Collard Greens & Yam Salad

I'm on a quest to eat a healthier more vegetarian diet.  Yes, I still eat meat and dairy but a whole lot less of it.  My focus is on more of a plant based diet.  On my new culinary journey I found a recipe submitted by some guy named Matt on a community website.  It called for kale and sounded easy.  The reviews were good and I had the necessary ingredients on hand, except for the kale.  I did have collard greens though!   So I changed up a thing or two and here's the final result.

Here's what you'll need:

2 yams                                                  olive oil                                     1/8 cup toasted pine nuts
salt & pepper                                        1 onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced                        1 bunch of collard greens
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar                      2 oz goat cheese

Wash and the yams and dry them well.  Cube them, toss them in the oil, about a tablespoon with some salt and pepper.  Roast them at 400 for about 25 minutes or until tender.   Set them aside and let them cool completely.  This can be done in advance.








While the yams are roasting, slice the onion thinly.  Put another tablespoon in a large pan on medium heat and cook the onions until they are brown and caramelized.  When they are almost done add the garlic so it can cook and caramelize too. 

While the onions are doing their thing, trim the collard greens and hand tear them into bite sized pieces.

If your  not familiar with collard greens this is what they look like in raw form.  I didn't grow up eating them but find I do like them!   The have a hard stem which I simply cut out and discard.







Add the collard greens to the onion and garlic once you have that nice golden color on the onions.  Cook the greens until they have wilted.

Put this mixture in another container so it can cool completely.

At this point you should have the cooled roasted yams ready to go along with the cooled greens with onions with garlic.




Again while the greens are cooling you can toast the pine nuts.  Simply put them in a dry pan on medium heat and toss occasionally.  Stay close!  They'll only take about five minutes to toast.   You'll smell their fragrant aroma when they are ready and you'll find they are lightly toasted on the bottom.  Go ahead and remove them from the heat.

When everything is cool mix the cubed yams and collard mixture together and toss with the vinegar.  Sprinkled on the cheese and nuts.  You now have a colorful, healthful and delicious gourmet salad.  Sprinkle some goat cheese on top and dinner is ready!








Plate this beauty alreay! 

Using a white plate will make the vibrant colors POP!  See what I mean?  Toss on the pine nuts and a little goat cheese and dig in!







 As an extra bonus, this same recipe can be used with kale in place of the collard greens.  Go ahead try them both ways.  You have nothing to lose and good health to gain!

As always, your comments and individual results are most welcome!

Loaded Oatmeal Cookie Treats

Several years ago my Mother-in-Law, Kay bought a new Kitchen-Aid mixer and gave me her old one.  I was so excited to get it.  We're talking about an old mixer that's concocted more cakes, cookies and breads than you or I will ever make in a lifetime.  This puppy has been worked to the point of exhaustion, broken down and repaired for another go round.  I only wish I knew how old it was so I could brag about it more.  When in the locked position it sometimes still "jumps" but I don't care.  To me it's akin to a Dad passing along his treasured tools to his son.  It always held a place of honor in Kay's kitchen and now it's in mine.  It's a work horse to be sure, but to me, it's a beauty!  Having said that, let's put it to work on something sinfully delicious.

Everyone's eaten an oatmeal cookie at some point.  It's the cookie you can almost say is good for you.   I wouldn't say these are "bad" for you, after all they do have oatmeal in them and cause my husband to do his happy dance when he learns I'm making some.

The ingredients are simple ones that you're likely to already have on hand.

1 cup butter, softened                                                    1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar                                                                 2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla                                                                   1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda                                                           1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt                                                                      3 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup craisins                                                              1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Get all your ingredients together.  As shown, I use a few bowls to make the process easier.  In my main mixing bowl I put the butter and sugars, in another bowl I combine the egg and vanilla, in yet another the salt, soda, cinnamon and flour, then lastly one with the all the goodies,  nuts, chips and craisins.  








Cream the butter and sugar together.  Incorporate the egg and vanilla  until well blended.  Carefully mix in the flour mixture (if you do it too fast you'll be wearing the flour).  The oats go in next followed by the bowl of goodies.

When you're done mixing, you'll have few things to wash.

At this point you can put cookies on several sheets or do as I did, line a bar pan with parchment paper.  You can use PAM instead but the parchment paper will make removing the cookie bars super easy.

