Monthly Archives: February 2010

Orzo: a good pasta pick

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Orzo, the pasta, sounds a lot like ouzo, an anise-flavored liqueur that is often called the National drink of Greece. So, when I think orzo, I think Greek. Usually.

Orzo, a flat pasta that looks similar to very large grains of rice, is an Italian word that means "barley." And, oftentimes, it is used just like barley in soups, stews and side dishes.

It is commonly used in Greek and Mediterranean dishes, often tossed with feta, spinach, pine nuts and tomatoes.

I like orzo for its quick-cooking characteristic, and it’s broad adaptability to many ingredients and dishes.

In the Orzo Pilaf I concocted to go along with Zippy Garlic Shrimp, the orzo pasta offered something a little more interesting and unique than a pasta bowl filled with long thin threads of angel hair.

I love packing Orzo Pilaf into custard cups and unmolding them onto plates. Or, as you see it in these photos, I placed a round cookie cutter onto the plate, packed the Orzo Pilaf snugly into the cookie cutter, then gently lifted the cookie cutter up from the pilaf. It holds its shape beautifully.

Try this recipe and you’ll soon be developing your own special blend of ingredients to create Orzo Pilaf.

Orzo Pilaf

  • 1 1/3 cups uncooked orzo
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 chubby cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup minced sundried tomatoes in oil
  • 5 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves, rinsed, drained
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in orzo. Add 1 teaspoon salt, if desired. Cook orzo for 8 to 10 minutes, until pasta is tender and a bit chewy, or al dente. Drain. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add garlic and sundried tomato. Cook 1 minute. Add spinach and cooked orzo. Stir constantly until spinach is wilted and orzo is heated through. Stir in cheese, wine, pepper and salt. Cook until cheese is melted. Stir in pine nuts and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

 

 

 

Sweet Potato Pie Has Deep Roots

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My friend, Rose McGee, has a passion for life, a passion for people, and a passion for food, especially sweet potato pie.

I met Rose several years ago when I first joined Women Who Really Cook, a Twin-Cities-based networking organization for women who work in a food-related career. Rose is also a member, and at the time I first met her, she was getting her new business, Deep Roots Desserts, off the ground.

I asked Rose if she’d help us celebrate Black History Month by sharing a recipe for Sweet Potato Pie that she developed along with some of her thoughts. You’ll feel Rose’s warmth and passion as you read what she has to say in response to some questions I asked.

On Saturday, February 27th, at 1:00, you can meet Rose during a celebration of Black History Month at Macy’s downtown Minneapolis store. You’ll get the sweet-and-lowdown from Rose, owner of Deep Roots Desserts, on baking sweet potato pie. Rose will show you why her famous pie received the prestigious honor to be chosen for a 2009 Presidential Inauguration party in Washington, D.C. Writer, producer and director of  “Kumbayah…The Juneteenth Story,” the multi-talented Rose is currently completing her next book, Can’t Nobody Make a Sweet Potato Pie Like My Mama, a book that joyfully captures the history of the sacred dessert of African Americans — the sweet potato pie, of course.

I hope you’ll make Rose’s pie. It may not taste exactly like Rose’s own homemade pie, or her Mama’s, or her grandmother’s, but for sure it will be delicious!

Thanks for sharing, Rose!

1. What is the history of sweet potato pie — yours especially?

A form of this dessert traces back to the Renaissance Era in terms of mixing spices with sweet potatoes. However, what we know as a "sweet potato pie" today goes back to slavery in this country. Later Dr. George Washington Carver did a great deal of research not only with the peanut, but with the sweet potato as well. His is one of the first recorded recipes. BUT not the first. You’ll have to read my book for that little tidbit.

Over time the dessert became what I consider to be the "sacred dessert" of black culture. However, the inspiration for my making the pies began over 30 years ago by accident. I was young, wanted to impress some guests and decided to try making one,. Total flop. Called my grandmother for some guidance. Over time, I began adding a bit of this and a bit of that and came up with my interpretation of her pie and my aunt’s pie and my friend’s grandmother’s pie…you get the picture. One thing about the whole process of trying to get everyone’s recipe whose pie I respected – NO ONE had their recipe written down. It was all recorded in their heads and moreso their hearts. Thus the reason it’s so important to publish this book, "Can’t Nobody Make A Sweet Potato Pie Like My Mama," a book that joyfully captures the history of the sacred dessert of African Americans – the sweet potato pie of course.


