Monthly Archives: October 2010

Don’t forget the cookie monsters on Halloween

Posted on by
4

Little munchkins and monsters, big ones, too, will be looking for special treats this weekend. Why not have some cookies to tuck into their hands?

My little two-year-old grandmunchkin will be with us this weekend. She’s one of the muffin monsters in our family. I don’t have muffins ready for her yet, but I think these cookies may be a good substitute.

Butterscotch Pumpkin Spice Cookies are not cloyingly sweet, although a thick smear of Maple Cream Cheese Frosting topping each cookie does add a fair amount of sweetness. Chopped butterscotch morsels stirred into the dough add flavor without big hard chunks  in each bite. Old-fashioned oats add a nice bit of chewy texture.

These cookies are soft on the inside with just a slight crackle as you bite into them.

I sprinkle chopped pecans on some of the cookies and leave them off of some, just because I know there are a few big monsters who don’t care for nuts or can’t eat them for one reason or another. And for the little muffin monster, there are a few cookies with no frosting.

There’s still time to make a batch of Butterscotch Pumpkin Spice Cookies. All the little munchkins and monsters will love you.

Have a happy Halloween weekend.

Butterscotch Pumpkin Spice Cookies

with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup butterscotch morsels
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, uncooked
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (see recipe below)
  • 2/3 cup pecan halves, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Position steel blade in food processor bowl. Pulse flour and baking soda to mix. Add butterscotch morsels and pulse for about 30 seconds or until morsels are finely chopped. Add oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and pulse few times to chop the oats. Set mixture aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating well. Add egg, vanilla and pumpkin, beating to blend. Stir in flour mixture.

Drop cookie dough by tablespoonsful onto parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and set. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Frost cookies with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the frosting.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add maple syrup, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating to incorporate before adding more. Add vanilla and blend. Gradually add powdered sugar. Frosting will be soft and creamy. If it is too soft to spread onto the cookies, add a little more powdered sugar.

Put the pumpkin in a parfait — you’ll eat it all up

Posted on by
7

I stopped at two grocery stores today and both were completely out of Libby’s brand canned pumpkin. Years ago, when I first moved to Fargo, I had a young neighbor (we were both young at that time) who grew up in a small town not too far from Fargo. She often talked about the wonderful things her mom could whip up in the kitchen. Once, when we were discussing some kind of pumpkin dessert, this neighbor told me the only kind of canned pumpkin her mom would use was Libby’s. That was enough for me. I’ve been buying Libby’s ever since, except for the times I buy an organic brand of pumpkin. But today, with no Libby’s on the grocery store shelves, I wound up buying the store brand.

I used the store brand to whip up this pumpkin mousse. Guess what? It tastes perfectly delicious when mixed up with pumpkin spices, whipped cream and vanilla pudding.

I like to layer the creamy pumpkin mousse with crushed cookie crumbs. Today I pulled a box of Trader Joe’s Almond Butter Thins from my freezer. I crushed some of them in a large zip-top plastic bag, using my fist as a hammer. In the past, I’ve used ginger snaps in the parfaits. But, I think I’m sold on the Almond Butter Thins.

The Almond Butter Thins make perfect dippers for the Mousse. A bowl of the Pumpkin Mousse surrounded by your favorite cookies would be a nice sweet treat to have out at a party.

The Mousse can also be spooned into a crumb crust and topped with the remaining whipped cream to make an extra special no-bake pumpkin pie.

I love these individual, not-too-big parfaits to serve as a light, something sweet ending to a meal. They’re nice for Thanksgiving, too. I made a couple larger desserts in custard cups to share with my next door neighbors.

If you’d like to watch me mix up the Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits, you can click right here to go to that Lakeland Cooks segment.

Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits in custard cups

Get creative as you choose little glasses or cups that will be filled with Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits. I use something different every time I make them. But, they always taste the same — like a creamy, dreamy pumpkin pie. So much better than the traditional pumpkin pie that I’ve openly admitted to not being very fond of.

This, I like…

Pumpkin Mousse Parfait

  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 (5.1-ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
  • 1 (15- to 16-ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup cold milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Cookies or graham crackers, crushed
  • Pecan halves or candy corn, for garnish

In a mixing bowl, beat whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Put in the refrigerator while mixing pumpkin mousse.

