Stuffed Pumpkin

Prep time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

What to do first:

Preheat oven to 350 degree. The pumpkin takes about 2 hours to cook.

Cut the top off a 3-pound pumpkin, as you would if you were making a jack-o-lantern style and clean out the insides. Hang on to the lid.
What you need:

1 T olive oil
2 leeks, cleaned
2 cloves garlic
4 oz. mushrooms
4 oz. monterey jack, 1/2 inch cubes
4 oz. sharp cheddar, 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups dried bread cube stuffing
1 t thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 c cream Options: cooked crumbled sausage, crisp chopped bacon
What you do second:
Place cleaned pumpkin in a foil pie pan on a baking sheet.
Chop leeks, white part and light green part into 1-inch chunks, halved.
Saute with mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Salt and pepper to taste. Combine in a bowl with bread cubes, cheeses and thyme. Add cooked bacon or sausage to mix if desired.

Stuff pumpkin tightly. Poke holes in filling add cream to top and let it soak through. Put the lid on and bake at 350 for 2 hours. Check after 90 minutes. Serve by scooping some pumpkin flesh and stuffing into a bowl.

I had to repost this recipe since it corrupted somehow in the blog from an earlier date. Sorry about that.

Lenten Treat

Looking for things to keep me somewhat sated during this first week of Lent, I found small packs of Edamame that can be nuked at work and eaten. I love these little bean pods but they can be a bit bland so....a sauce is in order.
How about a little treat from Hiro's here in Omaha. They make a great spicy Edamame.

1/4 c soy sauce
1 Tbl brown sugar
1/4 c rice vinegar
healthy squirt of Siracha
1 tbl Garlic chili paste
1 tbl toasted Sesame oil

A short burst in the microwave to melt the sugar and stir it in then I poured a few teaspoons over my hot Edamame.  Hot, sweet, spicy and delicious.  Its pretty close to the original.

Israeli Foods....Shakshuka

Last night Brenda worked late and I didn't feel like fish. Work folk had brought the bounty in from their gardens so I snitched a few peppers and tomatoes. I stopped and picked up some feta and a loaf of crusty bread. I made the tomato base for the dish and waited for the phone to tell me Brenda was on her way.

I turned up the heat on the veggies and slipped 3 eggs into the pan and covered it poaching the eggs in the spicy tomato base. Sprinkled with feta,  this was a real treat. The runny yolks and spicy sauce was delicious.

Poached eggs and tomatoes with peppers.

Shakshuka

A steady Passover dish can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner just add a salad and some Pitas.


1 med onion diced
5 cloves of garlic minced
A couple glugs of olive oil
 1 can of diced tomatoes (I only use Glen Muir now)
1 or 2 fresh ripe tomatoes, diced
2-3 peppers (I used banana but jalapeno, anahiem or whatever)
1 t cumin
1 t paprika
1/2 t cayenne  (we like it hot)

I sauteed the onions and garlic in the oil till clear then added the spices The fresh tomatoes and peppers went in next, cook for 5 minutes then the canned tomatoes. Simmer till liquid is reduced. I used a large spoon to create a depression in the mix and added a fresh egg. Cover until the egg is to your liking.
Spoon on a plate and sprinkle with crumbled feta.

Man, my Dad would have loved this. He was big pepper and egg fan. 

Not Much Food Blogging...Lubiyeh

As you know we are deep into Lent and nearing the end by now. Our cooking is minimal and occasional and has few ingredients. It is nearly vegetarian in nature and I don't find it particularly interesting. Most of our proteins are shrimps and fish and there is only so much I can discuss about those items. By the 5th of May we will be back to our normal fare. In the mean time I am busy trying to complete icons on the table, attending services and trying to figure out what the new priest has in mind (every Sunday I see that he has rearranged the altar area, again).

This week our Pre Sanctified fare is going to be a Lebanese dish (Lubiyeh) that is simply Green Beans and Tomatoes over rice. Does not sound like much but something happens between Green Beans and Tomatoes that I cannot explain. I just generally saute the beans with a little garlic and sliced onion, add a can of diced tomatoes and a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of allspice. A bit of salt and pepper to taste and there it is.

San Marzano in reach

Ok so I know this weird and nothing to get excited about but....my local Walmart is carring San Marzano's! Yay!

