Sunset Soup, Lentil Gnocchi, Apple Custard Pie and more!

Yeah I know -- I was bad last week -- no posting.  Sorry.  I catered an 'after-private-yoga-lesson' dinner party on Monday.  Tuesday something else got in the way. Wednesday I had an attack of my vertigo which I'm still getting over...  Just not a great week.  Anyway, I've got several great dishes this week to make it up to you.

… now this week, the fonts and line spacings are all screwed up!  Maybe next week things will be back to "normal"...

Sunset Soup

All these beautiful golds and yellows and oranges in one bowl!   No standing over a hot soup pot for hours to make this delicious, earthy soup.  The oven or grill does 99% of the cooking.

1-1/2 lb Golden Beets

1/2 lb Carrots

1 lb Butternut Squash

1 tspTurmeric

1 Orange, juiced

1 Lemon, juiced

Black Pepper to taste

1 Tbsp fresh grated Ginger

splash of  EVOO

Plain Yogurt – I used Siggi's brand Skyr

3 cups Water

Preheat oven to 400F.

Peel the butternut squash and remove the seeds. Chop into large chunks. Peel and chop the carrots, beets and onion (if using). Place vegetables on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with EVOO. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast the vegetables for 30-45 mins or until they are slightly caramelized. Cool the veg, then place in a blender. Add 2 cups of water and blend until smooth.  Remove to a stovetop pot or tureen.

Add the citrus juices, turmeric and grated ginger and stir to combine.

Serve chilled or hot, with crusty bread on the side. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt. Sit back and enjoy the sunset!!

Lentil Gnocchi

That's “knee-okie”.  Not "gah-notchee"! This is a great way to serve lentils to those who don't care for them, or who are tired of the usual lentil recipes.  This can be a main or side dish depending on how many gnocchi you serve per person.

1 cup lentil purée

4 ounces (about ½ cup) soft goat cheese

1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning blend

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

optional -- Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup AP Flour

To make the lentil puree, combine 1/2 cup of dried lentils with 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25-35 minutes, until lentils are very soft.

Add one cup of cooked lentils to your food processor along with the goat cheese, Italian Seasoning and salt. Whirrrr until the mixture is smooth.  Voilà  -- you have lentil puree!

Pour the lentil puree into a bowl and fold in 3/4 cup of flour. Don't overmix. Add additional flour if needed, a tablespoon at a time, until dough is tacky, but manageable.

Roll handfuls of dough between your oiled palms to create long, thin 'snakes' 1/2” to 3/4” in diameter. Cut into 3/4” to 1” lengths.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a rapid boil. Add the gnocchi, a few handfuls at a time. Cook until the gnocchi float to the surface for 10-15 seconds. Lift floating dumplings from the boiling water with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.  If you want, you can dust the gnocchi with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese at this point.

To finish the gnocchi, sauté them (in batches if necessary) in a mixture of olive oil and butter, over medium heat until just beginning to brown.

Serve on a bed of cooked leaf spinach with wedges of lemon, as I did; tossed with pesto, or with a splash of marinara as a coulis.  

Apple Custard Pie

We got a bunch of little, fairly tasteless, apples, but didn't want to just dump them.  This was a great (and grate) solution.   This recipe started with one that Sally's friend Kathy Hogan gave her several years back.  I took the basic recipe and tweaked it my way (it's what I do).  I added the cinnamon and grated apples to the custard, and switched the baking time from a two-stage affair to one temp and time.

2 Tbsp AP Flour

1/8 tsp Salt

3/4 cup Sugar

1 Egg, beaten

1 cup Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Cinnamon

Apples -- moon sliced to make decorative topping, plus 2 cups coarse-grated 

1 10” unbaked Deep Dish Pie Shell

Preheat oven to 400F

Mix flour, salt, sugar. Add egg, sour cream/yogurt, vanilla. Mix until smooth.  Fold in the grated apples.

Pour into pie shell.  Top with apple slices. Bake for 30-40 minutes.  

Cool a bit before slicing and serving.

Eggplant Pasta Salad

This one is sort of an amalgamation of several recipes.  I just didn't think a cold pasta salad with a tomato-based dressing would be very good, so I made my own from dibs and dabs in the fridge.

3/4 lb dry Corkscrew Pasta 

2 small or 1 large Eggplant, cubed

1 Red Bell Pepper, large diced

1/2 Sweet Onion, diced

1 large Yellow Beefsteak Tomato, diced

1/4 cup Cashew Sour Cream (see here)
1/8 cup Basil Pesto

Cook the pasta to package directions.  While that's happening... Drizzle the eggplant with EVOO, dust with your favorite seasoning, and grill/broil until just browning but still firm.  Cool.  Saute the red bell pepper and onion until al dente.  Cool.  

In a large bowl toss together the pasta, sautéed veggies and diced tomato.  

In a small bowl mix together the Cashew Cream and pesto and thin with almond creamer if necessary.  Pour the dressing over the other ingredients and fold to combine.  Chill before serving.

