Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Our family's traditional Christmas breakfast includes cinnamon rolls and some sort of eggs or meat. I like the idea of a make-ahead casserole, but until now hadn't found one that appealed to my taste. Most are filled with bread cubes and are quite eggy, just not our style.

Last spring my sister-in-law served this dish at my nephew's First Holy Communion reception. It contains a LOT of sausage, with potatoes instead of bread cubes, and just 4 eggs. It was hearty and flavorful, so I decided to try it this week.

I prepared steps 1-5 on Christmas Eve. Before leaving for mass in the morning I mixed the eggs, milk, and biscuit mix, and put the casserole in the oven. I set the oven on delay start (and at a temperature lower than the recipe suggests) so it would begin baking while we were at church. When we got home I pulled out the casserole, baked the risen rolls, and we soon settled down for a delicious brunch. I hope you like it as much as we did.

Sausage Biscuit Bake (Don Gaspar Inn, New Mexico)

2 # Jimmy Dean sausage (I used reduced fat)
1 # frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 # shredded Mexican cheese blend
4 eggs
2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 cup Bisquick (I used my version of Leila's homemade mix)

1. Fry sausage in a large nonstick skillet, breaking it up as it cooks, until it has browned.
2. Spread sausage into a greased 9 x 13" dish, leaving the drippings in the pan for the potatoes. (The reduced fat meat was so non-greasy that I added some oil to the pan for the next step.)
3. Add hash browns to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, allowing it to brown nicely.
4. Add potatoes to the baking dish, gently mixing to distribute evenly.
5. Top with cheese. The dish may be covered and refrigerated at this stage.
6. In a bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, then add milk and biscuit mix. Pour over the sausage mixture and bake at 400*for at least 35 minutes (it may take 45-50 min.) until the center is set and a knife comes out clean (no raw egg). Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

This was so easy and tasty that it may become a Sunday tradition--no need to wait until Christmas comes again!

Onion Soup

I don't know why I save onion soup for special occasions. It's relatively simple to make, and is one of Len's favorites. Maybe it's that I've never considered such a brothy soup hearty enough for a meal, so I tend to use it as an appetizer, and how often do I serve multi-course meals (Christmas, maybe)?

Tonight I served onion soup and chicken noodle soup for this season's Soup Night kickoff, and with salad and bread it WAS enough for dinner. Maybe I'll make it for one of our family's favorite simple meals: soup, artisan bread, cheese, and apples.

This recipe is based on Mollie Katzen's from her Moosewood Cookbook. The most obvious change is that I usually use beef broth. A quadruple batch made about 5 quarts, in case you were wondering.

Onion Soup
5 cups thinly sliced onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
butter, as needed
1 quart stock or water (I use Swanson's 50% less sodium beef broth in a box)
1 Tbsp soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
3 Tbsp dry white wine
1/2 tsp dry mustard
dash of thyme
a few dashes of white pepper
1 tsp honey
optional toppers:
skinny, dense French baguette
garlic cloves, peeled
shredded Italian cheese blend

• Cook the onions and garlic, lightly salted, in the butter in a kettle. Cook them until very-but-not-too brown. Use medium heat to cook them gradually and thoroughly. I leave the lid on for a long time, then cook uncovered to evaporate the liquid and promote browning. Watch carefully and stir more frequently during the uncovered stage. The onions will decrease dramatically in volume.
• Add remaining soup ingredients. Cook slowly, covered, at least 30 minutes.

You know how yummy onion soup is with bread and cheese broiled on top? Well, I don't have the correct bowls, so I improvise with this make-ahead variation:

• Slice a baguette (it must be skinny and dense) at a slight angle, about 1/4 inch thick. Put the slices on a baking sheet and broil. Watch carefully, and turn them over with tongs to brown both sides. You'll need to monitor closely, because the pieces will be done at different times.
• When all the slices are toasted, rub one side of each with fresh garlic.
• Spread the bread on the baking sheet again. Cover with shredded cheese. I use an Italian blend, but provolone or Gruyere or whatever you like is fine. (I don't recommend something stringy like all mozzarella.) Bake (this way all the pieces will be done at once) in the oven until the cheese is melted and maybe even a little bit golden.
• These goodies can be kept at room temperature and floated on top of your bowl of soup. We find that three or four slices fit nicely. They start out crunchy, but once they've soaked up some broth, the toppers can be cut and eaten with your spoon. Enjoy!

