Beans, beans

Posted on January 22, 2012 by sdoeden

At the start of each  new year, I promise myself that I will eat a wide variety of healthful foods on a daily basis and work to avoid cravings for sweet and salty foods. I do pretty well the first couple weeks of January, but as I move into the third week, my resolve begins to wane.

This year, I’ve taken affirmative action that will help me stay on track. I turned to some health-conscious people I know to get their suggestions on some basic foods I can keep on hand along with creative ways to prepare them that will be flavorful and keep me satisfied, happy and healthy — I call it the “Good Life” track.

I first met Kelly Jo Zellmann, RD, LD when she volunteered to be my assistant during a cooking class I was teaching several years ago. As soon as I saw Kelly Jo’s bright smile and the sparkle in her eyes, I knew she would be an amazing person to work with in the kitchen.

Registered Dietitian, Kelly Jo Zellmann, was happy to share her knowledge about nutritious foods with me and with all who read this blog.

What is one food you recommend people add to their menus for a healthy 2012?

Hmm…Beans!  I actually didn’t have to think too long on this as beans popped into my head right away.  Even though there are so many healthy foods to choose from, beans are at the top of the list.  Any kind of bean is good and the list to choose from is plentiful ~ black beans (one of my personal favorites), garbanzo (also known as chickpea), kidney, chili, cannellini , pinto, soy, navy, green, edamame, lima , black eyed peas, and refried beans.  And, there are many more!  According to a recent survey that identified top food trends for 2012, a key theme is that Americans will be eating more locally grown, unprocessed foods, along with increasing fruit and vegetable intake.  Both of these contain fiber, a key nutrient often lacking in many people’s diets.  Beans, whether canned or dried, are a great option to meet these trends.

Other than the fact that they can keep us trendy in 2012, why are you so jazzed on beans, Kelly?

Versatility, variety, economical, and availability (no matter what the season) are a few reasons that come to mind.  More importantly, though, beans pack a powerful punch when it comes to nutrition.  If there is a magical food (which there really isn’t) beans are as close to it as you can get!  With the new USDA “ChooseMyPlate” recommendations to fill half your plate with produce, beans are a great food because they are a vegetable and if you already have plenty of colors on your plate, they can also count as a protein source, too!

Beans can be particularly helpful in lowering cholesterol levels, aiding in weight loss, stabilizing blood sugar levels in diabetes, as well as decreasing risk of colon cancer.  Beans offer healthy amounts of several nutrients including; niacin, thiamine, B6 vitamin, complex carbohydrates, fiber, which helps slow absorption and increases satiety (feeling of fullness).  Beans are also a good source of potassium, folate, iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium, and are naturally low in fat.  In addition to all of that, beans also provide a great source of protein and can be a wonderful alternative to meat.  For every ½-cup serving there are six to seven grams of protein, which meets at least 10% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein, yet costs about 20 cents per serving.

Although most beans are fairly high in carbohydrate content, they are also high in fiber.  A half-cup serving of cooked dried beans provides about 7 grams of fiber, which meets ~25-30% of the Daily Value of dietary fiber.  If you have diabetes, for example, and are counting carbohydrates, if a serving has >5 grams fiber, you can subtract “half” the fiber content from the total carbohydrates.  For example, if you have a 1 cup serving of beans with 14 grams of fiber, you can subtract 7 from the total carbohydrates.  But, don’t let the numbers get you confused, the bottom line is beans are beneficial, so just eat them!

Canned or dried?

Canned beans are fast and easy to use.  But, you can also use dried beans for any recipe that calls for canned.  The trick to using dried beans is you need to plan ahead and soak the beans.  For greatest economy, cook up a whole bunch at one time and freeze in quantities similar to the can sizes you use.  (1 cup dried beans = about 3 cups cooked beans, 14 oz can beans = about 1½ cups drained beans).

Bean tip from Kelly Jo:

About the only drawback to eating beans is that they can often result in passing gas.  Remember the old saying:  Beans, Beans, the magical fruit, the more you eat the more you ____?!?  Well, that saying is partly true and false.  Beans are not a fruit but a vegetable, and they do often result in flatulence due to the high amount of oligosaccharides (sugar) present in beans.  A good tip to remember is whenever you are increasing the amount of fiber in your diet, go slow and always drink plenty of water.

Do you have some favorite ways you incorporate beans into the meals you prepare for your family?

There are so many ways to add beans to your diet.  First think about foods or meals you already enjoy.   If tacos are on the list, for example, try adding black beans to them for a change.  Another idea is to sautée edamame, combine with cooked chicken or grouse, and add some corn to make a tasty salad.  You can also add almost any kind of bean to a number of soups.  Experiment to find out what kind of beans you like best, and then have fun throwing them in to some of your favorite dishes.

Please share some information about yourself that will give us a glimpse of who you are.

I am a full-time, working mom of three boys – ages 7, 5, and 1½ and have been married to my husband for eleven years.  I can relate to the struggles of getting a good meal on the table and sitting down to eat together as a family.  Some days it’s a quick dinner thrown together at the last minute, but that’s reality.   A key to making this happen is having all your favorite ingredients on hand so that you can do this in a pinch.

