Thursday Recipes

Enjoy!

CRANBERRY PIE



My dad sent this recipe in a letter dated “18 No 79”. He wrote, “Here is a recipe for a pie. 1st the way it was in the paper and the way I made it.” This can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking, which is for sale on Amazon.com. (To buy a copy of it for your Kindle or tablet, click here.)

2 T cornstarch

1 C sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T butter

2 C cranberries

Pie crust

Blend 1st four ingredients & cook in double boiler until thick. Add next 3 ingredients & cook 10 minutes. Put in pie shell & bake at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes, covering pie with foil for the first 10-15 minutes. (Crust can be any kind you want, whether double crust or simply a bottom crust.)

VARIATION

2 Tbls cornstarch

3/4 C honey + 1/4 C molasses

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T margarine

1 1/2 C cranberries + 1 C canned cranberries (kind with berries in sauce)

Pie crust

Make as above.

ROASTED SQUASH AND APPLE CHOWDER WITH COLORFUL POTATOES

This is from the October 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 76. It starts off, “Puréed roasted butternut squash provides the creamy base for a hearty chowder. If making the chowder ahead, prepare the recipe through step 3, then assemble and reheat just before serving.” Serves 8.

To view this online, click here.

2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks (6 cups), divided

3 medium apples, peeled and diced (3 cups), divided

2 large leeks, white parts cut into 1-inch chunks (1 cup), plus 1/2 cup thinly sliced leek greens, divided

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. pure maple syrup

1 lb. multicolored potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1/2 cup apple juice

1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine 5 cups butternut squash chunks, 2 cups diced apple, leek whites, oil, and maple syrup in large bowl, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread squash mixture in single layer on prepared baking sheet, and roast 30 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Cook potato chunks and remaining 1 cup butternut squash in boiling, salted water 5 to 7 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

Purée roasted vegetables in blender until smooth. Add purée and apple juice to large soup pot with 4 cups water. Whisk in vinegar, and heat over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add boiled potatoes and squash, remaining 1 cup diced apple, and leek greens, and simmer 5 minutes, or until hot.

nutritional information Per 1 1/4-cup serving: Calories: 162; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 12 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 12 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

CHERRY CLAFOUTIS

This comes from Martha Rose Schulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “This classic French dessert looks fancy, but it is a cinch to make. I use yogurt in my clafoutis, although it isn’t traditional (the French use cream). And I always enjoy leftovers for breakfast.” Yield: Serves 8; Time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

This was featured in “A Short Season for Cherries”, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Cherry Clafouti

1 1/2 pounds (about 5 cups) fresh ripe cherries, stemmed and pitted if desired

2 tablespoons kirsch

6 tablespoons sugar

3 large eggs

1 vanilla bean, scraped

Pinch of salt

2/3 cup sifted unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup low-fat yogurt

2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Preparation

For the Cherry Clafouti

Toss the cherries with the kirsch and 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain over a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 10- or 10 1/2-inch ceramic tart pan or clafouti dish. Fill the dish with the drained cherries.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining sugar and the seeds from the vanilla bean. Add the salt and the liquid from the cherries, and combine well. Slowly beat in the flour, and whisk until smooth. Add the yogurt and milk, and combine well. Pour over the cherries, scraping out all of the batter with a rubber spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the clafouti is firm and puffed. Press gently on the top in the middle to see if it’s firm. If not, return to the oven for five minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. When the clafouti is warm or cool, sift on the powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip

Advance preparation: If you’re making this for a dinner, you can make it several hours ahead. The leftovers will keep for about three days in the refrigerator.

CREAMY CHICK’N AND RICE

This comes from Allyson Kramer, About.com’s Vegan Food expert. Allyson wrote, “You don't have to be an omnivore to appreciate a delicious dish of comforting "chick'n" and rice. Just like the traditional version, this vegan friendly recipe is chock full of creamy sauce as well as toothsome vegetables and tofu for texture. A perfect pick me up for a chilly evening!

