Christmas Bars

This is a slightly revised Mimi recipe called toffee bars. The twist is a topping of crushed candy cane rather than the original topping of toasted almonds. Toffee bars are delicious, but the nuts were an issue for a young lady from Port Chester, NY who banned them from the Favorite Dessert Poll at a recent family party. In a shameless attempt to reverse this decision, I thought peppermint candy would do the trick. So far, early results are very positive. I think Christmas Bars have a shot at a spot on the 2012 ballot.

2 sticks softened butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 bag chocolate chips (12 oz)
About 5 regular-sized candy canes, crushed*

Set oven to 350 degrees.

With a mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg yolk and beat until well combined.

To separate the yolk from the egg white, crack the egg firmly on the side of the bowl and pass the yolk back and forth, allowing the white to fall away into a bowl. If this seems daunting, crack the egg firmly on a bowl, place the entire egg into the bowl and with the smooth edge of one half of the shell, scoop out the yolk.

Add the flour and beat until batter holds together and looks crumbly. Place the batter into a PAM-ed 9 X12 baking pan. Pat the batter with your finger to get even coverage over the entire pan.

Place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and pour chocolate chips evenly over the surface. Return to oven and bake for another 4 minutes. Remove and with gently spread the chocolate over the baked surface with a knife. Once the chocolate is completely spread, sprinkle the crushed candy cane (or toasted almonds) about and gently press into the chocolate.

Allow to cool fully so chocolate hardens.

* To crush the candy canes, place unwrapped candy in a sturdy zip lock bag, lay a dish towel or newspaper over the bag, and use a good heavy frying pan to whack the contents. Candy cane bits are sharp and will pierce the bag which is why the dish towel or newspaper is a good idea.

Retro Night: Sloppy Joe's

The 1970s: Love American Style, bell bottoms, and Sloppy Joe's for dinner. Ah, the days of yore. Sigh!

This recipe is adapted from a new cookbook I love by John Besh. These Joe's are definitely on the sweet side of the sweet & sour spectrum. So, if you want to tip the balance a bit, you could give them a blast of sriracha heat or swap the ketchup for tomato sauce. The only must here, is that the hamburger buns are toasted. Life is full of compromises, but toasted rolls for Sloppy Joes is not one of them. Always toast!

ps. I think this meal calls for some contrasting crunch to balance the soft Joe-ness. A salad of greens, sliced apple, and shaved parmesan seems just right.

Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup pepper jelly
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup chicken broth
pinch of salt & plenty of freshly ground pepper

Brown the ground beef slowly in a large saucepan. Once the meat loses its pinkness, drain the fat, and tip the meat on to a paper towel-lined plate while you make the sauce.

Wipe out your pan and add the canola oil. Turn heat to medium and add onion. Give onion time to brown. Once onion has reached a nice light brown color, add garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Then, add all your remaining ingredients, stirring constantly to allow them to combine and heat through.

Add ground beef to the sauce and cook at low simmer for 10 -15 minutes. If mixture seems too dry, add a bit more chicken broth. If too liquid, just heat until you reach the consistency you prefer. Enjoy!

Serves about 10

The Archives: Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin bread has been around as long as I have. While it's not necessary to talk numbers, let it suffice to say that this is a long-held Mimi recipe which appears around/between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Recently, I attempted to make the bread healthier by substituting unsalted butter for much-maligned Crisco. The resulting breads were good, but the size was a bit smaller and the texture slightly denser. However, a review of the Crisco label revealed that Crisco has half the saturated fat of butter and no evil trans fats. So, I am back to the true original. Though, I will say there are some in the house who prefer the butter version. Either way, I will not pretend that this is a health food. However: It is delicious. It is tradition. It isn't something you eat every day.

P.S. You can bake this batter in muffin tins (will make 12) and top with cream cheese frosting for yummy cupcakes. Repeat the last three sentences from above as you devour.

P.P.S. Glad to have this go digital as my card is in rough shape!

Set oven to 350 degrees

1 2/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Place dry ingredients in small bowl. Toss about with fork to combine.

Use mixer to cream together:
1/2 cup Crisco or same amount softened unsalted butter
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Then, beat in 2 eggs. Stir in 1 cup canned pumpkin. When combined, alternate adding and stirring in the flour mixture with 1/3 cup cold water.

