Great Gourd All Mighty (Meatless Monday)

"Sideline Meat" during Monday night football with these meatless game day dishes.  Chickpeas Curry in Squash Boats, Cauliflower Stuffed Mushrooms and Mini Cornbread Muffins with Apricots comprised our pregame meal.  

Chickpea Curry

(Serves 4)

3 Plum Tomatoes
1 small Shallot, diced
1 inch piece Ginger, peeled
 Squash removed from the interior of an acorn squash
1 tsp Curry Powder
Chop ingredients.  Heat 1 tsp. Olive Oil in non-stick pot and add tomato mixture.  Cook, stirring often, until darkened, 10 to 12 minutes.  

Add
1 1/2 cups Water
Bring to simmer.  Add
2 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Cook 5 minutes.  Add
1 1/2 cup Garbanzo Beans (I cooked dry garbanzo beans in the slow cooker)
Heat 10 minutes.  Fill squash boat to serve.

Cauliflower Stuffed Mushrooms

(Serves 3)

2 cloves Garlic
2 tsp. Fresh Ginger, peeled, diced
Pulse in mini food processor.  Add
1 tsp. Coriander
1/8 tsp. Turmeric  
2 Tbsp. water
This is a "Masala" spice mix.

1 tsp. Olive Oil

Heat in non-stick pan, then add
1/3 tsp. Cumin Seeds
Cook until they're done spluttering.

Add wet masala.  Cook until it thickens and deepens in color, about 2 minutes.

Add
1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets   
Stir to coat cauliflower, then add
1/3 cup water

Cover and simmer 15 minutes, adding more water if needed.

Add
1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves
Stir to wilt.
Set cauliflower mixture aside.

In a separate pan, melt buttery spread.
1 tablespoon Earth Balance Buttery Spread
Stir in flour.
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Add milk.
1/2 cup soy milk
Stir in tofu.
3 tablespoons tofu

Stir sauce into cauliflower mixture.
Stuff mushrooms.
12 ounce baby bells, stems removed

Sprinkle with walnuts.
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Bake at 375 F. for 15 minutes.

My favorite part of the meal were these mini cornbread muffins.  I used my go-to recipe for cornbread (1 cupcake size muffin makes 2 mini muffins).  I pushed 1 dried apricot into the batter after filling the tins and sprinkled with turbinado sugar.  These were delicious.

Cornbread

(Makes 12 Mini Muffins)

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup & 1 tablespoon cornmeal, whole grain
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoon soymilk
3/4 teaspoon lemon Juice
1 egg
1 cup fat free yogurt

Mix together flour, cornmeal, salt and baking soda.
Mix milk with yogurt and lemon juice.
In miming bowl, beat egg and sugar.  alternately add dry ingredients and yogurt/milk mixture, beating after each addition.

Pour into muffin pan greased with olive oil spray.

Bake at 350 F. for approximately 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

 

 



  





 

Flavorful Foliage

We picked the perfect spot to enjoy our autumn picnic and enjoyed a perfect menu to match.  Split Pea Soup, accompanied by Homemade Tortillas with Avocado Slaw.  The slaw dressing recipe was demonstrated at FNCE 2015.  The corn tortilla recipe from registered dietitian Sara Haas was in the March/April issue of Food and Nutrition Magazine.  Masa Harina (Corn Flour) is now available in local grocery stores to make the delicious Corn Tortillas.  I'm getting better at making them (with practice).  The flavor can't be beat!

Avocado Slaw Dressing

(Serves 4)

1 avocado, peeled and seeded
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Blend all ingredients in mini food processor.

Corn Tortillas

(Serves 4-2 tortillas each)

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon masa harina
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cup water
Combine masa and salt in mixing bowl. Mix in water.  Knead until dough forms.
Divide into balls, 2 tablespoons each.  Flatten into tortillas.  
Grill for 30 seconds on 1 side, then flip to cook an additional 30 seconds.  

My tacos today were topped with beef loin strips, grilled and seasoned with my homemade taco seasoning.  1-8 ounce steak served 4 when sliced thinly with an electric knife.

Split Pea Soup

(Serves 4)

Saute scallion, celery and carrot in buttery spread.
1 tablespoon Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 scallion, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
Mrs. Dash

Add stock, turmeric, split peas and potatoes.
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup yellow split peas
2 red potatoes, peeled and diced
Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hours.  Add more water if necessary.  Using an immersion blender, puree vegetables to make a cream soup.

