader reviews at the tv food network, all who prepared the dish loved it, and I guess, had no difficulty with it. So it had to be something we did. The cheese and herb combination was good - as someone wrote, the herbs complemented the cheese well. I agree.

First you marinate the cheese - two chunks of cheese totalling 1 1/2 pounds - in olive oil, oregano, chile flakes, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Then you grill the cheese briefly, directly on the grates, just enough to put grill marks on the cheese. Michael said about 2 minutes per side. That's when the grill meister ran into trouble. It began to melt, and he had no grill marks. You then transfer the cheese to a metal plate or baking dish (I used a small oblong metal pan that I encased in aluminum foil, so the grill wouldn't damage the pan) and put that on top of the grill. You cook it until the cheese has begun to melt and "begins to brown on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes." Well, we never got to the begins to brown part. Finally our grill meister removed the cheese and we served it, along with a bunch of baguette slices he'd also grilled. By the time we transferred it to a serving plate, the cheese was already kind of firming up again and cooling off fast.

I think the trouble was with the grill temperature. The recipe does say moderately high heat. Maybe I will try this again and see what happens. Maybe we'll start with half a recipe this time too. We had 8 people for dinner, and had lots left over. We did eat it - and it was delicious, but the cheese was cool within a couple of minutes, so be sure to place it on a piping hot plate.

Marinated & Grilled Provolone
Recipe By: Michael Chiarello, a viewer's recipe
Serving Size : 8
1 1/2 pounds Provolone cheese -- in two pieces
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon oregano -- crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried chile flakes
6 cloves garlic -- minced
1 tablespoon parsley -- fresh, minced

Gray salt and fresh ground black pepper
1. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill to moderately high heat.
2. Rub the pieces of provolone all over with the olive oil and season with the rest of the ingredients. Let marinate refrigerated, for one hour. Grill the cheese on the hot grill for about two minutes per side until grill marks appear and the cheese just begins to soften.
3. Transfer the cheese to a metal plate or baking dish and place back on top of the grill. Cook until the cheese just barely starts to melt and begins to brown on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes. Serve hot with grilled baguette slices.
Per Serving: 364 Calories; 29g Fat (72.7% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 59mg Cholesterol; 746mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 4 Fat.

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Warm White Bean & Brie Dip

I know, I can hear it already in your thoughts. What is this? Bean dip? Brie? Huh? What kind of nonsense is this? In a word: EASY. In another word: TASTY. Believe it or not, this is really very good. And ever so easy to make. I'll insert the full recipe below, but it's nothing more than a can of bean dip mixed up with little tiny cubes of brie (rind removed), and microwaved for about a minute. Serve.


It does take a little bit of time to cut off the rinds, but that's the hardest part. You can serve it with tortilla chips, but it makes it a bit more elegant if you serve it with crackers. I made lavash crisps from a post the other day for Coriander Lime Shrimp. Using crackers might make your guests think you didn't just open a can of bean dip and add cheese.

There's the photo of it in a ceramic bowl, ready for its minute of melting in the microwave. I didn't get an after picture, but I have some leftovers, so maybe I'll add another photo to this post later.


If you are in a hurry and want something really good and really quick, this is your ticket. The recipe came from Andrew Schloss, a chef and author, from his book Almost From Scratch. He taught a cooking class a few years ago. His schtick is about how to make things ahead, and make entertaining easier on yourself. He certainly scored on both counts.

