Penne Rigate with Brussel Sprouts and Gorgonzola

The Nudge picked brussel sprouts at Whole Foods on Saturday. I was going to cook them with the pork loin but when I decided that pork would be good with pineapple I had to find a meal for the sprouts. As I was making my monthly calendar, I opened a Food and Wine magazine from January and there it was.....

Penne with Brussel Sprouts and Gorgonzola
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
* 1 pound(s) brussels sprouts, trimmed, loose outer leaves reserved and sprouts thinly sliced
* 1 long red fresh chile, halved, seeded and sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick
* 1 teaspoon(s) chopped thyme
* Salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1/2 pound(s) penne rigate (I use Dreamfields)
* 4 ounce(s) Gorgonzola cheese (I used a Smoked Roquefort)

Directions:
1. In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the sliced brussels sprouts, chile, and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved sprout leaves, cover, and remove from the heat.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne until al dente. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the pasta water. Add the penne to the skillet along with the pasta cooking water and cook over moderate heat, stirring to coat the pasta with the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to bowls, top with the Gorgonzola, and serve right away.

(note: if you wanted to sprinkle some toasted walnut pieces as a garnish, that would be great).










Exchanges (per serving):
1 1/2 fat
2 non-starchy vegetable
1 starch
1 meat



I finished my September Menu Calendar and I have to say I picked some pretty nice recipes. As I post about them, I will include the Exchanges and Nutrition Facts. If I have time I will also list the GI. Since I do not know what YOU will be serving with that recipe I can not give you the load since that is an average of all the foods you eat together, not the individual recipe.

Non-traditional Pizza

I want to make a pizza but not a tomato, mozzarella kind, something different.

I can tell The Nudge isn't quite buying it, but I think once it's made he will like it.

I have so many small containers of foods in the fridge that I really need to use up, a rotisserie chicken breast, Chinese-style grilled eggplant & Shiitake mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes and a few ends of Jack and Manchego cheeses.

I have a half recipe of bread dough I can use for the crust in the freezer. I need a sauce. I have the last of the ricotta from the scones, I could make a ricotta bechamel with lots of Romano cheese.

This is going to be a multi-cultural pizza, that's for sure.

The Nudge said this was quite possibly one of the best pizzas I have ever made. That's quite a compliment because The Nudge is a pizza connoisseur.

The Nudge just told me he's going to Sweden in October for 2 days. Not a trip I would want to make, fly for 10 hours, sleep Sunday, meetings Monday & Tuesday, fly another 10 hours on Wednesday and go to work on Thursday....Not a trip I would want to take and NO pizza either.

Grilled Scallops with Hoisin Butter on Wilted Spinach

Seared Scallops on Wilted Spinach with Hoisin Butter

* 1/4 cup hoisin sauce*
* 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon hot chili sesame oil*
* 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided
* 1/4 cup chopped shallot (about 1 large)
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
* 4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
* 1 serrano chile, seeded, minced, divided
* 4 5-ounce bags baby spinach
* Coarse kosher salt
* 2 pounds sea scallops, side muscles removed
* 1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil
* 3/4 cup finely chopped spring onions or green onions (white and pale green parts only)
* 1/4 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)*

Preparation:
Whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl to blend and reserve.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot, 1 tablespoon ginger, 2 minced garlic cloves, and half of minced chile. Sauté until shallot is soft, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add 1 bag spinach. Stir until beginning to wilt. Add remaining spinach, 1 bag at a time, stirring between additions until just wilted. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Meanwhile prepare grill. Sprinkle scallops with coarse salt and pepper. Dip scllops in EVOO and grill for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from grill. Transfer scallops to plate; tent with foil.

In saute pan, add 1 tablespoon butter, spring onions, remaining 1 teaspoon minced ginger, 2 minced garlic cloves, and remaining half of minced chile to skillet. Sauté until onions begin to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add mirin and simmer until reduced to glaze, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in hoisin mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide spinach among plates. Top with scallops, dividing equally. Spoon sauce over and serve.

Exchanges (per serving):
3 1/2 Meats
3 Fats
2 Non-Starchy Vegetables
1 Carbohydrate
1 Starch (Jasmine Rice)

I served this with Jasmine Rice. I have made this before and it was really good. There is just enough bite from the serrano without being hot, hot, HOT.





