Seafood Cioppino

I'm in the process of down sizing favorite recipes to match our needs.  This one is a favorite from Oldways. The homemade sauce is the highlight of this dish and it's a great way to use partial packs of seafood in the freezer.  Mine has flounder, scallops and shrimp, served over a whole grain spaghetti.

Seafood Cioppino

(Serves 4)

Saute vegetables in olive oil 8 minutes. 

1/4 cup onion, diced

2 Tablespoon bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoon olive oil 

 

Add to pot: 

1 cup diced tomatoes in juice

2 Tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

4 slices lemon

1/2 teaspoon each dried and chopped parsley, basil and oregano

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bring to boil.  Lower heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

 

And fish and simmer covered for 20 minutes. 

1 4 ounce flounder fillet, cut in pieces

 

Add shrimp and scallops.

6 jumbo shrimp, shell removed 

4 ounce scallop pieces

Simmer 10 minutes.

 

Discard lemon slices. 

 

Serve over pasta.

 

Possibly, tasty additions to this recipe were my own freshly dried and ground herbs. Before the first frost, I take what's left in my front deck planters, dehydrate in the oven (mine has a 150F. dehydrating function) and grind.  They don't last long, but are noticeably tastier than the store bought. 

 

 

 

  

  

 

Beans & Cornbread

 

The meal combo is a West Virginia staple and, as a retired Cafeteria Manager, it's never a good idea to serve beans without the cornbread.  Our local farmers market is lucky to have a family who grows grains and beans.  This one features their newest package of three beans.  That's perfect for my personal goal focusing on diversity of plant foods.  This meal has many.  Here's the recipe I used, based on our personal (smaller) senior portions.  Note that any bean and any vegetable can be included in your personal meal.

Soup Beans

(4 Servings)

Soak beans in water overnight. 

3/4 cup dry beans

Water to cover 2-3 times the level of beans

Drain and rinse. 

 

In crock pot, place beans and hot water.  Turn pot to high. 

2 cups hot water

 

Add vegetables. 

3/4 cup diced raw vegetables

Mine has garlic, onion, celery with leaves, red pepper, fennel and carrots

 

Add ham. 

3 ounce diced ham

 

Add seasonings.

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper  

 

Cook on high for 8 hours.

 

My cornbread was originally made in a large oven safe skillet.  It has apples, onions and thyme too. For a few years, I froze half of it to make my Thanksgiving Stuffing, another classic. I hope to make more to have enough for that stuffing.

 

Cornbread with Apples, Onions & Thyme

(1-7 inch Deep Dish Pizza Pan)

Melt buttery over medium heat .
5 Tablespoon butter
Pour melted butter into a separate bowl.

Add onion to the skillet and saute for 4 minutes.
1/4 cup onion, diced

Add apple, sugar and thyme to the skillet.  Saute 4 more minutes.  Place onion-apple mix in a colander to drain any excess liquid. 
1 apple, sliced thin
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon thyme leaves

 

 Mix dry ingredients-cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and 4 1/2 tablespoon sugar together.
3/4 cup cornmeal, whole grain
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat egg and buttermilk.  Add melted buttery spread.
1 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
Melted butter
Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth (no lumps).  Stir in 1/2 of the apple-onion mix.

Pour batter into skillet (oven proof).  
Top with remaining apple-onion mix.  Sprinkle with1 teaspoon thyme. 
1/4 teaspoon thyme 

 

Bake in 400 F. oven for 30 minutes.  Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes.  To remove from pan, place another rack over the top of the skillet and invert.  The bread slides right out.  Invert onto cooling rack.  Cool an additional 20 minutes before tasting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smoked Salmon Chowder

This may be my favorite soup of all time. The recipe is inspired by Chef Sherry Pocknett’s creation in the November issue of Food and Wine Magazine.

Smoked Salmon Chowder

4 (1/2 cup) Servings

Melt butter in small saucepan. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Scrape roux into a small bowl.

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon flour

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Add vegetables and sauté for 3-5 minutes.

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoon diced onion 

2 Tablespoon diced red pepper

1 Tablespoon diced celery 

1 garlic clove, minced

Stir in spices.

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon seafood seasoning 

1 sprig fresh thyme

Add stock and diced potato. Heat to boiling, then lower heat to cook potato, about 20 minutes.

1 cup chicken stock, homemade 

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

Stir in corn.

1/2 cup corn

Bake salmon at 325F for 10 minutes. Add thinly sliced smoked salmon and bake another 5 minutes. Flake and stir into soup

2 ounce salmon

3 ounce smoked salmon

Stir in reserved roux and milk.  Heat for 5 minutes.

1/3 cup evaporated skim milk

Food and Nutrition Publication March 2017

 

Food and Nutrition Publication September 2017

 

Food and Nutrition Publication January 2019

 

Food and Nutrition Publication November 2019

 

Food and Nutrition Publication March 2020

 

Blast From the Past: Flax Muffins

 

I did not keep many of the recipes we made in the Health Sciences Cafeteria, but this one was published in a book. After volunteering to test recipes for Dietitian Jane Reinhardt-Martin, she published this one and the Multigrain Pumpkin Muffins one in her book. My introduction reads “Customers in the HSC cafeteria include health professionals and students who love products that are whole grain and low in fat and they’re becoming big fans of flaxseed”. 