Pesto: Summer in a Bag

There's something cheery about serving pesto in February. That bright green, that summery smell--fantastic!

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How to achieve enjoyment of this out of season treat? Well, you can buy pesto sauce in a jar (eh), or make your own with expensive grocery store basil. I prefer to harvest our basil, make several batches of sauce, and freeze it in small bags, which are easy to thaw and toss with pasta.

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Elizabeth gave me this recipe many years ago. The only changes I've made are to put "Ever Fresh" in to save the bright color and to add some salt at serving time.

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Pesto Sauce

2 1/2 cups fresh basil, washed then spun or patted dry

1/2 cup walnuts

4 large garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp "Ever Fresh" or equivalent (ascorbic acid), dissolved in 1 Tbsp water

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Put everything in the bowl of a food processor (a double batch fits well). Process until smooth. Store flat in pint-size freezer bags, being sure to press out all the air. To serve:

1 pound pasta (reserve 2 cups cooking water)

1/2 tsp salt, optional

2 ounces cream cheese, optional

1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

• Cook pasta in boiling water.
• Meanwhile, thaw pesto in a container of hot water, then scrape into a serving dish. If desired, add salt and cream cheese. Mash and mix to combine, adding some pasta water as needed. Reserve more pasta water before draining.
• Drain pasta and add to the sauce. Toss to coat, adding water as needed. Sprinkle with half the grated cheese, toss, add remaining cheese, and toss again. Serve with a smile.

Chocolate Mousse Pie

This is a perfect dessert for a crowd: creamy, chocolatey, incredibly rich, AND simple to make (really!). I found the recipe on epicurious.com (originally from Bon Appetit, Nov '92) several years ago. I've made it many times, and in the process have tweaked and tweaked, based on epicurious commenters' and my own experiences. The recipe below is my current version.

Chocolate Mousse Pie
28 Oreo cookies
1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
pinch of salt
1 quart heavy whipping cream, divided
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
additional sugar and vanilla, to taste
chocolate shavings, optional

1. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add butter and process until mixture is evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of a 10" springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.
2. Put chocolate and salt in a food processor. Bring 1 cup cream to a boil in the microwave. With the processor running, gradually pour hot cream through feed tube and process until chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occassionally.
3. Beat 2 cups cream with sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture. Spread over the prepared crust and chill until set, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)
4. Beat remaining cream (with a splash of vanilla and about 2 Tbsp sugar) to stiff peaks. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Garnish top of cake with chocolate shavings, if desired, then pipe cream rosettes around the edge.

Serves 16+

It may look like a disappointingly small piece, but because it is so rich, you'll be surprisingly satisfied.

Yesterday I successfully experimented with preparing individual servings for a party. For the "crust" I put Oreos in the bottom of foil muffin papers, then topped them with the filling (yield=28 each). They were set in less than six hours, but are easier to eat today because the cookies have softened enough to be eaten with a spoon.

Storage and transportation in the muffin pan is a handy option:I topped the mini-mousses with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Since I used a store bought "shaker top" instead of whipping my own cream, the rosettes deflated in mere minutes, much to my distress. Next time that's one shortcut I won't take!
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NOVEMBER 2009 UPDATE:

I wanted to take this to a party with a substantial dessert spread and felt I needed even smaller servings than the muffin cups above. At a dessert buffet, noone wants to commit to a giant portion when there are so many treats to try.

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Remembering a comment from the original online version, I baked the crust in a rectangular pan (about 10" x 15", the Pyrex that's bigger than a 9" x 13"). The crust and mousse were spread thin, but I think it was perfect. I was able to cut 48 pieces.

A squeeze of whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa, and the pan was ready to go.If thoroughly chilled (it's best made a day in advance but garnished just before departure), the portions are easy to serve, keeping their shape well. The low profile also meant that I could cover the pan with plastic wrap without disturbing the whipped cream. I used the real deal this time, and the rosettes looked fine even the next day.

