Potato Souffle, Cauli-Cheddar Soup, Honey Cake, Burger

Italian Potato Souffle

This Souffle Inna Mug recipe comes from my old friend Luciano Furia, the Italian food photographer, currently hunkered down safe in his hometown of Naples, Italy. Luke made this from a recipe in an Italian cookbook by a Mrs. Zampino. I've translated the measures for Americans...

This was my first soufflé, and not nearly as difficult as I'd been led to believe.  Maybe it's because of the potatoes.  Maybe falling souffles are an urban kitchen myth.  I don't know; but I do know this is FABULOUS!  Rich, unctuous, creamy, earthy....   That mug in the picture is a 2 cup size; that's basically a meal-sized soufflé. 

1 lb Potatoes (I used 2 reds)

4 Eggs, separated

1/4 cup Half & Half

½ cup shredded, smoked Provolone

½ cup Parmesan, shredded or grated

½ cup shredded Mozzarella plus a bit for topping

¼ cup Butter

Salt & Pepper to taste

* can't find Smoked Provolone in these trying times? "Cheat" with regular Provolone and a couple drops of liquid smoke.

Peel and halve the potatoes. Cook. Mash into a bowl.

Whip the egg whites into stiff peaks.

Stir the cheeses, one at a time, into the mashed potatoes.  Depending on the starchiness of your potatoes you may want to add up to 1/4 cup of milk or half & half to get a smooth 'mash'.  Now add the butter at room temp and the egg yolks. Last, fold in the egg whites to make a creamy consistency.

Grease individual containers (large ramekins or mugs). Fill each about 2/3 full (the filling will puff up), and top with a healthy pinch of Mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes at 400F. until golden on top.  Serve hot.

Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

That head of cauliflower we got in our produce box was calling to me, saying “soup....soup...” (actually, it was Sally).   So I checked a bunch of recipes to get some ideas and here's what I made for our Sunday Supper.

I head Cauliflower, disassembled and chopped 'pretty small'
1 White Onion, diced

2 small/medium White Potatoes (any kind, actually)

2 cups Veggie or Chicken Broth

½ tsp grated Nutmeg

¼ – ½ tsp each Gram Masala, Cayenne, White Pepper

2 cups Half & Half or whole milk

2 cups shredded White Cheddar

Par-cook, peel and chop or smash the potatoes; you want them to act as a thickener, not chunks of spud. I used the microwave for about 5 minutes. Some people like to heat the house by boiling potatoes or baking them.

Saute the onion in a splash of EVOO, until translucent. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, broth and spices. Add two cups of water. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Add the dairy and simmer for 10 more minutes. Adjust the seasonings as needed. Add the cheddar, stirring so it doesn't stick as it melts. 

Remove from the heat and serve with a nice crusty bread – like the Kalamata Olive Bread in last week's Fooding Around blog post or my Fast Bread.  

Manuka Honey Cake
Can you have too much honey?  Sally has bought an unfortunately large jar of Australian Manuka Honey, which is supposed to be soooo healthy.  Trouble is, it is soooo bitter, almost like dark molasses, that we don't care for the taste.  So I was tasked to find a way to use it up and stop wasting cupboard space.

So here's a Honey Cake -- classic Jewish Rosh Hashonna recipe, more or less, but with interesting tweaks in the spice department, including half a cup of strong coffee or tea.  The recipe comes from a blogger called Shiran at prettysimplesweet.com.

 I opted for a strong cuppa Ginger tea; and left out 1/2 cup of white sugar in favor of an extra 1/4 cup of honey {Why would you add sugar to a honey cake recipe?}.

1-1/4 cup AP Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 t Cloves

1/4 tsp Cardamon

2 Eggs

3/4 cup Honey of choice

1/3 cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup strong Coffee of Tea -- I used a strong Ginger tea

1/4 cup slivered Almonds for topping

Preheat oven to 350F

Combine flour, baking soda and powder, salt and spices.  

