'BRIGHTEN UP' FOR SPRING

‘Brighten-up’ for Spring

            How disappointing can it get when you are reduced to looking for a dripping roof as a sign of spring? My usual harbinger of spring, a clump of snowdrops by the front step, was unfortunately still buried in a snowdrift from our ‘Ides of March’ blizzard at the time of the official arrival of spring on Monday.

            Fortunately there are already daffodils and tulips in the store to cheer us up for the seasonal change. Our pair of blue and yellow primroses from Green Thumb, has graced our dining table now for a couple of weeks, brightening mealtimes in their blue and white dish. Somehow we feel a need for color after the stark black and white landscape of winter. It may be a bit unseasonal yet to switch to bright salads, but even relatively hearty mealtimes can be brightened by the addition of some colorful ingredients or decorative touches.

            Home cooks have re-discovered a battered breakfast dish that is easy, fast and has a number of colorful toppings, depending whether you favor a sweet or savory breakfast. This dish is the traditional Dutch Baby, which can be made with a variety of colorful toppings.

                        Fruit Topped Dutch Baby

            Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet in the oven and set to 450 degrees. In the meantime in a medium bowl beat 2 eggs until foamy and blend in ½ cup milk, 1 Tblsp. melted butter, 1 tsp. lemon rind, ½ tsp. salt, ½ cup flour mixed with ½ Tblsp. cornstarch. Carefully remove pan from oven, coat with buttery cooking spray and 1 Tblsp. butter. Pour in the egg batter and bake 18-20 minutes, or until puffy and brown. Cut up 1 pint of fresh strawberries, toss with 2 tsp. powdered sugar and ¼ cup slivered almonds. Remove baked Dutch Baby from oven, top with strawberry mixture and serve warm. Instead of strawberries, use blueberries or some other colorful berries or cut up fruit.

                        Asparagus and Bacon Dutch Baby

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Trim fresh asparagus and cut in ½ inch pieces to make 1 cup. In a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet crisp 6 slices of bacon and drain on paper towels. Drain most of the fat and cook the asparagus in a hot pan for 1 minute and set aside. In a large bowl beat 3 eggs with 2/3 cup milk, 1 Tblsp. olive oil, ½ cup flour, ¾ tsp. salt, dash of cayenne. Grate ½ cup fresh Parmesan cheese and toss with bacon and asparagus. Preheat cast iron skillet in oven 3 minutes, melt 1 Tblsp. butter, pour in egg mixture and cover with asparagus-bacon mix. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes and serve hot. Variations of the recipe can be made with only bacon or substituting broccoli florets for asparagus.

            Cauliflower and Stilton Bisque

In a 3 quart pot combine: 1 small onion chopped, 2 minced garlic cloves, 3 cups chicken broth, 2 small potatoes cubed, 3 cups cauliflower florets, 1 stalk celery chopped, 1 tsp. thyme, 1 tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. When slightly cooled, puree with 1 cup half and half, return to the stove to heat before serving. Serve garnished with 2 oz. Stilton crumbles, chopped chives and pomegranate seeds for a colorful and appetizing soup.

For an easy and colorful Friday night supper- skip the pizza and serve a pan of colorful hearty nachos.    

            Hearty Sausage Nachos

Brown ¾ lb. hot Italian sausage without casing for 6-8 minutes, breaking the meat in small pieces. Add 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped.  Stir in 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed, 1 tsp. oregano and cook until warm for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2-3 tsp. finely chopped picked jalapeňo and 3 chopped scallions. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread with 8 oz. tortilla chips. Spoon sausage mix over the chips and sprinkle with 2 ½ cups grated pepper Jack cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 6-8 minutes.  Top with ¾ cup each fresh salsa and sour cream.

Keeping your meals bright may not make the snow melt any faster, but it may convince us that genuine real spring can’t be too far ahead.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro 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)

FAREWELL WINTER?

Farewell winter!

            The musings of Candide about “The best of possible worlds” and “The worst of possible worlds” certainly fit our weather pattern these last couple of weeks. There was the Valentine’s day blizzard, then a few spring like days coaxing intrepid clammers out in the estuary, followed immediately with bone chilling days and nights. March has come, but winter seems to refuse it’s hold.

            An impromptu dinner with friends therefore still needed to focus on cold weather fare. With short advance planning and a quick trip to the store, an afternoon with relatively little hands-on time yielded a hearty and satisfying dinner. The centerpiece of which was a pork-butt roast with carmelized onion gravy. With roasted vegetables, red cabbage and baby kale salad we tried to say farewell to winter and anticipate the coming spring.

