Peas with Pancetta

Sometimes there's just no other vegetable (carb) except peas that will work. I really enjoy green peas, especially the young, small ones. But because they're a carb, we don't eat them much anymore except adding them onto a salad at a salad bar. This dish, though, makes me a convert every time I've prepared it. Probably it's the pancetta. I'm sure glad I was introduced to pancetta some years ago (it's Italian bacon, but not smoked as American bacon is). Trader Joe's carries it in paper-thin slices and in cube form. I keep one of those boxes of pancetta cubes in the freezer all the time now, and it's perfect for this dish.

The recipe came from Cooking Light, April, 2005. So that means it's low in fat and calories. But this recipe is high on flavor, I'll tell you.

Peas with Pancetta
Recipe: Cooking Light
Servings: 6
2 ounces pancetta -- chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup white onion -- diced
1 whole garlic clove -- minced
3 cups frozen peas -- petite
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Italian parsley -- minced
1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat cook the pancetta until it is crispy but not brown. Remove to a small bowl and set aside. Add the diced onions to the drippings in the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Continue to cook for about another minute. Do not let the garlic brown. Add the peas, chicken broth, sugar and salt. Simmer for about 5 minutes (or less) until the peas are just tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in the pancetta and chopped parsley and turn out into a heated bowl and serve.
Serving Ideas : Serve in a light colored bowl - the dish looks very pretty with the green and red-brown of the pancetta. If serving with lamb, add some fresh mint to the top. Would make a very nice holiday dinner vegetable, especially with lamb, pork or turkey.
Per Serving: 102 Calories; 3g Fat (23.5% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 7mg Cholesterol; 490mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

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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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Borscht with Andouille - My First Attempt

Some years ago we were at the home of friends, and many others had been invited to participate in a Russian dinner. Each couple brought something. I made a pie, I think. With a crust that should never be repeated. I'd followed a recipe that was supposed to be a Russian type, made with an egg yolk. Well, anyway, we'll gloss over that disaster. One of the other couples brought a very authentic borscht. It was what she called a winter borscht, made with beef. It was deliciously deep in flavor, but she wouldn't share the recipe, was almost offended that I'd ask, as it was a family one. I've never forgotten that borscht, and have pined away, wishing I knew how hers was made. So, ever since, I've collected borscht recipes, thinking I'd make it sometime.

Wikipedia has a very comprehensive page of information about borscht. About its origin (Russian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, even Polish), and its two major variations (hot-winter, and cold-summer). The common thread is beets (except for one summer version using sorrel), but what a bunch of variations it suggests. Makes my mind reel even thinking of all the combinations. About as varied as curry powders are to the East Indians, or a green salad to anyone in the world. It's all in the interpretation, and what is in your larder.

Set before me I had four recipes, all slightly different. Naturally, the common thread was beets. Yet they all included onions, tomatoes, tomato paste, and cabbage. Two had beef in it. Another was vegetarian. And one had andouille sausage (also likely not authentic).

Sidestep with me a bit. We have friends, Mike & Norma. Mike does most of the cooking in their house, and as a Louisiana boy, he loves his rice, red beans. And Andouille (pronounced ahn-doo-wee) sausage. A year ago Mike made a dinner of red beans, rice and sausage for us, which was fabulous. And he kindly bequested to me a package of Andouille. I tucked it into the freezer until I was ready to make something with it. It's been a year, for goodness' sake. But Sunday was the day to use it.

I took what I thought was the best of all four recipes and made it my own. Even adding one little thing that probably isn't true to the genre of borscht, that being thyme.

I baked the beets in the oven (easier to get the skins off), sauteed the vegetables, added almost all the ingrients and simmered for a couple of hours. At the very end you add the Andouille. I'm sure I've mentioned before, if you simmer a sausage (a delicious, flavorful sausage of any kind) in a soup, it gives up all of its flavor to the soup, so when you chow down and expect that Kielbasa or Hungarian sausage to have some flavor, you'll find that it's absolutely blah. Nothing but soft texture with no flavor whatsoever. Test the soup for seasonings - mine needed just a tad more sugar (note there is 2/3 of a cup of red wine vinegar in it). So, the Andouille, a treasure for sure unless you happen to live anywhere near New Orleans, needs to be added in at the very end, so it still has that spark of heat and chewiness. The resulting chunky soup is just the richest red/orange color, and when serving garnish the soup with a moderate dollop of sour cream.

So, interpret away. Make borscht yours too, with additions of your own. And, THANKS MIKE, for the Andouille. I took two quarts of borscht to them on Sunday afternoon - that was Mike's request - whatever I made with the gifted Andouille, I needed to share it with him. Gladly!

Borscht with Andouille
Recipe: Carolyn T's original
Servings: 8
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion -- peeled, chopped
2 cloves garlic -- minced
2 large carrots -- chopped
3 stalks celery -- chopped
2 whole bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 quart chicken broth
2 pounds beets
1 whole potato -- peeled, cubed
28 ounces whole tomatoes -- crushed by hand, including juice
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 head red cabbage -- sliced thin
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons sugar -- or Splenda [may need a touch more]
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
3 cups water
12 ounces Andouille sausage -- skinned, chopped into cubes
1 cup sour cream
1. Preheat oven to 350. Cut off beet tops only, then place on foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 60 minutes, or until beets are just tender. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 15 minutes until they can be handled. Cut off tops and ends, then slip skins off beets and chop into cubes.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large soup pot over medium flame and add olive oil. Add onions and saute for 3-5 minutes until just beginning to brown around the edges, then add garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaves and thyme. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the chicken broth. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, red wine vinegar and sugars and water. Bring to a simmer, then add cabbage and the paprika. Simmer for 2 hours at a minimum.
3. Taste for seasoning (add salt or pepper or both, as needed). Add more sugar if the mixture is too acidic. Add the Andouille sausage at the very end, just long enough to heat through.
4. Ideally, make this a day ahead and allow flavors to meld overnight. Heat to a simmer, scoop into large bowls and add a dollop of sour cream to each bowl.
NOTES : If you add the Andouille at the beginning, it will lose all its flavor to the soup. Therefore, add it at the very end, just before serving.
Per Serving: 377 Calories; 22g Fat (51.3% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 36mg Cholesterol; 579mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

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Irish Soda Bread

The recipe came from Gourmet, a reader's recipe, Stephanie Foley of Massapequa, Long Island, from March, 2002. It's a bit different than many Irish Soda Bread recipes, which is why I decided to try it, back then. With the exception of the butter brushed on the loaves prior to baking, the only fat in it comes from the buttermilk, which isn't much. I've made it several times since then, always getting rave reviews for it. Truly it comes together in about 7 minutes, including time to gather the ingredients. Then it bakes about 35-40 minutes. Ideally you'll want to let it rest a bit before cutting it, but sometimes I've not had that luxury. But you must let it rest about 5 minutes, otherwise it's too hot to handle. It's heaven-on-a-bun [pun intended] with some unsalted butter spread on it, accompanying a soup.