Currently I work part time at the Leech Lake Diabetes Clinic in Cass Lake and Neilson Place – WoodsEdge Senior Living in Bemidji.  I also do independent nutrition consulting for individuals, corporations, and groups.  I am a licensed provider for Real Living Nutrition’s Balance program, an online weight management program (www.reallivingnutrition.com) and a Registered Dietitian for CyberFit360.com.   I am looking forward to making 2012 a great year of exploring new foods and yet more ways to incorporate beans into our diet and wish the same for you!

Happy and Healthy 2012!

Kelly Jo Zellmann, RD, LD * northlandnutrition@gmail.com

Kelly Jo shared a recipe she uses for vegetarian chili. I did a little tweaking and came up with a meatless chili that is loaded with a variety of beans, deep, spicy flavor and good-for-you peppers. That recipe is in my newspaper column this week. Click here to get to that recipe.

After visiting with Kelly Jo Zellmann about beans, I remembered a black bean burger I made about five years ago. I found the recipe that is very quick and easy to prepare.

As I’ve been seeking out health-conscious people, I’ve had the opportunity to visit with some who have chosen a vegan lifestyle (eating no animal products). I learned a trick from them that I tried out in the burgers. Apparently, a tablespoon of ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of water serves as a satisfactory replacement for an egg in cooking and in baking. Since my Black Bean Burgers incorporate 2 eggs into the mix, I experimented with the flax and water combination. The texture of the burgers became mushy inside, which was not as appealing to me as the nice firm texture that results when eggs are used. So, it’s up to you. I didn’t mind it, really. If you are a vegan, I think you’ll be quite satisfied.

Beans, beans — you’ll get plenty of them in these burgers.

Black Bean Burgers

  • 3 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked quick oats
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
  • 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin (or to taste)
  • 1 or 2 dashes hot pepper sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • oil for frying
  • 8 hamburger buns

Coarsely mash beans in a large bowl. A pastry blender or potato masher works well for this job. Add oats, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, cumin, hot pepper sauce, salt and eggs. Mix well.

Shape mixture into 8 patties. Stir together flour and cornmeal in shallow bowl. Dredge patties in dry mixture. In a large skillet, pour just enough oil to cover bottom of the pan. Place pan on medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add patties and cook about 5 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Serve on buns. Makes 8 servings.

Some favorite toppings:

Lettuce, arugula, smoked cheddar cheese, sliced avocado, sliced tomato, sour cream, roasted red pepper, salsa.

Tips from the cook:

  • Mix and shape the patties early in the day and keep in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
  • Uncooked Black Bean Burgers freeze well. I wrap each  individually in plastic wrap, then slide them into a freezer-strength zip-top bag. I do thaw them before cooking.
  • Freeze leftover cooked burgers. To serve, heat in microwave on low power, turning burger over once.
  • Update: I’ve been reading through “The Vegan Table,” by Colleen Patrick- Goudreau and came upon her recipe for Matzoh Ball Soup where she uses “flax eggs” to mix into matzoh balls for soup. This is her method for making the “flax eggs:” To make a substitute for one egg, whip 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 2 tablespoons water in a food processor for 2 to 3 minutes, until a very thick, creamy, almost yogurt-like consistency develops. I’ll give these Black Bean Burgers one more try with “flax eggs.” Obviously, I used too much water when I made the substitute eggs in my first try.

 

 

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Eat your greens — on pizza.

Posted on January 18, 2012 by sdoeden

We had overnight guests last weekend. Two couples arrived on Saturday afternoon about an hour before it got dark. The guys immediately strapped on their snowshoes and hit the trail. The “girls” stayed back, with the intention of preparing toppings for the pizzas the group would be making together for our evening meal.

It’s nice to have friends who are totally comfortable with a laid-back, casual interactive couple of hours of meal preparation. Last spring I was introduced to the recipe for homemade pizza crust in the April 2011 edition of Food & Wine magazine. The dough is great for beginners who haven’t had a lot of experience with yeast dough and who whimper at the thought of kneading dough. A stand mixer with a dough hook does all the work for you. Then, the dough raises for about 1 1/2 hours. The recipe yields 8 balls of dough that can be easily patted and rolled into 8-inch rounds. The thin pizza crusts can be topped with any of your favorite ingredients. I asked everyone to bring toppings of their choice. We wound up with a couple of mean taco pizzas. And, several “green” pizzas.

Did you know transporting leafy greens to your mouth on thin, crisp and hot pizza crust is a blissful experience? If you’ve been digging in your heels and resisting fresh leafy greens — spinach, arugula, kale, Swiss chard, collards — even though you know very well they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and flavonoids that nourish bodies and help maintain good health, I’m here to tell you they are not as bad as you think. Especially when they are piled onto pizza just out of the oven.

One of the guys created a luscious pizza by brushing a thin round of dough with olive oil. Several fresh ingredients later and after 4 minutes on a blazing hot pizza stone in a 500-degree oven, a pizza was born. Baby spinach leaves were scattered over the top for serving. That pizza is pictured at the top of this post.

I’m partial to peppery arugula on pizza. Arugula is a Mediterranean plant—the Romans claimed it was an aphrodisiac—that also grows wild in Asia and has become increasingly popular in the United States over the last decade. The thin, tender leaves wilt as soon as they hit the heat of the pizza.

