Food Friday - It's Eat Your Veggies Day!!

from Tracey G.

This week's recipes just kind of happened when Kris and I were talking food. I'd just sent her a text saying I seemed to be on a broccoli kick - which isn't a stretch since it's one of my all-time favorite vegetables. There really isn't a vegetable I don't like - the one exception that comes to mind is okra. I just can't do okra. Nope. Don't care, not my thing, I know lots of people who do like it and that's ok! I do not harbor any okra-eating prejudices at all!! It's just not for me...

But anyway, we got talking about broccoli, because I was going on how I like it because it's a great side dish to make in these days of watching what I'm eating, and it's one thing I don't have to worry about watching! Granted, my from-childhood way to eat it is (warm or cold, no matter to me) with red wine vinegar, olive oil and some salt. Bar none, that is my go-to way to eat it and cauliflower actually. (And it makes canned spinach and canned asparagus pretty yummy as well, I LOVED both as a kid because of it!) It even works in my mindful eating plan, since extra virgin olive oil packs a lot flavor even in the teensiest drizzle to give me that "comfort food" feel! 

But I was wanting something a little different for the heck of it. I'd made a yummy new recipe a couple weeks ago, "Asian Orange Beef". The sauce included fresh ginger, orange juice, hoisin sauce and soy sauce. I'd made broccoli to go along with it and discovered my broccoli tasted pretty darn good dipped in the extra sauce. That led me to today's recipe.  I found one to use as a jumping off point and then put my own spin on it. I also wanted a recipe I could use frozen broccoli with because it's certainly NOT broccoli season around here, and even when it is - the stuff in my stores is always terrible looking, so I depend a LOT on frozen broccoli florets, and that's what I wanted to work with!

Asian Inspired Broccoli

Serves 2 (feel free to double or triple etc)

3-4 cups frozen broccoli, thawed

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 tsp canola oil

1/4 cup water + 2 tbsp, divided

3 tsp hoisin sauce

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1/8 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the broccoli, ginger and garlic, add the 1/4 cup water. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the broccoli is crisp tender and water cooks down to about half. Add the hoisin sauce and extra 2 tbsp water if needed. Cook and stir until broccoli is evenly coated. Before serving, toss with the 1 tsp of lemon juice (or you can add more to your taste, I just liked the "hint" of lemon flavor). Garnish with the lemon peel and red pepper flakes. 

from Kris B.

Broccoli!  I love broccoli!  Therefore writing a recipe with broccoli should be easy because it is my favorite green vegetable and we eat it all the time.  The problem is that when 
I make it as a dinner side, all I do is coat it in a little olive oil, sprinkle it with pepper and maybe a little salt or garlic salt and throw it in the oven to roast for 15-20 minutes.  If we are being fancy, I may grate a little fresh Parmesan cheese on the top right before serving.  That’s it.  And I feel like I could eat broccoli in ad infinitum prepared just like this.  The problem here is that basic roasted broccoli doesn’t seem like enough “recipe” for today’s post.  So, for my contribution this week, I actually turned to a searching for a new recipe, a new way to enjoy my favorite green vegetable.

I discovered lots of variations on the broccoli slaw theme.  I make and enjoy a few such recipes, but almost everyone has a favorite along these lines.  I also found a good number of recipes with broccoli and pasta or grains.  Again, they sounded good, but were nothing substantially different than I do myself.  And then I found today;s recipe.

I already said that I love broccoli.  Sweet potatoes are also a personal favorite.  And we all know how I feel about bread.  And a few nuts and a little spice and it should be good.  Nonetheless, I found myself hearing a mantra that I used to say to my children, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”  Just because I can make a spiced sweet potato spread, spread it on a piece of toast, and then top all of that with broccoli doesn’t necessarily mean that I should do that, or expect it to be good.  The clincher to me giving in and trying this recipe was that it calls for fresh basil. Last week Weber said to me that we needed to find something to do with basil because the basil plants in our garden are getting huge.  I considered that a sign and committed to giving this seemingly strange but potentially good combination a try.  The original recipe is from the February 2014 bon appetit.