In a larger bowl beat together the eggs and honey until lighter in color.  add the oil and extract and beat another couple minutes.  Then, while beating add the flour mix and coffee/tea in alternating does, beginning and ending with flour.  Beat another couple minutes until smooth.

Pour mixture into a greased pan or pans.  I used two 6" pans rather than a 9" round or a loaf pan.  Top with slivered almonds.  Bake 35-45 minutes or until you get a clean toothpick.  Rest for 10 minutes before removing from pan and final cooling.

This is supposed to be better the next day, but neither of us could wait that long!  Oh yummmm!  Great news was that the distinctive Manuka flavor did not come through the spices!  And -- the cake is not as cloyingly sweet as you might think from the name and all that honey.  Just the right level of sweetness. Sorta like gingerbread but not gingery.  Great texture and crumb. 

I can see making this cake with berries in the batter, or chopped dried fruit like cherries or apricots.  Nuts in the batter would be good too.  Lots of potential here.

Hamburger
I can't tell you how long it's been since I fried a hamburger!   At least a dozen years.   But I got a real craving the other day... and I'd rather make my own, in isolation, than buy one from even the best burger joint, especially now.

So the other day, when I went on a short foraging expedition to Aldi for cheap wine and a couple other 'no name' but good products, I grabbed a pound of 95% fat free beef.  Brought it home and subdivided it into quarters and froze three of them.  This is what I did with the fourth quarter>

I used an Arnoldtm Sandwich Thin, a good schmear of mayonnaise,  Provolone cheese and a slice of locally grown beefsteak tomato from our Co-op.   Of course I tarted things up a bit by using Icelandic Black Lava Salt and Madagascar Garlic Pepper in the burger itself!

OMG!  Why did I wait all these years?  I won't be making a real habit of these -- but there are the other three quarters...

K.I.S.S. Food -- veggies, bread, beefy bites & stew

Keep It Simple, Stupid!

Even though we may have time right now to do all those fancy long drawn-out recipes, we may not have the resources available to make them.  So here are some simple recipes to help you and yours through these trying times.

Simple Vegetables
I went to Publix this morning (Wednesday) for the Senior Early Hour, to try and pick up a couple minor things we need and see how things have changed.  As vegetarian fish eaters, I sure am glad we get the majority of out produce from the SW Florida Produce Co-op!  The Publix veg was pretty sad.

So I came back home, made some Kalamata Olive Bread (see below) and thought about simple vegetable dishes for you.

Roasted
It can hardly get any simpler! peel the veg, if necessary.  Slice/chop things as desired.  They them out on a baking sheet or rack.  Add a spritz of oil.  Dust with spices you like.  Roast at 400-425F for 20-30 minutes.  Here I used Potato, Apple, Sweet Potato, Onion and carrot.  

This tray full fed two hungry vegetarians well.  

Steamed & Sauteed
This is what we had for dinner on Tuesday -- Green Beans and Summer Squash.  

I steamed the green beans with about a quarter of a lemon sliced and squeezed into the steam water.  I also sautéed the thin coins of summer squash with a thin sliced shallot and a peeled, shaved finger of fresh ginger, and spiced them with a shake of each of my go-to spice blends: Cavender's, Everglades, and Italian blend.

Baked & Steamed 
Wednesday I decided to make my "signature" Marmalade Squash, with a side of steamed Broccoli.

I usually nuke the Acorn squash for 5-8 minutes depending on size, after halving and seeding it out.

This is Florida and it's hot and we don't need the oven on for something like this!   We usually think of Acorn squash as savory and put pats of butter in there with salt and pepper.  My version counters the savory of the squash with the slightly tart sweet of marmalade.  In the photo below, I used Blood Orange marmalade.

Fast Olive Bread
Bread is Simple!  Flour, salt, liquid, and yeast or other raising agent.  Bread just doesn't seem simple when you start to read all those steps in most recipes!  This recipe is simpler than most.

The thing here is the addition of chopped Kalamata olives.