My Homemade Hoisin Sauce
(Makes 9 tablespoons)

* 4 tbls Soy sauce,(GF/dark/light/usual)
* 2 tbls soy bean powder (Bob's Red Mill)
* 1 tbls agave nectar
* 2 tsp White vinegar
* 1/8 tsp Garlic powder
* 2 tsp Sesame seed oil
* 20 drops Chinese-style hot sauce
* 1/8 tsp Pepper


(note: if you make your own, it is by far better for you than the Kikkoman. Most authentic Chinese foods are gluten-free and dairy free, so much better for you).

Lemon Ricotta Scones

The Nudge loves a scone at work, in the morning with his coffee. I can not find a good scone unless I go to Panera Bread everyday and buy one, so a few months ago I started making my own. I have found that we both love the cream or buttermilk based scone and not a lot of fruits or sugary things in it.
I saw this recipe, I don't remember where, but I stored it in my recipe box until I could make them.

Today was the day.



They had a biscuit-like texture to them, not as crumbly or dry but the lemon zest was refreshing and the ricotta & buttermilk kept them moist.

I will make these again.

Lemon Ricotta Scones
(makes 8 scones)

* 6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
* 1/4 cup Splenda No Calorie
* 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta
* 1/4 cup chilled butter, grated or cut into small pieces
* 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
* 2 tablespoons cream, for tops
* 1 teaspoon demerra sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk.
Cut in the ricotta and butter until the mixture resembles coarse sand,
using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingers. Gently stir in the buttermilk.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead gently for 2 minutes
(the dough is crumbly but holds together).
3. Place the dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Pat the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick circle.
Cut the dough into 8 wedges (don’t separate the wedges).
Use a pastry brush to brush the surface of the dough with cream;
sprinkle with sugar.
4. Bake at 400 degrees F for 17 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool on a wire rack.

Gluten-Free Pancakes

Yesterday at Whole Foods I was armed with a list of gluten-free baking products and today I decided to make my first recipe. They were very thin but if you buttered them and stacked them they were good to go. I would think if I made a creamy ricotta filling (sort of like a blintz filling) these would be decadent. Topped with a lemon curd syrup....yummy!


Light Lemony Oatcakes
(Makes about ten 3-inch pancakes)

These crepe-like light pancakes are a refreshing change of pace on those lazy Sunday mornings. They're perfect for rolling up fruit fillings or just dusting with powdered sugar.

* 1 cup vanilla soy or rice milk
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 heaping cup certified GF old-fashioned oats (or 1 cup oat flour)
* 1/2 Tablespoon tapioca flour
* 2 teaspoons GF baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon GF baking soda
* 1 teaspoon lemon zest
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon nut butter or tahini (I used almond butter)
* 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Combine soy or rice milk and lemon juice. Set aside. Blend oats in a spice grinder or blender until finely ground. Mix oat flour with tapioca flour, baking powder, soda, lemon zest, and salt, making sure there are no small lumps. In a blender or with a hand blender combine milk mixture, nut butter or tahini, and maple syrup. Blend well. Mix wet and dry ingredients. Spoon onto a preheated griddle. Mixture will be quite thin. When bubbles form and break, turn carefully and cook until lightly browned.

Total calories per pancake: 67
Fat: 2 grams
Carbohydrates: 11 grams
Protein: 2 grams
Sodium: 200 milligrams
Fiber: 1 gram

(note : you could soak the oats in the milk overnight to make a mush and the pancakes would be thicker and more like traditional pancakes but I am not a fan of oatmeal and that consistency is not to my liking.)

Bruschetta Day - end of summer blues

Tradition in this house.....first good day of spring I make a bowl of bruschetta, grill some bread, open a bottle of wine and dine al fresco.

The Nudge decided he wanted a end of summer bruschetta day.

It was beautiful out, the perfect setting. We ended the day with a cheese board, a bottle of Sagrantino and a ciabatta loaf.

Yes, that means we went to Whole Foods !!! LOL



My Bruschetta
Equal parts of (about 1 cup):
Prosciutto
Diced tomatoes
Diced fresh mozzarella
Diced roasted peppers
6 basil leaves, shredded
Splash of very GOOD virgin olive oil
Splash of good Balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Thinly sliced & grilled baguette

Our Cheese Board
Goat cheese
Chimay
Conte
Canadian Extra Sharp Cheddar
Fig Jam
Honey
Sliced Chiabatta Hoagie Roll

If this is the last chance we get to have a Bruschetta Day then I am happy we did it.

