pineapple au gratin

1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cheddar cheese

Mix flour, sugar, and pineapple juice. Add pineapple chunks and cheddar cheese and pour into a 9x9 casserole dish. Cover and bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes.

1/2 stick of butter, melted
1 tube Ritz crackers
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix butter, crackers, and sugar. Remove casserole from oven and spread mixture over the top. Return to oven and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Peace,
Milton

sweet potato, apple, and ancho soup

There is a recipe for a similar soup in this month's Food and Wine, which I had planned to make, but I was late getting off work and had to stop at the grocery store without benefit of the recipe. Here's my improvised soup, which turned out to be good enough for me to bring home an empty pot.

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon, diced fresh ginger
1 dried ancho chile, chopped

Heat the oil in the pot and add the onion, garlic, ginger, and chile; heat until onion is translucent and the mixture is aromatic. Add

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large sweet apple (Honeycrisp or Fuji)

and continue to cook until apples soften up a bit. Add

1 large bottle Newcastle Brown Ale

and bring to a boil. After a couple of minutes, add

4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup honey
salt and pepper

Bring mixture to a boil once more, stirring occasionally.Lower heat and let simmer until potatoes are soft. Use a wand blender or a food processor and puree the mixture. If it's not sween enough, add some brown sugar. Once it's pureed, bring back up to bubbling and let reduce for a few minutes.

You can serve this with sour cream to cut the chile-heat, if you like. You can also use less ancho in the mix. If you want a significantly thicker soup, use one more sweet potato and one more apple and the same amount of liquid.

Peace,
Milton

sweet potato cakes with cranberry relish

For a number of years, Ginger and I have had a New Year's Day open house and this has been one of the staples of that event. Now that I live in Sweet Potato Land, I thought I would post the recipe.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Sift these ingredients together into a medium bowl.

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and grated (I use my food processor)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

Add these ingredients to the flour mixture and toss to cover the cheese and potatoes well.

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk

In a large bowl, combine the egg and milk and then add the dry ingredients until combined.

1/2 cup oil, for frying

Heat the oil to medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Drop a few rounded teaspoons of the batter into the oil and flatten to form cakes about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Cook until bottoms are browned and tiny bubbles begin to form on top (about two minutes). Flip and cook a minute or so longer; transfer to paper towels and repeat until all batter is used.

(You can make these ahead of time, layer them between wax paper, and then reheat them in a 350 oven when you're ready to serve.) On to the relish.

1 medium orange, unpeeled, but cleaned well, halved, seeded, and cut into chunks
1 medium Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored, and cut into chunks
1/4 medium unpeeled lemon, treated just as you did the orange

Put the fruit in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add cranberries and pulse until they are the same consistency.

2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Transfer to a bowl, add sugar and walnuts and mix well. (This can be made up to a week ahead.) When I've served these, I also put out some sour cream.

Peace,
Milton

orange glazed roasted beets

That's right: roast your own beets; make your hands turn red.

5 large beets (about two pounds)

Wash the beets, leaving the roots untrimmed. Place the beets on a large piece of foil on a baking sheet and then fold the foil up to make a packet around them. Roast the packet (on the baking sheet) in a 375 oven for about an hour and forty five minutes. Remove the packet from the oven (I leave it on the sheet), open it slightly, and let it cool. (Yes, this recipe takes some time. While they're cooling, go run some errands or something.) When they have cooled, slip the skins off (your hands will turn red) and slice them into quarter inch slices.

1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix orange juice, cumin, vinegar, and cornstarch in a small bowl until the cornstarch is completely mixed in, then incorporate the honey until blended. Pour the mixture into a large, nonstick saute pan and heat to a medium high heat. Add butter and salt and bring to a boil. Add beet slices and cook, turning beets as necessary, until they are glazed and heated through (and we all know how that feels). Put in a serving bowl.

1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon finely chopped orange zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Mix walnuts, orange zest, and parsley and sprinkle over beets before serving.

Serves six.

roasted red curry carrots

This is another recipe I found first in Food & Wine. I thought it would add a little zing to our Thanksgiving table.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry pas

In a 1 1/2 quart shallow baking dish, mix the oil, butter, and curry paste together.

1 pound baby peeled carrots
1 tablespoon julienned fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, chopped
salt
1/4 cup water

Add the carrots, ginger, and garlic to the paste mixture and toss to coat. Season with a little salt and add the water. Cover the dish tightly with foil and roast for about 30 minutes in a 425 oven. Remove the foil and cook another ten minutes, until the water has evaporated.

Can be served hot or at room temperature.

Peace,
Milton

state fair pecan pie

This is an adaptation of the recipe that won the 1996 State Fair of Texas.

1 1/2 cups pecan halves (5 1/2 oz.)

In a pie plate, toast the pecans for 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool.