Indian Fried Okra

I used to hate Okra.  My first experiences with it were the southern-style boiled okra we were served as the slimy vegetable of choice when I went to Lake City Forest Ranger School back in 1967-68.  The other vegetable was boiled into submission greens of some sort with bits of over-salted pork floating in the pan.

Skip ahead a few decades and I found that I liked breaded deep fried okra 'nuggets' (they aren't slimey).   We first tasted this dish at the Chai Pani Indian restaurant in Ashville, NC a few years ago.  My first few attempts to duplicate the dish were foiled because the restaurant was not telling me the 'secret ingredient -- Amchur Powder.  This is a tart spice made from dried green mango that can be purchased at any Indian market.  This is the way okra wants to be eaten!!!

1 lb fresh Okra

Pinch of salt, to taste

1-2 Tbsp Amchur Powder

Top the okra and cut in half lengthwise.  I a bowl, toss the veg with the salt and amchur powder.

Get your griddle pan almost smoking hot, and swirl around a good slug of oil.  Lay the okra on the pan, cut side down, and fry until they start to blacken (crispy = good).  

Turn them over and cook again, but don't let them burn. Drain on paper towels before serving.  

Yuuuum!

Pear Walnut & Feta Sandwich

My first thought when Sally proposed a fruit and cheese sandwich was - what?  Then I put this together and tasted it, and WOW!  A really different way to get a fruit course in your life.  You could also serve this as a dessert.

Toasted bread topped with crumbled feta.  Slices of sweet apple -- I used a new-to-us variety called a Rave.  Boy do we rave!  This apple has natural hints of cinnamon in each juice bite. Every bit as good as a Honeycrisp (which would be my second choice of apple here.  Add some walnut or pecan pieces for a bit of veggie protein, and you're good to go!

Anyone else noticed how, over the past 10 or more years, that Red Delicious and Yellow Delicious apples aren't anymore?  Aren't delicious that is.  All the flavor and juice has been bred out and we're left with a bland woody taste and texture.

Green Beans, Fish Cakes, Potato Salad, Stuffed Portobellos

Parmesan  Roasted Green Beans
Needed a side dish to go with our Panko Crusted Cod on Friday night...

1 lb Green Beans, topped & tailed
2 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese from a can
2 Tbsp Panko
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Handful of shaved Almonds

Toss it all together in a bowl, lay out on a parchment covered baking tray.  Bake @400F for 20-25 minutes.

Mediterranean Fish Cakes

Sunday brunch with Mum gave me a chance to try out this new-to-me fish cake recipe.  Sally & Mum both gave it thumbs up!

1-1/4 tsp Kosher Salt, divided

1/2 tsp ground Cumin

1/4 tsp Dried Ginger

1/8 tsp dry Mustard

1/8 tsp Turmeric

1/8 tsp Cayenne 

3 Tbsp EVOO, divided

12 ounces firm white fish, I used Ocean Perch

2 Tbsp Mayo

1 tsp Lemon Zest

1 can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3 to 1/2 cup Panko 

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Green Onions, trimmed and thinly diagonally sliced, white and green parts separated

1 large Egg 

Raita

2 tablespoons finely chopped cucumber

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, cumin, ginger, mustard, turmeric, and cayenne; stir in 1 tablespoon oil. Brush the spice mix over the fish and bake 8 to 12 minutes until flaky. Cool; break into pieces.

Put the mayo, zest, and chickpeas in a bowl; mash with a fork or potato masher to form a chunky  mixture. Stir in 1 tablespoon oil; continue mashing. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, panko, juice, white parts of the green onions, and egg. Mash some more.  Carefully fold in the fish. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions; shape each into a cake.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the cakes; cook 3-5 minutes per side, until browned. Careful, they are somewhat fragile!  

Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F until firm, 5-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir the cucumber, green parts of the green onion, dill, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt into the yogurt.

Serve the fish cakes with a dollop of raita and a side dish.  I made Avocado Dill Potato Salad.

Avocado & Dill Potato Salad

Not sure where we found this recipe, but it is very tasty, and trades avocado for the mayonnaise usually used for the dressing..  

2 lbs small Red Potatoes

1 large Avocado

2 tsp Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika

1/2 tsp(or less)Kosher or Sea salt

1-1/2 tsp maple or cane syrup to balance the acidic lemon and spicy mustard 

Black Pepper to taste

1/3 cup fresh Dill, packed and then chopped

3-4 Green onions chopped

3 stalks Celery, trimmed and sliced

1/2 Sweet Onion, diced

Steam, boil or microwave the potatoes until just fork tender. Immediately run under cold water to stop the cooking.  Chill the potatoes before quartering. Place in a large mixing bowl.

Peel, pit and mash the avocado in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, mustard, paprika, salt, and sweet syrup, and whisk into the avocado to create a dressing. Season with pepper to taste.

Add the dill, green onion, celery, onion, and avocado dressing to the quartered potatoes. Toss gently until everything is coated. Taste test and adjust seasonings if desired.

Stuffed Portobellos My Way

We wanted something lite for Sunday dinner after all those fishcakes and potato salad.  This is a combination of recipes from the Blood Sugar Diet book.