2 cups warm Water
1 tsp Sugar
2-1/2 cups each of AP and Whole Wheat Flour, plus more for bench flour
1 tsp salt (you get extra salt from the cured olives)
1 packet of Rapid Rise Yeast
12 oz jar or larger pitted Kalamata Olives, chopped
2-3 Tbsp soft Butter to brush the loaves with

Dissolve together the water, sugar and yeast, and let it set 5 minutes or more to start working.

Add the salt to half of the flour and combine.  Now add the yeasty water and then stir in the rest of the flour.  Start to bring the dough together and add the olives.  Add a bit more water if needed.

Dump the dough on your floured work top, then start kneading.  You may need a bit more flour here.  Knead about 10-15 minutes until you get the proverbial "smooth as a baby's bottom" dough ball that shows light through the stretched dough 'pane'.  That way you know that you've got good gluten development.

Divide the dough in half, and place each piece in a greased loaf pan.  Cover and set in a breeze-free warmish place for 1 hour to let the dough double in size.

Near the end of the rise time, pre-heat the oven to 425F.  Brush the loaf tops with softened butter and bake them for about 20 minutes, to a nice brown crust and an internal temp of 190-220F.  

Rest at least 15 minutes before de-panning the loaves and slicing.

Quick Beefy Bites
While at Publix the other day, I picked up a good deal -- a pound of "cubed for stew" veal, not old beef!   This made me several nice meaty lunches (I still do some meat, Sally eats only veg and seafood).

Pasta Peas & Veal
My first lunch was this simple pasta, peas and veal dish;  a literal handful of pasta plus about a quarter-cup of frozen green peas.  Yummm.

Saifun Beef & Peppers
Next I made this dish with Saifun, a.k.a. Glass Noodles -- classic rice flour noodles you can find in any Asian market and most megamarts.  Added my beef, a couple of mushroom slices, and some strips of red bell pepper to the water boiling to make the noodles.

Carne Street Tacos
Here I sliced the veal cubes even smaller and served them with homemade Salsa Verde and locally made Queso Fresca which I got from a nearby Carniceria and Mercado.

My Salsa Verde recipe is here:
https://foodingaround-kiltedcook.blogspot.com/2020/01/hungarian-casserole-garbanzo-bread.html

Curried Tomato-Lentil Stew
This one's not quite as simple as the rest of this week's fare, but still pretty easy.  It's a Forks Over Knives, recipe, so I've doubled the original amount of curry spice and ginger so you can actually taste them.  Makes 4-5 servings.

1 can (2 cups) diced tomatoes with liquid.  I used real tomatoes, not canned.
1 cup dry Lentils, rinsed
1 cup diced Onion
3 cloves Garlic, sliced
1cup large diced Carrot
1 thumb minced Ginger
2 tsp to 1 Tbsp Curry Powder of your choice...
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cooked Rice to serve

Cook the lentils al dente (I used my rice cooker) and cool a little.  Puree half the cooked lentil and reserve along with the non-pureed lentils.

In a large skillet, sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger.  Stir in the tomatoes, carrot and curry powder and simmer for about 10 minutes to marry the flavors and get the carrots tender.  Add the reserved lentils and 3 cups of water or broth, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking another 10-15 minutes.  

Serve over cooked rice.

Five Isolation Recipes

Spaghetti Squash Tots
That's right "tater" tots made from spaghetti squash!  As a side or a vegetarian main dish these are sooo simple and soooo tasty, you'll make them again and again.

1 Medium-Large Spaghetti Squash
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup Breadcrumbs -- Panko would be best, but regular crumbs are just fine
1 Tbsp Seasoning of choice

That's it!

Well ahead of time, halve and cook the squash -- microwave or oven -- until forkable.   Let the squash cool completely (no sense in burning your hands).  Use a fork to rake the flesh out onto tea towels or paper towels and let it air-dry for an hour or so.   Then chop the stringy flesh some so you get short strands not long strings.

You need 1-1/2 cups (packed) of the flesh, or you'll have to scale the recipe a bit to compensate.

Pre-heat the oven to 400F.  Meanwhile...

Stir everything together in a large bowl, and give it a couple minutes to rest.  Then scoop up a couple tablespoons of the mixture and mash it in your hand as you shape it into a sort of smooth "tot" or "nugget" shape.