                                                Pork roast with carmelized onions

            Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice 2 large onions and spread in the middle of a 13x9 inch metal roasting pan. Rub salt on all sides of a 4 – 4 ½ lb. butt pork roast and place on top of the onions. Thinly slice 1 large garlic clove and insert in small slits in the fatty part of the roast. Generously pepper the top of the roast and place in the preheated oven. After 10 minutes, turn oven heat to 350 degrees and continue to roast for 2 ½  hours. Remove pan from oven. Set the meat aside to keep warm and place the pan with onions and drippings on a burner on the stove set on low heat to prepare the gravy.

                                                Carmelized onion gravy

            Sprinkle and blend ¼ cup flour with the drippings and blackened onions in the bottom of the pan, then add ½ cup water and scrape up the brown bits and onion-flour mix to make a smooth paste. While stirring add 1 cup additional water and 2 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar and bring to simmer. Correct seasoning and any additional water to the desired consistency of the gravy. Serve hot on slices of the roast pork.

                                                Oven roasted vegetables

            If you are fortunate to have 2 ovens, roast the vegetables near the end of the meat cooking time. If not, roast them before the pork roast, keep covered on the pan while the meat cooks and then reheat at 350  degrees for 10 minutes while making the gravy.

            Peel 4 medium potatoes, 4 carrots and 2 parsnips and cut up in 1 inch pieces. In a small bowl mix together ¼ cup olive oil, 2 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. thyme leaves and 1 large minced garlic clove. Toss the cut up vegetables in batches in the oil mixture and spread in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. coarse salt. Roast in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until tender and browned.

                                                Wine braised red cabbage

            Red cabbage with it’s texture and color is a wonderful winter vegetable, but cooked in water it turns an unappetizing bleached purple color. However, cooked in wine with some vinegar, the rich red color retains it’s appetizing hue. Thinly slice ½ of large red onion and about ¾ lb red cabbage (6 cups). In a large heavy skillet heat 2 Tblsp. vegetable oil and cook the cabbage and onions for 10 minutes, while stirring on moderately high heat. Stir in ½ cup red wine, ½ cup balsamic vinegar, 1 Tblsp. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. ground cloves, 1 chopped apple and pepper to taste. Continue to simmer with occasional stirring  for about 15 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Can be made ahead and reheated.

            Our nod to the coming spring was in the form of baby kale salad with sliced water chestnuts and dried cranberries dressed with a lemony vinaigrette. Desert was easily assembled from last summers canned-spiced-peaches, a scoop of ice cream topped with a couple of preserved cherries.

            Our relaxed after dinner conversation was a glad farewell to winter and my husband’s noodling of “Danny Boy” on the home organ had us not only looking forward to St. Patrick’s day but also the coming spring.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro 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)

SNOWBOUND FANCIES

Snowbound Fancies

            Be careful what you wish for! The last couple of months many of us were decrying all that sleet and ice and wishing for some white fluffy snow instead. Well, it came with a vengeance.

            Last week gave us enough wind and that white stuff to go down in the books as the 2017 Valentine’s Day blizzard. It started out with just pretty white flakes floating down gracefully, but in short time the trees and the meadow became a blur and once the windows became plastered with snow, even that view disappeared.

            The birds valiantly tried to hang onto the swinging bird feeder, but one forceful gust even dislodged that and tossed it to the side of a drift on the deck. The wind was building an immense snow drift on the other side of the deck, which ended up as a swirling ‘snow-sail’ more than six feet tall. Next morning it was over and the silence was deafening. Finally there was the sound of the town road plow a quarter mile away. The drifts through our woods though kept their pristine shape until dusk, when our plowman was finally able to demolish the mountain of snow blocking our long and winding drive.

            Times like this a warm kitchen becomes an inviting place for activity. We started the day with a complete breakfast: oatmeal, eggs, bacon, cheese and scallion in one dish – the ultimate scone.

                        Oatmeal, bacon and cheese scones.

            Crisp 4 slices of bacon, drain and roughly crumble. Sift together in a food processor: 2 cups flour, 1 Tblsp. baking powder, 1 Tblsp. sugar, ¾ tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt. Add 1 cup old fashioned oats and pulse 15 times. Add 1 ¼ sticks cold unsalted butter cut in 1 Tblsp. pieces and pulse until mix resembles very coarse meal. Transfer mix to bowl. In a small bowl fork stir 2 eggs with 2/3 cup well shaken buttermilk. Toss crumbled bacon, ½ cup shredded cheddar or parmesan cheese and 2 Tblsp. thinly sliced scallion with the oat mixture. Stir in the buttermilk and mix only until dough forms. Turn out on a floured surface and knead 5-6 times. Divide dough in two and pat into 6 ½ inch rounds. Place rounds on a parchment lined pan and cut each with a sharp knife in 6 sections, separating the sections slightly. Brush with additional buttermilk and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Cool and serve with butter.

