SOUTHWESTERN FLAVORS

Southwestern Flavors

            Consider winter as a spectator sport, Some of us actually do.  I realize this is not likely to occur to anyone driving a snowplow at night under blizzard conditions.  Nor is it likely to occur to someone engaged in zigzagging down a ski slope. But, anyone outdoors on a clear winter’s day is likely to notice the crisp sparkle and etched outlines of everything around them.

            On the other hand, slipping and sliding on the drive or trying to unlock a frozen car door with numb fingers obliterates the most magnificent view. No, I’m not going to grouse about those things, since the Humble Farmer has done already a much better job, with his longer years of experience, than I could ever aspire to achieve.

            Having moved to Maine from Arizona quite a few years ago, I find this dichotomy of feelings still puzzles me. However, winter living in Maine requires some ingenuity as one gets older and more housebound by the weather. Short of taking a winter vacation to some warmer latitude, the kitchen can create an imaginary winter oasis.  Southwestern flavors are likely to wake one up from those winter shivers.

            Still, this being the Northeast, hearts of palm are not likely to sound reasonable for the table in a major way. Thus, blending the local and seasonal fare with new flavors can achieve much toward our goal. Even better, when the product is hearty, nourishing as a main meal, easy on the waistline and can be reheated for several servings.  Unlike beans, lentils cook in half an hour without pre-soaking.

                                    Southwestern lentil stew

            Rinse and pick over 1 cup dried French green lentils. Sautè 1 chopped medium onion in 1 Tblsp. olive oil  in a 3 quart pot for 5 minutes, add 1-2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp chopped ginger, 1 tsp. oregano, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, 1 chopped stalk of celery and continue for another minute. Stir in 2 cups water and 3 cups beef broth. Bring to boil, then add the lentils, 1 chopped carrot, 1 (14 oz) can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and 1 dried Ancho chile. Cut in bite size pieces 1-2 oz. of country ham flavoring pieces and add to the pot.  Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes stirring a couple of times. Remove the chile, scraping to remove the pulp for the soup, discard the rind and stem. Adjust salt and pepper seasonings and add ½ cup red wine (optional) and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and crusty bread. Substitute vegetable broth and a dried chipotle pepper for beef broth and the ham to give strong and smoky flavor when making a vegetarian version of this dish.

            Barbecued and pulled pork come to mind for Southern menus. But flavorful Southwestern rubs for meat can enhance both pork chops and a pork roast.

                                    Savory Southwestern Pork Chops

            Lightly season 4 pork chops with Southwestern flavor rub, salt and pepper. Brown pork chops in a little vegetable oil in a large skillet. Top with ½ cup chopped onions. Mix together: 1 cup canned  plum tomatoes, broken apart with a fork with 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp. chili powder, small pinch of red pepper flakes and 1 tsp, sugar. Pour tomato mixture over the chops, cover and cook on low heat for 1 hour, turning the chops occasionally, until the chops are tender.                              

            Pork tenderloin has become a popular cut for a lean and quick pork roast. A more flavorful cut is the pork shoulder or but roast. This meat is succulent and  extra fat can be easily trimmed after roasting. It is quite easy to prepare before it goes in the oven and requires no tending while roasting.

                                    Southwestern roasted pork shoulder

            Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wipe a 4 ½ lb boneless pork shoulder roast, rub on all sides with Southwestern seasoning, salt and some pepper to taste.  Score the fat cap with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern and insert some cloves in the scored fat. Thickly slice 2 large onions, layer in a baking pan or shallow casserole with sides and pour in ½ cup water. Place the seasoned meat on top of the onions. Place pan in the oven and immediately turn the temperature to 350 degrees. Roast for 2 hours and 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to set for 15 minutes before carving. The onions can be turned into a savory gravy with some flour, water and some red wine. Serve with cut up sweet potatoes roasted with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and garlic sautéed kale.

            Your feet may still be cold with our North Eastern winter, but your palate will think it has gone on vacation.

(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)

LIGHTEN UP!