2. How did you decide to start making your pies for sale?

 

 

 

I began selling my sweet potato pies at the Minneapolis Farmers Market in 2005.  I was inspired to sell them at the market by several members of Women Who Really Cook who were also selling products there.  Later, when the

opened, I started selling them inside this wonderful new market instead.

 

 

 

 

3. Sweet potato pie is something that people in this region may not know about. Have you had to do a lot of educating about sweet potato pie?

 

 

 

 

It’s so funny.  People here (many of them any way) want to say, "Oh sweet potato pie…that’s like pumpkin, right?"

 

Ha!  For most, they taste my pie and go, "No not like pumpkin pie AT ALL!"  For some, they go, "Yep! Like I thought tastes like pumpkin."  But, no…not like pumpkin to me AT ALL.  It’s fun sharing that a "yam" is indeed a "sweet potato".  That’s a whole chapter in my book.  Sweet potatoes comes in hundreds of varieties.  The term yam is a derivative from a West African word, "ayame" which is what we know as the "yam" that grows in other countries.  That yam is a very large, starchy tubular thing.  However, when the Africans were brought here as captives, saw the sweet potato, many referred to it as "ayame". Over time as good southerners tend to do, the word was shortened to "yam", especially around the Louisiana region.  So, there is no way in the world today, some folks are going to believe a yam is a sweet potato – no way.  Too funny!
 

4.  Why was it so important to you to take such a big risk to start a business with just one product for sale?
 
Actually I have several products now, but they are in the sweet potato for mango family. The products also come in a variety of sizes.  Products include: traditional sweet potato pie, chocolate sweet potato pie, garlic sweet potato cornbread and mango cobbler.  I have a "Sweet Potato Pie On a Stick" that I sell in August (no I don’t sell them at the Fair, but I should, eh?).  Like most small business owners, I have a deep passion for the product, a few folks seem to enjoy them, so I sell and hopefully bring a bit of joy, good taste and culture into their lives.  I’m still waiting for that BIG order to come in so I can make real money.  Can anyone hook a sistah up? Ha!
 

 

5.  When do people eat sweet potato pie? (Some may think it is a dessert for autumn or winter)
 
On the surface and according to my tax receipts – autumn.  The holidays are the popular times, especially Thanksgiving.  In the black culture, the sweet potato pie tends to show up for special events such as church functions, funerals, family reunions, etc.
But, I find that selling them year-round is important.  Black folks want the pie, believe theirs is the best,  yet don’t really want to make them, so it works out.  Other cultures taste it – maybe even for the first time, realize it’s a great alternative to whatever it is they’ve been missing and become good customers.  It’s a challenge, but hey!  It’s all good!
 

 

6.  What was it like to have your pies at the Presidential Inauguration? How did that happen?

 
Senator Amy Klobuchar invited 10 Minnesota Foods to Washington D.C. on the day of the Inauguration.  My pie was one of those invited among Hormel, Sweet Martha’s etc.  That was an honor indeed.  However, I didn’t get invited…go figure!

7.  Where can readers purchase your pies if they don’t want to make it themselves?
 
On select Saturdays I sell them at a "day table" not a shop located in the Mid-Town Global Market (the old Sears Building located at Lake Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis).  I generally sell in an area of the market referred to as "Kitchen In The Market" (which is where I bake).  However this coming Saturday our day table will be in the main food court area with pies for sale. Otherwise they can be ordered easier by calling (763) 544-9366.

8.  Anything else you want to tell us?

 
I encourage folks to try the recipe and PLEASE let me know what you think by emailing me at rtist528@aol.com .  And of course stay tuned for the book.  That will be several months yet, but it’s coming! 
 

Thanks,

Rose

Sweet Potato Pie

A Recipe Created by Rose McGee, Owner Deep Roots Gourmet Desserts

Ingredients (makes two 9” Pies):

  • 4 sweet potatoes, cooked
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1-stick of butter, melted
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 tablespoon nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk (whole, evaporated or condensed)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 2 unbaked pie shells

Directions: (use a hand-mixer or KitchenAid™ type mixer)

In a large mixing bowl, mash cooked sweet potatoes.

