STUFFED SHELLS, CITRUSY LENTIL SOUP AND AMBROSIA DESERT

 

 Stuffed shells, citrusy lentil soup and ambrosia dessert

 We have just passed the fall equinox, and it is time for more serious cooking than salads and anything tasty from the grill. Not quite time for heavy comfort food, but tasty warming dishes seem to be what we crave for chilly evenings when each day gets shorter.

          Baked pasta dishes are everyone’s favorites and lentils get a lift from a citrusy update. Fortunately, fresh peaches are still in the market and provided us with an easy cooked desert, with ingredients borrowed from the popular Southern ‘Fruit Ambrosia’ dish.

                                              Pork-Ricotta stuffed shells     

          Cook 12 jumbo shells in boiling salted water for 9 minutes, drain and leave in cold water.  In a large bowl combine the following for the stuffing: ½ lb. ground pork, ¾ cup Ricotta, ½ cup panko, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 beaten egg, 2 tsp. Sicilian or Italian seasoning, ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley, 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan, 2 tblsp. heavy cream, ½ tsp. lemon pepper and 1 tsp. kosher salt.

           Spread ½ cup Marinara sauce on the bottom of an 8x8x2 baking dish. Dran and stuff shells with the stuffing and arrange in a layer on top of the sauce. Mix 2 cups of Marinara with ½ cup heavy cream and spread over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle with ½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese.

          Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, after allow to cool for 10 minutes, garnish with chopped Italian parsley and serve warm with a green salad. Leftovers can be reheated in microwave.

                                      Citrusy lentil soup with linguica

          Sauté 1 chopped large onion with 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter in a 3–4-quart pot on medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 diced celery stalk, 1 tsp. each turmeric, coriander and cumin, cook for 2 minutes then add 4 cups low sodium chicken broth and 1 cup rinsed lentils. Cook for 40 minutes with occasional stirring, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, Remove the casing from 1 linguica, dice in bite size pieces and stir in the soup adjusting the thickness with additional broth if needed. Stir in the juice of ½ large lemon and the grated zest of a lemon and serve hot. Flavor of the soup will improve on reheating.

                                                    Peach ambrosia

          Late season peaches, unless you have your own peach tree, can be a disappointment by having lost that wonderful juicy taste. This recipe evolved from a half-mealy textured batch of peaches but naturally would be even better with juicy ripe peaches.

          Combine ¾ cups orange juice, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, zest from ½ lemon, 4-5 cloves in a non-corrosive pot. Quickly pit and chop 4 large peaches in bitesize pieces and stir into the juice. Stir in ¾ cups sugar, bring to boil and cook on medium heat until the fruit is soft. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

          Serve in small bowls with a scoop of caramel-sea salt or other ice cream. Sprinkle with sweetened coconut and enjoy.

          Our dry September is likely to lead to an early turning of the leaves this fall. To quote the French novelist Albert Camus:” Autumn is the second spring when every leaf is a flower." 

(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)

SHEET PAN AND OTHER DISCOVERIES

 

                            Sheet pan and other discoveries

           The enormously popular September Song “But it’s a long, long time from May to December”, by Kurt Weil and Maxwell Anderson runs through my mind this time of the year. The song was first introduced in the 1938 musical “Knickerbocker Holiday” and has retained favor as a featured musical attraction in many movies and sung by many artists.

Our cool sunny days are conducive to reflecting about the summer and its bounty of red, green, yellow and purple displayed in our farmer’s markets. Reflection aside, this time of year also induces the cook to assess new dishes encountered but postponed previously and try them in one’s own kitchen. 

     Sheet pan dinners have been touted in the last few years as an answer to quick and easy meals on weekdays. Plentiful cherry tomatoes and a chunk of Haloumi, the unusual Greek cheese that is served grilled or fried, led me to this sheet pan recipe, with tasty and visually appealing results for a main course, that still held shades of a summer salad.

                                   Sheet pan Haloumi with tomato and avocado

Tear 2 medium pitas in 1 ½ to 2-inch pieces. Pat dry an 8 oz. package of Haloumi and tear in 1 ½ inch pieces. Toss torn pieces in a large bowl with 2 tbsp. olive oil and ½ tsp. salt. Spread out in a sheet pan and roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, turn with a spatula and roast for an additional 8-9 minutes until slightly browned.

For dressing whisk 2 tbsp. lime juice, 1 tsp. honey, ½ tsp. salt, 2 tbsp. olive oil and 3-4 slices of jalapeno pepper, chopped. Thinly slice 1 large shallot and halve enough grape tomatoes to make 1 cup.

Toss the tomatoes, shallots and dressing with warm roasted pita and Haloumi. Arrang in on a deep platter and garnish with scoops of fresh avocado and a dash of lime juice and chopped chives.