Bulgogi

Bulgogi is a classic Korean food, and perfect for summer grilling. It reminds me of an Asian taco: a lettuce "tortilla" filled with plain sticky rice and thin slices of marinated beef. The combination of crunchy, chewy, bland, and salty is fabulous!

A friend of mine was given this recipe by a Korean family she used to live near. The marinade ingredients can be tweaked to your taste.

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One note: You need meat that is sliced quite thin. I get this (frozen) at an Asian market. It is called (at least here) "beef rib eye thin sliced" (see below).

A 2# package is about right for us.Okay, another note: This is best as a summer dish. Of course you can grill in the winter, but you've got to stand over it the whole time, and it's hard to see when the meat needs flipping in the dark of December. You can also broil, griddle, or saute the beef, but it's not as tasty.

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Bulgogi

2# thin-sliced beef, thawed

3/4 cup soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 large bunch green onions, minced (including stems)

romaine or leaf lettuce

2 cups white rice, cooked (jasmine is quick and sticky enough)

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Combine soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and sesame seeds.

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Place a single layer of meat in a casserole dish. Spoon a little marinade over it. Repeat layers until all meat and marinade are used up. See how skinny? I've had it even thinner, which is easier to eat (less chewy), but more fragile and thus more difficult to cook.Cover the dish and refrigerate several hours or overnight. The meat is so thin that starting in the morning gives it plenty of time to soak up flavor by dinner.

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To cook, heat grill to high. Lay meat slices on grill. Turn once. If your grill is hot enough, you'll be able to starting turning as soon as you've laid out a full set of meat.

This former dietitian is still germ-phobic enough* to have an elaborate system involving paper towels and two spatulas to avoid cross contamination between the raw and cooked pieces, but I won't burden you with that description. ;-)

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To serve, have a platter of lettuce leaves on the table along with a dish of rice and the platter of meat. People assemble their own food. We find it works best to have the meat on top of the rice, to help hold everything together.

Enjoy!

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*My poor, deprived children are also not allowed to eat dough or batter containing raw eggs. Such a mean mommy!

Sugar Free Fruit Pie

Technically these pies are not "sugar free"--they're actually "no sugar added". I was bringing dessert to a gathering that included some folks who may not eat added sugar, but I still wanted to provide something homemade. I also didn't want to try actually baking with a sugar substitute; I'll bet there's a big learning curve, and sugar contributes a lot to texture (not just taste) in baking.

Anyway, after much pondering (I know, I know--get a life!), I figured out a way to make my summer fruit pie without sugar. I made sugar-free jello, and when it had chilled to the thick and gloppy stage I folded it into 3 cups of fruit. This was poured into a baked shell and covered with a little more jello.
The strawberry pie was gorgeous and also sliced very neatly. The blueberry pie (I used raspberry jello) didn't hold together as well, probably because it was piled into the super slumpy shell. I also didn't have as much "glaze" for the blueberries. Or maybe their packed together roundness kept the jello from surrounding them as well as the slices of strawberry. It was still quite tasty!I must admit I made real whipped cream (with sugar) for those who were able to indulge. Please don't hold it against me. :-)

Another caveat: I'm not saying this is necessarily a healthful variation. It depends on what you're careful about: sugar vs. artificial colors and aspartame. I think this is an option for the right situation.

Eating Humble Pie

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!! Talk about hideous! When I bake an empty pie shell, I prick it all over with a fork (even the sides) and let it go. Sometimes it puffs up a little, but I just poke it a bit more during baking, and all is well. Sometimes the sides slip down a little, but not enough to matter for summer blueberry pie.

Yesterday, inspired by my sister-in-law, I tried a few variations on my usual technique. I rolled the dough inside Freeze-tite, a thicker plastic wrap that is 18" wide. What a great way to go--I didn't need extra flour, and the disk was easy to roll out and to transfer into the pie dish.

Innovation #2 was (ahem) less successful. Instead of my usual shortening, I used half butter and half shortening for the fat, trying to increase the tastiness factor. The dough was much softer. I could tell as a I transferred it and as I shaped the edges, but I decided to stick with my usual baking style anyway. You can see the results of such laziness:I had two pies to make, so I moved on to "blind baking", holding the crust in place with a piece of foil covered with weights (Split peas and lentils are what I had on hand.).I filled the foil to the tippity top because I was not just holding the bottom DOWN, but was also trying to keep the fluted edge UP. Somewhat better results, eh?Next time I'll pull the foil out a little sooner to give the top of the bottom (get it?) more time to brown.Which crust would you rather fill with yumminess? Yeah, me too.