Beautiful new beginnings.......
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Lighten Up!

Unless you are one of those rare people with incredible will power, come January 1 you are likely feeling some guilt about all those holiday indulgences. It also would be nice to have once more a comfortable relationship with your scale each morning. The obvious solution is to ‘lighten up’ both figuratively and in the actual sense.

Our daylight time is  in the upswing, but according to the 2016 Farmer’s Almanac we only gain 48 minutes of daylight in the month of January.  At the same time winter has finally arrived in Maine this year with properly low temperatures and the first significant snowfall ending 2015.

This is hardly is the time to encourage us to ‘lighten up’ by going to lighter meals of cool salads. The body naturally desires warm substantial fare to chase away the winter chill, but not all such meals need to be heavy or smothered with rich sauces. It is possible to achieve meals that satisfy our cravings for substance by providing substantial flavors without the substantial calories.

Clear vegetable soups and tomato based soups are always tasty when prepared with generous portions of herbs. My favorite quick soup that actually can be prepared in 20 minutes, is low calorie and will chase away the chill admirably.

                        Quick tomato – cabbage (rice) soup

Heat together: 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth with 2 cups tomato juice and 1 tsp. any strong flavored herb seasoning blend. Stir in 2 cups shredded cabbage and continue to cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Serve hot. If you have leftover cooked rice, you can substitute that for the cabbage and cook only 5 minutes.

                        Broiled fish

Broiled, rather than fried fish comes to mind as a light source of protein. Alas, unless grilled on a campfire it  tends to be rather ‘blah’. However, both salmon and white fish like haddock and cod, basted with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, mixed with a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and couple of teaspoons of white wine vinegar, a bit of salt and pepper can become a very tasting offering when broiled for 9 to 10 minutes.

Roast chicken can be ‘light’ if not smothered with gravy. Grilled chicken is wonderful in its season, but most of us do not like standing over an outdoor grill in a snow-bank. However, other flavorful effects can be achieved with oven ‘fried’ chicken, which is much less caloric than fried chicken, but still provides that delectable crunch.

            Oven fried chicken with Gruyère

This can be prepared with 3 bone-in skinless half chicken breasts (~12 oz. each) or 5-6 bone-in skinless chicken thighs. In a shallow bowl mix: ¼ cup spicy brown mustard, 1 Tblsp. herb seasoning mix, 2 Tblsp. light sour cream, ½ tsp. garlic powder, ½ tsp. lemon-pepper (optional). On another plate stir together 3 cups cornflake cereal, lightly crushed with ¼ cup shredded Gruyère cheese (or Parmesan). Coat the chicken pieces with the flavored paste, then roll in the crumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet lightly coated with butter flavor cooking spray and lightly spray the chicken on top with the same spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour until chicken is golden brown. Serve warm.

If your sweet tooth is about to go in ‘withdrawal’ after the delights of the holiday season, there are simple fruit desserts that do not require much sugar and have a negligible fat content. My two favorites require very little effort.

                        Oven poached pears with cranberries

In a 1 quart pan stir together: ½ cup white wine, ¾ cups sugar, ½ tsp. fresh grated ginger, ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp. ground cloves, 2 Tblsp. cider vinegar. Heat to just boiling with stirring to dissolve the sugar. Thinly pare 4 Bosc pears, halve and scoop out the core. Thinly slice 1 lemon, discarding the ends.  Lay pears in a 1-2 inch deep 2 qt. baking dish, spread the lemon slices among them. Scatter 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries on top. If using dried cranberries, first steam them briefly to reconstitute. Pour the sauce over everything.  Cover dish tightly with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

                        Roasted honey pineapple

Peel and quarter a golden pineapple. Cut each quarter in 3 long wedges. In the microwave heat ½ cup orange juice with 2 Tblsp. honey and 1 Tblsp. lemon juice.  Pour over pineapple in a shallow dish and marinate for 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Preheat oven to 450 degrees on roast. Drain pineapple, spread single layer on a parchment lined shallow pan and roast for 10 minutes. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with a bit more honey.