Blend in sugar. Blend in eggs. Blend in melted butter.

One at a time, add next 6 ingredients; mix well.

Pour into pie shells.

Preheat oven at 400 degrees; then reduce heat to 350 degrees.

Bake 60 minutes or until well set. Remove from oven.

Allow to set for at least 30 minutes. Eat warm or allow

to cool longer before eating. Sweet potato pie can be left at room

temperature up to two days without refrigeration. Can be refrigerated

up to one week and remain fresh. Can also be frozen.

More about Rose:

Rose McGee was born in Jackson, Tennessee and grew up around women who cooked. Her grandmother, great-grandmothers, great aunts and home economics teacher all stressed the importance of knowing how to manage a home and especially the kitchen.  Today, she is one of 400 Minnesota ladies who make up the organization, Women Who Really Cook. Her business, Deep Roots Gourmet Desserts™ features her own delicious and exotic creations - Sweet Potato Pie and Mango Cobbler.  Over the past four years, these products have gained tremendous popularity at the Midtown Global Market, the Minneapolis Farmers Market, Twin Cities Food and Wine Show and received accolades from Sue Zellickson in Minnesota Monthly Magazine and WCCO Radio.  Appreciative customers always say, “It’s the best!”

 

Rose McGee has been featured in Food Network News, Edible Twin Cities Magazine, KARE 11 and Fox Channel 9.  She recently demonstrated how to make organic Sweet Potato Pie at the Minnesota State Fair while her original Chocolate Sweet Potato Pie has been a delight at the Twin Cities Chocolate Extravaganza. The Calhoun Coffee Festival honored Deep Roots Gourmet Desserts with “The Best Taste Award”. 

Make extra bechamel now, eat baked penne later

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I was a lucky little girl. My neighborhood friends were envious when my mom invited me to be in the kitchen with her. It was during our kitchen sessions together that she taught me the tricks of the home-cook’s trade.
By the time I was 12 years old, I knew how to make macaroni and cheese from scratch. I realized later in life that not only was I creating one of my favorite meals, I was practicing the art of French cooking.
The base of the creamy cheese sauce loaded with cooked elbow macaroni was béchamel sauce. Béchamel (bay-shah-mell), one of the mother sauces of French cooking and probably the easiest to make, starts with melted butter and flour and ends with milk and cheese.
The other day I made croque monsieur, French-style ham and cheese sandwiches topped with thick, cheesy bechamel. I made more of the gruyere and parmesan-spiked sauce than I would need for the sandwiches just so I could make baked penne.
When I make béchamel sauce, I like to add a bit of flavor with an onion, a bay leaf, a few whole cloves. A bit of flour is added to the butter all at once and then stirred and cooked for a couple of minutes before adding milk. I don’t add cold milk, though. I heat the milk in another saucepan. Onion, bay leaf, cloves and a pinch of thyme infuse mild savory flavor to the milk. Once the milk has heated, I pour it into the butter/flour mixture and stir as it thickens.
Any of your favorite cheeses can be added to the sauce, as long as it is a cheese that melts relatively easily.

I use the same flavor infusion technique when I make tomato sauce for pasta. By putting a whole onion into the sauce as it simmers, it permeates the red sauce with wonderful flavor. When the sauce is done cooking and the onion is removed, onion-squeamish friends and family members who eat your sauce will wonder how you created such delcious pasta sauce. They will never know much of the wonderful flavor has been added from the juices of a whole onion.

Whenever I have more bechamel than I need, I scrape it into a container that seals tightly and I store it in the refrigerator for a day or two, just until I decide on how I want to use it up. When I’m ready to put it to good use, I put the chilled sauce into a saucepan and whisk in some milk as it heats.
Bechamel creates a wonderful pasta sauce. Layered into a baking dish with penne and homemade tomato sauce or your favorite sauce from a jar, along with some mozzarella, the pasta dish becomes a jazzed up version of the macaroni and cheese I used to make as a young girl.

Béchamel can also be tossed with pasta along with some cooked chicken, maybe some pine nuts and whatever else you like to throw into a pasta dish. The results will not disappoint.
 

Baked Penne with Two Sauces

* 8 ounces penne, cooked to al dente
* 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce for pasta
* 1 cup bechamel sauce
* 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush 4 individual shallow baking dishes or one 9-inch square baking dish with olive oil.