Ready for the oven: here are the dough loaves, cut with 1/2 inch deep furrows, spread with butter.

Cook's Notes: my flour must be drier here in Southern California, than some, because I always have to add a drizzle more buttermilk to the bowl to give the dough enough liquid to pull it together. I added walnuts to this one, but that's optional. I'm sure it's not traditional. Some people don't like caraway, so eliminate it. I didn't melt the butter to spread on top of the loaves - I just used a spreader knife and brushed it with very soft butter instead. I've never tried substituting some whole wheat flour, but am sure you could. Would be better for us, obviously. This recipe says it serves up to 12 people. Maybe so, if you ate only one small slice. Not in our house. Each loaf probably serves 4, but that's max unless you have very small eaters.

Irish Soda Bread

Recipe: Gourmet, March, 2002

Servings: 12 [more like 8]

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds [optional]

1 cup raisins, golden raisins or currants [also optional]

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped [my addition]

1 3/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Butter and flour a large baking sheet, knocking off excess flour.
3. Sift together 4 cups flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and stir in sugar, caraway, and raisins. Add buttermilk and stir just until dough is evenly moistened but still lumpy.

4. Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and gently knead with floured hands about 8 times to form a soft but slightly less sticky dough.

5. Halve dough and form into 2 balls. Pat out each ball into a domed 6-inch round on baking sheet. Cut a 1/2-inch-deep X on top of each loaf with a sharp knife, then brush loaves with butter.
6. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer loaves to racks to cool completely.

Per Serving: 226 Calories; 3g Fat (11.1% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 6mg Cholesterol; 394mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

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Mustard-and-Herb Chicken

Here's the mustard and herb chicken as it was served on the plate, on a bed of red onions, with cauliflower on the side.


Here's the chicken after baking. Note bread crumb crust.

Those of you who regularly read my blog will remember that a few days ago I felt so proud of myself after spending many hours clipping and filing recipes. It needed doing. Then yesterday I went into our laundry room, which has two tall shelves that are completely full of kitchen equipment that won't fit in my kitchen. And I went to a 8-inch stack of handouts from cooking classes I've been to, and was hunting for a specific recipe that was lacking a topping. Out came the stack and I set it on the washing machine and began looking for the Joanne Weir class where she served that particular dish. And what did I find in this stack? Oh my. More recipes that had been torn out of magazines and newspapers. From about 2004 and 2005.

And yet again, one recipe floated its way to the top and said "fix me." I've only begun sorting and piecing together recipes in this new stack.

Sometimes the simplest of recipes are just over-the-top good. That's the story about this recipe. It came together in less than 30 minutes, and while the chicken was baking I was able to throw together some pan-sauteed cauliflower to serve with it. And to saute the onions that served as the bed under the chicken. The recipe came from Food & Wine, February 2006. According to F&W's website, this was a "staff favorite." I understand why.

You make a crumb crust from fresh bread. The recipe calls for 2 slices of country bread. Well, we don't have country bread on hand in our house - I buy good multi-grain bread at the Corner Bakery every week or so and slices are individually wrapped and frozen. So I used one slice of that bread plus some panko crumbs to make the topping, which also contains Parmesan cheese, garlic, fresh rosemary (I dashed outside, in the dark, mind you) and a bit of olive oil to hold it together. The chicken thighs (I only had skinless, boneless, not what's called for in the recipe) are seasoned, then browned briefly in a large saute pan that can go in the oven. Once you flip them over you slather them with some Dijon mustard, then carefully mound the crumb mixture on top before popping the pan in the oven at a high temp to bake for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile I started the cauliflower, and about 7-8 minutes before the chicken was done I sauteed the onion, sugar and lemon juice mixture that goes underneath the chicken. DH and I both just l-o-v-e-d it. Really l-o-v-e-d it. I'll make this again and again. The thighs were perfectly cooked. And the onions were still just slightly crunchy, which we both liked. The best part is that it came together in 30 minutes.

Cook's Notes: The recipe says it served two (two thighs each) but for us, one thigh, with the onion bed, and another veg on the side was plenty. So for me, I'd say it served 4 if the thighs are moderate sized. I used a red onion. Any kind would likely work.

Mustard-and-Herb Chicken
Recipe: Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, Food & Wine, 2/06
Servings: 4
1 slice country bread -- crusts removed, bread torn
1/4 cup panko [my addition in lieu of a 2nd piece of bread]
2 whole garlic cloves -- minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary -- finely chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese -- finely grated
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 whole chicken thighs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion -- thinly sliced [I used a red onion]
1 Pinch sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a food processor, pulse the bread until finely shredded. Add the garlic, [panko], rosemary and Parmesan, season with salt and pepper and pulse until combined. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil olive and pulse just until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Transfer to a small bowl.
2. In a medium, ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add them to the skillet, skin side down. Cook over moderately high heat until golden, about 6 minutes. Turn the chicken and spread the skin with the mustard. Carefully spoon the bread crumbs onto the chicken, patting them on with the back of the spoon. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for about 15 minutes, until the crumbs are golden and crisp and the chicken is cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and sugar, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the lemon juice and cook until the liquid has evaporated, 2 minutes longer. Spoon the onion mixture onto 2 plates, top with the chicken and serve. NOTES : This recipe makes a strong argument for using fresh bread crumbs. Unlike store-bought ones, which can be powdery, fresh bread crumbs get toasty and crispy in the oven, making them especially delicious as a coating for these mustard-smeared chicken thighs.
Per Serving: 425 Calories; 36g Fat (75.3% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 98mg Cholesterol; 271mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 5 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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The Leaning Flagpole of Santa Ana

The flagpole is just one of the symptoms of a bigger problem.

This post today isn't about food, so if you're looking for a neat new recipe, today isn't it. Maybe panic soup? Distressing stew?