Starting the New Year ‘light’ should prove to be quite delicious.

(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)

THE FRAGRANCE OF COOKIES

The Fragrance of Cookies

            There is nothing like the fragrance of freshly baked cookies to fill the house with  the holiday spirit. This was amply demonstrated a few days ago as my husband opened the garage door when returning from an errand and cheerfully called up the stairs: “I smell cookies baking!”

            Somehow this season makes most of us long for some of those old fashioned pleasures associated with home-made baked goods such as cookies. My mother used to bake cookies for her grandchildren when she was 92 and now that I have grandchildren of my own, even as they live scattered across the country, at Christmas time I want to continue the tradition with them. Healthy snacks may be a good thing most of the time, but they know that Gram will always come up with a cookie or two at her house and especially at Christmas.

            This has in the past created some funny situations. A few summers ago my two granddaughters finding only oatmeal-raisin cookies in the cookie jar insisted that we bake chocolate-chip cookies and save the raisin-oatmeal cookies for their father, who would arrive later in the week. But when my son arrived the truth came out. The oatmeal cookies were not my son’s favorites, but the girls had figured out how to make sure they got what they liked best!

            Fortunately all grandchildren like my mother’s recipe for the Latvian butter cookies, which are not only delicious, but also festive looking for the holidays. Although I have shared this recipe several years ago, here is an update in the process for making them. Sometimes it is worth using a bit of technology to facilitate the mixing of  very heavy dough.

                                    Zenta’s Latvian Butter Cookies

            In a Cuisinart pulse together a few times: 3 scant cups of freshly sifted flour,  2/3 tsp baking powder and 1 cup sugar. Cut in tablespoon size pieces 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, toss to mix in the flour mixture and pulse again 20 times until the butter is well mixed in. In a small bowl separate 4 egg yolks ( reserve the whites for another use) and lightly beat together with 1 tsp. vanilla. Add the egg yolks to the flour mixture and blend until the mixture sticks together. Remove the dough to a small bowl and, using your hand, knead about 10 times until the dough becomes a smooth ball. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

            Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out pieces of the dough on a floured board in ¼ to 1/3 inch thickness. Cut out desired shapes and arrange on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Separate out 2 more egg yolks, reserving the whites with the rest. Beat the egg yolks together with 1 Tblsp. water and use this glaze to brush the tops of the cookies. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, watching carefully because if cookies are very thin, they will quickly burn. Cool the golden colored cookies on the pan for a few minutes and finish cooling on a rack. Store in a tightly covered container.

This leaves you with 6 egg whites, which can be used for making angel food cake or Coconut Macaroons and Meringue Kisses, both cookies that require only egg whites.

            Another holiday favorite at our house are Swedish nut crescents. These can be made also gluten-free, by using a mixture of rice-tapioca flour and 1 ½ tsp. Xanthan gum instead of the regular flour.

                                    Swedish Nut-Crescents

            Cream ½  cup butter, gradually beat in ¼  cup sugar, 1 egg yolk (reserve white for step before baking), ½  tsp. almond flavoring. Stir in ¾ cups flour and ¼ cup each of chopped almonds, filberts and pecans. Chill for at least 2 hours. Set oven to 300 degrees. Roll out ½ Tblsp. dough, shape in slight crescents, roll in beaten egg white and arrange on a parchment lined pan. Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool on a rack and lightly dip/roll in powdered sugar mixed with 1 tsp. vanilla.

            Marcel Proust had the fragrance of Madeleines to take him on his memory trip. At our house the fragrance of fresh baked butter cookies is enough to get me in the holiday spirit again this year.

(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)

THAT THANKSGIVING BONUS

                                                                 Too big to roast!

 That Thanksgiving Bonus

            To paraphrase that well known poem A Visit from St. Nicholas  by C.C. Moore: ‘Twas after the feast and all through the house, Only snores of contentment from most, mobile communications for others, But the cook in the kitchen….”  So begins the story of the aftermath of every delicious Thanksgiving feast.