And yes, the butter did add good flavor (although I've never minded the blandness of a Crisco crust) and maybe a little crispiness. I'm not sure if it's worth it to have such a soft dough, though. Maybe if I add a little less water...

Cherry Cobbler

As I've written before, we pick, pit, and freeze the sour cherries from our tree. Since their juiciness and sourness can vary each year, I consider a pie to be too tricky to bake. Getting the filling just the right degree of sweet and thick (but not too thick!) requires a lot of guesswork.

That's why I prefer to bake cherry cobbler. It's essentially a pie filling topped with a sweet biscuit. Soupiness doesn't matter, and ice cream or whipped cream can smooth out any over-tartness.

Over the years I've combined and fiddled with recipes, never feeling confident that I had a sure winner. Well now I've found it--in Cook's Illustrated's The Best Skillet Recipes. This is a great new book, with simpler (i.e. easier) dishes than many of their others.

You can bake the cobbler in the skillet if you have a 12" one that is ovenproof. Otherwise, make the filling in a pot and transfer to a greased casserole dish before topping with the biscuit dough and baking. I'll try to remember to post a picture the next time I make this delectable dessert.

For the record, I only tweaked this recipe a tiny bit. Here you go:

Sour Cherry Cobbler
Biscuit Topping
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Cherry Filling
3/4 - 1 cup sugar, depending on your fruit
3 Tbsp cornstarch
pinch salt
~4 cups canned or thawed sour cherries, drained, with 2 cups juice reserved
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 Tbsp coarse sugar

• For the biscuit topping: Whisk dry ingredients together. Pour cooled butter into the buttermilk; it will make tiny clumps. Stir wet into dry just until a dough forms. Set aside.
• For the cherry filling: Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a 12" ovenproof skillet. Whisk in the reserved cherry juice and cook over medium-high heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture simmers and is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the cherries and almond extract.
• Using a spoon, scoop and drop 1" pieces of the dough, spaced about 1/2" apart, over the cherry filling in the skillet, then sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the cobbler until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is thick and glossy, 25-30 minutes.
• Using a potholder (The skillet handle will be hot!), remove the skillet from the oven. Let the cobbler cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Summer Blueberry Pie

Blueberries are delicious, but I don't especially like them cooked. So I don't enjoy blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, or regular blueberry pie. That's why this cold version (similar to strawberry pie) appeals to me. It's also what makes it a summertime treat--FRESH berries are required.

I tweaked recipes from my aunt and from cookbook author Jane Brody to come up with my version. Simply bake a standard crust, make a sauce by cooking crushed blueberries with sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch, fold in raw berries, and chill. It's fabulous plain or with whipped cream, and easy enough to make extra--one to give away or save for tomorrow. ;-)

Summer Blueberry Pie
1 quart (4 cups) fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water (plus more for the cornstarch)
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp lemon juice
9" pre-baked pie shell
whipped cream, optional

1. In a medium pot, crush 1 cup of blueberries with the sugar. Add water and bring the mixture to a boil.
2. Meanwhile mix the cornstarch with enough water to make a pourable slurry.
3. After the berry mixture bubbles, remove the pot from the heat. While constantly whisking the berries, slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry. Return to the heat and continue to whisk and simmer until the mixture is clear and thickened. Remove from heat.
4. Stir lemon juice into the berry glaze. Pour in the remaining three cups of berries, stirring with a rubber spatula until they are all coated.
5. Spread filling into the pie shell and chill. Enjoy!

