A 'KETO' COOKING CHALLENGE

 

A ‘Keto’ Cooking Challenge

           Some readers may have noticed that in the last couple of months some of the recipes in this column have claimed to be ‘keto-friendly’. No, this cook has not gone on a diet, but has taken the challenge to help some friends during a time of incapacitating health problems to cook dinner once a week. In the past having cooked for friends and family requiring low salt, meat, fat or gluten free meals, a keto-diet did not seem an impossible challenge. After all, a keto diet is dairy, eggs, meat, fat, nuts, low carb vegetables and fruit, with low or no starch or sugar.

          Until it was time to cook the first dinner, a beef bourguignon/stew with no potatoes or flour. Carrots and parsnips with extra onions and mushrooms and a serious sauce reduction by a long simmer saved the day. Amazingly, with a lot of improvisation it is possible to come up with delicious meals without the forbidden ingredients. Unfortunately, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower low in carbohydrates, a mainstay of keto-diets had to be avoided for digestive reasons. Improvisation has been the norm and had led to discoveries of almond flour for zucchini fritters, as well as delicata and spaghetti squash. Mostly it has been an education in the carb content of different varieties of food, such that dried legumes such as lentils, garbanzos and most beans except Adzuki, are not only high in protein, but also high in carbs.

                                     Adzuki bean chili

          Adzuki beans are small red beans and can be substituted for other beans in many bean dishes. Rinse and soak 2 cups of Adzuki beans in excess of cold water overnight. Drain and cook well covered with water, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. ground cloves for 45 minutes more or less, to desired softness on low heat in a 3-4 qt. pot. Remove the bay leaf.

          Meantime brown 1 ¾  lb. ground beef in a pan, drain of fat and set aside. Use the same pan after pouring off the fat to sauté: 1 ½ cups chopped onion, 2 chopped stalks of celery, ½ chopped red or yellow pepper and 3 chopped garlic cloves for 5 minutes in 1 tblsp. olive oil. Stir in 1 tblsp. cumin, 1 tblsp. or to taste chili powder, 1 tsp turmeric and ¼ tsp. crushed pepper, cook for 5 minutes.  Add 1 cup crushed tomatoes, 6 oz. tomato paste, 2-3 tblsp. white wine vinegar and spoon in ½ cup of the bean cooking liquid and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the vegetables and meat back to the beans and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt, chili powder and beef broth if more liquid is needed. Serve hot with chopped red onion and shredded sharp cheddar.

                                          Spinach-ham-ricotta crust-less quiche

          Firm fried zucchini discs replace piecrust in this keto-friendly quiche.

Slice a medium zucchini in 1-inch-thick rounds and fry in 1 tblsp. olive oil and 1 tblsp. butter without turning until browned on one side, then brown the other side and arrange in the bottom of a 9 or 10 in. pie plate. Wash, slice 1 leek in half lengthwise removing all dirt and slice crosswise the white and firm green parts. Sauté in the same pan for 5 minutes and layer on top of the zucchini.

          Thaw and squeeze dry ½ pkg. frozen spinach or cook fresh and squeeze dry to make ~3/4 cups spinach. Slice 3 slices of deli-ham in julienne strips, cube 4 oz. Gruyere cheese and grate 1/3 cup fresh Parmesan cheese. Slice 5 sundried tomatoes in thin julienne strips. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

          Beat ¾ cup ricotta cheese with 4 eggs, 1/3 cup half and half, ½ tsp. garlic salt. ½ tsp. dry mustard, 1 tsp. onion powder and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir in the grated Parmesan.

          Layer on top of the leek ½ of the ham, spinach, ½ cheese, sundried tomato. Repeat ham, spinach, cheese. Thinly slice a Roma tomato and arrange the slices on top of the cheese and press down. Pour egg mix over all making sure all the vegetables are covered. Bake in the oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, turn down the oven to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven and cool at least 15 minutes before serving in wedges.

          There is always more one can learn about nutrition, creating delicious challenging meals.

    (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: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

 

WINTER SQUASH

Winter Squash

 

          To paraphrase a common saying about fall: “Fall is my excuse for ‘winter squash’ everything”. Unlike pumpkin for which this saying is better known, winter squash varieties come in many colors and patterns. From the dark green acorn and Kabocha, to stiped Buttercup and Delicata to light yellow Butternut and Spaghetti squash, they make an eye-catching display and come in different flavors.

           Like corn, winter squash has its origins in Central and North America and has served as an essential winter crop for generations of our ancestors. Winter squash are easy to prepare by baking or roasting. The largest impediment for many is their tough winter cover which makes them difficult to peel or even cut in half for baking.  Delicata is the notable exception that can easily be sliced in strips for roasting. Acorn, Kabocha and Buttercup require a sturdy big knife and a hammer to help the knife cut each in half for seeding, before making them ready to roast. 

                                              Spiced Buttercup squash soup

          Buttercup like Kabocha has a dark yellow-orange flesh and is sweet and dry and makes an excellent fragrant dark orange soup.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash crosswise in half, scoop out the seeds and place face down on a well-oiled baking sheet. Bake the squash for about 1 hour, remove from oven and after allowing to cool a bit scoop out the flesh.

In a 3-4 qt. pot sauté 1 large, chopped onion in 2 tblsp. butter for 5 minutes, stir in 2 chopped garlic cloves, 2 chopped stalks of celery, 1 tblsp. fresh chopped ginger and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Stir in addition: 2 tsp. ground cumin, 1 tsp. coriander, ½ tsp. sumac (optional), ½ tsp. turmeric, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, 1 tsp. salt, cook for 1 minute, add squash broken up in pieces and 6-8 cups chicken broth. Bring to boil stir in 1-2 sweet/tart apples that have been peeled, cored and thinly sliced. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 45 minutes. Allow to cool and purée in a blender in batches. Reheat and adjust flavor with salt and pepper and additional broth if too thick. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and chives or sprinkled with chili powder. Soup can be frozen and reheated. 