            Standing in the kitchen with remains of the feast does not bode well for the faint of heart. There is that lopsided pile of leftover mashed potatoes,  the dish of stuffing somehow has lost it’s original appeal, the roasted parsnips and scattered string beans look positively lonely and beside them all loom the daunting remains of that once magnificent and beautiful roasted turkey.

            Fortunately, most cooks can look at this as a bounty that guarantees several delicious meals with a minimum of effort, the more to be appreciated after all the activity required to prepare the feast. Thus the first order is to separate the meat from turkey bones for subsequent use in a variety of dishes and make soup from the bones and any small scraps of turkey. To prepare flavorful turkey soup use minimum amount of water to cover the bones and plenty of herbs.

                                    Flavorful turkey soup

Place the turkey bones and any small scraps of meat and skin in a 4-6 quart pot.  Add two stalks of celery with leaves, a bay leaf, an unpeeled onion cut in half with root stem removed, 2-3 large sprigs of parsley, 3 garlic cloves peeled and halved, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. ground sage, 6 cloves and cold water to cover. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer covered for 2 hours. Add 2 peeled carrots and 1 parsnip (optional) and continue to simmer for an additional hour.  When cool, remove carrots and parsnip and slice for the soup. Remove and discard the turkey, unless you have canine members of the family who would appreciate any of the cooked meat (no bones) mixed in with their dinner. Strain the soup through a sieve and discard any solids. Adjust salt and pepper seasoning of the broth and add 2 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar..  The turkey broth with carrots and parsnips is now ready to be served with addition of some cooked rice or small pasta and peas and even a few of those lonely beans from the feast cut up in bite size pieces. The soup will keep refrigerated 4-5 days and can be reheated several times. For a tangy variation, serve with some chopped dill pickle and a tablespoon of sour cream in the soup, added at the table. An interesting accompaniment to this soup would be mini-muffins made with leftover bread stuffing.

                        Stuffing bites with sausage

Crumble ¼ lb Italian sausage (casings removed) and fry sufficiently to brown. Drain on paper towels and combine with 1 ½ cups crumbled cooked bread stuffing from the turkey and ½ shredded apple. Lightly beat 2 eggs with 1 Tblsp. chicken broth and stir into the stuffing-sausage mixture. Grease a 12 cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray and moderately pack the stuffing mix in the cups. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar (optional) and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

In addition to delicious turkey sandwiches with onion dip and arugula with or without a dab of cranberry sauce, there are a multitude of recipes for chicken that can be readily adapted for the roasted turkey meat in your refrigerator. In each case cut the turkey in appropriate size pieces for the recipe and prepare as you would cooked chicken or even beef and pork.

                        Ginger soy sauce turkey with broccoli

Have ready: 4 sliced mushrooms, 1-2  cups cut up turkey, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 Tblsp.. shredded fresh ginger, 2 cups broccoli florets, ½ cup sliced bamboo shoots or water chestnuts, ¼ cup light soy sauce mixed with 2 tsp. corn starch, ¼ cup water, 1 Tblsp.. rice vinegar and 2 Tblsp. sherry (optional), 3 sliced scallions with green parts. Heat 1 Tblsp.. peanut oil to moderately hot and cook the mushrooms for 3 minutes, stir in the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then add the turkey, bamboo shoots, soy sauce mix, cooking until blended and slightly thickened. Stir in the broccoli and scallions. Cook for an additional minute and serve on hot rice.

                        Turkey in sundried tomato cream sauce

This is particularly good for white meat, which when removed from the bird tends to get dry. In 1 Tblsp. olive oil sauté 1 cup sliced mushrooms with ¼ cup chopped red onion for 5 minutes, stir in 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes, ¼ cup dry white wine, ¼ cup coarsely chopped drained sundried tomatoes, ¼ cup chicken broth. Heat until well blended and place moderate size pieces of turkey in the sauce to heat through, then stir in ¼ cup cream or half and half. Heat the mixture without boiling and serve with pasta.

