MEATLOAF, VEGETABLE MELANGE AND FRUIT FOR RESCUE

 

            Meatloaf, vegetable mélange and fruit for rescue

           As we enter the holiday season, it is tempting to focus on preparations to the celebrated star events. We plan to make our table shine with traditional and inventive dishes while juggling myriads of shopping, baking, socializing and regular everyday chores as well as work. Somewhere in all this activity, everyday proper nutrition gets a short shrift. However, a little foresight can prevent us living on cheese and crackers during these weeks from November through December, by cooking dishes that can serve a variety of purposes and are easily reheated.

          The simple meatloaf can easily come to rescue by virtue of stress-free preparation and multiple subsequent uses with tomato or mushroom gravy, crumbled as meatballs for spaghetti, or as an excellent sandwich filling in a fluffy roll. Here is my infinitely versatile updated version.

                                      Not your grandmother’s meatloaf

          In a large bowl reconstitute 1/3 cup fine breadcrumbs (use GF crumbs for GF meatloaf) with 1/3 cup milk. Stir in 1 beaten egg, 1 medium finely chopped onion, 1 tsp. garlic powder, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp. double strength tomato paste, 1 ½ tsp. Provençal seasoning and ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley. Crumble and mix in by hand 1 lb. fresh 85% ground beef and ¼ to ½ lb. ground pork.

          Line a loaf pan with 2-3 strips of bacon and fill with the blended meat mixture. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 ¼ hours. Serve warm sliced with tomato sauce and boiled potatoes sprinkled with fresh parsley or dill.

          Cheesy vegetable casseroles make wonderful side dishes. They complement everything from turkey to roast beef, are equally welcome as a vegetarian luncheon dish and reheat well in the microwave.

                           Mediterranean 3 cheese vegetable mélange

          Slice in ½ inch slices: 1 medium eggplant, 1 medium zucchini and 1 medium onion. Seed and quarter 1 orange or red pepper. Toss all with olive oil mixed with 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Spread all on a baking sheet and broil to brown turning once. When slightly cooled, cut the pepper in ½ inch strips.

          Beat together the following for a flavorful sauce: 1 cup marinara sauce, ½ tsp. chopped garlic, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. fresh chopped basil, ½ tsp, lemon pepper and 3 eggs.

          Assemble the mélange in an 8x8x2 baking dish. A layer of 1/3 sauce, a layer of ½ vegetables, ½ cup shredded Mozzarella, ½ cup shredded Provolone, another 1/3 sauce, ½ vegetables, 1/3 cup sauce and ½ cup coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese.

          Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes. Serve warm as a side dish or for luncheon with a green salad.

                                                     Peach-cranberry compote

          Place 16 oz. frozen peaches in an enameled pot with ½ cup sweetened dried cranberries, 1 cup orange juice, 6 cloves, 6 allspice, 1 star anise, 3 thin strips of lemon peel and 1 tbsp. lime juice. Bring to boil, lower heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in ½ cup sugar and cook for 5-7 minutes until the liquid starts to thicken. Chill and serve plain or with a dab of whipped cream.

          The daylight may be getting shorter at this time of the year, but the subtle excitement of the coming holidays makes us look forward to our annual gatherings with friends and family, with food as an important partner in all celebrations.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

LAMB CHOPS, BUTTERECUP SQUASH AND CIDER BRAISED CABBAGE

 

        Lamb chops,  buttercup squash and cider braised cabbage

           Winter squashes are a delight to behold this time of the year. The variety in color and shape intrigue the eye and for a cook, the variety of textures and flavor are an inspiration. While Butternut, Acorn and Delicata are most commonly featured in supermarkets, others like Kabocha (Japanese) and Buttercup are less familiar. Kabocha and Buttercup are somewhat similar in shape and dark green color; except Buttercup has a gray toque at its end. Both feature bright orange flesh and a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. 

           Kabocha is a bit harder to find, but last trip to the local market sent me home with a Buttercup squash that once baked served two different delicious meals. Baked buttercup skins are edible like those of Delicata.

                                       Baked Buttercup squash

          Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve and scoop the seeds out of the squash. Melt ¼ cup butter with 2 tbsp. brown sugar, ¼ tsp. kosher salt and ¼ tsp. nutmeg. Place the squash halves on a foil lined baking pan cut side up and brush it all over with the melted butter, allowing it to pool in the hallow center. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes. We had one half served as pieces with a sausage dinner, the other half was scooped, blended with a bit of chicken broth and 1 tbsp. butter to go with lamb chops the following night.

                                          Apple cider braised cabbage

          This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine and yields wedges of cabbage with a delicious sweet-slightly tart tang. Prepare small 1 ½ lb. green head of cabbage cut in 6 wedges, each with a bit of core. Halve 1 medium onion and thinly slice. Dice 2 thick slices of bacon.

          Heat 2 tbsp. love oil in a deep pan to shimmer. Add cabbage cut side down and fry turning once to brown for about 7 minutes and set aside.

