Posts from the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

AMORTIZE HOLIDAYS-SAVE MONEY, TIME, STRESS=PRICELESS

Three posts ago I mentioned the main sales on holiday food supplies, especially baking ingredients, occur during the weeks before Thanksgiving. Taking advantage of the prices saves money and relieves stress with the knowledge that when it’s time to tackle a kitchen project, everything needed is at hand. Above all, it lessens the financial burden of the holidays by amortizing the food expenses.

Time can also be ‘amortized’ by preparing dishes as early as their recipes allow or making and preserving them, mainly by freezing. Nothing is a greater relief during the hectic holidays than realizing something is ready and waiting, without having to gorge a chunk out of your busy schedule to do it, except, perhaps, knowing the cost has been defrayed.

Personally, the idea of preparing ahead for the holidays appealed to me because as the nest emptied and family grew, the tasks didn’t increase in number, but they did in size. Fewer hands around to help meant a lot more work for me alone. Professionally, the idea intrigued me. The main function of a personal chef service is to provide meals for its clients to consume later. This combination of motives has given me the incentive for the past several years to explore how far I can push the envelope.

I always made my fruit breads and cheeses a month or more ahead, to give them time to age, using liquor as a preserving ingredient. Then I found rolled cookie batters could be prepared two weeks before baking. Next I learned that elements of stuffing could be made well in advance. Raw seasoning ingredients, celery, onion, herbs can all be chopped or blended as early as summer and frozen. Bread cubes can be toasted or fried and keep in tins for weeks as do decorated, unfrosted Christmas cookies.

All these discoveries brought welcome savings but nothing opened my eyes like a request from a fellow personal chef. She contracted to cater a wedding reception for 400 and asked for help from others in our U.S.P.C.A. chapter*. The job held some real challenges; the bride had downloaded the menu and recipes, most distinct variations on classics; the venue offered a wait staff and dining needs, linins etc., but only a ‘holding ‘ pantry, no real kitchen. All the food had to be delivered ready to serve. How the chef, an experienced caterer, solved the obvious problems doesn’t disguise the fact that most of the food had to be prepared days ahead. I learned this is normal for caterers dealing with large events and was amazed at the ways these experts in safe handling food, keep it unspoiled and fresh tasting.

Imagine being able to duplicate the catering methods for your personal holiday preparations! The first step is to review your normal seasonal routine. Do you host a major dinner; throw a party, entertain house guests, make food gifts or donate a culinary effort to a bazaar or other event? If you follow my

 

 

weekly shopping schedule you’ll know the next move is to plan your menus for each occasion and compile a detailed list of all the ingredients required. Then as you read the market flyers to plan each week’s shopping trip, if you see an item your holiday list, you make a note to get it at the sale price.

Remember though, supplies bought ahead should be kept in the original package and stored at the same temperatures as in the market. Produce, of course, needs refrigeration. If bought far in advance, or to be served out of season, consult my blog of Sept 22, 2016 on freezing fresh produce and there are more reference posts in the site archives. There are also great sales on frozen vegetables and other products now. I always bought a fresh turkey for Christmas, but having braved a blizzard five years ago, to pay three times more than the price a month earlier, I changed my ways. Now, I buy a frozen bird at Thanksgiving and store it. No one has noticed the difference and the forecast of a White Christmas doesn’t scare me.

Amortizing time with advance preparation is equally straightforward, with a few simple rules. One is never re-freeze anything without cooking it. If adding a thawed vegetable to a dish, cook it first, or cook the dish and plan to re-heat it. Be aware that most seafood, especially shellfish is frozen for transport. The only exceptions are fish your monger guarantees were caught within 24 hours and shellfish steamed in store daily. The second is that if exists in the markets’ glass cases, you can do it, but if it doesn’t there is usually a good reason, so don’t try to innovate. This is particularly true of imitation ‘diet’ and/or ‘no-cook’ cream sauces, which tend to separate when frozen,

The described process is the same for the branded cheap online viagra icks.org. Founded purchase levitra in 2005 and headquartered in Chennai, India. Why do not you take the help of the tool that does grammar check free? It corrects your piece of toilet stool! Surveys say that 80% people are suffering with cialis prescription check address constipation, digestive issues, acidity and other bothersome problems just because of wrong style of body waste through kidney, health of wounds, etc… It is the canadian viagra store simplest way to reduce incidence of urinary tract infections and will also improve overall metabolism.Enough fruits and vegetables. Tried and true menu choices are important in advance preparation and are the reason caterers offer printed lists of suggestions, but even a traditional holiday dinner comprised of family recipes usually affords some wiggle room. Updated twists aren’t always a bad thing. For example, roasted vegetables done a few days ahead can replace those cooked with the meat, saving prep time on the day of the event. Frozen vegetables can be cooked to near-doneness and kept chilled, with a little butter or flavored oil, even in their serving dishes, a few days ahead, as can current garnishes, and the two combined before or after quick re-heating. Salad ingredients can be cut and stored, chilled in water for several days and the dressings mixed weeks ahead.

Buffets are easier to prep ahead than seated dinners. Food served at table should be hot, but even roasts can be cooked ahead and served room temperature at a buffet. Casseroles and sauced meat dishes are the darlings of advance preparation. They can be cooked, frozen, thawed, reheated and still taste fresh. Of course, cold foods are a natural. They can be prepared and simply chilled until served or frozen and just thawed. No effort is needed at the last minute and minimizing the last-minute work load is one of the main reasons to do advance preparation.

Desserts are a good category to reference to illustrate the optional levels of advance food prep. Cookies, as noted, can be made 6-8 weeks ahead if stored in air-tight tins. All kinds of pastry freeze well rolled and stacked with paper dividers or lining pans, even whole unbaked fruit pies and turn-overs can

 

 

be made months ahead. However, baked pastry products only hold well for 24 hrs. After that they become soggy as the fillings lose their moisture and harden. To have these desserts table-ready, you must leave room in your schedule, as well as your oven’s, at the earliest the afternoon before, to bake the items and/or make the fillings. This can be a strain during a hectic holiday week.

So what dessert can be made ahead and produced the day of a major dinner ready to be served? Cake! Several years ago my Yule log survived Christmas dinner almost intact. I decided to freeze it to serve sliced with a bowl of whipped cream on New Year’s. I froze it uncovered for an hour to firm up the icing, then I wrapped it snugly in plastic wrap and put the whole cake, still on the platter, in a plastic bag in the freezer. I was pleased to see it looked fresh on New Year’s morning but surprised that it tasted fresh too. I served it on the original platter, without the cream, and had many compliments with no leftovers.

Now I bake my Yule logs three weeks ahead and limit my December holiday desserts to cookies and cakes. I’ve tested other cakes, layer cakes, bar cakes, even a multi-layer sponge Opera Cake, with the same great results. Planning this way allows me to take the time to be sure I do a good job creating the cakes, and it’s soooo relaxing to know the whole dessert portion of my dinner is ready and waiting. All I have to do is open the freezer.

In point of fact this feeling of freedom is a major part of the overall concept of amortizing holidays. Buying the food as it appears on sale during the preceding weeks and preparing things ahead, saves money, defrays costs and assures time for careful preparation. It provides the security of knowing what you need is on hand when you decide to start a project and the confidence of having been able to do it well, rather than rushing through slip-shod. Above all there is the comfortable assurance that everything’s y ready and you are free to enjoy the festivities.

So set yourself up right and enjoy!!

*United States Personal Chef Association

6 EASY TRICK-OR-TREAT SUPPERS

Dinner on Halloween can be a problem for those participating in Trick-or-Treat, especially parents. Trying to feed excited children, fussing over costumes and anxious to get going combined with a constantly ringing door bell is hectic. The kids don’t want to stop to eat, not even spend the time to chew much less sit down to a full plate and use utensils. They’ll only consider something they really like which is easily consumed and doesn’t drip, because one spot on a costume can cause a meltdown.

The choice of food also depends on when and how it’s served. Younger children go out early and can be fed when they return, but they want to be near the door, so it has to be something they can pick up. Older children go out later and need something filling or they’ll stave off hunger with candy. Parents either eat on the fly, or later after the porch light is off, so easy clean-up is desirable too.

