Squash casserole

This is yummy.....I could eat this just by its self without anything else.....in fact I did. And its simple ......and smells fantastic when its cooking.

1 whole garlic bulb
2 tbsp olive oil divided
1 medium butternut squash ,cut into 1 inch pieces
2 red peppers cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large red onion cut into wedges
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
3 tbsps minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teasp chopped fresh rosemary
 1 teasp salt
1/2 teasp pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Remove papery outer skin from the garlic clove - do not peel or separate the cloves - cut the top off and brush with 1/2 teasp oil. Wrap the bulb in foil and bake at 425 for 30 - 35 mins or until softened. Reduce heat to 400. Cool garlic for 10 minutes. Squeeze softened garlic into a bowl and mash.
   Meanwhile, in a large skillet ,saute squash in a tbsp oil until golden brown.....took about 15 minutes, transfer to a large bowl.

In the same skillet, saute the peppers and onion in the remaining oil until crisp-tender. Add to squash.

Stir in the tomatoes ,garlic ,bread crumbs,parsley ,rosemary and salt and pepper. Transfer to a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish,sprinkle with cheese and bake ,uncovered for 30 - 40 mins or until the squash in tender.

Thai mussaman beef curry

I have a great cookery book that I  bought over with me from England  called Rick Stein's far eastern odyssey....it has recipes from Cambodia ,Thailand ,Malaysia, Bali , Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It really is right up my street as Travelling man and I love to eat hot spicy exotic sounding dishes...Admittedly they are time consuming to make and everything is from scratch - no shop bought pastes - and the ingredients can be hard to find sometimes....but I consider that to be a challenge, and really enjoy wandering round the ethnic markets searching for unusual ingredients to create with !!







You have to make the Thai mussaman paste first....
10 dried red chillies, roughly chopped
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 teasp cardamon seeds, from about 20 green pods
1 tbsp cumin seeds
16 whole cloves
5 cm piece cinnamon stick
3 tbsp veg oil
200 g shallots, roughly chopped
25 g garlic ,chopped
1 tsp shrimp paste
25 g peeled fresh ginger, chopped
2 fat lemongrass stalks,core chopped
8 tbsp coconut milk

Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat and add the dried chillies for a minute or two until lightly toasted, then tip into a spice grinder or mini food processor.Return the pan to the heat and add the coriander,cumin , cloves , cardamon seeds and cinnamon, shake them around for a few seconds until they start to smell aromatic, and add them to the spice grinder. Grind to a fine powder.

Heat the oil in the same pan and fry the onion and garlic ,for about 20 minutes, until richly browned.

Add the shrimp paste and ground spices,and cook it all together for 2-3 mins more Tip the mixture into a mini food processor ,add the remaining ingredients and blend into a smooth paste.

Thats most of the hard work done,and it can be made in advance.....

1.5 kg stewing beef,cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cans coconut milk, 800 mls
6 cardamon pods
10 cm piece cinnamon
300 g potatoes ,peeled and cut into inch pieces
8 shallots
1 quantity Thai  mussaman paste
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp brown sugar
75 g roasted peanuts

Put the beef into a large pan with 350 mls coconut milk and the same quantity of water, the cardamon pods,cinnamon and 1 teasp salt. Bring to simmering point ,put the lid on with just a fraction uncovered to let the steam out, and simmer for 2 hours, until tender, stirring from time to time.

  Meanwhile ,peel and halve the shallots. Uncover the curry and remove the cinnamon and cardamon ,stir in the rest of the coconut milk ,potatoes,shallots,curry paste fish sauce ,tamarind paste and sugar ,and simmer for another 30 minutes,or until everything is tender. Stir in the peanuts and serve.


I do have to admit that this curry is not for the faint of heart....its certainly hot and spicy ,but Travelling man and I are made of stern stuff and we managed it just fine!!

 Check out the book , I LOVE it!!

Smoked salmon,goat cheese and artichoke quiche

I have a story about making making quiches . It was the first thing I learnt to make during my horrendous cookery lessons at boarding school. I was bad at cooking back then.  I used to dread the lessons as something always used to go terribly wrong with what ever I was making , and the teacher would get so cross with me.... My quiche leaked all over the bottom of the oven,making a nice burnt patch to clean off....and whilst everyone else got to take their offerings back to the dorm to supplement whatever  was for tea that night....I came away empty handed and thoroughly scolded. Anyway I vowed I wouldn't do that again....and since that day my quiches have never leaked...hoorahhh

So here is a new quiche to try....the book club girls gave it the thumbs up ...and....it didn't leak all over the bottom of my oven.