Once complete, pour into greased loaf pans or muffin tins. The mini-loaf pans will require 30 -35 minutes in the oven. Muffins will take about 30 minutes.

A Winter's Tale: Potatoes

Lately, potatoes have become (unfairly I think) the black sheep of the carb world. I am an ardent believer in "everything in moderation" and am also a big fan of sticking to a budget. A weekly potato night is good on both accounts. So enjoy yourself and don't give in to potato bullies.

This recipe is adapted from the wonderful world of British cook and author Nigel Slater. Nigel has such a way with vegetables, and cooking in general, that you want to try everything he mentions, plus grow a beautiful garden while you're at it. This recipe is for cold winter nights and all it needs is some kind of crunchy co-star. We like green bean boiled until just tender and tossed with a bit of jarred pesto. This feeds one very hungry person as a main dish, but can be easily doubled or tripled when there are more mouths to feed.

2 russet potatoes
1 onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic - minced
1 cup "meltable" cheese - fontina is nice & available everywhere now, even at Target. Cheddar works well too.
just a bit of parmesan

Set oven to 350 degrees

Peel potatoes and cut into chunky 1/2 inch thick circles. Place potatoes in a large pan with salted water, turn heat to high, and boil until just tender. (about 10 minutes) If you poke a piece with a fork, it should just start to come out without resistance. You don't want to over-cook them. Drain water and cut into bite-sized pieces. You can take a dinner knife to them while they are still in the pan.

While potatoes are working their way toward tender, cut an onion in half, then slice into thin half circles. Place in a skillet with olive oil and cook at medium heat. You want to soften, not brown the onions. However, if they get a little bronzed, the world will not end. When onions seem softened (about 9 or so minutes), toss in minced garlic, give 30 more seconds of cooking time, stir around, and remove from heat. The brief time in the heat will be enough to release the garlic's wonderful fragrance; you don't want garlic to brown.

Place potatoes in with garlic-y onions and add grated cheese. Toss lightly with a bit of salt & pepper. If you have a skillet with on oven-proof handle the whole thing can get a dusting of parmesan and go directly in the oven If not give an oven-proof dish a quick blast of PAM and tip in the potato mixture. Dust with parmesan. Cook for 35 minutes or until everything looks delicious and golden.

Rice: The Oven Version

This is another essential recipe from the Mimi files. We grew up eating this rice under or next-to all sorts of dishes: stew, curry, roast chicken - the list goes on and on. In fact, the first time I had rice made on the stove top with water I was stunned and not in a good way. Rice baked in chicken broth has a lovely flavor and perfect consistency. Plus, you can toss it in the oven, set the timer, and forget about it until you hear the “ding”.

Set oven to 400 degrees

I can chicken broth
1 cup long-grain white rice - not all rice (brown, arborio, basmati, etc.) cooks or tastes equally; long-grain white is best here.
1 tablespoon butter
A little ground pepper

Place all three items in small, lidded pyrex. I use an 8” x 8” dish. Cover dish and place in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, stir rice a bit, replace lid for 3 or so minutes, and serve. This makes about 4 to 5 good strong servings.

p.s. warmed leftover rice is wonderful with a fried egg on top. Dust with parmesan cheese & pepper ...

Gingerbread Heaven

I am absolutely sure warm gingerbread with whipped cream is served in heaven and that Laurie Colwin gave St. Peter the recipe. Gingerbread recipes vary wildly with many calling for boiling water or other unreasonable antics. This one is easy and antic-free. It is also a must for anyone residing in a cold weather climate such as, ahem, Chicago or Boston.

p.s. This recipe is adapted for the no-mixer kitchen. If you do have one feel free to put it to work.


Laurie Colwin’s Gingerbread

Ingredients
1/2 cup milk, including 1 tablespoon vinegar mixed in to “buttermilk-ify” it. Do this first and place on top of the warming oven so vinegar has a few minutes to work its magic.
1 stick of butter - very soft, but not melted
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons vanilla

Set oven to 350 degrees

Use a fork to cream butter with brown sugar until all the brown sugar is incorporated and the mixture looks like a sugary butter paste. Then beat in molasses; I find a wooden spoon or not overally flexible spatula works best. Follow by beating/whisking in eggs. I do the eggs one at a time to help make cake as light as possible.

