Main Course

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Butternut Squash & Barley Risotto Balls

We are always looking for something new to try and this worked out very. Maybe next time I will add a pinch or so of red pepper flakes to give it a little spice.

I served these on a bed of Lyn’s red pasta sauce with a drizzle across the top and then a sprinkle of grated cheese. YUM.

 

Butternut Squash & Barley Risotto Balls by TRobinson – Source: Clean Eating

Ingredients

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  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup pot barley, rinsed (NOTE: Hulled barley works equally well in this recipe.  You’ll need to adjust the cooking time as directed in Step One.)
  • 1 cup peeled and cubed butternut squash (1/4-inch cubes)
  • 1/4 cup soft goat cheese
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup whole-grain panko bread crumbs (of 3/4 cup whole-grain regular bread crumbs)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil cooking spray

Instructions

In a medium pot on medium-high, heat oil. Add onion, garlic and sage. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add broth and barley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. (NOTE: If you are using hulled barley, cook for an additional 20 to 40 minutes to further soften grains. Add squash and return to a simmer, cover and cook until tender and all liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes more. Mix in goat cheese and salt.

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Transfer to shallow dish, cover loosely and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 4 hours or overnight.

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Preheat oven to 400. Form barley mixture into 1-to 2-inch balls, making about 24 balls in total. In a small bowl, combine panko and Parmesan. Roll each ball into mixture then transfer to a large, parchment-lined baking sheet.

make balls

Mist with cooking spray and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until crisp on the outside and heated through.

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Hey as long as I was making balls why not mix up a quick batch of Meatballs

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Grilled Vegetable Quinoa Salad – Cooking Quinoa

http://www.cookingquinoa.net/grilled-vegetable-quinoa-salad/

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I let the oregano go to seed, the bees are loving it.

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Poached Salmon

We had never made Poached Salmon so as Lyn looked over some recipes, I texted My Brother Mike. He hates salmon but Nancy loves it and being a good partner he makes it for her all the time. he texted back ” Very Simple. I put a small amount of lemon juice and water in the pan. Put salmon  in pan. Sprinkle it with no salt pepper mix . Cover. Steam on low for about eight minutes or until done.” I relayed the info to Lyn but when it came time to do it we changed a few things and forgot to cover. Cam out great in fact made it again mid week.

 

This is a quick delicious meal.

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What we did was put some dry white wine, a little water, sliced lemon, fresh dill, chopped shallots then put salmon in. brought to a simmer and cooked about 10-12 minutes. I suppose it would have been faster with it covered. SO funny Lyn asked and my memory being what it is I said no.

We all liked it, I was not hungry but tried a piece which ended up being a whole serving. Mike was some and had some later he had his stamp of approval.

 

Savory Cauliflower Cake
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Savory Cauliflower Cake

We tried a lot of different things with cauliflower, mashed potatoes, roasted, sautéed with garlic, in salads,  I keep saying that I will try the cauliflower crust pizza one of these days pictures look good, but Lyn found this awhile back and we finally, well she finally made again the other day. This time instead of a bunt pan she used a parchment paper lined pie dish came out just as good and was easier to remove from pan and cut just didn’t settle as well.

This healthy, savory cauliflower cake recipe falls somewhere between a quiche and a meatless meatloaf. Garbanzo bean flour adds nutty flavor plus protein to make the cake a satisfying vegetarian main dish recipe. The flavor is best when the cake is warm or at room temperature, so it’s an ideal choice for a buffet.

From EatingWell:  January/February 2014

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/savory_cauliflower_cake.html

8 servings | Active Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 1 3/4 hours

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), trimmed and broken into small florets
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 teaspoon caraway seed, ground or crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 3/4 cup garbanzo bean flour (see Tip)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 jarred roasted red pepper, rinsed and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided

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Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
  2. Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add cauliflower and steam until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add caraway seed, coriander, crushed red pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Gently stir in the steamed cauliflower, doing your best not to break up the florets, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to combine the flavors.
  4. Whisk garbanzo bean flour, all-purpose flour (or gluten-free blend), baking powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Whisk eggs in a large bowl until mixed. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the eggs and whisk to combine and eliminate most of the lumps. Stir in roasted red pepper, feta and 2 tablespoons dill. Add the cauliflower mixture and gently stir to combine. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
  5. Bake until the top is golden and the cake is set, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool to warm; remove the pan sides and the parchment. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with the remaining 1 tablespoon dill.

