Grasshopper Pie

 I had to go to two BevMos to find Crème de Menthe.  This time of year, everyone is featuring Peppermint Schnapps.  It's an acceptable alternative in most recipes, but I wanted the less-sharp flavor.  I'm skipping the Crème de Cacao because I can't think of enough uses for it.  Used micro chocolate chips whipped into the filling instead.

Going slightly off the grid as far as the recipe.  It's kind of a mash-up of several versions, and comes across as a minty version of the peanut butter cream pie.  I admit, it's a little on the stabilized whipped cream frosting side.  You can double the cream cheese to stiffen it up a bit if you wish, but add 1/4 C powdered sugar to offset the tang.

If you want to do an alcohol-free version, sub in 1/2 tsp peppermint extract for the Crème de Menthe and add a drop of green food coloring.

4 oz (half a brick) cream cheese, softened
1 C marshmallow creme (1 jar minus several fluffernutters.  No judging)
1/4 C Crème de Menthe or 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
green gel food coloring as needed
1 pint heavy whipping cream
*1/3 C mini chocolate chips or 4 mint Oreos, crushed
*1 Oreo crust, mint if you're making it yourself

1.  In mixer with the paddle, whip together cream cheese and marshmallow fluff.  Beat in Crème de Menthe or extract.  Judge color and add green food coloring as needed.

2.  Separately, whip cream to firm peaks.  Reserve as much as you'd like for garnish, then fold the rest into the cream cheese mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips or Oreo crumbs.

3.  Pour filling into crust.  Chill until firm, about 4 hours.  If it is going to be left out for any period of time, freeze for an hour first.  Garnish with reserved whipped cream and any additional chocolate chips or Oreos you might like.

Makes 1 pie, about 8 servings

Difficulty rating  π (if you buy the crust)

Lentil and Spinach Soup

 I had a coupon for a free bag of frozen spinach and googled "Lentil and Spinach Soup", so I would have a pot of something to work through while recovering from oral surgery, which thankfully was less invasive than I feared.  This was the result.  I was glad to find a non-tomato soup recipe using brown lentils.  I like harira, but that's already a post.

A whole sub-section of the search pulled up Lebanese recipes.  I'm refraining from using the original Lebanese name for this soup because the recipe I'm following from Mediterrasian changed it a lot, but I'm still calling it Non-American in origin.

For those looking for something warm on a cold winter day, or those trying to eat healthier in the new year, or those just in the mood for a tasty soup, I offer up this recipe as a complete meal in a bowl.

And I'm apologizing in advance for the blurry photos.  This time of year, there is no way to get a good photo in my kitchen, any time of day.  Blurry in the evening, weird glares and shadows during the day.  If I monetized, I would invest in backgrounds and lighting.  For a hobby/personal recipe box, not so much.

*1 medium onion, small dice
2 Tb olive oil
*2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp cumin
*1 Tb fresh mint, finely chopped
1 potato, small dice
1 qt unsalted chicken or vegetable stock
2 C frozen chopped spinach or 4 C fresh
3/4 C dry brown lentils or 1 14oz can
salt and pepper to taste
*juice of 1 lemon
plain Greek yogurt for garnish

1.  If working from dry, sort and rinse lentils.  Set simmering in 3 C water while you make the rest of the soup.

2.  Heat oil in a soup pot over medium and sauté onion until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, cumin, mint, and potato.  Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add stock and spinach.  Bring to a low boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cover.  Cook until potato is softened, about 15 minutes.

3.  Drain the lentils, which should be mostly cooked by now, and add to the pot.  In batches, purée about half of the soup in the blender or food processor.  This will give the soup some creamy body, but still leave plenty of texture and bits.  Return purée to the pot and return to the heat.

4.  Add lemon juice, then taste and add salt and pepper as necessary.  This will depend entirely on the stock you used.  I actually didn't add any, despite potatoes and lentils usually needing a lot.  Oh wait, I did add the last of the sauerkraut from the corned beef sandwiches.  All that extra tang probably took the place of salt.

5.  Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt.  Serve hot.