Add all dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Whisk or beat in vanilla extract and milk.
Pour batter into Pam-sprayed tin. I use 9” round pan. Bake for about 30 minutes. You can use an 8” square pan, but you will need to adjust the baking time. Either way, test to see if center bounces back when you press lightly.

Remove from oven and allow to cool just slightly. Gingerbread is best when on the verge of hot. Eaten this way, gingerbread is heavenly. Adding whipped cream or slightly softened vanilla ice cream is heavenly+. You can freeze leftovers, if any remain.

Bread & Chocolate

This is simple and delicious.
This a snack/dessert/breakfast/lunch.
This will help you leap tall stacks of books.
This will soothe tiny, or not so tiny, annoyances.

This is bread & chocolate.

To make:
Take a good hunk of french baguette. I am not a snob about the bread here, but it should be a baguette. Your local supermarket's bakery brand will do. In fact, this may sound strange, but Target's baguette (they make a demi-monde size too) works very well and you can stock a few in your freezer.

Cut your bread in half the long way and toast it in the toaster oven. You can also wrap it in foil and warm in a 325 degree oven for about 7 or 8 minutes. Longer if bread is a bit frozen. I do not recommend the microwave as it tends to turns bread into stone statues in the blink of an eye.

Take the bread out of the oven and carefully place a nice piece of chocolate between the two halves. Press the two halves together gently to slightly melt the chocolate. Exhaustive research has led this household to prefer 60% cacao dark chocolate. Of course, dark chocolate has all those healthy anti-oxidants and iron, so you can feel virtuously indulgent. And if you like the more intense higher percentages of cacao, go for it - that's even better still. AND, if you only like milk chocolate, that's fine too. We all need our calcium.

I have also sprinkled roughly chopped roasted almonds over my chocolate before the "gentle press" of the baguette. I like this version too, however, some purists insist you must stick to two ingredients. I think you should judge for yourself. Bon Appetit!

Full Immersion Blending

Dear Moll-

You know all too well that I am Scrooge McDuck stingy. I'm sure our recent conversation about the iphone still lingers in your head like a bad cold. I won't deny my thriftiness. In fact, I embrace it as a money-saver AND as a life simplification philosophy. In kitchen terms, this translates to "why have a bunch of expensive gadgets and what-nots if you can make do with the basics?"

So, if I'm sending you a kitchen tool which at first glance seems a little gadget-y, you know I think it's worth the money. And I do. That said, prepare to welcome the Kalorik Immersion Blender. (I know I sound like an infomercial. Sorry.) I heard about it from Christopher Kimball - and that man researches e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g inside & out. What's it good for? Smoothies, of which you are a huge fan - though I find you may want to slightly defrost larger fruit chunks (peaches) a bit before you blend. Soups: roasted sweet potatoes and other assorted veggies cooked in chicken broth and then blended. You've never tackled these before but as the winter descends you'll crave soup. You could even make the king of condiments, aka tomato jam. Add to all of this ease of cleaning (way easier than a blender), a pretty modest price, and availability on Amazon. Expect to receive your own Kalorik Stick Mixer next week. Enjoy!

xxoo, Mom

So-Simple Spaghetti Sauce

I am not a fan of jarred spaghetti sauce. Yes, it's easy. Yes, there are lots of homemade-ish versions sitting on supermarket shelves. However, nothing - absolutely nothing - beats a nice home cooked sauce. This version is very easy and came to me via the ultimate super cook: Mimi. Mimi is not of Italian descent and she developed this recipes in the early 70's so it features a few short-cuts that the truly Mediterranean may frown upon. It is, however, delicious, quick, and much-requested in this house - even by the truly Mediterranean.

1 lb ground round (90% lean ... wouldn't go leaner, but can go with slightly higher fat content, say 85% lean)
2 peeled cloves of garlic, smashed a bit to release flavor
1 whole onion peeled
1 can Campbell's tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3/4 teaspoon sugar

Place ground beef in a large sauce pan. Break up the ground beef and brown over medium heat. Don't be too aggressive with the heat.If the meat browns too fast or too long, I think you lose a bit of tenderness in the meat. You may not think the crumbled, browned meat can be tender, but trust me it can. This is the one part of the recipe that you need to watch closely. Once the meat just loses its pinkness, turn off the heat, and drain the fat which has accumulated. Then place meat back in the pan.