 

Pour the mixture onto the paper in the bar pan.  It will be very thick.  Spread it as evenly as you can.

It will look like brown confetti in the bar pan.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  If you're using stoneware, check them sooner as they'll cook faster.  They should still be slightly soft.  It's easy to over bake them so be careful.  If you do, don't panic it's nothing a tall glass of milk can't make better!




Pull those puppies out of the oven and let them cool before removing them from the pan.  If you didn't use parchment you can cut them in the pan then scoop them out.

This type of cut makes them easier to store.  I make a big batch and freeze the majority of them so my husband thinks I'm "a good wife" because I add homemade cookies to his lunch. Who doesn't like a sweet treat surprise in the middle of the day?

Add milk, hot chocolate or a chocolate liqueur and magically you're day will be infinitely better!

Split Pea Soup for beginners

I grew up as one of six children.  Of those six kids only my brother and I really loved split pea soup.  So whenever Mom made it, we knew she was making something we especially liked.   If you've ever heard the old bit about a dish being made with love, it's so true!  Regardless of how easy or hard it is to make, love is the most important and abundant ingredient.  Cooking for someone takes time and when you put forth effort for someone else, you are giving them your love.  So when Mom made split pea soup I felt the the love. 

When it comes to split pea soup, you either love it or you hate it.  It's no secret, I love it!  And contrary to the beliefs of some (you know who you are) you don't have to split the peas yourself!  They already come split.  Four simple ingredients and you're on your way.

I normally put ham in my soup, however in honor of my vegetarian friends out there, this one is a vegan version.  Thanks to my friend Daisy for leaving the bouillon at my house for me to "play with" and to Brenda M., both from Virginia who are vegetarians and encourage me in that direction.  For my fellow carnivores out there, you can use chicken stock in place of the vegetable stock if you'd like.  Also adding diced ham makes it a bit more hardy.

If you have a ham bone, stick it in the water as the soup cooks.  It will add an amazing dept of flavor.  Then you can take the remaining ham bits and add them to the soup.

 Here's all you'll need:
4 quart crock pot
4 cups split peas
1 carrot, diced = 3/4 cup approx
1 cup diced onion
3 cubes of vegetable bouillon
3 quarts water

Those little peas are going to swell in size so it will look like you have too much liquid to start.  If at anytime the peas rise above the liquid line, add more so they are covered.

If you don't have a crock pot you can use a stove top pot with a lid and cook on it very low heat.  I would encourage you to get a crock pot.  I've had one (not the same one) since I was first married back in the early 80's!  Actually I have two of them now, a 6 quart and a 4 quart.  Don't tell my husband but if I see a 2 quart, I'll buy it!  Crock pots are like pots and pans.  You need different sizes for different dishes and/or crowd size.

If you're on a limited budget, the good news is they are inexpensive!  You only need someplace to store them.  Stop at your local thrift store and I'll bet you can find 3 or 4 of them for about $10 each.

As it nears completion the peas will appear intact, however when you stir them they will disintegrate and become a thick soup.
 
Fear not, if this seems like way to much soup for one night's dinner, it's supposed to be.  You can fill quart zip lock bags with enough portions to suit your household and freeze them.  They stack nicely and don't take up much room. 

What could be more comforting than coming home on a cold afternoon, tired, hungry and knowing all you have to do is pull a bag out of the freezer and heat it up?  Add crusty bread and you're set.  Serve it up as the main course or use a smaller serving and add a salad.  Either way you are going to feel all warm and fuzzy inside, I promise!

Leftovers, Anyone?

In previous blogs I've written about an Asian salad, manly meatloaf and a cauliflower side dish.  As with any dish, if you make too much you have leftovers.  Let me tell you, my Mom was an artist with leftovers and I like to think I inherited her skill in that department.  

After making the salad on one day, I had 3/4 of a head of green cabbage left over.

I used what little was left of this blend and the remainder of the head of green cabbage.

After making, eating and using slices for sandwiches for Hubby's lunch, I still had 1/2 of a meatloaf left

Have any ideas what to do with one full serving of the cauliflower side dish?

 
What to do with these three odd leftovers?  Well here's what I did....