Lay the tots out on a lined baking sheet or roasting rack like the one I have.  Dust with a little more seasoning (I used Evergladestm).  Bake for 20-30 minutes until nice and brown, turning if/as needed.

Serve with a dipping sauce or two (even ketchup, if you must).

My Rye
Just before the Isolation, we went out to Sanibel island for a Ding Darling bird spotting drive and picnic.  While there we stopped at Bailey's Market, an Island institution for something like 100 years, and picked up some eggs and bread.  I got Sally a nice multigrain bread, and myself a loaf of Marble Rye.  I'd forgotten how good rye bread is!   Now that we're isolated, I thought I'd try to make my own.  I happened to have 1-1/2 cups of rye flour tucked in the back of a cupboard, and that turns out to be just enough to make a loaf!

1-1/2 cups Rye Flour
2 cups AP or bread Flour plus more for bench flour and kneading
2 pkts Quick Rise Yeast
1/2 cup plain Icelandic Skyr Yogurt
1Tbsp + 1 tsp Caraway seeds
1-1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 cup warm Water + 1/4 cup Sauerkraut or Dill pickle juice (I had kraut juice)

Sauerkraut or Pickle juice?  Yep.  The acid helps keep the bread from becoming overly gummy and gives it a slight sourdough-like 'tang'.  Don't leave it out.  No one likes gummy bread.  Gummy bears, sure; but not gummy bread!

Mix everything together and let it rest 20 minutes to hydrate the flours.    Flour your bench and flatten the dough out.  Put the yogurt in the center, fold the dough over it, and start kneading to combine.

The dough is very sticky now, so add, a little at a time, as much as 1/2 cup more AP flour -- kneading all the while, until you get a not-too-sticky dough that is as smooth as can be considering you've got seeds in there.  Kneading develops the gluten to make a good bread.  Total knead time maybe 15 minutes.  Work out your Isolation frustration on that dough!

Oil/grease a large glass bowl.  Fold and "thumb pull" the dough until you get a nice ball, then plop the ball into the bowl and cover with a towel.  Set it dough in a warm place for an hour or 1:15.  Rye doesn't have as much gluten as wheat, so it may not double in size.

Pre-heat oven to 400F.   Add an empty steam pan -- not metal -- a couple inches deep, to preheat on the lower rack.

Transfer to a lined loaf pan. Slash the loaf top two or three times.   Place the loaf in the oven, slosh a couple cups of water into the hot steam pan, and quickly close the door to confine the steam.

Bake for 30 minutes, then temperature check.  You want an internal temp of 205-210F before you pull the loaf and set the pan on a cooling rack.

Oh man!  Slathered with butter, hot from the oven -- this is GREAT!

Corn Chowder
Our Produce Co-op this week restricted us to buying just pre-packaged boxes of veggies and fruits.  This week's box had 4 ears of sweetcorn, and Sally suggested making a corn chowder.  I found this on our WW app.   Don't have Liquid Smoke?  Fry up a couple strips of bacon and crumble them into the mix.

4 ears of Corn, kernals sliced off the cobs
2 medium Yukon or Red Potatoes, cubed
1 small Red Pepper, Diced
1/2 cup Celery
1 Medium Onion, diced
2 cups Whole Milk or Half & Half
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
1/2 tsp White Pepper
Hot Sauce to taste (not much)

Par cook the potatoes -- either boil the cubes or nuke in the microwave until just forkable.  In your soup pot, saute the onion, celery and pepper until just soft.  Add the other ingredients and simmer for about 15 minutes to marry the flavors.  

Southwestern Rissoles
I had two cups of leftover cooked black beans, and sweet potatoes taking up space in the fridge.  Saw this recipe and just had to try it -- seems like a good use of resources!  Makes six rissoles of 3/4 cup each.