In summary, the food requirements for a Trick-or-Treat friendly Halloween dinner are that the choice be; liked by the children, easily consumed with minimal mess, able to be held ready for several hours, swiftly, even self-servable, portable and with quick clean-up, but above all it needs to be satisfying and nutritious. It seems like a tall order, and it took a bit of trial-and-error for me to find my own solution. I tried casseroles based on rice and couscous, but they dried out, kept on warm, or tasted like leftovers when re-heated. Fast food is meant to be eaten fast, going soggy quickly and build-your-own buffets create a real mess. My final answer was simply soup. Thick, filling, tasty soup, served in mugs, with a platter of sandwiches on the side.

Following are 6 wonderful soup recipes perfect for the occasion; 2 based on potatoes, 2 based on vegetables and 2 based on legumes. All are easy to prepare, and can be made ahead because their taste improves with age. As for the sandwiches, picnic rules apply; no salads or ingredients that can drip or make the bread soggy; stick to slices of meat and/or cheese and chunks of fish and no lettuce that wilts and unappetizingly droops. Think avocados, hard boiled eggs, baby spinach and blanched kale, and microwaved ‘baked’ apple slices instead.* If the taste of tomatoes is essential, try mixing tomato paste in the spread or a sprinkle of chopped, oil-cured sun-dried tomatoes.

One tip on the bread too; Ciabatta, Portuguese, Telera and Kaiser rolls baked for 5 min.in a 400 deg. oven, form a crisp, almost waterproof crust that keeps the inside soft far longer than bread slices, which dry and curl. Also keeping the sandwiches covered with a dish towel retains freshness.

*Slice a peeled, cored apple in about 3 slices per quarter. Put in a small bowl with a light sprinkle of sugar and another of cinnamon. Add 1-2 Tbs. water or apple juice and microwave about 1min-1 min.30 sec. Store refrigerated in juice. This prevents the apple from browning and is a kid favorite with ham and/or cheese. These are wonderful with the chickpea soup below.

 

 

SOUPS: Using an immersion blender is the quickest, neatest way to get the proper texture

Baking Potato Soup: Serves 6
This was a favorite of mine as a child. My Mother made it ‘by feel’ and this recipe is the closest I’ve found a soup that tastes like hers.
2 lbs. baking potatoes peeled and diced
7 ½ cups chicken broth- beef, ham or vegetable are options
2 large onions – finely diced
¼ cup butter
¼ to½ cup milk or half and half – optional at end
½ bunch fresh parsley – finely chopped = 3 Tbs. dried
Chopped chives for garnish if available
Saute the onion in the butter over medium heat until very soft, but not browned. Add the potatoes, half the parsley and broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes fall apart. Mash gently, then whisk, leaving some texture to the mix. Add the rest of the parsley, a little milk if desired, and salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Potato and Corn Soup: Serves 6
1 Tbs. oil
1 onion finely diced
2 garlic cloves- crushed
7 ½ cups vegetable stock
Dash cayenne pepper or hot sauce
2 tsp. cumin
1 large sweet potato- peeled and diced
½ bell pepper finely diced
(1) 15oz. or 1 lb. can corn kernels-preferably yellow- drained
Salt and pepper
Saute the onion in the oil over medium heat until soft, about 5 min. then add the garlic and cook for 2 min. more, add the pepper or hot sauce with 1 ½ cups of the stock and simmer 10min. Dissolve the cumin in ½ cup stock and add to the pot with the potato; simmer 10 min. Stir well and add pepper, corn and remaining stock. Simmer for 10 min. allow to cool and process half the soup to a puree. Return the blended mix to the pot, stir well, season to taste with salt and pepper, reheat and serve.

Tomato and Lima Bean Soup: Serves 4
Substitute peas for the lima beans in this recipe and it becomes one the Pennsylvania Dutch call Mulligatawny, after a local river as opposed to the Indian soup of that name.

 

 

 
It is likewise ready to demonstrate to its viability for span of up to 35%. levitra order Hormonal problems such as overproduction of find out content order cialis online the hormone called prolactin, produced by the pituitary gland, could be a factor. The medicine will be delivered to you in a various ways. cheapest tadalafil uk In sildenafil generic from canada the process it spares the nearby healthy tissue and other parts of the brain.
(2) 15 oz. cans lima beans or green peas or 1 lb. frozen ford hooks or green peas
3 ½ cups vegetable stock
(2) 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
4 Tbs. pesto OR 1 Tbs. dried basil + pinch of garlic powder and ½ Tbs. oil
If using canned vegetables simply add them with the tomato sauce to the broth and heat. If using frozen, cook them in the broth until soft, then add the tomato sauce. Simmer for 10 min. then blend half the soup to a puree and return to the pot. Gently mash the other vegetables with a spoon to make a thick textured mix. Add the pesto, or optional ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat and serve.

Irish Yellow Broth: Serves 4
1 large –onion, carrot, celery stalk all finely chopped
2 Tbs. butter
1 pint chicken broth + ½ cup if needed
¼ cup flour
5 oz. chopped spinach = ½ a 10 oz. box
1/3 cup oatmeal-regular
2 Tbs. cream
Parsley for garnish
Saute the onion, carrot and celery until soft about 3 min. Add the flour and stir into a roux, about 1 min., then add the broth, bring to a simmer, stirring, cover and cook for 30 min. Uncover, add the spinach and oatmeal and cook for 15-20 min. stirring occasionally.( Instant can be used. In that case add the spinach and cook for 8 min. then add cereal and simmer 2-3 min. until it’s cooked.) Thin with extra broth if desired, add the cream, season with salt and pepper, stir well and serve garnished with parsley.

Chickpea and Parsley Soup: Serves 4
(2) 28 oz. cans of chickpeas drained or 1 ½ cups dried, soaked over-night and rinsed
5 cups chicken or beef stock
1medium onion – chopped
2 Tbs. oil
1 bunch fresh parsley – chopped
½ lemon juiced and rind grated
If using the dried chickpeas, cover with water and boil for 1-1 ½ hrs. until soft, drain. Process the onion and parsley into a rough paste, then sauté them in the oil for 4 min.; add the drained chickpeas and sauté for 2-3 min.; add the broth and simmer for 20 min. Mash the chickpeas with a fork until mixture is thick and chunky; add the lemon juice, stir well, reheat if needed and serve garnished with grated lemon rind.

 

 

 

 

 

French Lentil Soup: Serves 6
The beauty of lentils is that unlike other legumes they don’t have to be soaked before they’re cooked. 1 lb. bag of green lentils
1 large onion diced
3 Tbs. oil
1 large carrot thinly sliced
3 Tbs. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
½ cup red wine
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
Water to cover
Salt and pepper
Saute the onion in the oil until soft; add the carrot, tomato paste, bay leaves, lentils and water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered 1-1 ½ hr. stirring and adding more water as needed. When the lentils are cooked, add the wine, vinegar and oregano. Cook 5 min., remove bay leaves and blend a little over half the soup to a rough puree. Combine with soup in pot, stir and season with salt and pepper, reheat if necessary and serve.

GREAT SQUASH DINNER RECIPES

As I’ve mentioned in the past few weeks, pumpkin, zucchini, actually all squash are native to the Americas. The rather unique fact about them is that the seasonal varieties are interchangeable. Yellow squash and zucchini can be used in the same recipes as can the meat from the winter squash, or ‘Winter Melons’ as they’re sometimes called. The only difference is that the meat of small ones like Delicata is slightly finer textured and sweeter than that of large ones like calabasa or pumpkin. The single deciding factor in choosing them for specific dishes is the thickness of the rind. Those with harder skin, such as acorn or pumpkin, can be halved or hollowed and baked ‘in shell’ with or without content, and the cooked pulp scooped out. The ones with thin skin, like butternut or Hubbard, are easier peeled, cut in chunks and boiled then mashed, or roasted.*(See TIPS below)

Squash is an excellent food source, easily cultivated, full of nutrients, durable, and most presentations are adaptable to being served either as a side or main dish, vegetarian or with meat added. Since many varieties are now grown globally, recipes exist in every cuisine. Soups are especially popular. I have one book that lists 16 recipes. So it’s been hard to select just a few examples to illustrate the use of squash in dinner recipes. I hope the ones I have chosen will show how easy it is to create a dish using squash and how quickly the same dish can convert from side to entrée.