Zucchini Curry

- submitted by Dahlia on 09-16-2008  (Zucchini Sabzi, Zucchini Kurma) Ingredients Zucchini - 2 Onion - 1 (finely chopped) Tomato - 2 (finely chopped or pureed) Ginger garlic paste - 1 tblsp Green Chiles - 2 (finely chopped) Corriander-cumin powder - 1 tsp Chili powder - 1 tsp (or as needed) Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Cilantro - for garnish Salt - as needed Oil - 2 tblsp

- submitted by Dahlia on 09-16-2008

Method 1. Chop the zucchini into big chunks. Heat 1 tblsp of oil in a pan and shallow fry the pieces. Keep it aside. 2. Remove the zucchini pieces from the pan, add an additional tblsp of oil and splutter the mustard and cumin seeds. 3. Saute the onions with the green chiles for 10 minutes until they turn nice golden brown. 4. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. 5. Add the tomato pieces/puree and let the mixture cook for atleast 10 minutes until the  tomatoes are pulpy. 6. Add all the dry spice powders- chili powder, corriander-cumin powder , turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt. 7. Add the zucchini pieces and required water. Bring the gravy to a boil . 8. Simmer the gravy till oil floats on top. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed. 9. Finally, add finely chopped cilantro and switch off. Serve hot with any roti varieties or rice. Tips & Variation      - You can also roast 3 tblsp of grated coconut, make a fine paste of it and add to the gravy. This gives nice thickness and taste to the curry. (Here is Ivygourd curry made in a similar way.)      - Another variation is to add 1/2 cup of coconut milk to the gravy at the end and just heat it through.      - You can also substitute zucchini with other vegetables like ivygourd (tindoora, kovakai) or any dried beans (lima beans, kidney beans, butter beans etc).

 http://simpleindianrecipes.com

Wednesday dinner...Mahi

I had a package of Mahi in the freezer from Trader Joe's. It was not the usual filets but random chunks.  As it was, I had come home from an exhausting day and apparently passed out on the sofa till about 6. Feeling groggy and a bit cranky, I got up and made dinner. The previous day at the market we found gigantic heads of cauliflower cheap so I had Brenda cut up about 2 cups of florets.

For the thawed fish (I took it out before I passed out), dried it and coated it in flour. Nothing else. I sauteed it in a bit of butter and olive oil till golden and crispy, set it aside.

For the veggies I made this:



Aloo Gobi

450gms Potatoes
450gms Gobi (Cauliflower florets)
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 no. Chopped green chillies (I had jalapenos)
1 tsp Coriander paste (I used powdered both here and cumin)
1 tsp Cumin paste
1/4 tsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric paste (powdered)
1 tsp Chopped coriander leaves
Salt To Taste

My recipe called for mustard seeds too.

How to make aloo ghobi :

Par boil the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the cumin seeds for about 2 minutes, until they begin to splutter. Add the green chili and fry for a further 1 minute.
• Add the cauliflower florets and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, the ground spices and salt and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the vegetable are tender.

I had no potatoes in the house save for a few canned ones. They worked great!  Basically I par boiled the cauliflower a bit and then made the rest. I cut up the canned spuds and added them in. Great dish, really great. Beautiful color too.

I got up at 6 pm and we ate at 625. How's that for fast food?

Veggie Du Jour

Baby Zucchini's? Saute in a bit of olive oil or do this:

1 medium sweet onion sliced thin
2 cloves of garlic
1 thick cut strip of bacon
1 pound baby zucchini, sliced in half length wise
1 t red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper

I cooked the bacon and rendered the fat, removed and chopped the bacon. To the fat I added some oil oil (lean bacon, I guess) and sauteed the onions till translucent. To this I added the garlic and chopped bacon strip. Cook for a few minutes the add the zucchini. I cooked very crisp/tender. So not long at all, seasoned with salt, pepper and Red Pepper flakes. Serve. Yum.

On Sunday I had cooked some chicken cutlets in my usual fashion. After Chicken Milanese (recipe under 'Chicken') I had probably 8 portions left over. Last night I used 2 to make a bit of Chicken Parmesan and served it with the zucchini. Delish. Some left for lunch today too.

Fried Corn

Ok I know what you're thinking but really it's not deep fried, just pan fried or sauted if you prefer. Years ago, a gal told me about her family Southern tradition of a side dish of fried corn and okra. Now, I am a fan of okra but only pickled and in Gumbo, but feel free to add it if thats your thing.

I use fresh corn cut from the ear. Saute in a fry pan in  a tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and maybe a pat of butter. The corn will release some liquid and eventually carmelize a bit. The finished texture will be a little chewy, incedibly sweet and savory. Simply cook this way for about 8-10 minutes. Yum.

4th of July Dinner

Today is a lazy day. I got up early and mowed the lawn. All the neighbors are gone it looks like and I grilled on Sunday so today is all about fried chicken. The kids are gone or working so it's just us.

how is that for a well balanced plate?