                                                   Roast Delicata squash

Preheat oven to 425 degrees roast setting. Wash, halve and cut each half lengthwise Delicata squash. Scoop out the seeds and slice each half in 1 inch half-moon slices.

In a small pot melt 2-3 tblsp butter and 1 tblsp. olive oil. Dip each piece of the cut squash in the melted butter and put directly on the roasting pan, spreading the pieces so they don’t touch. Sprinkle all with coarse salt and roast in the top half of the oven for 25 minutes, turning each piece in the midst of the roasting time.  Serve hot with the Italian sausage stuffing (see recipe below) or as a side dish even for Thanksgiving.

                                            Italian sausage stuffing for squash

Fry 1 lb. crumbled Italian sausage (casings removed) until cooked through and set aside. In the same pan heat 1 tblsp. olive oil and cook ½ large, chopped onion until translucent, stir in 1 stalk celery diced, ½ diced red pepper, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. thyme, ½ tsp. salt and 4 oz. sliced mushrooms. Cook with occasional stirring for 5 minutes, add back the sausage and ½ cup diced tomatoes and ½ cup broth mixed with 1-2 tsp. arrowroot to thicken. Cook with occasional stirring until most of the liquid is absorbed. Serve sprinkled with sharp cheddar cheese. This stuffing and the roasted Delicata squash are keto-diet friendly.

Let us enjoy the various flavors and textures of winter squash. The seeds from most large winter squashes can be washed and roasted like pumpkin seeds. Or rinse them and your backyard wildlife will be appreciative of the treat. 

 (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: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

 

WARM FALL PLEASURES

                                             

                                                Warm Fall Pleasures

          The colorful maples on our road still hold to most of their leaves, a couple bright pink blossoms still grace the dahlia at our front steps. We Have survived the mad scramble of ghouls, ghosts and witches of Halloween, but the nights are chilly to remind us that November has arrived. 

          The cook surveys the kitchen and as we live in Northern New England starts thinking about warm and comforting food that would fill the house with delicious smells. Pork cutlets present an easy comfort food and can arrive in various flavors. Here is a very easy recipe that will fit any weekday supper with just a bit of tang to provide additional interest.

                                                   Pork cutlets Parmigiana

          Choose either 2 thin pork center cut boneless chops or if you have a thick cut chop, carefully slice it horizontally in half while cold. Arrange 2 shallow bowls on your work surface. Fork beat an egg with 1 tblsp. water, ¼ tsp. pepper and ½ tsp. salt in one bowl and lightly mix in the other: ¾ cups panko, ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiana/Reggiano cheese, 1 tsp. dried oregano and 1 tsp. dried thyme.

Pound each cutlet thin with a mallet, dip in the egg on both sides and then turning a couple of times in the panko- cheese mixture, making sure that the cutlets are evenly and well coated. Quickly fry them in 2 tblsp. vegetable oil no more than 2 minutes to a side and serve hot with potatoes, pasta or rice and a vegetable.

          Savory muffins are a great accompaniment to pork, soups and any leftovers can be reheated for breakfast. 

                                                  Savory cheese muffins

          These are good made either with sharp cheddar or Parmesan, and the chives are a flavorful and colorful addition. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 12-cup muffin pan by spraying with baking spray or use paper cupcake holders.

          In a small bowl whisk together: 2 eggs, ¾ cups milk, ½ cup olive oil, ½ tsp. onion powder, ½ tsp. garlic powder or ½ tsp. fresh chopped garlic, 2 tblsp. chopped chives and ¾ tsp. rosemary (optional). In a 2 qt. bowl whisk together1 ½ cups flour, 1 tblsp. sugar, 2 tsp. baking powder, ¼ tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper and stir in 3/4 cup shredded cheese. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

          Divide the batter among the 12 prepared muffin cups and sprinkle on top with ¼ cup of the cheese. Bake about 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes and server warm or at room temperature.

          As promised in my last column, here is another wonderfully moist old-time apple cake from Meta Given’s “Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking”. The dried cranberries and Demerara sugar are my additions to the original.  The name provoked a recollection from my husband which I will quote for you after the recipe.

                                                       Apple Pandowdy

          Coat with baking spray an 8x8x2 inch baking pan and start the oven before baking, set to 350 degrees.

          Wash, quarter and core 4 tart apples and coarsely shred them directly into the baking dish using a box grater. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp. salt, scant ½ cup sugar mixed with ½ tsp. nutmeg, and ¼ cup dried cranberries. Place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes while you prepare the ‘cottage pudding’ for the cake batter.

          Cottage pudding. Sift 1 ¾ cups flour with 2 tsp. baking powder, ¼ tsp. baking soda, ¼ tsp. salt.  Cream 1/3 cup soft butter with ½ cup sugar in a 2-3 qt. bowl.  Beat in 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. lemon flavoring. Add flour and 1 cup buttermilk in alternate 3 portions ending with flour, beating well after each addition.

          Remove pan from oven after 10 minutes baking and carefully spread the cottage pudding over the fruit. Sprinkle with 1-2 tblsp. Demerara sugar and bake for 35 minutes or until the pudding tests done. Remove to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or cool with whipped cream.

          My husband’s quote about ‘Apple Pandowdy’ dates back to a song from 1946:

“Shoo-fly pie and apple pandowdy Makes your eyes light up Your  tummy say "Howdy"

Shoe-fly pie and apple pandowdy I never get enough of that wonderful stuff".

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: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)