In another mixing bowl, use a wire whisk to blend pumpkin with pudding mix. Gradually add milk, blending well after each addition. Add nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon and mix well. Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture.

Put a layer of crushed cookies in the bottom of custard cups or small glasses. Spoon some pumpkin mousse on top of cookies in each glass. Repeat layers of crushed cookies and pumpkin mousse as many times as you wish. If not serving immediately, cover the parfaits with plastic wrap and refrigerate. At serving time, top each parfait with a light sprinkle of crushed cookies and a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with a pecan half or a candy corn. Makes 8 to 10 parfaits in 4-ounce glasses.

A sweet and spicy snack mix to get you poppin’

Posted on by
7

I think I can blame my mom for my insatiable appetite for popcorn. She told me once that when she was pregnant with me, she craved popcorn. She ate the white, crunchy snack morning, noon and night when she could.

I don’t want to eat popcorn morning, noon and night. But, contrary to the fact that the peak period for popcorn sales for home consumption is in the fall, I eat popcorn all year long — fall, winter, spring and summer.

Traditionally,  the popcorn I eat has been doused with melted butter and sprinkled with salt. But, last spring when my doctor frowned at my cholesterol number that had skyrocketed, I knew it was time to ditch the butter. I came up with a very satisfying alternative. I drizzle hot, freshly popped corn with lime-infused olive oil that I buy at Vinaigrette in Minneapolis. I skip the salt and, instead, sprinkle cayenne over the popcorn. Bright and spicy. Crunchy and satisfying. It does the trick for me. I must warn that it is only for those who can take some heat.

And, speaking of heat — a few years ago I spent a few days with my friend, Joyce at her home on Blue Lake along with several other friends. As we sat out on her deck one afternoon enjoying the sunshine over the lake, Joyce brought out a big bowl of a snack mix that included popcorn. It was a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy. She made the mistake of placing the bowl right in front of me. I nibbled and nibbled and nibbled and nibbled. It was one of those things that I really wished I didn’t have to share. But, everyone wanted to eat it and no one cared to share. It was addictive.

Joyce gave me the recipe that she uses to make this sweet and spicy snack mix. It’s not just for eating on a sunshiny summer day. It’s great for game time, passing around the campfire, stashing into the bike bag, packing for an afternoon of snowshoeing, offering at parties and gift-giving. That’s why I call it all-purpose, all year long, Sweet and Spicy Snack Mix.

Mix up the snack tidbits and cook up a buttery, sweet and spicy syrup to toss it all together. Baking the snack mix in a warm oven dries it and makes it crispy.

Sweet and Spicy Snack Mix is another great way to enjoy popcorn. Time to get poppin! Make lots, because your family and friends will want you to share.

If you’re like me and just can’t seem to get enough popcorn, you may enjoy my Honey and Peanut Butter Popcorn. The recipe is in my column this week.

Sweet and Spicy Snack Mix ready to go into the oven.

Sweet and Spicy Snack Mix

(an adapted version of Joyce’s recipe)
  • 5 cups corn chips, such as Fritos
  • 4 cups Crispix cereal
  • 8 cups popped corn
  • 1 (11.5-ounce) can mixed nuts

Mix ingredients in a large roasting pan.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Make syrup.

Syrup:

  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder (I like to use a little more, up to 2 or 3 teaspoons)
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt)

Put syrup ingredients in 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour hot syrup over popcorn mixture in roasting pan. Stir until all ingredients are coated with the syrup. Bake in preheated 250-degree oven for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Spread hot mixture on wax paper to cool. Feeds several very lucky popcorn-hungry munchers.

Grab one of these little pumpkin turnovers and go

Posted on by
2

Move over apple turnovers. Here comes pumpkin.

Begin with a can of pure pumpkin puree, and it’s amazing how some sugar and spice can make everything nice. Pie crust helps out, too.

Grab-and-Go Sweet Pumpkin Turnovers are a little bit cookie and little bit pie. When refrigerated pie crust is sprinkled with chopped walnuts and cut into rounds, then mounded with a filling that will remind you of pumpkin pie, it’s hard to know what it should be called. Most certainly, it is a turnover.

I made these sweet pastries for the short food segment on Lakeland News at 10 the other night, then served them to guests that evening. The turnovers received high scores. Watch me making the turnovers by clicking here.