Serves 4-6

Difficulty rating  :)

Tomato Risotto

 

I'm utilizing the pantry prepper supplies I bought in case of shortages, and discovering interesting recipes along the way.  I did spend more than I expected in September, but more recent trips to the store are less frequent and small enough that I pay cash off my tips (which are usually under $5 a day).  I really miss going to the store twice a week, especially the bananas, but it's safer.

The spark for this came from a prepper video.  There's a packaged form of tomato and olive risotto.  However, I have a bag of arborio rice and cans of tomatoes and broth, plus dried basil from the plant.  Yes, it takes longer this way, but I had all the ingredients on hand.  The salmon was a new purchase, but adding fish or meat to the dish was optional in every recipe I researched.  This is complete as a vegetarian meal.

*3 C unsalted chicken or vegetable stock
*1 C Arborio rice
1 Tb olive oil
*1/2 C diced onion
*1 clove garlic, minced
*1/4 C white wine or 2 Tb marsala, optional
*1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
*2 Tb dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
*2 oz cream cheese

1.  Start heating stock in a saucepan to a simmer.

2.  In a large saucepan, heat oil on medium.  Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add rice and garlic.  Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

3.  Add wine, if using, and wait for it to absorb/boil off.  If not using, skip to the first ladle of stock.  Add about a half cup at a time, stirring it in and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more.

4.  After the second ladle, add 1 Tb of the basil and the can of tomatoes, including the juice.  Stir and wait for the liquid to absorb, which will take much longer than a ladle of broth.

5.  Once the rice has thickened again, go back to adding broth until the rice is tender and doesn't accept more liquid easily.  This whole process will take around half an hour.  Add the remaining basil and cream cheese.  Stir until the cheese melts.  Serve hot, with fish or chicken if desired.

Difficulty rating  π

Bûche de Noël (Yule Log)

 

Everyone at work likes my roll cakes, so I decided to tackle a Yule Log.  It's just a chocolate Swiss Roll decorated to look like a branch.

Most recipes want you to make the decorations out of marzipan, or adorable meringue mushrooms and sugared cranberries.  I don't like marzipan and was going to use fondant.  Then half my face suddenly swelled up from some old surgical implants and I found myself scheduled for an oral surgery to get them out.  Surprised I even made the cake part, but I was trying to put on a couple of pounds before the operation.

I found recipes using chocolate-hazelnut for the filling, like a cream Nutella.  Then I found two bottles of Amaretto in the liquor cabinet and decided on almond-chocolate instead.  You can use plain vanilla if you want, or even just whipped cream like a Ho-Ho.  The amount of internal flavoring is up to you.

I did cheat on the top ganache by using leftovers from work.  Again, four days before surgery and working 8-10 hours a day with a raging tissue infection.  For once, I was glad to be wearing a mask.  The recipe I'm following from Sally's Baking Addiction has a safe ganache recipe that I feel comfortable endorsing untried.

If you check her post, I would skip the comments about cracking.  Those cakes were probably overbaked or not rolled in the towel soon enough.  My cake came out soft, flavorful, and did not crack at all.  I was even able to peel off the wax paper easily.  I used a pan slightly smaller than called for in the recipe, but it wouldn't have changed the thickness of the cake by more than one or two millimeters.  Just don't overbake the cake.

I'm breaking down the process into its three main components: cake, filling, and ganache.  Any can be used for other purposes.  And you can make this cake without cutting the branch or decorating, as a regular chocolate roll.

Cake

4 egg, room temp, separated
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/3 C light brown sugar
*1 Tb strong coffee or 1 tsp coffee liqueur (Kahlua)
1/4 C unsalted butter, melted and cooled, or 3 Tb oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C flour
*3 Tb cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1.  Prepare a 12"x17" pan by spraying or greasing bottom.  Line with parchment or wax paper, then grease the paper.  Preheat oven to 350º.

2.  Whip the whites until foamy.  Add granulated sugar gradually and whip to firm peaks.  Set aside.

3.  In a separate bowl, beat yolks, brown sugar, and vanilla until fluffy and a light caramel color.

4.  Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.  To the yolk mixture, add butter, coffee, and flour mixture.  Stir until just combined.