Making pizza is such fun when it’s a group project. Have the dough resting in a big bowl on the counter when your guests arrive. A pizza stone should be heating in the oven. You want it to be blistering hot before baking the first pizza. Provide a place for the pizza-makers to roll out their dough along with a rolling pin and some flour for dusting the work surface when needed. Have a wide variety of toppings available in a spot close to the dough-rolling area. You’ll need a pizza peel for sliding the pizza onto the hot stone in the oven and for removing it from the oven to a surface safe for slicing the finished pizza. A little cornmeal sprinkled on the peel promotes easy movement of the pizza onto the stone. If you don’t have a pizza peel, there’s an informative post at Serious Eats that can help you decide which kind to buy. Mine is made of wood. I like it.

It’s fun to see what kinds of toppings you wind up with when you invite guests to bring some of their favorites. The basics are smart to have lined up — you know, the red sauce, olives, mushrooms, sausage, green pepper, onion, cheese. Then, get a little creative.

Have lots of napkins and plenty of beverages on hand. It will be one of the best parties you’ve ever hosted. And, there’s a good chance no one will realize they are eating their greens.

I almost forgot to mention that unbaked balls of pizza dough can be stored in the freezer. I wrap each ball individually in plastic wrap, then put them all into a freezer-strength zip-top bag or plastic freezer container. They will be just fine for a month in the freezer. When you are ready to use, take out as many balls of dough as you need, allow them to thaw, covered, at room temperature. Then, make pizza.

I’ll share three of my favorite creations from our pizza night. None of them have a name. I’ll just number them, in random order. If you’d rather not make your own pizza dough, you might be able to buy some by the pound at your local pizzeria. Some grocery stores sell fresh pizza dough.

P.S. I’ve been enjoying kale in a stir-fried dish with brown rice noodles. You can find my recipe for Stir-fried Kale with Raspberry Soy Sauce and Rice Noodles in my column this week. Just click here.

1. (Pictured at top of post)

Brush crust with olive oil. Sprinkle with:

  • chopped raw onions
  • minced fresh garlic
  • chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
  • chopped green pepper
  • Lay slices of fresh mozzarella over all.
  • Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.
  • Bake.
  • Top with a big handful of fresh baby spinach leaves when you take the pizza out of the oven.

2.

  • Brush dough with olive oil.

Layer on:

  • minced fresh garlic
  • chopped roasted red pepper
  • chopped onions
  • chopped green pepper
  • sliced, fresh mozzarella
  • Grated Parmesan cheese

Bake.

  • Top with a big handful of fresh arugula.

3.

  • Brush dough with olive oil. Sprinkle with an dried Italian herb blend.

Top with:

  • minced fresh garlic
  • chopped roasted red pepper
  • shredded mozzarella
  • lots of chopped onions
  • drizzle of red sauce
  • broken pecan halves

Bake.

Top baked pizza with lots of fresh arugula.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Scones of sweet potato and darling clementine — oh, my!

Posted on January 8, 2012 by sdoeden

I’m stuck on darling little clementines. Their sweet, juicy fruit is a burst of sunshine on a gray winter day. At just 35 calories per average-sized clementine, they are a smart snack when eaten out of hand. They offer lots of fiber and a good dose of Vitamin C.

Just before Christmas, I ordered a case of organic clementines from my local natural food co-op. My grandchildren love the little citrus fruit. My three-year-old granddaughter refers to them as cuties, enunciating each syllable so that it comes out sounding like “Q-teez.” All the grandchildren were expected to be here during the holidays. Unfortunately, the flu bug came to our house during the Christmas weekend. The ones who were here got sick. The ones not here never came because of the stomach flu-infested house. I had lots of bright orange clementines left in the large, 25-pound box.

When they are stored in a cool place, like my northern Minnesota garage, they keep well for a few weeks. During that time, I’ve used the easy-peel citrus fruit in all kinds of ways. I’ve used the juice in marinades and vinaigrette and have splashed it into sparkling water for a refreshing beverage. The fruit has been tossed into salad and stirred into rice pilaf. The aromatic zest has been shaken into salad dressing and has flavored scones. Yes, scones. One of my favorite morning treats with a cup of steaming, strong, dark coffee.

The Clementine Cream Scones I write about in my column this week are flecked with chopped dried apricots and chunks of toasted pecans. Their fresh flavor comes from clementine juice and grated zest. They are heavenly.

Once I developed these Sweet Potato -Clementine Scones with Clementine Honey Glaze, it was hard for me to decide which of the two clementine-spiked scones is my favorite. To make these moist, orange-hued scones, I mashed up a baked sweet potato until I had enough to fill a 3/4-cup measure. Their tender texture is a result of the magic cream and butter and sugar create when they are stirred into scone or biscuit dough and baked at a high temperature. Clementine zest and juice add fragrance and bright flavor to the scones. Dried cranberries and broken toasted pecans add welcome texture and another layer of flavor in each bite of a Sweet Potato-Clementine Scone.

The scones are delicious just as they are, but drizzle a bit of Clementine Honey Glaze over the top, and they are impossible to resist. A long time ago I had seen a Honey Almond Glaze over on Katie Goodman’s Good Life Eats blog. She spooned the glaze over Pear Almond Scones. I used her idea to create Clementine Honey Glaze.

I ate one scone while it was still warm from the oven. I ate one for breakfast this morning. I ate another one a little while later. After all, I had to taste a scone drizzled with Clementine Honey Glaze. I can’t stop eating them. I’m serious.

I guess it’s not all bad that my house was filled with stomach-flu afflicted humans during the holidays. If we’d all felt well, we would have eaten well. There would have been no clementines left in the box for making scones.