The use of refrigerated pie crust speeds up the process of creating these turnovers. Pressing chopped walnuts into the dough adds crunchy texture and gives the pastry a homemade flair.

When the turnovers are eaten on the day they are baked, your teeth will crack through a crunchy topping of cinnamon and sugar. Once the turnovers have been stored in an airtight container, that crunchy shell will become melt-in-the-mouth soft. Either way, they are delicious.

Grab-and-Go Sweet Pumpkin Turnovers

  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking spice blend, pumpkin pie spice blend or your favorite baking spice
  • 1 (14.1 ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • Milk
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar and spices. Set aside.

Unroll one pie crust on work surface. Sprinkle with  half of the chopped walnuts. Use a rolling pin to roll over dough, pressing the nuts into the dough.

With a 3 1/2- to 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut 8 rounds from the dough.

Repeat with remaining pie crust in package.

Spoon one tablespoon of pumpkin mixture onto the center of each round. Moisten edges with milk, fold in half and press edges together to seal. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Brush turnovers with egg white. Sprinkle each with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake in preheated 450-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 16 turnovers.

Tips from the cook

  • You will have some filling leftover after making 16 turnovers. Put it in a freezer container and store in freezer until next time you want to make turnovers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Lining the baking sheets with parchment paper will make clean-up much easier.
  • I like these best when they are still just a little bit warm, or at room temperature before they’ve been stored. Once stored in an airtight container, the crust on the little turnovers becomes soft. I prefer the crust a little crunchy.

Pumpkin and Pecans in one or two bites

Posted on by
15

I’m not real keen on pumpkin pie, but I love pecans…and butter…and brown sugar…with just a little pumpkin in the mix. That’s what these tiny tarts are made of. One-Bite Pumpkin-Pecan Pies remind me of pecan tassies, those rich little treats that often show up on holiday cookie trays. A little pumpkin and spice added to the mix adds delicious depth of flavor, so when you pop the first tiny pie into your mouth you get a delightful surprise. Especially if you were expecting pecans only.

The recipe I used comes from the book, “Our Favorite Recipes,” compiled by the Claremont Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Serving Sullivan County (whoa, that’s a much bigger mouthful than a One-Bite Pie!). It comes from Claremont, New Hampshire.

I made just a couple of changes to the recipe, using organic unsweetened coconut milk beverage instead of milk and also added some Bacardi Gold rum. Mmmm, good flavor. The filling is baked in little cream cheese pastry crusts.

Each One-Bite Pumpkin-Pecan Pie offers just enough pumpkin for my tastebuds. I served the mini-Pies to dinner guests the other evening. Two One-Bite Pumpkin-Pecan Pies per serving snuggled up to a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and drizzled with homemade caramel sauce was a happy ending to our meal.

I’ve got some of the baked Pies in my freezer. I’ll be pulling them out at Thanksgiving. No pumpkin pie for me, thank you. A couple of One-Bite Pumpkin-Pecan Pies is all I’ll need.

One-Bite Pumpkin-Pecan Pies

Pastry:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

Filling:

  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut milk beverage (or milk)
  • 1 tablespoon Bacardi Gold rum
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

For pastry, beat butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl until creamy. Stir in flour. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Press dough evenly in bottom and up sides of ungreased miniature (1 3/4-inch) muffin pans. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven for 10 minutes.

While pastry cups are baking, prepare filling by combining 1/2 cup brown sugar, pumpkin, egg yolk, melted butter, coconut milk, rum, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Make topping by combining pecans, brown sugar and 1 tablespoon melted butter.

Spoon pumpkin filling into warm pastry cups. Sprinkle topping over each one. Bake in 325-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully loosen the pies and remove from pans. Serve warm or cool completely on wire racks. Makes 2 dozen one-bite pies.

Tip from the cook

Baked One-Bite Pumpkin-Pecan Pies can be packed and tightly sealed into a freezer container. I’ll be pulling mine out in about 5 weeks.



Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

Posted on by
8

Pasta seems to be my go-to when I’m short on meal-preparation time. Not only does it cook in just minutes, but it pairs nicely with a variety of vegetables and sauces. Last week I made a sauce of penne, pumpkin and Parmesan.

When I came upon a recipe for pasta with a creamy pumpkin sauce in “the ski house cookbook,” by Tina Anderson and Sarah Pinneo, I was reminded of the delicately flavored butternut squash-filled ravioli with a sage-brown butter sauce that I had several years ago at I Nonni, an Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities.