Warm White Bean and Brie Dip
Recipe By : Andrew Schloss, chef & author, from a cooking class
Serving Size : 6
8 ounces Brie -- chilled
8 ounces bean dip -- canned
1. Remove rind from cheese and chop up into small pieces. Place the cheese and bean dip in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at full power for one minute, or until cheese is completely melted. Stir with a fork until well combined.
2. Serve warm with tortilla chips, bread or crackers.
Per Serving: 169 Calories; 12g Fat (62.5% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 38mg Cholesterol; 422mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat.
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Shells with Crispy Pancetta & Spinach

I'm on a roll. Trying some of the recipes amongst the hundreds of clippings I sorted through a few days ago. This one was only about 7 months old - after I broke my foot last summer I watched a heck of a lot of television, and this was one of Giada's Italian recipes that sounded so good, and I knew I'd enjoy it. It's easy to make, too. Can't beat that combination. I really can't say that I make all that many recipes from Food Network shows. I enjoy watching some of them (as theater, I suppose) but only occasionally do I go to the Network's site and print out a recipe.

Here are Giada De Laurentis' stuffed jumbo shells, placed in a baking dish. Photo from the Food Network.

I almost always have pancetta on hand, but I didn't have the 3/4 inch cubes Giada mentions in the recipe - I had the tiny cubed pancetta that I get from Trader Joe's in 4-ounce packages. DH offered to go grocery shopping for me, so I wrote down "large pasta shells." I should have known that "jumbo" was what I wanted. Soooo, I had to improvise a bit. The large shells are way too small to stuff, so I just made a casserole of them instead. Am sure they tasted the same, but most definitely didn't look as attractive as Giada's. The Asiago cheese is part of what "makes" this dish, since it has a kind of sharp taste. Good, though. And the dash of nutmeg in the mixture was really delish. The dish is rich, so it's filling. DH liked this a LOT. Said I could make this anytime. Any day. Night. Whenever.

Shells with Crispy Pancetta and Spinach
Recipe: Giada de Laurentis, Everyday Italian, Food Network
Serving Size : 8 [Giada says this feeds 4-6. No way - more like 8-10 in my estimation.]
SHELLS:
1 package jumbo pasta shells -- (12-ounce)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound pancetta -- cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 pounds frozen spinach -- thawed and drained
15 ounces ricotta cheese -- whole milk
1 cup asiago cheese -- grated
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
SAUCE:
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove -- minced
1 cup cream
2 cups asiago cheese -- grated, set aside 1/4 cup
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. For the shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
3. Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.
4. For the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved. Pour the sauce over the shells. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese.
5. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Per Serving: 410 Calories; 31g Fat (66.9% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 103mg Cholesterol; 1419mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Fat.

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Cheese Fondue - our Christmas Eve family tradition

(photo from cabotcheese.com)

Everybody knows cheese fondue. But recipes do vary, based on parts of the world from which they come (using local cheeses) and because people are wont to make changes. Not me. Uh-uh. I've stuck with this recipe almost from day one, when I had this version. And that's at least 40 years ago. A friend, Sandy Jenkins, served this to me, lo these many years ago. I liked the combination of the Gouda and Swiss. Often fondue is strictly Swiss, and I think Swiss has a sharp edge on it, that almost gives it a sour taste. Not liking that, but wanting to stay somewhat true to the origin of fondue (Switzerland and Swiss cheese), I like the mellowing characteristics of the Gouda with it. And I generally buy Emmental cheese for the Swiss. It's more expensive, but it's probably the original fondue cheese. Whatever you do, don't buy domestic grocery store, generic Swiss. It's just awful in this.

Back in the 1960's and 70's it was a popular thing to serve fondue for dinner. I was given a pot a long time ago (a ceramic one, can only be used for cheese or chocolate, not for oil for beef fondue) that came from Switzerland. It's weathered the years, thank goodness, and has nary a chip on it. It uses Sterno for heat. I bring the cheese mixture to a simmer on the kitchen stove (to totally melt the cheese) and then pour it into the fondue pot and deliver it to the entertaining location, usually on a coffee table in front of the fireplace.