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Nutrition

Per serving : 187 Calories; 9 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 152 mg Cholesterol; 15 g Carbohydrates; 11 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 563 mg Sodium; 296 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1/2 fat

Tips & Notes

  • Garbanzo bean flour, made from ground dried garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), is a gluten-free flour used in many traditional Middle Eastern recipes. Look for it in natural-foods stores and/or in well-stocked supermarkets in the gluten-free section. Once opened, store airtight in the freezer.

 

cauliflower

WHFoods Recommendations

You’ll want to include cauliflower as one of the cruciferous vegetables you eat on a regular basis if you want to receive the fantastic health benefits provided by the cruciferous vegetable family. At a minimum, include cruciferous vegetables as part of your diet 2-3 times per week, and make the serving size at least 1-1/2 cups. Even better from a health standpoint, enjoy cauliflower and other vegetables from the cruciferous vegetable group 4-5 times per week, and increase your serving size to 2 cups.

As with all vegetables be sure not to overcook cauliflower. We suggest Healthy Sautéeing cauliflower rather than the more traditional methods of boiling or steaming, which makes them waterlogged, mushy and lose much of its flavor. Cut cauliflower florets into quarters and let sit for 5 minutes before cooking. For great tasting cauliflower add 1 tsp of turmeric when adding the cauliflower to the skillet. …..read more

 

Church from office Window

This is Church steeple from office window, I liked the clouds. Better in real life

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Master chef

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I cook you a nice pie

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No words needed

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The twins

Stuffed Grape leaves and stuffed peppers- an act of love
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Stuffed Grape leaves and stuffed peppers- an act of love

This was an act of love, I mean really an act of love but well worth it.

Prepared two things  separate times, stuffed grape leaves and stuffed peppers booth same recipe just different holders so to speak. I made these months ago not sure why I have delayed posting perhaps it was a traumatic experience for me. The first batch I had some left over stuffing and a red peeper so tried that out. Hence the second batch was just the peppers. Thanks to Richard for loaning me his Armenian Cooking Today book. Now I know what to do with all the grape leaves that grow in the woods beside, around the house and neighborhood. Through him, his aunt suggest only using the younger leaves. I tried this with store bought and learned that one should definitely soak the leaves in water to get rid of the salt which seemed to grow stronger as the days went on.

 

Stuffed Grape leaves and stuffed peppers

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Ingredients

  • 3 pounds onions, chopped about 10 cups
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup long grain rice
  • 2 Tbsp. minced parsley
  • ¼ cup minced dill
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp. ground allspice
  • ½ cup pine nuts
  • ¼ cup currants or golden raisins
  • 1 tomato, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 2 ¼ cups water
  • Juice of half a lemon 1 jar grape leaves (12 oz)

 

stuffed peppers

stuffed peppers

stuffed grape leaves

stuffed grape leaves

How

In a large skillet sauté onions in oil over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are begin to wilt. Add the ingredients up to and including the currants /raisins.

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Combine the tomato and tomato paste with half a cup of water and add to the skillet, blending in carefully. Lower the flame, cover and cook additional fifteen minutes, Shut flame, Let cool ten minutes the add lemon juice and stir.

Spread grape leaf shinny side down with stem end at bottom. Place a spoonful of stuffing in center, fold over both sides and roll from the bottom too the tip of the leaf, It will resemble a small sausage when rolled up. Continue with remain leaves.

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Line the bottom of a wide 6 quart saucepan with the extra grape leaves and dill and parsley stems. Arrange the wrapped leaves, seam side down, in alternating rows. Place a few grape leaves on top and a small inverted dish. Pour in remaining water.

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Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for about one hour. Let cool in the sauce pan before removing pale or leaves, a t least one hour. Then refrigerate. Serve the stuffed leaves cold or at room temperature. Garnish platter with sprigs of parsley and lemon wedges.

 

Yield about 75 stuffed leaves.  I should have read this line first.