That recipe in “the ski house cookbook” inspired Penne with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce with flavors reminiscent of the butternut-squash-filled ravioli I swooned over years ago. I’m not a huge fan of sage, but when the flavor is infused into the dish as whole fresh leaves of the herb saute with some onion and then simmer in white wine, it becomes a whisper that is just loud enough to detect, but not overbearing. For me, the slight essence of sage in the sauce is just right.

This pasta dish is a great example of how the versatile pumpkin feels very comfortable in both sweet and savory foods.

Penne with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce is seasonal, savory and simply delicious.

Penne with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

  • 1 pound uncooked penne
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 fresh whole sage leaves
  • 1/4 cup white wine or apple cider
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin puree (no added seasonings), either from a can or some of your own cooked pumpkin
  • 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Nutmeg to taste
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Toasted walnuts, broken

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Use plenty of water. My Italian friend, Carmie, says to use lots of water for best results when cooking pasta. Once the water has come to a boil, add 1 tablespoon salt. Stir in the penne and cook for about 10 minutes or until al dente.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and saute for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and whole sage leaves and saute for another minute. Add wine and cook until liquid has almost disappeared. Add chicken broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove sage leaves and discard. Stir in pumpkin a spoonful at a time and blend well between each addition. Stir in heavy cream and half of the Parmesan.

Drain cooked pasta. Combine with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and some toasted walnuts. Use as many nuts as you like. Serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Tip from the cook

Toast walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 6 minutes, until fragrant. Dump the walnuts onto a large clean towel. Roll and rub the walnuts in the towel. Transfer the nuts to a fine mesh strainer and shake them to remove as much of the thin, papery skin as possible. I think the walnuts taste better when some of the skin has been removed.

Ruby reds with creamy blue

Posted on by
Reply

For days, I’ve been thinking about the beet salad I enjoyed at Sontes in Rochester, Minn. My biking partners and I spent a couple of nights in Rochester a few weeks ago when we were planning to bike the Root River Trail in the Lanesboro area. Lanesboro is only about 30 miles from Rochester.

We ordered a few tapas, or small plates, that evening and shared. Except the beet salad. We decided we each needed our own.

Local roasted beets, sliced oh so thin, were carefully arranged on the plate, made to look like a beautiful ruby red flower. The beet slices were dotted with bits of Carver County’s Shepherd’s Way Farms blue cheese,  sprinkled with pistachios and splashed with mango vinegar. Micro mustard greens were in the very center of the ruby flower. It was a work of (edible) art.

I roasted some small beets I bought at the farmers market, using the method suggested by Dorie Greenspan in her book, “around my french table.” Scrub the beets clean under running water. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the beets in a baking dish, pour in a few spoonfuls of water, cover the dish with foil and stab a little hole in it. Roast for 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the beets, until you can pierce them easily with a knife. Slip off the skins when the beets are cool enough to handle. I roasted the beets a few days before I planned to make the salad, so they were chilled and ready to slice. A mandolin works well for creating thinly sliced beets. If you don’t have one, use a sharp knife.

My recreation of the Sontes beet salad was delicious. I didn’t have mango vinegar, but used a splash of raspberry vinegar. Just the other day I bought a container of Hook’s Paradise Blue at my local food co-op. It comes from Mineral Point, Wisconsin. It is so creamy, not too strong with a touch of tropical fruit flavor. It was quite wonderful with the beets and pistachios.

At Sontes, the salad was adorned with a crown of micro mustard greens. I couldn’t find any in my local stores, but I did find some nice-looking watercress. The produce manager told me he’d been selling it like crazy. Apparently Dr. Oz mentioned the health benefits of watercress on his show and everyone was running to the store to buy some. It looked delicate sitting on top of the roasted beets and tasted divine.

There is really no recipe for this salad. But I’ll list the ingredients and you can take it from there.

If you get to Rochester, Minnesota, be sure to stop in at Sontes. We were there on a Friday night and were able to enjoy the live music coming from the bar as we dined. We were glad we had called ahead to make a reservation. It was a busy night at Sontes.

I may need to head back to the farmers market to check for more beets. I can’t get enough of this salad.