We're experiencing one of those moments when you regret owning a home. When you wish you had thought twice about buying a home on a hill, with a slope. Even with a glorious view. When you wish you had a large apartment and somebody else had to deal with issues of maintenance.

Photos of different areas around our patio and pool area. These are relatively new cracks. Top right is the core hole where we can see standing water.

My DH has not been sleeping well at night for about two weeks now. We're at our wit's end trying to figure out what's happening under and around our home. There were cracks around our pool when we bought the house 6 years ago, but the pool is about 28 or 29 years old, so we assumed it was normal. Anybody living in Southern California experiences some earth movement. And yes, we do have earthquakes too. Cracks appear here and there. It's considered standard behavior. We had a geologist come look at things about 2 years ago and his assessment was: your house is built on a bedrock of sandstone. It's not going anywhere. It's solid. Don't worry about it.

But, in the last 6-9 months or so, more cracks have appeared. A French door is hard to open. A small crack has appeared in our living room (the windows that look out to our lovely view), separating a vertical beam from the floor. A crack opened wider around our jacuzzi. New cracks and fissures have appeared all around the entertaining side of our patio (all covered in cement and brickwork). The flagpole is leaning, more than it ever has. A flower bed, lined with a block wall is tilting. Down. So we hired another geologist who brought in some high-tech seizmic do-dad, which sat here for 6 weeks or so measuring earth movement. None. (That was a huge relief, but didn't solve the problem.) Then they went all around our property digging 6-10 foot deep core samples. Initially they found nothing. Finally at about core sample 6 or so, they found water. Lots of water. Uh-oh. We'd had neglible rain up to that point, so there shouldn't be any water underground.

Our water company came out last week and again yesterday, to confirm that we have no leak from our meter. None of the neighbors seem to have any water leaks either. We don't have much info on our 1978 house (no blueprints left with the house, and none on record at the county building dept. either) other than what we've learned over the years with plumbing and building issues. Normal, sewer drain backup kind of issues. And what we learned when the kitchen addition was built. Nothing really of any importance. Nothing to add to this water problem.

We have no water source in the area where the water is pooling. As you look down into this core hole (the top right one in the collage above) you can see water about a foot below ground. The hole is about 3-4 feet from our living room windows. The water company mentioned we might have an aquifer, one of those natural occurring water sources. Seems unlikely since most of Southern California is desert. Sandy soil. But, some of our drinking water comes from natural aquifers deep underground. So, who knows. Anything's possible. If we have an aquifer, let's tap it and use it for watering our property. We'd just have to figure out where to put a storage tank. Uhm. Hmmm. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

The geologist thinks it's just water that's accumulated over a period of time (that was also a relief to hear since we were having concerns our house was sinking or sliding - he says no). He also assured us again, yesterday, that the house is built on solid sandstone, and it's not moving. The plumber says there is a backup in one of our area drains, near where the water is, likely from tree roots. So today the geology firm is going to start digging. With all the rain we've had, it's going to be pretty messy, but at least the soil is very, VERY soft. Part of our patio will have to come up. Maybe a brick walkway too. The geologist is going to open up an 18-inch wide hole, about 3 feet deep, so he can install a semi-permanent pump. If and when water reaches a certain level, the pump will turn on. And we'll cover it with some kind of cap and leave it there.

The area by the flagpole is probably another problem - they will likely drill a hole horizontally from the side of our hill to try to find a water pool. That's the thinking at the moment. Once they find it, they'll install a more permanent drain. Then we'll likely install some kind of new patio floor. Maybe interlocking paving stones so the water will dissipate more evenly all over the property, rather than just through the relatively few, but wide cracks, which allows water to pool. More will be revealed. Meanwhile, my DH Dave, is going to take a nap.

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

This is another of the recipes that worked its way up to the top of the pile, as I was sorting and filing clippings the other day. And since I had some bananas that were way beyond eating out of hand, they seemed perfect for this recipe. I did find the recipe on myrecipes.com, (myrecipes is a compendium of the recipes offered in Southern Living, Cooking Light, Sunset, Coastal & Cottage Living) and it said that when it was published last year it was a repeat - this bread became a real favorite at Cooking Light and won for Best Quick Bread in their 2007 issue all about their best tried and true recipes. It originally appeared on the cover of the September 2003 issue and remains one of their best banana breads. With that kind of praise, how could I not try it?

I'm not always thrilled with Cooking Light's recipes - better for me, I know, but sometimes there's too light on flavor. But their baked goods, whether it be breads, or cakes particularly, they've worked on extensively, have usually been adapted so they're pretty darned good. This one was no exception. And, since this is a better-for-you recipe, I'd be inclined to try it again.

Cook's Notes: The batter went together easily, and the dark rum called for certainly added a depth of flavor that was barely discernable in the finished bread if I really thought about it. I used lemon instead of lime in the glaze. And you'll note below, I used half sugar and half Splenda in the batter.

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze
Recipe: Jean Patterson, Cooking Light, September, 2007
Servings: 16
2 cups all-purpose flour -- (about 9 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar [I used half sugar, half Splenda]
1/4 cup butter -- softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups banana -- ripe mashed (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice -- or lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, rum, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut.
4. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut.
5. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.
6. Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread. Cool completely on wire rack.
Per Serving: 196 Calories; 5g Fat (21.6% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 34mg Cholesterol; 174mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
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Shiitake-Crusted Chicken & Mushrooms

Sorting through recipes the other day I came across about 10 recipes (out of the 3-inch high stack) that I would like to fix real soon. I set those aside (this recipe among them). The rest got filed into my recipe binders.

Filing is one of my least favorite activities, along with ironing and gardening. Back when I was a new college grad and went to work in a job that required me to file now and then, the filing piled up for months on end. The same thing happens here at home now, 40+ years later. I mean, I'm retired, for goodness' sake, and still the filing doesn't get done. As bills are paid I save the statements. I used to file all of them regularly, every month, then when tax time came around I'd pull them all out for the next year. But a couple of years ago I had a busy year and the entire YEAR of statements ended up in one single pile. Uh, do you want to know how high it was? Nah, you don't really, do you? Well, it was about 18 inches. Since we own two homes and two rental homes, we have a sizable amount of paper that traverses our household from mailbox to a sorting area in our garage, to piles for him and her (90% goes into mine), then they get dispersed to the pile, or other places for saving. I'm the one who pays the bills, saves important paperwork, does the tax prep work too. I've had to buy two 4-drawer file cabinets for our garage just to store old records. But ever since that year when I didn't file, I don't file bills at all anymore. They just accumulate into an 18-inch stack. Then I sort and toss a good part of them.

