Warm Winter Slaw

December 21, 2011 – 11:21 am

This recipe came to me as one of those happy accidents.  During the middle of a catering job for 50 people, I popped what was meant to be a lightly cooked cabbage and squash slaw with flecks of both strewn throughout, into the oven.  A few guests arriving, a few mini-catering emergencies later and this dish morphed into something even better.  The cabbage had held together nicely, but the squash, much to my inner dismay, had become mush.  However, one taste in and I realized that the mush had become caramelized on the edges and combined with the tooth of the cabbage worked really well.  And onto the platter it went.  When I served it, I was able to move it from pan to platter without mixing the squash in all that much.  However, because the cabbage isn’t all that lovely without some of the orange squash showing through, I disturbed it a little once it was in the platter to have the color show though.

This recipe ran in the Portland Press Herald recently with a typo on the oven temp, so I post it here for those who had questions about it.shredding squash for warm winter slaw recipe

Winter Slaw
My girls will eat this dish as if it’s candy rather than squash and cabbage – the sugars of both caramelize and turn simple vegetables into something akin to an addictive confection.

finished dish of warm winter slaw with squash and cabbage
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound peeled, seeded and grated butternut squash, about 4 cups or 1/2 of a medium-sized squash
1 1/2 pounds sliced green cabbage, about 4 cups or 1/2 head of cabbage
3/4 teaspoon salt (sprinkle half over squash and half over cabbage)
several grinds of black pepper
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil.

butternut squash on the stove top

Add the squash, sprinkle with half of the salt and sauté until heated through.  It will stick to the pan, but don’t worry, it will loosen up at the end.

cooking butternut sqaush and cabbage together

Add the cabbage, sprinkle with the other half of the salt and all of the black pepper.  Break the butter into smaller pieces and dot the top of the cabbage.

Transfer to the oven and cook for 35 to 45 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked through, but still a little firm.  If you can, slide the whole mess out of the pan at once.  Slightly mix the squash into the cabbage and serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

Annie
Using up garden veggies

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Columns, Cooking, Garden, Uncategorized, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Citrus and Pomegranate Fruit Compote

December 20, 2011 – 4:30 pm

Pomegranate is one of the girls favorite winter fruits.  That, combined with our gigundous box of citrus that has just arrived from Florida, rounds out this dish nicely.  It’s a beautiful crop of oranges and grapefruits this year and the juicy globes are just what I’m hankering for.  

This recipe is one I almost always serve with brunch because the time to cut up the fruit is worth the extra effort.  On the other hand, we have so much citrus, I might also go for it as an afternoon snack.

Citrus and Pomegranate Fruit Compote

2 oranges
1/2 grapefruit
1/2 pomegranate, seeded
1 tablespoon honey

With a knife, peel the oranges and the grapefruit and then separate the segments of fruit from the membrane and pith.  Save the juice from the oranges and grapefruit.

Combine the reserved juice with the honey.  Place all of the fruit into one large or separate bowls and drizzle with the honey dressing.

Serves 4-6

Boosting the vitamin C
Annie

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Fruit | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Cook the Book: Italian Sausage Soup

December 16, 2011 – 12:01 pm

Italian Sausage Soup

Sometimes I have leftover roasted garlic and I use it in place of the fresh garlic.  If you have an herb garden like I do, then by all means use fresh herbs in place of the dried.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices (or hot if you want a spicier soup)
2 large onions, diced
9 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 zucchini, quartered and chopped
1 summer squash, quartered and chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup red wine
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
4 to 5 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup cream (optional)
2 cups chopped spinach or kale

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and sauté until brown. Add the onions, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs and continue to cook until the onions are translucent.  Add the zucchini and summer squash and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, wine, tomatoes, stock and optional cream; simmer for 45 minutes.  Add more stock if needed.  If you are using spinach, add it and cook another minute or two.  If you are using kale, add it and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Serves 4-6

By anniemahle | Posted in Cook the Book, Soups, Stews and Chowders, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Quick & Easy Hearty Soup – Root Vegetable Soup with Miso

December 13, 2011 – 11:30 am

This steaming, hearty soup-for-dinner recipe is easy and fairly quick.  Just add salad and crusty bread and you’ve got a great dinner.