If you are like me and just can’t get enough of sweet little clementines, you will want to check out the salad I made on Lakeland Public Television. I used clementines in the salad and in the vinaigrette. Just click HERE.

Clementine-Sweet Potato Scones with Clementine Honey Glaze

  • 1/2 pound (8 ounces) clementines
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 3/4 cup mashed baked sweet potato
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Grate the zest from all of the clementines. You should have at least 1 tablespoon of zest. The more the better.

Squeeze enough juice from the clementines to make 1/4 cup. Set zest and juice aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Cut the butter into small cubes and scatter over the dry ingredients in bowl. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This can also be done in a food processor.

Stir in chopped nuts and dried cranberries.

In a small bowl, mix mashed sweet potato with whipping cream, reserved 1/4 cup clementine and grated zest.  Add sweet potato mixture to dry ingredients in bowl. Stir just until combined.

Scoop 1/2-cup mounds of dough on prepared baking sheets, forming 8 scones.

Bake scones in preheated 425-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven when scones are puffed and golden. Transfer scones to wire rack to cool completely. When scones are completely cool, drizzle with Clementine Honey Glaze. Makes 8 scones.

Clementine Honey Glaze

  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon local honey
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed clementine juice

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. When glaze is smooth, drizzle over cooled scones.

Tips from the cook

  • Toast pecan halves in a single layer on a baking sheet in a preheated 350-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately transfer to a plate to cool. Be sure pecans are completely cool before adding to the mixing bowl.
  • If you prefer smaller scones, use just ¼ cup of batter per scone and adjust baking time accordingly.
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A creamy soup that will help add fruits and vegetables to your New (healthy) Year

Posted on January 1, 2012 by sdoeden

As the New Year begins, it only seems right to offer a recipe for a soup that is chock full of vegetables and even a little bit of fruit. The creamy soup will incorporate nicely into a regime of healthful menus.

I’ve been making this soup for years. A long time ago, much longer than I’d like to admit, I joined a group of women once a month for a Sunday afternoon meal. We called it our Recipe Exchange Group. We would each prepare a part of the meal and bring along the recipe to share. Elsa, our friend from Argentina, brought this soup to one of those long-ago meals where we’d not only eat, but also chat about our kids, our husbands, and food. It was an appreciated outlet for all of us in this small group of moms who liked to cook.

If you have made a resolution to eat more fruits and vegetables each day, this soup will make it easy. There is a fair amount of chopping involved, but once that task has been accomplished, the soup will be ready to eat in no time.

Chopped leeks, onion and celery saute in butter until tender. Be sure the butter is nice and hot when you add the vegetables. You should be able to hear them sizzle in the hot butter. I typically use butternut squash in the soup. This time, though, I had some other kind of winter squash on hand — a big green one that I picked up at the farmers market in the Fall. Use your favorite winter squash. A small turnip adds a very mild cabbage-like flavor, but it’s hardly detectable after it cooks with all the other fruit and vegetables. Apples and carrots add sweetness, along with a little apple juice. I use local orchard-fresh apple cider when I make this soup in the Fall.  The secret ingredient is added just at the end. Shredded Gruyere. Just 2 ounces melts into the soup and offers an amazing flavor that no one can figure out. Taste the soup before adding the cheese and once again after the cheese has incorporated into the soup. You’ll never want to make the soup without Gruyere. If you’ve never eaten Gruyere cheese, it’s a semi-soft Swiss cheese with a nutty, slightly sweet and salty flavor. It’s a good melting cheese and is often used in fondue.

You decide whether or not to add 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream before serving the soup. I usually leave it out, unless I’m planning to serve the soup at a dinner party. The cream adds rich, silky texture to the soup, but it also adds fat and calories.

I am one who will be focusing on daily doses of more friuts and vegetables than I have consumed in 2011. I’ll continue my daily walks with Gracie, my golden retriever. I promise to go to yoga classes more consistently. I’m going to eat little meat and when I do I will prefer organic or locally-produced meat. I’m going to start the year being vegan one day a week, consuming no food that comes from animals. I’ll see how that goes. And, I’m going to eat more greens, a wide variety of greens. And, I’m going to try to always have some of this soup in the freezer.

Happy New Year. May it be a healthy one for you and all those you love.

Apple-Butternut Squash Soup

  • 2 medium-sized leeks
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 pound butternut or your favorite winter squash, peeled, seeds removed, and chopped
  • 1 small turnip, peeled and chopped
  • 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrot
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup apple cider or organic apple juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried whole rosemary, crushed
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried whole sage, crushed
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Gruyere cheese
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Croutons, optional

Remove root, tough outer leaves, and tops from leeks, leaving 2 inches of dark leaves. Wash leeks, and chop.

Saute leeks, onion, and celery in 3 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven until vegetables are tender.  Add squash, apples, turnip, carrots, and chicken broth, stirring to combine.  Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Puree soup mixture in blender to make it smooth.  It will take a few batches in the blender.  Add apple cider, salt, pepper, nutmeg, rosemary and sage to one of the batches of soup in the blender to puree.  Put pureed soup back into pot.  Stir well.  Simmer soup, uncovered, 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  Add shredded cheese and whipping cream, stirring until cheese melts.  Ladle soup into individual serving bowls.  Garnish with croutons, if desired.  Yield: 12 cups.

Tip from the cook

If you think of it when you are cleaning the leeks, save some of the thin, slender pieces from the middle of the leek to use as garnish on the soup.

