Kitchen Reno Cooking -- Part 2: Watermelon Gazpacho, Summer Berry Pudding, Pease Porridge, Butternut Curry, Pattipan

Here we go again!  And once again the "new-improved" Blogger is messing things up...

Watermelon Gazpacho
The Southwest Florida Produce Co-Op came through with a HUGE watermelon, and I wanted something more than just plate after plate of sweet, juicy melon.  But what can you do with all that melon??

This is a great take on the classic chilled summer soup.  No oil, no vinegar.  Slightly sweet, slightly tart and spicy and all refreshing!

6 cups of 1" cubes of Watermelon, preferably seedless
1/2 cup Water
Juice of a Lime
1 Tsp Mrs. Dash Chipotle seasoning

6" English Cucumber -- peeled in strips and diced 1/4"

1 large firm Bartlett Pear -- peeled and diced 1/4"
1/2 Red Onion, diced 1/4"

Take the watermelon, lime juice and water for a spin to puree it.  Pour into a large bowl, add the diced cuke, pear and onion, and stir in the seasoning.  Chill.   Yep!  That simple.  

Summer Berry Pudding
This is an old English dish, perfect in America as a cool summer dessert that's not a pie or crumble or anything that takes an oven.  Just a few minutes on the stovetop.  My version is even healthier and lower point-count than the recipes in the WW App.  This recipe makes an 8x12 baking dish of pudding that will serve at least 8.  

1 loaf Multi-grain Bread
2+ cups chopped Strawberries
6 oz box Blackberries 

6 oz box Red Raspberries

3 Tbsp Lite Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Corn Starch -- make a slurry to thicken with

Cut the crusts off of slices of bread -- enough to cover the bottom on the baking dish with two layers.  Now toast those slices light brown and reserve.

In a saucepan, combine the berries with 1-1/2 cups of water, the maple syrup and the lemon juice.  Bring to a boil and simmer the mixture until the berries are soft.  Add the cornstarch slurry and continue simmering until the liquid starts to thicken.  Strain the berries and reserve both the liquid and the cooked berries.

Dip slices of bread (both sides) in the liquid and line the bottom of the baking pan.   Spread the cooked berries over this fruity bed, then top with a second layer of dipped toasts. 

Press the pudding gently, then chill for at least an hour before serving.  If you want a bit more sweet, use a spray of low-fat whipping cream or a dollop of slightly sweetened cashew cream; but we prefer this pudding with just the natural sweetness of the fruit. 

Pease Porridge -- Hot or Cold
But never 9 days old!   This classic British recipe is simplicity itself.  Cook together a package of split yellow peas and a diced white onion according to package directions.  Takes maybe 30 minutes.  Add a bit of salt and white pepper.  Let it cool and thicken.

Makes a sort of split-pea hummus, which spreads nicely on Stottie Cake or Baps either by itself or as a base for a sandwich.  Mold it into patties and pan-fry in a splash of oil.  Thin it out and you get a sort of split-pea soup.  Pease Porridge (or Pease Pottage to be more correct) is a real multitasker.

This is also a recipe which is ripe for experimentation!  Change up the bland salt & pepper with paprika or chili powder.  Add Italian seasoning to give it a Mediterranean flair.  Look at some of the modern takes on hummus you'll find in the mega-mart as inspiration.  

Butternut (squash) Curry
So there was this squash, just begging to be used.  Not very big, but not too small either.  We had a hankering for something from the Indian subcontinent...

I peeled and sliced and diced the squash about 1/4" square.  That set the tone for the size of all the other ingredients.  There was onion --both white and green.  Some cashews and cherry tomatoes.  Plus a cup or so of unflavored almond creamer for the sauce.

Spice?  I added a tablespoon or so of Baingan Bhartaa, a marsala or spice blend originally created for a dish of roasted eggplant, but great with other vegetables as well.

  

On the side, I made Brown Rice, flavored with the ubiquitous Garam masala, most common of Indian spice blends.


Fried Pattipan Squash
Pattipan are these wonderful flying saucer shaped squash that are especially nice if you can find the mini version, but equally good in larger sizes when stuffed.  

I simply cut these in half on the equators and fried them in a bit of Oliviotm with a dash of Everglades Seasoningtm; then added a handful of chopped parsley at the end.

Served them with equally simple side dish of black beans and white rice. 
Keep It Simple... and Tasty.