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| CONTENTS:
Acorn Squash Lasagna | |
ACORN SQUASH LASAGNA |
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| I wanted to cook something one night with just the ingredients I had on hand (notice that there are no measured ingredients). It came out great but you've got to watch it because it does tend to dry out.
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| 1. Make a mixture of maple syrup, honey, and margarine, and heat it up in a saucepan. Slice the acorn squash thinly, place it in a small Pyrex casserole, pour the syrup over, put plastic wrap over it, and nuke it for about 12 minutes till tender. Mash it up well, adding some of the liquid in the bottom of the dish to get it nice and creamy.
2. Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles; caramelize some thinly-sliced onions; mix up the ricotta I had with a little egg and some fresh-ground nutmeg; and slice up the mozzarella really thin. 4. For this recipe, I opened a jar of Classico Roasted Red Pepper and Onion sauce (horrors!). I didn't bother to heat it up, just took it out of the jar. 5. Put some sauce in the bottom of a small, square, glass baking dish. Lay 3 strips of cooked lasagna on the sauce. Then spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture on top of the lasagna, then spread 1/2 of the squash mixture on top of the ricotta, then 1/2 of the onions on top of the squash, and put 3-4 pieces of mozzarella on top of the onions. Then put 3 more strips of lasagna, at a 90 degree angle to the first three, on top. Spread the rest of the ricotta, squash, onions, and mozzarella on top, then add a little bit of sauce, just to cover. Top with 3 more strips of lasagna (again, at a 90 degree angle to the previous three), and add a little more sauce to cover the lasagna on top. The object isnot to have a juicy, runny dish but one that has just the right amount of liquid in it. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for about 40 minutes. |
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| BIJOU BEANS (GREEN BEANS WITH WARM MUSTARD VINIAGRETTE) | |
| We were at my cousin's house for Christmas a few years
ago. They had a huge screened-in back porch that was great for keeping
food cold in the winter. We cooked a lot of the food Christmas Eve and
stored it on the porch, to be reheated the next day. Somehow on
Christmas Day, their bichon Bijou got locked out on the porch with the
food. When we went outside to get the beans,
there was Bijou, back paws on the chair, front paws on the table,
delicate little tongue *inside* the saran wrap covering the beans. When my cousin served dinner
that day, we all dutifully took some of the beans, then proceeded to
move them around the plate so it would look like they'd been eaten, not knowing *who* got the puppy spit! This recipe is originally from Sarah Leah Chase's Open-House
Cookbook, one of my all-time favorites. (The 1/2 tsp. of puppy spit is optional, of course.)
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| 1. Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Add the green beans and cook
until crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain well.
2. While the beans are cooking, place the shallots, mustard, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan. Heat, whisking constantly just til the mixture is hot to the touch. 3. Toss the hot green beans with the dressing to coat. Quickly add the dill and toss to combine. Serve at once. Serves 6-8. |
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| BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP | |
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Peel and cube one medium sized butternut squash. Put in a pot with a couple of ripe pears, peeled, cored, and diced, and a medium onion, peeled and diced. Cover with chicken broth. Simmer until squash and pears are very tender. Puree in a blender or food processor, or put through a food mill. Add s & p to taste. (Can be refrigerated at this point). When ready to serve, bring back to a simmer and add enough milk or half & half (depending on your taste) to thin a bit. You don't want it really thin. Ladle into flat soup plate and sprinkle with crumbled Gorgonzola. If you have another pear, place paper thin slices of unpeeled pear on top before sprinkling with the cheese - looks nice. |
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| CARAMELIZED BALSAMIC ONIONS | |
| Heat oil in frying pan or sauté pan. Add onions. cook over medium heat till soft and golden brown. Don't burn! Increase heat to high and add balsamic vinegar. Boil till reduced to a syrup. Season with s & p. Taste onions. Should be slightly sweet. Add 1/2 tsp. sugar if needed. |
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| CORN SOUFFLE | |
| Mix corn, flour, egg yolks, s & p & cayenne. Set aside. Add milk to melted butter. Pour into corn mixture and mix well. Beat egg whites to still but not dry. Fold into corn mixture. Pour all into an ungreased 1 1/2 qt. Casserole dish. Set dish in pan of water and bake in 350 oven for 1 hour or until top is golden and a knife comes out clean. |
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| CURRIED SWEET POTATO LATKES | |
| 1. Grate the sweet potatoes coarsely. In a separate bowl mix the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cayenne pepper, curry powder, cumin, and salt and pepper.