This became a family tradition back in the 1980's in our family because on Christmas Eve, generally, my DH and I sang in one of the three church services that are held at our Presbyterian church we belong to. So preparing a traditional dinner that night was difficult. Yet we had 5 hungry mouths that needed some sustenance. And it was Christmas Eve, a festive night, and I wanted it to be special. So, I was able to get a lot of the prep work done ahead of time. I usually double the recipe. If you have hungry eaters, they may eat more than their fair share. I've also made a 1 & 1 /2 scaling of the recipe, which was about right for our family.


I chop or grate the cheese, sprinkle in the little bit of flour, nutmeg and paprika and put that in a plastic bag and leave it at room temperature. Next is to cut up the French bread. Having made this a lot of times, I've become very particular about the French Bread I use. It can't be the cheap grocery store variety (the bread doesn't hold us in the thick cheese, plus it has zero taste), but it can't be really hard-crust artisanal bread either (because it's just way too hard, and you poke your finger trying to get the fondue fork through the crust). So, you need to scout out your bread source and find something that's in between. Discard any bread that doesn't have a bit of crust on it since those generally get lost in the cheese anyway and bag those up too. The seasonings would be all ready by the stove, including the bottle of white wine, measuring cup at hand. I'd set up the fondue burner, napkins, plates, etc. in front of the fireplace, so it was only a matter of melting the cheese and we'd be ready to eat. We'd try to sing at the early service, at 7:00, would be back home by a few minutes after 8:00 and dinner would be on the coffee table within about 20 minutes.


Our daughter, Sara, has made this a Christmas Eve tradition for her family too, and she's added a nice touch - she puts out some blanched vegies to dip also (broccoli and carrots mostly), in addition to the bread. For Christmas this year, we're going to our daughter Dana's home in Placerville (the old gold country of Northern California). She wants to do fondue too, so I'm going to take my pot along, and she's going to do chocolate fondue in her pot. The kids will like that, to be sure. I'll try to take a photo of the fondue so I can update this posting with MY photo, rather than Cabot Cheese Co.'s.

Cheese Fondue
Recipe: Sandy Jenkins, a friend I knew in the 60's
Servings: 4
1/2 pound Swiss cheese -- prefer imported
1/2 pound Gouda cheese
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 clove garlic
5 tablespoons sherry
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg -- prefer fresh grated
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 large French bread loaf -- (see notes below)
1. If time and your patience permits, grate the cheese. Otherwise, cut both cheeses into small cubes (as small as you have time to make them), which makes for easier melting. Place grated/cubed cheese in a large plastic bag and add flour, nutmeg and paprika and mush around a little. This much can be done ahead and refrigerated or left out at room temperature if it's to be made within a few hours.
2. Select a very heavy saucepan and rub the cut garlic clove around the bottom of the pan. Add white wine and garlic clove to the pot and bring to a boil. Remove garlic. Add cheese mixture and stir until cheese is melted and smooth. Add sherry and stir. Pour into cheese fondue pot and serve with chunks of bread.
3. Note about bread: I'm very particular about what kind of bread to buy for the fondue. Hard baguettes are too hard, and some of the grocery store french breads are simply too soft (like Weber's bread). So, select a loaf which has a medium crust and is long and narrow. If you buy a big fat loaf, the cubes of bread from the middle of the loaf have a tough time in the thick cheese. The crust makes it easier to hold it onto the fondue fork.
Per Serving: 801 Calories; 35g Fat (42.3% calories from fat); 41g Protein; 66g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 117mg Cholesterol; 1307mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 4 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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Twice Baked Cauliflower Take 2

Improvise. That's the word of the day. I had a head of cauliflower and hadn't decided what I'd do with it. Remembering how wonderful the twice-baked cauliflower is that I posted a few months ago, I looked at the list of ingredients and didn't have everything. When I made it months ago I'd adapted it from the recipe over at Kalyn's Kitchen. This time I had about 1/3 cup of sour cream, but no Parmesan. I had about 2 ounces of cream cheese, but no green onions. So, I improvized. The mother of invention, so they say.