Recipes are another to-file item. And no, they're not even in the same room as the bill-paying department. I read a lot of magazines, and clip a lot of recipes. I try really hard to only clip recipes I truly think I'm going to prepare. But still, every month I have many new recipes I think I'm going to make. At what age I wonder will I stop doing this? At what point in my life will I decide I have enough recipes, that I don't need more? At what age will I decide I don't need more cookbooks? Same problem. One part of me says I'll probably continue to clip recipes as long as I'm still able to cook and have a kitchen to cook in. And I'll likely be interested in cookbooks for the same reason. When I'm gone, probably my kids will look at my files of untried recipes (of which there are multitudes) and toss every one of them in the trash. What appeals to one person doesn't always appeal to another. Well, philosophical things to ponder.

Well, so here we are at this recipe. It had been hanging out in a stack of recipe clippings for oh, let's say it's been 9 years. (I have filed in that interim, but I don't know why this particular recipe hadn't been. A quandry.) It's from a 1996 Gourmet Magazine. And the other day I decided I really, REALLY had to do something about the pile. So, I sorted all the recipes into category piles (appetizers, salads, sides, pork, breads, etc.), then filed them away.

The project took hours. And hours. My back was a-killin' me when I was done. But, at least it's DONE. And this recipe came popping up to the top. I had all the ingredients (particularly important are the shiitake mushrooms), and it didn't take too long to make. It was good. Very good. I probably will make this again.

Here are my breading/dipping pans. Available from Williams-Sonoma, they have been a great addition to my kitchen equipment. They come as a set of three, and one edge hooks onto the next one, so the grouping stays in place as you work. In this case I dipped the chicken breasts in flour, then in egg, then in the shiitake mushroom and panko mixture before browning them very briefly, then baking for a short time in the oven. While the chicken bakes (about 10 minutes), you can whip up the mushroom sauce.

Cook's Notes: Next time, I'll make more sauce - it's amazing how little sauce you end up with once mushrooms cook down. If you don't have white wine (like vermouth), use sherry instead. This recipe had been posted to Epicurious, and a comment by several people included a suggestion to chop up the shiitake mushrooms more than you think - the recipe says coarsely. I probably diced them and they were fine. They need to adhere to the chicken, and if they're too big they simply won't stay attached to the chicken when you brown the chicken in the skillet. I also added a bit of water to the sauce (to make more), then ended up sprinkling a smidge of flour into the sauce (from the breading pan) to help it thicken up. Don't overcook the sauce - it's better if the mushrooms still have some definition.


Shiitake-Crusted Chicken with Creamed Mushrooms
Recipe: Gourmet Magazine, April, 1996
Servings: 4
FOR COATING:
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms -- stems discarded and caps chopped coarse (about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs -- fine grind [I used panko]
1/3 cup all-purpose flour -- seasoned with salt and pepper
1 large egg -- beaten lightly
2 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts -- (about 1 1/2 pounds) halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
FOR CREAMED MUSHROOMS:
1 large shallot -- minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms -- stems discarded and caps chopped coarse
1/2 cup dry white wine [or sherry]
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary -- chopped, or a rounded 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled [I used thyme instead]
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Prepare coating: In a shallow baking pan drizzle oil over shiitakes and toss to coat. Roast mushrooms, stirring once or twice, 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Keep oven at 450°F. Mince roasted shiitake and in a shallow bowl stir together with bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste. Have ready in separate shallow bowls seasoned flour and egg. Working with one chicken breast at a time, dredge in flour, shaking off excess, and dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Coat chicken with mushroom mixture, gently knocking off excess, and transfer to a plate. Chicken may be prepared up to this point 2 hours ahead and chilled, uncovered, on a rack.
3. In a 12-inch non-stick skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté chicken until golden, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer chicken with tongs to baking pan and roast in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until just cooked through. [If you use thick chicken breasts, it may take longer to bake.]
4. For Creamed Mushrooms: Make creamed mushrooms while chicken is roasting. Wipe out skillet and cook shallot in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add shiitake and salt and pepper to taste and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until mushrooms are softened and browned lightly. Stir in wine, vinegar, and rosemary and boil until all liquid is evaporated. Add cream and simmer, stirring, until thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with creamed mushrooms.
Per Serving (assuming you consume all the dredging flour, dredging egg, which you don't): 746 Calories; 27g Fat (31.5% calories from fat); 41g Protein; 91g Carbohydrate; 12g Dietary Fiber; 170mg Cholesterol; 198mg Sodium. Exchanges: 5 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 5 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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Scott's Broccoli Salad

My salivary glands are in overdrive. In the window in which I type my posts, this picture looms large. More than life size. But that little nubbin of walnut sitting there on the side looks so real I could reach through the screen to tuck it in my mouth.

I met my friend Joan W. at the Long Beach Yacht Club the other day. Long Beach is about 30 miles west of where we live. Joan's a member of the Yacht Club, so we occasionally meet there. She and I met in about 1995 at an NAIC (National Association of Investor's Corp.) seminar - we're both in investment clubs, and sat next to one another for the day while we learned all about how to use a specific software package called Toolkit, made for investment clubs, and for individual investors too. We've been friends ever since!

The salad bar and carving station are available every weekday at the Yacht Club, and it was wonderful. Joan told me I needed to try the broccoli salad, that it's a favorite of hers. Sounded good to me. Oh my. Was this ever delicious. It's the honey that is the wild card in this recipe. It's a sweet salad, but somehow broccoli seems to be able to handle some sweet. Fortunately for me - and for you, my dear readers - Joan has the recipe, that was devised by the Yacht Club's chef, Scott, a real winner of a recipe.

Cook's Notes: Understand, please, that I haven't made this, but I think I'd try this without candying the walnuts - it's plenty sweet already. But I don't want to detract a thing from Scott's recipe. It's a stunning one, and if you like the combo with the honey and sweet walnuts, go for it!

Scott's Broccoli Salad

1 bunch broccoli, raw, chopped

1/2 small red onion, julienned

2 T. dried cranberries

1/2 cup candied walnuts

1/2 cup Stilton cheese, or Blue, crumbled

3/4 cup honey mustard dressing (see below)

Combine everything except dressing, then add dressing, just so the vegetables are covered to your satisfaction, and serve.