2. Add the eggs and just enough milk to the dry ingredients to make a stiff batter. Add the potatoes and mix. The batter should be moist but not runny; if too stiff, add more milk. 3. Heat 1/4 inch of peanut oil in a frying pan until it is barely smoking. Drop in the batter by tablespoons and flatten. Fry over medium-high heat several minutes on each side until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve. Yield: 16 three-inch pancakes |
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| EGGPLANT ROLLATO | |
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1. Slice the eggplant *lengthwise* very thinly, about 1/8" thick. Mix together in one bowl 2 eggs, cream, 1 Tbs. Parsley, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix bread crumbs and Romano together in another bowl.
2. Dip each piece of eggplant first in bread crumb mixture, then in egg mixture, then in bread crumb mixture again. 3. Saute quickly in pre-heated olive oil until golden brown. (you may need to keep adding olive oil as eggplant soaks it up but add it sparingly - this needs to be watched very carefully as it can burn quickly). As eggplant is done, drain the pieces on paper towel. 4. Grate mozzarella into ricotta and add remaining two eggs, parsley, and salt and pepper. Beat well. 5. At one end of each piece of eggplant, place a small amount of cheese mixture. Roll eggplant up so it looks like a jelly roll with cheese inside. Repeat with remaining pieces. 6. Cover bottom of 9 x 12 baking dish with a layer of tomato sauce. Lay each rolled eggplant on sauce until they all fit snugly in the pan. Top with a drizzle of tomato sauce but don't drench with sauce. 7. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until cheese is melted. Can be put together ahead and refrigerated overnight, then cooked the next day. |
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| GRATIN OF YUKON GOLD POTATOES, BACON AND ARUGULA | |
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Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels and drain.
Mix cream and milk (can use less cream and more milk if desired) in 4-cup measuring cup. Layer 1/3 of potatoes in prepared dish; overlap slightly. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top potatoes with half of arugula. Top with 1/3 of cheese and 1/3 of bacon. Pour 1 cup cream mixture over. Repeat layering. Top with remaining potatoes. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, remaining cheese and bacon. Pour remaining cream mixture over. Bake gratin uncovered until potatoes are tender and cream mixture thickens, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm, covered with foil, in 375°F oven about 30 minutes.) Makes 10 servings.
Bon Appétit |
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| GREEN BEANS GREMOLATA | |
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1. In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and Parmesan. Set aside.
2. Bring a 6-qt. Pot with 3 qts. Of salted water to boil. Add the string beans and cook until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain thoroughly and transfer to a large bowl. Toss the beans first with the olive oil to coat and then with the Gremolata mixture. Season the beans to taste with s&p and serve at once. Makes 8 servings. |
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| HORSERADISH MASHED POTATOES WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS | |
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Melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until deep golden, about 30 minutes. Add vinegar and thyme. Reduce heat to low; sauté 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Return to same pot; mash until smooth. Add 6 tablespoons milk, horseradish and 6 tablespoons butter; stir to blend. Thin with 2 tablespoons milk if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer potatoes to serving dish. Spoon onion mixture atop potatoes. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover with foil and refrigerate. Rewarm in 350°F oven about 30 minutes.) Serve hot. Serves 6.
Bon Appétit |
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| JULIENNE OF ZUCCHINI WITH PISTACHIO PESTO |
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| Parboil the pistachio nuts for 2 minutes, then rub briskly between towels to remove the skins. Put the pistachios, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process to a fine paste. Add the basil and process until pureed. With the machine running, add enough olive oil in a thin stream to make a mayonnaise consistence. Add salt to taste and set aside (see Note).
Sauté the zucchini in butter* for 4 to 5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Add the pesto and quickly toss to heat through. Serve immediately. NOTE: Pesto may be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Before using, bring to room temp. * We have found that the amount of butter specified turns the zucchini into a soupy mush. Use *much* less butter, as the zucchini give off enough moisture to keep them from burning. |
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| LYONNAISE POTATOES | |
| Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the potatoes in a pot of salted water. Bring the potatoes up to a boil and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and drain. In a large oven-proof saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté the onions until caramelized, about 8 to 10 minutes. Turn the onions into a bowl. Place the pan back on the stove and melt the stick of butter. When the butter has melted. Cover the bottom of the pan with 1/3 of the potatoes. Cover the first layer of potatoes with 1/2 of the onions. Cover the onions with 1/3 of the potatoes. Repeat the layering until all of the potatoes and onions are used. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven. Using a spatula, gently lift the potatoes out of the pan. Slice into 12 slices. Garnish with parsley. |
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| PEG'S POTATOES | |
| Peel potatoes. Cut in half, then slice 1/4" thick. Fry in oil until brown. Put in bowl and pour oil in to keep them moist. Cut onions into 1/4" slices, fry in oil till just before they burn. Season w/s&p. Mix onions & potatoes in big bowl with oil and let sit overnight in the refrigerator. Next morning, drain oil, warm in frying pan. |
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| POTATO LATKES | |
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1. Scrub potatoes well but leave peels on. Peel the onion.