Add to the meat in the saucepan all your canned tomato stuff, smashed garlic, whole onion, spices, and sugar. Stir gently to combine. Cover and let simmer slowly for at least 2 hours - or longer. Give it a stir every now and then, but keep returning the cover to guard the sauce so it doesn't cook down. You can double this recipe easily or add more tomato sauce if you like a less meat-y sauce. Goes with out saying, that leftover sauce freezes well.

Serve over the pasta of your choice.

Onion Jam On-Demand

To me, a great condiment is all that stands between a good sandwich and an outstanding one. I’ll go a step further, declaring that even a so-so sandwich is lifted to great status by the love of a terrific condiment. Lots of pressure for ketchup/mustard/mayo which are not, however, the great condiments I have in mind. The one I am thinking of is of the savory sweet variety: onion jam. Oh it is good! What’s even better is that onion jam is a breeze to make. Delicious on sandwiches of all kinds - especially any&all grilled cheese. Onion jam freezes like a dream. Plus it’s so inexpensive to make. Why buy a $4 jar of some fancy spread when you can make your own and then stash some away for later use? Say goodbye to all those aged and abandoned condiments clattering around in your fridge. Say hello to wonderful flavor on-demand!

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large red onions
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Chop off ends and remove rough outer layer of onions. Cut onions in half and slice into thin strips. I continue on with a rough chop because I think it helps the onion cook more evenly and makes spooning the jam easier if the onion section are smaller. However, if you think a long string of onion is more elegant than so be it.

Place olive oil in a large saucepan under medium heat. Add all your chopped onion to pan and cook - stir about on occasion - until onion is soft and translucent, about 15 minutes.

Add sugar and vinegar and cook until liquid is reduced to a thick syrupy consistency and onion appears soft and caramelized. About 10 minutes. If you still have too much liquid, give onions more time to cook. Watch your jam doesn’t dry out and burn though! Add salt and pepper, stir, and you’re done.

Ramen Rehab

Ramen has a bad rap. Some of the criticism is deserved; some not so much. If you toss out the toxic flavor packet full of sodium and MSG and other nasty stuff, you're left with a decent serving size of ramen noodles. The price is right and a little creativity can make a great meal. Nothing wrong there!

1 package Ramen - noodles only
1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup canned chicken broth (prefer Swanson: fat-free, lower sodium)

To jazz ramen up, take a saucepan and add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Turn heat to medium high and when the oil begins to shimmer, place the solid square of ramen gently in oil. Use tongs for this, please! In a very short amount of time, peek at the bottom. When golden brown, turn the noodles over carefully (with tongs) and follow same quick golden brown approach. Turn heat off and slowly, very slowly, add the chicken broth to the saucepan. You will get a big whoosh of steam when you add the liquid. Turn heat back to medium and let chicken broth and noodles simmer for about 2 -3 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and noodles are tender.

You can eat this as is with a shaving of Parmesan or top with sauteed veggies. If you're holed up in your room for the afternoon, try some slow-roasted tomatoes on top. There are easy to do but you need to cook them for 4 hours at low heat.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes a la Molly Wizenberg
4 Roma tomatoes or as many as you want to eat!
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Cut off stem ends of tomatoes and slice them in half lengthwise. Place in bowl and pour oil and salt over them. Gently move them about with your hands to cover evenly. Place them cut side down on a foil line baking sheet. Place in 200 degree oven for 4 hours. When finished remove and cut carefully into bite-sized pieces - you don't want to lose any of the delicious juices. Pour over cooked ramen or any pasta. Yum!

Ratatouille - The Meal, Not the Movie

I may be the only mother in America who hasn’t seen this movie. Can’t imagine how I missed it. However, I used to make pots of ratatouille before children thanks to the Moosewood Cookbook. The other day I was reading a wonderful book by Molly Wizenberg and I fell in love with ratatouille all over again. It has all the hallmarks of a great meal: easy, delicious, inexpensive. This is an adaptation of her recipe. There are so many versions and this is one recipe that you can experiment with endlessly to make it your own.