To reheat the soup for the picnic for 2, I cooked 1 1/2 cups split pea soup with 1/2 cup water and added to a preheated thermos.  (to preheat thermos, add boiling water, then drain prior to adding the hot soup.)

Our picnic today was at Teter Lake in Barbour County, West Virginia.  The fall colors were at peak.  Can you think of a better background for a picnic than this? 

 
    

   

 

     

Berry Good Chicken

This Oat & Sage Stuffed Chicken Breast with Berry Sauce was inspired by the Pepsico Culinary Demo at FNCE 2015.  In keeping with the "eat real food-not much meat" theme, I used only 1-6 ounce chicken breast for this dinner for two (and I had some leftover for breakfast!) My sauce is made with fresh raspberries and cranberries.

Oat & Sage Stuffed Chicken with Berry Sauce

(Serves 2)

Berry Sauce
1 1/3 cup fresh raspberries
Puree raspberries in mini food processor.

Combine pureed raspberries, maple syrup, orange zest and juice in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil;  lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 orange, zest and juice
Remove from heat.  Strain.

Combine cranberries, sugar and water in a saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and heat for 15 minutes.  Stir in strained raspberry sauce.
1/3 cup fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup water

Stuffing
2 tablespoon shallots, diced
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
3 sage leaves, snipped
4 thyme sprigs, leaves only
1 teaspoon olive oil
Saute shallots, apple and herbs in olive oil for 10 minutes.

Heat oats at 1/2 power in microwave for 2 1/2 minutes.  
1/3 cup steel cut oats, quick cooking
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

Stir egg and sauteed vegetables into strained oats.
1/2 egg, beaten

Pound chicken breast.  Top with oat stuffing.  Roll and tuck end under.
1 6 ounce chicken breast 
Bake at 400 F. for 25 minutes, or until interior of chicken is 165 F.

Slice with an electric knife.

In keeping with the another theme of FNCE 2015 (reduce food waste), I sauteed the other 1/2 of the apple (sliced) and served with dinner.  I reserved the strained raspberry seeds and mixed with 1 tablespoon chia seeds to make a jam to mix with yogurt.  I refrigerated the 1/2 a beaten egg as I might need an egg wash in the next couple days.  I'll eat the leftover chicken, stuffing and vegetables for breakfast or lunch tomorrow!  I freeze the bag of fresh cranberries and remove only the amount I need to cook.

The Lekue Steam Case

I am delighted with this unique cooking item, the Lekue Steam Case from the Alicia Foundation.  This flexible (squishy) case has a removable tray.  Place a couple tablespoons of water in the bottom,add vegetables, close the lids and microwave for 2-3 minutes. We used the case as the serving dish, which kept the vegetables hot.  
Thank you to the Food and Nutrition Magazine Staff and Sponsors for this gift, which included a very nice cookbook!

 

     

Re-framing the Issue (Favorite FNCE Quotes)

FNCE 2015 was one of my favorite of the dozen or more conferences I've attended.  (My first FNCE was in 1974!)  Opening session was special, starting with the country music trio singing the Star Spangled Banner a cappella.  I was delighted to see West Virginia member Adam Burda profiled in the opening video.  Evelyn Crayton, our 90th President, charmed the audience with the introduction of her large family.  The keynote speaker, Doug Rauch, inspired us with the details of The Daily Table project. 

The session, "Waste Not, Want Not" addressed how we can eat responsibly.   I'd love to see the restaurants offer smaller portions, as the meals I received at Nashville restaurants were twice as large as I needed.

The session, "Bitter-Sweet:  How Our Senses Impact Chronic Disease and Weight" highlighted case studies where those with sensitivities to bitterness show a significant difference in the intake of vegetables.  One can mask bitterness with cooking methods or a little sugar (or roasting to caramelize).

"Biodiversity:  Achieving an Abundance of Wholesome Foods from Healthy Ecosystems" explored the evidence that demonstrates how food choices can restore biodiversity and create an equitable food system.  Our personal behaviors impact our practice behaviors. When offering a recipe, offer plant based substitutes.  