2 cups cooked Black Beans
1/2 cup diced Onion -- sweet or red
1.5 lbs Sweet Potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
3/4 cup Bob's Red Milltm  Scottish Oatmeal, or ground Rolled Oats, not oat flour
Southwestern Spices to taste:  cumin, chili powders, taco seasoning, black pepper, cilantro if you like it, etc.
Toppings of your choice -- sliced tomato, avocado, cheese, salsa, etc.

Mash together the onion, sweet potatoes, and beans with the spices.  Chill (it helps to make the patties stick together).  Pan-fry the rissoles 5-7 minutes per side until crisp outside...

Asparagus Tart
We love asparagus, and last week's Produce box had a great bundle of pencil thin stems -- just what I like for making a savory dinner tart.  Made the crust too.  Here we go:

Tart Crust
The "trick" to this crust is to keep everything cold!
Butter, flour  salt and water.  Pretty simple.
1-1/2 cups AP Flour
8 Tbsp <cold> Butter or Oliviotm
1/4 tsp Salt
4 Tbsp Ice Water

Pulse the flour, cold butter and salt in the food processor.  Add the ice water and pulse a few times more -- just until the dough starts to come together.  Drop on a floured surface and knead a couple times to form it into a disk about 1-1/2" thick.

Wrap and put in the freezer for about 15 minutes while the oven comes up to 425F.

Roll the chilled dough out about 1/8" thin, between pieces of wax paper.  Drape it over your 10"-12" tart pan, press into the pan.  Dock it all over with a fork, and bake for about 15 minutes, until the crust starts to brown just a bit.  A firm crust won't be soggy when served.  Cool the crust in fridge while you prep the fillings.

Fillings

Caramelized Onion -- one medium sweet or red onion, sliced thin and cooked slowly to color and sweeten.
Asparagus -- trim  into pieces about 1" long before par-cooking.  I nuke mine in the microwave for about 4 minutes, otherwise it will be stringy and tough in the tart.
Cheese -- I grated about a cup of sharp white cheddar.  Added a dash of jar Parmesan too.

Bake the tart about 20 minutes until the cheese is all melted and starting to brown.  

Serve with a side salad for an elegant Isolation Supper.

Papo Secos, Sauteed Radishes and Mushroom Pie, Salmon, Eggplant

Apologies for the SNAFU in text sizes and spacing... Blogger is acting up once again.  Also mea culpa for the blurry photos.  I have since cleaned the lens!!

Sauteed Radishes

We were gifted with two nice large bunches, and I haven't sautéed radishes in a loong time!  Most Americans just slice them and mix them into a salad.  This technique takes radishes of all kinds -- Red, French Breakfast or Japanese Daikon -- to a whole new and tasty level!   Saute-ing takes a bit of the heat out, if yours are particularly fiery.  

All you need is butter and radishes (I prefer quartered rather than sliced), a little salt & pepper, and a skillet.   

Cook the roots until they start to color just a bit.  

Emeril has a recipe where you saute the tops along with the roots. Think of other spices you might add to your next batch!

Papo Secos

These Portuguese Rolls or Buns are perfect for sandwiches or alongside soups.  We can buy them at a European-American Bakery here in town, or have them in sandwiches which they prepare.  But with time on our hands just now I decided to try and make some.  This is a half-batch recipe.

2-1/2 cup AP Flour
1/2 packet of Yeast
pinch Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp Shortening
1 cup Water, divided
Additional flour for dusting

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of lukewarm water and the sugar.  Rest 5 minutes.  Add 1 cup of flour and mix well. Cover and put in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix together.  Drop on a floured bench and knead until the dough is smooth and homogenous.  Cover and rise for a second hour.

Divide the dough into 5 or 6 pieces and roll/tuck them into smooth, slightly oval buns.  Give each bun a slooooowww karate chop -- a crease down the center line.  Don't break the 'skin' of the dough!  Turn the crease side down, and proof a 3rd time! for about 45 minutes.

Turn the buns over again, so the creases are up, dust lightly with flour, and finally bake them in a 475F oven for about 15 minutes until light golden brown.  Serve hot if you can, or store them in a plastic bag for later...