1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
3 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, milk, flour, vanilla, and salt. Cook over moderate heat just until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

4 large eggs

In a heatproof bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Gradually whisk in the hot sugar mixture until thoroughly blended. Mix in the toasted pecans and pour into a pie shell. Bake for about 45 minutes in a 350 oven, or until the center is just barely set and the crust is golden brown. Transfer the pie to a rack to cool completely.

Peace,
Milton

black and blue berry pie

These are Ginger's two favorite berries, so why not put them in a pie?

Thaw and drain

5 cups frozen blueberries
2 1/2 cups frozen blackberries
(since we are not in the season for fresh ones)

Add the following ingredients after mixing them together well:

1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons corn starch

Pour the mixture into a pie shell and sprinkle with

1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter

Cover with a second pie pastry round and cut slits in the top. Bake at 425 for 35-45 minutes.

Peace,
Milton

green bean casserole

Ginger loves green bean casserole and I'm doing my best not to use canned soups, so here is my version.

1 pound green beans, rinsed and trimmed
(I also use a "french cutter" I got at Williams-Sonoma years ago that cuts them into shreds)

Bring a large saucepan full of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Cook for about five minutes and then drain and plunge the beans into a big bowl of ice water to stop their cooking. Set aside.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 oz. sliced mushrooms
(I like the Crimini mushrooms)
1 large shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add shallot. Cook until it is translucent (just a minute or two) and add the mushrooms and the garlic. Cook for five or six minutes, until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and are beginning to brown. Add flour and stir until you have a kind of thick paste.

3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup half and half

Add the broth and cook until it is warm, then add the half and half. Keep cooking and stirring the mixture until it thickens. I then take about two-thirds of the mixture and puree it in my food processor and then return it to the sauce pan. Place the green beans in the bottom of a casserole dish and pour the mushroom mixture over the top and bake in a 350 oven for about fifteen minutes.

NOTE: The traditional casserole has onion rings on top. Ginger is allergic to them, so I don't add them at our house. If you want to add them, slice them as thinly as possible. Toss them in flour and then in water and then in flour again. Fry until golden and add when the casserole comes out of the oven.

NOTE #2: To add a little crunch to the rings, Grind about a cup of dry arborio rice (Italian rice used to make risotto) and add the to second batch of flour.

Peace,
Milton

rachel's nut brittle

My mother-in-law is crazy about peanut brittle. For Thanksgiving I'm going to make her this special version adapted from a Food & Wine recipe in their December issue.

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 oz. roasted peanuts, cashews, and pecans

Comine the sugar, water, butter, and corn syrup in a large sauce pan and brint to a boil. Cover and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until it registers 300 on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. The mixture will bubble. Stir in the nuts and quickly scrape the mixture on to a rimmed nonstick baking sheet (0r, if you baking sheets are like mine and not nonstick, one that has been sprayed with Pam). Working quickly, spread the mixture into an even layer. Let it cool completely before breaking it into pieces.

Makes about 2 pounds.

Peace,
Milton

sweet potatoes and apples in browned butter

This is a new dish for our table this Thanksgiving.

2 large sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut into half inch dice. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 450 oven for about half an hour, or until potatoes are tender to touch.

4 semi-sweet apples (Macintosh, Fuji, Braeburn or the like)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Stand the apple on end and cut down one side close to the core. Lay the apple flat, cut side down, and repeat the process until you have a square core piece left. Throw it away and cut the apple pieces into a half inch dice. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread on the same sheet with the sweet potatoes. Cook in a 450 oven for the last fifteen minutes with the potatoes.

3 tablespoons butter
6 strips crispy bacon
(if you want to get fancy, use pancetta or prosciutto)
1 small bunch sage leaves, chopped

Heat a large skillet until it’s very hot and add butter. (The butter will melt quickly and spatter a little) As soon as it begins to brown, toss in the bacon, apples, and sweet potatoes. Reduce heat to medium and cook for a couple of minutes until potatoes and apples are heated through. Add sage and cook about thirty seconds more.

Serve as soon as possible.

Peace,
Milton

pilgrim punchers

This is an adaptation of tear jerkers, a recipe I posted at the beginning of the year.

3 16 oz jars of sliced jalapeños, drained
2 cups sugar
1 20 oz can of crushed pineapple
2 cups dried cranberries

Mix the ingredients in a large saucepan and heat until sugar is melted and mixture is bubbling. Set aside and let cool completely, then put into whatever containers you wish. The jalapeño jars are great if you want to share the relish with friends. Keeps well in the refrigerator and makes a great substitute for cranberry sauce.

