Peas and Turnips in Cream

This recipe, adapted from The Best From Helen Corbitt's Kitchens. Helen Corbitt was a chef in Texas and served at the Houston Country Club, the Driscoll Hotel in Austin, and as director of food service for Neiman Marcus. I look to this book for simple, straightforward recipes; this is one good example. I served this last Christmas and used the leftovers the following day to make a fabulous turkey hash, served over white rice.

Peas and Turnips in Cream

1-1/2 cups chopped turnips, peeled and 1/4" dice (1 large or six small)

2 tablespoons minced onion

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 cup fresh or frozen green peas

salt and pepper

chopped parsley

Blanch the turnips and peas in boiling water until tender (turnips five minutes; add peas and cook 3-5 minutes more). Drain. Saute the onion with the butter and sugar for one minute. Add turnips and reheat. Add cream and peas and simmer until the cream is reduced. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley.

NOTES:

Doubles/triples easily.

Serve as accompaniment to roast chicken. Use leftovers over white rice for a fabulous meal.

Wonderful Thanksgiving or Christmas side. 

Use leftovers to make a turkey or chicken hash:

Stir 1 cup chopped onion/green pepper/celery (or just onion) in 3 tbsp. melted butter. Add 1-2 tablespoon flour and stir 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cups chopped turkey/chicken, 1 cup chopped potatoes and/or carrots, cooked. Add leftover peas/cream (1-2 cups). Add up to 1 cup broth. Salt and pepper to taste; add herbs if you like such as thyme and parsley.

Broccoli or Cauliflower Cooked Forever

This recipe is taken from Roy Finamore's book, Tasty: Get Great Food on the Table Every Day. If you don't have it, order it. It is one of my go to's when our weekly veggie delivery comes. This recipe fit the bill when I came home from the farmer's market last week with two heads of cauliflower. It was a real winner, served alongside breaded pork. But, it morphed into a few additional meals throughout the week: on pasta, with bread, and on tortilla chips and was fabulous, too.

INGRIDIENTS

2 bunches (2-2 1/4 pounds broccoli or 2 heads cauliflower)

1 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, sliced thin

2 small hot peppers halved lengthwise

4 anchovy fillets, chopped

Course salt and freshly ground black pepper

PREP

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water is heating, cute the florets off of the broccoli. Peel the stems and cut them into rather thick slices, about 1/3 inch. (If using cauliflower, break the heads into large florets).

When the water comes to a boil, add the broccoli and cover the pot to bring it back to a boil quickly. Blanch the broccoli for five minutes. Drain.

Put olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the hot peppers and anchovies. Cook, giving a stir or two, until the anchovies melt. Add the broccoli, season with salt and pepper, and stir well. Cover the skillet, turn the heat to very low, and cook for two hours. Use a spatula to turn the broccoli over in the skillet a few times, but try not to break it up. It will very tender when done. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the broccoli to a serving dish. It is delicious hot or at room temperature.

NOTES:

Use leftovers for sanwiches, over pasta, heat with cheese on top.

Grandaddy's Pancakes

We love the citrus in these pancakes! My father in law did, too. He found the recipe from the cook at a now closed hotel in Washington, D.C. It is our family favorite.

Yield: six pancakes

1/2 cup wholewheat flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

2 beaten eggs

1/4 c. vegetable oil (we use smart balance)

1/2 cup orange juice

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ones and mix. (lumps are o.k.) Griddle ready when drops dance! Serve with real maple syrup or fill with jelly and roll up.

The Dad in our house often serves Grandaddy's pancakes. He substitutes white for wheat flour and alters the proportions, but when mom makes them, they are made with wheat!

NOTES:

This recipe multiplies easily.

Cinnamon Sugar/John's Cinnamon Toast

The uses for cinnamon-sugar are endless. Keep a jar around and see what happens.

Yield: ½ cup of cinnamon sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

old jar

Blend well and pour into old jar. Refill as needed. Have the kids make a cute label.

Use for cinnamon toast (John’s below is the best), apple crisps and cobblers (see Grammy’s in this blog), and oatmeal. Save on packaging and preservatives and do not buy the little oatmeal packets; make a batch of precooked oats and water in the microwave and let the kids sprinkle the cinnamon sugar, add a little butter, and pour on a little milk.