Notes:

• For a strawberry variation, arrange 3 cups of berries in the pre-baked pie shell. Make the glaze and pour it over them. The strawberries need to be whole or halved--if you slice them, the gel will break and you will have strawberry soup!
• You could substitute a graham cracker (or vanilla wafer or animal cracker) crust, if desired.
• To pre-bake a regular pie crust, prick it all over (even on the sides) with a fork (this keeps it from buckling) and bake at 475 until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Although I will use store bought dough for quiche, I think it's worth the trouble to make my own crust for this pie. Baking it without any filling helps make the crust extra flaky:

(Better Than) Manicotti

For years, I've stuffed pasta shells with a ricotta & spinach filling, great for baking that day or freezing for later. Not everyone was a fan, though; some folks (okay, kids) ate the noodle and left behind the big blob of filling.

Well, one of my sisters pointed out a Cook's Illustrated recipe for baked manicotti (January 2007). It's wonderful, though not truly manicotti, which is a pasta tube that gets stuffed rather like my old shells. This version is made with no-boil lasagna noodles rolled around the filling. The technique is quicker and easier, and the product is tastier, with a better pasta-to-filling ratio. I follow CI's instructions, but not their recipes, using my own filling and sauce from a jar (gasp!). Here's the "how to":

Prepare one box of no-boil lasagna noodles at a time. Pour 1 inch boiling water into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, then add noodles one by one. Soak them for five minutes, separating frequently with the tip of a knife to keep them from sticking together. Remove noodles from water (I drain, then add cold water so I can pick them up) and place in a single layer on clean kitchen towels.

Put 1/4 cup (#16 scoop) of cheese mixture on the short end of each noodle. Spread evenly three-fourths of the way up. Roll into a tube shape. Done!

Now it's time to decide where to put your creation. I usually make a huge batch, layering tubes on a baking sheet (separated by plastic wrap). These are frozen until hard and then transferred to plastic bags, from which I can remove a little or a lot, depending on the size of the crowd to be served.To serve fresh or frozen manicotti, I place the tubes on top of pasta sauce in a greased pan. Ideally, arrange the frozen tubes in the pan a day ahead so they can thaw overnight. You can cover with more sauce if you like (I usually don't).

Cover the pan with foil and bake until at least 140* internally. The time depends on how cold the pasta was and what oven temperature you choose--this food's not fussy.When the pasta is nearly done, sprinkle with Parmesan and return to the oven (uncovered) to melt the cheese.

This is a great Friday night dinner with sauce straight from the jar (I like Barilla). And if you use a nice meat sauce, the dish tastes just like lasagna. Mangia!

Here's my filling recipe. The last time I used it, I filled 55 noodles (about four dinners here). Cutting in half is simple, if you'd like to start with less.

(Better Than) Manicotti
Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles, about 55
4 (10 oz. each) packages frozen chopped spinach
5 # part-skim ricotta cheese (use 2# for a half batch)
2 # shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
4 eggs, slightly beaten

Thaw spinach. Squeeze out excess moisture and combine with cheeses and eggs. Assemble by rolling 1/4 cup filling onto each soaked noodle (see instructions above).

One more picky note: As I got near the end of the filling, I pre-scooped it to figure out how many noodles I would need to soak from the final box.

Gyros

Gyros--YUM! Over the years, I've tried home cooked versions, and while the bread and condiments hit the right buttons, the meat was never even close.

Enter Cook's Illustrated. Two summers ago the magazine showcased gyros made with seasoned ground meat cooked in patties. These are fantastic! The recipe is a bit of a production (no surprise for CI fans), but worth it when the craving must be satisfied. Besides, I usually prepare a triple batch so there are two meals waiting in the freezer.

Here is the ground beef (instead of lamb) variation (adapted slightly) from the July/August 2007 issue:

Homemade Gyros
puffy pocketless pita bread, 1 1/2 cups torn pieces
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped, about 1 1/2 cups
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tsp dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, pressed
2 pounds ground beef, (I use 93/7 fat)
2-3 Tbsp oil (less if you use fattier beef)

For serving:
more pita
chopped cucumber
chopped sweet onion
chopped tomato
plain yogurt (preferably not non-fat)

Process pita pieces, onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic in food processor until smooth paste forms, about 30 seconds.
Transfer onion mixture to large bowl; add beef and gently mix with hands until thoroughly combined. Form meat mixture into small patties.
This is when I bag up the extra meat mixture for the freezer.
Cook patties in a frying pan, on the griddle, under the broiler, or (my preference) on the grill.
Warm pitas individually in the microwave or by wrapping a stack in foil and heating in the oven. Serve with condiments: cucumber, onion, tomato, and yogurt. I also like an extra sprinkle of salt on the meat.