Next Friday we are going fishing and the week after that The Nudge is traveling to Arizona for a conference and I will be at my Dad's.

Might be too cool to eat outside after all that.

Fridays.....so much to do, so little time

On Friday, I do my shopping list, I cut out all coupons, I check every Email (even the ones I don't use that often), make the menu for next week, calculate the nutrition facts and clean out the fridge to see what needs to be used, fast.

Not all in that order.

Not in any order.

Not orderly at all.

NOT

So far, this morning, I did the fridge thingy.
I found 3 zucchini, 2 bricks of cream cheese, a mango, creme fraiche, ricotta cheese and gruyere cheese.

Sounds like the makings for Macaroni and Cheese with Zucchini,

or,

A Zucchini Ricotta Polenta Cake with a Mango Glaze,

or,

a ricotta, creme fraiche mango cheesecake for dessert and Zucchini & Gruyere Gougeres for dinner (with a roasted chicken)...........




BINGO!!



All I have to do is make them, which means nothing else on my list will get done.
Oh well, life is a juggle, or jungle or ???jiggle????

Yeah, those............................

Squash and Gruyere Gougeres
Makes 20 1 1/2" puffs

* 1/2 cup 1% milk
* 1/3 cup grated, roasted zucchini
* 1/2 cup Smart Balance
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons barley flour
* 4 eggs, separated...whites, beaten
* 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
* 4 oz. grated gruyere

1. Grate zucchini and roast it in the oven with EVOO and S&P for about 30 minutes on 400F. Leave oven on.
2. Combine the milk, squash, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Dump in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture forms a ball and a film forms on the bottom of the pan, a few minutes.
3. Remove the mix from the heat and let cool to where you can touch the mix without pulling away. In a mixer bowl, blend in egg yolks 1 at the time until fully incorporated. Off the mixer, fold in the beaten egg whites, add in the sage and three quarters of the cheese, folding to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure the mixture is homogenous.
4. Using a #40 spring-loaded ice cream scoop (or a piping bag fitted with a #8 plain tip, or the old spoon-and-finger method) scoop out 20 balls of the mixture and place them, 4x5, on the parchment-lines baking pan.
5. Bake until puffed and golden, about 35 minutes, turning half way through. (If under baked, the gougeres will deflate as they cool).
6. Once removed take a toothpick and pop a hole in the tops to release the steam.

Looks like the majority of meatballs are baked

I posed the same question on Serious Eats.

Same choice won over there. I would rather bake then fry, the fumes from frying give me an asthma attack. I actually just plop them into the sauce. I know the flavor is not the same but as long as they taste good, what difference does it really make.

Time for a new poll.

Ready?

Set?

Go.......

My First Post on My New Template

What do you think of my new set-up?

Will take me a few days to work out the bugs, but the pertinent information is still here you just have to find it.

Today's dinner is up in the air, literally. The Nudge is going golfing tomorrow so he wants me to go to the practice range with him.
He has tried to bribe me with.....

"but you are so good at telling me what I'm doing wrong"

"I will take you to the new Irish Pub near there"

and the best one yet

"you come with me I will take you to Whole Foods on Saturday".



That last offer is kinda hard to resist. I haven't been to Whole Foods for over a month now and I am accumulating a long wish list of ingredients, so....
I bribed him back.......

"well, now, you know, it is supposed to be beautiful this weekend, I was thinking how nice it would be to get some artisanal cheeses and sit outside with a good bottle of Pinot Noir"

Tune in later for the update.

It's raining, it's pouring, my kitty cats are snoring.....

It is amazing that 2 outdoor cats can become big time home bodies when it rains. I have this pink blanket. I can't even remember when or where I was living when I got it, but it's old and has "pills" on it, and it's rough from wear (it's polyester) and tickly and prickly and something that belongs under my tires when I get stuck in a snow storm, but those cat's just love it.

The minute it appears on the bed, I have 2 cats taking a nap when they would otherwise be chasing chipmunks. We haven't figured out why. We wash it, so it doesn't have a smell on it, we lay it over the banister, they find an edge on the floor and will sleep on it.

It is the darnedest thing.

Moroccan Chickpea Barley Salad

I just made one of the best salads a Diabetic could want and should make...
Moroccan Chickpea Barley Salad.
Thanks to Hank over at Simply Recipes.