Peace,
Milton

king ranch chicken

3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 dried ancho chili, chopped fine
(or 1/2 teaspoon chili powder)
1/2 onion, diced small
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and ancho chili and saute until the onion is translucent -- a minute or two. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to mix, making a roux. It should look like a thick paste. Add about 1/4 cup of the chicken broth, stirring quickly to remove the lumps and then gradually add the rest of the broth and the buttermilk. Puree the mixture in a food processor and return to the stove. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of gravy. Don't bring the liquid to a boil; keep it simmering. Add salt and pepper to taste. When it reaches the consistency you want, remove from heat and set aside.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, diced small (the other half)
1/2 green bell pepper, diced small
1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
(or 1 can Ro-tel tomatoes with green chilis)
1 small jar chopped green olives and pimentos
4 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped

Heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and tomatoes until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken, olives, and scallions. When they are heated through, pour the sauce into the skillet and mix well. Remove from heat.

8-10 corn tortillas
2 cups chicken broth
2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese

Slice the tortillas into 1/2 inch wide strips and soak in broth for a couple of minutes to soften. Grease a 9x13 baking dish or a 3 quart casserole and ladle just enough broth to cover the bottom. Take half the tortilla strips and cover the bottom of the dish. Pour half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas and then top with half the cheese. Repeat the procedure to make a second layer. Cook in a 350 oven for about thirty minutes, until the cheese is nicely browned and the casserole is bubbly.

Serves six to eight -- allegedly.

Peace,
Milton

oven roasted salmon, crisp potatoes, & asparagus

Here's a dinner you can prepare on one baking sheet.

4 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

Combine the potato slices, 1 T of the olive oil, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, and 1 T of rosemary in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to make sure the potatoes are well coated. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a large non-stick baking sheet (or put down a piece of parchment paper) so they blanket the sheet and roast at 400 for about 30 minutes. The potatoes should be browning on top. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn it up to 450.

4 skinless salmon fillets (about seven ounces each)
1 bunch asparagus, rinsed and trimmed
salt and pepper

Carefully turn the potato slices over with a metal spatula, and group them into four "blankets".
Toss the asparagus in 1 T of olive oil, divide into four groups and lay on top of each potato blanket. Combine the rest of the olive oil, garlic, and rosemary and spread it over the salmon. Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper and return to the oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on how well done you like your salmon.

Using the spatula, lift each stack on to a plate and serve.

Serves 4.

Peace,
Milton

cappucino muffins

One of the really good cooks in our congregation served these at Coffee Hour a couple of weeks ago and was kind enough to share the recipe. I would be wrong to keep it to myself. She said she got the recipe from Taste of Home 2000.

Espresso Spread

4 oz. cream cheese
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
½ teaspon instant coffee granules

Combine spread ingredients; cover & refrigerate until serving OR when muffins are cooked, cut out an upside down cone from top of each muffin; fill cavity with spread; invert cone on top.

Muffins

2 cups flour
2 tablespoon instant coffee granules
¾ cup sugar
½ cup butter, melted
2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, & salt. In another bowl, stir milk & coffee granules until coffee dissolves; add butter, egg, & vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened; fold in chips. For about 12 muffins, fill greased medium muffin cups 2/3 full; bake at 375 for 17-20 min. (For about 36 mini muffins bake only about 12 min.)

Peace,
Milton

autumn galette

A galette is a tart made with an unleavened crust -- basically a sort of rustic tart to you and me.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced (1 stick)
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Pulse the flour and salt together in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times more, until the dough starts to stick together, but don’t let the dough form a mass around the blade. Remove the blade and bring the dough together by hand. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

1 large apple, cored and halved from top to bottom
1 small or 1/2 medium butternut squash
1 small yellow onion, peeled, and cut in half
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons sweet mustard (I used Stonewall Kitchen's Maine Maple Mustard)

Turn the apple cut side down and cut it crossways in 1/4 inch thick slices. Cut the squash so the slices are about the same size as the apple. Lay the onion cut side down and slice it into half moon shapes about 1/4 inch thick. Add the oil, mustard, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper and toss again.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch disk and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Starting 2 inches from the edge, alternate pieces of apple, squash, and onion in overlapping circles—if you have extra pieces of one or another, tuck them in where you can or double them up to use all the filling. Fold and pleat the dough over the edge of the filling. Bake until the crust is brown and the apple, squash, and onions are tender and caramelized, about an hour. Cool the galette briefly on a wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve.

The pastry can be used for any number of tart ideas; it's really good.

Peace,
Milton

This recipe was adapted from one I found at Food Network Kitchens.

sweet potato polenta

Polenta has become one of our favorite foods during our time in New England. As fall begins, this version made with sweet potatoes seems appropriate.

