Monthly Archives: January 2012

Bring back the Date Bar

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When was the last time you ate a date bar? I haven’t had one in years. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I’ve even given thought to that deliciously sweet, rich layered dessert.

Not long ago, I received an email request for a date bar recipe. My thoughts swiftly went back to the date bars my dad’s cousin used to make using a recipe that had been in my dad’s family for years — maybe generations. Following the visions of date bars running through my head came the date-filled cookies I used to get from the Rothsay Truck Stop. On my trips from Fargo to Minneapolis, I could never pass up the I-94 exit that took my car up the ramp and right into a parking spot in front of the large plate glass window that looked into the little cafe attached to the gas station. I’d walk up to the counter lined with bar stools and order half dozen of the homemade date-filled cookies. A waitress would pull the large, soft cookies from a glass jar on a shelf and slide them into a paper bag. Chewy and not too sweet, they were a date-lovers dream. They were an easy snack to eat out of hand in the car. The truck-stop cafe is still there. The date-filled cookies are not.

My date-filled daydream came to an abrupt end when I realized date bars seem to have fallen out of fashion. Even Betty Crocker’s Date Bar Mix, something my mom used to bring home from the grocery store in the 1960s, has disappeared. And, when was the last time you saw date bars in the bakery case?

Date bars are gone. They’ve simply vanished and we didn’t even notice.

I’m bringing them back right now. I found my grandmother’s recipe in her tattered ledger filled with her beautiful, scrolling handwriting. That recipe appears in my column this week. They have less butter and sugar than many date bar recipes use. They’re way too crumbly to eat in the car without making a mess on the seat. But, they are good.

This makeover recipe replaces all-purpose flour with Natural Way Mills organic white whole wheat flour. This flour is similar in texture to white all-purpose flour, but it contains the germ and most of the nutrients of whole wheat flour and has a creamy color. The flavor is much lighter than the pronounced nutty flavor of whole wheat flour.

I replaced butter with earth balance organic coconut spread. It was the first time I used the spread for baking. It left just a slight hint of coconut, which is a natural flavor partner for dates.

I think my grandmother might disapprove if she knew I was playing around with an old family recipe. She’d be disappointed to know I prefer these bars over those made by generations of bakers in her family. But, change can be good — especially when it brings crunchy texture and delicious flavor while producing a date bar that is a little more healthful than the original.

This new recipe, the 2.0 version of the original date bar, might just bring back the date bar.

Grandmother’s Date Bars 2.0

Date Filling:

  • 1 pound pitted dates, chopped
  • 1½ cups water
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Cookie Mixture:

  • 1½ cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup organic coconut spread, room temperature
  • 1 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats
  • ½ cup ground toasted pecans or walnuts

Put dates and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is the consistency of marmalade, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Allow to cool. Stir in orange juice.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9- x 13-inch metal pan with coconut spread. Line the pan with parchment paper, using enough to have some paper come up and over the sides. Lightly grease the parchment that lines the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Use your clean fingers to mix in the brown sugar. Add chunks of coconut spread to bowl. Once again, use your fingers to work the coconut spread into the dry ingredients until you create a crumbly consistency. Add oats and mix.

Firmly pat 3 cups of the cookie mixture into the prepared pan. Spoon date filling on the cookie layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining cookie mixture over the filling. Bake for 30 minutes in preheated 325-degree oven. Remove from oven. Sprinkle hot bars with ground nuts. Allow bars to cool in pan. Carefully pull the cooled bars out of the pan, using the excess parchment paper as handles. Cut into 20 to 24 bars.

Tips from the cook

  • To toast walnuts or pecans, arrange in a single layer on a baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 8 minutes, or until they are golden and fragrant. Remove from oven and immediately transfer nuts to a plate to cool.
  • The one pound of dates called for in this recipe is the weight of dates after they have had pits removed.
  • Find white whole wheat flour in all well-stocked grocery stores.
  • I found earth balance organic coconut spread in the refrigerated case with other non-dairy spreads.

Beans, beans

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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.

 

 

Eat your greens — on pizza.

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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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.

A creamy soup that will help add fruits and vegetables to your New (healthy) Year

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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.