Oriental stir fries have captured our attention for years. Recently Food and Wine magazine alerted me to “Yakisoba”, a Japanese noodle dish with beef. Here is a modified version from my kitchen with stir fried vegetables. This home-made version is significantly more substantial than the commercial versions found in supermarkets.

                                                        Beef Yakisoba

Slice and chop all the ingredients before starting to cook. Thinly slice 8 oz. beef ribeye in bite size pieces, 3-4 cups of sliced Napa or other cabbage, 1 medium onion thin sliced, 1 peeled carrot thin sliced, 5 oz. fresh shitake thinly sliced, and 3-4 scallions sliced diagonally in ¾ inch pieces.

Prepare the special Tonkatsu sauce by whisking together: ½ cup ketchup, 2 tbsp. low salt soy sauce, 2 tsp. brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. Mirin (Japanese wine sauce or sherry), 1 ½ tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. grated ginger and 1 minced garlic clove.

Cook 3 ½ oz. of dried Raman noodles for 3 minutes, drain and rinse in cold water.  Heat 1 tbsp. peanut oil in a wok and cook the sliced ribeye with a pinch of salt for 1-2 minutes until no longer pink and set aside. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to the wok and stir in the cabbage and the rest of the vegetables. Cook on high heat to crisp tender for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the noodles and meat and ½ of the Tonkatsu sauce, 1 tbsp. soy sauce and 1 tbsp. ketchup. Stir fry on medium heat for additional 2-3 minutes, divide among 4 plates and serve warm.

Though “the days grow short when you reach September”, continues the song, there are always new recipes and experiences to savor these days.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Midcoastal 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)

COOL HEARTY SALADS AND FRIED ZUCCHINI

 

                           Cool hearty salads and fried zucchini

           Our extended whet spring stole away the beginning of summer this year and now our relentlessly sunny days, unusually cool for August, seem to forecast early autumn. However, the approaching Labor Day means friendly gatherings around the grill with mouthwatering aromas of grilling meat or fish and tables laden with a plethora of side dishes, both warm and cold.

          Recent years has seen a burgeoning choice of new salads made with grains such as quinoa, wheatberry and even farro. Lentils, garbanzos and rice also have taken the place on those hot steamy days from previous standards such as potato, pasta and cabbage salad. With cooler days, hearty but cool updated side dishes regain their appeal and tempt us with their colorful presentation.

                                              Greek pasta salad

          Cook 2 generous cups of rotini or radiator pasta according to package directions. Whisk the dressing by combining: 6 tbsp. red wine vinegar; 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. lemon pepper, ½ tsp. garlic powder and ½ tsp. celery seed.

          Drain pasta and immediately toss with the dressing. Cool to room temperature and add: ½ red and ½ green pepper diced, 1/3 cup halved Kalamata olives, ¼ cup chopped red onion, 2 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley, ¾ cups halved cherry tomatoes, ½ cup drained and rinsed black beans, 2 large pepperoncini diced (optional) and 2 oz. crumbled Feta cheese. Toss ingredients to mix well, cool for at least 2 hours or overnight and serve.

                                          Creamy dilled potato salad

          Cook 10-12 gourmet baby red potatoes for 15 minutes in salted boiling water and drain. Cut potatoes into large bite size pieces and cool. Dressing: 4 tbsp. sour cream, 1tsp. white wine vinegar, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, ½ tsp. dry mustard.

When potatoes are cool, toss with ¼ cup chopped red onion, 2-3 sliced radishes, 1 small, chopped dill pickle, 1 chopped hardboiled egg, 1 chopped celery stalk, ½ tsp. celery seed, ¼ cup chopped fresh dill and the dressing. Cool for 2 hours and serve.

                                                   Za’atar fried zucchini

The Za’atar spice mix with its’ sesame blend is now firmly established in my kitchen for both pork and chicken cutlets but can also become equally at home in a fried zucchini coating.

Slice a medium zucchini in ½ inch slices. Arrange a small plate with flour, shallow bowl with a large egg beaten with a dash of salt, 1tbsp. water and pepper and, a medium plate with seasoned breadcrumbs mixed with 1-2 tbsp. of Za’atar spice mix.

Dip each zucchini slice sequentially in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, covering both sides of each slice. Fry in 2 tbsp. vegetable oil for 3 minutes on each side, in batches without touching and set on a plate to keep warm. Place a thin wedge of Provolone cheese and ½ cherry tomato on top of each slice and serve warm. This dish works well as a side to meat or fish but can also be served as a stand-alone dish for lunch with a green salad.

We still have a few weeks before the autumn equinox, so let us enjoy this fresh garden bounty and relish the sun and the breeze and the blue skies.

(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)