Honey Mustard Dressing

1 cup honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 dash red wine vinegar

Pepper to taste

Combine ingredients and stir to mix thoroughly.

Per Serving (recipe assumes you use all the dressing, which you will not): 207 Calories; trace Fat (1.9% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 53g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 61mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat; 3 Other Carbohydrates.

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Chocolate Scones - is this decadent, or what?

As a card-carrying chocoholic, I will attest, these little numbers are too darned good. I ate a whole one plus a little piece of another just after baking. And it took all my will power to stay out of them. My advice: either don't make them at all, or put the leftovers - immediately - into the freezer.

I was putting away recipe clippings the other day, and needed something to fix for DH's Bible study group, and this recipe went into the "try immediately" stack. They came together easily, although I did dirty-up many a bowl getting them ready. I mixed up the dry ingredients the night before. I watched a demo on TV just the other day of a chef mixing in cold butter to flour. You do it by hand, just smashing the little pieces of butter and making those pieces smaller and smaller by sifting the mixture through your hands and pressing. It was fun, actually. Made a bit of a mess of my hands, but so what? Then you add the liquid ingredients (heavy cream and egg yolk), before kneading slightly into a big blob and pressing it out for cutting. I brushed the tops with heavy cream instead of milk, and I sprinkled the tops with just a tad of white sugar too. Were these good? Oh my yes. The recipe is from an issue of Bon Appetit in 2006, I believe, and is credited to The Balmoral Hotel near Edinburgh, Scotland, The Bollinger Bar at Palm Court.

Here are the scones before baking, brushed with cream and sprinkled with granulated sugar.

Chocolate Scones
Recipe: The Bollinger Bar at Palm Court, Balmoral Hotel, Scotland
Servings: 18
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter -- chilled, cut up into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/4 cups heavy cream -- chilled [I had to add about 1 T. more]
1 egg yolk
Milk -- to brush tops, as needed
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until a coarse meal is formed. Or, use your hands to press the butter pieces smaller and smaller until it's a coarse meal.
3. Whisk together the egg yolk and cream in a small bowl, then stir into the flour mixture just enough to blend (do not overmix). Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface, dust your hands lightly with flour and knead dough gently 5 times, just to bring the dough together. Gently press dough into a thick round, then use a 2 1/2" round biscuit cutter to cut out scones. Gather scraps, reform your dough circle and cut remaining scones out.
4. Bake on large baking sheet lined with parchment and brush lightly with a bit of milk. Bake until puffy and dry around the edges, about 18 minutes.
5. Cool on racks slightly.
Serving Ideas: Serve with raspberry jam and clotted cream.
Per Serving: 196 Calories; 12g Fat (53.5% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 48mg Cholesterol; 122mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
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Pork Chops with Apple Cider Sauce

Apologies for the poor picture quality. It's one thing to take a photo of food when it's just my DH and myself. He teases me about it, and loves to regale people with examples of when he's poised over his lovely plate of steaming food and I rush in with my camera and yell "wait!" It's another when we have a table full of guests and I'm poking around trying to take pictures in front of them. Tacky, tacky. So I snapped this picture on my own plate, as surreptitiously as possible, so it was a bit dark at our candlelit dining table.


My dinner menu the other night, when we entertained 4 friends for dinner:

• Hot & Spicy Tofu Herb Dip
• Manchego and Brie cheese on a slate with crackers
• Pork Chops with Apples and an Apple Cider Sauce
• Red Cabbage with Apples & Chestnuts
• Mashed Potatoes with Mascarpone
• Lemon Velvet Ice Cream with BLUE CHIP Chocolate Chip Cookies and Harlequin Pinwheel Cookies

As usual, I started my menu plan with the main entree. It needed to be the set of 6 pork chops I had in the freezer from Niman Ranch. I've mentioned theis meat producer before - they are a small independent farm that raises livestock the old-fashioned way. No growth hormones. Natural feed, no additives. All that good stuff. I'm on their email notification list, so every time they have a sale, I know about it. Mostly I've ordered pork, but also their steaks too. I'm crazy about their bacon, but it's carried at my local Trader Joe's at a pretty good price.

Everything I've ordered from Niman ranch has been exceptionally good. Worth the price? Well, I guess it's relative. Compared to grocery chain meat, this is just far and away better. But if you're on a budget, probably not. I don't order all my meat from them - just special stuff. If you happen to decide to try them out - do wait for a sale - and make sure they pack in small packages (like 2 pork chops per pkg). That's why I hadn't defrosted these before, because I needed to wait for an occasion when I had exactly 6 people.

Because pork is raised so leanly now, there isn't as much fat to keep the meat moist. So I always brine pork. I've tried several recipes, but my current favorite is a mix that I buy at Whole Foods called V Traditional Brining Blend, and V Spicy Brining Blend. They come in 12.7 ounce jars. If you prepare the brine per the instructions you'll likely use most of a jar. I disregard those instructions and make a much smaller solution. This time I used about 2 tablespoons of brining salt and dissolved it in about a cup of boiling water, then added ice cubes to cool it off quickly. Usually I stick my finger in the brine to taste the saltiness - you want it to be salty, but not overwhelmingly salty, otherwise your meat will become the same. Then I immersed the pork in the brine. If time is of an essence, I'll put them in my aerator (a plastic container that removes the air by vacuum pump and supposedly increase the marinating ability chop-chop). That I did, and let them rest in the refrigerator for about 6 hours or so. I removed them once and turned them over in the liquid, since the brine didn't completely cover the chops.

I pan-seared the chops, then used a probe thermometer so I'd know exactly when the meat reached 145 degrees F. Worked like a charm. Result: these chops were just "the best." And America's Test Kitchen scored a winner with the sauce recipe. Although, next time I will probably thicken the sauce some with some cornstarch. Even though I reduced it down, it was still a bit thin. But, Niman Ranch scored a touchdown with the meat. One great dinner.

