Food Connections

Sourdough Starter

Thu, 14 May 2009 15:05:44 -0700

They've been running an old cooking series on PBS here in Denver-- Julia Child with Master Chefs. I'd seen most of these back when they ran this program in 2000 and even purchased a companion cookbook when I ran across it. I was particularly intrigued with the episode featuring Nancy Silverton, a master bread baker in Los Angeles (the episodes are also available on PBS.ORG). She demonstrated a gorgeous loaf of bread using a sourdough starter made with red grapes. Doesn't that sound wonderful? I just had to try it.

Day 1: To make the starter, I washed a half a pound of red seedless grapes, enclosing them in a pouch made with washed cheesecloth. I whisked 2 1/2 c.bread flour with 2 cups of water in a large jar. Then I lightly pounded the grapes with my rolling pin to crush them and plunged the whole package in to the flour and water mixture, covered it and left it on the counter.

Day 2: The mixture looks a little bubbly. Something is definitely happening in there. I gave it a stir.

Day 3: The mixture is starting to separate. The color from the grapes is seeping out and it is looking pink. It's also taking on the grape smell. I stirred it again.

Day 4: The mixture is rather gray looking. Apparently, that's normal. It smells fruity. One more stir.

Day 5: The gray color has disappeared and it is turning pink again. The sour smell is more pronounced. One last stir.

Day 6: It is a yellowish color now. The fermentation is complete. I removed the grape package, squeezed the liquid back into the starter and threw away the spent grapes. My starter smells sour and tastes a little sweet. It has a much more pronounced odor than the starter I've been using for years.

Day 6, 7 & 8: The starter is weak and needs feeding. This is a 3 day process. Each afternoon, I add 1 c. bread flour and 1 c. room temp water, whisk it and let it sit uncovered for 4 hours. Then I store it in the refrigerator.

Finally, on the 9th day, I'm ready to use my new starter.

The first test is pancakes. Since I make pancakes every weekend, I figure this is a good place to compare my new starter to my old starter.

Sourdough Pancakes

1 c. starter (room temp)
1 T. sugar
2 T. melted butter or oil
1 egg
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt

I whisk this all together, and pour out 4" pancakes on a hot cast iron griddle. They bubble up immediately, taking only a couple of minutes to cook completely.

They are light, slightly sour and delicious with butter and sugar and with warm maple syrup. The sour flavor is more pronounced than my old starter, and the texture lighter. These are delicious pancakes and definitely worth the effort of making this new starter.

Hummus

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:31:21 -0700

We all have go-to foods. Some of them are simply guilty pleasures, like French fries, or ice cream. Some are down-right embarrassing--like those "desserts" that have a shelf life of 100 years. But some might even be rather interesting (though all of this is subjective, isn't it?). One of the things I get a yearning for is hummus. It always seems rather exotic, perhaps because it's middle eastern and has a really cool name. Oh, I know, it was very hip a decade ago and was a staple at almost every party. But I've never grown tired of it. I love it with chipotle, cumin and cilantro, for a more 21st century rendition. I love it with lemon and garlic. I love it with pita bread or pita chips, with vegetables or on a sandwich. And I love that it is so easy to make: a can of chick peas, some good olive oil, some spices and a food processor, and you're in business. The hardest part is finding good, fresh pita bread. And not ruining your dinner.

Smoky Chipotle Hummus With Garlic Bagel Chips

Serving Size : 10

1 can garbanzo beans -- (15 ounce) drained
1/4 cup water
1/8 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)*
1 1/2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 1/4 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chilies**
1/2 large garlic clove -- minced
2 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 jar sliced pimientos in oil -- (4 ounce) drained
1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 package roasted-garlic bagel chips -- (6 ounce)

Reserve 3 tablespoons garbanzo beans for garnish. Blend remaining garbanzo beans and next 7 ingredients in processor until smooth. Add pimientos; process, using on/off turns, until pimientos are coarsely chopped. Transfer hummus to medium bowl. Stir in cilantro. Season hummus to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with reserved garbanzo beans. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Accompany with bagel chips.