If the bechamel sauce is coming out of the refrigerator for this recipe, add some milk to the sauce to thin it enough so that it can easily be ladled over the pasta. I do this as I heat it slightly in a saucepan on the stove.

Use half of cooked penne to make a layer of pasta in each dish. Top with half of the tomato sauce, then half of the bechamel sauce. Repeat layers one more time, ending with bechamel on the top. If using individual baking dishes, place them on a foil-lined baking sheet before sliding into oven. This will prevent bubbling tomato sauce from landing in the bottom of your oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the baked penne. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Makes 4 servings.

Bechamel Sauce

* ¼ cup butter
* ¼ cup all-purpose flour
* 2 cups milk
* 1 small onion, peeled, studded with 3 whole cloves
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 sprig fresh thyme or a pinch of dried thyme leaves
* ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* ¼ teaspoon salt
* ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat. When butter begins to foam, add flour all at once, mixing well with a wire whisk. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

In another saucepan, heat milk with clove-studded onion, bay leaf and thyme. Just before milk comes to boiling point, slowly pour the milk into the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly. The onion and thyme can be removed at this time. Place the pot back on a burner turned to low heat. Continue to cook and whisk the mixture until it thickens. Remove from heat and add grated Parmesan.
 

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Baked Penne with Two Sauces

  • 8 ounces penne, cooked to al dente
  • 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce for pasta
  • 1 cup bechamel sauce
  • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush 4 individual shallow baking dishes or one 9-inch square baking dish with olive oil.

Use half of cooked penne to make a layer of pasta in each dish. Top with half of the tomato sauce, then half of the bechamel sauce. Repeat layers one more time, ending with bechamel on the top. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Makes 4 servings.

Bechamel Sauce





  • ¼ cup butter
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 small onion, peeled, studded with 3 whole cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme or a pinch of dried thyme leaves
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese





In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat. When butter begins to foam, add flour all at once, mixing well with a wire whisk. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

In another saucepan, heat milk with clove-studded onion, bay leaf and thyme. Just before milk comes to boiling point, slowly pour the milk into the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly. The onion and thyme can be removed at this time. Place the pot back on a burner turned to low heat. Continue to cook and whisk the mixture until it thickens. Remove from heat and add grated Parmesan.

Cherry Almond Puff perfect for any celebration

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February is zipping right by. The days are getting longer, the sun is shining, the temps have been mild. I’m enjoying a mid-winter high. In just a couple of weeks, though, March will arrive with gray days, dirty snow, more snow, ice — all things that make the month of March in Minnesota my least favorite time of the year.

I’ve decided to celebrate the sunshine of today with a batch of Cherry Almond Puff. I began the process with an old recipe for Almond Puff that I got years ago from a friend of mine who lives in Bird Island, Minnesota. I haven’t made it in years, but was reminded of it when I was having coffee with someone the other day who told me about this great dessert she had made for a neighborhood get-together. I recognized it as Almond Puff.

Since February is National Cherry Month, I made a filling with dried cherries and almond paste. Yes, I’m still finding ways to use almond paste.

Cherry Almond Paste has a crunchy crust that is slathered with cherry almond filling. An unusual topping made of butter, flour and water, similar to cream puff dough, is spread over the filling before baking.

The results were just what I had hoped for — an almond flavored melt-in-the-mouth sweet treat.

Sue claims this recipe makes 30 servings. I guess that depends on how you slice the Puffs. And on how many each person decides to eat as a serving. It’s hard to eat just one.

Celebrate sunshine and longer days. Or, make Cherry Almond Puff today and stash some away in the freezer to take out one of those gray March days that are just ahead.

Cherry-Almond Puff

Base layer of dough:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cold water

Cherry-Almond Filling:

  • 1/2 cup (heaping) dried cherries or 3 ounces
  • 1 (8-ounce) can almond paste
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

Puff layer:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs

Frosting:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
  • 4 tablespoons cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place butter and flour in a mixing bowl. Mix with a fork. Add 2 tablespoons water and mix. Form dough into a ball. Cut half. Pat each piece of dough on the parchment-lined baking sheet, forming two 12-inch x 3-inch strips. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

Make filling by placing dried cherries in a small bowl, adding just enough water to cover the cherries. Place in the microwave and heat to boiling. Remove from microwave and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain cherries and set aside. Process almond paste and butter in food processor until blended and smooth. Add drained cherries and pulse. Cherries should remain in small pieces. Spread filling over baked and cooled strips.