“This recipe can be prepared ahead of time and frozen as well. To thaw, simply warm in a saucepan (along with a touch of nondairy milk) until it reaches the desired temperature.” Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Rice:

2 cups brown rice

2 teaspoons veggie bouillon (I like Edward & Son’s brand)

5 cups water

For the Sauce:

1 cube or teaspoon chick'n flavored veggie bouillon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 block extra firm silken tofu (add an extra 1/2 block of silken tofu + 1 tbsp nutritional yeast + 1/2 cube more bouillon if you want the dish to be extra creamy)

For the Tofu:

1 block extra firm tofu

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh minced sage

Salt to taste

For the Veggies:

2 cups portobello mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup carrot, diced

1 cup asparagus, chopped

1 tablespoon sage, minced

1 tablespoon rosemary, minced

Salt to taste

Preparation

To drain the tofu: Wrap the tofu in an absorbent towel and place a plate on top of the wrapped tofu. Place a heavy can or similar item on top of plate to weigh it down. Wait about 20 minutes before starting step two.

Begin cooking rice according to package directions. Add 2 cubes of vegetable bouillon to the water that you are cooking the rice in.

Prep your veggies and spices by washing, chopping, etc., and then place them in large frying pan over medium-low heat.

Cover and cook until carrots are soft. No need to add any oil. Salt if desired, and set aside when they are finished cooking.

Slice your tofu about 1/2 inch thick. Mix olive oil and sage together and brush onto tofu while it is on the grill or before placing into the oven. Lightly salt and cook. I used my George Foreman Grill to cook my tofu. Feel free to roast the tofu at 375 on a lightly greased cookie sheet for about 30 minutes, or until firm. When tofu is browned on both sides, remove from heat. Let cool and cut into bite sized pieces.

Make sauce by combining all “sauce” ingredients into a food processor. Blend until very smooth. Set aside.

Once the rice is finished cooking, combine everything together with the rice in the pot. Warm on low heat if needed. Serve hot.

PORTOBELLO PATTY MELTS

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “This is a traditional patty melt in all ways save the fact that the beef has been swapped out for roasted portobello-mushroom caps. It otherwise hews closely to the recipe served at Tiny Naylor’s drive-in restaurant in Los Angeles in the 1950s, and to the ones used in coffee shops and diners across the country. But those mushrooms! Roasted in the oven in a marinade of oil, balsamic vinegar, soy and garlic, they take on immense flavor and density, and provide a terrific foil to the caramelized onions, Swiss cheese and butter-griddled rye bread.” Yield: Serves 4; Time: 1 hour.

This was featured in “The Crispy Decadence of the Patty Melt” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 slices seeded rye bread

8 slices Swiss cheese, approximately 1/2 pound

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 minced garlic clove

8 clean portobello caps

Preparation

Caramelize onions. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet set over high heat. When it foams, add the onions and sprinkle with salt. Do not stir immediately. Wait 1 minute, then begin to stir frequently over high heat for 5 minutes or so, or until the onions have released some liquid and started to become translucent.

Reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, for what will seem like a very long time, until the onions are fully melted and dark golden brown, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Remove onions, and set them and the skillet aside. (You can caramelize the onions a day ahead of time and reheat slowly when you’re ready to cook.)

Take a small baking dish, and put into it olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and minced clove of garlic. Add portobello caps, then cover with foil, and roast in a 400-degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes, turning once.

Set the skillet to medium heat, and put four pieces of rye bread into the butter that remains from cooking the onions. Top each piece with a slice of cheese, then two portobello caps, then some of the caramelized onions, and finally another slice of cheese and another slice of rye. Use the spatula to press down on the packages, and after about a minute or so, carefully turn over each patty to begin to brown the other side. (You may need to add the additional butter.) Cook until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is golden brown and crisp on both sides. Slice in half before serving.

VEGETABLE STIR-FRY

Servings: 8

Source: The New American Heart Association Cookbook

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/240.shtml

Ingredients

1 pound fresh broccoli

1 teaspoon acceptable margarine

1 teaspoon acceptable vegetable oil

1 pound carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

12 ounces fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced (3-1/2 to 4 cups)

2 to 3 medium green onions, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

Pepper to taste

Directions

Separate broccoli florets so they are of small, uniform size. Peel tough stems; cut stems into 2-inch pieces.

In a large skillet or wok, heat margarine and oil over medium heat, swirling to coat bottom. Stir-fry broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and green onions for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 65; Protein: 3 g; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 57 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Carbohydrates: 11 g; Exchanges: 2 Vegetable, 1 Fat