Pork Chops with Apple Cider Sauce Sauce
Recipe By: America's Test Kitchen
Servings: 4
32 ounces boneless pork top loin chops -- 4 chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick
Salt & pepper to taste
APPLE CIDER SAUCE:
1 1/2 cups apple cider -- or apple juice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 whole cinnamon stick
4 tablespoons unsalted butter -- cut into 4 pieces
2 large shallots -- minced, about 1/2 cup
1 whole tart apple -- Granny Smith, peeled, cored, sliced
1/4 cup Calvados -- or apple flavored brandy
1 teaspoon fresh thyme -- minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Brine the pork chops with a mixture of your choice.
2. Combine cider, chicken broth, and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium-high heat until the liquid is reduced to one cup, about 10-15 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and discard. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 425. Drain brine from pork chops, dry thoroughly, then season pork chops with pepper. Heat a heavy saute pan and add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to pan. Quickly sear both sides of the pork until caramelized and golden brown. Remove chops to a heatproof pan, insert meat thermometer and bake until the pork reaches 145 degrees F. Remove from oven and loosely place a piece of foil over the top while finishing the sauce.
4. While pork is baking, in the same skillet you seared the pork, add a tablespoon of butter. Heat under medium-high heat, and when it's melted and foam subsides, add shallots and apple. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened and beginning to brown. Remove from heat and add the Calvados. Return to heat and cook about one minute, scraping bottom of pan with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add the reduced cider mixture and simmer until thickened slightly, and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 3-5 minutes. Off heat whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
5. Pour sauce with apples over each piece of pork and serve immediately.
NOTES : You might want to thicken the sauce more than the recipe indicates by using a tablespoon of cornstarch and a bit of water. Heat through until thickened.
Per Serving: 478 Calories; 22g Fat (44.3% calories from fat); 44g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 133mg Cholesterol; 100mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 6 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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Mashed Potatoes with Mascarpone

Ah. Mashed potatoes. With some little puddles of melted butter. What's there not to like, I ask you?


When I was planning the menu for the dinner I did the other night, I wanted something to go with the pork chops and apple cider sauce. Something that would also be a vehicle for the sauce. I could have made plain rice (which I admit, sounded the best), but somehow the cider sauce didn't sound good with brown rice. I rarely make white rice anymore. I actually don't make mashed potatoes much either. Last time was Thanksgiving dinner. But, after pondering my menu, I decided mashed potatoes were the best fit. But not just plain mashed potatoes. Once I consulted my recipe collection I knew the mashed potatoes with mascarpone was the right one. It has tons of chopped Italian parsley in it, and of course, an ample amount of mascarpone.


Probably most people think mascarpone is used mostly for desserts. And here in the U.S., I suppose it is. But after all, it's just a cheese. Something like cream cheese, but made a bit differently. It has a consistency that's in between sour cream and cream cheese, and it has a very creamy taste. The credit for this recipe goes to Tarla Fallgatter, a cooking instructor here in our part of the world.


You cook the potatoes with the green onions, which flavors the potatoes throughout. Then you mash them by hand (you want a few lumps) and add in the mascarpone, a bit of the water you cooked the potatoes in, and a mound of chopped Italian parsley. Season it, and you're done. Making this recipe seemed like the right option since I could make this ahead. Once made, I plopped the whole batch into my crockpot and set it to low, then scooped it out into a serving bowl at the last minute. Delicious.


Cook's Notes: be sure to save a cup of the potato water when you drain the potato and green onion mixture. And be careful adding white pepper - it's more potent than black pepper.

Mashed Potatoes with Mascarpone
Recipe: Tarla Fallgatter, cooking instructor
Servings: 8
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes -- scrubbed
2 bunches green onions -- coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups Mascarpone cheese -- room temperature
1/4 cup Italian Parsley -- chopped
Ground white pepper and salt -- to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. Cut the potatoes into large chunks if they're big. Cover with water in a large saucepan and add green onions. Add salt, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes.
2. Drain potatoes, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water. Return potatoes to the pan and coarsely mash them with a potato masher, add cheese, parsley and some of the cooking liquid if they are too stiff. Add additional liquid to make the right consistency. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Keep warm in a low oven until ready to serve.
NOTES : Be careful of the white pepper - it's powerful stuff.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 263 Calories; 13g Fat (43.9% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 37mg Cholesterol; 25mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat.
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Red Cabbage with Apples & Chestnuts

The finished photo of this is a bit blah-looking. You know, cabbage begins to look a little grayish if cooked through. So fortunately I did snap a photo of it when I added the apples and chestnuts, still in the pan. Next time I won't pop this in the oven, but serve it directly from the range top. I was trying to get some things made ahead, so popped this in the oven to reheat. So the cabbage cooked more than I would have liked. Therefore, don't do as I did in this case, but cook this just before serving.


We entertained the other night, and I had some wonderful boneless pork chops to serve our guests, and wanted something appropriate to go with. Enter cabbage. I scrounged around the internet trying to find a recipe that suited me. How could I tell? I can't begin to tell you - I just read a recipe and either I like the sound of it, or I don't. I knew I wanted to use red cabbage and apples, probably onions, maybe shallots. So a search produced a bunch of options, and this is the one I chose. I'd make this again, but I'd omit the chestnuts. To me, they didn't add that much to the dish. Maybe even distracted me. Some people aren't so fond of chestnuts anyway. But I loved the apples in it, and it's very low fat and low calorie. As one of our guests said, pure comfort food.


Cook's Notes: Don't be tempted to put the apples in early. You want them to still have texture and shape. To be barely cooked. The onions and shallots add a nice character depth. One large head of cabbage will make enough to feed about 10 people. Maybe more. And be sure to make this just before serving. Long cooking only grays the vibrant color of the red cabbage.

Red Cabbage with Apples & (Chestnuts)
Recipe: Vegalicious.com
Servings: 10
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 whole shallots -- peeled, diced [I added these]
2 whole red onions -- thinly sliced
1 head red cabbage -- thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar -- or apple cider vinegar
6 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sugar -- or sugar substitute
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
2 whole Granny Smith apples -- cored, peeled, cut in small pieces
8 ounces chestnuts -- canned, drained, chopped [or, omit]
1. Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and shallots; saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add cabbage, vinegar, water and sugar. Add the seasonings Cover; cook until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally, about 30-40 minutes.
3. Cut the apple into small pieces and add to the cooked cabbage. Add chestnuts; cook until warmed through, about 10 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. Serving Ideas : Ideally, serve with sausages or pork of some kind.
NOTES : You need a very large pan to make this. Or, divide the recipe into two pans, then combine at the end when the cabbage and onions have reduced down.
Per Serving: 118 Calories; 3g Fat (24.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 4mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
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Herb Dip with Secret Ingredient

If I were to tell you what the main ingredient was for this dip, you'd probably just scroll right on by, delete this post, turn up your nose perhaps, or laugh. So you'll have to read down a bit before I divulge.