Crust.
2 cups flour
2 teasp granulated sugar
1 teasp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 - 6 tbsp cold water

For the filling.
1 oz butter
1 red onion thinly sliced
24 artichoke hearts, I got mine from a jar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp chopped dill
salt and pepper
6 oz smoked salmon, skin removed and broken into small pieces
4 oz goats cheese,crumbled.

To make the crust,
  In a food processor,combine the flour,butter,sugar and salt,and mix until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the water, one tbsp at a time,until the dough starts to come together ,you may not need all the water. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and roll out to fit a 9 inch spring form tin. The pastry will be about 1/4 inch thick.  I had left overs so I made some jam tarts too.....

A few sneaky jam tarts.....
The pastry should cover the base and sides of your pregreased tin, and then it needs to go into the freezer for 20 minutes before baking.  Preheat the oven to 350 ,and once the pastry has rested in the freezer for 20 minutes, line with some parchment paper and fill with baking beads ,and bake 20 minutes. Then remove the paper and beads and continue to bake for another 10 minutes,so the pastry begins to brown.

Whilst all this freezing and baking blind is going on you can start to make the filling. Melt the butter in a large saute pan and cook the onion for 10 minutes until softened. Then add the drained artichoke hearts and cook for another 5 minutes.

Break the eggs into a bowl and add the cream,milk,dill and seasoning.   Whisk until combined.  When the pastry shell comes out of the oven,increase the over temperature to 400. Pour half of the egg mixture into the case and bake again until it is just starting to set,about 15 minutes.

Scatter half of the onion/artichoke mixture over the partially set egg mixture,then distribute half of the salmon and goat cheese on top. Pour on the remaining egg mixture ,then add the other onion mix and salmon/ goat cheese. Bake until the center is just set, mine took 50 minutes. I used a small knife to cut into the middle to see if it was done. If the crust starts to brown too much, you can cover it with some strips of foil. Remove the quiche from the spring form tin and serve warm, or at room temperature.

Its much thicker than any quiche I've made before,so I should think it would serve about 10 people.

Sweet potato and black bean chili

I wanted to make a chili for a long weekend we had planned on Mount Hood. I was thinking of a roaring fire,snow falling gently outside, a glass of chilled white wine......you get the picture .  I also wanted to try one without meat ....and incidentally I LOVE  sweet potatoes, so it had to be made.  And yes..... it was tasty,tangy and hot, and  I had no complaints about the lack of meat from the 5 hungry teenagers I was feeding, fresh from the slopes.

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large sweet potato,peeled and diced
1 large onion,diced
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp chili powder
4 teasp ground cumin
1/2 teasp ground chipotle chile
1/4 teasp salt
2 1/2 cups water
2 15 oz cans black beans,drained
1 14 0z can diced tomatoes
4 teasp lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat the oil in a large casserole dish ,and add the sweet potato and onion. Cook until the onion is beginning to soften,about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, chile powder,cumin,chipotle and salt and cook ,stirring constantly for 30 seconds.

Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low,then cook for a further 10 minutes,or until the sweet potato is tender. Add the beans,tomatoes and lime juice and carry on cooking for another 5 minutes,or until it is slightly reduced. Stir in the cilantro just before serving.

I wasn't able to get a shot of the dish as I served it.......it was as if a swarm of locusts had entered the room .....desecrating everything in site. You can never ,ever, cook too much food for teenagers who've spent all day skiing,sledding and having after dark snowball fights. Lesson learnt.
  We had the roaring fire ,and of course the glass of something chilled - goes without saying- but alas no falling snow.  However our chili hit the spot....

Lemon turkey meatballs

The sun came out today.Whilst you may think that is not too out of the ordinary, here in Oregon  - where we are all preparing to build Arks, and are developing trench foot from the incessant rain and gloom , it is a really big deal.  People start to emerge from their homes,squinting at the big yellow thing in the sky,and don the national clothing of Oregon....shorts...!!!! Well my way of greeting our long lost friend was to pick a light spring like dish ,flavored with lemon and rosemary, smelt fab as it was being prepared!!

1 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 large cloves of garlic,smashed and peeled
2 teasp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 lb ground turkey
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 teasp salt, divided
1/4 teasp pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 teasp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 14 oz can chicken stock
4 teasp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter

Put the onion,garlic,lemon zest and 1 tbsp rosemary in a food processor and pilse until finely chopped ,but not mushy.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mix in the turkey,breadcrumbs,parmesan,1/2 teasp salt and pepper,and stir until combined.