Source:
"Bon Appétit October 2001"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 114 Calories; 5g Fat (38.6% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 20mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

Zucchini

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 09:31:54 -0700

I used to have an aversion to zucchini. I blame this entirely on my upbringing, where zucchini equaled a slimy, mushy dish that made me literally gag. It was a vegetable that I couldn't bring myself to eat for years, except in zucchini bread or chocolate zucchini cake. At least in those dishes, you couldn't actually tell that you were eating zucchini. But though age does often bring wisdom, it can also bring a sense of adventure, and je ne sais quoi, and can cause a perfectly sane woman to put something potentially disgusting in her mouth, on a very regular basis. Why not zucchini? Could it possibly be as bad as I remember? The answer, of course, is yes. But most foods can be delicious with some skill and good ingredients. Enter the grill, some lemon, fresh oregano, grated Parmesan, butter and garlic. And a timer. It may seem obvious by now that the slimy zucchini was simply the victim of abandonment, having been left to simmer and cook for WAY too long. Here is a delicious zucchini recipe for the hot days of summer--- just remember to set the timer.

Grilled Zucchini with Garlic and Lemon Butter Baste

8 medium zucchini (about 2 1/2 pounds) -- trimmed, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup butter -- (1 stick)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat barbecue (medium heat). Score cut side of zucchini halves diagonally about 1/4 inch deep at 1-inch intervals. Melt butter with lemon juice concentrate, lemon-pepper seasoning, garlic powder, oregano, and fennel in heavy small saucepan. Season with salt and pepper.

Brush seasoned butter on cut side of zucchini. Place zucchini on grill and cook until charred on all sides and just beginning to soften, about 12 minutes. If desired, arrange zucchini on grill, cut side up, and sprinkle with cheese; close lid of barbecue and cook until cheese just softens, about 1 minute. Transfer zucchini to platter.

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 104 Calories; 12g Fat (97.7% calories from fat); trace Protein; trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 31mg Cholesterol; 117mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Fat.

NOTES : Delicious. Original recipe called for curry powder instead of fennel.

Huevos Rancheros

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 09:21:27 -0700

I love breakfast. I love eggs of all kinds, pancakes and waffles, oatmeal and juice, and especially toast. On weekends, I like to cook sourdough pancakes or Belgian waffles, and some sort of fun egg dish. Sometimes we do Italian eggs, or eggs benedict, cheesy scrambled eggs or eggs on toast. But yesterday, I wanted something different. Rummaging around in my refrigerator, I searched for inspiration: lettuce? no. Dijon. nah. Leftover refried beans? ok, now we were getting somewhere. I found some corn tortillas, some cheddar cheese and salsa, and I was on my way to one of the easiest breakfasts ever: huevos rancheros. I've seen a dozen different recipes for this dish, but I wasn't after anything fancy. I sprayed 4 tortillas with cooking spray and put them in a warm oven (300 degrees). I then warmed the beans, grated the cheese and cooked some fried eggs. To serve, I put 2 warm tortillas on each plate, topped them with beans, a sprinkling of cheese, the fried eggs, a little more cheese on top, and slathered it all with roasted tomato salsa. Maybe it wasn't particularly authentic, but it was delicious and so easy!

Cassoulet

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:55:52 -0700

For our tenth anniversary, Charlie and I traveled in France for 2 weeks. It was a wonderful, memorable trip, during which we sampled foods and dishes in each region that we visited--such things as coq au vin, beef bourguignon, fois gras, chicken provencal. One of our most memorable meals was in Carcassonne, in the southern part of France. During the day, the ancient, walled fortress was teaming with tourists, but at night, the throngs of people left, and only those of us working, living or sleeping within the fortress were left to enjoy it. Charlie and I walked the walls and the narrow roads, finally stopping at a little cafe tucked beneath the massive stones. It was here that we were introduced to steaming crocks of Cassoulet, a wonderful dish filled with white beans, pork, lamb, sausage, and confit. It was absolutely wonderful. Sometime after we returned home, I came across a recipe for cassoulet, which I've been making ever since. I've since discovered that it isn't the most authentic recipe, but no matter. It's really good and more approachable for the average cook.