5.  Stir in about 1/3 of the egg whites to the stiff batter.  Don't worry about deflating them at this point.  They will make the batter smoother.  Fold in remaining egg whites to create a light batter.

6.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Gently smooth to all the edges and corners.  It won't look like there's enough, but it will cover the surface.  You can shake the pan to even it out, but don't smack on the counter.  You're still trying to maintain the whipped egg whites.

7.  Bake about 10 minutes, until top is firm and springy, but not brown at the edges.  I started checking at 8 minutes.  While cake is baking, spread out a thin towel and sprinkle with another tablespoon of cocoa powder.

8.  Allow cake to sit in pan just a minute, while you loosen the edges of the paper lining.  Flip out onto the towel.  Don't worry about breaking the cake; commit to the flip.  Once centered on the towel, gently peel off the paper lining.  This is when you might tear the cake.  If you greased the paper well and do it as soon as you can touch the cake, it will peel off easily.

9.  Fold the edge of the towel over one of the short sides.  Roll up cake inside the towel.  Place on a rack to cool slowly, so it retains both moisture and shape.  This takes about 2-3 hours.

Filling

*2 oz cream cheese
2 oz unsalted butter
2-1/2 C powdered sugar
*1 Tb amaretto
1 tsp cocoa powder
milk as needed

1.  Beat together cream cheese and butter.  Gradually beat in powdered sugar.  Add amaretto and cocoa powder and beat until evenly distributed.  At this point, the frosting will be dry-ish and not fluffy.

2.  Add milk a tablespoon at a time and continue whipping to desired consistency.  Finished filling should be easily spreadable, but thick enough to control.

3.  Unroll cake.  You can leave it on the towel.  Spread filling all over top, all the way to the edges.  Re-roll, without the towel in the middle.  That's where the filling is now.  Place seam-side down on a plate, or wrap it in plastic to finish another time.  At this point, the cake can be frozen for up to a month.

Ganache and finishing

1/2 C cream

4 oz dark chocolate or semi-sweet chips

1 Tb corn syrup, optional for gloss

1.  Chop chocolate if necessary and place in a microwaveable bowl.

2.  Bring cream to a low boil.  Pour over the chocolate.  Let rest one minute, then stir to melt.  If it absolutely refuses to become smooth, microwave at half power in 30 second increments.  If a glossy sheen is desired, stir in corn syrup.  Allow mixture to cool slightly, so it is a spreadable consistency and only slightly runny.

3.  Cut end of cake on a diagonal and reposition piece on the side or top to be the branch on the serving platter.

4.  Spread the ganache over the cake.  Smooth with a spatula.  Create ridges to look like bark, or run a fork down the length of the cake for deeper bark markings.  Decorate with candied fruits, fresh rosemary, meringue mushrooms, or any other pieces you would like.  Refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 1 cake, about 8-12 servings  (or 6 if you take it to my work)

Difficulty rating  :)

Rye-Style Wheat Bread

 

I wanted rye bread for corned beef sandwiches.  Orowheat was $5.49 a loaf.  The other option at Pavilions was $3.99 for a smaller loaf from a local kosher bakery.  Sprouts didn't have any, and only slightly better prices for rye flour.

When I read the ingredients on the two loaves, the kosher one didn't even include rye flour.  This makes perverse sense.  People associate rye with caraway seeds.  At work, I'm constantly explaining to customers that none of our products contain rye, but some contain caraway, or "rye seeds" as they call them.  Fine, 5lbs of whole wheat flour was $4.99, and only because flour has gotten expensive in the pandemic.  Soured up with some of the powdered buttermilk and sweetened with molasses, the loaf would taste close enough to actual rye to work with my corned beef because of the caraway.

I discovered that you can buy canned corned beef from the prepper videos I've been sucked into.  It's one of the new items I'm trying.  You can also get roast beef in a can.  I wouldn't serve either as a main meal, but they could be good for camping or a power outage, which is why they are on the prepper sites.  I browned up my tin's meat and made Reuben sandwiches with the homemade bread.  Pickles I canned over the summer as a side meant that I didn't have to go on any new grocery trips for this meal.  It was all items I had stocked up on in September.

