Not Alice B. Toklas Brownies

The original “Alice B. Toklas brownie” was named “Hashish Fudge” in her cookbook and was not a brownie or fudge at all.  It was a mixture of spices, dried fruits and nuts that included cannabis sativa leaves (marijuana).  With the exception here of the marijuana that I replaced with a dose of Cointreau, a drastic reduction in the amount of sugar and omitting the butter, these are Alice’s brownies.  I did use a mortar initially but ended up employing my coffee grinder to pulverize the spices.  (Apparently, marijuana costs about $300 an ounce around here so I didn’t buy any.)

Following is Alice’s recipe as it appeared in her cookbook, The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook, under the name “Hashish Fudge”, if you care to try it yourself.  If you use the marijuana, serve these early in the evening.  And Alice advised that two pieces were “quite sufficient”.

“Take 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 whole nutmeg, 4 average sticks of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon coriander.  These should all be pulverized in a mortar.  About a handful each of stone dates, dried figs, shelled almonds and peanuts: chop these and mix them together.  A bunch of canibus [sic] sativa can be pulverized.  This along with the spices should be dusted over the mixed fruit and nuts, kneaded together.  About a cup of sugar dissolved in a big pat of butter.  Rolled into a cake and cut into pieces or made into balls about the size of a walnut, it should be eaten with care.  Two pieces are quite sufficient.  Obtaining the canibus [sic] may present certain difficulties….  It should be picked and dried as soon as it has gone to seed and while the plant is still green.”

 

Healthful Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

In the spirit of good health and in an effort toward minimizing our impact upon the planet, we are eating more vegetarian than animal protein based meals.  We are also taking full advantage of our winter garden to supplement our grocery shopping.  Whatever we can’t or don’t grow we try to buy at the Farmer’s Market before resorting to the local chain grocery store and we are finding quite a reduction in our food bill by observing these guidelines.

Good, wholesome fresh food is not only economical but packs a big wallop in terms of nutritional benefits and disease fighting elements.  If you decide to follow a healthful vegetarian diet with just occasional animal protein you will notice a marked savings on food bill, stronger hair and nails and glowing healthy skin tones.  No doubt about it.  So what’s stopping you?  For the new year, resolve to eat well and feed your body what it needs. You won’t regret it.  And if you are daring, you will tantalize your tastebuds.  C’mon!  Try it!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

Serves 4-6 depending upon portion size

2 ½ cups black beans, cooked one day ahead OR 2-15 oz. cans, rinsed and drained

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 2 ½ cups diced)

1 medium red pepper,  julienned

2 teaspoons olive oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 large onion, roughly diced

3 tablespoons chili powder

3 teaspoons coriander (cumin works well too if you like it; many people don’t)

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder or ancho chile powder for smokiness

1 teaspoon cayenne powder for heat

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 to 2 ½ cups homemade vegetable stock or store-bought if you must

(chicken stock works if you aren’t sticking to a vegetarian diet but please use

Non-fat reduced sodium products)

2 cups chopped roma tomatoes, seeded OR a 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes (please don’t)

1 tablespoon lime juice (NO, lemon juice isn’t the same)

½ cup chopped cilantro, flat leaf parslely, watercress or arugula depending on your taste

Non-fat, plain Greek yogurt

Prepare the garnishes (cilantro or other and yogurt) in small bowls and set aside.

Prepare your mise en place (all ingredients ready on the counter,  cleaned & chopped, spices assembled)

Method:

Heat the 2 teaspoons oil in a nonstick pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, red pepper slices and sweet potato and cook them, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften.  This should take between 5-7 minutes over a gas flame.  If necessary , add a bit more oil.

Add the spices: chipotle, cayenne and chili powders, salt and then garlic and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.  Be careful not to overcook the garlic as it will turn bitter.

Add the stock (your choice, vegetable or non-fat, reduced sodium chicken stock but I’m hoping you’ll use homemade goodness.)

Bring the mixture to a strong simmer but don’t cross the fine line to boiling or you will have vegetable mush.  Cover.  Reduce the heat to keep a nice simmer.  Cook just until the sweet potato becomes tender.  This should take between 10-15 minutes depending on your burner capacity.