Cassoulet

Serving Size : 10

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 lb. white navy beans
8 cups cold water
1/2 pound salt pork -- sliced
1 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder or leg, boneless -- cut in 1-inch cubes
4 large pork chops
1/2 pound pork sausage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 large onions -- chopped
1 can whole tomatoes -- (1 lb, 12 oz.)
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 garlic cloves -- finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley -- chopped
1 tsp. thyme (add more)
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Wash and pick over beans. Cover with cold water; soak overnight. Drain and rinse soaked beans. Cover with cold water, bring to boil. Skim as necessary. Simmer slowly for about one hour. Drain cooked beans, reserve liquid. In large skillet, fry salt pork until some of the fat is rendered; reduce. Brown lamb, pork chops, and sausage in pork fat. Remove from skillet with paper towels. Cut into small pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Drain all but 2 T. of fat from skillet. Add onions and sauté until transparent. Add tomatoes, wine, garlic, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Combine tomato mixture, drained beans and meats. Spoon into large casserole. Pour reserved bean liquid over mixture just to cover. Bake in 350° oven about 1 ½ hours or until meats are fork tender. Remove bay leaf before serving. (May require longer cooking & additional liquid)

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 672 Calories; 45g Fat (61.5% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 103mg Cholesterol; 661mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 7 Fat.

Steel Cut Oats

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:24:40 -0700

Oatmeal seems to be all over the news lately. It's supposed to be some sort of super-food, able to help people lower their cholesterol and lose weight. I heard an interview with someone last week who was encouraging people to eat fewer animal products and eat oatmeal, sometimes multiple times a day! That is certainly extreme and not very interesting, particularly because what has passed for oatmeal doesn't seem very appetizing: little packets of powdery stuff, with fake flavor additions, or perhaps that gluey mess we all ate as children. A more tempting alternative is Steel Cut Oats or Scottish Oats. They look nothing like the oatmeal that we are used to--either the flat old-fashioned flakes or the powdery instant. Instead, they resemble small brown rice kernels and have a nutty flavor. The biggest drawback to steel-cut oats is that they take a long time to cook, which can be a problem for most people in the mornings. But there are ways to enjoy steel-cut oats without hovering over a hot pan everyday. I like to cook a big batch of oatmeal on the weekend and put the leftovers in the refrigerator. It's a 45 minute project, but once done, we can warm up a serving in the morning in the time it takes to make our toast. Another option is to soak the oats overnight. In the morning, they take only 5 minutes to finish. Add brown sugar, dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon, milk & butter, or whatever appeals to you. It's a delicious way to start the day.

Steel Cut Oatmeal

1 c. steel cut oats
1 T. butter
3 c. boiling water
1 c. milk
pinch of salt

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add oats, stirring to coat. Cook oats until they get toasty, about 2 minutes. Add boiling water and milk, stirring. Cook over medium low heat about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and continue simmering until mixture thickens. Serve with butter, brown sugar, raisins & cinnamon.

Friday Nights

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:39:58 -0700

It's always a dilemma. Friday rolls around and after being on my feet all week cooking, I'm not terribly anxious to go home and cook dinner. It's the same dilemma that my clients often have-- what do I feed my family at the end of the day? I am no fan of fast food, and am admittedly a picky eater, so even restaurant food is often less than appetizing. Add to that the tendency of Friday nights to be crazy busy at many restaurants and I have a conundrum--brave the crowds to eat mediocre food, but not cook, or figure out a meal that is easily pulled together and delicious. So when our plans fell through last Friday, instead of torturing ourselves with the Friday night crowds, I invited our friends Mike and Lynn over for dinner. But that left the menu. The requirement was that I had to have everything on hand--no additional trips to the store. And I didn't want to spend much time in the kitchen. I had bought some duck liver mousse a couple of days before that I put out for an appetizer, along with some Boursin cheese and Nita Crisps. And I had frozen some apple dumplings a couple of weeks ago that I could pull out for dessert. That left the main meal: start to finish in under an hour. And worth every minute.