1 eggplant - trim ends off and cut into round discs about 1 inch thick
4 medium zucchini - trim the ends, cut the long way and then into half moons 1/2 in. thick
1 large yellow onion - chopped
1 red pepper - cored, seeded, and chopped
5 cloves garlic - cut into thin strips
5 Roma tomatoes - cut off stem end and squeeze firmly to remove seeds. Chop roughly
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
Olive oil

Set oven to 400 degrees. Cover baking sheet with tin foil and spray foil with cooking spray. Set eggplant circles on sheet. Drizzle oil on each piece and rub in gently. Do this one at a time because the oil soaks in fast. Eggplant is like a crazy sponge! Oil both sides, then pop in oven for 15 minutes on one side. Flip the pieces over and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cut into bit-sized pieces, and set aside.

In large dutch oven (pot in pic is a dutch oven - go big!), pour 2 tablespoons olive oil, and warm over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and saute until golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute onion until soft, about 6 minutes. Lower heat as you don’t want the onion to brown. Remove onion and set with zucchini.

Add 1 more tablespoon olive oil and red pepper. Saute until tender (not brown) about 6 minutes. Add garlic, stirring constantly for 30 seconds so garlic doesn’t burn. Then add all the just-cooked vegetables, along with tomatoes, herbs & salt, into the pot. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Veggies will get progressively more tender as you heat, so if you want more of an “al dente” version, then keep an eye on the cooking time.

Serve with good crusty bread or over pasta with some parmesan. There are, however, tons of ways to use ratatouille. Spread some on a pizza-tortilla (see July 28 post), dot with feta cheese, and bake in 400 degree oven until cheese melts. Place a fried egg on top and eat with toast. Add a large spoonful to chicken broth, then whisk vigorously or place in blender for a nice veggie soup.

Also, If you want added protein, throw in a can of drained & rinsed chick peas during the final covered cooking. This recipe makes a lot, but ratatouille gets better the second day. You can also freeze left overs and enjoy a few weeks later.

Corn Muffin IQ

This is a test. True or false: corn muffins always taste good, no matter time of day.

Easy question I know, even with the tricky use of “always”, for this statement is true, true, true. Warm corn muffin with coffee for breakfast? Corn muffin cosy-ing up to a bowl of chili for dinner? Corn muffin with butter and raspberry jam around 3pm? All really, really good.

This recipe makes 24 delicious muffins. Once cool, eat your fill, then pop the rest in the freezer. For the next few days/weeks, depending on your level of restraint, you can pull one out, pop it in the microwave for a quick blast, and you’re good to go. Chili recipe to follow shortly.

Dry Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup sugar (use a few teaspoons less if you prefer more savory/less sweet)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

“Wet” Ingredients
1 2/3 sticks butter
1 1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

You’ll need two regular size muffin tins and use place paper liners. If you only have one muffin tin, just cook them in two batches.

In a large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients, then whisk until combined. Put aside.

In a medium sized, microwave safe bowl, place 1 2/3 cup butter and melt in microwave. Once melted, carefully add milk, then stir. Add eggs and whisk vigorously.

Make a “well” in center of dry ingredients and pour wet mixture into the “well”. Gently stir together with a wooden spoon. Leave a few lumps; you don’t want to over-mix the batter.

Spoon the batter into the lined muffin tins. Place tins in oven and bake for 18-20 minutes (will vary based on your oven) or until golden on top.

Must-Haves: Tortillas!

We have a thing for tortillas. And why not? You can use them so many ways (quesadilla, anyone?) We like Mission brand since they sit happily in your fridge, very content in their re-sealable bag until you need them.

There is another great non-Tex-Mex way to use tortillas: pizza. Home-made pizza is wonderful, and while store-bought dough makes the process easier, I wouldn’t say it’s easy. With tortillas, however, pizza-making is a snap. Plus it is so good, very thin crust crisp and delicious.

Here’s how to do it.

First, warm oven to 450 degrees. Grab flour tortillas, brush each side with oil and pop on a cookie sheet. Bake for 3 minutes, flip over, and bake about 2 more minutes. Tortillas should be golden brown and puffy. Don’t worry about bubbles you can gently smash them out at topping time. When the minutes are up, pull the sheet out of the oven and add toppings – careful the baking sheet is hot. Place back in oven until the cheese is melted.

Speaking of toppings, let your imagination go wild, but of course, cheese must be involved.

Some Things That Taste Great Spread on Tortilla Pizza
contents of last night’s Styrofoam dog baggie
spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce doctored up with some dried basil, salt, pepper, and sugar
refried beans – canned, fat-free
pesto
roasted veggies

ps. We owe a debt of gratitude to Cook’s Illustrated for this delicious idea ... can’t imagine why we didn’t think of this sooner!

pps. as a sweet variation, cinnamon & sugar sprinkled on a crisp and warm tortilla is incredible...