While soups are all very simple to make, what makes any soup flavorful is the time that you take at the beginning to develop the flavor.  I mention this often, taking time in the kitchen, with ingredients.  What this means is that you need to go slowly at the beginning to really cook the vegetables well.  You want them to at least be tender, but even better, you want a little browning on the bottom of the pan.  It’s a challenge to write this into a recipe, because you don’t want to brown the vegetables completely, what you are looking for is that little circle of brown that blooms on the bottom of your stockpot when some of you think you might have cooked your veggies too long.  This actually has a name and it’s called “fond.”  I call it the “yummy good stuff’ and it is what will make your soup really good in addition to warm and nourishing.

Root Vegetable Soup with Miso

This is a simple, but satisfying soup.  My girls ate this one for several days in a row.  THEY asked for it over and over.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled
4 carrots, peeled
1 sweet potato, peeled
3 medium red potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups low salt vegetable stock
3 tablespoons miso paste
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

Cut all vegetables into 1 inch chunks.  Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add vegetables and sauté for 10-15 minutes.  Add the salt and pepper and then the stock.  Add the miso and tamari and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Serves 4-6

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Soups, Stews and Chowders, Vegetables | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Cook the Book: French Toast

December 11, 2011 – 9:51 am

French Toast

I will use almost any leftover bread for this recipe.  This is a good example of leftovers being better the second time around.

1 egg per person
1/2 cup milk per person
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4  teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4  teaspoon rum – if it’s for grown ups
Butter for the skillet
3 slices day-old Crusty Peasant or French bread per person

Combine all of the ingredients except the butter and bread.  Mix well. Heat the butter on a griddle or skillet over medium heat. While the pan is heating, soak the bread slices in the batter (be sure both sides are coated) and immediately place the slices on the heated skillet. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, flip the bread, and continue to cook until the other side is brown. Set the toast aside on a plate in a warm oven and continue cooking until all the bread is gone.

Variations:

I often make a special French Toast with cream cheese and jam in the center of two slices of bread.  Here are my favorite combinations

Cranberry Bread

Marmalade

Cream cheese

Pumpkin bread

Cream cheese

French bread

Raspberry jam

Cream cheese

By anniemahle | Posted in Breakfast, Cook the Book, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Elegant Fruit – Vanilla and Orange Poached Pears

December 6, 2011 – 11:30 am

Poaching is a technique used to gently cook what is usually already a tender ingredient.  Chicken and fish are commonly poached in a flavorful broth called court bouillon, which is made by simmering aromatic vegetables and herbs in water.  When used to cook fruit, it’s common to simmer in red wine, another sort of alcohol or a flavored simple syrup.  A simple and elegant method for fantastic results.

Vanilla and Orange Poached Pears

4 pears
2 cups apple juice
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 peels of orange
1 vanilla bean, split
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 inch slice of ginger
1/3 cup crème fraiche (for garnish)

Peel the pears, leaving the stem on.  Place the pears in a saucepan with the rest of the ingredients except crème fraiche and cover with parchment paper.  Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes or until the pears are tender when tested with a sharp paring knife.  Transfer the pears to a plate and remove the solid pieces from the liquid.  Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon, about 30 minutes.  Cool the pears in syrup with the parchment paper covering.  To serve, slice a sliver of pear off the bottom to get the pear to stand upright.  Serve either on a platter or individual plates with the syrup drizzled over the pears.  Spoon a dollop of crème fraiche next to each pear.

Serves 4

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Breakfast, Desserts & Sweet Endings, Fruit, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

Cook the Book: Hot Chocolate

December 2, 2011 – 6:12 pm

I’ve found that this is a real treat for little ones when you use semi-sweet chocolate; grown-ups usually prefer bittersweet.