My favorite sessions were actually the culinary demos.  This is the first time I got my husband a guest pass, and he enjoyed the opening session and exhibits, where he occasionally handed out my blog cards.  It was especially nice for Bob to attend the Nutrition Blog Network and Stone Soup receptions.  Since my retirement in March, testing home style recipes and sharing these through these blogs. have been the highlight of my career.  

Thanks to those who inspire and encourage and support! 

 

Meatless Monday at FNCE Nashville

Great to see Meatless Monday exhibiting at FNCE Nashville, and also great to find a very satisfying Meatless Monday dinner at Acme Feed & Seed on Broadway.  My pick from the menu is 

"The Hatchery"

Curried chickpeas, coconut rice, cashews, cilantro and fried egg with fry bread.

My platter was delicious and heavy with enough food to feed two adults.  When I'm back home, I'll see if I can make something similar (and post a recipe).  This is just the type of meal and restaurant I like to find on an out of town adventure- delicious food I'd never had before with that local flair.

 

Chicken on the Fly (FNCE Bound Picnic)

A warm southern meal after crossing the Virginia line was a delicious second time around to our roasting chicken and vegetables served Wednesday.

The inspiration was from Rachael Ray in her "Make this, then this" column. 

Creamed Chicken & Biscuits

(Serves 2)

Dice chicken and roasted vegetables. 
1 cup roasted chicken, diced
3/4 cup roasted winter vegetables (carrots, parsnips, potatoes, fennel and scallions), diced
1/3 cup frozen green peas

In a non-stick pan, melt buttery spread.  Whisk in flour.  Whisk for 1 minute.
1 tablespoon Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

Slowly whisk in stock.  Simmer until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock

Add chicken, vegetables and peas.  Bring to a simmer;  season with Mrs. Dash.
Mrs. Dash

Stir in milk.  Simmer. 
1/4 cup evaporated skim milk 

At this point, I cooled the creamed chicken overnight in a shallow glass container.

This morning, I preheated a thermos with boiling water.  I heated the creamed chicken and vegetable mixture on stove-top, emptied the thermos of boiling water, and filled it with the creamed chicken.  This was hot and perfect for our rainy day picnic.

We served our creamed chicken with a cut biscuit, baked from frozen this morning!

Dessert was a delicious Plum and Ginger Crumble.  I had a bowl of local plums on my counter I needed to use and the recipe from French & Grace's book fit the bill.  I made my own Gingersnaps-that recipe I'll post at a later time.  The hardest part of the preparation was peeling the tiny plums.  (My husband and I are both seniors with dental concerns)  The plums peeled easily after immersed in boiling water for 1 minute, plunged in cold water for another minute, and peeled.  This was worth the effort!

Plum and Ginger Crumble

(Serves 8)

 

Cut peeled plums in quarters.  Mix with sugar and scrapings from vanilla bean.
12 plums
1 tablespoon sugar
1 vanilla bean, scraped

Combine remaining sugar, gingersnaps, ginger, flour, buttery spread and almonds in a food processor.  Pulse to combine.
1 tablespoon sugar
6 gingersnaps
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3/4 cup & 1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour
4 tablespoon Earth Balance Buttery Spread
2 tablespoon ground almonds

Place plums in a greased baking dish.  I use a 8 inch oval baking dish greased with an olive oil spray.
Top with crumb topping.

Bake at 350 F. for 40 minutes.

 
  
   

Twice Baked Baby Potatoes & Egg

Nashville bound tomorrow, so today I planned to use foods at home I did not want to waste.  Ricotta and feta cheese, local potatoes, paired with baked eggs and the last of my container garden vegetables made a delicious skillet dinner (and a few leftover for breakfast!)  The recipe is inspired by Eating Well. 

Twice Baked Baby Potatoes & Egg

(Serves 3)

Scrub and pierce the skin of potatoes.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
6 baby potatoes
Using a grapefruit spoon, scoop out filling of potatoes, leaving shell intact.

Saute shallot and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes.  Add spinach and fresh herbs.  Stir to wilt.  Remove from heat.
1 tablespoon shallot, diced
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh cut spinach
2 tablespoon fresh cilantro
2 sprigs oregano
1 teaspoon olive oil

Mix potato filling, cheeses and vegetables.  Fill potato skins with mixture.
1/3 cup ricotta cheese, part-skim
2 tablespoon feta cheese
Bake at 350 F. for 20 minutes.

Break eggs over potatoes.  Bake an additional 10-15 minutes. 
2 eggs