 

 

 

Posted in healthful, soups and stews | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Hungarian pancakes with ricotta filling

Posted on December 27, 2011 by sdoeden

My menus for Christmas weekend included a breakfast of Hungarian Palacsinta stuffed with sweetened ricotta. It's a breakfast I seldom have. When my husband makes the thin crepe-like pancakes, they are consumed in no time by our family. Palacsinta is a favorite of our grandchildren. With no palacsinta leftover, there are no roll-ups the next day.

Unfortunately, the flu bug paid a visit to our house on Christmas weekend. Many of the foods intended to be served are still in the refrigerator and freezer. No one had much of an appetite at my house. It was a tough couple of days.

On Saturday morning, before the bug hit, we had palacsinta for breakfast. With the few that remained, I planned to make roll-ups for Monday morning. Couldn't happen.

I wound up preparing the roll-ups for our evening meal tonight. We'll see who can eat it.

Years ago my mom typed her recipe for Hungarian Palacsinta on a card for my husband, who is not Hungarian but is the best Palacsinta-maker. One line in the recipe, typed in all caps and underlined for emphasis, says: DENNIS: LET THIS RECIPE BE OUR SECRET OKAY. So, we’ve guarded her exact recipe.

A couple of years ago Dennis did a demonstration on how to make the thin Hungarian pancake. This is the recipe he used and the crepe-like pancakes were almost as good as those made with the secret recipe.

Hungarian Palacsinta

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • About 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 2 eggs

Put milk and eggs in blender. Give it a whirl to blend. Add dry ingredients and blend until mixed.
Use about 3 tablespoons batter for each pancake. The larger the pan, the more batter you will need. My mom always used a 10-inch skillet to make pancakes as big as a plate. Melt a little lard in pan and add batter. Rotate pan until batter covers the bottom. Brown pancake on one side, then carefully flip with a spatula to brown other side. Stack pancakes until all are cooked.

For Filling:

  • 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg yolk from a large egg
  • 2 tablespoons sugar plus a little more for sprinkling over the top
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons sour cream for spreading over the top

Place all ingredients except sour cream in a bowl and mix well with a spoon to blend. Lay one pancake down on work surface. Spread a few tablespoons of filling over the pancake. Roll up. Place in buttered casserole dish. Repeat procedure with each pancake. Pack them tightly together in the casserole dish. Top with a thin layer of sour cream. Sprinkle with more sugar. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, uncover and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 45 minutes or until heated through. The pancakes will puff up and they will be steaming hot. Serve immediately. They can also be baked as soon as they have been filled and rolled. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

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Easy appetizer (or meal) for those who love olives

Posted on December 13, 2011 by sdoeden

Have you noticed how easy it is to make a meal of just appetizers at a restaurant? On a trip to the Twin Cities last week, my husband and I paid our first visit to 112 Eatery. Located in the warehouse district of downtown Minneapolis, it’s a popular spot for the after-work crowd to stop for drinks and eats. It’s also the place diners hit when they want to eat food prepared by Isaac Becker, chef/co-owner of both 112 Eatery and Bar La Grassa in downtown Minneapolis. Becker was named Best Chef: Midwest by the James Beard Foundation last May.

We started our meal with a luxurious appetizer of fresh ricotta with white truffle honey and crostini. From that starter we went onto another appetizer, lamb scottadito with goats milk yogurt, which we paired with two sides, cauliflower fritters and pan-fried gnocchi with Parmesan Reggiano. That was dinner. Done. Not even room for one of the fantastic-sounding desserts. I’ll do dessert on my next visit to 112 Eatery. And, there will definitely be a next time. Our server was the best, the food was wonderful and the prices were surprisingly reasonable. But, if you have a 5:00 dinner reservation, don’t bother getting there even a minute early. They won’t unlock the door until 5:00 on the dot.

On Friday night we ate at the cozy Terra Waconia in quaint downtown Waconia, of course. Once again, we started with appetizers. A honeycomb-topped crostini with chevre and fresh fruit was elegantly presented. The cheese platter of the night was an array of locally produced cheese. The handful of entrees on the ever-changing blackboard taunted us, and although we could have gone right to the ginger creme brulee for dessert, we did order entrees. We split the dessert.

If you haven’t had a chance to eat at Terra Waconia, it’s just a short drive from the Twin Cities. Head down mid-afternoon and stop at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum on your way. If you like to shop, downtown Excelsior seemed to have something for everyone. I couldn’t pass up the independent bookstore — Excelsior Bay Books.

It’s easy to make an evening meal of appetizers at home, too. Especially when the small bites are quick and easy to prepare. Even better when they can be made ahead and heated up at the last minute.

Today I made some small pastries filled with cream cheese and grated Provolone studded with chopped Greek olives. I like using fillo dough to produce flaky, crisp spirals filled voluptuously with the tangy, salty mixture. It’s important to mix up the filling before laying out the paper-thin sheets of dough. They quickly dry out and become brittle.

I took half of the dough from a one-pound package. On a dry work surface, I brushed each sheet with olive oil, stacking them on top of each layer to form the flaky pastry. After the dough was cut into rectangles and spread with the olive mixture, I baked them for 10 to 15 minutes. They are delicious served hot right from the oven. But, you can make them ahead and reheat them in a 400-degree oven for a few minutes.