Use a generous 2 tbsps each to shape into 12 meatballs,about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place the flour in a shallow dish and roll the meatballs in it to lightly coat ....reserve the remaining flour.
   Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the meatballs, turning once until brown, perhaps 5 minutes each side. Transfer to a plate.

Add the wine to the pan,scraping up any browned bits,until almost evaporated, 1-3 minutes. Add  the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer,and return the meatballs to the pan. Cover and cook with the remaining 1 tbsp rosemary ,until the meatballs are cooked through. Takes about 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs at this point and place in a serving dish.

Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce it down to 1 cup. Whisk in the lemon juice and 1 tbsp of the reserved flour, and cook until smooth. Add the butter and season to taste. When its thickened, sieve the sauce and pour over the meatballs.

There are the little beauties. Light,lucious and spring like. Now if the rain would only stay away and we could have some more of this gorgeous sunshine...........

Caramelized carrot risotto

I have to admit that when  Travelling man asked what was for dinner and I told him carrot risotto, his face did drop a little...expecting his meat and two veg ,he thought this was going to be a bit of a let down. (I didn't even tell the Teenager what we were having....best just to present I've found....). However.....this turned out to be spectacularly good -even though I say so myself - and we didn't mourn the absence of meat one little bit. This is creamy,unctuous , comforting, warming...need I go on.

2 tbsp veg oil,divided
3 tbsp butter,divided
6 medium carrots,diced small
1/2 teasp salt
1 tsp sugar
5 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup minced onion
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup Parmesan ,finely grated, divided
2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley,divided
1 tsp roughly chopped thyme leaves
black pepper to taste

Heat 1 tbsp oil and the same of butter in a large pan,and add the carrots, then stir until well coated. Add 1/2 cup water,salt and sugar ,cover and cook until tender,about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook,stirring occasionally ,until the water evaporates and the carrots are just starting to go brown. Reserve half of the carrots. Put the other half in a blender with 1/2 cup hot water ,and whizz to a puree. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter in the same - unwashed pan, and cook the onion until translucent,about 3 minutes . Add the rice,stirring around to coat well with the butter and oil, then add the wine,and cook until that has been absorbed.Add the carrot puree and cook,stirring , until it no longer looks soupy.

Add your hot chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, cooking until absorbed until you add the next  quantity.This will take about 20 minutes.....very relaxing work-sitting at the stove and stirring something delicious!!.  There will be about 1 cup  stock left by the time  the rice is tender. Fold in the remaining carrots, the cream,1/4 cup Parmesan, 1 tbsp parsley and the thyme. Add to this any leftover stock if the risotto is thicker than you want it to be, and season with salt and pepper. Divide the risotto between serving plates and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and 1 tbsp parsley.

Travelling man ended up liking it so much he took the  leftovers to work the next day for lunch. Result.

Lemon bars

Thank goodness lemons keep so well. I bought a big bag over Christmas thinking I was going to use them....and I didn't. I always do this at Christmas...in England I used to buy the most ridiculous things like pickled walnuts and candied orange slices...which I believed I might just need over the holiday...and of course never did. Why do I do it......

 I'd been looking at this recipe for a while and wondering how they would turn out...so this was my opportunity...what I should have done however was read the recipe all the way through before I started it as it make a huge amount of lemon bars....I have enough to last us until March....should have halved the recipe probably.....


For the crust.
4 cups flour
1 cup powdered sugar
4 1/2 sticks butter

Preheat oven to 350.   Grease a 17 by 12 inch baking pan ( that should have given it away I suppose,as to how may this was going to make....but I'm still not good at inches...I had to use 2 pans as none of mine are this big) .In a food processor mix the flour and sugar together,then add the butter,cut into cubes,and pulse until it begins to stick together. Remove from the processor and flatten the dough with lightly floured hands. Press into the bottom and 1/4 inch up the sides of the prepared tin. The dough will be about 1/4 inch thick.

Bake 12 -15 minutes,until light brown but not quite done.Set aside while you prepare the lemon filling.



Filling.
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teasp baking powder
7 eggs, lightly beaten
grated zest and juice of 4 lemons


Mix together the sugar,flour and baking powder in a bowl. Mix the eggs,lemon zest and juice in a separate bowl,and whisk until well blended. Sift the flour mixture in to the eggs and beat until you have a smooth mixture.

Pour the filling on top of the crust and bake for about 30 minutes,or until set. Cool before cutting as its quite delicate.

There she is in all her glory.


Just as well the Teenager likes them as we will be eating these for a while....