I was in a hurry this weekend and ended up cooking a bagful of meat all together in a skillet, taco meat style. The kids thought it was great!

The patties can be chewy if the meat is overmixed, plus they can be tricky to divide among the pitas. The ground mixture was easier to serve and eat, and was certainly easier to prepare. I don't know if I'll ever make patties again!

Creamy Potato Soup

My friend Anne sent me a version of this recipe, which she found in Taste of Home magazine. It's quick, vegetarian, and tasty. It does use several convenience products (which is why it's quick!), but adding just a few fresh veggies jazzes it up nicely.

Creamy Potato Soup (makes about 4 quarts)
butter or oil as needed
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 stalks celery, sliced
6 cups water, potato water, or vegetable broth
1 package (30 oz) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
2 cans condensed cream of celery soup (low fat/low sodium is fine)
4 oz processed cheese (Velveeta) cubed
OR 6 slices American cheese (more is okay, too)
1 cup sour cream (reduced fat should be fine, although I haven't tried that yet)
1/2 tsp salt (taste completed soup first!)
1/4 tsp white or black pepper
parsley, chopped, optional
optional garnishes: shredded cheese, green onions or chives, bacon bits

• Saute onion in butter or oil until tender but not brown.
• Add celery and saute until almost tender.
• Add potatoes and water; bring to a boil. Simmer a few minutes, until potatoes are tender.
• Add canned soup and cheese; stir until cheese is melted.
• Add sour cream and optional parsley. Taste to see if salt and pepper are needed. Warm through, but do not boil once the sour cream is added.
• Serve topped with optional garnishes. They make it taste like a deluxe baked potato!

Interesting Ingredients: Store-Bought Pie Crust

I make good pie crust. I use shortening and a light hand, so it's tender and flaky. It has a neutral flavor (rather than buttery) that works for me.

But making pie crust is time consuming and messy.

In the past year or so I finally caved and started using store-bought pie crust (Pillsbury). This is a big deal for me (baking snob?)! I haven't used it for a dessert (I can still taste the difference), but it's become the household standard for quiche, which we eat regularly.

The product is acceptable, and it gets quiche on the table, which wouldn't happen otherwise. Have you found a convenience product that's a big enough help to make up for is reduced yumminess (compared to homemade)?

Quiche

Quiche is popular enough to be on my three week menu cycle. Long ago, when it was a Friday entree, it was consistently rated "thumbs down, way down", but now I put BACON in it and all is well.

This recipe is based on "A Quiche Formula" from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, so already you know I've made some changes to the original (vegetarian) version.

Quiche
one 9" pie crust
1 medium to large onion, chopped
butter or oil as needed
1/4 to 1/3 pound Swiss or cheddar cheese (~1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups)
REAL bacon bits or chopped ham
herbs: I like thyme with Penzeys' Parisien blend (chives, dill, basil, tarragon, chervil, white pepper)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk (skim works fine)
3 Tbsp flour

1. Saute onion in butter or oil (I use Better Butter), covered at least part of the time, until reduced and tender. This can be done ahead. In fact, it's better if the onions have a chance to cool so they won't melt the cheese.
2. Sprinkle cheese in the pie crust. Putting it in first helps keep the bottom crust from getting soggy.
3. Sprinkle in bacon or ham, then herbs. I don't have a picture of this step right now, but will try to get some next time. Meanwhile, just wing it!
4. Distribute onions over the other ingredients.
5. Process eggs, milk, and flour in a blender. Pour GENTLY (so as not to disturb the layers) into pie shell.
6. Bake on bottom rack of 400 degree oven, about 35-40 minutes, until the center of the quiche no longer jiggles. The filling will probably be puffed up, but will fall when it is removed from the oven. Ideally, let it sit for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes:

• The flour helps "set" the filling without using cream (as so many recipes do). The blender distributes it much better than just wisking.
• Filling variations are nearly endless, but this is our standard.
• I do use a store-bought crust (Pillsbury)--the only way to make this a weeknight dinner.
• I've made "quiche kits" to give away by layering the cheese, etc. in a pie crust, then blending the egg mixture and putting it in a quart-sized freezer bag. The bag lies on top of the filling, and everything gets wrapped in heavy duty plastic wrap and frozen. To prepare, the recipient needs to thaw in the fridge, stir the egg, pour it in, and bake. Works great!
• Quiche is for dinner here, but of course it makes a great breakfast or brunch entree. I would have everything ready to go the night before (keep egg mixture in a separate container), then just pour and bake in the morning.
• We reheat leftover servings (one at a time) in the microwave. Nowhere near as good as fresh, but still considered a treat compared to the usual breakfast routine.