            The quiet snowbound day also was conducive to making another one of my favorite winter dishes, cabbage rolls. This is an old East European dish that has the added benefit of being even better on reheating and once made can provide several ready made meals. Some variations of the dish are baked, but this one is cooked in tomato sauce on the stove,

                   Cabbage rolls in tomato sauce.

            Remove any discolored leaves from a 6-7 inch head of cabbage and partially core it with a sharp knife. Bring salted water in a large pot to boil, enough to cover the head of cabbage. Carefully lower the cabbage in the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Lift out the cabbage, but keep the water hot. When slightly cooled, peel off the softened leaves from the cabbage until you reach leaves that are too hard to remove. Return the cabbage head to boiling water and repeat the process until you have 16-18 removed leaves. Refrigerate leftover un-softened cabbage and for later use in salads or soups.

In a bowl mix 1 lb. ground beef with 1 medium chopped onion, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper and 1 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce. In another bowl mix:12 oz. tomato sauce, 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, 1 Tblsp. white vinegar, 1 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tblsp. sugar, 2 large chopped onions, 1 cup cabbage boiling water. Place ½ cup of the tomato mixture in a large 4-5 quart Dutch oven and pack the rolls in a single layer on the bottom with folded side down.

To prepare the rolls: a) trim off any hard portion of the bottom of each cabbage leaf, chop it and add to the tomato sauce, b) spread out each leaf, place a heaping Tblsp. meat near the thick part of the cabbage leaf and fold the leaf tightly around the meat as an envelope. Pour some tomato sauce on the filled bottom layer of the rolls and continue with another layer until the meat is used up. Roughly chop any leftover leaves and layer on top, finishing with the remaining tomato sauce and press down to cover. If  there is not enough sauce, add a little of the cabbage boiling water. Bring the pot to boil, then turn down the heat and simmer covered for 1 ½ hours.

It made a warm and satisfying dinner with boiled French fingerling potatoes from our last summer’s garden after a snowbound day.

           

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro 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)

SNOW, SLEET AND WINTER DOLDRUMS

Snow, Sleet and the Winter Doldrums

          This winter seems to have an identity crisis. Or, is it a case of amnesia? Winters in Maine are supposedly cold, snowy, with blustery windy days and icicles decorating every roof line. This year, going into February we have seen only spotty snow, a fair amount of sleet and occasional days that could be mistaken for early spring. The rough grey fields in coastal areas unfortunately lack the charm of an Andrew Wyeth painting.

            Despite the lackluster weather beginnings of this year we are cheered by celebratory days for personages of note, the Chinese New Year and the holiday to warm everyone’s heart – Valentine’s Day. Celebrations always mean special food.  Fortunately a bit of imagination in the kitchen can solve that, even if freezing rain keeps you at home on a midweek evening, the grill has gone in hibernation and most of your favorite restaurants are still closed for the season.

            The reason why we keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer in the winter became recently apparent on one such night. The snow plow could be heard scraping the road of frozen slush in the distance.  But unless we were expert skaters with skates sharpened for the Olympics, there was no way we were going to get out of our long and winding drive. It was time to improvise and in a little over an hour, we sat down to a tasty dinner.

                                    Root vegetable gratin

            Peel and cube 2 medium potatoes, 2 large carrots, 1 yellow beet and 1 large parsnip in 1 inch cubes or slices. Cover the potatoes with cold water, bring to boil and after 2 minutes drain. Spray a gratin dish (or shallow baking dish) with buttery cooking spray. In a large bowl toss together the root vegetables with 1 Tblsp. roasted chopped garlic, ½ cup julienned sundried tomatoes, 1 cup chicken broth and ¼ tsp. pepper. Turn mixture in baking dish, dot with 1 Tblsp. butter, sprinkle with 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese browns on top. Set aside and serve along with the chicken.