Duck Liver Pate & Boursin Cheese
Tri-Tip Steaks with Kalamata Olives, Garlic, Oregano and Feta
Mashed Yukon Gold & Sweet Potatoes with Gouda, Roasted Garlic & Smoked Paprika
Sauteed Asparagus & Fennel

Pastitsio

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:59:31 -0700

Greek food can feel a bit intimidating to anyone who hasn't been exposed to it's delicious flavors. I'm a big fan, particularly because I love lamb, but also love other things common in Greek cooking: lemon, garlic, artichokes, oregano, wine. Recently, I came across a recipe for Pastitsio, which I've sometimes heard referred to as Greek Lasagna. It's similar to Italian lasagnas in that it is a pasta casserole. But it incorporates a white sauce, and instead of the commonly used basil and oregano, it uses the surprising cinnamon, allspice & nutmeg. This recipe that I used called for either ground beef or lamb, but I just had to use lamb, of course. The pairing of lamb with cinnamon is fantastic.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Pastitsio

Recipe By :Elisa Kampoures- PCN
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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16 tablespoons butter -- 2 tablespoons very soft
8 tablespoons flour
6 cups light cream -- warmed
2 cups chicken broth -- warmed
1 cup Parmesan or Kefalotiri cheese -- grated
salt
pepper
2 medium onions -- chopped
2 pounds ground lamb -- or beef
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup white wine
1 pound elbow macaroni or flat end cut ziti -- cook al dente
3 eggs
3/4 cup parmesan cheese -- grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare sauce: In saucpan melt 12 tablespoons butter, gradually stir in flour and cook, stirring until you have a thick paste and is light golden color.

Stir in cream and broth, small amount at a time, stirring constantly until medium thick and smooth.

Stir in 1 cup grated cheese, salt and pepper and heat until cheese is melted.

Prepare meat: In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablesppons butter and cook onions until they are soft. Add the meat, breaking up with a fork, cooking until well browned.

Drain fat from pan and stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, pepper, tomato sauce and wine.

Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes and set aside

Cook pasta to very al dente

Beat together eggs, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons soft butter. Mix well with pasta.

Assemble: Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Spoon 1/2 pasta mixture into baking dish. Spoon some of the cream sauce over the pasta and add all of the meat mixture over sauce.

Spoon some more cream sauce over the meat.

Add remaining pasta.

Pour remaining cream sauce over the macaroni, so there is a nice layer of sauce on top.. ***There may be some sauce left over. This sauce recipe is doulbled.

Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until bubbling. Cool 30 minutes before cutting.

Description:
"""Greek Style Lasagna"""
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 838 Calories; 62g Fat (66.7% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 238mg Cholesterol; 737mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 10 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

For chocolate lovers only

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:23:06 -0700

With Valentine's Day just ahead, naturally a girl starts to think about chocolate. Not this girl, actually but other girls. I'm more of a lemon or vanilla gal, myself, but I am definitely in the minority. So it is no wonder that in the last couple of weeks, I have had numerous people mention an intense chocolate cake that I have been eating and making most of my life. Many people make one version or another of Texas sheet cake, though this particular version is better than any other that I've tasted. It's rich, buttery, very chocolatey, can be made, start to finish, in about 30 minutes and has the added benefit of being able to feed a crowd. This is not for the faint of heart--for chocolate lover's only.

Nagadoches Cake

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 20 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3/4 pound butter
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons milk
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Heat butter together with water and cocoa untll boiling. Mix together flour and sugar. Pour hot ingredients over dry ingredients, mixing well. Add buttermilk, soad, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into greased sheet cake or jelly roll pan and bake at 375 or about 18 min or until tester comes out clean.

Frosting: Melt together butter, cocoa & milk. Bring to a boil. Add to mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar & vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cake hot.

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 432 Calories; 24g Fat (47.6% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 55g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 72mg Cholesterol; 268mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 4 1/2 Fat; 3 Other Carbohydrates.