Roasted Beet Salad

  • 2 small roasted beets per person, skins removed, sliced very thin
  • Raspberry vinegar
  • Blue cheese of your choice
  • Raw pistachios, chopped
  • Micro mustard greens or watercress

For each serving, arrange beet slices on a salad plate. Splash with raspberry vinegar. Dot with blue cheese. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Top with greens.

Fire Up the Grill for these Marinated Pork Chops

Posted on by
2

A couple of weeks ago we packed half a pig into our freezer. The happy pig was raised on a farm not far from where we live. It joined the quarter of a locally-raised organic, grass-fed cow that we purchased earlier in the summer. I’ve never had so much meat in my freezer — me, the half-hearted carnivore.

The weather we’ve enjoyed during the past week has been screaming out, “Fire up the grill!” I did. I marinated some pork chops that I had pulled from the freezer. I used a bit of the fresh ginger-root  (a natural tenderizer) that I had in a drawer in my refrigerator and a jalapeno pepper that I’d picked up at the farmers market. Along with the last of some soy sauce, a little bit of ketchup, olive oil and some garlic, of course, I whipped up a very effective marinade for the pork chops.

After a short time on the grill, directly over some hot coals, the tasty pork chops were moist and flavorful. They were a perfect match with Creamy Cauliflower and an Indian Harvest blend of sweet potato orzo with whole grain red quinoa, wheat  berries and long grain white rice.

Two pork chops down. Many to go.

Fire up the grill and enjoy marinated pork chops on these last warm, sunshiny grilling days of autumn, or is it Indian summer?

Marinated Pork Chops

  • 4 bone-in pork loin chops, 3/4-inch thick
  • 1/2 of a medium-size yellow onion, chopped very fine
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh gingerroot
  • 1 medium-size jalapeno pepper, most of the seeds removed, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Lay pork chops in a large zip-top plastic bag. Spread half of finely chopped onion over the chops. Flip the bag over and spread remaining onions over this side of the pork chops.

In a bowl, mix soy sauce, olive oil, ketchup, garlic, minced gingerroot, minced jalapeno and black pepper. Pour half of the marinade over the pork chops in bag. Flip the bag over and pour in remaining marinade. Massage the marinade into the chops, making sure each chop is covered with the mixture. Place the bag with meat into a dish with sides. Store in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight.

Grill the marinated pork chops over direct heat for about 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Makes 4 pork chops.

Autumn Chili–You Won’t Even Miss the Meat

Posted on by
10

I’ve been preparing for my trip to Willmar, where I’ll be doing a couple of cooking demonstrations at their Women’s Expo on Saturday. One of the things I most look forward to when I travel to do these programs, is the opportunity to meet some of the people who read my column.

During my visit to Willmar, I’ll be meeting one very special person who likes to cook and who has been reading my column for a few years in the West Central Tribune and following my blog. We’ve been communicating by email for quite some time about meatloaf and muffins and all kinds of food. And today, this 94 1/2-year-old man is going to teach me how to make crullers. He says there’s nothing better to go with a cup of coffee. I’ve never eaten a cruller. I don’t know a thing about them, other than what my cruller teacher has explained to me. Have you ever had a cruller? Have you ever made crullers? Tell me about it in a comment.

I made a pot of Autumn Pumpkin, Black Bean and Lentil Chili. I’m taking a tall jar of the meatless, healthful chili to Mr. Cruller-Maker. He can store it in the refrigerator or freezer and just heat some up when he’s ready to eat it.

I’ve been making this chili for a few years. I kept the cumin toned down in the recipe, but when I make it for my own family, I kick up the heat factor with a full tablespoon of the cumin and add a tablespoon or so of chili powder, which isn’t in the original recipe.

I like to serve the chili with a dollop of sour cream on each serving and a sprinkling of chopped green onions, chives or cilantro. Tortilla chips can be crumbled over the top of each bowl, too. My husband likes to sprinkle some shredded Cheddar over the top of his chili.

It doesn’t take long to prepare Autumn Pumpkin, Black Bean and Lentil Chili. I cook a full cup of lentils which yields a little more than two cups of cooked lentils. I use a cup in the chili and freeze the remaining lentils for another time. I like stirring lentils into rice with some seasonings that depend on my mood at the time. Cooked lentils make a nice addition to soup, too.