Add the black beans and the tomatoes.  Mix well.  Add the lime juice.  Mix well again.

Increase the heat to high and return the mixture to a mild simmer immediately.  Stir often to prevent burning and/or overcooking.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5-7 minutes.  This is not a watery chili.

Remove the mixture from the heat.

Serving suggestions: Serve in a bowl with a dollop of yogurt (or sour cream) and a garnish of green (cilantro, watercress, parsley or arugula)

Add some cornbread, jalapeno cornbread, jalapeno slices, grated white cheddar for that extra tart flavor, and it even works well with a sprinkle of pepita seeds.  Enjoy!

Grandmother’s Oatmeal Date Bars

With the chill of fall in the air, baking seems like the perfect way to spend a morning.  Recently, with a houseful of guests, time for baking was short.  Yet there were plenty of mouths to feed.  It is times like these when a good old-fashioned Oatmeal Date Bar comes in handy.  This version is my grandmothers and it varied every time she made the bars.

Fanning the aroma of the dates while they cook on the stove is an excellent way to build expectation.  Heads kept popping in and out of the kitchen to see if they were ready yet.  From young to old, these are just sweet enough to satisfy without causing a sugar coma.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Butter an 8”x8” pan or spray with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Gather your ingredients before you begin and it will save valuable time.

For the date filling, you will need:

1 ½ cups chopped pitted dates

1 ½ cups water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Grandmother’s variation was 1 teaspoon of Brandy)

Optional: zest of one orange and/or about ¼ cup toasted chopped walnuts

For the crusts, you will need:

¾ cup unsalted butter, melted (melt this before you proceed with the crusts)

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 ½ cups unbleached, all purpose flour

1 cup dark brown sugar (packed well)

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

In a medium saucepan, over a medium high heat, bring the 1 ½ cups water and the 1 ½ cups dates to a boil.  Stir frequently.  Add the vanilla (or brandy) and continue simmering the date mixture until it is very thick and the dates are very soft.  Continue to stir occasionally.   Taste the mixture about halfway through to make sure it’s sweet enough.  If the dates aren’t sweet, add about a tablespoon of sugar and cook until it dissolves.  It takes about 10-12 minutes on my gas stove.  When the mixture is thickened, remove the pan from the heat.  Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature while you prepare the crusts.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  Whisk well to blend the ingredients thoroughly.  Pour in the melted butter in a circular fashion to distribute it all over the dry mix.  Stir with a large spoon to incorporate the butter.  You will end up with crumbly, moist dough.

Press half of your oat mix as evenly as possible over the bottom of the prepared pan.

Spread your date mixture over the bottom crust.  Make sure it’s as even as possible.

Lightly sprinkle the remaining oat mix evenly over the date layer.

Press lightly on the top crust to make it stick to the date layer.

Bake the bars until they are golden brown.  In my oven, it was just about 40 minutes.  The edges will be slightly darker than the center.

Cool the bars completely on a wire rack before you cut them.  If you cut them when they are warm, they are a gooey mess.  After each cut, rinse the knife in hot water and dry it.  This will prevent the sticky dates on the knife from dragging food along on the next cut.  This insures a nice clean cut on all sides of your bars.

This recipe usually yields about 16 bars.  They will last several days, covered and at room temperature.  Uncovered, they usually are eaten immediately.

Serve them with a glass of milk or hot coffee or tea to wash them down.

Hint: they make a great dessert if you fill a bowl with one large scoop of ice cream and then crumble the date bar over it.  If you want to be really decadent, top it off with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and garnish with chopped toasted nuts.

Spicy Asian Chicken Soup

As cold and flu season moves onto the scene with the changing seasons, it seemed time to pull out the old “cold remedy” soup file.  Chicken soup is the most common soup that people think of when they want to alleviate a stuffy head, achy body or nourish a lagging appetite.  I like to enhance that “tried-and-true” Chicken soup remedy with some curative aromatics and immune system boosters.

Spicy Asian Chicken Soup is quick, easy and economical.  It’s also low in calories yet high in nutrients.  Preparation, using leftover chicken, took me about 15 minutes and then another 15 minutes of cooking time.  Simple!