Pasta with Red Clam Sauce

Very popular at our house... BTW, that's whole wheat spaghettini in the above photo; hard to tell, eh?

Pasta with Red Clam Sauce
1 # pasta (I use bionature 100% whole wheat)
1-3 Tbs (total) butter and olive oil
4 + cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
a few sprinkles of crushed red pepper
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1/3 to 2/3 can tomato paste
3 cans (6 1/2 oz each) minced or chopped clams
extra olive oil, optional
Parmesan cheese, optional

Boil water, then cook and drain pasta.
Meanwhile:

• Heat butter and olive oil in large skillet. Add garlic and saute gently, until fragrant but not brown. Add oregano, basil, and red pepper.
• Increase heat and add diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Open cans of clams and drain the broth into the skillet, reserving clams. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until as thick as cream.
• Add clams and heat briefly. Dump pasta in bowl or platter and pour sauce on top. Drizzle with extra olive oil and serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Note: The clams are added at the very end so they don't get tough from simmering and simmering and simmering. They just need to be warmed up.

Interesting Ingredients--Whole Wheat Pasta

Why would anyone eat whole wheat pasta, anyway? Well, it IS more nutritious, with about three times the fiber of white pasta. Most Americans eat too many refined grains, so for us, ww pasta is a simple way to buck that trend.But isn't it heavy, with a strong bran taste? Not necessarily! Some ww pasta is dreadful, but we've found the bionature brand to be truly tasty. I can find it in many shapes at Whole Foods and at least one local grocery store. (Yes, it's expensive for pasta--about $2.50--but still cheap for an entree.)Years ago, when I first attempted to switch the family to ww, I tried some other brands with poor results. We went back to white. When I tried again, I used white for some meals, but whole wheat with bold (red or meat) sauces. Then it went into macaroni and cheese. Now we're all so used to it that I'll even serve it with simply olive oil and herbs, or pesto.

Try it, you might like it! I'm also posting a recipe for pasta with red clam sauce--it might be good for a first attempt.

UPDATE 2010: Cook's Illustrated has caught on, giving Bionature the top rating in its whole wheat pasta taste test.

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

I made this for soup night yesterday. Almost everyone loved it, with several boys eating three helpings!

I had a recipe years ago from Southern Living, but couldn't find it in my files or online, so I tweaked/combined several others gathered from the internet. Here I'm recording "what I did" without figuring out how to make a smaller batch. That's your mission, if you choose to accept it...

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini
yield: 13-14 quarts (Hey, we only had 2 quarts left!)

2 pkg (13 oz each) Barilla 3-cheese (dry) tortellini
3.75 # turkey Italian sausage (2 pkg sweet, 1 pkg hot)
3 huge (grapefruit sized) onions, chopped
1/2 head (or more) garlic, crushed
3 red peppers, chopped
4 cans (28 oz each) petite diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/3 bottle red wine (could add more)
Beef broth as needed--sorry for the lack of detail. I think I used 3 boxes of Swanson reduced sodium broth and 4 cans of Campbells double-rich beef bouillon plus 4-6 cans of water.
4 huge carrots, sliced (good, but more would be okay, too)
4 stalks celery, sliced (good, but more would be okay, too)
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped (use 2 or 3 bunches next time)
Parmesan cheese for garnish, if desired

• Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside (maybe in a big plastic bag).
• Saute sausage until lightly browned.
• Add onion and garlic and cook until softened.
• Add red pepper and cook until softened.
• Add tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, wine, and broth. Simmer at least 30 minutes. Check and adjust seasoning.
• About 15-20 minutes before serving (depending on thickness of veggies), add carrots and celery. Simmer until just tender.
• Just before serving, add parsley and pre-cooked tortellini (it will warm up quickly).
• Garnish individual bowls with Parmesan cheese and pepper (black or red), if desired.