This is the dish that is kind of like mashed potatoes, but it's made with cauliflower. You mash it up, kind of like you would with mashed potatoes, but it's not as smooth. Then you add in the fixins, like bacon, sour cream, etc. What I did have was: bacon, a tad of cream cheese, a bit of butter, and buttermilk (I often add buttermilk to my mashed potatoes, so my thinking went along that this would be a good addition to cauliflower too). So, here's an adjunct recipe for twice-baked cauliflower. You can use whatever cheese you have - I happened to have a nutty, but mild white cheese with truffles in it. I hadn't planned on cooking with this cheese, but it was beginning to grow some mold on the outside, so figured I'd best use it pronto. It was delicious. We had seconds it was so good.

Twice-Baked Cauliflower Take 2

1 whole cauliflower, cut into large florets

3 slices bacon, thick-cut, minced

4 ounces cheese, your choice, shredded, divided use

1/3 cup sour cream

2 ounces cream cheese

3 tablespoons buttermilk

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the cauliflower. Cook until the cauliflower is just tender when you poke the stem with a knife. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, fry the bacon until brown. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

3. Mash the cauliflower until it's relatively smooth, but will still have small pieces visible. Save some cheese to put on the top. Add all the other ingredients and stir until combined. Pour into a small casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. (This can be eaten at this point, but it's best if you bake it for just a few minutes, or pop it in the microwave to heat it up completely.)

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 515 Calories; 46g Fat (78.5% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 114mg Cholesterol; 590mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 8 Fat.

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Tuscan Chicken (not) Soup

Why would you think a soup would be named Tuscan CHICKEN Soup when there isn't any chicken in it? Beats me! But, I'm being true to the original recipe, which called it Tuscan Chicken Soup. Even though it has beef in it.

When the instructor, Patty Padawar, explained this soup, she must have had some kind of explanation, but it's nothing that stuck in my head, nor did I write anything on my notes. The originator of this recipe must have had a reason, right? Oh well. Whether it's chicken or beef, it's just a plain old good soup.

This recipe came from a cooking class at Sur la Table, and was a compilation of some of the cooking school's "favorites." How could I not go to a class that culled through hundreds of cooking class recipes and pulled out the best of the best? Only one of the recipes was one where I'd attended the class (that was Joanne Weir's Sicilian Tuna Salad, which I've already posted here on my blog).

I'm a real sucker for soups. I've loved them always, but over the last 10 years or so I've found them to be such a time saver and they make a very full, tasty and easy meal. We don't eat many bean soups just because neither of us need the packed carbs at our age. But, I love vegetable soups, chicken soups, beef soups, squash soups too.

This one is a mixture of ground beef, escarole, fresh fennel, onions, and orzo pasta. A nice combination. If you don't know if you like fennel, trust me on this - fennel once cooked is very mellow. There isn't even an inkling of anise flavor in this soup once it's been simmered awhile. And, as always, this soup is much better the next day if you can plan ahead!

The soup also has one added touch that I'd never seen done before: just before serving you slice a plank of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, using a cheese plane, and place it in the bottom of the soup bowl. Then you ladle the hot soup on top and within a minute the cheese is mostly melted, although it doesn't "stir" into the soup at all. It's best when your spoon just lifts a little bit of the cheese with a bite of soup. Be sure to tell guests so they don't scrape the bottom and get an entire mouthful of cheese.

Actually, this time I used some ground chicken (a third) to this soup in addition to ground beef (two thirds). And I added some celery too, just, well, because. The soup is low in calorie, although I don't think this serves as many as the recipe indicates. We eat about 1 & 1/2 cups per serving, and I think the recipe assumes less. I made a double batch so I'd have leftovers. And this soup freezes well to join others in my soup library. That is, if there are any by the time we finish tonight's dinner.