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
8 cups water

Bring water to a boil and cook potato until it is soft. Puree the liquid and return to stove at medium heat. Add

2 cups corn meal

a little at a time, whisking the meal into the water so there are no lumps. When all the corn meal is mixed in, add

1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream (you can leave out the cream and add a little more water)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

and continue to stir until mixture thickens and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. This will take ten to fifteen minutes. When it is the consistency of very thick porridge, choose your serving options:

• spoon into bowls, drizzle with maple syrup, and serve;
• pour into a 13x9 pyrex dish and cool in refrigerator (or freezer, if you need to do it faster) and then slice and pan fry;
• pour into pyrex dish, cool, and then bake at 350 for about twenty minutes until firm enough to cut.

Goes great with any fall entree.

Peace,
Milton

tomato chutney

I had a bunch of tomatoes from out garden that were ripening faster than we could eat them, so I played around with a new recipe today.

5 cloves garlic, peeled, coarsely chopped
2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 or 2 dried chipotle peppers
1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Put these ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree. In a large non-reactive stock pot, put

2 lbs fresh tomatoes (if they taste like a tomato should) or
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
2 bags mixed dried fruit (mine had apples, pears, pineapple, & apricots)
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple
1 large onion, diced
1 cup cider vinegar
1 small can pineapple juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt & pepper

Bring this to a boil and add the puree from blender. Lower heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until chutney becomes thick. Stir it occasionally at first, and then more frequently later as it thickens. Turn heat off and allow the chutney to cool before storing it in your refrigerator.

Makes about 2 1/2 quarts and it turned out to be both tasty and spicy.

Peace,
Milton

gianni's pasta

Gianni is one of the people I work with in my new job. He's about 19 and came from Italy a year or two ago. He works the appetizer station, but comes around to my side when he gets ready to fix his dinner because I have the burners and the pasta pot he needs. What he does is simple, elegant, and just plain good.

salted water, brought to a boil
pasta (your choice)

Bring salted water to a boil and add pasta. While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet to medium high heat and add

2 tablespoons olive oil
8-10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
salt and pepper

As the tomatoes cook, they will soften and sort of fall apart. That's what you want. When the pasta is about a minute from being done, take a ladle and spoon some of the pasta water into the tomatoes. The starch in the water helps thicken the sauce. Turn the heat up to help the sauce reduce. At the last minute add

2 tablespoons basil chiffonade

Drain pasta and add to sauce in skillet. Stir together and then put onto a plate. You can also sprinkle with grated cheese, if you like. (I like.)

Simple. Easy. Good. That's hard to beat.

Peace,
Milton

chicken marsala

I mentioned this dish in one of my earlier posts and someone requested the recipe. There are several ways to approach this dish; here is the version I learned. We served it with mashed potatoes, though many recipes serve it over pasta. The recipe has several steps, but is fairly easy to make.

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breast tenders, or thin sliced breast cutlets
corn starch

Put about 1/2 cup of corn starch in a half gallon Ziploc bag, add chicken, and seal without squeezing the air out. Shake the bag to coat the chicken. Heat a large skillet until it is quite hot. Add oil and let it heat until it begins to ripple, but not smoke. Add chicken to the pan and let cook about two minutes a side. The chicken should be browned nicely. Lower heat to medium and remove chicken to a plate to rest.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
10 oz mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 oz prosciutto, cut in thin strips
salt
pepper

Add the additional oil and let it get hot. Using a spatula or spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen up any little crunchy bits. Add garlic and shallots and cook until they soften. Add mushrooms and cook until moisture is cooked out (three or four minutes). Add prociutto and cook for an additional minute or two.

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry Marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Add wine first to deglaze the pan; let it cook for about a minute and then add chicken broth and lemon juice. Let the whole mixture reduce by half and then return the chicken to the pan and cook the whole dish until the sauce is the thickness you desire. (I don’t like mine to be very brothy.)

10 oz baby spinach leaves

The final step is to add the spinach and turn off the heat. Stir the dish until the spinach is wilted, divide into four portions and serve. Serves 4.

Peace,
Milton

make your own butter

Thanks to Randy for this recipe. I had never tried making my own butter until the Fourth; it turned out great and tastes awesome.

2 pints organic heavy cream (preferably not ultra-pasteurized)

Pour the cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk. Tightly cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap (this is important) and start mixer on medium-high speed. The cream will go through the whipped stage, thicken further and then change color from off-white to pale yellow; this will take at least 5 to 8 minutes. When it starts to look pebbly, it’s almost done. After another minute the butter will separate, causing the liquid to splash against the plastic wrap. At this point stop the mixer.

Set a strainer over a bowl. Pour the contents of the mixer into the strainer and let the buttermilk drain through. Strain the buttermilk again, this time through a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl; set aside.

Keeping the butter in the strainer set over the first bowl, knead it to consolidate the remaining liquid and fat and expel the rest of the buttermilk. Knead until the texture is dense and creamy, about 5 minutes. Strain the excess liquid into the buttermilk. Refrigerate the buttermilk.

Mix salt into the butter, if you want. I prefer it unsalted. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate.

This is fun to do and tastes great.