I’ve chosen two soups, one for hard shell squash and the other for thin skinned types. After the recipes, I’ve listed some additions to add body and suggested garnishes. The other dishes, risotto, pozole and ravioli can be sides or entrees, depending on quantity, and vegetarian or main stream with the addition of meat. In each recipe the change in purpose is a simple conversion. To see more squash recipes consult blogs for 10/8/12, 10/21/14, 10/22/15, 10/29/15 in the site archives. Click the table of contents on the Home Page header or select the month from the drop-down list in the Archives box on the right margin of each blog page.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup: Serves 6-8
3 ½ lb. pumpkin
2 Tbs. oil+ 4 Tbs.
2 onions—chopped
2 garlic cloves – chopped
3 in. piece of grated fresh ginger root
1 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. turmeric

 

 

 

Salt and pepper
1 qt. vegetable or chicken stock
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Prick pumpkin all over and rub with 2 Tbs. oil, or cut it in wedges and brush with oil. Roast in a 400 deg. oven for 45 min. until tender. Meanwhile, sauté onion, garlic and ginger 4-5 min. in the 4 Tbs. oil; add the other seasonings for 2 min. When pumpkin is cooked and cool, scoop out the flesh and add it and the broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 min. Puree the soup, test seasoning and reheat to serve with cilantro and other garnishes below.

Butternut-Cider Soup: Serves 4-6*
3 lb. butternut squash- peeled, saving seeds and cut in 1 inch cubes
2 Tbs. oil
½ gal. apple cider
1 tsp. Chinese 5-Spice powder
Preheat oven to 350 deg. Toss rinsed seeds with the oil and roast on a cookie sheet for ½ hr. until golden. Over medium heat, cook the squash in the cider and seasonings until tender. Puree and add salt, pepper and more cider for a thinner soup. Reheat and serve with seeds as a garnish.
* From 500 3 INGREDIENT Recipes by Robert and Carol Hildebrand

The addition of precooked rice and/or meat to either recipe will fortify it into a full meal. Allow ¼-1/2 cup per portion.

Pumpkin Crisps are an elegant garnish for any squash dish. Using a potato peeler, slice off strips from a wedge of raw pumpkin. Fry in ½ cup oil until crisp, drain on paper towels and sprinkle over serving.
Chopped toasted Walnuts or Pecans are good garnishes, as are sour cream or yogurt when they complement the ingredients.
Orange rind, slivers or zest is a tasty seasoning garnish for most squash dishes.

Pozole: Serves 6*
4 c ups delicata squash -peeled, seeded cubed
2 large onions diced
1 Tbs. oil
2 cloves garlic- mashed
(1) 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 cups coarsely chopped bell peppers-any color
(1) 29 oz. can hominy- white or yellow
3 Tbs. minced chipotles in adobo sauce
2 tsp. lime juice

 

 

 

¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. dried oregano or sage
Saute the onions in the oil until soft and golden; add the garlic and ½ the salt and cook 2 min.. Add the tomatoes and squash and simmer 10 min. Add the bell peppers, cover and cook 15 min. until the squash is soft. Stir in the other ingredients and heat through, about 5 min. Garnish with choice of: Jack cheese, crushed tortilla chips, shredded lettuce, fresh herbs or lime wedges. Serve warm.
* Adapted from The Moosewood Restaurant New Classic Cookbook

Roasted, Curried Butternut Squash: Serves 6-8*
2 lb. butternut squash- peeled and cut in ½ inch cubes
2 Tbs. curry powder
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup toasted squash or sunflower seeds –see directions above for Butternut-Cider Soup
Toss the squash with the oil, curry powder and salt and pepper to taste. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 350 deg. oven until soft and brown, about 30 min. Serve hot with the seeds scattered over.
* From 500 3 INGREDIENT Recipes by Robert and Carol Hildebrand

Squash Risotto: Serves 4
2 cups cooked squash- cubed
1 small onion
2 tsp. oil
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 ¼ cups Arborio rice
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ tsp. black pepper
3 Tbs. grated Parmesan
Bring the broth to a simmer. In a separate pot, sauté the onion in the oil until soft; add the squash and mash then add the rice and 1 cup broth. Simmer until broth is absorbed and repeat until all the broth is used up and the rice is tender but still firm, about 20 min. Stir in the other ingredients and serve hot garnished with more parsley and cheese.

Squash Ravioli: Serves 4
1 lb. squash cooked and mashed until smooth
½ tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. butter
24 wonton wrappers
Mix squash with the cinnamon. Lay out the wrappers on a flat surface and place 1 tsp. of the squash mix

 

 

 

In the center of each; top with another wrapper and dampen the edges with water and press to seal. Alternately, place ½ tsp. filling in the center and fold the wrapper over to form a triangle.
Bring 4 qts. salted water to a boil and cook the ravioli, a few at a time, until they float. Remove and drain on a plate. Melt the butter, pour over the ravioli and rewarm in a microwave before serving. Garnish with parsley and/or Parmesan.

Spinach Ravioli: Serves 4 This dish is especially good when served combined with the squash ravioli in equal amount. With or without meat the combination makes a full entrée.
(1) 10 oz. package of chopped spinach- thawed and drained
1 cup ricotta or cream cheese
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbs. butter
24 wonton wrappers
Repeat the process as directed above, substituting the spinach, mixed with the cheese and nutmeg for the ingredients in the squash recipe. Serve on the same plate with the squash ravioli using the full 4 Tb. butter as a sauce.

Stew in a Pumpkin: Serves
This is a favorite recipe of mine, and one I’ve even featured in a post on reasonably priced dinners. It’s great for a weekend or a dinner party at this season.
Original Recipe Stew in a Pumpkin; Serves 6
3 Tbs. butter
2 lbs. beef for stew cubed
3 Tbs. cornstarch
2 large onions diced
3 tomatoes chopped
2 Tbs. butter
¼ tsp. EACH salt and pepper
3 cups beef stock
½ lb. prunes
½ lb. dried apricots
3 sweet potatoes sliced
(2) 10 oz. packages corn –thawed and drained

1 pumpkin, top cut off and reserved, cleaned of pulp and seeds. Melt 3 Tbs. butter in a Dutch oven. Roll the meat in the cornstarch and brown. Set aside. Melt 2 Tbs. butter in a separate pan and sauté vegetables until tender. Add to meat with juices. Add all remaining ingredients except pumpkin cover and simmer 1 hr. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Ladle stew into the pumpkin; set in a roasting pan with 1

 

 

 

inch of water, and bake for 1 hr. Carefully transfer pumpkin from the pan to a serving dish and replace its top as a lid for garnish. Serve at once scooping out some of the pumpkin meat as you ladle out the portions.
NOTE: I save clean-up by sautéing the vegetables in the Dutch oven first and then browning the meat. It’s one less pot. Also if you have it on hand, replace one cup of stock with beer. It deepens the flavor.

Squash Tips:

• To choose squash, pick the heaviest for its size and the one with the deepest color. It will have the most beta-carotene
• To peel thinner skinned squash, cut odd the ends, prick the skin several times and heat in a microwave 2 min. on high. Halve, lay flat and peel the skin off in strips with a knife or peeler. The harder skinned types sometimes require a heavy knife and hammer to halve.
• Kept in a cool, dry place, squash will hold for a few weeks, but once cut, should be covered, chilled and used within a day or so.
• To roast squash whole, pierce in several places to let the steam escape, otherwise cut it in half or wedges and cook, skin side up in ½ inch water at 400 deg. for 45-60 min. Beware of the steam when cutting into a whole roasted squash.
• To cook squash quickly, peel, seed and grate the raw meat, then sauté or boil. To microwave, halve, or cut in large chunks, slice off the ends, seed, season and cover with plastic wrap. Cook on high 7 min. per pound. To rescue over-cooked squash, puree it.
• Don’t over worry about removing the strings when cleaning raw squash. Once the squash is cooked they can be ‘raked’ out with a fork, or will simply stick to the beaters during blending.

Boone, all All-Star in 2003, has a the best viagra career .264 batting average with 126 home runs and 555 RBIs over 11 seasons with five different clubs. Medicines like Kamagra, http://cute-n-tiny.com/category/cute-animals/page/12/ super cialis canada, Silagra, cialis, cialis 20 mg etc. are available to offer temporary relief. The hypnotherapists are so trained that they are able to act a lot quicker as they are already too busy with their own schedule. pfizer sildenafil viagra For them generika viagra kamagra jellies have proven as the boon.
 