Tuscan Chicken (no, Beef) Soup
Recipe By :Patty Padawar, cooking insructor
Servings: 8
3/4 pound lean ground beef -- or veal
1 small fennel bulb -- chopped
1 medium onion -- chopped
2-3 whole cloves garlic -- minced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups low sodium beef broth
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano -- crushed
2 whole bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup orzo
4 cups escarole -- shredded
4 ounces Parmesan cheese -- shaved in planks

salt -- to taste

1. In a large saucepan or pot, cook the ground beef, onions, fennel and garlic over high heat, stirring as needed for about 5 minutes, until meat is browned and vegetables are softened. Drain off excess fat.
2. Add broths, water and seasonings and simmer for 10 minutes. Bring up to a gentle boil, add the orzo and cook 10 more minutes, stirring twice.

3. Remove bay leaves, add the escarole and remove from the heat. Taste and add salt if needed, or more pepper. Stir to blend in. Divide the cheese planks into serving bowls, ladle the hot soup on the cheese and serve.
NOTES : To make cheese planks: use a cheese plane or sharp vegetable peeler. If you have leftovers, taste it when you reheat it as you may need to add additional water or broth.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 275 Calories; 13g Fat (43.8% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 43mg Cholesterol; 586mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat.

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Have you tried Mister Charlie?

I absolutely promise that my blog is not going to be all about casseroles. It's too bad that the word itself is a semi-bad one on blogs. I don't have all that many casserole recipes. Honest. But those of you old enough to remember the casserole era (that would be the 1960's and into the 70's for you young'ns) probably have many of your own of similar ilk as this one. I'm trying to give you some variety here on this blog, and I wouldn't have chosen this as a subject of a blog post except that this happened to have come out of the freezer the other night - literally it kept falling out of the freezer every time I opened the door. It was trying to tell me something, I finally concluded.

Some of you may know that way back in my deep, dark past, I was a Navy wife. My former husband was an air intelligence officer, and we lived in a variety of places (Florida, Washington, D.C., Whidbey Island, Washington and Denver, Colorado) over the years of his Navy service. During one of the early years I acquired a Navy Officer's Wives Cookbook, with hundreds and hundreds of recipes from other American Navy officer's wives from all over the globe. Actually there was a series of them (one of each of these: salads, desserts, casseroles & breads, meats, and one on international foods too). I still go to those cookbooks sometimes to get ideas about dishes to try, even though the plastic spiral bindings are nearly disintegrated on all of them. I was in my mid-20's then and new to the day-to-day cooking arena when these books went to press, so I didn't even think of submitting one of my recipes for any of the books. I'm not even sure I had any recipes I could call my own at that time.

As many of you probably remember, casseroles were a staple in every cook's repertoire. They were popular for family meals, and more elegant casseroles were very popular for guests too. They certainly were in mine, and they were inexpensive. In the 1960's my normal weekly food budget was $20, and that fed two people for 7 days, 3 meals a day. So, in the Meat cookbook of that era, amidst the little spots of food that spilled there is this recipe for Mister Charlie. Heaven knows why it's called Mister Charlie. Was Charlie the inspiration? Was he the cook and his wife submitted the recipe? Or, I like to think it's the dog's name, because he ate Suzie Q's portion when she dropped it on the floor? Do you ever ponder why recipes receive the names they do? I've asked myself this question about this dish for many years. Undoubtedly I'll never know the story. I even did a Google search for the title to just see if there was anything official out there for a pasta casserole called Mister Charlie. Nope. Over the years I've adapted the recipe some (I use Italian sausage rather than ground beef) and I've added mushrooms and cheddar cheese to it. So maybe I should call it Missus Carolyn? What do you think?

Well, then. There isn't anything startling in this casserole - pasta, meat, mushrooms, a variety of cheeses and a tomato-based sauce. That's it. But in combo, they make a very tasty dish. Casseroles sometimes don't look very appealing. Does the photo convey a little bit of the 1965-ish boredom of the tops of many such casseroles? What it does have going for it is that it makes a LOT. It can be made ahead. It's high in carbs (sigh). But all-in-all, it's still a keeper. Most of all, it's American comfort food. So, enjoy Mister Charlie, wherever he is. Woof.