I know it makes 6-8 servings but I will eat this every day for lunch. It will satisfy your hunger with less and stay with you longer. Just wonderful.
Check out the Nutrition Facts -- Over the Top!!



Moroccan Chickpea Barley Salad
Serves 6-8

* 1 1/2 cups barley
* 1 1/2 cups chicken or veggie broth
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1 teaspoon salt
* Olive oil
* 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and strained
* 1 cup shelled pistachio nuts
* 1 cup diced dried apricots
* 2-3 chopped green onions or scallions
* 1 cup chopped parsley
* Zest and juice of a lemon
* Ras El Hanout spice mix
* Salt to taste

Ras El Hanout Spice Mix:
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 teaspoon cardamom
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
* 1/4 teaspoon ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot on medium high heat. Add the barley and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Add the broth, water, and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer and simmer until the barley is tender, anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how old the barley is.

2. Strain the cooked barley through a colander or sieve and run cold water over to cool it quickly. Toss and mix in the colander to strain as much water as you can.

3. Lay out the barley on a sheet pan and drizzle olive oil over it. Mix to coat well and set aside.

4. In a large bowl, add the chickpeas, pistachios, apricots, green onions and parsley and mix well. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and mix again. Add the barley and mix. Sprinkle the ras el hanout spice mixture over the barley and mix well. Taste, and add salt if needed.

5. Let the salad marinate for an hour or so before serving. If the barley has absorbed all the olive oil, drizzle a little more on right before serving.

Exchanges :
1 1/2 starch
1/2 lean meat
1 fat
1/4 fruit
1/4 non-starchy vegetable

Glycemic Index :
a lovely low 28

Madeleines

I finally bought a standard Madeleine pan. I love madeleines and I can only buy them if I want a huge BJ-sized container of them. By the time I get any where near the end they go bad or dry up and it's a waste of money.

I have been collecting recipes for years now and I think I should start with the traditional one. If they come out good I will try different versions and make them Diabetic friendly using Splenda, Egg Beaters and whole wheat pastry flour.

Basic Madeleine Recipe
Yields about 48 medium sized madeleines
* 4 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 cups butter, melted and clarified

You will need:
Madeleine mold/pan ---- Large bowl ---- Sauce pan (or double boiler)
Measuring cups ---- Measuring spoons ---- Pastry bag ---- #4 plain large tube

Preheat oven to 350°F
Grease madeleine molds well

1. Combine eggs, sugar and lemon rind in a large bowl. Heat over hot water, until warm.
Remove from stove and beat in a mixer at high speed until they are light, fluffy and tripled in bulk.

2. Add vanilla, fold in flour, then melted butter. Be careful not to beat after flour is added.

3. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a large plain round decorating tube, with the batter. Squirt batter into the cavities of the madeleine mold, filling them 2/3 full.

4. Bake about 10 minutes, or until tops of cakes are golden. Remove from molds immediately. Grease molds again, refill with batter and bake.
Continue until all batter is used.

Carb Counting and the Glycemic Load

I spent the better part of yesterday doing math, yes, math.

To get the Glycemic Load of a food you have to first, get the carbohydrates of that food, second, figure the amount in 50grams of that food (50 is considered a proper portion of food) and third, multiply that by theamount of carbs in a 50g serving.

For example, the glycemic index of carrots is about 47. Carrots contain about 7 grams of carbohydrate per 100g of carrots. So, to calculate the glycemic load for a standard 50g serving of carrots, divide 47 by 100 (0.47) and multiply by 3.5 (half of 7g, remember you need a 50g serving, not 100). The glycemic load (GL) of carrots is therefore 1.6.
Another example : the GI of barley = 25 In 100g there are 28 carbs 25 divided by 50 = .5 x 14 (14 carbs in a 50g serving) = 7

It is really time consuming so I will just list as I post a recipe. The good thing is I get to see first hand how bad certain foods are for me, foods I would think was good and vice versa.

My brain hurts, it's Monday, it's rainy and damp and I have a sink full of dishes to do, so tonight I am just defrosting the second half of the Southwest Egg Rolls I made last month.

Buckwheat Pasta or Soba Noodles

I am making fresh pasta today because it is raining cat and dogs and I can not grill outside. I do not want to use the oven so the pork roast will remain in the freezer.

Since I have a bowl full of home-grown San Marzano and yellow grape tomatoes, I decided to make a very light tomato, cauliflower and saffron sauce. I might even throw in a few albondigas.