I can make a meal of these olive spirals along with a spinach salad. And, maybe a few Christmas cookies for dessert:)

Your friends will love these when you share them as an appetizer at your next party.

Olive Wheels

  • 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup grated Provolone cheese
  • 1/2 cup pitted Greek olives, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 pound fillo dough
  • Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat cream cheese with Provolone until light and creamy. Stir in the chopped olives.

Lay one sheet of fillo dough at a time on a clean, dry work surface. Brush with olive oil, lay another sheet of dough over the top and brush with olive oil. Continue this process until all sheets have been stacked. Use a pizza cutter to divide the stack of dough into rectangles. I made 3 evenly-spaced cuts from long side to long side and 5 cuts from one short end to the other.

Spoon filling in the center of each rectangle. Bring the long sides up and coil each rectangle to form a wheel. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with more olive oil. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot. With a salad, these Wheels will serve 5 or 6.

Baked and cooled, the Wheels can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to serve them, reheat in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 5 minutes.

 

 

 

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Mocha Kissy Cookies require no kissing before eating

Posted on December 4, 2011 by sdoeden

When you work with preschoolers as I did for many years during my career in early childhood education, you learn how to hold in your laughs. From the mouths of those sweet, innocent little children come words that express their most serious thoughts. More than once during those years with young children I was astonished as I listened to their conversations.

I’ll never forget the day I was sitting in a child-size chair at a kidney-bean-shaped table with short legs, enjoying a snack with a small group of three-year-old children. Out of the blue, one little girl said, “Dolly Parton’s not a Christian.” Her big eyes glistened. Her mouth kept moving as she nonchalantly continued to eat her snack.

On the chair right beside her, another blue-eyed little girl with long blonde hair spoke up. “She’s not Jewish, either.” It was so surprising, it was humorous. I held back a little giggle. As Art Linkletter would have said, “Kids say the darndest things!”

Each year just before Christmas, we had a holiday gathering for all the children and their families at the campus child care center I worked at for several years. Each family contributed a plate of holiday treats.

One year, as I moved around the Center visiting with parents and siblings of the preschoolers I spent time with each day, I happened upon a conversation between two preschoolers. They each held one of those peanut butter cookies with a Hershey kiss in the middle. “Kiss me,” said the little girl as she looked at the confused little boy in front of her. “You can’t take a bite of your kissy cookie until you kiss me. That’s what my mom and dad do,” she said sweetly. I pictured her young parents sitting on the couch in their living room at home with a tin of Kissy Cookies resting on their laps, sharing a quick little peck as they ate cookies together. I held back a little giggle.

The little boy wanted nothing to do with any kind of kiss other than the chocolate one in the middle of the cookie he held in his small hand. He turned on his heels and walked away, the cookie held up to his mouth as he began to chew the chocolate out of its middle.

Mocha Kissy Cookies do have a milk-chocolate kiss stuck into their middle. No kisses are required before eating them, though.

The cookie dough comes from a recipe for cookies I got at a cookie swap in 1992. Typically, the dough is rolled into balls and smashed with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern on each cookie. For Mocha Kissy Cookies, I rolled each ball of dough in an egg white whipped with enough water to make it thin and then rolled them in cinnamon-sugar before baking. The result is a crunchy outside with a chewy coffee-flavored inside, a hint of cinnamon and a big kiss of chocolate — mocha flavors through and through.

It’s a cookie adults will enjoy more than children. If you’re having friends over, serve Mocha Kissy Cookies with a cup of Holiday Hot Mocha topped with fluffy whipped cream. That recipe is in my column this week. Click here to get to that recipe.

Eat, sip and be merry. Kissing requirements are up to you.

Mocha Kissy Cookies

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules or espresso powder
  • 1/3 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 tablespoon hot water
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 egg white mixed with a couple of teaspoons of water and whipped with a whisk
  • 48 Hershey’s milk chocolate kisses, wrappers removed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Sift flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and instant coffee granules or espresso powder into a bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening, brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar, egg, vanilla and milk until fluffy. Add sifted dry ingredients and blend. Add hot water and mix. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. (I used a #100 portion scooper).

Mix remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar with cinnamon in a bowl. Quickly dip each ball of dough into a bowl of egg white and water mixture. With a fork, transfer ball to sugar mixture and roll to coat. Place sugar-coated ball of dough onto prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Remove from oven and immediately push a milk chocolate kiss into the middle of each cookie. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet. Use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies.

 

 

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Brie pairs up with Spiced Pecans for holiday appetizer

Posted on November 30, 2011 by sdoeden

Crunchy. Flaky. Gooey. Sweet. Tart. Salty. Delicious. And, as if that weren’t enough to get you completely hooked, I must add one more thing. Super easy.

When I spotted frozen mini fillo shells in the freezer case at the grocery store last week, visions of melted Brie studded with sweet and tart apple chunks topped with spicy pecans all in a light, flaky cup ran through my head.

Baked Stuffed Brie was still fresh in my mind, all  creamy and gooey and chewy with apples and spice and dried fruit. That recipe came from the new cookbook written by Carmela Hobbins, “Celebrations with Carmela’s Cucina.” You can read more about it and get the recipe in my column this week. Click here.

Having a few ingredients on hand during the holidays that allow you to create a delicious snack or appetizer to serve with cocktails, wine or holiday punch helps a busy cook remain joyful amidst all the hustle and bustle and stress of the season.