Make puff topping by placing 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water in a saucepot. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously until the dough forms a ball. Use an electric hand mixer to beat in eggs, one at a time. Mixture should be smooth and the consistency of frosting. Spread puff topping over the Cherry-Almond filling. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until puff topping is golden brown.

Allow to cool on baking sheet.

Mix frosting ingredients until smooth. Frost the Cherry Almond Puffs. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Slice into fingers and serve.

 

 

Choucroute Chow

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 I made Choucroute Garnie last week. Pork, kielbasa, sauerkraut, potatoes cooked together in one pot. You really can’t find anything better for warming you up on a cold winter day.

But. it’s hard to make just a little bit of Choucroute Garnie. And, when only two people are feasting on the one-pot meal, you can bet there will be plenty remaining in the pot after the tummies have been filled with all they can handle.

In my kitchen, any food waiting for its second time around can be tossed into a soup pot. That includes Choucroute Garnie. And how easy it was to transform it into a steaming, satisfying and flavorful soup.

A can of crushed tomatoes, a little broth and, of course, a hit of paprika. That’s it. You’ve got soup.

How easy is that? Chow down on Choucroute Garnie the second time around.

Oh, you’ll need to make the Choucroute Garnie before you can make the soup. You’ll find my recipe for Choucroute Garnie prepared in a slow-cooker, when you click to my column right here.

Please don’t have the soup without the Caraway Rye Croutons. They are so good, you’ll want to eat them without the soup.

Choucroute Soup

  • 4 cups leftover Choucroute Garnie
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

Mix all the ingredients together in a soup pot. Heat to steaming. Serve with Caraway Rye Croutons.

Caraway Rye Croutons:

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 6 ounces dark rye bread, cut into 1 inch chunks
  • Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small skillet, toast the caraway seeds over moderate heat for about 1 minute, shaking the pan frequently. Add the butter and garlic and stir until the butter melts. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the caraway butter until evenly coated. Spread the bread cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast, turning once, until lightly browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer the croutons to a basket.

 

No baking required for these quick and easy Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Pop Hearts

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My husband isn’t much for breakfast. At least, not if he has to sit down to eat it in the morning before heading out the door. But, if I make breakfast bars, wrap them up individually and have them right up front on an eye-level shelf in the refrigerator ready to grab, he’ll take one to eat in the car on his way into town and sometimes a second one goes into his briefcase for a mid-afternoon snack. I try to keep him supplied with Oatmeal-Peanut Bars. They’re quite nutritious and a good source of energy.

This weekend his morning energy bars will take on a new look.

I used heart-shaped cookie cutters to create chocolate-coated Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Pop Hearts for my special guy. I recommend chilling the hearts before coating them with melted chocolate. The chocolate will quickly set and the hearts will hold their shape.

I covered a couple of the Pop Hearts in dark chocolate. I will eat those. My partner hasn’t developed a liking for the rich, dark stuff. His Pop Hearts were dipped in milk chocolate. Melted Hershey bars.

While the Hershey bars were out on the counter, I made a dangerous discovery. Oatmeal-Peanut Butter mixture sandwiched between two halves of a chocolate bar turn into a devilishly good sweet treat.

You’ve still got time to make some no-bake Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Pop Hearts for Valentine Sunday to surprise all the special people in your life.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Pop Hearts

  • 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned or quick oats, divided
  • 3 tablespoons flax seeds, ground
  • 1 cup cornflakes or Special K, crushed
  • 1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup agave syrup or honey

Dump 1 1/2 cups oats into a blender. Whirl until oats become the texture of flour. Transfer oat flour to a large mixing bowl. Add remaining cup of oats, ground flax seeds, crushed cereal flakes, peanut butter and agave or honey. Blend will with a wooden spoon. The mixture will be heavy and thick.

Line a 9-inch square baking dish with waxed paper, allowing enough to come up over the sides of the dish. Press the oatmeal-peanut butter mixture evenly into the lined dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Remove from refrigerator. Use the waxed paper to pull the chilled mixture from the dish. At this point, the bars can be cut into bars, or use a cookie cutter to create shapes.