The chicken has been soaking in buttermilk for 24 hours using Alton Brown's method. Today I will fry it after draining the buttermilk  then seasoning with 1T salt, 2 T paprika, 2t garlic powder and 1t cayenne pepper. Dredge the seasoned chicken in flour the fry in shortening at 325F for 15-20 mins per side. Now I haven't fried chicken in ages but here goes. To accompany this rare feast, I am cooking collard greens and Roasted Creamed Parmesan Onions (recipe under 'Vegetables'). There may be some sweet corn too if I am lucky.

PS: I got lucky! The stand still had some corn.   The chicken was great and crisp but a dark mahogany color, moist and tender inside. The onions are crazy good and the collards are fantastic with a bit of vegetable seasoning and salt. This was an A+ meal. Yum.

TIP:  I don't usually find such useful information online but this really works. I cooked the corn by popping it in the microwave for 8-10 minutes, husks and all. When it was done, I cut the bottoms off, held it by the silky tops and shook out the cooked cobs, virtually silk free! Yay it works!

Birthday Dinner for the Birthday Girl

My sweet daughter has a birthday today. We celebrated her accomplishments in her profession on Saturday but last night was just about her. The boys were working so it was just the Mrs. and Mackenzie, a lovely temperate evening, some grilled NY Strips and fresh asparagus. Killer bread of course and I made Hollandaise for the asparagus. Delish!  No dessert because I frankly did not think of it. Honestly, for the calories I would have rather had more steak (we only eat 4 ounces) than dessert but we did splurge on Saturday. There is a chain company in Omaha called Nothing Bundt Cakes. They have the best, most decadent cakes in mini bundt form. So tasty but that was my fix for the week

.

I made the Hollandaise with a typical recipe:

4 egg yolks
juice of a lemon
dash of cayenne
dash of salt
1/2 cup melted butter

I used the had blender and a 4 cup glass measure. Make sure the butter is steaming hot. Combine all and drizzle the hot butter while blending. I had a shallot so I chopped that up in there too. It was thick and rich and the perfect foil for the roasted asparagus.

Just so you know, I screwed this up a bit and made it before I looked up the recipe. I used 2 whole eggs and it was all a bit thin so I placed atop a double boiler, whisked it constantly and it quickly tightened up. Not sure if it tasted all that different. I am under the firm opinion that almost anything can be rescued. Don't try to reheat this in the microwave, does not work, live and learn.

Green Beans and Tomatoes....A Lenten affair

Doesn't sound like much does it?

I sauteed some blanched green beans with 2 cloves of garlic and a pinch of cinnamon. I added one can of diced tomatoes and heated through.

Weird. Very good eats.

I am not sure what it is about tomatoes and their alliance with green beans that makes this so tasty. The Lebanese at our old parish would serve this over rice but a bit of Prosphora soaked up the juices nicely.

Chickpea and Artichoke Masala

I made a recipe from Aarti Party tonight with a bit of Na an on the side. Purely vegetarian with the exception of 1/4 cup of yogurt.

1 large red onion chopped
1 clove of garlic
1/2 inch piece of ginger grated
3 Roma tomatoes chopped
2 T canola oil
1 t cumin seeds
1 t ground coriander
1/2 t garam masala
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t turmeric
1/4 c yogurt
1 T lime juice
1 can (14 1/2 ounce) chickpeas
1 can (14 1/2 ounce) artichoke hearts drained and rinsed
1/2 c water
salt
Chopped fresh cilantro

optional 1 serrano pepper split

Process the onion, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes in a food processor and process till smooth.

Meanwhile warm the oil and once shimmering, add the cumin seeds. (I added a serrano and let it cook in the oil too for a little bite) Once they are done popping, add the onion tomato mixture and saute till the color darkens and it thickens about 10 minutes.

Add the spices and cook 30 seconds then add the yogurt slowly. Stir in the lime juice and water, chickpeas and artichokes. Salt to taste. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Check seasoning then garnish with cilantro.

Man, this was a great recipe. Tasty and filling. The side of hot off the griddle Na an really made it but you could serve it over rice also. Yum.

Grilled Salmon with Artichoke Salsa, Pan Gratin Potatoes

Grilled Salmon...so easy. I placed the side of salmon on Non Stick foil, doused with olive oil and sprinkled with Crazy Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Salt. Grill till perfection. I like it moist and tender in the thick parts but crispy on the belly side.

Artichoke hearts, chopped Red Onion, Capers, Garlic, Halved Cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste, marinate and top that salmon. You won't be sorry!

Pan Gratin potatoes. Spuds sliced super thin, sauteed in a bit of olive oil, flip when browned then flood the pan with a bit of cream, add some cheese, salt and pepper then cover till potatoes are tender. Slice into wedges to serve. Oh so good.