1 C whole wheat flour
~2 C all purpose flour
*1 Tb caraway seeds
1 C buttermilk
1 Tb oil of choice
*2 Tb molasses
*1 generous teaspoon dry yeast
1/2 tsp kosher salt
*2 Tb cornmeal

1.  Warm buttermilk, oil, and molasses to 100ºF.  Stir in yeast and allow to sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

2.  In stand mixer with the paddle, stir caraway seeds into whole wheat flour.  Add milk mixture and beat into a stringy batter on medium, 2 minutes.  It's going to be dark from the molasses.  Don't worry, it will get lighter.

3.  Add 1 C white flour and the salt.  Stir to combine, then beat 2 minutes into a soft dough.

4.  Pour out dough onto a generously floured surface.  Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour if too sticky.  The dough can be a little more solid than I normally recommend, since it's going to be a free-standing loaf.  Place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat all sides.  Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

5.  Punch down dough, transfer to a work surface, and let rest 10 minutes.  Scatter cornmeal on a baking sheet.  Roll dough out into a 12" wide rectangle.  Roll into a log and lightly tuck under ends.  Place in the middle of the sheet and let rise again in a warm place 45 minutes.

6.  Preheat oven to 350º.  When oven is ready, brush loaf with either melted butter or water.  I used a spray bottle of water so it wouldn't collapse.  Place in oven immediately and bake for 25-30 minutes, until loaf sounds hollow when thumped. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 1 loaf, about 12 servings

Difficulty rating  :-0

Sweet Corn Tamales con Queso

I haven't made tamales in a couple of years.  Picked up a small bag of masa harina at the 99¢ store, just enough for one or two batches.

I also had a can of cream-style corn, and wondered how to make that part of the tamales.  Turns out, this variation is considered a dessert tamale in parts of Mexico, even though it often contains cheese and is served with a tomato sauce.

The downside of incorporating a can of something into a recipe is that you're stuck with that yield.  Most of my tamale recipes make a dozen and a half.  That's four servings plus a freezer baggie for snacks the next week.  This one was slightly larger, about 2 dozen, and the tamales aren't full-sized because they're designed as desserts.

About the dessert thing, I used half as much sugar as every recipe I looked at and they were still plenty sweet.  Without the cheese, it would have been too much sweetness.  No wonder they usually have tomato sauce or salsa on the side.

Despite not having made tamales in a while, these went very fast.  The masa was mixed and tamales were in the basket in about half an hour.  I also didn't bother to tie them because there was less filling.  Just folded and stuck in the basket.  You still have to steam them for an hour, but this could be a project on Cookie Baking Day.  If kids have enough patience to decorate cookies, they can make these.

24-30 corn husks
1/2 C unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 C sugar
*1 14.5 oz can cream-style corn
2-1/2 C masa harina (corn flour)
10 oz queso fresco (or mozarella)
1/2 C hot water, plus more for husks

1.  Place husks in a roasting dish and pour a lot of hot water over them.  They're going to sit there and soften for about 15 minutes before trying to use.  You need more than you expect to yield, because some are bound to be too thin or tear, and you don't want to wait another 15 minutes while more soften.  Also, make sure your dish doesn't have a hole in the bottom.  My disposable foil roasting pan had been used one too many times.  Ended up putting the pan in the sink rather than get out another.

2.  Set up your steamer.  Mine is a stock pot and my largest fine-mesh strainer.  Add enough water to the bottom that it won't boil dry, but does not touch the bottom of the basket.  Cover and bring to a simmer while you fold the tamales.  I waited until they were half made.

3.  In a mixer, beat together butter and sugar until uniform.  You don't want chunks of butter in your batter.  Add creamed corn and beat smooth.  Beat in masa flour.  Add hot water until you get a batter that's easy to shape.  You might not need all of the 1/2 C, depending on the brand of cream corn.

4.  On a work surface, open the package of cheese and cut the wheel into 20-24 slices.  Shake the water off a corn husk and place on the surface.  Spread about 3-4 Tb (1/4 C) of masa batter onto top center of the corn husk, then place a slice of cheese in the middle.  Fold in the sides to enclose the batter, then fold up the bottom pointy end to cover it.  Place in a large steamer basket and move on to the next.