Flax Muffins 

14 (2 tablespoons batter) Muffins

Mix together dry ingredients.

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

6 Tablespoon flaxseed meal

6 Tablespoon oat bran (I used whole oat flour)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Add fruit to dry ingredients and mix to coat.

3/4 cup shredded carrots 

1/2 cup pineapple tidbits (I used crushed pineapple, drained)

1/4 cup raisins (I used shredded unpeeled apple)

Beat egg and liquid ingredients. 

3.14 Tablespoon egg substitute (I used 1 egg)

1 Tablespoon applesauce 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice

Add liquid ingredients to dry, mixing only until incorporated.

Distribute batter into muffin tins greased with olive oil spray. I portioned 2 tablespoon batter into each.

Bake at 350 F for 18 minutes, until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool slightly in tin and remove muffins to finish cooling.

My muffins were made in this delightful pan gifted from my sister.

My Blog My Way

 I wanted my blog to be a place I could keep recipes I tried and liked. Here’s a seasonal favorite Pumpkin Pie, where I use my sourdough starter in a Spelt Crust, with a pie filling recipe that uses a whole 15 ounce can of pumpkin. For Bob and I, this makes 2-7 inch pies (4 servings each) and 4-3 1/2 inch pies (2 servings each). We’ll eat a big one and freezes the others individually to enjoy other weeks in the fall.

The crust recipe is here: Crust Recipe . I fill the unbaked pie shells with this pie filling, and bake on a sheet pan for 45-50 minutes, until a pick comes out clean inserted into the center.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

16 Servings

Mix sugar and spices in bowl.

7 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 

1/2 teaspoon salt

Add egg and vanilla. Mix to combine.

5.6 tablespoon egg

2 tablespoon 1 teaspoon vanilla

Add pumpkin and evaporated milk, stir to combine.

1 15 ounce (1.75 cup) can pumpkin

1 cup 2 1/2 tablespoon canned nonfat milk

Pour filling into pie shells. Bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes until pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Life Long Learners Taste Fall

 

It was the perfect time to meet with boomers to share soup and sample breads from local grower Julie Mallow. Our meal of vegetarian chili , pumpkin goat cheese soup and whole grain breads was followed by a show of things to make with fall favorites: 

The meal was fiber rich, diverse in plant foods and minimally processed.

It was exciting to hear that Julie’s family farm fields (The Vegetable Garden and Davis Brothers Inc.) now planted have enough soft winter wheat and hard red winter wheat to make their bread next year with 100% of their own flour!

This meal offered 10 grams of fiber . 21 grams for women and 30 grams for men is recommended. Fiber is only found in plants. To increase eat more fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. When increasing fiber, increase fluids too.

Those who consume diverse plant foods have a more diverse microbiome (the different microorganisms in the gut). A diverse microbiome is crucial for overall health.

Diversifying seeds is good for the environment. The foundation of any sustainable food system is local foods.

Our meal was made with mostly minimally processed foods.

This meal has 10 grams of protein. Since older adults need 1-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (average is 60 grams protein) it was suggested to add protein by adding meat, cheese, egg, hummus, peanut butter or milk. Greek Yogurt is a great source of protein and probiotics, more beneficial to a healthy microbiome.

Fall's Kitchen

Fall is here and many of the seasonal vegetables and grains have appeared at our local farmers market. Seasonal favorites  include: Apples, beets, buckwheat, carrots, corn, cranberries, dried beans, oats, pears, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoes and winter squash. 

Cooler weather is approaching and soup appears on the menu.  Here are 2 of my favorites;

Vegetarian Chili (4 cups)

1-15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 mini sweet peppers, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon coriander
1 1/2 cup black beans, cooked and drained (1/2 cup dry)
1 1/2 cup corn

Sauté peppers and onions in olive oil for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, cumin and coriander.  Bring to a simmer.  Add beans and corn and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

 

Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Soup (6 Cups)

Roast pumpkin.
1 pie pumpkin, Hubbard or butternut squash.
Remove seeds and peel. Cut in smaller pieces.

In a large saucepan, sauté onion, fennel and celery in olive oil 3 minutes.
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoon fennel, diced
2 tablespoon celery stalks and leaves, diced
2 tablespoon olive oil

Stir in curry powder and sauté 1 minute.
1 tablespoon curry powder

Add ginger, orange juice, zest and stock.
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
¼ cup orange juice
3 cups vegetable stock.
Add roasted pumpkin.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Carefully blend.  Add goat cheese at end. Return to saucepan. Add salt and evaporated milk.
4 ounce goat cheese

1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1/4 teaspoon salt

Simmer until hot but not boiling.

Soups are a great way to increase fiber and fluids in the diet. Fiber, which is only found in plants, promotes regular digestion and helps prevent chronic conditions. One can increase by eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.Fluids help fiber move through the digestive system. When increasing fiber, increase fluid.