GREAT PUMPKIN DESSERTS OTHER THAN PIE

If pumpkin is the symbol of autumn, then pumpkin pie is its iconic dish. The tantalizing aroma and flavor and the light assertiveness of the combination of spices used to make it, help erase memories of lush summer produce by reminding us that every season has its special treats. This particular spice blend also conveys a feeling of warmth and comfort, perhaps because all the ingredients are so familiar to the American kitchen and make no mistake, pumpkin, in fact all squash, are uniquely New World plants.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix is so popular that it’s sold separately. In recent years it’s flavored everything from coffee to ice cream, not to mention candles and other household products. Although the individual spices in the mix are used in other squash dishes, because sugar is basic to the blend it’s generally featured in dessert recipes and there are lots of options to pie. It’s fun to take a look at some of them and maybe try a few over the next weeks while pumpkin is available or later in the winter substituting other squash.

First though, since pie is the primary use of pumpkin, I’ll offer some variations to the usual presentation. Fun fact here, the colonists cut the top off the pumpkin, removed the seeds and strings and filled the cavity with milk, spices and sugar. Replacing the top, they baked the pumpkin until the flesh was soft and spooned it into bowls with the liquid like mashed potatoes and gravy. As for today’s custard pie recipes, I don’t think one can go wrong with Libby’s printed on their pumpkin cans. My personal touch is to cover the top with meringue and brown it in the oven.

• Beat 2 egg whites until soft peaks form; add a drop of cider vinegar and continue beating gradually adding ¼ cup sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form. Casually spread the meringue over the top of the cooled pie and place in a 300 deg. oven for 20 min. until the top browns slightly.

In serve situation the lowest price on levitra person can also have immature sperms. Your uterus will also tend to tilt (usually to the cialis cost right) causing the ligament to spasm and resulting in an absence of quality i.e. impotence. Sildenafil Citrate is available in buy cialis cheap icks.org 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg etc. More and more men these days suffer from erectile dysfunction, but they either ignore or hide the fact they are inexperienced in lovemaking on line levitra to their females.
I just want to mention that pumpkin makes a wonderful cheese cake and there are a lot of pumpkin cheesecake recipes in books, magazines and on the web, especially at this time of year, too many to pick one for this article. My personal favorite is Kraft’s Philadelphia Cream Cheese Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake. Find it on their web site.

For reference the basic Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix is:
1 cup sugar-preferably bar or super-fine sugar
½ tsp. EACH salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice
Stir everything together in a glass jar. Screw on the lid and shake well and put in a cool dark place for several days to incorporate the flavors, shaking every day or so to keep them blended. This can be adjusted to suit personal preference.

 

 

 

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie– This is a great pie for anyone who doesn’t like the more intense flavor of pumpkin custard or to serve in warm weather.
1 baked pie shell- this is especially good with cinnamon and sugar and/or ground nuts added into the dough
1Tbs. gelatin softened in ¼ cup cold water
1 ½ cups cooked pumpkin
½ cup sugar
¾ tsp. salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
2 eggs-separated
1 cup milk
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts, pecans or Brazil nuts for garnish
Beat the egg yolks slightly; combine with the seasonings milk and pumpkin inch and cook over boiling water stirring constantly 5 min. Add the gelatin and stir until dissolved. Chill until slightly thickened. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks then add the sugar, beat to stiff peaks and fold into the pumpkin mixture. Pour into the baked shell, garnish with the nuts and chill until firm. Serve cold.

Pumpkin Crumble: Serves 18-20*
1 box plain yellow cake mix
1 stick butter or margarine at room temp. + 4 Tbs. chilled
4 eggs
(2) 15 oz. cans pumpkin
(1) 5 oz. can evaporated milk
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 Tbs. Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix –See blend recipe above
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Whipped cream for topping
Grease and flour a 13X9 inch baking pan. Reserve 1 cup of the cake mix and blend the rest on low speed, with 1 egg and the stick butter until combined. Press into the bottom and slightly up sides of the pan. Using same bowl and beaters, combine the pumpkin, 1 cup sugar, spices, milk and remaining eggs and beat until lighter in color and texture, about 2 min. Pour into prepared pan. With clean bowl and beaters, on low speed, beat the reserved cake mix, sugar and butter until crumbly; stir in the nuts and sprinkle it over the custard. Bake in a 350 deg. preheated oven 70-75 min. Center should still jiggle, but nuts should have browned. Cook 20 min. on a wire rack. Serve topped with whipped cream. Cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

 

 

 

Pumpkin Roulade: Serves 16
Filling
8 oz. cream cheese
(1) 8 oz. tub Cool Whip
1 tsp. maple flavoring or vanilla
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans

Cake
1 box plain spice cake mix
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup buttermilk (or 1 ½ tsp. vinegar in ½ cup milk, allow to stand 10 min.)
1/3 cup vegetable, seed or nut oil
4 eggs
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Parchment paper
Butter for preparing pan
Make the cake: Butter the bottom only of a 16 ½ X 11 ½ X 1 inch jelly roll pan. Line it with the parchment, leaving a couple inches overlap on the ends, and butter the paper. Put the cake ingredients in a bowl and beat, scraping the sides, until batter is thick and combined about3min. Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with a spatula. Bake on the center rack of a preheated 350 deg. oven for 15-17 min. until it springs back when pressed with a finger. Liberally dust a clean kitchen towel and starting with the long side, carefully roll the cake away from you in the towel. Place seam side down on a flat surface to cool for about 20 min.
Make the filling: Beat the first 3 ingredients until smooth. Stir in the nuts.
Assembly: Carefully unroll the cake enough to generously spread the inside with the filling; reroll, pulling the towel away as you go. Place the filled cake seam side down on a serving platter and chill. Just before serving, generously dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Optionally: If you think the cake seems split in places, and it will as it’s rolled, have a can of vanilla or cream cheese frosting ready. Garnish with sprinkled cinnamon or nuts.

*These two recipes are based on but modified from ones in The Cake Doctor by Ann Byrn

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Cake: Serves 8-10 This is James Beard’s recipe. Though ‘from scratch’ it’s as easy as a mix and can be made with any winter squash.
½ cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup cooked pumpkin
3 cups sifted cake flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. EACH salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice
½ cup buttermilk (or 1 ½ tsp. vinegar in 1/2cup milk and allow to stand 10 min.)
½ cup chopped toasted nuts
Sift the dry ingredients. Cream the butter well then cream in the sugar, beat until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and pumpkin; add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, mix until batter is smooth. Add the nuts and pour into a greased and floured sheet cake pan 11X 14X 2 or two layer pans. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 35 min. for a sheet cake, 25 min. for layers. Cook 5 min. on a rack then turn out and cool completely on a rack. Frost with caramel, cream cheese or vanilla icing. Decorate with additional toasted nuts if desired.

Pumpkin Cookies: Yield about 3 ½ doz. From the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics Cookbook
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg beaten
2 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped toasted peanuts
1 cup raisins
½ cup chocolate chips-optional
Sift dry ingredients. Cream together the butter and sugar; add the eggs and pumpkin and blend well. Add the dry ingredients and stir into a soft batter. Stir in the nuts, raisins and chips, if using. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an unoiled cookie sheet , leaving a little room to spread. Bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 10-15 min. until edges begin to brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight jar.

BAKING BASICS AND OPTIONS

Hey everyone, with the holidays just ahead, interest in cooking, especially baking, reaches an annual high. Baking Basics and Options can be a big help in answering questions you may have in the weeks ahead. The best part is it’s Free on this site. To get your copy, simply click the box on the right margin. My apologies for editing errors, there seem to have been a layout problem formatting my Word doc. for publication, but I didn’t want to delay getting the book out in view of the season.

This week’s posting is a reminder that if you plan baking projects, or to prepare a dinner for any or all of the holidays ahead, the time to buy the supplies is from now until mid-November. I caught onto this fact the hard way five years ago. That fall I noticed there were deep, constant sales on baking ingredients, vegetables, accessory dishes like cranberries and stuffing mix, even turkeys. A few days after Thanksgiving, I set out, cookie list in hand, with high hopes but was brought up short. The prices had returned to normal, some even higher. I waited in vain for December holiday sales and by Christmas calculated my dinner had cost almost double what it would have the month before.