5.  Once all the batter has been used, arrange the tamales in the basket so they are not squished.  Place basket in the steamer pot.  Cover with a dish towel and the lid and steam at a simmer for 1 hour, or until batter firms.  Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 20-24

Difficulty rating  :)

White Velvet Cake

I decided to break in the canister of powdered buttermilk on a cake.  A red velvet cake is just a chocolate cake with buttermilk, so I decided to make one with only vanilla, which is a White Velvet.

Ok, that's not exactly true.  I tried to put vanilla chips in it as a path to a creamier texture.  They sank to the bottom in a redux of the cinnamon chip fail.  I'm leaving them out of this recipe and subbing more extract.

Proportions are going to look wrong in the photos because I used my adorable 4" cake pans on a 1/3 recipe.  Didn't prepare them well enough, which I'll also fix for this post.  Thought I could get away without flouring the greased pans.  Nope.

• 1 C AP flour
• *1 C Cake flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 C buttermilk
• 1 Tb vanilla
• 1-3/4 C sugar
• 3/4 C butter, softened
• *3 eggs, room temperature
• *cream cheese frosting and decorations

1.  Grease two 9" cake pans, line bottoms with wax or parchment paper, grease again, and dust lightly with flour.  If using baking strips, start soaking them.  Preheat oven to 340º.

2.  Sift together both flours, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.  In a mixer, cream together sugar and butter until fluffy.  Add vanilla, then eggs one at a time, and whip to a pale yellow.

3.  Add flour and buttermilk in stages, stirring only to combine.  Pour into cake pans, using a scale to get the right amount in each pan.  Wrap with baking strips if using.

4.  Bake 25-30 minutes.  The top is going to brown early from all the sugar.  Cakes are done when a toothpick comes out clean.

5.  Cool in pans until you can hold them without gloves, about 5 minutes.  Flip out cakes onto a cooling rack and carefully peel off wax paper.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.  Can be wrapped and frozen to decorate another day.

Makes 1 9" layer cake, 12 to 16 servings

Difficulty rating :)

Pumpkin Cornbread

 

As usual, I had a little pumpkin leftover from the Pumpkin Chiffon Pie and no ideas what to do with it.  I was going to make some cornbread to go with a can of VanCamp's Pork and Beans.  (Yes, sometimes I skip cooking and open a tin.  Which got harder when my electric can opener died.)  For the heck of it, I ran a search for pumpkin cornbread.

I don't know why I'm still surprised when odd culinary searches produce a ton of results.  It especially makes sense with this, as pumpkin is one of those ingredients you can sub for either oil or egg in many baked goods.

The recipe I chose from Cooking Classy includes a topping of cinnamon honey butter.  It didn't go with the rest of my meal, but I'm putting it in here because it sounds like a really good idea.

Also, I made a half recipe in a loaf pan because that's how much pumpkin I had.  I also subbed fat-free yogurt for the sour cream, as is my personal habit.  Still posting it as sour cream, but letting you know there are options.

*1 C all purpose flour
*1 C cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 C packed light brown sugar
1/4 C unsalted butter, melted
*1 C canned pumpkin purée (not pie mix)
1/2 C sour cream
*2 eggs

1.  Preheat oven to 375º and pan spray an 8"x8" casserole.  For the half recipe, I used a standard loaf pan.  Muffins are also an option; I'm guessing 12.  Hard to tell because modern muffin pans are larger than anything manufactured before 1990.

2.  Sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the rest of the spices.  If you don't feel like getting out every spice in the pantry, 1-1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice will be an easy substitution.

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar, butter, pumpkin, sour cream, and eggs until smooth.

4.  Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the wet mixture into it.  Stir until just moist.  Do not over-mix.  You can even stir it halfway, walk away for a few minutes, and come back to give it one last stir.  You're avoiding making long gluten strands, which will result in large holes inside the bread.