I poured a little water into a skillet the put in a vegetable steamer.  I shredded the cabbage into thin slices and put a layer down on a vegetable steamer.  I sprinkled in what was left of the cauliflower and topped it with the leftover meatloaf, cut into strips.  Then I put another layers of shredded cabbage on top.

I fired up the stove and let it all steam.  When the cabbage began to wilt I gave it a nice sprinkling of kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper.  I let it steam a little longer until the cabbage was softened and the meat was heated through.

I tossed it all together and served it as a "hot salad" for dinner.  As the coating from the meatloaf gave the cabbage a little zing, the cauliflower added the needed buttery creaminess.  The meat added protein and substance to the dish.  Even though  I had to put it all in a skillet and steam it, all the main parts were already done.  I took left overs of three seperate dishes and got a tasty fourth dish out of them.  I love when that happens!  My hubby asked if this was a "new recipe"  Of course I told him I'd been working very hard all day in the kitchen developing the recipe....Ha!

If I had any idea how satisfying it was going to turn out, I would have taken pictures!  I can only hope my description provided you with adequate visuals.

So go forth, my culinary cohorts, be fearless!  Throw those leftovers together and see what happens!

As always, your comments, ideas and individual results are welcomed and encouraged!

Cauliflower incognito! A scrumptuous side dish.

Let's face it, there isn't a person alive who thinks cauliflower is a sexy vegetable.  Today I saw recipes for Halloween Brains Dip using cauliflower as the storage container.  Ewwww!

Well don't fret my little foodies!  I have a simple way to fix it that I guarantee you'll love.  It involves Parmesan and butter, which begs the question:  How bad could it be??

Go ahead, be brave and buy an entire head of cauliflower at the store!  For those of you who only purchase prepackaged veggies, here's what a "whole cauliflower" looks like ;-)  Yes, you can use prepackaged cauliflower but it won't be as fresh.

Wash that puppy, peel/snap off the leaves and large stem.  You'll want to use a knife to get the core out of the middle.  Once this is done, snapping off the florets is easy.  Steam them or nuke them, it's up to you.  I prefer steaming them only because I can check them for tenderness easier than in the microwave.  

 

While they are steaming, grate about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese with a microplane and have 2-3 Tbsps of butter handy.  Once the cauliflower is done, mash it, puree it or take an immersion blender to it, just get it to the consistency of mashed potatoes.  It doesn't matter if you like them smashed or creamy, either way will work.  Once mashed add the cheese and butter, blend well.  Salt to taste.  Go easy on the salt though as the cheese is a bit salty all by itself.  If you like it creamier and calories aren't a concern, you can add cream, milk or more butter, a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

It's also pretty tasty cold!  It's not exactly colorful but makes up for it in flavor.  Next time I'll throw in some chopped chives for color and bite.  Simple side dishes can really elevate a mundane main course.  This cauliflower side really does the trick!

NOTE:  If you want to take it a step further and really impress, mix some panko bread crumbs with softened butter.  Put the pureed cauliflower in a buttered baking dish and top with the crumb mixture.  Bake at 375-400 until the crumbs are golden brown.   It will only take a few minutes to brown so watch it!   Serve that puppy up! 

Manly Meatloaf

Before you turn your nose up at meatloaf, consider this...
1.  Everyone has their own recipe, it's been around for ages and this is likely to be a bit different than your version.
2.  Making small loafs instead of one big one nets you more crusty goodness and reduces cooking time!

We didn't have meatloaf much growing up so this isn't an "old family recipe", it's my own easy version of an old classic.  So fasten your seatbelt for a Monster Meatloaf ride!

What you'll need to start:  1/2 red bell pepper, 2-3 stalks of celery, 1 medium yellow onion (or half of a large one, 2 lbs of ground beef, salt and pepper.  This makes 2 mini loaves.  Simply half or double the recipe to suit your own needs.  

Dice those veggies up so they are all about the same sized dice.  Doesn't have to be perfect, just know it helps everything cook evenly. 

 Heat 1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp of vegetable or olive oil in a pan.  Saute the veggies until they are soft and onions are translucent.





Once the sauteed veggies are done and cool enough to handle, toss them into the ground beef. 