Mister Charlie
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:45

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage
1 whole onion -- minced
2 cloves garlic -- minced
12 ounces tomato paste
8 ounces fresh mushrooms -- sliced
24 ounces water
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning -- or oregano, basil, thyme combination
1 pound cottage cheese
1/2 pound cheddar cheese -- grated
1/2 pound Mozzarella cheese -- grated and sliced both
1 pound pasta -- your choice of type (penne rigate, macaroni)
1/2 cup parsley -- chopped

1. Heat large skillet, adding olive oil. Add diced onion and cook while preparing other ingredients. Add the Italian sausage (mashed into small pieces) and continue cooking until all the pink is gone.
2. Add the garlic, herbs and mushrooms, then add the tomato paste and water. Cook for about 15 minutes until well blended. Taste for seasoning (salt and pepper). Set aside to cool slightly. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta until it's just under-done. Drain.
4. Into a very large bowl add the pasta, cottage cheese, then add the slightly cooled meat mixture. Prepare the cheese - about 1/3 of it should be in thin slices, the remainder should be shredded. I freeze the big ball of mozzarella cheese for about 20 minutes to make it easier to grate. Pour into two 9 x 13 pans, or a combination of other types. Place cheese slices on top. Bake about 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

Serving Ideas : You need nothing with this except a crispy green salad. Back in the day, I'd always make garlic bread, but it isn't really necessary.
NOTES : This makes a big gooey, mushy mixture, but as it bakes it firms up some. I actually prefer it when it's sat overnight before baking. Seems to solidify the flavors, I guess. You can alter the amount of water you add - the original recipe said to add 4-5 cans (from the tomato paste) of water. I usually add about 4 cans, which should be 24 ounces. You can also add canned, drained tomatoes to this. Ricotta can be substituted for the cottage cheese too. Originally this recipe called for ground beef, but I like the flavor of the sausage better.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 561 Calories; 33g Fat (52.3% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 38g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 83mg Cholesterol; 995mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Fat.

Stacked Enchiladas Negras

The cooking instructor, Phillis Carey, explained that when she was a young child, her parents took a trip to Mexico, while she and her siblings stayed home. Upon their return, her mother worked on this recipe to recreate this dish until she was happy with the results. So, what is it, you ask? It's a casserole containing a sauce, a filling of fresh mushrooms, chiles and onions, corn tortillas, drizzled with some Mexican crema, then topped with a delish relish of thinly sliced red onions that add a wonderful piquant flavor and a crunch as you eat it. In a way they're just vegetarian enchiladas, but they're not made in a traditional (rolled) method, but in layers, then baked. One of the unusual things about this is the sauce - it's a can of black beans, drained and rinsed, blended with a can of enchilada sauce and jarred salsa. What could be easier than that? Blending it gives it a thicker consistency, and it melds well with the filling.

Phills Carey explained that if you didn't like mushrooms, you can use a different filling. She suggested corn and zucchini. What came to mind for me is calabacitas, the flavorful side vegetable served in New Mexico (corn, zucchini, onion, Poblano chiles). I have worked on that recipe during the last year (it's a favorite of mine) and I'll post it one of these days. But you can create your own filling. For our dinner we made the other night, Cherrie made these, and I made the carnitas tacos.

Stacked Enchiladas Negras

ENCHILADAS:
2 pounds mushrooms -- sliced, button
8 ounces Poblano pepper -- diced
1 cup onion -- chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds -- or ground cumin
1 1/2 cups chicken broth -- divided use
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups Mexican crema -- divided use
15 ounces canned black beans -- rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups salsa -- bottled, Picante
10 ounces red enchilada sauce -- mild
12 whole corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese -- grated

VINEGARY RED ONIONS:
1 whole red onion -- thinly sliced
3/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1. In a Dutch oven or large saucepan combine the mushrooms, chiles, onion, cumin seeds and 1/2 cup broth. Bring to a simmer and then cover and simmer until vegetables are juicy and limp, about 12 minutes. Uncover, increase heat and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are DRY and just beginning to brown, about 20 seconds.