Peace,
Milton

corn chip chicken

If Weight Watchers is a train, then this past weekend was a train wreck. I could give you reasons, but suffice it to say I used up enough points for most of July. And a good time was had by all. One of my endulgences (see, I told you I had a good time) was Ben and Jerry's Vermonty Python ice cream, which according to an old family tradition, I had mixed with Fritos corn chips. Tonight, with a return to sanity looming with the impending dawn, I had left over Fritos with which to contend, so I made up a chicken dish that kept me from polishing off the bag myself and was only 7 points. We ate it with some roasted red beets and sauteed beet greens (both 0 points) and finished the day in style.

4 thin sliced chicken breast filets
flour
skim milk
Fritos corn chips (I suppose you could try this with other chips, too)
olive oil

Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat it, dip it in the milk, and then press into the Frito crumbs. Saute in olive oil over medium high heat until golden and crispy -- about three minutes a side.

Serves 4.

Peace,
Milton

mashed mistake

Yes, I know this recipe is extremely similar to the one below. I'm posting it again because I made a mistake -- better yet, I've had a learning experience, and a humbling one at that. I may get my chef credentials pulled for admitting this, but I was given some rhubarb and looked up recipes for rutabaga. I made this dish with the wrong ingredient last week.

This is rhubarb.

This is a rutabaga.

I know. I'm freakin' brilliant.

Hey, but here's the fun part: it worked. The potato, carrot, and rhubarb mixture had a sweet and tart taste that was really good -- particularly if you use the naturally sweet Yukon Gold potatoes.

So, here's my recipe, born of embarrassment, mistakes, and a little luck.

1 lb baby Yukon Gold potatoes (or big ones cut into chunks)
1 lb carrots
1 lb rhubarb
3 tablespoons butter, melted
salt & pepper
bread crumbs

Cut the rhubarb crosswise into thin slices, and put it in a large pot with plenty of water; bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Peel the carrots and cut them in thick slices. When the rhubarb reaches the 10 minute mark, add the carrots and let the two cook together for 10 more minutes. Add the potatoes and cook the whole mixture for another 20 minutes. Drain them and mash them with the butter, salt and pepper until almost pureed. Turn them into a buttered casserole dish, top with bread crumbs, and bake at 375 for about ten minutes until crumbs are lightly toasted on top.

Serves 6. 3 points a serving.

Peace,
Milton

clapshot

(That's carrots, potatoes, and rutabaga to you and me.)

This recipe is not mine. I was given some fresh rutabaga this week and went searching for something interesting to do with it other than bake it into a pie. You can find the original here. The only thing I did differently was not to add an egg before I put it in the oven. We ate it tonight as the side with a roasted pork loin and it was awesome.

1 lb baby Yukon Gold potatoes (or big ones cut into chunks)
1 lb carrots
1 lb rutabagas
3 tablespoons butter, melted
salt & pepper
bread crumbs

Peel the rutabaga, cut it in thin slices, and put it in a large pot with plenty of water; bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Peel the carrots and cut them in thick slices. When the rutabaga reaches the 10 minute mark, add the carrots and let the two cook together for 10 more minutes. Add the potatoes and cook the whole mixture for another 20 minutes. Drain them and mash them with the butter, salt and pepper until almost pureed. Turn them into a buttered casserole dish, top with bread crumbs, and bake at 375 for about ten minutes until crumbs are lightly toasted on top.

Serves 6. 3 points a serving.

Peace,
Milton

lemon-dijon chicken

(Not to be confused with Dijon Chicken, which is also good.)

4 serving chicken breast, boneless
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 tsp olive oil
dried bread crumbs

Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness. Mix Dijon, lemon juice, and 2 Tsp olive oil and toss with chicken; cover and let sit in refrigerator for at least half an hour.

Put bread crumbs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Press each piece of chicken in bread crumbs to coat both sides and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle remaining 2 Tsp olive oil over chicken and cook in 375 oven for about twenty minutes.

1/4 cup white wine
1 medium lemon
1/2 cup fat-free skim milk
1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/2 tsp cornstarch

In small saucepan, put sliced lemons and 1/2 cup white wine and cook over high heat until wine is almost all cooked away. Reduce to medium heaat and add 1/2 cup skim milk. When it gets hot, put into food processor to puree and return to saucepan. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 tsp corn starch into chicken broth until dissolved and add to milk mixture. Heat until sauce thickens. Pour over chicken before serving.

Serves 4. 6 points per serving.

Peace,
Milton

chicken with olives, capers, and roasted lemons

I adapted this from a recipe I got at Food & Wine, so it would be a little more Weight Watcher friendly. All the good stuff is still there, just in moderation. The taste is similar to Chicken Piccata. The spinach and bread crumbs is a nice side. You don't really need an added starch unless you just want one.