5.  Pour batter into dish.  Smooth into the corners.  It will settle a little on its own, but might need some help.  Bake 25-30 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test but the edges aren't too brown.  Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting.  This isn't firm enough to turn out in one piece; it's best to remove slices at a time.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

1/2 C salted butter, room temperature
1/3 C honey
1/4 C powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

1.  Whip butter in stand mixer (or with a hand electric beater if 1/2 C is too small for the mixer).  Add honey, powdered sugar, and cinnamon.  Beat again until fluffy and smooth, 2-3 minutes.

2.  You can be really fancy and pipe the butter into dollops on a piece of wax paper and then refrigerate them to firm up before serving.  Or just set it in a butter dish.

Makes 12 servings.  An 8x8 is easier to cut into 9 servings.  I won't judge, and I'm not posting the calories.  You can check out the original blog for that.

Difficulty rating  π

Cauliflower Polenta with Red Lentil Sauce

I found out what happens if you let a cauliflower go several weeks past when you should have harvested it.  The head diverges into florets, kind of like what happens to broccoli after the first head is cut and you get side florets.  It's still edible, just not pretty.  I was more careful with the first one in the Pond and cut it the day it started to bolt, even though it was too small to cut into decent florets.  So, I went off to find a recipe to use riced cauliflower and the cup of pasta sauce I had left from the meat-eggplant casserole.

I'm basing this off The Foodie Physician's cauliflower polenta, which was almost exactly what I had in mind.  I'm adding lentils to the sauce for a bit more protein because I didn't have mascarpone.  It's nice to have something to do with red lentils that isn't necessarily Indian or Middle Eastern.  This dish comes in somewhere around Mediterranean, without attaching it to a specific cuisine.  It's vaguely Italian.

I'm not used to eating polenta as a bowl of hot mush.  I usually chill it, unmold, and slice into shapes.  It has a nice, creamy texture.  Yes, I used regular corn meal and not fine polenta, but it's the same idea.  Thicker than a cream soup but thinner than a casserole, I need to remember this the next time I have dental work.

• *1 head or 12 oz bag riced cauliflower
• *3/4 C dry polenta or corn meal
• *3 C unsalted vegetable or chicken stock
• *1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
• *1/2 C dry red lentils
• *1 C tomato pasta sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

1.  If working from fresh, trim leaves from cauliflower and chop into florets.  Run through the food processor until bits are the size of oatmeal.

2.  Thoroughly rinse lentils and start simmering in water to cover.

3.  In a separate saucepan, stir together cornmeal, cauliflower, and 2 C of the vegetable stock.  I actually made an onion stock out of just onion and leek parts from the broth bag, since there isn't any onion in this recipe.  Bring mixture to a low boil, stirring frequently.  If it starts to boil vigorously, it will erupt in hot lava cornmeal bombs.  Turn down the heat.  Add more broth as the mixture thickens, which will take 10-15 minutes.  It will not get as thick as a pure cornmeal mush, but will still drop in clumps from the spoon.  Stir in parmesan until it disappears.  Taste, then add salt and pepper as needed.

4.  Once the lentils are cooked, drain and return to pot.  Add pasta sauce and heat through.

5.  To serve, spoon hot polenta mixture into bowls.  Top with spoonfuls of lentil sauce and serve.

Difficulty rating  :)

A Zoom Thanksgiving

 

Plenty of people are griping about the pandemic ruining their holiday plans.  I'm not one of them.  I've really missed having Thanksgiving at home.  I did not realize how much until I was sitting down to dinner -  on my parents' wedding china - facing my laptop.

Techie Smurf and his family were on the other end, roughly where the pie is in the photo.  They had positioned their computer in a way that made it look like I was at a normal distance for the 4th chair.  Zoom video and sound quality are actually very good when there are only two devices at the meeting.  It felt like "the future" we had been shown in the 80s of what life would be like around now.  Minus the pandemic.

What helped to make the meal intimate and "real" was that we had almost identical menus.  We had not discussed what to have; families generally do have the same things out of habit.  I had skipped stuffing, and their pumpkin pie had a gingersnap crust.  They had braised turkey legs, and I had roasted a breast.  My sweet potatoes were still in chunks, and Writer Smurf had done her mashed sweet potato casserole with perfectly aligned marshmallows.  My green bean casserole was from scratch and theirs was the recipe on the can.  All just slight variations on the same meal.