          Add bacon to the same pan and cook stirring occasionally for 4 minutes, then add the sliced onion and ¼ tsp. salt and cook for an additional 8 minutes until the onions start to brown. Stir in ½ cup apple cider vinegar and cook on moderately high to reduce to ½ for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cups of apple cider, return cabbage to the pan, cover and braise for 10 minutes on medium low heat. Turn the cabbage wedges, cover and cook for additional 10 minutes. Remove cabbage to a shallow bowl and loosely cover with foil. Boil sauce with occasional stirring until thickened for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, pour over the cabbage and serve.

                                              Teriyaki lamb chops

          Marinate 1-inch-thick loin lamb chops in low sodium Teriyaki sauce for 2 hours, using 2 small chops per person. Heat 2 tsp. vegetable oil to moderately hot and fry the chops turning once for total of 6-7 minutes for rare or longer for desired doneness. Serve with apple cider braised cabbage, buttered Buttercup squash and garnish with fresh rosemary.

          Buttercup and Kabocha squash have only 40 calories per cooked cup, half of that for Butternut squash, but all come as winners for fall menus of the home cook.

(Ilga Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

SEASON FOR PUMPKINS, MUSHROOMS AND APPLES

 

                Season for pumpkins, mushrooms and apples

           The supermarket isles continue to feature berries, vegetables and greens throughout the cold months, giving the home cook limitless possibilities for meals regardless of season. However, the home cook values the fresh produce locally in season and relishes seasonal recipes that emphasize our connection to the annual cycles of mother nature.

          Pumpkins decorate our homes in Oktober, butt were bred as sturdy winter squash with good keeping quality for centuries. We all savor pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, but other dishes with pumpkin are less common. Years ago, I discovered a delicious pumpkin gratin recipe in a French Bistro cookbook and a lovely old German grandmother taught me how to make pumpkin strudel. My friend Ingrid first introduced me to “Pumpkin, bean and sausage soup” several years ago and it has graced our table every fall since then. Cooking with pumpkin is commonly done with the canned variety, unsuitable for either gratin or strudel, but even the following soup will benefit by baking a pie pumpkin and scraping out the colorful flesh for the soup. 

                                Pumpkin, white bean and Linguica soup

          Halve a small pie pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and wipe the cut surfaces with vegetable oil. Place pumpkin cut side down on a rimmed baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. When cooled, scrape out the flesh and mash or puree with some chicken or vegetable broth to a thick vibrant yellow puree.

          Soak ½ cup cannellini in cold water overnight, drain and cook 40 minutes with a bay leaf and 4 cloves and save for the soup. Alternatively drain two 15 oz cans cannellini for the soup. Remove the casing from one linguica sausage, slice thinly and set aside.

          Sauté ½ cup chopped onion and 3 minced garlic cloves in 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter for 5 minutes, stir in 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms, 1 tbsp. oregano, 2 cups of the pumpkin puree, 4 cups chicken broth, drained cannellini without cloves and bay leaf, Linguica, 1 cup edamame or small frozen Lima beans. Bring to boil and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir in 1 cup half-and-half and simmer for 15 minutes with stirring. Serve warm garnished with chopped parsley.

          Fall is the optimal time for gathering wild mushrooms in the woods or looking for them in farmer’s markets. Many supermarkets have added shitake and several other kinds to their displays and there are always dried wild mushrooms in a pinch.

                                      Hungarian mushroom soup

          This recipe was adapted from “Food and Wine”, filled with umami flavors. Soak 2 oz dried porcini and shitake in hot water for 30 minutes. Remove mushrooms and chop in bite size pieces, discarding the tough stems of shitake. Strain the soaking liquid through a paper towel lined sieve and set aside.

          Sauté 1 chopped medium onion in 3 tbsp. butter with 8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms and 1 tsp. kosher salt for 8 minutes. Stir in 3 tbsp. flour (rice flour for GF), 1 tsp. thyme, 3 minced garlic cloves and 2 tsp. Hungarian sweet paprika. Stir on low heat until flour is well distributed and gradually add 4 cups of chicken broth and the strained mushroom liquid. Add 1 ½ tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, bring to boil, set heat to medium low, add the rehydrated mushrooms and cook until the soup is thickened for about 20 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup heavy cream. Dilute ¼ cup sour cream with 3 tbsp. simmering broth and add this to the soup as well as 2 tbsp. chopped dill. Serve hot garnished with fresh dill. 

                                              Apple and walnut pie

          Line a 9-inch pie plate with pre-made crust from the Deli. In a small bowl stir together ½ cup flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, ¼ tsp. nutmeg, ½ tsp. cinnamon and with a pastry cutter blend in ¼ cup cold butter. Stir ¼ cup Grape nuts in the crumble.

          Pare, core and slice 3-4 large apples. Combine ¼ cup sugar with 1 tbsp. flour and spread over the pie crust. Layer ½ of the sliced apples over the sugar, cover with a layer of chopped walnuts and top with the remaining apples. Sift ½ cup sugar over the apples and then cover evenly with streusel.

          Bake in 450-degree preheated oven for 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 35 minutes more. Cool for 2-3 hours before cutting. 

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)