You won’t even miss the meat in this chili. It’s a mixture full of texture and high on flavor.

I’ll be eating my first cruller this afternoon. And I’ll bet my new friend will be eating his first bowl of Autumn Pumpkin, Black Bean and Lentil Chili this evening.

Autumn Pumpkin, Black Bean and Lentil Chili

1 cup uncooked lentils                                    1 (15-ounce) can black beans,

2 cups water                                                           drained and rinsed

1 cup finely chopped celery                            1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 cup finely chopped carrots                           1 (28-ounce) can ground peeled tomatoes
1 cup finely chopped onion                            2 teaspoons ground cumin
Several cloves garlic, minced                          1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil                                       Seasonings to taste
4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
Sour cream for garnish

Sort through lentils to remove any debris. Rinse the lentils. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Slowly stir in lentils. Reduce heat. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.

Coat bottom of a soup pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add celery, carrots and onions. Sauté until the vegetables are tender. Add garlic and continue to sauté for 2 minutes. You don’t want the garlic to brown. Stir in black beans and pumpkin, continuing to stir until the pumpkin is blended into the mixture. Add cumin and paprika and stir to disperse into the vegetable mixture. Stir in tomatoes and bring mixture to a simmer.

Use an immersion blender to gently pulse about half of the vegetable mixture. I like to leave some texture to the soup. Add half of the vegetable broth (2 cups) to the soup mixture in the pot. Bring to a simmer. Gradually add broth until you achieve the texture you desire. Add 1 cup of fully cooked lentils. Simmer the soup, add spices and keep tasting until it’s just right. Serve piping hot with a dollop of sour cream.

Grandma Lucy knows how to make chicken

Posted on by
5

When I was in fifth grade, my mom decided to pick up her career once again. After being a stay-at-home mom for several years, she started working full-time outside of the home.

She and my grandma had given me lots of time in the kitchen as their little helper, so I was very happy to do some preliminary tasks to help get the evening meal started before my mom got home from work. It was never anything major, just little chores like peeling potatoes or setting the table.

Sometimes my mom would plan baked chicken for dinner. She’d wash and trim chicken pieces and arrange them in a baking dish before she went to work. My job involved cutting up a stick of butter and sprinkling the little chunks over the chicken pieces, sprinkling it all with salt and pepper and, of course, some sweet Hungarian paprika. At precisely the right time, I would carefully slide the dish into the oven as directed.

Since I had such nice results with the recipe for Swiss Apple Pie Cake that I chose from an old church cookbook on my shelf, I pulled another book off the shelf to see what I could find for a chicken dish to serve with the Brown Rice and Veggie Bake that I made for my column this week. It was the St. Thomas Academy (Mendota Heights, Minnesota) Mothers Club Centennial Cookbook. It is a collection of favorite foods of past, present and future graduates of St. Thomas Academy at that time.

How could I pass up Grandma Lucy’s Italian Chicken? If an Italian grandma makes it, this chicken must be good. And besides, it reminded me of the chicken I used to help my mom make, with chunks of butter scattered over the top of the chicken pieces.

I adapted Grandma Lucy’s recipe a bit, using boneless and skinless chicken breasts. And, I couldn’t help myself from adding sweet Hungarian paprika. A little cayenne can’t hurt, either.

Grandma Lucy probably served her Italian Chicken with lots of spaghetti and her homemade tomato sauce. But I have to say, the baked chicken was quite delicious with Brown Rice and Veggie Bake.

I might try cutting chicken breasts into strips when my grandchildren are here next time and turn this recipe into chicken fingers. And serve it with fettuccine Alfredo, they’re favorite pasta dish. I’ll bet Grandma Lucy never did that.

Grandma Lucy’s Italian Chicken

Adapted from St. Thomas Academy Mothers Club Centennial Cookbook

  • 8 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 chubby clove garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs or cracker crumbs
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (more is you like heat)
  • Olive oil
  • 1/2 cup butter cut into small chunks

Trim chicken breasts, rinse and set aside.

In a bowl, mix all ingredients except olive oil and butter. Coat chicken breasts with crumb mixture. Place breasts in a well buttered baking pan with sides, leaving space between each breast. Sprinkle chicken with remaining crumbs. Drizzle each chicken breast with olive oil. Dot chicken with butter chunks. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 45 – 60 minutes or until chicken is baked through.