2. In a measuring cup whisk together the remaining broth and cornstarch. Whisk in 1/2 cup crema and add to mushrooms. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, about 2 minutes. Combine black beans, salsa and enchilada sauce in a blender and puree.

3. Preheat oven to 350°. Pour 1 1/2 cups bean/enchilada sauce into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Stack 6 tortillas and cut in half. Arrange 6 halves in the casserole, straight edges against the edges, then overlap 3 whole tortillas to completely cover the sauce. Spread mushroom mmixture over tortillas to cover. Repeat with tortillas and pour remaining black bean enchilada sauce over all to cover completely.

4. Bake until bubbling, 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and bake about 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting or scooping. Serve topped with a few vinegary red onions on top and drizzle additional Mexican crema over the top.

5. VINEGARY RED ONIONS: Thinly slice onion and place in a medium skillet. Add vinegar and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand until cool, stirring often. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Serve with a slotted spoon. (Added note: if you have leftovers, these onions are GREAT added into a sandwich, like tuna salad, chicken salad, or even sliced turkey. Because they're crunchy, it's a wonderful addition.)

NOTES : Great dish for a buffet. Would work well for a brunch too. Do not substitute the Mexican crema - it's important that you buy the agria kind, which means sour. Also, do not use Mexican table cream either as it lacks the stringy consistency of the agria variety. Regular sour cream will break down in this dish, whereas the Mexican variety will not.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 308 Calories; 9g Fat (26.4% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 44g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 34mg Cholesterol; 896mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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Caramelized Carnitas Tacos

As mentioned in the previous recipe, my friend Cherrie and I attended a cooking class recently, which was a Cinco de Mayo celebration of recipes by Phillis Carey. This is different than any carnitas I've ever had, and it's really tasty. It doesn't take long to simmer the meat, and the steps to make this are relatively simple. With a green salad, this could be dinner if you put out condiments like the salsa and guacamole. Shredded lettuce would probably be a nice addition too. In this version, instead of serving shredded (cold) cheese as a condiment, Monterey jack cheese is melted and baked with the meat and you merely scoop some of this combination into a hot flour tortilla and serve.

Caramelized Carnitas Tacos

CARNITAS:
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork center rib -- or pork shoulder, cut in 1 inch cubes with some fat
2 cloves garlic -- minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon tequila
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup water
1/2 cup green onions -- sliced

QUESO FONDUTA:
1 pound Monterey jack cheese -- grated
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon cilantro -- chopped

TACOS:
8 small flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups salsa -- freshly, not bottled
1 cup guacamole

1. CARNITAS: Place pork cubes in a medium bowl. Toss with garlic, brown sugar, tequila, molasses, salt and pepper. Transfer to a 10-inch skillet, spreading pork out to a single layer. Pour the water on and bring to a boil. Simmer until the pork is tender and the water is cooked out, stirring occasionally. Toward the end of the cooking time watch the pan carefully. You do not want it to scorch. Taste meat for tenderness and add a bit more water if needed to continue cooking. The cook time should be about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cook slightly before adding the green onions.

2. QUESO: Preheat oven to 375°. Place the cooked carnitas in a deep pie plate or casserole dish and top with the grated cheese. Sprinkle with garlic salt and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, wrap the tortillas in foil and bake along with the casserole.

3. SERVING: Spoon carnitas and fonduta into the hot tortillas and add some salsa and guacamole on top, fold over and serve.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 688 Calories; 37g Fat (49.1% calories from fat); 37g Protein; 50g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 96mg Cholesterol; 1194mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 5 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

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