2 medium lemons, sliced

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the lemon slices in a small bowl and toss to coat with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the lemons begin to brown around the edges.

10 oz spinach
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp dried bread crumbs

While the lemons are in the oven, heat a large skillet and cook the spinach and over high heat, tossing, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the spinach to a strainer; press out the liquid. Wipe out the skillet and heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in it. Add the bread crumbs and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until toasted, 2 minutes. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Cover and set aside.

1/8 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 Tbsp capers
20 large olives, pitted (I used the mix at the deli counter)
2 Tbsp parsley
1 cup fat-free chicken broth
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

In a deep medium skillet, heat the remaining 1/8 cup of oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with the flour, shaking off the excess. Cook the chicken over high heat, turning once, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the olives, capers and stock and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until the stock is reduced by about two-thirds, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted lemons, butter and parsley, season with salt and pepper and simmer just until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute.


Transfer to plates and serve. I used the spinach as the base on which to put the chicken, but it can also be served on the side.

Serves 4. 7 points per serving.

Peace,
Milton

sweet potato salad

This a recipe I adapted from one I learned from a Brazilian cook I worked with a few years back.

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into half inch chunks
3 bell peppers, cut in half inch pieces (I like to mix the colors)
2 red onions, quartered
olive oil
herbs

Toss the potatoes and vegetables in the oil and herbs (I like basil, rosemary, and thyme -- I probably should have said parsley) and place on a baking sheet in a 450 degree oven for about thirty minutes. The potatoes should be soft but not squishy; the onions and peppers will be a little charred. While they are in the oven, take

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar

and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let the liquid reduce by half. Put the potatoes and friends in a bowl, add the balsamic reduction and toss. The dish can be served hot or at room temperature.

Peace,
Milton

pineapple cornbread

We had a few folks over for breakfast this morning and I made this in a cast iron skillet because all my muffin tins are in the kitchen at church. I like the muffin idea because it's basically giving everyone their own little pineapple upside down cornbread.

8 tablespoons butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
20 oz canned crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup fat-free skim milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large egg

1 cup uncooked cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder

Melt butter and add brown sugar over medium heat until sugar is melted.
Spray muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray or line with muffin cups.
Cover bottom of each cup with sugar mixture and then add a layer of pineapple (about 1/4 inch thick).

Mix dry ingredients and remaining wet ingredients in separate bowls and then stir in wet to dry just until well mixed. Divide among muffin cups to make 16 (may not be all the way full).

Cook at 400 for about 15 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

16 muffins. (5 points each on Weight Watchers).

I served it for breakfast, but I also think this would be good as bread with pork or a spicy chicken dish.

Peace,
Milton

honey and spice roasted potatoes

Here's an easy way to fix potatoes that also works well with Weight Watchers (and is, actually, a variation on one of their recipes).

2 pounds red potatoes (small ones), quartered and uncooked
3 tablespoons honey mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Toss potatoes with dry ingredients. Whisk together mustard and olive oil and pour over potatoes; stir to coat and then put in a 9x13 baking dish. Cook for about fifteen minutes, stir, and then cook another fifteen minutes until potatoes are nice and brown on the outside.

Serves five or six and only costs three points if you're keeping score.

Peace,
Milton

sautéed fiddlehead ferns with garlic

If you can find fiddleheads, you probably need to make this dish this week or they'll be gone.

3/4 pound fresh fiddlehead ferns
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic or spring garlic, very finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Clean and trim the ends off the fiddleheads.

Bring a medium pot of water to boil over high heat. Add the fiddleheads and let cook 10 seconds. Immediately drain the fiddleheads and place under very cold running water to stop the cooking and retain the green color. Keep the fiddleheads under the cold water until they are cool. Drain again.

In a large skillet heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 seconds. The idea is to let the garlic just begin to turn golden brown, but not burn. Add the fiddleheads and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Season liberally with salt and pepper. The fiddleheads are done when they are still crisp, with a bite, but not raw tasting. Serve hot with pasta, rice, or potatoes, or alongside any poultry or seafood dish. The fiddleheads can also be served at room temperature with vinaigrette. Serves 3 to 4.

(Kathy Gunst made this dish on WBUR's Here and Now on Wednesday, May 14th, 2003.)

You can read the post that goes along with this recipe here.

Peace,
Milton

chicken and prosciutto rolls

These take a little work, but not an inordinate amount of time for what you get when they're done.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4-8 slices Swiss cheese (or 6 oz. goat cheese -- your pick)
2 cups sauteed spinach (can use frozen, too)
8 slices prosciutto

Put the chicken breast on the cutting board, cover it with a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper and pound it out into an even thickness of about a quarter of an inch. Place a slice of Swiss cheese (two, if they're square) in the middle of the chicken and then put a layer of spinach. If you're using goat cheese, mix the cheese and spinach together and then spread the mixture on top of the chicken. Roll the chicken breast up like a jelly roll, tucking in the sides to seal it. Wrap one slice of prosciutto long ways around the chicken and the other sideways so the roll is enclosed. Repeat for all four breasts.