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

What’s healthy, inexpensive, and has a face only a mother could love? A sweet potato - and I love ‘em all. They taste great and when roasted, go from good to absolutely great. As an added bonus, sweet potatoes are full of Vitamins A & C as are red peppers. Black beans pack in protein, fiber, and iron. Throw on a little dressing and you will be healthy, wealthier, and wise to the world of roasted sweet potatoes.

NB: You can make a lot of this or cut the recipe way down. Nothing too fussy with proportions. Here is the larger amount to start.

Heat oven to 450 degrees

Ingredients
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes – no need to be super precise! Too big, however, and they may not cook through; too small and they may burn.
1 teaspoon salt
Olive oil
1 red pepper, remove inner core and seeds then chop into bite size pieces. Tiny, sweet grape tomatoes (halved) work well too. Just need some crunch and a pop of color.
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Take a large baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Spray foil lightly with Pam. Spread cut sweet potatoes on baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle potatoes with salt and then drizzle with olive oil. Using your hands, lightly toss sweet potatoes to make sure all are covered with oil. You don’t want the pieces swimming in oil, just lightly coated.

Place sweet potatoes in oven for 20 -30 minutes. Ovens are notorious for varying in temperature (especially the ones found in dorms or inexpensive apartments) so keep an eye on your sweet potatoes. You want them to have a lovely brown roasted exterior on at least one side of each piece. It will help if you open oven after about 15 minutes and carefully use a heat proof spatula or turner to flip pieces over & about. There’s a fine line between a beautiful roasted crust and just plain burnt.

While potatoes are roasting, place red peppers and black beans in a serving bowl.

When sweet potatoes are done, remove from oven, and add to the red peppers and black beans. Add vinaigrette (see below) and toss gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature. Eat this alone, add some great bread, or tuck in to tortilla with cheese for a great quesadilla or burrito.

Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Place all three ingredients in small bowl with a pinch of salt and few grinds of pepper. Stir vigorously with fork.

Basic Tools: Colander

Every now and then recipes will be punctuated with some gotta have ’em basics. Could be equipment. Perhaps an essential ingredient. But these are things that go beyond whim or desire. These are items you need. And as all my children will sadly confirm, I have an unending preach-iness when it comes to the gospel of want vs. need. To be clear, I am on the side of need.

Anyway: the colander. This you need. You need it to drain pasta. Rinse fruits &veggies. Strain soups or sauces, though you will be doing more of the first two than this last one. Even though I am an enormous cheap skate, I advise buying a stainless steel colander with short legs or a rounded base to lift your valuables away from whatever is rushing though. Good handles are necessary for obvious reasons. I also prefer metal as opposed to plastic because I don’t like heated plastic in contact with food. Just call it mother’s intuition. You don’t need to spend much more than $10.00 for a good one. Check out Marshall’s or HomeGoods in addition Target or Walmart. The one pictured here is from Marshall’s and cost $12.00. Guess who is going to college with a shiny new colander?

Mac n' Comfort

On a cold day in January. On a cool day in June. Ok, on any day, home-made mac n’ cheese is go-to comfort food. There is absolutely no comparison between the real-deal and the orange or white powder-y version. Yes, this takes a little longer, but the pay-off is so worth it. The recipe makes a large amount, but you can cut all the ingredients if you want to go smaller. Just use a smaller baking dish.

Ingredients

1 lb. box pasta any mac friendly shape: penne, rotini, elbows. We like Barilla

4 cups grated cheese - you can try 12 oz. Cracker Barrel 2% milk cheddar - lowers the fat level a bit, but not the comfort.

4 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons flour

4 cups milk

salt/pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees

1. Cook pasta according to directions on box. Shave a minute or two off the total cooking time since the dish will bake in the oven.
2. While pasta is cooking, make the cheese sauce. Melt butter in large sauce pan. When totally melted, leave heat on under the pan and add flour. Stir this mixture with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly add milk and whisk the milk in to the buttery flour to remove any lumps. Again, leave heat a medium level. Milk will thicken slightly. Once the milk is incorporated, heat for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add grated cheese with a pinch of salt & pepper. Stir thoroughly to combine.
3. If there is enough room in saucepan, add pasta to the cheese sauce. If not, put both pasta and cheese sauce together in pasta pot. Stir to combine.
4. Pour mac n’cheese into a 13" x 9" pyrex baking dish. Heat in oven for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove & add pepper & savor!