You’ll discover Brie cheese is covered with a paper-thin, white film. That’s mold. It’s completely edible. A friend told me yesterday she thinks the mold on Brie tastes like dirty socks. I prefer to call the flavor “earthy.” I haven’t developed an appreciation for the earthiness. I take my cheese plane to very cold Brie cheese and slice off the mold before eating.

Sweet, Salty and Spicy Pecans are an adaptation of a recipe I got from a friend last year when she brought the nuts to a holiday party. Penzey’s Black and Red Spice, a blend of ground black Tellicherry peppercorns and cayenne adds kick to the sweet, slightly caramelized pecans. Sea salt rounds out the flavors. These pecans are a wonderful surprise in a salad of fresh greens. They are a marvelous addition to a cheese and fruit platter. Don’t be afraid to set out a bowl of these pecans for guests to enjoy with cocktails or holiday punch. They are handy to have on hand all during the holiday season.

With some Brie, apples and Sweet, Salty and Spicy Pecans on hand during this season of celebrations, your days will be merry and bright.

Sweet, Salty and Spicy Baked Brie Cups

  • 4 ounces Brie cheese, well chilled
  • 1 (1.9-ounce) box frozen mini fillo shells
  • 1/2 an apple, sliced and cut into small chunks (I used honeycrisp)
  • 15 Sweet, Salty and Spicy Pecans (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thaw fillo shells at room temperature for 10 minutes. Arrange them on a baking sheet.

Using a cheese plane or a cheese knife, remove white film from Brie and discard. Cut cheese into 30 chunks.

Place a piece of Brie in bottom of each shell. Top with an apple chunk. Place another piece of cheese over apple. Arrange a pecan half over the top of each shell.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in preheated 350-degree oven, until cheese melts and just begins to bubble. Remove from oven. Serve warm. Makes 15.

Sweet, Salty and Spicy Pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the pecans on a sheet pan and roast until fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir a couple of times so that they color evenly. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the nuts and stir to coat. Sprinkle with the sugar and salt and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat, until the sugar melts and starts to caramelize and coat the nuts, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat but keep stirring until the nuts begin to cook, then toss with Black and Red Spice and turn them onto a plate to finish cooling. Makes 3 cups. Store completely cooled pecans in tightly sealed jar or tin.

 

 

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Pumpkin Pie? No, thank you.

Posted on November 23, 2011 by sdoeden

A custard-like mixture of pureed pumpkin, eggs, seasonal spices, sugar and cream makes its way to the dinner table in many homes in America on Thanksgiving Day. I’ll pass on that, thank you.

It’s not the flavor of pumpkin pie that I dislike. It’s more of a texture thing for me. Stir pureed pumpkin and spices into a more substantial cheesecake and I’m all in. Add pumpkin to quick bread batter with chopped dates and chunks of pecans — I’d never pass it up.

Last week I had the opportunity to hear Twin Cities author, Nicole Mary (N.M.) Kelby, read from her recently published book, “White Truffles in Winter.” With humor and passion and a glass of wine at hand, the author brought a reckless, sensuous air into the culinary kitchen at the St. Louis Park Byerly’s store. She offered members of our Minneapolis-St.Paul Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier a peek into the great Chef Auguste Escoffier’s life as she read just enough snippets from her book to leave us hungry for more.

With help from a few members of our Les Dames group, a meal was prepared using Kelby’s recipes that she developed with inspiration from the late Escoffier (1846-1935).

A chunky and chewy wild rice salad loaded with dried fruit, fresh apples and toasted nuts started the meal. The first bite instantly awakened my senses and my taste-buds. The salad was followed by succulent bacon-wrapped and roasted chicken, each slice generously blanketed with wild mushroom sauce. Whole pumpkins, which Kelby harvested from her own garden, were baked with a bread stuffing flecked with chunks of chorizo sausage, olives and cheese. As she spooned the moist stuffing from the pumpkins, she caught a bit of creamy flesh and ever so carefully used a finger to help move the mixture to a plate.

It was the Pear Clafouti with Raspberry Grand Marnier Sauce and Creme Fraiche that made me swoon. Tiny, satisfied noises may have come from my throat as I savored each velvety bite, sweet with caramelized sugar and ripe pears.

Simple, yet elegant. Lush with flavor, yet refined in appearance. Delicate, fruity and fresh. Yes, this will be dessert at my house on Thanksgiving. And, several times throughout the holiday season.

To learn more about N.M. Kelby and “White Truffles in Winter,” you can click here to get to her web site.

Click here to get to the author’s recipe for her remarkably easy-to-make (no crust necessary) Pear Clafouti with Raspberry Grand Marnier Sauce.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Breakfast Cookies get a vegan makeover

Posted on November 13, 2011 by sdoeden

You won’t find any butter in Noemi Aylesworth’s refrigerator. You may see a carton of soy milk on the shelf, but definitely not the kind that comes from an animal species. No cheese, either.

“If someone asks for salt when they’re eating at our house, I have to go into the bathroom to get it. We only use salt to gargle with. We never use it in the kitchen,” said Aylesworth during a recent conversation we had.

Noemi Aylesworth owns The Cabin Coffeehouse and Cafe in downtown Bemijdi, Minn. Two years ago, after reading “The China Study,” by  the father-son research team, T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. and Thomas M. Campbell II, she made the decision to switch from her vegetarian lifestyle to a strictly plant-based diet, and made a commitment to a style of eating that promotes better health.