2. Grate potatoes and onion coarsely into a roomy bowl. 3. Sprinkle with flour and add the eggs. Stir well with a fork until mixed. DO NOT ADD SALT. 4. Add 1/2 inch oil to hot skillet. Put 1/3 C measure of mixture in pan for each pancake and flatten with spatula. Fry till golden, flip, fry other side. 5. Drain on paper towels. |
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| PUMPKIN GRATIN |
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| This is my cousin Jeff Galkin's recipe, or as my son calls him, Chef Jeff. Jeff has worked for and with many distinguished chefs in the Washington, DC area, not the least among them Yannick Cam. Jeff made this recipe a few years ago for Thanksgiving dinner and now it's not Thanksgiving without it. When I asked Jeff for the recipe, of course he didn't have one, so the measurements are not exact. I highly recommend it - it's sinfully rich but truly delicious.
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1. Cut pumpkin into wedges. Put pumpkin on foil, dot with butter, sprinkle with salt & pepper, wrap in foil and bake at 375 until tender - approximately 1 hour. The pumpkin should be fork tender but NOT mushy.
2. Allow the pumpkin to cool, then remove the skin and cube. Set aside. 3. Saute onion in a small amount of olive oil and butter until it is tender and transparent. Set aside. 4. To prepare Bechamel sauce: Bring 2 C of milk to a boil. Add a small onion into which a clove has been inserted, plus 4 peppercorns and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Add a small amount of the milk mixture milk to a prepared roux* and whisk until smooth. Add a bit more milk, then pour roux mixture back into original saucepan with milk and bring to boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. Season with salt and nutmeg. 5. To assemble gratin: In a gratin dish, place cubed pumpkin, sauteed onion, and raisins. Add just enough Bechamel sauce to coat pumpkin but not so that it's submerged. Work the sauce around with a rubber spatula until it's well dispersed. Drizzle heavy cream over the top and coat with fresh grated Parmesan-Reggiano. 6. If the dish has been sitting on the counter a while before cooking, run it under the low-heat broiler to slowly heat up the contents, then turn the heat to full broil to brown the top. The low heat can be omitted if the dish goes directly into the broiler after being assembled. NOTE: A roux is made from mixing butter and flour. Jeff was unsure of the measurements but he said melt approximately 1 stick butter (1/4 C) in a saucepan and add in slowly 1/2 C flour. Cook until smooth and bubbly, then cook 1 minute longer. |
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| PUREED POTATOES AND APPLES | |
| Bring a large saucepan of water to boil and drop in potatoes and boil for about 25 minutes, adding apples after 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and apples and mash or whisk them together with sugar, salt & pepper, then add butter and whisk till smooth. |
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| SQUASH BRUCEE |
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| My husband Bruce invented this squash dish the other night. He served it along with "Catfish Brucee" (see Fish recipes). All measurements were in his head, so everyone will have to use their judgement!
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| Bake squash for one hour, scoop out flesh, and mix with brown sugar (to taste, a good handful), margarine, and marmalade (3-4 oz). Puree in food processor until smooth, and add orange juice. Put in pyrex pie plate and dot with margarine, brown sugar, and walnuts/pecans. Broil in oven for 5 min. or until brown sugar is melted and browning. Recommended to be served with Near East Mediterranean Couscous. |
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| STUPID POTATOES |
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| OK, so everyone wants to know how this dish got its name. I started making these potatoes years ago for my friend Rob who hates mayonnaise and won't eat potato salad, etc. Every time we had a barbeque he wanted me to make them and I would say - you want me to make those *stupid* potatoes AGAIN??? And the rest, as they say, is history...
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| Thaw frozen hash browns. Combine with rest of ingredients. Bake in 3 qt. casserole or large, flat baking dish for 45 in 350 oven. This recipe can easily be cut in half. |
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| THREE CORN CASSEROLE |
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| Another recipe from Mimi Hiller's award-winning website - great for both adults and kids!
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| In large bowl, mix together butter, sour cream and egg. Stir in cans of corn and corn muffin mix. Spoon mixture into buttered 2-quart casserole dish. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven, 45 minutes. Add cheese; stir well. Cook additional 15 minutes, or until dish is slightly puffed. |
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| ZUCCHINI CRAB CAKES |
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| Peel zucchini and grate. Wrap grated zucchini up in paper towels and sqeeze as *tightly* as you can to get out as much excess moisture as possible. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Shape into cakes and fry till golden. |
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