To make pops, push a bamboo skewer or a lollipop stick into each shape. Set Pops on a waxed paper-llined baking sheet. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Spoon melted chocolate over each. Chill until the chocolate is set. Transfer to a container and seal. Keep refrigerated.

  • Dried fruit and finely chopped nuts can be added to the mixture.
  • I’ve been using earth balance natural crunchy peanut butter with flaxseed. Sweetened just slightly with agave syrup, the flaxseeds lend Omega 3′s and slight flavor without being overpowering and the natural peanut butter doesn’t have to be stirred. I like it a lot.
  • I have a coffee grinder that I use only for grinding spices and flax seeds.

Say Love You with Nutella and Jelly

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My collection of heart-shaped cookie cutters is spread throughout my kitchen. From very tiny one-bite size to large ruffled nibble-with-a-cup-of-coffee sized cutter, they’re at the ready to cut whatever suits my fancy into a shape that says "Love You."

Brownies, chewy peanut butter oatmeal bars, lemon bars, pancakes — all can be stamped with a cookie cutter.

My phone visit with Sarah Piepenburg last week was the inspiration for the Nutella and Jelly "Love You" Sandwich. Sarah and her husband, Richard, own Vinaigrette, a Minneapolis store specializing in imported olive oil and vinegar. She told me she has drizzled the 18 year aged balsamic they carry in the store over grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. If it’s a good dessert made with peanut butter, why not Nutella?

It’s amazing how decadent a simple grilled sandwich becomes when it’s made with an ample slather of Nutella and your favorite premium jam or preserves. A dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of aged balsamic, as thick as syrup with a bright, fruity flavor, puts this delightful bread and spread concoction way over the top.

Lucky for me, my local food co-op gets a weekly delivery of whole grain breads from Postively 3rd Street Bakery in Duluth. I used their Oatmeal Sesame bread for these sandwiches. Use your favorite whole grain bread.

To create a panini-like sandwich without a panini-press, I put a heavy pot on top of the sandwich as it cooks in a hot skillet. It doesn’t get those fancy grill marks, but it does get thin and gooey. Each bite melts in the mouth.

Nutella and Jelly "Love You’ Sandwich is a great way to let the special people in your life know how much you care about them — anyday.

 Nutella & Jelly "Love You" Sandwich

For each sandwich:

  • 2 slices whole grain bread
  • Nutella
  • Premium Fruit Jam or Preserves
  • Butter
  • Powdered sugar
  • Fruit syrup or Balsamic Syrup

 Lay bread slices on work surface. Spread one slice with a generous layer of Nutella. Spread jam on the other slice. Bring slices together to form a sandwich.

Spread soft butter on top of sandwich. Place, butter side down, in a non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat until bread is golden. Spread butter on top side of sandwich. Flip over and brown. Place a heavy pot or pan on top of the sandwich to weigh it down, creating a panini-like sandwich. Transfer grilled sandwich to work surface. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut a heart shape from the sandwich. Remaining parts of sandwich become the cook’s treat.

Place on plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Drizzle with syrup. Serve warm.

 

Swedish Pancakes paired with unlikely partners

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If you’re Swedish, look away. Really, just close this window, because I’ve done something of which I’m sure you won’t approve. But, if you come with an open mind and a sense of adventure, then, please, read on. I love having you stop by for a visit. And, you’ll be leaving with a recipe for the most wonderful Swedish pancakes in the world.

If you’ve been reading my weekly newspaper column and my blog for a while, you know I’ve got lots of Hungarian blood running through my veins. And, since my mom was 100% Hungarian, I grew up eating and learning to prepare lots of delicious Hungarian dishes. When my friend, Cathy, invited us over to her house many years ago for some of her Swedish pancakes, she was confident we would love them at least as much as Hungarian palacsinta. I was not so sure of that.

On the day I was introduced to Swedish pancakes, Cathy’s kitchen smelled sweet, as if vanilla cupcakes were baking in the oven. But, there was an underlying aroma of eggs frying in a pan. The fragrance reminded me of the thin pancakes my German father-in-law would always make when we stopped by for breakfast.