Serve with some kind of veggie. You’ll feel better about indulging and mac n’cheese tastes even better when it has a nice counter-taste from broccoli or spinach or whatever you choose.

The Incredible, Edible Breakfast Burrito

I have a very good friend who detests any&all eggs. In spite of this error in taste - her’s not mine - we’ve remained good friends. Yes, I love eggs. You can do so many things with them, from the simple scrambled/fried/poached variety to something a little more substantial: the breakfast burrito, for instance. This burrito is a just a flour tortilla folded around cheese, ham, and scrambled eggs. Wrap in tin foil and bake for 10 minutes. The burrito will be warm and soft , full of melting cheese and slightly salty ham. Add a dollop of salsa if you have a jar in your fridge. This is so good, you might want to make two!

Ingredients

1 large flour tortilla

2 eggs

1 tablespoon butter

salt/pepper

2 or 3 slices of deli ham

Cheese: 1/2 cup shredded or a few slices - American, Cheddar, Swiss - your choice

Aluminum foil: a square about 10 inches X 10 inches

Heat oven to 350 degrees

1. Scramble eggs. Crack two eggs into small bowl. Mix eggs vigorously with a fork until whites and yolks are combined. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Place of butter in non-stick skillet. Turn heat to medium-high, allowing butter to melt. Once butter is melted, pour egg mixture into skillet. Using wooden spoon or heat proof spatula, gently drag spoon along the bottom of the skillet - this where the eggs will cook first. Do this continuously until eggs are firm and can hold their own shape. Once eggs are scrambled, take off heat and set aside. You don’t want to over cook the eggs as they can become water-y.
2. Place tortilla in the middle of your square of foil. Layer ham and cheese in center of tortilla. Place scramble eggs on top of ham and cheese. Turn up two opposite side of the tortilla toward one and another. Then easily roll one “un-turned” end toward the other. Wrap foilaround the burrito and place directly on rack in oven.
3. Heat in oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, add some salsa, and eat!

A Spoonful of Pesto ...

Ah pesto! One spoonful captures summer's glory, but unlike many other garden goodies - fresh tomatoes, corn on the cob, just-picked strawberries - pesto is available even when snow flakes flurry. A jar of this wonderful concoction of basil, olive oil, nuts and Parmesan awaits you at your local grocery store all year round. Of course, home-made pesto is beyond great, but you will need a food processor or mortar & pestle ... not exactly first kitchen tools. Anyway, go simple. Grab a jar at the store. After opening, a jar will sit happily in your fridge much longer than the fresh tubs found in the refrigerated food sections. Sir the contents carefully to mix the olive oil with basil& co. Spoon a generous amount over just-drained pasta and toss until pasta is completely covered. Grate some Parmesan cheese on top. A few twist of black pepper never hurt and voila, dinner! If boiling water for pasta is too much after a long day, stack a sandwich with turkey, cheese, lettuce and give the bread a nice shmeer of pesto rather than mustard or mayo. And if you're on a veggies-only plan, a teaspoon on steamed green beans meets with approval here. Finally, when a good healthy pick-me-up is in order, open the jar and inhale deeply. The aromatherapy is priceless!

p.s. remember traditional pesto contains nuts so be mindful of nut allergies.

Irish Rule-Breaking Bread

So, I intended to keep everything very simple with my recipes. Simple ingredients. Minimal steps. Basic tools. Now this bread may seem to defy that pledge, but it really doesn't. First: no yeast and rising and all that. Second: only 7 ingredients - all of which you should have around, with the exception of one (whole wheat flour), but it isn't outrageously expensive and keeps very well in the freezer. Third, and last, this bread is so good. Eat it plain just when it comes out of the oven or slathered in butter and jam. Devour the next day toasted. The loaf is very big, but you can cut good-sized individual slices (or just cut in half) and freeze. When hunger strikes, pop in microwave or toaster oven. This delicious bread may get a bit stale after two days on the counter - if it lasts that long - so freezing is a great way to keep a very good thing going.