Spicy Asian Chicken Soup

(This recipe serves 4-6 depending on portion sizes)

Ingredients:

8 cups of homemade chicken broth (or purchased no-fat, low sodium chicken broth)

2 Tablespoons garlic, finely chopped

2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (or plain sesame oil)

1-2 teaspoons hot chile paste or hot chile sauce (more if you like scorching hot soup)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

3 scallions, sliced thinly

1 cup sugar snap peas

1 red pepper, cut into thin strips

1 cup boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and sliced (leftover chicken works well or quickly poach a couple of chicken breasts for 10-15 minutes in broth)

1 Tablespoon lime juice (optional)

¼ cup cilantro as garnish (if you don’t like cilantro, omit it or use parsley)

6 ounces soba noodles (An optional addition for a heartier meal.  This adds carbs and  calories too.  Just boil water, add noodles & cook 4 minutes.  Drain and set aside.)

 

Directions:

In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the chicken broth, garlic and ginger.  Bring it to a boil over high heat and cook for about 5-7 minutes.  Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and hot chile paste (or sauce).  Stir well to combine.  Add the mushrooms, scallions, peas, red pepper and chicken.  Continue cooking for 2-4 minutes until vegetables are tooth tender.

Remove the pot from the heat.  Add the lime juice, if using.

If you are using the soba noodles, divide them equally into bowls.

Ladle the soup into the bowls.  Garnish with cilantro or parsley and serve.

 

 

SOUP’S ON! Fall Squash and Vegetable Soup

As much as I love and embrace summer fruits and vegetables, there is something particularly comforting about produce in the autumn and winter times.  Warmer flavors as well as warmer colors that are rich and mellow invite family and friends to gather around.

This is a very flexible soup in terms of additions or subtractions.  I make it every year and each time it changes.  So feel free to use whatever is available to you locally as long as the flavors make good partnerships.  This soup keeps well for several days in the refrigerator.  In the unlikely event that you have leftovers you want to freeze, this soup freezes beautifully.

2 Tbl. Good quality olive oil

1 large onion (yellow or white), medium diced

3 carrots, medium diced (not the colossal ones; medium size is fine)

2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

2 ½ cups of winter squash, peeled and cubed into bite size pieces

(I used butternut squash but other hard winter squashes work fine.)

½ teaspoon allspice

Pinch of ground cloves

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (can add more to suit your taste)

1-2 Tbl. Jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)

Coarse sea salt

1 quart chicken broth (if not using homemade, use no-fat, low or no sodium)

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

Several sprigs of thyme (whole) or several leaves of sage (chopped) (your choice)

2 cups of greens: chopped kale, beet greens, or chard leaves  (I used kale)

1 cup chickpeas (or cannellini beans)

(if not using dried peas, drain and rinse the canned peas)

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat.  Add the carrots and onions and cook them, stirring often, until they begin to get soft.  On my stove this took about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for only a minute more.  Be careful not to overcook the garlic or it gets bitter.

Add the squash, allspice, cloves and cayenne.  At this point, throw in a generous pinch of coarse sea salt and the jalapenos.  Stir to mix and then add the broth and tomatoes (with their juices) slowly so it doesn’t splash.

Stir the pot well and add the herbs.  Bring it all to a boil then reduce the heat to medium.  Cover the pot and simmer for about 10-12 minutes.

Add your greens and chickpeas (or cannellini beans) and leave the pot uncovered.  Cook this for another 10-15 minutes until all the greens and squash are tooth tender.

Taste and adjust your seasonings.

(If you used thyme sprigs, remove the sprigs before you serve the soup.)

Some Like It HOT! Salvadoran Salsa!

This salsa recipe arrived in my kitchen due to my complaints that I had more radishes and habanero chile peppers than recipes to use them. My dear friend Rosalynn, who is from El Salvador, listened to my litany. Then she tilted her head to the side as she asked, “Too much food, how does one have too much food?” I blushed and lowered my eyes. Hastily I explained that radishes and habanero chilies are not the sort of surplus foods that one can binge upon easily. She promptly agreed.