The Spiced Sweet Potato and Roasted Broccoli Toast is relatively easy to make, especially because both the sweet potatoes and broccoli can be made up to three days in advance of serving, leaving just the toasting of the bread and assembling to be done at the point that you are ready to serve these.

We ate these as an afternoon snack.  They also make a would make a great appetizer or perhaps even lunch.  Weber said that they are quite filling.

I won’t deny that the combination is a little odd, but it is a good kind of odd.  And, these are a reasonably healthy food choice whether eaten as a snack, appetizer or as a meal.

INGREDIENTS

For the Mashed Sweet Potatoes

1 large sweet potato (approx. 12 oz.) peeled and cut into  1” cubes

1 red Thai chile (optional), halved, some seeds removed

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Broccoli

1 Large head of broccoli, stems removed  and cut into large florets

6 TBS olive oil

2 TBS chopped raw pistachios

1 TBS (or more) lemon juice

1 TBS fresh basil, divided

1 TBS fresh mint, divided

4 slices of crusty  bread

Olive oil to coat bread

Flaky sea salt

Combine the sweet potato, chile, orange juice and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan; season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and then simmer until the sweet potato is very soft and the liquid has evaporated (20-25 minutes).  Remove from heat and mash.  Let cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss broccoli and 2 TBS olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper.  Roast until tender (15-20 minutes).  Let cool and then coarsely chop.

Meanwhile, brush both sides of the bread with olive oil.  Toast on a baking sheet until golden brown (6-8 minutes).  Toss broccoli, nuts, lemon juice, half of the basil and mint, and 4 TBS olive oil in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.

Spread toasts with sweet potato, top with broccoli mixture and remaining basil and mint, and sprinkle with sea salt.  

Cut into pieces.

That is the recipe as it originally appeared.  Here are the changes that I made:

• I used sliced almonds instead of pistachios.
• I did not toss the broccoli with the extra 2 TBS of olive oil when combining it with the basil and mint.
• I added all of the basil and mint to the broccoli rather than saving some for garnish.  I still could have used more in the broccoli.
• I did not garnish with the salt or use as much salt during the preparation.
• If you want a little hot but don't have a Thai chile, toss a few red pepper flakes in with the broccoli rather than the sweet potatoes.

If you try this recipe, I'd love to know your thoughts - good, bad , or otherwise.

Food Friday - Fall Fare

from Kris B.

As you read earlier in the week, for Tracey and me both, fall is a favorite season.  Though there are lots of wonderful things about this time of year, it also brings with it memories of tough times for both of us since she lost her mom and I lost my dad during the fall  So, we have both had our share of nostalgic moments recently, both those that bring tears and those that bring smiles.  Life is all about finding that balancebetween the tears and the smiles; that is where we find ourselves right now, trying to find and maintain that healthy balance.

On one of my visits back to check on my dad during the summer of 2014, my aunt, his sister, brought over some sweet potato biscuits for him as they were a favorite.  As he was offering me one at dinner that night, I realized that despite the breadaholic that I am, I had never had a sweet potato biscuit.  Being that I am a sweet potato lover as well as a breadaholic, I suspected that sweet potato biscuits would be a win-win for me.  I was right.  These things were amazing...if of course you like biscuits and sweet potatoes.

Last Thanksgiving, for the first time ever, I was not at home with my girls.  I went to Delaware over that week to begin the process of settling my dad's affairs.  Weber and I spent Thanksgiving with my aunt, the sweet potato biscuit maker, and my cousins...and a big batch of sweet potato biscuits!  I missed being at home, but I loved having the biscuits, both because they tasted good, and they reminded me of my dad.

I begged for the recipe and my aunt graciously shared it with me.  Now I can have them any time that Id like.  Well, maybe not any time, because that would be all the time! Lol.  As I was baking this batch, my daughter, Brooke,  and I were talking about our Thanksgiving menu for this year.  At my request the sweet potato biscuits are on it!