I have been buying all different flours to experiment with, making breads, pastas and desserts. Today I chose buckwheat flour so in a way I will be making soba noodles, just not round like spaghetti but flat like fettuccine.

Homemade Buckwheat Fettucine
* 1 cup AP flour
* 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
* 1 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons water
* 1 tablespoon EVOO

In processor, run the flour to mix. Add the oil and while the machine is running, add the egg mixture until it comes away from the sides of the bowl and forms a loose ball. Remove and knead with bend flour until it comes together. Wrap in saran and let rest at least 30 minutes (at this point you can freeze it for later use).

I like the buckwheat pasta but I need to up the ratio of AP to Buckwheat Flour from 3:1 to 4:1 because the noodles broke, they were not pliable enough but the flavor was nice and nutty. They went well with the cauliflower.

Cauliflower and Saffron Sauce
* 2 cups roasted cauliflower
* Pinch of saffron
* 1 cup chicken stock, heated
* 5 yellow grape tomatoes
* 4 San Marzano tomatoes, chopped
* 1/2 cup chopped onions
* 2 teaspoons of anchovy paste or 3 anchovies, mashed
* EVOO
* 1 cup Pecorino cheese, grated

Saute onions, tomatoes and garlic in EVOO until softened. Put saffron in heated stock to seep. Add anchovy to pan and saute until incorporated. Add stock with saffron, stir and simmer 5 minutes. Add pasta and cheese and toss together. Plate and serve.

Today is Compound Butter day

I see that the end of summer is nearing and before my herbs go completely to seed I want to harvest and make compound butters.

First thing you have to do is get a list of ingredients, then the recipes and then start chopping and mincing and grating into small bowls. Leave a pound of butter on the counter overnight to soften, and round up the wax paper, saran wrap or cup you are going to use to freeze the butters in.

I use 2oz condiment cups, write the name on the outside and place in a zip bag then they all go into a gallon zip and into the freezer. This way I can just pull out the bag and grab what I need.
Since each cup contains 2 ounces that's enough for 2 people.
I will use 4 tablespoons butter for each blend and get 4 cups of each for a total of 8 different butters. That will get me through the winter when I want to add a nice finishing touch to a roast, pasta, chicken and fish.


My chives are looking pretty wilted from massive lack of rain. I might hold off using them until after Sunday when it is supposed to rain here. I could water them but would have to wait a day anyways. All I need to chop is my basil, zest and juice lemons and limes, and chop up sun-dried tomatoes, capers and roasted hatch and red peppers.



Clockwise from upper left : Lemon, lemon zest, shallots, basil, chives, oregano, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.

I am not making any butters that require dried herbs or vegetables because I can do that in the colder months. I need to use up my fresh NOW.

Southwest Butter
Chipotle powder
Lime Juice
Tequila
Triple Sec
Cumin
Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper

Maitre D'Hotel Butter
Parsley
Thyme
Shallots
Lemon Juice
Lemon Verbana
Garlic
Salt & Pepper

Greek Butter
Fresh Oregano
Chives
Lemon Juice
Lemon Zest
Basil
Garlic
Salt

Nicoise Butter
Capers
Lemon Zest
Anchovy Paste
Garlic
Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Salt & Pepper

For dinner tonight I grilled rib-eye steaks and made a Caramelized Onion & Thyme Butter for them and a smoked bleu cheese, tomato and romaine salad.

Baked Penne with Cauliflower and Creme Fraiche

I love this dish, not just because it tastes great, but cauliflower is excellent for nutrition and a diabetic should eat it every day, that's how good it is. I make it at least once a month, sometimes substituting broccoli or squash.

I bought this huge head of cauliflower this week, on sale for $1.69 each (not a pound....EACH....and that baby weighed 3 pounds). I am freezing 2/3 of it for later.

I used Dreamfield's penne.

If you don't have creme fraiche you can make it mixing equal parts buttermilk and cream, leaving it overnight on the counter, or use light sour cream.

Cheesy Baked Penne with Cauliflower and Creme Fraiche
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Makes 8 servings

* 1 head cauliflower, cut into 1" florets
* 2 large tomatoes
* 5 tablespoons butter, divided
* 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
* Kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons WW flour
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream
* 3 cups coarsely grated Comte cheese or 1/2 Gruyere-1/2 Fontina) divided
* 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, also divided
* 1 cup creme fraiche
* 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon
* 10 ounces penne
* 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Cook cauliflower in large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Using large sieve, transfer cauliflower to bowl. Add tomatoes to water and cook 1 minute to loosen peels.. Remove and peel and dice. Reserve water to cook penne in.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower, saute until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, green onions and season with salt & pepper. Remove from heat.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir 4 minutes. Gradually whisk in cream. Cook until sauce thickens, Add 2 cups cheese, whisk until melted and sauce is smooth. Whisk in 1/2 cup Parmesan then creme fraiche and mustard. Season with salt & pepper.