Cathy rolled each thin, fluffy Swedish pancake right in the pan and lined a large plate with the soft, golden breakfast cakes. When we make the pancakes, we cook both sides, then fold each pancake into quarters, creating triangles.

As any Swede will tell you, these thin pancakes, rich with eggs and butter, are best served with lingonberry preserves. I’m pretty sure that’s what Cathy had on the table, along with some syrup, if I remember right.

My friend’s Swedish breakfast treat had won my heart. I left Cathy’s house that day with her recipe for Swedish pancakes tucked safely in my purse.

Every once in a while, when we feel like splurging on breakfast, we make these pancakes. And this time, we really got extravagant. I had some Honey-Roasted Pears in the refrigerator. The recipe for those pears is in my column this week. They are quite delicious with a knob of goat cheese and walnuts. But, wow, they are so right when they are nestled up to warm Swedish pancakes. Drizzled with a ribbon of sweet and tart 18 year aged balsamic vinegar.

Almost as thick as syrup, the balsamic vinegar that I used comes from a relatively new specialty shop in Minneapolis. Vinaigrette, at 50th & Xerxes, is one of those trendy new stores selling imported balsamic vinegars and olive oils, all held in stainless steel containers, ready to be tasted. I used the fig balsamic vinegar from Vinaigrette when I made the Honey-Roasted Pears. I bought some of the orange infused olive oil (oranges crushed with olives to make this olive oil) to mix with the fig balsamic vinegar for drizzling over a salad of fresh greens. And, the 18 year aged balsamic was drizzled over my Swedish pancakes for breakfast.

I know some Swedes would say honey-roasted pears and balsamic vinegar on Swedish pancakes is downright sacrilegious. But, once they tried it, they’d discover their lovely pancakes become divine with these unlikely partners.

Oh, what an enchanting Valentine’s Day breakfast this would be.

Cathy’s Swedish Pancakes

  • 4 eggs
  • Dash of salt
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup melted butter

Mix ingredients in order given. Heat 10- to 12-inch shallow non-stick pan over medium heat. Pour just enough batter into the pan to create a thin pancake. Swirl pan to spread the batter evenly. When there is no trace of liquid, begin at one side and roll the pancake. Transfer to plate. Mix the pancake batter between each pouring, as the butter tends to separate.

P.S. When we make Cathy’s Swedish Pancakes, we cook both sides of each pancake before transferring to a plate. We like the golden specks of color on both sides of the pancake.

Quick — You’ve Still Got Time to Make Super Bowl Sausage

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Sorry — no picture. But really, there’s not much to this sausage snack. It is so easy to make, takes little time, but delivers satisfying flavor that goes great with beer. And a good Super Bowl game.

I’ll confess, I tune into the game mostly for the commercials. This year we’ll be gathering at the home of some friends with a group of football-loving, food-relishing, alcohol-drinking (in moderation, of course) friends. We’ll all contribute food and beverages and as we nibble and nosh, we’ll catch some of the game and all of the commercials.

I prepared this hardy sausage on my Lakeland Public Television food segment that runs every Wednesday on the 10:00 news. Before I could snap a picture, Tom, the cameraman whisked the dish out to his car to take back to the station to share with his co-workers.

I’ll give you the recipe. You still have time to run to the store to get some Kielbasa (Polish sausage, fully cooked, smoked, traditionally pork, but today in the stores you’ll find turky kielbasa and a mix of beef and pork) before the pre-game show on Sunday. You can watch me make the Super Bowl Sausage at the Lakeland PTV website. Click here to go right to the video.

Just slice, simmer, stir and savor. This is a winner.

May your favorite team win!

Super Bowl Sausage

  • 1 pound kielbasa sausage
  • 3/4 cup white wine, apple cider or pear juice/nectar
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Cut kielbasa into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place the kielbasa slices in a large skillet. Add wine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Allow to boil vigorously until liquid is almost evaporated. Remove skillet from heat. Add sugar and stir until you no longer see any of the sugar. Stir in mustard. Sausage slices will appear glazed. Serve immediately with toothpicks.

  • The sausage can be served with cocktail rye bread.
  • If you’re taking Super Bowl Sausage to a party, keep them warm in a slow-cooker.
  • Or, just bring the ingredients with you and pepare the whole snack when you get to the party. It takes just minutes from start to finish. Slice the sausage before you leave home.