INGREDIENTS
2 Cups mashed sweet potatoes
3/4 Cup sugar
3 Cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Cup shortening

Preheat oven to 425

I am going to share the instructions exactly how they were given to me.

"Mix the mashed sweet potatoes and sugar.  In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients and cut in shortening.  Add dry ingredients to the sweet potato mixture.  I use both hands here and it gets kind of messy.  You might need to add flour in small amounts until the dough "feels right.'  I usually spray my hands with Pam and roll dough into balls about 1 1/2" in diameter.  Bake on a baking sheet for 12-15 minutes."

Any of you who have recipes that have been passed down from several generations will understand the part about "until the dough feels right."  Also, most biscuits are usually rolled and cut.  I have not tried that with these  because...well, because this is the way I want to remember them.  Also, this is easier; but, if you want to roll (and re-roll) and cut these, I suspect it will work just as well.

And here is my ah-ha moment of the day...Brooke and I were having a lovely conversation about lots of things while I was baking, something we both enjoy when we share our days off. In a manner that I'm sure felt totally random to hBrooke, I asked her where the term "baker's dozen" originated.  She is a trained pastry chef; she should know such things.  She didn't.  My question arose as I was putting the biscuits on the baking sheet.

When spaced using this fairly common layout on a standard baking sheet,  you end up with thirteen items.  I didn't take the time to research the real reason that we have a baker's dozen.  I'm sticking with my newly realized explanation because it makes sense to me. LOL!  

This same ridiculous way of thinking led my then six year old daughter to exclaim with total conviction, "Mama!  I know why Thanksgiving is always on Thursday...they both begin with TH.  That's why!"  Yep.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree in our family....except that she was six when she had her great epiphany and I am 53.  


by Tracey G.

I am relatively new to the world of squash, lol. I'd say just the last 7 years or so, I discovered they're pretty yummy! As I kid I wouldn't even try them - maybe the name turned me off, I'm not sure. And it's not like they weren't around the house, my mom loved squash of all sorts, so it wasn't a stranger to me at all. And to be honest, it wasn't until about 10 years ago I discovered I loved sweet potatoes and still kick myself for not trying them sooner! But anyway, I am a big fan these days of pumpkin and butternut squash. This soup uses butternut and it's really yummy. I have been searching for a good squash soup/bisque recipe for awhile, I love the stuff and have never made it at home! So, this was the perfect excuse to try my hand at it. :-) I researched and this is kind of my own creation from a few recipes, it's simple and easy - and best of all, good!

When it came to the pureeing, I used my blender. Most recipes called for using food processor, but I didn't see why I couldn't just use my blender and buzz it up in almost one fell swoop. For today's recipe, I made a half batch of what I came up with, so I was able to get it all in the blender, but if I made the full batch, it would likely need to be done in two batches in it. I imagine my immersion blender could have been used too - I always forget about that thing! LOL

Here's the recipe (full batch), and I think it would be good with pumpkin as well...

Butternut Squash Bisque

3 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

1 c sliced carrots

1/2 c chopped shallots

1 medium tart apple, peeled and chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

4 c chicken broth

1 1/4 c half and half

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

 1-2 tbsp chives, optional

Sour cream for garnish, optional

1) In a large bowl, toss the squash, carrots, apple and shallot in the olive oil until coated. Spread onto a large baking sheet in a single layer - if necessary you may need to use two so that they're in a single layer.

2) Bake at 400 for about an hour or until browned and tender, stirring a couple times. Cool slightly and place in a food processor, cover and process until almost smooth.

3) In a Dutch oven, add the pureed vegetables, broth, half and half, salt and cayenne, heat through - do not boil. If using, stir in chives. Garnish servings with sour cream if desired.

As I said above, I used my blender for the pureeing - I added the broth and vegetables and blended until smooth. I then transferred it to the pan and added the cream, salt and cayenne. Worked pretty well, and tasted darn good! :-D