Vietnamese Noodle Bowls

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:10:58 -0700

Here in Denver, we have been enjoying unseasonably warm weather. Though January tends to be quite cold, this year we had weeks that were in the 60's and 70's. Now that it's February, things haven't really changed. I'm on the trail in tank tops; I see new grass growing amidst the brown; and instead of craving chili and other soups, I'm craving the things that I usually crave in the spring or summer. One of those is rice noodle bowls. I'm not sure why I associate this dish with the summer--perhaps because it isn't served hot and has a wonderful, fresh taste. It's full of julienne cut fresh vegetables (carrot, radish, cucumber) and fresh herbs, including mint, and cilantro. I served mine with Vietnamese meatballs but have done them with large marinated shrimp, as well. I use rice noodles, but you can easily use angel hair pasta, if that's what you have on hand. Toss it all with a little dressing made up of Asian fish sauce, sugar, lime, garlic and rice vineger, add sliced serrano peppers, and you have dinner. With some crunchy spring rolls, it's a perfect meal to enjoy our early taste of spring. You can easily replicate this tasty dish

Lasagna Bolognese

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:31:22 -0700

Football is finally coming to an end. We've been inundated with bowl games and playoffs. It seems to be constant. And all of this football, which so captivates many, leaves others of us cold. I typically find something else to do while my husband watches the games. This week, my daughter and her husband came over for the playoff games. After the first game, Kate and I sent the men down to the basement, put Raiders of the Lost Ark on the TV and started cooking. We made marinara and meat sauce and bechamel. And eventually, we made one of the best Lasagnas ever.

Lasagna Bolognese

Meat sauce Bolognese; ---
1 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 tablespoon butter
1 pound mild Italian sausage
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup white wine, dry
2 cup tomato, chopped
3 tablespoon Tomato paste
2 cup beef stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried
1/8 teaspoon allspice
Salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

-Besciamella (Italian bechamel sauce)
---
3 tablespoon Butter
3 tablespoons flour, all-purpose
2 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Salt
1 dash nutmeg
1 pound lasagna noodle, preferably green
1 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. To prepare meat sauce, saute onion, garlic, and celery over low heat in
two tablespoons butter, 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove to a
heavy 3-4 quart sauce pan. Saute the sausage and ground beef in the same
frying pan in the olive oil until lightly browned. Stir to break up
lumps.

2. Drain excess grease. Add the wine to the meat and boil, stirring
constantly, until the wine is almost evaporated. Add meat to sauce pan
with onion mixture and add the tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, and
seasonings. Simmer, partially covered, for one hour, stirring
occasionally.

3. To prepare Besciamella, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a heavy 2-3 quart
sauce pan, over low heat. Stir in the flour and cook slowly 2-3 minutes,
stirring constantly. Pour in the milk and cream slowly, stirring with a
whisk to obtain a smooth sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly,
until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon salt and the
nutmeg. Set aside. Makes 3 cups.

4. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. In a large 6-8 quart pot cook the
lasagna noodles. When cooked drain and cover the lasagna with cold water,
then lift out strips and drain on paper towels.

5. To assemble, spread a layer of meat sauce on bottom of baking dish to
about 1/4-inch deep. Over this lay 1/3 of the noodles, then 1/3 of the Besciamella, and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat two more times layering the meat sauce, noodles, Besciamella, and ending with the mozzarella. Sprinkle top with grated parmesan cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Can be frozen.

Smoked Salmon Frittata & Orange Rolls

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 10:14:54 -0700

Christmas morning. It's magical and exciting. And it's delicious. Our tradition on Christmas morning is to shower and then wait and wait for everyone to wake up. Typically, I'm starved by the time they make their way downstairs. Full of coffee and dizzy from hunger, the kitchen is my focus rather than the tree, the stockings and all of the gifts. But this year, my new son-in-law Michael and my daughter Jill were up at 6:30, having been awake off and on all night from excitement. After filling our coffee cups, we opened stockings and finally made our way back to the kitchen for smoked salmon frittata and orange rolls. It was a great combination of sweet and savory. I used the smoked salmon that I had smoked myself, and it was delicious, a fine way to start a Christmas morning.

Smoked-Salmon and Cream Cheese Frittata

8 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 oz cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon, chopped

Whisk together eggs, milk, chives, basil, pepper, and salt in a bowl.