Then Rosalynn told me that in her country nothing goes to waste. I agreed that nothing should go to waste. Likewise, from that point on she took over the kitchen by washing the radishes, habanero chilies and limes. I had no idea what she was planning to do with them so I donned an apron and stood at the side of the sink in chef de partie mode (otherwise known as a line cook) ready for whatever she needed me to do.

When she gave me a tea towel cradling a half a pound of habanero chile peppers, I knew there was eye-watering work ahead. She told me to discard the stems and seeds then julienne the flesh. Ok, I was in motion like a fighter in the ring avoiding the sting and hoping to win in the end.

Just when I thought I’d finished the work, Rosalynn handed me a huge bunch of oversized radishes with instructions to remove the leaves, stems and root tendrils, and then chop the radishes into a fine dice. It sounded easy enough. Yet, when you are cutting up a large quantity of radishes, did you know your eyes could tear up as if you are chopping onions? Well, they can!

Lastly she handed me a white onion weighing in at about one-half pound! Her next instruction, “finely chop the onion into large dice”, resounded with such authority that I sprang into action again. My eyes watering salty tears down my cheeks all the while.

Now, with all that chopping and dicing completed, I’ll share the recipe for one of the simplest, tastiest salsa-relishes I’ve ever enjoyed.

Rosalynn’s Salvadoran Salsa Relish

1/2 pound of habanero chilies

1 bunch of radishes

1 large white onion

½-1 teaspoon of fresh oregano leaves

Fresh lime juice, enough to cover all other ingredients

Salt to taste

Wash well, stem and seed the chilies and then chop into julienne slices.

Scrub the radishes clean, remove stems and root tendrils, and chop finely.

Peel off outer layer, chop the white onion finely, and set aside with the radishes.

Mix all 3 ingredients together and then add lime juice.  The mixture should be submerged in lime juice so keep juicing limes until you have enough liquid to cover everything. I can’t tell you how many because it depends on the size and juiciness of the limes you choose.

When the mixture is covered with lime juice (completely submerged), sprinkle the mixture with ½ – 1 teaspoon of fresh oregano torn into pieces with your fingers.  Don’t use dried oregano because it should not be powdery. Use just the tiny leaves that you break up with your fingers.  Then add salt to taste. Use a large spoon to mix the ingredients until combined thoroughly.

Put the mixture in a glass jar with a lid and let it sit for 3 hours or more.

Rosalynn asserts that it tastes better the next day–-if you can let it sit that long before eating it. It does get stronger over time and so far, we have determined that this mixture lasts at least two weeks in a cold refrigerator.

This concoction is wonderful as a topping on burgers and hot dogs or even as an addition to meatloaves or stir-fries.  It has a multitude of uses as a spicy addition to omelets and pizza, as an enchilada condiment, as a dip for tortilla chips to whatever you can contrive including stuffed mushrooms with a punch!

Trust me, its huge flavor and simple ingredients are a taste treat! However, be sure to have a cloth napkin or paper towel ready to mop off your watery eyes and runny nose, oh and your forehead too!

Food Inflation

A New York Times business article highlighted one of my growing concerns today.  The article addresses the increasing cost of packaged foods while the packages are actually shrinking in size.

I’ve answered several correspondences from home cooks who are increasingly failing with old family recipes and time-tested recipes from cook books which they relied upon.

If you are using recipes from old cookbooks or recipes handed down through your family, be aware of the changing package sizes.  What used to be a 16 ounce can of chicken stock is now anywhere from 13.25 ounces to 15 ounces depending on the brand you buy.

That box of pasta you thought was a pound (16 ounces) now weighs less, sometimes as low as 13 ounces!

As you read your recipes, my advice is to recognize that you should now measure your ingredients in a measuring cup or weigh them on a kitchen scale to achieve the same results you are accustomed to with your old tried and true recipes.

Of course, this is yet another reason that whole foods are a better bargain nutritionally, economically and for successful results with any recipe.

Portobello Mushroom Variation, So Good!

My dedication to eating whole foods spurs our latest response to requests for natural foods with flair, flavor and plate appeal.  Therefore, assuming the plate is a canvas for the artistry of whole foods, we continue to work with the idea of a Portobello Mushroom Pizza.

We have evolved it to a heartier main course by adding some goat cheese and fresh baby spinach and the result was satisfying, healthful and most importantly, flavor packed!