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and cook the chicken rolls over medium heat, turning about every three minutes until prosciutto is crispy and chicken is done.

Serves 4. (I think it would go really well with the brussels and berries.

Peace,
Milton

asapargus whatzituya

Here's a good pasta dinner that's easy to make.

1 pound dried fettuccine

1 1/4 pounds asparagus, cut in 1 inch lengths
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 c olive oil
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6 basil leaves, chiffonade

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup Romano cheese, shredded
salt and pepper

Boil pasta according to package directions.

Combine asparagus, mushrooms, wine, olive oil, garlic, fennel seeds, and pepper flakes in skillet and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until asparagus is tender -- about ten minutes. Stir in basil, salt, and pepper. (To chiffonade the basil, stack the leaves on top of each other and roll them up from the bottom to the top as tightly as you can. Then cut the roll in small strips from side to side.)

Drain cooked pasta and toss with melted butter. Divide into four servings and top with asparagus mixture and shredded cheese.

Peace,
Milton

brussels and berries

I'm doing a cooking demonstration today for a group at our former church. We talking recipes as well as what feeds our souls. Here is what I'm making:

1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup aji-mirin rice wine
1/4 c orange juice

2 cups Israeli couscous
1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved longways

Heat the cranberries, wine and OJ, until it comes to a boil, Then turn heat off and let it rest. Heat chicken broth to boiling; add couscous, cover, and turn off heat. In large skillet, heat oil and butter and add shallots; cook until soft and translucent. Turn heat up to high and add sprouts, cooking until bright green – about two minutes. Add cranberries and wine and reduce heat. Cover and cook for about ten minutes. Uncover, turn heat to high and cook until liquid is evaporated. Add couscous and serve. Serves four.

(If you want to serve this a just a vegetable, leave out the couscous. It will work either way.)

The other recipe I'm making is an old family favorite I posted here.
I've also got another great brussels sprouts recipe here.
You can read the post that goes with this recipe here.
Peace,
Milton

beef wellington

Or my version of it, at least, which I served last night at the Inn.

2 red onions
2 cups sliced portobello mushrooms
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
olive oil
1 egg, beaten

4 6 oz. fillets
frozen puff pastry sheets

heavy cream
butter

Slice the onions in half and then cut into thin half moon-shaped slices.Pour enough oil into a hot skillet to cover the bottom and add the onions. Cook until they begin to caramelize -- about ten minutes on medium high heat -- and add mushrooms and another tablespoon or two of oil. After mushrooms have begun to soften, add the red wine and the basil and stir. Let the mixture cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Leave in the skillet and set aside to cool.

Heat another skillet or a stove top grill and sear each of the fillets on all sides. Set aside to cool.

Let the puff pastry thaw and then cut each sheet in half. When the mushroom mixture is cool, put a couple of tablespoons in the center of one of the pieces of pastry and then place the fillet on top of the mushrooms. Pull two of the opposite corners of the pastry over the top of the steak and then do the same with the other two corners, making sure the pastry is well sealed. Invert the whole thing on to a baking sheet where the seams are on the bottom.

Beat the egg and paint the top of each packet before putting in the oven. Cook at 350 for about twenty minutes, or until an instant read meat thermometer reads 140 in the center, which will mean it's medium rare.

About ten minutes before the steaks are done, put the skillet with the leftover mushroom mixture back on the stove and add about a cup of heavy cream -- more if needed. Heat the sauce on medium high heat until it begins to bubble and then lower the heat a bit so it doesn't burn. Take the Wellingtons out of the oven when they are ready and let them rest for a few minutes while you add one tablespoon of butter (coated with a little flour) to the sauce and stir until it thickens a bit.

Cut each Wellington in half and put it on the plate and then pour the sauce over it.

I know this sounds like it takes awhile, but it's worth the trouble.
Serves 4.

Peace,
Milton

roasted salmon with lemon sage sauce

I'm posting this recipe in response to a request last week.

Let's start with the sauce:

2 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin pieces
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 lemon slices
12 sage leaves
1 pint heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter

Put everything except the cream into a saucepan and cook on medium high heat until the liquid is almost completely gone (there should be just enough left to cover the bottom of the pan). Add the cream and let the mixture heat all the way through. Puree the sauce in a blender or using a Braun hand mixer and return it to medium heat, so that it simmers but doesn't boil. The sauce gets better if it cooks for awhile so you can let it simmer while you cook the fish. When the fish is done and you're ready to serve it, add the butter to finish the sauce (making sure it's melted and stirred in well) and pour it over the salmon.