New Year's Dinner

Roasted Tenderloin of Beef with Bearnaise,  "Gene's" Potatoes, Caesar Salad, Fresh bread. A meal fit for the grand new start of a Grand New Year.  So nice to have everyone but poor Ben who is working his 2nd of 3 twelve hour shifts. He will be home shortly though and there are plenty of leftovers for him to enjoy. Dessert was a nice Napoleon Torte from the local Lithuanian Bakery. A delicious meal before Brooke had to head to work tonight. Someone, it seems, is always on the move. The life of nurses.

So to start: The Beef

I had a nice 5 pound roast that I tied and seared in a bit of oil. I topped the roast with Dijon, olive oil, peppercorns and rosemary that I stirred into a paste and applied over the roast. Into the oven at 450 for about 35 minutes (meat thermometer firmly in place). I will tell you my new oven is a mess now and the house was a bit smokey. It was at 120 degrees when I pulled it out and reached 135 after 10 minutes of standing. It was perfect.

Now Gene's Potatoes. My Brother in law's brother in law was a chef, perhaps still is. He made these potatoes for some occasion we attended years ago and I have been shamelessly pirating them ever since. I am not even sure if the recipe is anywhere close to his, but I always give him credit. I have used these to cater weddings and dinners for years.

Gene's Potatoes:  Basically a very thick white sauce flavored with Swiss cheese.

4 cans of whole potatoes, drained

2 cups of 1/2 and 1/2

1 t beef /chicken bullion

6 slices or more of processed Swiss Cheese

I use a bit of Wondra to tighten up the sauce or 3 tablespoons of cornstarch in 1/4 cup o water. Should be a heavy cream sauce.

Generally I place all the ingredients in a microwave bowl and nuke till the cheese melts. Stirring every minute or so. Thicken with either cornstarch slurry (1 1/2 T per cup liquid) or Wondra (about 1 good Tablespoon)

The sauce should be very heavy cream consistency.

Place the potatoes in a greased casserole. Pour the sauce over the top, cover and bake 350 till heated through (about 40 minutes) Uncover and bake another 15 minutes to get a bit of color on top.

Now if you have never had canned potatoes, I think you are in for a treat. They are petite and creamy. I use them sometimes for really small batches of potato salad.

The Bearnaise Sauce

I can't have this type of meat without a bit of the rich, tart sauce. So tasty.

1 stick of butter
1 tbl lemon juice
3 egg yolks
1 shallot minced
1 teasp of Tarragon
4 T white wine
2 T Tarragon vinegar

Make the Hollandaise first:
Melt a stick of butter in a 4 cup glass measuring cup. Add the lemon juice to the yolks and beat lightly. Get your stick blender at the ready and start blending the butter. To this add the yolk mixture and blend till light and volume increase.  Set aside.

To a small saucepan, add the remaining vinegar, wine, shallot and tarragon. Allow to reduce to about 2 tablespoons. Get ready to blend again and with the blender running add the reduced mixture to your hollandaise. Now you have Bearnaise. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Fresh Bread

 Caesar Salad

I have made this for a long time and always have used this recipe I pulled from Bernard Schimmel's cookbook from the Joslyn Art Museum. Of course, I can't leave anything alone and added a bit here and there.

1 clove garlic, minced
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 t Dijon mustard
2 good squeezes of anchovy paste
1 lemon,  juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 T tarragon vinegar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 coddled egg
1/2 cup Parmesan grated

Again I use the stick blender and the 4 cup measure and just mix it all up there.

2 heads of cleaned romaine
Croutons
Shaved Parmesan

Pan Gratin Potatoes

My friend, Cathy wrote to me today requesting the "recipe" for the potatoes I serverd her when last she was in town.  I really don't have much of a recipe but the technique is easy enough but I have no photos of these spuds.

3-4 Medium Potatoes sliced paper thin
1/2 c grated cheese like Fontina, White Cheddar, Parmesan
1-2 T olive oil
up to 1/2 c heavy cream
salt and pepper

I generally have a few extra spuds laying about. It does not take many, maybe 3 medium sized ones. I use my small hand held  mandolin on the thinest setting and slice the potatoes. I usually have Yukon Golds but small reds are nice to and the occasional Idaho. Anyway, slice a nice pile of potatoes and get a large non stick skillet ready with a bit of olive oil. The nice thing about this is, if I don't have a lot of spuds or it's just me and the Mrs., I can just center the spuds in the pan.