The Portobello Mushroom Pizza is a great dish but this one takes it up a notch to a more satisfying stand-alone dish.  As a side, we offered a cup of minestrone soup, organic of course, and a couple of slices of homemade sourdough bread toasted with a touch of Asiago cheese for those who enjoy carbs.

End result:  happy diners, happy creators and full tummies.  What could be better?  Pair this meal with a lovely fresh red wine and you have a romantic dinner.

Simple process, not a recipe but a method: de-stem and de-gill two Portobello mushrooms, taking care to keep the cap intact.  Heat the broiler to high.

While the broiler preheats, chop 2 seeded Roma tomatoes into a small dice.  Add 4 small cloves of chopped garlic, 6 leaves of basil chiffonade and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to the mix.  Stir well to combine.

Measure 1 ounce of goat cheese (chevré) mixed with chopped thyme, tarragon, or basil (your preference).  Set aside.

Lightly sauté 2 cups of spinach in a fry pan over medium heat until just wilted.  No oil or butter (translate: fats) necessary if you use a non-stick pan.

Line 2 dinner plates with fresh baby spinach sprinkled with Balsamic Vinaigrette (homemade if possible).  Chill the plates in the refrigerator while you broil the mushrooms.

Place the mushroom caps on a foil lined baking sheet.  Rub just enough oil on the caps to cover both sides, about 1 teaspoonful.  Broil, gill side down, just until the cap begins to shrink and yield its juice.  Remove from oven and turn gill side up.  Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Line the cap with the wilted spinach.  Top with the tomato-garlic mixture.  Dot with half the goat cheese and repeat for the other Portobello mushroom.

Return the mushrooms to the broiler, on the foil lined baking sheet, and broil until the goat cheese sizzles and begins to turn color.  Remove immediately, transfer to the spinach lined plates and serve while hot.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Pizza, My Way

Pizza doesn’t get any easier or simpler than this!

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

Four 6″ Portobello Mushrooms, rinsed, stems removed and degilled

1 cup of chopped yellow tomato

1 cup of chopped red tomato

1 garlic clove, minced

1 leek, thinly sliced

3 large basil leaves, chopped

Panko bread crumbs, about a ½ cup

Low-fat mozzarella cheese or reduced fat jack cheese, grated, about 2 ounces

Procedure:

Simply degill four 6″ portobello mushrooms.  Broil them, with the gill side down for 5 minutes on a foil lined baking sheet.  While they are broiling, you can proceed to make the stuffing.

Chop and combine the yellow and red tomatoes with the chopped garlic, sliced leeks, basil, and panko.  Add the low-fat mozzarella or reduced fat jack cheese and mix well.

Remove the broiled mushrooms, turn them gill side up and discard any accumulated liquid.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff each mushroom with one-quarter of the stuffing mixture.  Broil again for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Serve with balsamic vinegar and a side salad and you’ve got Dinner with a capital “D”!

Homegrown and Legal Grass

Our first attempt to grow the ancient grain, Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wa”) in our gardens proves to be successful with these healthy stalks standing proudly.

Quinoa is an ancient grass from South America where the Incas grew it as their main crop in the cool weather of the Andes.  As creative farmers, they terraced the slopes of their mountain homeland and planted a variety of crops including, tomatoes, squash, maize, melons, peanuts, chili peppers and cotton.

One unique aspect of quinoa is its nutritional value.  Quinoa is almost as complete a protein as an egg!  It also delivers some wonder vitamins, like E and B, as well as calcium, phosphorous and iron.  It is gluten-free, easy to digest and possesses a higher nutritional value than oats or wheat.

Quinoa can be eaten hot, warm or cold.  With this level of versatility, any cook can exercise creative ways to prepare it as a cereal, stuffing, salad, main course or even baked into breads.  You can even make desserts like Oatmeal Quinoa Cookies too.

Since this is our first season growing quinoa, an adventure looms ahead when we begin our harvest.  Given the size of these stalks, it’s time to begin learning how to harvest and dry those stalks now.

Oh, here is an interesting bit of trivia in case you find yourself on Jeopardy: the Incas were the first civilization to plant and harvest potatoes!