Preheat broiler.
Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet (if handle is plastic, wrap it in a double layer of foil) over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Pour egg mixture into skillet and scatter cream cheese pieces on top, then cook, lifting up cooked egg around edges using a spatula to let raw egg flow underneath, until frittata is set on bottom and egg is almost set but still moist on top, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Sprinkle salmon all over frittata, then press on salmon lightly and shake skillet to allow salmon to settle into top.

Broil frittata about 6 inches from heat until set, slightly puffed, and golden in patches, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, then loosen edge with spatula and slide onto a large plate. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Cool 5 minutes, then loosen edge with spatula and slide onto a large plate. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Source:
"Gourmet | September 2003"
Start to Finish Time:
"0:25"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 169 Calories; 11g Fat (60.2% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 428mg Cholesterol; 222mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.

Oats Cake

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:07:11 -0700

Sometimes the most wonderful things are found right under our noses.

I come from a family full of bakers. My aunts and grandmas and sisters and mother, my father and brother, and uncles were/are terrific bakers. Most of the cakes, cookies, breads and pies that I make are recipes that have been passed around the family. Being the adventurous eater that I am, I am always on the hunt for something new and interesting so, occasionally, a recipe that has been around forever ends up being forgotten. Fortunately, everything old can be new again. Recently, I rediscovered a cake that I believe was a recipe of my Aunt Harriet. I have breezed past this recipe for years and years. Perhaps it was the dull name-- it really deserves something jazzier, because this is one yummy cake. It has the added benefit of being something that can be whipped up at the last minute, because the ingredients are always in the pantry. The original recipe is somewhat vague in spots so I've taken some liberty in filling out the recipe.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Oats Cake

Recipe By :Harriet Byrtus
Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 cup chopped dates or raisins
Topping:
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup cream -- can use milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Pour boiling water over oats. Cool. Combine sugars, butter and eggs. Add cooled oats. Combine dry ingredients. Add to wet ingredients. Mix well. Add dates or raisins. Pour in a greased 9" x 13" pan. Bake until tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Change oven to Broil.

PBoil together butter, cream and brown sugar. Sprinkle hot cake with nuts. Pour the topping over the hot cake. Place cake under the broiler until the topping bubbles. Don't overcook or the topping with harden.

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 276 Calories; 16g Fat (50.1% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 53mg Cholesterol; 185mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 3 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Smoked Salmon

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:38:20 -0700

Seafood is one of my passions. Particularly salmon. There seems to be no end to the ways to prepare it, but smoking it is my current favorite. Unlike pork butt, which takes 13 hours to prep, smoke and shred, salmon can be prepped and smoked in only a couple of hours, almost instant gratification in the smoking world! This recipe courtesy of Virtual Weber Bullet website:

First, I prepared a brown sugar rub, which I thickly applied to a 3 pound salmon fillet.

1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup non-iodized table salt
3 tablespoons granulated garlic
3 tablespoons granulated onion
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1 tablespoon dried savory
2 teaspoons dried tarragon

It was then refrigerated for 2 hours, rinsed and allowed to dry until tacky, about 30 min. A finishing rub was then applied:

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon dried tarragon

I smoked it at 225 with cherry wood. I pulled it at an internal temperature of 140 (the original recipe suggested 150).

This salmon was sweet and smoky and delicious. It freezes pretty well too, which is great for last minute hor d'ouerves or something to throw in a pasta.

Home Grown Tomatoes

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:14:07 -0700

This has been a crazy gardening year. I'm typically a neglectful gardener, but this year, regardless of my lack of attention and care, my tomato plants have gone crazy. They are huge and laden with big, plump fruit on one, and tear-drop shaped romas on the other. As with any good harvest, there is more fruit on the vine than we can possibly eat, so I give it away to visitors. The romas have been particularly challenging. Their size is quite small, and typically, I use romas for salsa but you can only make so much salsa. But I think that I have found a great way to use these tasty little tomatoes--Herb-roasted tomatoes.

I halved each tomato lengthwise and scooped out the seeds, drizzled them with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled them with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and chopped fresh herbs from the garden. I then slow-roasted them, at 325, for about 3 hours, or until they had shriveled and slightly caramelized.

They were fantastic! I've served them with cheese & crostini, with smoked salmon or simply popped them in my mouth for a little snack.