Set oven to 400

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 baking soda

6 tablespoons cut up butter

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups soured milk (direction below)

Ok, soured milk. Not as bad as you think. Just add 2 tablespoons vinegar to your measuring cup, then fill with milk until you hit the 2 cup mark. Place the measuring cup on the oven while the oven heats makes the the reaction between milk and vinegar happen faster. This is important to make the bread to rise, so don't omit. You can use buttermilk of course, but that you definitely won't have in your fridge!

Add flours, salt, and baking soda to your mixing bowl and toss about with a fork to combine. Before you add your butter, you can either cut it up into very small cubes (about the size of a pea) or add the butter to the flours and use a pastry blender to cut into the butter until it reaches this size. Yes, a pastry blender is one of those tools you won't use much, but you can get one easily and inexpensively. I put mine in the photo so you can see what it looks like.

Once butter is added to the flour mixture, add the sugar and combine with your fork by gently tossing.

By now, soured milk should be looking thicker and kind of yogurt-y. Pour it into the mixing bowl and using a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula, easily work the milk into the flour mix until you have a big ball of dough. You may have to get your hands in there at the end, but just be gentle. If dough stick to your hands, pull off the dough and dust your hands with flour to prevent further stickiness.

Once you've got the ball of dough, place it on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Press it down into a circle shape that is about 2 inches high. Use a sharp knife to make a cross cut on the top and off it goes into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes.

Freezer = Friend

Of course, you have many friends, but your freezer should be among your best. Since you will be preparing food primarily for just yourself, you may run into lots of waste. You open a jar of pesto, but only need one scoop. You make some incredible spaghetti sauce, but can't possibly eat it 3 nights in a row. Tossing things out is such a waste of time and money. Instead, keep a stash of Ziplock or Glad plastic ware around and pop fresh leftovers (under three days for most items) straight into the freezer. Labeling is a good idea - just grab a Sharpie and write directly on the container. Name and date is good. You don't want to keep things frozen more than a few months and many foods looks strangely similar when frozen.

P.S. One final note: I am not a huge fan of placing plastic ware in the microwave. Prefer to run the container under warm water and and put frozen item in a nice microwave-safe bowl. Then, press "start".

Oatmeal with Fruit & Maple-Glazed Walnuts

Oatmeal has a bit of a bum rap for being boring. And this is not at all fair. Why? Because oatmeal is a blank canvas that you can do so much with. Plus, it is very good for you, filling, and incredibly inexpensive. Any winter - even Chicago's worst - can be beaten by a hearty bowl of oatmeal. Try it for breakfast or lunch or dinner. You won't be disappointed.

1/2 cup Quaker Oats 1 Minute Oatmeal - no pre-flavored packets please!

1 cup milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup or just a handful of dried cranberries - any dried fruit you like will work

1/3 cup walnuts or almonds

2 tablespoons real maple syrup

banana - or any other fruit you love

Add oats and milk to microwave-safe bowl, cover with wax paper, and cook for about 1 minute 25 seconds. This time may vary based on your microwave. When cooked, oats should look thick-ish. If too milky, cook a bit more. If too thick, add a bit of milk.

Stir in salt, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and dried fruit.

In a small skillet heat walnuts carefully until you smell a just a bit of nuttiness - stay focused here because nuts burn in the blink of any eye. Turn down heat and add the remaining tablespoon of maple syrup to nuts in the pan. Move nuts about to coat them evenly and then remove from heat.

Add maple-glazed nuts to the oatmeal, as well as sliced banana or your favorite fruit. Enjoy!

Brownies Extraordinaire

The deliciousness of these brownies is due to a slight mishap that turned out very well. The recipe on the Bakers chocolate box said large pan; we went smaller (by accident) and a classic was born. Clearly, you never know what might happen in the kitchen, so do not despair! One minor warning: do not make this recipe if you crave solitude. The smell of baking brownies will have many, many people pounding on your door.

4 squares Bakers unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 stick butter
2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour



Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt chocolate and butter in medium size sauce pan. Watch carefully. Use low heat and stir often as chocolate burns easily. When both are nearly melted, remove from heat and continue stirring until completely melted.

Stir in sugar and salt until combined.

Stir in eggs vigorously. Your mixture is warm and you want to incorporate eggs before they set.

Stir in vanilla.

Gently stir in flour until all combined.

Pour into greased 8X8 pan and cook for 45 minutes.