Notes:

• The leftovers taste good, but are less spicy after the first day. Add a little crushed red pepper to your own serving before reheating, unless your whole family likes it hot. (In that case, use all hot sausage in the first place.)
• The leftovers taste good but look like stew rather than soup. The tortellini soak up the broth, and so they swell and fall apart, too.
• This can be made in advance, but DO NOT add the tortellini (or parsley) until the last minute, after the soup is already hot.
• (2/2012):  You can substitute other pasta for the tortellini.  Lately I've been buying Trader Joe's mini cheese ravioli (dry, not frozen).
• Most of the recipes I found suggested adding zucchini or spinach. I chose not to, partly out of respect for all the kids who come to soup night. Chopped frozen spinach could probably be hidden easily enough. Zucchini would have gotten soft and yucky sitting on the stove for the hour and half of our get-together. How's that for a good excuse? ;-)

Oatmeal Muffins

These muffins are moist and tender, and are actually better the second day. Since some of my children don't care for dried fruit, I'll sometimes scoop a few plain muffins before adding the bits. The mixer is required, vs. my usual dump-and-stir muffins, so they're a less frequent treat. The recipe is (lightly) adapted from Jane Brody's Good Food Book.

1 cup buttermilk (maybe a little more)
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flour (I use King Arthur's white whole wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt, optional
3 Tbsp wheat germ
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1 egg

• Combine buttermilk and oatmeal and let stand until liquid is absorbed, at least half an hour. I usually keep it in the fridge overnight or microwave it for a minute or two to get a head start.
• Mix dry ingredients in another bowl. Add dried fruit, making sure it's not stuck together.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light. Beat in the honey and the egg.
• In alternating batches, add the flour mixture and the oat mixture to the butter mixture, stirring to moisten the dry ingredients after each addition. (I use the mixer on low.)
• Divide the batter among 12 muffin cups (#16 scoop). Bake at 400* for 18-20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Notes:

• The recipe calls for raisins, which are my last choice. I prefer dried apricots, dates, peaches, cherries, craisins, etc. Mix and match to your taste. I prefer pieces that are smaller than raisins.

• Don't be surprised--the batter is quite stiff. Sometimes I add more buttermilk, especially if I microwaved the oatmeal too long. It works best to add extra buttermilk to the oat mixture, but you won't know what it should look like until you've made your first batch. Don't worry--they're yummy!

Citrus Sections

Grapefruit and oranges are THE winter fruits--juicy, healthy, and at their best when the rest are NOT. (Fresh blueberries, anyone? I don't think so!) Many at our house like citrus fruit, but sometimes it's just too much trouble to actually consume it.

When I'm feeling generous (or am procrastinating in another life area or have just bought 15# bags of fruit from the big store) I'll prepare these citrus sections for the family.

Disclaimers: it's healthier to eat the fruit with membranes, and it can be time consuming to cut up so much fruit. BUT: It's so yummy and EASY to eat this way. This is also a nice special occasion salad, like for Sunday or brunch or breakfast in bed.

First cut the top off the fruit with a serrated knife. Then cut off the rest of the peel. Make sure you cut through the outer membrane/skin, exposing all the fruit. You won't necessarily waste a lot of fruit. Cut just barely through the skin. See how little grapefruit is left on the peel below?

The next step is hard to demonstrate with these pictures, but if you get this far in real life it should become clear. Hold the fruit in one hand and slide your knife down the inside of a section, between the fruit and the membrane.Turn or twist the knife, sliding upwards along the other side of the section, to push out a beautiful bite of fruit, leaving the section separators behind. Continue around the rest of the fruit. Eventually you'll be left with a hunk of membranes. There's a little fruit clinging to this, so squeeze the juice into your container.Make just enough for right now, or stock up if you have the time. Properly sealed, this fruit will keep for several days in the fridge. We've never had any last longer than that. :-)

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A big bowl of citrus sections:An even bigger pile of peels!

BTW, I think 2 oranges per grapefruit makes a nice mix.