It was also nice to have dinner when I wanted.  I was baking the next day, so sitting down at 3:30pm was about right.  They're still on the East coast, so it was 6:30, a normal dinner time.  I didn't have to drive home 45 minutes afterwards, wary of possible drunk drivers.  And I got to keep all the leftovers!  It has been years since I've had Thanksgiving leftovers.

No offense to the people who generously have me over every year (primarily for the pie), but I'm kind of liking this new tradition.

Menu

Roasted Turkey Breast
Green Bean Casserole
Maple and Spice Sweet Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce & Gravy
Butter White Bread
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

The Last Roll of Wax Paper

 

I was going to use some homemade nutmeg extract in a batch of cranberry-almond biscotti, but I couldn't get the lid off.  While the cookies were baking, I set the jar in the sun until the metal lid expanded more than the glass bottle and I could get it unscrewed.  Science at work.  Too late for those cookies, but at least I don't have to throw out 4 months of work.

Before putting the lid back on, I decided to line the rim with wax paper.  I did that to all the other metal/glass extract jars, and it kept them from rusting or sticking together.  I reached for the wax paper in the cabinet, and it was still sealed.  The one box of wax paper was being opened.

My mom passed away in May of 2010.  I have not bought wax paper yet, despite using it for cakes, lining cookie tins, wrapping meats in it, and dozens of other uses.  There were about six rolls of it in the cabinet, plus the one I brought when I moved.  There's a 1994 copyright mark on the box.  It doesn't mean the paper is that old, but it could be close to that.

This is what I've been meaning all along with this blog, and more recently with watching Prepper videos.  Preparing for lean or difficult times is one thing.  Those pass, and the idea is that you're constantly going through your pantry items and replenishing when you do have the funds.  Hoarding is when you have no idea what you have and over-buy to the extent that things are going to be wasted.  That's what I started with, and why stocking up this Fall has been so difficult for me emotionally.  It isn't who I am.  I can't wait until the world and national situations are stable enough that I feel comfortable again only keeping one or two weeks of backups, and no emergency items like boxed milk.  Although, I do admit to enjoying the guilty pleasure of canned foods for lunch.  Chef Boy-Ardee is pretty awesome when you're in the mood for it.

Southwest Qunioa Salad

 

Did you get a call this morning that a guest went vegan or gluten-free during the pandemic?  First of all, I hope you aren't having over more than 2 other households.  That's why I'm having dinner at home; I would be household #4 or #5.  Never even looked for an invite, and frankly made it clear starting in September that I would turn one down.  More pie for me.

Even if you're getting around to reading this post a few days later, next week, or in a couple of years, this main-course salad from Chelsea's Messy Apron is a light way to throw something together.  You'll see by the stars that nearly all ingredients were something I had on hand.  In a few weeks, I would even have enough cilantro.

I did change a few proportions of ingredients.  I'm cutting a bit of quinoa and replacing it with extra spinach.  In the salad I made, I did the beans from dry and only used 1/2 C, not quite a full can once cooked.  There is a lot of fiber in this salad.  There's also a good amount of protein and iron, plus all sorts of vitamins.  It's one of those recipes you use to prove that vegan cooking can hit every nutrition benchmark.  (Except Omega-3; chia would have upped the fiber again.)

*2/3 C quinoa
*1 15 oz can black beans or 1/2 C dry, soaked, and boiled 2 hrs
*1 15 oz can kernel corn
*4 stalks green onion
8 oz fresh spinach
1 dry pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 C cilantro leaves
1 avocado (or *1 C defrosted avocado chunks)
*1/4 C olive oil
*juice of 2 limes
*1/2 tsp cumin
*1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or paprika for less spicy)
salt and pepper to taste

1.  If necessary, soak and rinse quinoa (check package).  Cook according to package directions, on the dry side.  Set aside to cool.  While that's going on, mix the dressing: whisk together oil, lime juice, cumin, pepper flakes, and enough salt and pepper to make it interesting.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

2.  Drain and rinse black beans and corn.  Toss together quinoa, black beans, and corn in a large bowl.

3.  Rinse and shake dry spinach.  Unless you bought a box of baby spinach, remove tough stems and chop half of it. The rest will be left whole to line the bowls.  Finely chop green onions and cilantro.  Cut the tomatoes in half.