This dip came about because some years ago my DH and I went on a mostly vegetarian diet. DH had a heart attack in 1997. He survived, with minimal heart damage, but the doctor told him afterwards that he needed to lose some weight. So we both went on an extremely low fat, vegetarian diet. We consulted a nutritionist to make sure we were going in the right direction. This, coming from two carnivores here, was a huge - I mean HUGE - divergence for our lifestyle.

To say that I struggled with this diet - preparing the food - is a gross understatement. I admit it - I like meat. Even a thick steak now and then, as readers of this blog know. I had cookbooks coming out the ying-yang, as they say, and consulted them all. I read Dean Ornish from cover to cover. I didn't adhere quite to his recipes, but close. We ate fruit smoothies for breakfast every morning. And some eggs, so I guess that made us omnivores actually. And the weight came off. Off Dave. Not so much off me. I couldn't believe it. I was so discouraged. I really thought he'd lose 40 pounds, and maybe I'd lose 30.

I could go on and on with this story - another time perhaps - but after 6 months DH HAD lost 40 pounds (I'd lost 15). The doctor was very pleased. But DH was anemic. The nutritionist insisted Dave needed to eat chicken and fish. Okay. Added that back into our diet. Tasted GREAT, I might add. Weeks went by and DH was still anemic. The nutritionist told us to eat lean beef at least once a week. That was our undoing, I'm afraid.

During that period of vegetarianism, I tried all kinds of things I'd never have done before. No matter what I did, I couldn't seem to make most food taste all that good. It was okay, but not more than that. Without cooking with fat, in some form or another, our food just tasted bland. I craved meat. Butter. Cookies. Chocolate (I sneaked a few). I made a big bean salad regularly that DH was supposed to dig into every day (beans are high in iron). He ate apples (also high in iron) every day. But he kept losing weight, and he was still anemic. So when the nutritionist said you'd better have some beef at least once a week, I began introducing beef into our regular fix-at-home diet. I cooked some with a cast iron skillet too, which helped (food cooked in cast iron leeches out some of that iron into our bodies), but it wasn't enough to get his anemia under control. So, we kind of reverted to our former diet of eating most things. He's still on the anemic side, but he takes a supplement, and since we eat meat (whether it be chicken, fish, pork, lamb or beef) several, if not 7, nights a week, he doesn't any longer have a problem.

So back to this post. Trying to find things that had high flavor, but low fat and no meat, was a challenge. I spent more time in the kitchen, cooking (mostly chopping and prepping) than I ever have in my life. And I was always looking for something new and different. This dip fit the bill on all fronts. It came from a cookbook I own called Cal-a-Vie's Gourmet Spa Cookery. The book is out of print, and this is the only recipe I've liked from the book. So now, the secret: tofu.

I'm not a fan of tofu. I don't much like its texture - even in Chinese or Asian stir frys, hot and sour soup, etc. So normally I avoided it whenever possible. I still do if offered it straight away. I mean . . . it's so blah. And spongy. Not a texture I like except in custard. But, as I learned with this dip, tofu is a "vanilla" substance. It absorbs flavors from the food around it. So, enter: garlic, cilantro, cumin, hot chiles, etc. and you've got a wonderful - LOW FAT combo.

Rarely do I tell people what's in this dip - most people guess it has beans or hummus in it. Nope. Nope. No, no sour cream. No cottage cheese. No, no yogurt either. I don't believe anyone has ever guessed it.

Cook's Notes: buy soft or "regular" tofu. I have used nonfat tofu, but the flavor is a bit better with full fat tofu. There's not a smidgen of other kinds of fat in this dip, and tofu's fat is all unsaturated, so I go for the gold here. If you don't like spicy food, reduce - or eliminate - the chile pepper. Be sure to mince up the chile pepper well - scrape down the workbowl to make sure. You can use the finished sauce as a sauce on vegetables, or even on pasta, or over potatoes. But the dip is just the best form, served either with vegetables or crackers. I toasted pita wedges this time.

Hot & Spicy Tofu Dip
Recipe: Cal-a-Vie's Gourmet Spa Cookery
Servings: 20
1 pound tofu -- soft
5 cloves garlic
1 small jalapeno chile pepper -- seeded [I used a serrano]
1 bunch fresh cilantro -- rinsed and drained
1 bunch green onions
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey -- or Splenda, or brown Sugar Twin (and don't add any more, as this is sweet enough)

1. Have all ingredients ready beside your food processor. Allow tofu to drain a few minutes before beginning. Start the motor and add the jalapeno pepper and allow to mince finely. Add garlic cloves in same manner. Then add cilantro, green onions, juices, cumin, soy sauce and sweetener.
2. Cut tofu into smaller chunks and add to bowl, then process until smooth.
3. Chill for several hours. Will keep for many days.
NOTES : The recipe says to serve as a dip for artichokes or an array of vegetables. Also works well with crackers, baked pita bread. Could also be used as a topping for plain food (vegetables, grilled chicken) or baked potatoes.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 25 Calories; 1g Fat (38.5% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 32mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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California Thunderclouds

We very rarely have views like this. Thunderclouds - or big massive cloud formations are more a standard in the midwest than here on the California coastline. But the other day, just after we'd had a couple days of rain, this was the view from our hill. This shot was taken facing northwest. If the visibility had been better, you might have been able to see the skyline of downtown Los Angeles just to the left of the two palm trees. It's very rare that we can see those far off images since downtown LA is about 45 miles away. But on occasion we do see it.

Blue Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies

I must admit that when I read this recipe the first time, I thought "it's just another variation on chocolate chip cookies." Why fool with a good thing, my mind said. I've relied on the good-old Tollhouse (Nestle's) recipe, and never been unhappy with it. But the further I read into Smitten Kitchen's blog, the more I became convinced I'd best try this recipe. When you read the list of ingredients you definitely will think this is not all that different. Yes, more chips. And more nuts. But really, what's that mean but just a more densely populated cookie? But then you read the details, and you find out that there really are some differences:

1. You must start with cold butter

2. The nuts are toasted

3. The nuts are chopped finely so they almost disappear in the cookie

4. The cookies are baked differently - on parchment in a 300 degree F. oven for a long time

And are they a radical change? Well, maybe radical is too strong a word. Are they different? Yes. The texture is different - they're nicely crumbly and crisp. There is definitely something different about the nuts - besides the fact that there are a LOT of nuts (and chips) in these cookies. But having toasted the walnuts makes a huge difference. I used my food processor to chop the nuts, and did just as the recipe indicates - lots of the nuts were crumbs, but there were some pea-sized pieces in there too. Nothing larger, though. To say that I loved these is putting it mildly. These may be my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe from henceforth. Smitten's recipe came from David Liebovitz's book, The Great Book of Chocolate. I made no alterations to this recipe. My hat's off to Deb for passing on Liebovitz's recipe to all of us chocolate chip cookie fans.