4 large Portobello Caps

1 can Chickpeas drained, rinsed and dried on paper towel

Paprika to taste

1 box frozen Spinach, thawed and squeezed as dry as you can.

Nutmeg to taste

1 oz ?? Goat Cheese to taste

1/4 cup Pine Nuts

Drain and rinse the garbanzos and toss with paprika. Thaw and wring out the spinach and dust with nutmeg.

Carefully remove the mushroom stems and soft white cap edges. Reserve for another recipe. 

Drizzle caps with a splash of EVOO, add salt & pepper to taste. Broil/grill for 3 minutes, gill-side to the heat.

Put 1/4 of the spinach in the bottom of each mushroom.  Top that with chickpeas.  Sprinkle on the pine nuts and dot with goat cheese.

Grill for an additional 3-6 minutes until heated through.

Tasty and filling!  

Sally likes her goat cheese.  In this recipe I would personally have used mozzarella or one of the great Mexican melting cheeses.

Alliteration Rations

Holidays always get me messed up.  It's Tuesday now, not Monday, right?

Celeriac Seafood Pie
Here's another recipe from the 8-week Blood Sugar Diet Book. Too bad you have to be wealthy to eat healthy!  Celeriac, known in the States as Celery Root, is $6 per pound!  A single Leek is nearly $2.  This is NOT an inexpensive dish.  Still, the celeriac topping is much healthier than mashed potatoes, and tastes better too.  Not really very celery-ish, just right.  The filling could use a bit more seasoning than listed -- maybe a couple teaspoons of your favorite go-to general seasoning like Old Bay or Everglades, or...  Serves four easily.

1-1/4 lb Celeriac (Celery Root) peeled and cubed
1 Onion, diced
1 Leek, sliced
1/4 cup Half & half
3-4 Tbsp Butter
1/4 cup chopped Parsley
4 oz cooked Salmon
4 oz cooked Cod
12 Medium Shrimp, peeled and cooked with Cajun seasoning
4 oz sliced Mushrooms
1/2 cup frozen Peas, thawed
1/2 tsp dried Dill

Boil the celery root for 20-30 minutes until tender.  Drain, then take it for a spin in the food processor, with a couple tablespoons of butter, a pinch of salt, some black pepper and a splash of dairy until it's smooth and creamy.  Reserve.

Poach, bake or microwave the fish until flaky.  Cook the shrimp with the Cajun spice. Flake fish and reserve.

Saute the onion, leek and mushrooms with a bit of butter until tender.  Cool.

In a baking dish toss together the sautéed vegetables, flaked fish, peas and herbs.  Top with the celery root mash.

Bake at 400F for 30 minutes until heated through.


Simple Soup & Salad

Butternut Squash Soup
1 large Butternut Squash - 2-3 lbs, peeled, seeded, and shredded or diced small
1 large Red Onion, diced
2 medium Red Apples, chopped
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Nutmeg
4-5 cups water
3/4 cup Half & half

Cook everything except the milk together until the squash is tender -- say half an hour.  Put 3/4 of the squash mixture in the food processor and take it for a spin until it is well and truly pureed.  Return puree to the pot with the remaining chunky bits, stir in the dairy and heat through before serving.

Not my best soup photo...sorry.

Simple Salad
Simple?  I'd say so.  All salads are essentially simple -- some greens and some chunky bits and a dressing.  Try this:

2 cups chopped Romaine
2 cup chopped Kale
1/2 Beefsteak Tomato, chopped
1/2 Yellow Tomato, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 medium Apple, chopped
2 Shallots, sliced
2" length of Cucumber, chopped
2 handsful Walnuts
1/8 cup Toasted Sunflower seeds
2 Lemons, juiced
1 Lime, juiced
EVOO

Toss together everything except the citrus and EVOO.

Juice the lemons and lime into a sealable container.  Add about 1/3 that volume of EVOO, and shake vigorously to combine.  Drizzle over servings of salad as desired.


Tasty Tacos
Tacos are not really a recipe; they're a technique that everyone applies differently.  These tacos substitute (rather successfully) cauliflower rice for ground beef.

Saute some onion and bell pepper in medium skillet.  Then add "some" riced cauliflower -- for 2 people about 3 cups is good.   I used frozen, you can make it yourself if you're so inclined.

Cook the cauliflower for a minute or two to take the chill off.  Then add a packet of taco seasoning mix, or a blend of spices of your choice.  I used a packet of Badia brand Sazon Tropical seasoning with a little added cumin, some smoked paprika and a pinch of red pepper flakes.    Stir to combine and cook for 4-5 minutes to blend all the flavors.

Along the side you'll have your usual taco toppings -- diced tomato and onion, slices of avocado, shredded cheese, salsas, wedges of lime for squeezing, etc.  I added spicy roasted garbanzos for a bit of bite and crunch.  Plus tortilla, of course.  We like soft tortillas, but crispy taco shells are fine too.

You can always spoon everything into soft tortillas, roll then up and make burritos; either way it's darn tasty.