Not too bad for a first try, I guess.  I over baked mine a bit, so they were nice and hard outside (!) with a soft and tasty inside.  A lot of time consuming fiddly work with all those rises!  I'll not make a half-batch again!!

Mushroom & Onion Pie
We saw a British TV program a week or so back where the narrator made a classic English Steak & Kidney Pie.  Neither of us has ever really cared for kidneys, and being Pescatarians, that leaves out the beef.   So here's my "vegetarian" Steak & Kidney Pie -- minus steak and kidneys!   I know... I know... vegetables inside the pie are not 'traditional -- too bad!   Try this recipe and you won't miss either the steak or the kidneys!

16 oz whole White Mushrooms (or Crimini, or a mixture)
2 Tbsp Butter
1 large Red Onion, diced
1 cup frozen Green Peas & Carrots
1/4 cup Red Wine
1 Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste, or, if you can find it, Evergladestm Seasoning
8 tsp Bistotm Granules or powder to make the gravy
2 Deep Dish Pie Crusts, pre-made in tins (or make your own crust)

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Thaw both crusts while you're prepping the filling.

Saute the mushrooms in the butter with the wine and Worchestershire sauce.  Remove to a bowl.

Saute the onion, then add the peas and carrots, and cook until the carrots are thawed.   Remove to the bowl with the mushrooms and fold them together.

Add 1-1/2 cups boiling water to the Bisto and stir to make the gravy.  Add the gravy to the filling mixture.  Cool until the oven comes to temp.

Fill one of the crusts, and then moisten the exposed edge with a bit of water.  Gently remove the second crust from its tin and drape over the filled crust.  Press the edges of crust together and trim off the excess dough.  Cut 3-4 1" slits in the top.  
Place topped pie on a baking sheet, and bake for 30-45 minutes until the top is golden.  Rest a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Simple Salmon
Real wild-caught Salmon.  Real coarse Dijon Mustard. Real Honey.  What can I say?

Eggplant Boats

I haven't showed this for quite some time.  

Half the eggplant lengthwise, and scoop out the center leaving about 1/4" of meat all around the shell.  Reserve the shells while you make the stuffing.

In a skillet, saute the chopped eggplant meat, in a splash of EVOO.  Dice some celery, onion and bell pepper and add that to the skillet.  Add a splash of water as you continue to cook, and add spices of your choice (I like Cavender's, Old Bay, Everglades and Taco seasoning depending on my mood).

When things are cooked through, add a handful of Panko or other breadcrumbs to tighten up the stuffing (it exudes a lot of liquid during cooking).  Fill the eggplant shells to overflowing, pack it down, and then top with cheeses of your choice.  Bake for 20-30 minutes at 375F until the cheese melts.  One eggplant serves two people.

You can also just peel the whole eggplant and make the "stuffing" as a side dish to a multi-course dinner.


NEXT WEEK -- Gourmet Food Shortage Recipes for Isolation Living

SW Crustless Quiche, Spaghetti (Squash) Soup, Irish Soda Bread, Stuffed Portabellos

Crustless Quiche
This one is attributed to singer Carrie Underwood.  The Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning is worth the investment, that's for sure.  I'll be using it in lots of dishes!   This recipe theoretically serves eight!

1 Onion, diced
2 cups chopped Mushrooms
1-1/2 cups chopped Broccoli
1 Bell Pepper, chopped -- any color but I like red
1-2 Tbsp  Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoningtm
3 cups fresh Kale (stems removed) or Spinach (a large handful)
5 Eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3-4 oz Feta cheese crumbles
2-3 Tbsp Breadcrumbs

Saute the onion until it's going translucent.  Then add the mushrooms, bell pepper and broccoli.  Dust with 1 Tbsp of Mrs. Dash.   Continue cooking for a few minutes until everything is almost tender.   Add the kale or spinach and a splash of water, toss well.  Cover and let the greens wilt.  Remove from heat, taste, adjust seasoning, and cool.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Crack 5 eggs into a large bowl, and beat them silly.  Gently stir in the Cheddar and Feta.  Spray a baking dish with EVOO or cooking spray, and toss in a couple tablespoons of bread crumbs.  Swirl the crumbs around to coat the bottom and sides of the dish. Next time, I will use a 9x13, 8x11 or similar dish, not a deep round dish.  That way the quiche is shallower, cooks more evenly,  and can be more easily sliced (instead of scooped) into servings.