Starting in the center, I layer the potatoes in a spiral, as many layers as potatoes I have (I add a bit of salt now and then also). I let these brown nicely, undisturbed, checking after 5 or 10 minutes. I use the large pancake spatula nad turn the whole thing over to brown the second side. If it breaks up its ok. Just put brown side up and let them cook again. When getting close to done, (check 'em with a fork) I flood the pan and top with a bit of heavy cream, enough to cover the bottom and then add grated cheese. In this case I had White Cheddar on hand but I have used Fontina and /or Parmesan before with great reults.  I cover the whole thing with a lid, turn the flame very low and allow the cream to thicken and cheese to melt. about another 5 minutes.  I cut the servings like a pie. A bit of cracked pepper on top does not hurt. Delish.

Next time I make them, I will post a picture since there is nothing close on line I can find.

Roasted Parmesan Creamed Onions

From Thiebaults Table I give you this. Delicious!

 

 Roasted Parmesan-Creamed Onions

 Roasted Parmesan-Creamed Onions. 

If you love onions, you have to try this dish. 

It is the perfect accompaniment to pork, chicken, beef, lamb, etc...

Roasted Parmesan-Creamed Onions

Rick Tramonto - Osteria Cookbook

Talk about succulent! The yellow onions are pretty pungent when you slice them, but surrender their kick when they are roasted and become sweet and tender. When they reach this point, the cream sauce is poured over them, they are topped with shaved cheese, and then the whole thing is returned to the oven for a slow melt. I like to cook these in a wood oven to get some smoke on them, which makes them even better-if that's possible. Great with chicken, lamb, beef-you name it! I also like it served as a first course.
Serves 4

4 medium yellow onions
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dry white wine
Minced garlic (my addition)
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved (about 2 tablespoons)

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2 slices the onions into 1/4-inch-thick rings and lay them in a shallow baking pan, such as a sheet pan or jelly roll pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned.
3 Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the cream and wine (and garlic) to a simmer over medium-high heat. As soon as the liquid starts to bubble around the edges, remove from the heat.
4 Spoon about a tablespoon of the cream mixture over each onion slice. Cover with aluminum foil, return to the oven, and cook for about 25 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 450°F.
5 Remove the foil and top the onions with the shaved cheese. Return the pan to the oven and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the edges caramelize. Serve hot.

Pumpkins are us.........

The harvest is in which means months of good eats ahead (at least through Thanksgiving). Small pie pumpkins are showing up at the market. Just in time for cold weather recipes including stuffed pumpkins. I love a savory filling with fresh thyme, sausage and mushrooms. Of course I had to have a least one today. Made a nice Italian sausage filling with mushrooms and bread stuffing. Some onions and celery mixed with cubes of cheddar and a sprinkling of Italian blend cheeses. Topping it off with a few springs of fresh thyme and a shake or two of Italian seasoning. Fall is here.





St. Euphrosynos in the kitchen.

Tomato and cheese pie

Unfortunately, like my good friend Deb, we do not have a glut of tomatoes this year but I am making this pie none the less. Sliced beefsteaks with cheddar in a pie crust. What could be better?











Ingredients:

• 4 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 9 inch pie shell
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise (1/2 cup was plenty)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch (skipped it)
• 1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• I also added 2 t sugar and 2 T cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and let stand 10 minutes; drain well on paper towels. Sprinkle pie crust with 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Layer tomatoes and green onion over cheese. In medium bowl, combine mayonnaise with cornstarch, Cheddar cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, basil, and salt and pepper to taste; mix well.
Gently place dollops of the mayonnaise mixture over the tomatoes and spread to cover as much as possible. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until pie crust is golden brown and mayonnaise mixture starts to brown.

Did not have to worry about this one. The pie cut beautifully after it cooled for 30 minutes and was so good!

Roasted Grape tomato and garlic caprese

Had a few Grape Tomatoes going south so I roasted them with a few garlic cloves in olive oil and salt and pepper. When they had the "look" and the garlic was soft, I chopped the garlic and placed it all in a bowl. To this I added a few chopped basil leaves, some white balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add Mozzarella pearls and then refrigerate.


 Mix and enjoy.  Tonight? St. Louis style ribs with Kohlrabi and Fennel salad.

Last week some friends were in Chicago and at my request brought me back a bottle of Aperol. A bitter orange liqueur. More bitter than I had imagined. (And I am talking bitter, not tart) We had everyone over last night for cocktails.


Aperol Spritzer

3 parts Proseco
2 parts Aperol
splash of club soda
Orange slice

Mix over ice and enjoy.  Everyone loved then. I did not, however. I cannot tolerate bitter for some reason so while I did drink one I probably won't drink another. I'll stick to scotch, thank you. Looks delicious though!