 

Add 2 slightly beaten eggs and 3/4 cup of dry bread crumbs to the meat and mix well.  Form into two rectangular loaves to fit your pan.  You can use a loaf pan to shape them (line with plastic wrap for easy removal) or hand shape them.   I've used the broiler pan from my toaster oven and lined the bottom with foil for easy cleanup.  Anything I can bake in the oven can be made in my toaster oven.  It's smaller so it uses less energy.  I'm always in favor of being green. 

Now, for the topping!  I mix two parts ketchup to one part yellow mustard and brown sugar.  Mix it well then taste.  If it's too sweet for your taste add more mustard.  If it's too tart add more ketchup or brown sugar for added sweetness.  It's at this point I add cayenne pepper to the mix.  Hubby loves things HOT (that's why he married me, hehehe).  

Cover the loaves with a thin layer of the sauce and bake at 350 for 1/2 hour.  Pull it out and put another coating of sauce on the loaves then return it to the oven.  Do this every 10 minutes until the loaves are cooked to 140 degrees.  

By adding the sauce in increments it has a chance to firm up and create that crusty goodness mentioned earlier.  The "oh my goodness this is awesome" factor will be kicked up a few notches!
The "crust" is so good my husband and I fight over the end pieces (they have the most crust).  By making two small ones we get four ends instead of just two.

I always make more than needed so I'll have leftovers.  Hubby loves finding meatloaf sandwiches in his lunch bag the next day!  There is typically excess ooey gooey sauce which I spread on the sandwich bread instead of mayo.  If there isn't enough sauce, I use a little of the mayo for the sandwich.  It's delish either way. 

If you try this one, I'd love to read about it!

No Fuss Butternut Squash Soup in the Crockpot

After researching several recipes for butternut squash soup on the internet and in cookbooks,  I was left thinking..."there has to be an easier way".  Well after a little experimentation, I arrived at a recipe that made my husband do his happy dance.  Whenever that happens, I know I have a winner!  Plus there's no need to saute anything first and for all you health nuts out there, no cream!

Ingredients you'll need:  1 1/2-2 lbs butternut squash, 2 green apples (I used granny smith), one large onion, 2 qts chicken broth, 3 Tbsp butter, 1 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, cayenne to taste (optional)

If you've never purchased or handled the squash before, prepare to blush.  Suffice it to say it has a certain phallic quality to it. 

Wash and peel it first

 I have this handy dandy tool I got from the Pampered Chef.  It's a peeler with teeth.  It's great for peeling veggies with thick skins and won't slip.   (I'm a consultant so if you'd like one, I can help you with that and many other items!)  A regular peeler will work but you'll work much  harder at it.  When peeling, you'll see these green lines in the squash.  Just peel a couple more times and they will come right off.

 Once it's washed and peeled, you're ready to rock!  Be sure to keep a firm grasp on it.  Butternut squash is hard to cut, so use a good, sharp knife.  Cut off the ends, then cut it where the long penis looking portion begins to widen.  Stand both pieces on their flat ends and slice in half lengthwise. 

 At this point, clean out the seeds and stringy part.  Another handy tool is shown.  One side has teeth on it, great for hulling strawberries.  It's great for doing small jobs like cleaning the squash too.  The other end with the hoop is a melon baller.  It's two, two, two tools in one! 

 Finally, slice into strips that can be cut into thinner strips and cube them.  It will take a little muscle but the payoff is worth it!  Cube the apples and onion as well.  

 I used a crockpot to cook the soup.  This recipe fits my four quart crock perfectly!  Put all the chopped up goodies in the pot along with 2 quarts of chicken stock. 

Add capLet this baby cook for 3-4 hours on high.  You can program your crock for a longer cooking time if you'd like.

 

If you don't have an immersion blender, consider getting one!  They run about $30-40 and are worth their weight in gold.  Sure beats having to puree batches of soup in the food processor plus cleanup is so much easier!When the squash and veggies are tender, stick the immersion blender in the pot and puree away!  Be sure the openings by the blade are below the liquid line.  If not,  you'll not only be wearing the scalding hot soup but your kitchen will have a fresh coatof pulp all over the place!  

 

When you're done pureeing the soup, add the allspice, cinnamon, butter and cayenne if you're using it.  When the butter is all melted, it's ready to serve. 

For extra pizzazz, in a hot pan, toss some thyme leaves in hot melted butter and throw in cubed bread until toasted.  Put the croutons in each soup bowl and serve.

Do your happy dance!