John’s Cinnamon Toast

My dad was the breakfast and school lunch maker around my house. I'm not sure how my mother got away with sleeping in, but now that I'm a mother myself, I appreciate the boldness of it. Anyway, he made some fantastic breakfasts and one of his best was cinnamon toast. I didn’t realize how special it was until my husband commented on the method. If you sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar on after you have buttered and toasted the bread, then try this reverse method. I promise you will never go back.

Prepare broiler (or use toaster oven). Generously butter wheat bread slices (Ezekiel bread makes a surprisingly good substitute). Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Broil until butter is bubbly and a sugary crust has formed. I usually serve with scrambled eggs to provide some protein for the kids. But, for me, John’s cinnamon toast with a cup of coffee tops French pastry any day!

We didn’t call him Breakfast John for nothing!

Concord Grape Jam

Adapted From Cooking Light, JUNE 2009

After the kids and I tried a concord grape from our veggie delivery we realized that these grapes were probably meant for something other than eating. I found this easy, pectin-free jam recipe and we got started! We're having it for breakfast this morning on gluten-free raisin bread we made from a Bob's Red Mill mix.

Usually found only at farmers' markets, Concord grapes have a full, intense flavor. Concords are a slip-skin variety, which means the skins can be pinched off easily.

Yield: About 1/2 cup

INGRIDIENTS

1 pound fresh Concord grapes, stemmed (about one 8-10 ounce box)

1/4 cup sugar, divided

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

PREP

Pinch grapes to separate pulp from skins. Place skins in a bowl; set aside. 

Place grape pulp and 1 ½ tablespoons sugar in a small-medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until seeds begin to separate from pulp.

Press pulp mixture through a fine sieve/strainer into a bowl. Use spatula to push through pulp. Discard seeds. 

Place skins, remaining 2 ½ tablespoons sugar, rind, juice, and pulp in saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until reduced to 1/2 cups (about 45 minutes to 1 hour), stirring occasionally. Pour into a glass jar; cool. Cover and store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

NOTES:

Multiplies easily.

Grammy's Apple Crunch

With our weekly deliveries and trips to the farmer's market, we have an abundance of fresh apples and pears. There is nothing better than biting into a freshly picked apple from a local farm. Honeycrisp, Liberties, you name it--we love it! One child likes them peeled, one child likes them whole, and one likes them run through the apple slicer. A sprinkle of cinnamon adds a new flavor to an afternoon snack.

In the Fall and Winter, the only thing better than a fresh, crisp apple, is our favorite apple dessert: the apple crisp. We use Burton's grandmother's recipe as our base; variations are endless.

3 cups delicious apples, sliced thin (any apple will do, or mix types)

1/2 cup sugar mixed with one tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 stick butter, softened to room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Peel and lice thin 3 cups apples. Put in baking dish and sprinkle with sugar with cinnamon. Cream brown sugar, flour and butter. Spread mixture over top of apples. Bake slowly 40-50 minutes, until crust forms on top.

Variations and notes:

• Doubles/triples easily but with longer cooking time.
• May add one cup oats to topping mixture.
• Add fresh or dried cranberries, raisins, or currants for added flavor.
• Substitute fresh pears for some of the apples.
• Mix leftovers with plain oatmeal in the morning for a breakfast treat!
• Warm butter 12 seconds in microwave to "soften" it.

Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

I fell in love with raw kale at Leopold’s Cafe in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. This is my imitation of their amazing salad. 

Serves 6

I go easier on the lemon juice than most vinaigrettes call for, because it makes it more wine friendly and you can always add more to taste. Using a Microplane® grater results in soft fluffy cheese that coats the kale well. Another type of grater might require that you use slightly more cheese.

1 bunch Italian or lacinato kale, washed, ribs removed

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cup olive oil

3 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated

1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

1/3 cup raisins, optional

Whisk lemon juice, salt and pepper together. Whisk in oil. Roll the kale leaves and cut into very thin strips. Toss kale with vinaigrette. Add cheese and toss again. Plate the kale and sprinkle each with pine nuts and raisins.