                                    Chicken with feta and artichokes

            Thaw a large boneless, skin on,  chicken breast. Slice the chicken breast crosswise in 4 or 5 slices about 1 inch thick, salt and pepper the chicken. Set up a shallow bowl with some half and half and a plate with flour mixed with 1 tsp. garlic salt. Dip each piece of chicken in half and half and lightly coat with flour.  Heat 1 Tblsp. olive oil and 1 Tblsp. butter in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. When bubbling, add the coated meat and fry on two sides, each for about 3 minutes, until browned. Set aside on a plate. Lower the heat and blend 1 Tblsp. of the flour in the remaining fat in the pan and then slowly stir in ½ cup white wine and  ½ cup chicken broth and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Bring to simmer and scrape any pieces from bottom of the pan. Drain and rinse a 14 oz can of artichoke hearts and distribute them around the edges of the pan. Return the chicken back to the pan, heat for a couple of minutes and before serving stir in ½ cup of crumbled feta cheese. Serve immediately.

                        Served with a simple salad this made an interesting and satisfying meal. A small dish of ice cream satisfied those with a sweet tooth.  Yes, there was still sleet against the window, but the candle light at the table made it almost a minor inconvenience.  

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro 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)

YEAR OF THE ROOSTER

The Year of the Rooster

          Unless you are one of those strong willed people who take great pleasure in making iron clad New Year’s resolutions and stoically keep them at least until the end of January, this time of the year can feel somewhat bleak after the exciting holiday season. But one needs not be a great fan of “globalization” to realize that there is cheer to be found at this time in the Chinese New Year.  

            2017 is the Year of the Rooster and occurs according to the Chinese lunar calendar on Saturday January 28^th, with New Year’s eve celebrations on the 27^th.  Long traditions, with a cycle of different animals representing each year in the calendar, describe not only the character of individuals born under the sign of the animal, but also give general directions for celebratory does and don’ts for the actual days of celebration. Individuals born in a year of the rooster are supposed to be: hardworking, resourceful, imaginative and talented. Money in red envelopes is a favorite gift on Chinese New year and of course food, lantern festivals and fireworks are in abundance.

If you can not attend the incredible celebrations in Hong Kong, London, San Francisco or New York or even have a celebratory dinner at a great Chinese restaurant, there is always your own kitchen to capture some of those special flavors. Just remember not to eat porridge on New Year’s, since that denotes poverty for the coming year.

Stir fries of various sorts have become a staple in many kitchens these days, but a celebration needs something a bit less usual. Unless you are incredibly adventurous and have access to a well stocked Oriental store, it is not likely that you will attempt to come up with delicacies such a Bird’s nest or Three Shreds Shark Fin soups. Here are several recipes that I have found accessible throughout the years in terms of ingredients, time and effort.

                                    Egg Flower Soup

Slice ½ lb. lean pork in thin strips ¼ by 2 inches and thinly slice ½ onion. Fry the pork and the sliced onion on high heat in a 3 qt. pot in 1 Tblsp. peanut oil until lightly browned.  Drain oil and add 36 oz. light chicken broth and 2 cups water, 2 Tblsp. soy sauce, 1/8 tsp. pepper and ¼ cup dry sherry. Bring the mixture to boil and remove from heat and set to simmer. Lightly beat 2 large eggs and with a whisk slowly add the eggs to the simmering broth to form egg flowers or threads. Simmer for 1 minute then stir in 1 Tblsp. cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water and stir soup to thicken. Stir in 1 cup baby spinach and serve with chopped scallion on top.

                                    Ginger-Soy Chicken Wings

Cut a dozen chicken wings in half at the joint. For the marinade, stir until dissolved and combined: ¼ cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup light soy sauce, 1 ½ Tblsp. cornstarch, 2 Tblsp. white vinegar, 2 large minced garlic cloves, 1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and grated. Place wings in a sealable plastic bag, pour marinade over the wings and mix. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove wings from the marinade and place on one or two cookie sheets with sides, so the pieces are not touching. Roast in a 375  degree oven 35 to 40 minutes, turning them once. Serve hot or at room temperature with steamed rice.

A festive Chinese dinner does not need to finish with the obligatory Fortune Cookie. These almond cookies will give you a message of a different kind and flavor.

Almond Cookies

Sift together 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup sugar and ½ tsp. baking soda, ¼ tsp. salt.  Cream 1 cup unsalted butter until fluffy, beat in 2 eggs, 1 Tblsp. almond extract, ¼ tsp. lemon extract. Stir in flour mixture and ¼ lb. blanched almonds finely chopped. Blend all ingredients thoroughly. Roll the dough to about 1/3 inch thickness and cut 1 ½ in. circle cookies. Place on a parchment lined pan and bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool on a cake rack.

Celebrate the year of the Rooster, or add some different flavors to your January menu. Either activity is likely to make these short January days more flavorful.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro 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)