Speaking of salmon, here's the easy part:

6-8 oz salmon fillets (however many you need)
lemon pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the salmon fillets on a baking sheet and sprinkle the tops with lemon pepper. Cook for about fifteen minutes. The fish should be a little flaky, but not dry. Plate them and pour the sauce over the top. At the Inn we serve the salmon with garlic mashed potatoes; at home, Ginger likes it with fettuccine and snow peas.

For an added touch, garnish with some fried sage leaves, which can be done easily by heating some olive oil in a small skillet and frying the leaves for about fifteen seconds, so they are crisp but not burned.

Peace,
Milton

caramelized onions and portabello mushroom tarts

This is an adaptation of something we do at the Inn where I work.

Caramelized onions are one of my favorite things. They take some time to make, but they're worth it.

3 lbs onions, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup olive oil

Use a pot deep enough to hold all the onions. Put it on the stove and over medium heat and let it get hot. Melt the butter, add the oil, and, when both are hot, add the onions and stir. I cover the mixture for the first ten or fifteen minutes to let the onions sweat because that's crucial to their caramelization. Then uncover the pot so the water evaporates and continue to cook another thirty minutes or so, until the onions have cooked down and are dark and sweet.

For this recipe, after the onions get close to done add

3 portabella mushroom caps, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine

Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced and there is not much liquid left. Spoon into the puff pastry cups (Pepperidge Farms makes good frozen ones that are easy to use) and serve. This mixture would also make a great pizza topping.

Serves 4-6.

Peace,
Milton

southwestern chowder

I had about an hour to come up with a soup for a meeting at church tonight, so I tried to come up with something that mostly involved opening cans. It turned out great. Go figure.

4 10 oz. cans of Ro-tel Chunky Tomatoes and Green Chilies
3 15 oz. cans black beans (I used Kuner's Southwestern Beans with Cumin and Chili Spices)
2 1 lb. packages of frozen corn kernels
1 quart chicken broth
1 quart light cream

6 tablepoons (1/2 stick) butter
6 tablespoons flour

Open the first five items and put them in a stockpot. Turn on the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the flour to make a roux. When the flour is absorbed, the mixture should be fairly stiff. Add to the soup and stir well until it's dissolved. Continue to simmer for about ten minutes, until the soup thickens.

Serves 12.

Peace,
Milton

dijon chicken

This is a really tasty dish that is quick and easy to make -- my kind of meal.

1/2 cup canned unsalted chicken broth
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, well trimmed

Combine the first 5 ingredients in heavy large skillet. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the chicken and season with pepper. Cover and poach until the chicken is just cooked through, about 20 minutes. (If you pound the chicken to about a half inch thickness, you can reduce the cooking time.) Transfer chicken to platter. Turn the heat to high and boil the remaining liquid in skillet until it is reduced to a sauce consistency, which will take a couple of minutes. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Serves 6. (If you don't want to serve six, use fewer pieces of chicken; I often make it for just the two of us and halve the other ingredients.)

roasted corn and crushed pineapple risotto

Risotto is Italian rice and is, as my friend Patty says, "rice you stir." It's also something that easily adapts to different added ingredients. The following version is a favorite around our house (and something I'm serving for a leadership appreciation lunch at church on Sunday).

2 cups frozen kernel corn
1 6 oz can crushed pineapple
1 3 oz can diced green chiles (optional)
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
3 cups chicken broth (or water)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
olive oil

Put the skillet on the stove (I use one that has high sides since you have to deal with a lot of liquid). You can use a saucepan, but I like the wider bottom of the deep skillet. Heat on medium high heat. Put the chicken broth in a saucepan on high heat and let it warm up whjile you begin the risotto. When the skillet is hot, add enough oil to cover the bottom, wait a minute for the oil to heat, and then add the corn. Cook until the corn begins to caramelize and turn brown, and then add the pineapple and the chiles -- with all their juices. Cook an additional three or four minutes. Stir in the dry rice and keep stirring for two or three minutes, then add the white wine and lower the heat to medium. Stir regularly until the wine is almost all absorbed and add one cup of the broth. Follow the same pattern: let the rice soak up the liquid and then add another cup. Don't let yourself get in a hurry -- this takes a little time. By now the rice should be getting soft, but still holding its shape. Stir in the cheese, if you want, and turn off heat. Cover and let stand for ten minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6. (Four at our house.)

Peace,
Milton

tear jerkers

Here's my favorite new recipe from the holidays (and from my mother):

3 16 oz jars of sliced jalapenos, drained
2 cups sugar
1 9 oz can of crushed pineapple

Mix the ingredients in a large saucepan and heat until sugar is melted and mixture is bubbling. Set aside and let cool completely, then return jalapenos to jars (unless you have something else you want to keep them in) and fill jars with remaining liquid. They are ready to eat, but get better if they sit for a day or two.

They go well on anything from steak to eggs to crackers.

Peace,
Milton