4.  Add chopped portion of the spinach, green onions, and cilantro to the quinoa bowl and toss again.  This part can be refrigerated for later if necessary.

5.  When ready to serve, line serving bowl or individual salad bowls with whole spinach leaves.  Spoon in salad.  Top with halved tomatoes and diced avocado.  Drizzle with dressing only at serving time.  Sauces and quinoa don't really get along if they sit for more than half an hour.

Difficulty rating :)

Meaty Eggplant Pasta Casserole

 I had trouble coming up with a name for this.  It's somewhere between moussaka, lasagna, and pastitsio (a Greek version of lasagna).  The intent of it was to use up half a box of linguine and a cup of ricotta.  I've been looking for the noodles for pastitsio for some time, but I bet I have to go to the small, neighborhood international market and they're closed on the day I usually do my shopping.

A similar recipe on Better Homes and Gardens has you prep the casserole, wrap it, and freeze for up to 4 months.  Defrost overnight and bake to 165º, a bit over an hour.  All the components are pre-cooked in their version.  No egg.  During the winter, it makes sense to keep something non-holiday for days you just don't have time or energy to cook.  You could do that with this recipe by replacing the egg with a bit more yogurt.  The middle layer just won't set up as firm.

I had several dishes out on the counter before choosing the 8x8.  Should have gone with the 9x11, but it's metal and I don't like to make tomato-based dishes in it.  The 9x13 Pyrex would have been too big.  As a result, two ounces of pasta didn't make it into the casserole, and it still almost overflowed the pan.  I'm calling this 6 servings if you have a side salad, or 4 very hearty single-item portions.

*8 oz (half a box) pasta of choice
*1 lb 80/20 ground beef
1 large eggplant
1 Tb olive oil
*1/2 C dicd onion
2 C tomato-based pasta sauce of choice
*1 C ricotta cheese
1 egg
*1/2 C yogurt
1 Tb Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
*1/2 C shredded mozzarella
*1/4  C grated parmesan

1.  Start boiling a gallon of water for the pasta and get out a 9x11 glass casserole.

2.  Dice eggplant into about 1" cubes.  The smaller they are, the faster they will cook.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high and add eggplant and onion.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and cook until eggplant cooks down.  I covered it for about 10 minutes to steam them a bit.  Either way, it's going to take about 20 minutes.  Set aside cooked eggplant and rinse out skillet.  It doesn't have to be perfectly clean.

3.  The pasta water should be boiling by now, so go ahead and start preheating the oven to 375º.  Cook according to package directions, breaking long-strand pasta like spaghetti into two or three segments.  Farfalle or other small pasta shapes can stay as they are.  Drain and rinse when done.

4.  While the pasta is cooking, brown the meat in the skillet you rinsed out.  Cook until no pink is showing, drain off the fat, and cook more until crumbly.  Add 1-1/2 cups of the pasta sauce and turn to coat.  Remove from heat.

5.  Whisk together ricotta, egg, and yogurt.  Stir in Italian seasoning, about 1/2 tsp of salt, and pepper to taste.  Check how much salt is in your pasta sauce.  You could need more or less.

6.  Assembly time.  In bottom of dish, spread half of the eggplant, followed by half of the meat.  Top with half of the pasta, then all of the ricotta sauce.  Repeat eggplant, meat, and pasta.  Drizzle remaining 1/2 C of pasta sauce over the pasta.  Top with shredded mozzarella and parmesan.  Bake at 375º for about 25 minutes, until top is a light golden color and the casserole is boiling for at least 5 minutes (to cook the egg).  Let sit for 10-15 minutes.  The casserole is much easier to cut the next day for leftovers, like a lasagna is.  Carefully scoop out onto plates and serve hot.

Serves 4-6

Difficulty rating  :-0