3 cups whole milk
3 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped or grated

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it is just ready to boil.  Put the chocolate in a blender and pour in the hot milk. Allow the mixture to sit for 10-15 seconds, so the chocolate begins to melt; cover securely, place a folded towel over the lid, and blend until completely mixed and frothy, about 30 seconds. Serve with marshmallows.

Makes 3 servings.

By anniemahle | Posted in Cook the Book, Desserts & Sweet Endings, Things to Sip | Comments (0)

Cooking with Apple Cider – Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Reduction

November 29, 2011 – 11:30 am

Fresh apple cider has a very short shelf life and even changes flavor over a few days.  It is possible to use cider that’s beginning to ferment, “cider that tastes like ginger ale” as my daughter describes it, in your cooking such as with the below recipe.  The other possibility is to make apple juice, which is done by boiling the cider before it starts to ferment.  You’ll stop the fermentation process and your cider will last a little longer.  You can also freeze cider, which is what we did with the 63 half gallons we got from our press.  Just be sure to drain a little bit of cider off the top so your jugs don’t burst

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Reduction 

Tenderloin:
2 pork tenderloins, (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total, trimmed of silver skin)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil

Reduction:
3 cups apple cider
1 cups apple cider vinegar
3 bay leaves
1 shallot, cut into 8ths
several grinds of fresh black pepper
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350°.  Rub the tenderloin with the salt, pepper, and paprika.  Heat the oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat.   Add the pork tenderloins and brown it on all sides.  Add the apple cider, apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, shallots, and heavy cream and bring to a simmer.

Place the sauté pan in the oven and cook until the pork reaches internal temperature of is 145° for medium and 150° for medium well, about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Set aside the tenderloin on a platter and cover with aluminum foil.  Return the sauté pan to the stove top and reduce the sauce in the pan over medium-high heat until it measures 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes.  Strain.

Cut the tenderloin on an angle into 1/4 to 1/2-inch slices and serve with the sauce.

Serves 4-6

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Canning and Preserving, Main Dishes | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Cook the Book: Pork Loin with Cranberry Port Sauce

November 25, 2011 – 2:21 pm

Pork Loin with Cranberry Port Sauce

You’ll need to start this the day before (for the pork marinade).

3 pounds boneless pork loin
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all the ingredients except the pork.  Rub the pork loin all over with the herb mixture; cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 375°. Place the pork in a roasting pan and roast until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 145° for medium and 150° for medium well, (about 1 hour). Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with the Cranberry Port Sauce, below.

Cranberry Port Sauce

1/2 pound fresh cranberries
6 tablespoons port
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/8-inch thick slice of fresh ginger
1 tablespoon red currant jelly

Combine the cranberries, port, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and ginger in a small enamel (or other non-reactive) saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cranberries have popped and the sauce is slightly thickened.  Discard the gingerroot, stir in the jelly, and set aside to cool slightly. Pour the sauce into a pitcher and serve with the sliced pork. It’s great, hot, cold, or room temperature.

Serves 4 – 6.

By anniemahle | Posted in Cook the Book, Main Dishes, Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Sometimes Simple is Better – Roasted Delicata Squash

November 22, 2011 – 11:30 am

Delicata squash is a smaller squash that has a shorter shelf life than most.  It is oblong in shape, with a butter-colored skin, striped with dark green.  When I first tested this recipe I tried it with some of the usual squash accompaniments – maple syrup, nutmeg and butter.  It was good.  Then I tried it with just salt, pepper and olive oil and realized that all of these rich flavors are already part of this very versatile squash and it needs very little adornment. You can either eat or skip the skin.

Delicata SquashRoasted Delicata Squash

2 Delicata squash
1/4 teaspoon salt
several grinds of fresh black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°.  Trim the ends off the squash and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.  With a paring knife, scrape out the seeds of each slice and place flat onto a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.  Roast for 30 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Serves 4

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Uncategorized, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)
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