So please take my advice and begin to stock-up on the items you need for the holidays as you see the sales in the coming weeks, especially the baking supplies. That’s where you’ll realize the biggest savings, since many ‘baking’ ingredients are basic to other dishes in a meal as well, soups, gravies, sauces, puddings. Buying gradually also allows the food costs to be defrayed by amortizing them, rather than having them swell the other holiday expenses.

Another advantage to buying ahead is that it gives people time to examine the options and decide what they want, and in the past few decades, each of the baking basics categories has added a lot of options. Some were introduced for medical reasons, the emergence of the gluten allergy, the increase of diabetes and the attention to managing cholesterol for example. Also, most countries have experienced growing ethnic diversity, adding new food products to the market shelves. Finally, improved air transport, both of people and products, has given rise to an insatiable culinary curiosity, the urge to explore different cuisines and the demand that the ingredients be available.

The result is that we have an amazing array of products to choose from. Whether you’re cooking to accommodate an allergy, please a guest, try something new or just upgrade an old recipe, there’s a solution to your baking needs out there for you. If it isn’t on the store shelf, it’s on the web.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baking Basics and Options offers a guide to help you decide which item is best for your project, to advise you on what to buy, even what to look for if you’re in doubt. It describes the natural ingredient choices in all four basic categories of baking supplies; flour, sugar, fats (shortening) and dairy, not synthetic s and/or substitutes. There are more than enough of those items, especially sweeteners, to fill their own book, and often selection is determined by specific need.

Probably the most fundamental component in baked goods is flour. The book describes the milling process explaining how the various grades are produced; whole wheat, white, unbleached, bleached, all-purpose, cake and self-rising. It mentions and defines many grains, other than wheat, oat, corn, rice, whose flour is now available, either in the international section of supermarkets and/or in health food or ethnic stores. Included in the alternatives, is potato flour and a discussion of the gluten allergy.

Sugar is another fundamental component of baking. As mentioned above, this is the category with the most alternatives, often synthetic. Not only are there too many to include in this book, but also most substitutes are used in connection with specific diets, medical or cosmetic. Since the majority of ‘sweeteners’ are known by brand names a discussion can be construed as a recommendation. So I’m sticking to the natural traditional sources; sugar cane, beets, corn and honey. If you do choose an alternative sweetener, the important things are to be sure you choose the right one, use the proper amounts and that it bakes as well as sugar.

Ample blood flow, then, buy viagra soft is vital to erectile health. If a man online pharmacies viagra consumes it without arousal, it would not work otherwise. Whether the problem is big or small, cialis buy uk impotence affects your love life to a great extent. Many doctors suggest people facing erectile dysfunction to have sildenafil online. levitra comes on the top most list of the doctors suggest Kamagra jelly after thorough examination of the patient, chiropractors will be able to determine the severity of the condition. As with flour, the discussion follows the sugar refining process from cane to kitchen, describing the familiar products; brown sugar, light and dark, white in table, bar, powdered, how to make the last two at home, and molasses. It includes descriptions of extracting beet sugar as well as milling and processing corn into syrup, and a definition of that dreaded word ‘fructose’. Of course honey, the most ancient sweetener is mentioned too. There’s also a guide to using these products interchangeably.

Fats, referred to in baking as shortenings are a bit more complex because they can be either animal derived, like butter and occasionally requested lard, or vegetable based, like Crisco and seed and nut oils. Either way they raise the question of calorie and cholesterol content, but they are responsible for keeping the baked texture light or ‘short’ so it’s important to know how to choose the right one.

The book starts with the bad boys—the Saturated Fats. These are of animal origin and include butter, lard, cream and some tropical plant oils like palm and coconut. The commonality is that they retain solid form at room temperature. Saturated fat is a slow burning energy source and the excess is stored in cells which can accumulate to cause obesity and obstruct normal organ function.

 

 

 

 

The middle-men are the Trans Fats or Trans Fatty Acids as they are often called. These are liquid oils that have been hydrogenated. Air atoms are forced into them altering them chemically and causing them to solidify. The most familiar examples are margarines and Crisco and the oils most used as bases are sunflower, cottonseed, rapeseed, safflower and soybean. Crisco was introduced in the U.S. in the early 20^th century by Procter & Gamble as an alternative to expensive rendered cooking fats. Margarine, a German discovery, dates back to thrifty Napoleon looking for ways to feed his army, gained its foothold both in England and the U.S. through food rationing during WWII.

The problem is that when the oil molecules are solidified by hydrogenating, the body can’t distinguish them from those of saturated fat. Manufacturers have given much attention to this problem and margarines have undergone real changes. Most have phased out hydrogenated oils, eliminating trans fats, and rely on a mixture of vegetable oils and cream or milk. Even those targeted for specific markets, medical or religious, use emulsifiers rather than hydrogenated oils. It’s important to read the labels when buying margarine because there are so many verities on the market.

Polyunsaturated or Monounsaturated oils are clear vegetable, nut or seed oils that remain liquid at room temperature. Some, such as fish oils, contain polyunsaturated oil known as Omega-3 fatty acid which has the positive effect of lowering cholesterol. Other oils may not have so directly beneficial an effect on our health, but they don’t raise cholesterol and may actually lower it as well. Unfortunately, the liquidity prevents most of these oils from ‘setting’ in a cooled baked object, ruining the texture. It’s best to rely on the recipe for guidance.

Unlike flour and sugar, fats have specific storage requirements. Ones that solidify require cold storage; liquid oils should be kept in dark cook places and have limited shelf lives. Improperly handled, they can spoil, or become ’rancid’. The book deals with these questions.

Dairy products are the fourth and final important baking components and eggs are usually the first thought. The regular substitutes are discussed, but so is a non-dairy alternative I found helping a child with a severe allergy. I break my rule and recommend a brand name, because this was such a perfect solution.

Milk has several alternatives, soy and nut milks, which have longer shelf lives and add flavoring are popular. Canned milk is another option. Evaporated milk is excellent for baking, both skim and whole, but they have different applications which the book addresses. Sweetened Condensed Milk is in a class alone.

At this point the book goes on to discuss flavorings, which are also common baking ingredients. The definitions of chocolate designations and when to use vanilla bean are included for example. Extracts are also discussed. The book ends with selected recipes as illustrations.

HOW TO FREEZE PEACHES, CORN AND GREEN BEANS FOR WINTER

Last week, we discussed freezing zucchini to enjoy later, but there are other items available in late summer which can be similarly preserved to have handy during the months ahead. I’m not talking about ‘stocking up for the winter’. That’s far too time and space consuming for today’s lifestyle. This is about having enough of certain produce items to make a featured dish for a holiday feast, or to serve as occasional reminders of warm, sunny days during cold, snowy ones.

Still, not all of the produce so plentiful in the early fall is suitable for freezing. The best way to tell is to check the glass cases in the supermarkets. If an item isn’t there, it doesn’t commercially flash-freeze well and won’t survive the slower domestic process. This especially applies to things with high water content and soft flesh, tomatoes, plums and eggplant for example. The frozen water content forms crystals which attach to the other frozen elements in their make-up, thaw faster and drain the item of its juice and flavor, leaving a deflated, pulpy mass. These items are better canned, or for tomatoes, optionally, dehydrated, allowing the juices to remain or dry in the flesh, retaining flavor.

You’ll probably think that the best choices from the late summer crops to freeze, green beans, corn and peaches are ‘Ho-hum already done’ and you’d be right. However, I can promise you the difference in texture, flavor and appearance between commercially processed and what you do yourself, will be a happy surprise, no, make that shock.

There are a few tips to simulate the commercial flash-freezing process which help to assure a good result. The difference between treatment of the 3 items discussed here is noted at each step. Of course, they should be cleaned and prepped first; the beans trimmed, any strings removed, the corn husked and silk brushed off, the peaches washed, stems removed.

