Marching to a different beet

Here is yet another recipe brought to you by "refrigerator cleanout 2010".  I like to think that, though it's a bit belated, a recipe like this can help with the implementation of "normal" New Year's resolutions of eating healthier and consuming more vegetables, while it also fulfills my soon-to-be-resolution of using the cast iron skillet more.

Let's be honest, I want a resolution that I can accomplish.  I suppose another resolution can be added on, but let's make it a fun one, eh?

This recipe is easy. And delicious. Did I already say easy?

Beet and Beet Green Gratin
2 beets, with the greens (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
5 egg whites
1 egg
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
Freshly grated parmesan to taste

1. Roast the beets at 400F for about 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then cut the ends off, slip off the skins. Chop into bite size pieces.

2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet, and add the garlic and chopped greens. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring, until garlic is fragrant and greens are wilted. Remove from the heat.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Beat together eggs, salt (about 1/2 teaspoon), pepper, milk, cves and cheese. Gently stir in the greens and beets. Scrape into the gratin dish. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until set and lightly browned on the top. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Refrigerator Cleanout

Among the pre-departure rituals when heading out of town for an extended period is the systematic usage of every last smidgen of things in the refrigerator.  It's almost like a game.  You can give yourself mini-challenges like, "How can I use half a cup of cottage cheese, turkey, and half a bottle of wine in one meal?" (Solution: drink the wine first. After that, any combination seems like a genius idea).

This recipe was a homerun of a find.  It helped me knock out yogurt, cheese, jalapenos (those last two were looking so sad by their lonesome in the fridge!), and eggs. And it let me use my cast iron skillet, which I have decided I don't do nearly enough.  Something to keep in mind for resolution time!

Corn Bread with Cheddar, Jalapeno and Green Onions
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/4 cups yogurt
2 tablespoons butter, olive oil, lard or bacon drippings
1 1/2 cups (about 7 ounces) medium-grind cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar, plus more if you like sweet cornbread
1 eggs

2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the fat in a medium oven-proof skillet or in an 8-inch square baking pan over medium heat (Deb note: would you believe I lack both? I used three of my mini-loaf pans); heat until good and hot, about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the egg into the buttermilk, milk or soured milk. Stir the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients, combining well; if it seems too dry, add another tablespoon or two of milk. Stir in jalapeno and cheese. Pour the batter into the preheated fat, smooth out the top if necessary, and place in the oven.
3. Bake about 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown and the sides have pulled away from the pan; a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean. Serve hot or warm.

Cookie Exchanging

Amazingly, the holidays have come and gone already and with them have come some pretty memorable moments. Blazer football, nights of chatting away with friends, dancing, singing, and of course, the food. Ohhhh my goodness, so much food.Are you still full? I sure am.

One of the kickoffs for holiday season time was a cookie exchange. Everyone bakes their own batch of cookies, comes together (with wine, of course), tastes everyone else’s cookies, and then gets to take a bag of leftover cookies home. If your stomach-ache induced smile hasn’t plastered itself on your face yet, the idea of a cookie exchange should send you right over the edge.

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
48 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the centers are set but still soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Top each cookie with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss. Allow to cool completely, long enough for the Kiss to harden. If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the Kiss.

Happy Hannukah!

Happy Hannukah!

In a wishful dream of taking December by the horns and making my pants a little roomier, I decided that this was going to be a month of not baking.  However, the post-marathon desire to reward myself (I’m beginning to think I might have been a little bit too generous with this one) and an invitation to a Hannukah potluck was about all it took for my very twistable arm to betray me and agree to baking a cake.

Apple cakes are traditional fare for Hannukah, paralleling the delicious applesauce that sits atop those crispy, sizzling latkes.  And we all know that frosting makes anything better.  And I do mean anything.

This cakes is simple to make, though I would reduce the cooking time by a few minutes next time as these cakes came out a touch harder than I would like for a layer cake.  That said, you didn’t notice a thing once the cake was iced.  Also beware, the icing sets up very quickly.  I believe you can reheat it gently to help loosen it back up.

Overall verdict: we’re making this guy again. And again. Maybe not until January, though :)

Apple Walnut Cake with Caramel Butter Frosting
From At the Baker’s Bench

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (can replace 1 cup white flour with wheat flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 medium baking apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Caramel Butter Frosting

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 stick (4 oz) butter
• ¼ cup milk, cream, or half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 to 11/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1. Spray two 9" cake pans with nonstick pan spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and baking powder, spices, and salt; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla, apples, and walnuts; stir to combine. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon or large spatula to incorporate all dry ingredients.
4. Transfer batter to prepared pans and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center tests clean. Remove pans to rack for 10 minutes; de-pan cakes and let cool completely before frosting or freezing.
5. For Caramel Butter Frosting: Combine brown sugar, butter, and milk or cream in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and let cook for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool until the caramel is just slightly warm. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat in confectioners’ sugar ½ cup at a time until desired consistency is reached. Frost cake layer(s) with a small offset spatula, swirling frosting in a smooth motion. If frosting hardens too quickly, place over low heat on stove (or in microwave for a few seconds) until it softens. If desired, add sprinkles or decorations immediately after spreading as this frosting will set up quickly.

Making the most out of...not much

Anyone want to swap food for photos?  You know which one I'll be in charge of!

Do you ever look in your fridge seeking inspiration for what to make and come up with bupkiss?  No?  Me neither.

Well clearly, sarcasm is never in short supply here!  But after a week of not grocery shopping and generally neglecting my darling refrigerator, I was faced with the cold, hard reality that all I had in my fridge was two leeks and a bunch of swiss chard.  

This situation right here, my friends, highlights the reasoning behind my love affair with soup.  Those two gems of ingredients, plus a few pantry and stock staples and voila! A healthy, hearty, warm-your-bones-on-a-cold-dark-rainy-Seattle-day type soup.  Enjoy!

Mix’n’Match Minestrone
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 carrots, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
handful of parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp oregano
1 (28oz) can of diced tomatoes and their juices
6 cups of water or stock (my preference is water and bouillon, but to each his own)
1 (14oz) can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch chard, chopped
½ cup orzo, uncooked
parmesan-reggiano, to taste

1. In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and saute onion, leeks, and garlic until soft.  
2. Add in carrots, celery, parsley, and spices and continue cooking until soft.
3. Add tomatoes, broth, and beans, and bring mixture to a boil.
4. Mix in chard and orzo, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Grate fresh cheese over top to taste, and eat up!

Old Trusties

If ever there was a fall-back baking dish, these muffins are it. They whip up in a cinch, and they give you a mouthful of fall spice and warmth in every bite. I dare you to eat just one.

Oat-Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 18 muffins

1c wheat flour, whole-grain
1c oats
.5c flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup low fat yogurt
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg white
.5c raisins

Combine dry ingredients; in another bowl, combine all other ingredients, then add the dry ingredients stirring until moist. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-23 minutes.