Garnish: parsley sprigs and lemon edges

Gluten-Free Baked Maryland Crab Cakes – First for Women’s magazine
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Gluten-Free Baked Maryland Crab Cakes – First for Women’s magazine

Gluten-Free Baked Maryland Crab Cakes – First for Women’s magazine

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Ingredients

½ cup canned white beans, drained

2 large eggs

2 Tbs. seafood seasoning, like Old Bay

1 Tbs. Dijon Mustard

1 lb. lumped crabmeat- drained

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 Cup Gluten-free panko bread crumbs, divided.

 

Using the panko breadcrumbs instead of regular ones gives these patties and extra crisp coating and there is no need to fry them in oil.

 

How

In processor, puree the first 4 ingredients: transfer to bowl. Stir in the crab, w 2 Tbs. lemon juice, 2 tsp. lemon zest and ½ cup panko crumbs, Shape into 8 patties.

 

Heat oven to 400, Coat the cakes with remaining panko; place on a greased baking sheet, Coat with cooking spray. Bake 12 minutes or until done, turning once and coating again with cooking spray.

 

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Orange Almond Cake with Fresh Oranges in Toffee Syrup – Stonewall Kitchen

Lyn loves gluten free me I can take it or leave it although I now notice how the gluten effects me.

I still think most gluten free bread is dry and crumbly, like saw dust was how the man sitting beside me at the class described it. We both got the disapproving look from his wife and probably mine beside me.

We mentioned Abigail’s bakery  in New Hampshire– they do have good bread but it is hard to find so we get it shipped to us. Then there is Twist in Millis, MA tried once was impressed.

Anyway at the class they made this which turned Lyn on, I finished half and gave the rest to her it was good but I’m not much of a desert person.

Fantastic, flavorful dishes that just happen to be gluten free.

  • Thai Beef Salad with Grilled Sirloin Steak, Chinese Cabbage, Red Peppers and Cilantro
  • Marinated Pork Tenderloin in Maple Tamari Sauce Served with Steamed Rice
  • Marinated Grilled Summer Veggies
  • Orange Almond Cake with Fresh Oranges in Toffee Syrup

Orange Almond Cake with Fresh Oranges in Toffee Syrup – Stonewall Kitchen

 

This was taken off the web looks close to what we had.

This was taken off the web looks close to what we had.

Ingredients

  • 2 large navel oranges, washed
  • 5 eggs
  • 1-1/4 cups superfine sugar
  • 2-1/2 cups ground almonds
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • Confectioners sugar to serve- Did you know that in bakeries the baker will call out for 10X when they need this type of sugar.

Variations: 1 Tbsp. poppy seed, substitute 3 medium mandarins for the oranges

 

How:

Preheat oven to 325

Grease and line (with parchment paper) the base of eights small heart shaped pans or one 9 inch springform. – good place to pick up spring forms pans are at yard sales everyone buys these with high hopes uses a few time then sells at their yard sales.

 

Place two whole oranges in a sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, ensuring that the oranges remain covered with water. Drain and cool. Chop the oranges into quarters discarding any seeds, than place the chunks into a blender and puree until smooth.

Beat eggs with sugar until thick, than add the orange puree, ground almonds and baking powder and mix well.

Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes for the small pans and 1 hour for the large pan. Leave the cake to firm up in the pan for 20 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack, remove baking paper and flip over to finish cooling, top side up. This cake definitely mellows with a little time and can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance.

To serve, sift confectioners’ sugar on top. You can also decorate with orange zest and flaked almonds if desired.

 

Fresh Oranges in Toffee Syrup

Ingredients

4 oranges

1 cup superfine sugar

½ cup water

½ cup water, extra

1 Tbsp. Cointreau

 

How

Peel oranges thickly, leaving no white pith. Slice segment and place into large bowl

Place sugar and water into a sauce pan and stir over medium heat to dissolve.

Once the sugar is dissolved, increase the heat to boil, without stirring, until the syrup is a light golden color. Remove the pan from the heat and add the extra water, taking care as the syrup will spit a little. Return the pan to the heat and stir to devolve toffee, and then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Stir in the Cointreau.

Half hour before serving , put the toffee syrup over the oranges.

Server with sweetened mascarpone or as an accompaniment to the Orange and Almond Cake