• For corn and peaches bring a pot of water to a boil, for beans use a skillet.
  1) Immerse the beans only until they turn bright green (blanched) about10-15 sec.
  2) Dip the peaches about 10-30 sec. until the skins will peel easily
  3) Cook the corn on cob about 5 min. until just beginning to tenderize.
• Immediately run cold water over the produce to stop the cooking
• Spread a counter top with paper towels
  1) Lay the beans and corn cobs out, separated, to dry
  2) Using a sharp knife, peel the skin off the peaches. Do not allow to dry. Start freezing prep.
• Cover cookie sheets with waxed paper
  1) Spread the beans out separately on the cookie sheet and freeze
  2) Brace the bottom of each corn cob in the center of a tube pan. Using a sharp knife, slice off the kernels, letting them fall into the pan. Spread them evenly over the lined sheet and freeze.
  3) Slice the peaches, about 6 per half, directly onto the lined sheet, not overlapping, and freeze.
• Freeze the produce according to your freezer’s rate, usually between 40-60 min.

All the medical association in the world has order cheap viagra approved the medicines as safe one and can be used by the women. It helps men consistently get and keep an erection for a longer period of buy sildenafil online time. While locked away at the mental institution, Valley Springs, purchase cialis online Brandon develops significant relationships with two female patients. sildenafil canada pharmacy In the event that is it so than men can make women crazy.
To Package: The reason for freezing the produce on cookie sheets is to capture color, freshness and taste. The reason to take pains to be sure there’s no overlapping is to avoid clumping and damage in storing, as well as to make it easy to remove a desired portion. It’s important the packaging maintain these assets.

• Use zip lock bags or square plastic boxes with secure lids, like those used for dinner entrees.
• Do not let the items thaw, package for storage quickly
• Place the items in the containers individually, not overlapping
• If layering is necessary to fill the container, separate them with accordion-like folds of waxed paper-not plastic wrap
  1) the corn is best in bags and should be spread to an even thickness
  2) The beans can be arranged in a uniform layers in bags or boxes.
  3) The peach slices should be placed individually in each layer, and dusted with a thin coating of powdered sugar before being covered with the paper for the next layer, in boxes.
• Make room in the freezer to store these containers flat, even stacked, but never on end, allowing the contents to clump together

Cooking: Because these items have been blanched and domestically frozen, which takes more time than the commercial flash method, they take a few minutes less time to cook. Here are some general guidelines. Individual recipes follow.

• Normally green beans need 15 min.to steam or boil. These should be checked at about 10 min. frozen, 8 min. thawed. Take about 5 min. off roasting time too.
• It takes about 2 ears of corn for a single serving as a side dish and that’s a lot to freeze. If you have room for this-fine, but if not use this corn to add to casseroles, salads, side combos or even salsa. Done this way it will stand up to cooking in a dish or just being tossed in a salad.*
• The peaches quickly lose their juice when thawed and are best used directly from the freezer. Remember they have a thin coating of sugar and adjust other ingredients accordingly

*I come from a state famous for its white table corn. My Mother-in-Law was a master at freezing it. She taught me the tube pan trick and her winter dinners occasionally featured sides of buttered corn. She froze it in 1 cup bags which she considered a single portion or the amount usually required for adding to 4 portion dishes. She stored the bags in large plastic containers in the freezer. If you’re a corn lover and have access to a lot of it, plus the freezer space, this is the way to go.

Now on to the recipes.

Beans: Hand select the beans to be frozen, choosing the largest, firmest, straightest ones. This assures even freezing and makes the best presentation later. As stated above, they cook as directed for commercially frozen ones, only for a bit less time, depending on your appliances and can be used in the same ways. Always serve these whole; cut beans are too ordinary to be ‘special ‘.

 

 

Of course, the easiest and often most attractive way to serve green beans is simply to add toppings. Fresh herbs such as thyme, sage and rosemary are favorite toppings and mushrooms and Karmelized onions are popular add-ins too. Broiled portabellas, sliced, are wonderful, so are button caps first lightly broiled in butter with soy sauce added, then reheated, poured over the beans. A good entrée suggestion is:

Ham and Beans au Gratin: Serves 4
1 lb. beans or about 80 whole beans
8 slices Deli ham – custom cut 1/16 to 3/8 of an inch thick
½ cup grated sharp cheese
2 cups milk
4 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. flour
¼ tsp. garlic powder
Salt& pepper
Paprika and dried parsley for garnish
1 envelope chicken bouillon granules –optional
Parboil the beans until crisp tender, about 8 min. Shock under cold water and drain well. Divide the beans into 8 piles of 10 beans each, and wrap each bundle in a slice of ham. Place bundles in a greased dish, seam side down. Make a simple cream sauce by heating the butter in a saucepan until it foams, Add the flour and stir to a smooth paste. Quickly add the milk, return to medium heat and stir constantly until sauce becomes smooth and thick, about 3 min. Add seasonings; pour the sauce over the bean-ham bundles and top with the cheese and garnish. Bake at 350 deg. until bubbly and cheese melts and browns slightly, about 15 min. Serve hot at once. Tip: plate with a spatula, taking care to serve the bundles intact.

Corn: Don’t try to freeze corn-on-the-cob. It isn’t that great commercially and even worse domestically. Make sure the ears are silk-free before you cut the kernels off because shreds of silk will mat them when frozen and can ruin any dish.

As stated, the best use of the corn is as an addition to another dish, and, of course, that depends on the recipe for the dish. If it’s a cold salad or salsa, dip the bag with the corn into boiling water for about 3 min. then shock under cold. Otherwise just add to the recipe as directed. The following salad is a refreshing change in winter

Corn Salad: Serves 4
2 cups corn kernels-thawed and parboiled-see directions above
½ a jarred fire-roasted red pepper- in thin strips about ½ inch long

 

 

2 scallions-white and light green portions only, sliced thin
1/3 of a green bell pepper –finely diced
1/3 cup light vinaigrette
4 medium tomatoes seeds hollowed out or 4 Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise and seeds removed.
Mix the vegetables; toss with the dressing, fill the tomatoes and chill before serving.

Peaches: Keep the peaches in the boiling water only long enough to loosen the skin. The riper the peach the less time it takes. Hold the peach on a slotted spoon under cold water, until cool enough to handle; prick it with a paring knife and peel off the skin. Place the peaches on a waxed paper covered flat surface until all the fruit is peeled, then begin slicing each for freezing over the paper covered cookie sheet, making sure the slices don’t touch. Freeze, then lightly dust with powdered sugar as boxed.

When frozen, place the slices in a 4 inch square freezer box. Supermarkets sell these in 3-packs. Place the slices, without touching, in layers and separate the layers with a long strip of waxed paper woven accordion style between layers. Peaches are best used frozen and thawed in a dish’s preparation. Remember in using them that they are lightly sugared and adjust the recipe.

Frozen this way peaches consume more room than packaged in bags, so, unless you have a lot of space, they’re best reserved for accessory dishes like salsas and sauces. If you plan a dish using a quantity of them, like a pie, for a winter event, make it, then freeze it in a metal pan, and bake it frozen, just add about 15 min. to the oven time.

Peach Salsa; Yield 3 cups
2 cups peaches
½ cup sliced grape tomatoes-or chopped tomato
½ green bell pepper-chopped
1 scallion-thinly sliced-white and green parts only
Generous dash garlic powder
Dash cayenne pepper
1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and allow flavors to meld for about 20 min. Store covered and chilled for 2 days. Serve with fish, poultry and rice.

Peach Syrup Topping –Filling: Yield 1 ½ cups
1cup peaches
1 Tbs. butter
1/3 cup apple juice

 

 

1tsp.lemon juice
1 tsp. corn starch
Pinch powdered ginger-optional
Sugar to taste-if needed-preferably brown
1 tsp. – 1 Tbs. Brandy, rum, Madera or Triple Sec-optional—extracts may be substituted
Mix the liquids and flavorings in a cup and dissolve the corn starch. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the peaches, gently stirring and shaking until the color brightens 1-2 min. Add the liquid and continue stirring gently until the mixture thickens and clarifies-3 min.

Use over ice cream or slices, optionally toasted, of pound or angel food cake.

Quick Dessert Cups: Serves 6
12 wonton wrappers
2 Tbs. butter
1 ½ cups peach filling
½ cup whipped cream or flavored yogurt
2 Tbs. all fruit spread-optional, but keeps pastry from becoming soggy if cups are prepared ahead.
6 cup muffin pan
Place a wrapper diagonally in each muffin cup. Brush with butter and lay another diagonally across the first, so the 4 corners stand up in points. Brush with butter and bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 10 min. until golden. Cool and remove from the pan; can be done ahead. Spread a teaspoon of the jam in the bottom of each wonton cup, and divide the filling among them. Top with a dab of yogurt or whipped cream.