The book that made such an impact on Aylesworth focuses on the knowledge gained from the China Study, a 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine that showed high consumption of animal-based foods is associated with more chronic disease, while those who ate primarily a plant-based diet were the healthiest.

Aylesworth admits her current eating habits have changed drastically over the years. “My parents owned a cafe when I was growing up,” she said as we sat at a table in the large back room of The Cabin, surrounded by people quietly sipping their favorite lattes as they focused on their computer screens, children playing with toys and women gathered together for a late lunch. “I grew up eating French fries, pop and candy,” she said. “Becoming vegan has been a lifestyle choice. Eating a plant-based diet is best for my health. I haven’t been sick at all since I’ve chosen to eat whole foods.”

Not only can you steer clear of the sniffles when you eat a diet rich in plant-based foods, you will be surprised at the wonderful new flavors you discover. “You can actually taste the food when it doesn’t have butter all over it. Potatoes are amazing just by themselves. You can taste the potato when it’s not covered with sour cream and butter,” said Aylesworth.

Noemi Aylesworth’s vegan lifestyle has been appreciated by many of the customers who frequent The Cabin Coffeehouse and Cafe. A glass case near the counter offers several vegan sweet treats, such as chocolate chip cookies, muffins and quick breads.

“The Hungry Vegan sandwich has become a popular choice for all of our customers,” said Aylesworth. “Vegan or not.” The thick sandwich is made with avocado on multi-grain bread with lettuce, roasted red peppers, tomato, onion, cucumber, carrot, pumpkin
seeds, basil and Vegenaise, a grapeseed oil spread that is egg free, dairy
free, has no cholesterol and is a good substitute for mayonnaise.

The petite coffeehouse owner completed an eCornell class on plant-based nutrition. She’s convinced many of the health problems Americans are afflicted with can be controlled, or prevented, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods.

I asked Aylesworth what her biggest challenge has been living a vegan lifestyle for the last two years. “We rarely go out to eat anymore,” said Aylesworth. “It’s not easy finding restaurants that offer vegan choices on the menu. When we travel, we pack up our food and take it with us.”

In the Bemidji area, Aylesworth joins Vegans and Friends, who gather together the second Monday of each month for a meal at a local restaurant that prepares vegan food for the group. Vegans and Friends have discovered this is a good way to bring awareness to restaurants about the ease of preparing plant-based foods that are not only beautiful to look at, but pleasing to the palate.

Aylesworth has become efficient at giving conventional recipes a vegan makeover. Several years ago she began making Breakfast Cookies to offer her customers at The Cabin. She used a recipe I had shared in my column. When she made a commitment to eat only plant-based, whole foods, she gave the Breakfast Cookies a makeover.

Vegan-style Breakfast Cookies are still chewy and delicious, despite the fact the butter got scratched out of the recipe to make room for organic canola oil and applesauce. Two eggs in the cookie dough are unacceptable for vegans. That’s where Egg Replacer comes in. A powdered mixture made of potato starch and tapioca flour, it mimics what eggs do in a baking recipe. Organic sugar replaces the original granulated and brown sugars. Whole wheat pastry flour, made from soft wheat with no bits of bran in it, moves all-purpose and regular whole wheat flour out of the recipe.

Noemi Aylesworth is happy to contribute to the health and wellness of her customers as she introduces them to the bright, colorful, flavorful world of unprocessed, plant-based whole foods — even if it’s one Breakfast Cookie or one Hungry Vegan Sandwich at a time.

In the recipe below, you will find Aylesworth’s recipe for Vegan Breakfast Cookies. In parentheses, you will find the ingredients for the original, unveganized Breakfast Cookies. It’s your choice!

Breakfast Cookies

Vegan (Original)

  • ½ cup (1 cup) chopped dried apricots
  • ¾ cup  (¾ cup) cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup (½ cup) orange juice
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (½ cup whole wheat flour and ½ cup all-purpose flour)
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) salt
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) cinnamon
  • ½ cup organic canola oil and ½ cup applesauce (1 cup butter, room temperature)
  • 1½ cups organic sugar (1 cup brown sugar and ½ cup white sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon Egg Replacer mixed with 1/4 cup warm water (2 large eggs)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract (½ teaspon almond extract)
  • ½ cup ground flax seeds (½ cup ground flax seeds)
  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked (3 cups oats, uncooked)
  • 1 cup wheat germ (1 cup wheat germ)
  • ¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted (¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted)

Heat orange juice and pour over dried apricots and cranberries in small bowl. Set aside.

Stir flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream applesauce, oil and sugar and whipped Egg Replacer, vanilla and almond extract. Add eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Mix well. Add dried apricots and cranberries with juice that they’ve soaked in.

Stir in flour mixture. Mix well. Add ground flax seeds, oats and wheat germ. Stir to mix. Stir in almonds. Wrap the moist dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoon onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until they are golden.

Let hot cookies set on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to waxed paper-lined countertop or wire racks to cool. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Tip from the cook

  • Find Egg Replacer in the natural/health food section of well-stocked supermarkets, health food stores and natural food co-ops.
  • If you’re interested in learning more about a vegan diet and would like bright, colorful and flavorful vegan recipes, check out Robin Asbell’s newest book, “The Big Vegan.” You can read more about her book and find her recipe for Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits in my column this week. Click here to get to that column.
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