Cook's Notes: Having read some of Smitten's comments - a couple of people had problems with them - I got everything prepped before I started mixing the cookies. The problems others had, I believe, might have been caused by the butter not being thoroughly chilled when they started making the cookies. Or, it could have been the type of butter used. So, my oven was hot. The dry ingredients were combined. The eggs and vanilla were standing by. The cookie sheets were ready. I chopped up the butter into the 1/2 inch cubes then put them back in the refrigerator while I did all the other prep work. Once I began to mix the cookies they took little more than a minute or two to be ready for plopping onto the parchment-lined cookie sheets. They took longer to bake - the recipe indicates 18 minutes. Mine took about 22, and my oven runs hot, so was surprised.

"Blue Chip" Chocolate Chip Cookies
Original Recipe: The Great Book of Chocolate by David Liebovitz
Source: Deb at the Smitten Kitchen Blog
Servings: 20
1/2 cup granulated sugar -- (100 grams)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar -- (120 grams)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter -- (115 grams) cold, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour -- (175 grams)
1/4 teaspoon salt -- or 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips -- (200 grams)
1 cup walnuts -- or pecans, (130 grams) toasted and VERY finely chopped
1. Adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven and preheat to 300F (150C). Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.
3. Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.
4. Scoop the cookie dough into 2 tablespoon balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches (10cm) apart, on each of the baking sheets.
5. Bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
6. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. (I always freeze my cookies)
NOTES : Make sure the butter is cold. Make sure walnuts are very finely chopped - with some pieces as large as a pea, but with some almost a powder.
Per Serving: 212 Calories; 12g Fat (49.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 23mg Cholesterol; 66mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
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Carrot-Ginger Slaw

Do you sometimes forget how good vegetables can taste? I forget about all the variations on vegetables. I need a little memory jog now and then to remind myself that there's more than one way to make cauliflower. Or broccoli. Or zucchini. Or. Or. Or. It could go on and on.

And surely I forget about using carrots - in a raw form, other than eating out of hand. So I was reading Fresh Approach (a blog I read regularly) and Rachael had made this carrot-ginger slaw. Well, my eyes and nose perked up and I immediately printed out the recipe. I had everything on hand except the fresh ginger. But I had some in a bottle, which I'm sure wasn't AS good, but this salad was so refreshing (next time I really will have the fresh ginger). I have Italian parsley in my garden, but I had an abundance of cilantro in my refrigerator, so I used cilantro instead. DH loved it. So did I. And it took a maximum of about 7 minutes to make it. Literally. That part I liked a lot. And it was better than having another - yet another - green salad. Don't get me wrong, I love green salads. Really I do. But there's a tedium about making green salad. And I like homemade dressing too, which adds to the hassle.

When my daughter, Dana, was a little tyke, she first learned how to bake cookies. That's probably universal in this day and age. Children and cookies just go together like peas in a pod. Or puppies and little boys. Once she got a bit older I began teaching her about knife skills. Probably when she turned 8 or so, and I thought she was mature enough to hold and wield a dull knife.

Initially, she was thrilled with her new-found skills and independence. She liked helping in the kitchen, and was very proud of her accomplishments. But the interest began to wane in the years to follow. I was a working mom, had to get dinner on the table in fast order, so setting the table and making a salad was what helped me the most. She wasn't old enough or tall enough really to master a spatula and frying pan at the hot stove, or many other things with hot pots and pans, so the salad making was the best choice. As she got older still she began to dislike making a salad unless it was just chopped lettuce. I like lots of vegetables in my salads. Back then it was mostly carrots, celery, green onions, tomatoes and peppers. Now I add lots of other things like fennel, Feta crumbles, sugar snap peas, nuts, even. But she didn't enjoy the chopping and cutting anymore, probably because it was so repetitive.

Here's the salad maker now, a picture taken when we were at Dana and Todd's house over Christmas - she's 39 now. When I was 39, she was 13, going on 30. But that's another story. Now she makes salads all the time for her family. And mostly they're just lettuce. Her kids don't much like eating raw vegies. They look at salad as merely a vehicle for consuming ranch dressing. But Dana thoroughly enjoys all the homemade dressings. When we talked on the phone the other day she was busily making her favorite of my dressings, the VIP Salad Dressing, which I posted last year. It may have been my very first posting on this-here blog. Or one of the first. And that dressing is still one of my very favorites too.

Last summer Dana's two children were here to visit for awhile, and the 10-year old, Taylor, was anxious to help me in the kitchen, so I taught her how to make salad. How about that. What goes around, comes around. Dana was a bit in shock when I told her I'd taught Taylor how to use a sharp knife. She did just fine, sweetie! Mom knows all. That's a bit of an inside family joke if you didn't get it. Dana reads my blog every day, so am certain I'll be hearing from her about that! Anyway, I just listened to someone on the radio the other day, that most children, when they reach about 7 or 8, are old enough to learn how to use a knife in the kitchen.

So, I've rambled on far too long here. Telling family stories. Suffice that this not-green-salad is a good one, a keeper, but probably not one for children to make unless an adult grates the carrots and ginger. Other than that, children could likely do all the rest. If it's a kid-making deal, maybe start them out with green salad and teach them some knife skills.

Carrot Ginger Slaw
Recipe: Fresh Approach blog
Servings: 6
6 whole carrots -- peeled
1 cup chopped parsley
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground Szechuan peppercorns
3 tablespoons fresh ginger -- grated - use a Microplane
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sesame oil Sesame seeds and more parsley for garnish
1. Using the large holes on your box grater (or the shredder disc on a food processor), shred the peeled carrots.
2. Toss that with the parsley.
3. In another bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, Szechuan pepper, ginger (and the juice), mayo and sesame oil. Taste and adjust to your taste.
4.Stir that into the carrots, let rest for a few moments, garnish and serve.
Per Serving: 135 Calories; 10g Fat (64.9% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 3mg Cholesterol; 345mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

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