Don’t forget the thawed peach slices can be used by themselves scattered over ice cream, meats, in salads, mixed with winter fruits in compotes and other ways, even over cereal to brighten a dreary winter morning.

SAVE SOME ZUCCHINI FOR WINTER

At the end of summer we’re often so focused on the luscious stone fruits, peaches, plums, etc., the big, ripe tomatoes and the sweet yellow corn that we tend to take another currently plentiful produce item for granted-the zucchini, which may be most versatile ‘vegetable’ of all. (Zucchini is actually a fruit, specifically a berry.) It has an interesting history too.

Zucchini is not Italian, but like all squash, native to the Americas. It was brought to Europe centuries ago along with its cousin the yellow squash. Together they were called ‘summer squash’; a name still used for the yellow ones. The Northern Italians, especially the Milanese and Tuscans developed the green squash into the product as we now know it, as well as a golden version, and gave it its present name, which is generally universal, though in England it’s called a ‘Marrow’ and in France a ‘Courgette’. Zucchini’s easy cultivation and adaptability to other ingredients led to its quick inclusion in ethnic cuisines as far East as Turkey.

It didn’t return to the U.S. until the late 19^thcentury and remained relatively unnoticed until we began our culinary expansion in the 1970s. Now it’s hard to find a cookbook without several listings and, like cantaloupe, a cultivated, cosmetic, version is available all year at a stable price. It’s so versatile that it can be found in dishes for every meal in everything from bruschetta starters, to entrees, to baked goods. For this reason, I’m not going to include a long list of recipes for zucchini but rather deal with how to use it and/or preserve it especially the farm produced local crops.

Zucchini is very prolific and there’s often a surplus at the end of the season, even for back-yard gardeners. One partial solution, I’m told, is to eat the flowers before they mature. These are delicious prepared stuffed or fried in recipes readily available especially on the web, but usually there is still over abundance at this time of year.

Due to high water content, zucchini doesn’t freeze well, even by commercial flash-freezing. Whole it deflates when thawed and slices clump in freezing. So how does one avoid wasting the extra? I’ve had some success for short periods, freezing thick slices on a cookie sheet before bagging them or freezing it in a sauced dish like ratatouille. However, one of the best ways to preserve zucchini is to accept the fact that it’s going to change texture, become limp and combine it, with other ingredients, into a ‘base’, which will keep for several months, for future dishes. Food Tips and Cooking Tricks by David Joachim has an excellent recipe for such a base and ideas on how to use it but, of course, once made, you can use it as you please.

 

 

Zucchini Base; Yield 8 cups
5 lbs. zucchini –shredded*
1 onion -finely chopped
1 garlic clove- minced
2 Tbs. oil
Saute onion and garlic in oil until softened. Add zucchini and stir until soft. Cool drain most of the moisture by squeezing in a towel or pressing in a colander. Freeze in desired sized containers with firm lids.
* To shred, use a food processor or the large teeth of a hand grater, but avoid the seedy core.

USES: Add salt and pepper as desired to all the below
Chilled Zucchini Soup: 4 servings
1 chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove
2 Tbs. butter
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. coriander
1/8 tsp. red pepper
3 ½ cups base
3 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
1cup plain yogurt
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts
Saute the onion and garlic in the butter until soft. Add the base, seasonings and broth. Simmer 10 min. Add the yogurt and chill. Puree if desired and serve garnished with walnuts.

Hot Zucchini Soup: Serves 4
Follow the directions for the chilled soup omitting the coriander, reducing the curry powder to 1 tsp., changing the yogurt to light cream and optionally choosing beef broth. The addition of left-over meat is welcome as are cooked pasta, diced potatoes or rice.
Kamagra is a medicine brand viagra online navigate to these guys in itself that has a wide range of medicines based on allergies, Alzheimer, antibiotics, antifugal,anxiety,cancer,hairloss,high blood pressure, insomnia, diabetes skin care and much more can be the reason behind this disorder. If levitra price http://djpaulkom.tv/freelance-academic-writing-jobs-for-blog-writers-4/ you masturbate many times a day and have a cigarette, your mind will not derive any pleasure from it. You are quite lucky to have so many medicines cheapest price on tadalafil around them. discover this now levitra online from india Establishing canine care through a chiropractor is often asked to provide care.
Primavera Sauce: Serves 4
1lb. shaped pasta
Follow the directions for the soups, slicing the onion and substituting oil for the butter. Omit the seasonings and add 3 medium chopped tomatoes and 2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil with the base. Cook 2 min. and serve over cooked pasta garnished with ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese and pass extra cheese.

Stuffed Eggplant: Serves 4
2 eggplants -split lengthwise, seeds removed and most of the meat scooped out and diced
Follow the directions for the sauce, mix it with the diced eggplant and use it to stuff the eggplant shells. Top with the cheese and bake on a sheet in a preheated 350 deg. oven until tender, about 30 min. Serve at once.

Another way to reduce a zucchini surplus is to cook it into baked goods. There are recipes for zucchini bread, muffins and cakes everywhere. Once baked, these items can be frozen and enjoyed months later. Chocolate Zucchini Bread is a real treat in winter. Just add ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the flour and stir ½ cup mini chocolate chips in with the zucchini to convert any bread recipe. For more great sweet zucchini recipes see The Moosewood Restaurant New Classic Cookbook.

Of course, zucchini is best fresh. If confronted with a quantity, it keeps only a few days at room temperature but over a week refrigerated. There are several ways to prepare it which require larger amounts per serving. One is to grill it because it shrinks over the fire.

Stuffed Zucchini: Serves 4
Follow the above recipe substituting 4 zucchini for the eggplant. Simply remove the seeds, stuff with ground meat and cook in the preheated 350 deg. oven for 20 min. for beef, 30min. for other meats, topping with the cheese halfway through. Serve hot with tomato sauce on the side.

Grilled Zucchini: Allow double the amount per portion. This serves 3-4
Cut in thick slabs and marinate in Italian vinaigrette for about an hour. Alternately for 1 ½ lbs. zucchini mix ½ cup salad oil, ½ tsp. garlic powder and ½ tsp. dried basil, plus salt and pepper to taste for the marinade. Grill about 2-3 min. per side until slightly charred.

Roasting zucchini also shrinks it so a larger amount is required per portion. For 1 ½ -2 lb. Toss with 2 Tbs. oil, pinch each garlic powder, crushed fennel seeds (optional) dried basil and dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Roast on a sheet in a 400 deg. oven 25-30 min. until vegetables are tender and browned. Serve with Parmesan curls or crumbled Feta.

Fried Zucchini is a great way to use extra zucchini. Allow 1 ½ to 2 per person. Cut the zucchini lengthwise and remove seeds. Cut across into 4 quarters and Julianne each into 3 pieces. Drain on towels for 1 hr. then dredge in flour, shake off excess and lay pieces out on a cookie sheet. Freeze slightly to firm, about 20 min. Heat about 3 inches oil in an open pot and fry zucchini in batches until brown. Drain on paper towels and salt lightly. This works best in an open pot, not a ‘fryer’ but be careful adding the cold zucchini as the oil will sputter.

Baked Zucchini Sticks are an easier option to frying. Cut zucchini as above but only into 8 pieces. For 3 medium zucchini, dip into 3 lightly beaten egg whites mixed with ½ tsp. water then roll in a mixture of ½ cup flour, ½ cup grated Parmesan. ½ cup breadcrumbs, ½ tsp. garlic powder and ¼ tsp. salt. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 20 min. until golden. Serve at once. Makes 24.

Microwaving zucchini is my favorite method to cook it for everyday eating. It’s so easy to slice one, add a quarter of an onion sliced, a drizzle of oil, pinch of garlic powder, salt, pepper and herb(s) of choice, basil, oregano, rosemary, fennel ,and nuke it for 3-5 min. until crisp tender. Topped with Parmesan, it’s a great vegetable side, but it’s also good on toast as a snack or sandwich.