Fold the cooled vegetables into the egg/cheese mixture and coat well.  Pour into the prepared baking dish and pat the top flat.   You could add some extra cheese here as a topping...   Bake 30-45 minutes or until the eggs are set in the center.

Sorry -- I didn't get a picture of the whole bowl full baked.  But this way you see how deep the dish was.  A wider and shallower baking dish would definitely be better.

Great taste!  Kudos to Carrie!   Will be repeating this recipe, certainly!

Spaghetti (Squash) Soup
Another squash I hadn't made into soup before!  It's got to be Italian-flavored though...  

Here we go:

2 medium Spaghetti Squash
1 diced White Onion
2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 medium Zucchini cut into 1/2" rounds
2 diced Tomatoes (I used fresh beefsteaks, you can use canned if you must)
1 cup commercial Pasta Sauce of choice
1-2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
Oregano, Sage and Marjoram to taste
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
4 cups water or broth
Optional:  Italian sausage rounds or browned bulk, corn, frozen peas, small pasta like ditalini or couscous, croutons.

Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Roast for 30-45 minutes or microwave for 10-12 minutes until the meat is forkable.  Cool.  Then transfer the meat into your soup pot.

Brown the squash for a couple minutes in a splash of EVOO.  Then add the other ingredients in succession, cooking each addition 3-5 minutes to combine the flavors.

Irish Soda Bread
This is a perennial favorite this time of year (or any time actually).  Simple and easy to make.  And ohhh sooo tasty hot from the oven and slathered with butter!

I made this batch of dough into 2 loaves -- one for a party at Sally's work, the other for us at home.

Preheat the oven to 425F.

2-1/2 cups AP Flour
2-1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
3 tsp  Baking Soda -- otherwise it wouldn't be "soda" bread
1 tsp Salt
2-1/4 cups "Buttermilk" -- don't have buttermilk?  Make a good substitute with 2-1/4 cups of regular milk or half & half plus the juice of a lemon.

Stir together the flours, soda and salt.  Make a well and start pouring in the buttermilk and mixing it with the flour.  When that's all incorporated, turn out onto a floured surface and knead it into a single large loaf, or two smaller loaves.    Form the rounded loaves and lay them on a baking sheet.  Cut a cross at least 1/2 deep into the top(s) to help with expansion (I didn't make the crosses deep enough this time -- see photo above).

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the nicely browned loaf "taps hollow" on the bottom.  Cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.  Believe me, I now how hard that will be!

Perfect accompaniment to your St. Patrick's Day supper!

Mediterranean Stuffed Portabellos
Got a good deal on some portabellos, and Sally has been jonesing for something with spinach. This seemed like a perfect match.

4 whole Portabellos, stemmed (save the stems for omelets or whatever)
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Egg
2 cloves Garlic, minced
Black Pepper to taste
2 large handfuls Spinach, stemmed
1/4 cup Parmesan
1/4 cup Mozzarella
4 Tbsp Bread Crumbs
Flavored Olive Oil -- used a Roasted Shallot Truffle Olive Oil (yum!) I'd been given
4 Tbsp Pine Nuts

Brush the 'shrooms on both sides with the flavored oil, and bake 10-12 minutes.  Meanwhile wilt the rinsed spinach in the microwave in a bowl.

Remover and drain the 'shrooms.  Remove and drain the spinach, chop it and squeeze some of the water out of it.  

In a bowl, beat together the egg, garlic, and black pepper.  Then fold in the spinach, red peppers, parmesan, nut and breadcrumbs until well combined.

Spread the mixture equally on the 'shrooms (about 1/3 cup each), and top with the mozzarella.  

Return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes or so, until the cheese is nice and melted.

Serve with a side such as quinoa, rice or bulgar wheat.