Good friends have invited us for Thanksgivings this year, but savoring these bonus meals in my mind makes me almost wishful that I was cooking a Thanksgiving dinner again at our house. 

            (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)

COMMUNITY THROUGH FOOD

Community through Food

            In a recent interview, noted chef and fresh food advocate Alice Waters, decried the continued statistic that 80% of families in America no longer share family meals. The loss is not only good nutrition, but also the real human connections we need as we share a meal.

            The value of community connections through food is amply demonstrated by local food pantries and soup kitchens for those in need. But these connections are also strengthened by each potluck and every celebration with family and friends, all of which involve food. As food is shared, so are recipes and personal stories involving memories and hopes for the future. Such sharing strengthens connections and the bonds of community.

            The home cook also discovers through the years a personal community through food. The shared recipes and ingredients of the past and present continue to connect you to others as you prepare another meal. I was recently reminded of this, sitting down to a simple supper on a Monday night. After a weekend of indulgences we had corn chowder, bread and a desert and yet each had a tale to tell.

            It actually started the previous week when Ken, a fellow choir member at Nativity Lutheran church in Rockport, presented me with a bag of Ancho Chiles from his garden. These sweet, semi hot thin pepper strips were delicious raw in a humus and smoked turkey roll-up sandwich. Some of them were roasted for other purposes, but part of one found it’s way in the corn chowder.

            The corn chowder started out as an attempt to replicate a delicious offering from our neighbor Luisa last winter. Unfortunately, I was missing a few of the ingredients, but improvisation still made a very good and hearty soup.

                                                Monday’s corn chowder

            In a 3 quart pot fry 1 ½ slices of thick bacon to crisp and drain on paper towels. Sauté 1 large chopped onion with 1 ½ stalks chopped celery in the bacon drippings for 5 minutes, stir in 2 chopped garlic cloves and continue to cook for another minute. Blend in 2 generous Tbls. flour, and when incorporated add 2 cups water with constant stirring to make a thickened sauce. Then add: 2 cups chicken broth, 2 red potatoes (unpeeled and cut to bite size), 1 large carrot cut in half and sliced, ½ seeded diced red pepper, 1/3 seeded and diced Ancho chile (optional) and 5 pickled jalapeňo slices minced, 1 tsp.salt. Bring to boil and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Stir in 1 ½ cups corn kernels, 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, 1 cup light cream (or half and half). Heat to a simmer, remove from heat and serve with the reserved bacon crumbled on top.

            Had garden cleanup left me more energetic, corn bread would have been a good accompaniment to the chowder. But the garden took its toll, so we had some sourdough rye which I had baked the previous week. This is a heavy European rye, nicknamed ‘lead bread’ by our chidren for the texture, but it has it’s own story. The starter dough came from Germany to one of our colleagues, a physics professor at a university on the West coast.  He was willing to share it with me then and it has crossed the country with me a couple of times. Amazingly it still works today, occasionally supplemented with a pinch of dried yeast.

            Desert, cardamom apples, also came by serendipity. As we left the ‘appetizers course’ on Saturday from the Dutch Neck progressive dinner, our hostess Jane thrust a large bag of thick apple slices in my hand admonishing me to make something delicious with these healthy leftover snacks. With my apologies, the product unfortunately is more caloric (less healthy) than the starting material.

                                                            Cardamom apple desert

            Core and cut unpeeled good eating apples (not Granny Smith or MacIntosh) in thick slices or better in 1/8 wedges.  Heat 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large pan and before it starts to brown stir in 2-3 cups of the cut apples and fry turning once for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with ½ tsp. ground cardamom and 2 Tblsp. brown sugar. Continue to cook stirring until apples are barely tender. Stir in 2-3 Tblsp. cream and stir until apples are well coated with the cream. Serve warm or at room temperature sprinkled with nutmeg.

            Someday I will compile my favorite recipes for my grandchildren with the hope that they too will find a way to expand them and collect other food connections in their own community.

(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)