 

 

The addition of tomatoes and, optionally, peppers turns it into an instant ratatouille, which is not only a good side, or sandwich filling but makes excellent bedding for fish. Simply spread it in the bottom of a dish, place the fish on top and bake or broil until cooked. Yum!

The added advantage, when made with canned diced tomatoes, is that this concoction freezes for about a month and can be perked up with the addition of cooked cut green beans, mushrooms or spinach to serve at a later date. The addition of rice and sausage, leftover ham or hot dog slices turns it into a quick dinner casserole. It’s a way both of using up fresh zucchini, and also preserving surplus.

So if you see zucchini sales in the market, pass a farm stand with a sign, or are a backyard gardener coping with a big crop, don’t worry. There are ways to take advantage of the sale prices and/or excess without wasting it and you’ll be glad you did. As ordinary as the taste may seem to us now, I can guarantee it will be a welcome change in January.

 

EASY DINNERS FOR BUSY FALL NIGHTS

Fall may be the ‘busiest’ time of year. Getting back into regular routines and adjusting to new schedules, often involving orientations, can be stressful. To those responsible for providing dinners, it’s even more so because the time to prep has to be figured into their day as well. The choice of meal can be a problem too. Sometimes it has to be delayed, and occasionally served in shifts, which means it has to hold well, or be a quick-fix.

As a provider, read Mother, who was often involved in school activities, I had a couple of other requirements. The dinner had to be easy to clean-up and not involve a cooking method that could necessitate a wardrobe change- NO frying, even sautéing.

Over the years, I collected several recipes that I turned to each September. Please check the site Archives for Sept. 2013 Quick Weekday Dinner Recipes for Busy Families and Sept.2015 Amazing Back-to-School Dinners. Simply click BLOG on the header and then select the month and year from the drop-down box on the right side of any page. This year’s entries are a whole new group of recipes and perhaps a bit more upscale, but still well within my requirements.

Unlike past years, some of these recipes require sides. My go-tos are usually frozen French Fries, or Couscous cooked with an envelope of bouillon granules, 1 Tbs. dried parsley and ½ tsp. lemon juice. Of course, a can of sweet potatoes, red beets, or (1) 15oz. can of creamed corn, plus (1) 8 oz. can of whole corn mixed with 2 eggs and sprinkled with cinnamon, microwaved for 2 min.to make a quick corn pudding are also side solutions, as are the many available packaged rice and pasta mixes. Only one recipe will need a vegetable as well.

Most of the dishes below can be made ahead and refrigerated for days, even frozen and finished in the oven or microwave. All will make your weeknights easier.

Make Ahead Beef Skewers: Serves 4 –A make-ahead, easy cook meal. Can be cooked in shifts.
½ cup oil-canola preferred
1/3 cup Teriyaki sauce
2 Tbs. Soy sauce
3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
¾ tsp. mustard powder OR 1 tsp. spicy brown mustard
½ tsp. garlic powder OR 2 tsp. fresh minced

 

 

 

 

1 ½ lbs. lean beef in 2 inch cubes-round, or chuck
2 medium zucchini in 2 inch slices
2 medium summer squash in 2 inch slices
1 red (or other color) bell pepper in 1 ½ inch pieces
(12) 10 inch skewers
Mix first 5 ingredients for the marinade. Alternately thread the meat and vegetables on the skewers, place in a glass or ceramic pan and pour the marinade over. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Uncover and broil (allowing dish to warm a bit) 4-6 inches from heat for 4-5 min. Turn and finish cooking to taste. These arealso great for grilling.

Flounder Rolls: Serves 4- Quick cooking, easy to prepare. Can be cooked in shifts.*
I devised this some years ago, for a child who loved spinach but hated fish. Then I was surprised to find out it freezes well using fresh fish, and can be cooked frozen, simply add 6 to 8 min. to the cooking time. Otherwise, just use frozen flounder or tilapia.
4 fish fillets – divided in half lengthwise
(2)10oz boxes of frozen chopped spinach – thawed and drained
2 envelopes chicken or beef bouillon granules
2 eggs
Ground nutmeg
2 tsp. butter
1 lemon quartered
Toothpicks
In a bowl, mix the bouillon packets and the eggs with the spinach, making sure they’re well combined. Divide the mixture into 8 portions, and roll a strip of flounder around each, tail end over the thicker one, leaving enough overlap to secure with a toothpick. Alternately, for larger rolls, divide the spinach into 4 portions and wrap each with 2 pieces of fish over lapping on each side. Press the tops and bottoms to compact the filling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and melt the butter in an ovenproof dish large enough to hold the fish rolls comfortably. Using a spatula, transfer the rolls to the dish, but be sure they are upright and the sides are straight. Sprinkle the tops with nutmeg, and bake about 20-25 min. until fish is very white and opaque, and eggs bubble out of the top making a white foamy sauce. Serve at once with pan juices. Garnish with lemon wedges.
* Can be frozen if using fresh fish, just allow about 5-8 min. of extra cooking time. Otherwise cook within 24 hours of making them, but store well chilled and covered.

 

 

Many methods, others than CBT, have also been suggested. order viagra on line You don’t have to worry much as it happens to almost everyone. buy generic cialis It is very frustrating when you are looking through the site cost of sildenafil ensure that the customer service contact details are functioning before you actually make a payment. tadalafil vs cialis It offers patients a genuine and branded medication, without any doctor’s prescription. Marinated Chicken in Orange Sauce: Serves 4- A make ahead, easy cooking recipe. Can be served in shifts*
1 cup orange juice-preferably fresh
1 Tbs. orange zest
4 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup honey
1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. dried tarragon
1 tsp. spicy brown mustard
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless breasts or skinless thighs
Place the chicken in a glass or ceramic dish. Mix the first 8 ingredients and pour over; cover, marinate refrigerated overnight. Allow dish to warm a bit and then bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 30 min. (40 for thighs) basting at least once. Plate and serve hot, with sauce over.
*This dish cooked, can be frozen. Cook about 5 min. less and reheat in 350 deg. oven for about 15 min. To cook it in shifts-prepare dish and set aside a portion. Reheat portion in the microwave for 2 min.to serve.

Linguine Salad with Ham and Vegetables: Serves 4-Can be frozen and eaten cold, room temperature or warm in shifts. Smoked turkey can substitute for the ham.*
8 oz. – 1 full 8 oz. cup frozen cut green beans or chopped broccoli – cooked(easily done in the microwave)
(1) 14 oz. can seasoned diced tomatoes- Italian or Mexican
½ lb. Deli sliced ham julienned or smoked turkey
½ cup grated Parmesan
¼ cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
1 medium onion in thin slices
(1) 2.25 oz. can sliced black olives – drained
½ cup oil
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 pkg. Good Seasons dressing mix
8 oz. cooked linguine
Optional for serving, toss with 1 ½ to 2 cups ‘baby’ spinach leaves, stems removed
Mix the dressing packet with the vinegar and oil; measure out 2/3 cup and save the rest for another use. Place all the other ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the measured dressing. Serve at room temperature, warm slightly or chill for later. Toss with or bed on spinach if desired, just before serving.
* Freeze, well covered. Thaw in the refrigerator and it’s ready to eat or be heated.

 

 

 

Couscous with Sausage and Vegetables: Serves 4-Can be made2 days ahead and served in shifts*
½ lb. Pork or Turkey link sausage Or 2 pkgs. Brown ‘n Serve sausage
3 cups cooked couscous*
1 each- medium zucchini and summer squash – cut in half lengthwise and sliced
2 small carrots -sliced
1 small onion cut in half and sliced
1 red bell pepper in large dice
¼ tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbs. oil
¾ tsp. curry powder
¾ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
1 cup vegetable bouillon
Salt to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 ½ Tbs. dried
Heat the oil in a medium pot with a lid and sauté the vegetables until soft, about 5 min. over medium heat. Remove vegetables to a plate and cook couscous* in the same pot, as directed on box. Return vegetables to the pot, with any juices, add the spices and bouillon; cover and let stand for 5 min. Meanwhile cook sausage in the microwave until most of the fat is exuded. Drain fat, slice sausage. The smaller ones in 4 pieces, larger links in about 6 slices each. Add sausage and parsley to couscous mix and adjust salt. Serve at once or refrigerate and reheat in the microwave as needed.