Bring reserved pot of water back to a boil and cook penne, drain. Add to cauliflower and sauce.

Butter baking dish. Spoon half of penne mix in and top with 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining pasta mix and 1/2 cup cheese. Melt butter in small skillet and add breadcrumbs and toss to coat. Sprinkle over pasta.

Preheat oven to 350F and bake, uncovered 35 minutes, until bubbly.



I am entering this dish in Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice's Saturday Side Dish Showdown. You should come over there and check it out.

Pluot Crisp with Oatmeal Streusel

The minute I saw this in the current issue of Food and Wine magazine, I had to make it right away. I have been collecting crisp recipes since the summer fruits started to appear in my market. They pretty much all looked the same, except this one.
A chef and restaurateur came down with pancreatitis and had no choice but to change his diet. Well, you should read the article yourself, but the gist of it is, his new diet is that of a diabetic. I will tell you that this was delicious, crispy and a healthier version all rolled into one. I halved the recipe to make only 4 and it divided perfectly. I did not have nectarines or plums, I had just bought pluots (never had them, thought I would try them). They actually taste like an apricot married a plum.



Pluot Crisp with Oatmeal Streusel
Adapted from Food and Wine
Makes 8 ramekins or 8 servings

Filling:
* 1/2 cup golden raisins (I used dried cherries)
* 1 cup hot water
* 3/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar blend
* 1/4 cup Splenda No Calorie
* 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
* 6 ripe nectarines, cut into 1/2" wedges
* 6 ripe plums, cut into 1/2" wedges
or
* 3 large pluots or 6 small ones, cut into 1/2" wedges, then halved into chunks

Streusel:
* 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
* 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
* 1/3 cup oat flour, can use AP flour
* 4 tablespoons non-butter spread (Smart Balance, ICBINB blend or Land o' Lakes Spread)
* 2/3 cup Splenda Brown Sugar blend
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a bowl, soak the raisins in the hot water for 20 minutes; drain. Stir in the sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, lemon juice and orange juice. Fold in the nectarines and plums. Scrape the fruit into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish or 8 ramekins. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine the oats, flours, sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon. Work in the butter blend. Press the streusel into clumps and sprinkle over the fruit. Bake the crisp for 30 minutes, until the fruit is tender and the topping is golden. Let cool for 20 minutes, then serve.

I think today is a good day to clean out the fridge.

It's the day before we go to NYC to see the King Tut Exposition and lunch at Esca's (a Batali, Bastianich production) and I really do not need to make another meal until I get rid of the mounds of Zippys in my fridge. It is humid, though cool, a good day for baking a casserole. Tomorrow I was going to talk The Nudge into going over to Mesa Grill for cocktails after lunch but I think leaving the city and drinking closer to home is a much wiser choice and since I am 1 year wiser.....sigh, I prevail.

I have meatballs, sausages, an eggplant, roasted peppers, spaghetti sauce, mozzarella.....hmmmmmm. Sandwiches or Baked Ziti? hmmmmmmm.

This is a tough one, the sandwiches require less work on my part but the baked macaroni can also be a leftover for me and my Dad next week. The Nudge will be gone and even though I can cook what I want, I will prefer leftovers to eat at my desk while researching recipe statistics for my cookbook.
Can I hear a cheer and a pat on the back for stretching the "wiser" button?....lol.


I found the last of a box of whole wheat ziti and pipette along with regular ziti to make 2 cups of pasta. I started the WW 6 minutes earlier than the regular. I drained and tossed the last of my spaghetti sauce with it.


A little bit of every meal we had this week....sausages, eggplant, peppers, meatballs and onions. Chopped into bit sized pieces.


Everything mixed together.


I made a basic bechamel sauce and added grated Locatelli cheese. I cut up a half block of mozarella into small cubes and stirred half of that in and the other I sprinkled on top. I will grate more cheese on the top, dot it with butter and bake until GB&D, about 45 minutes. The last 15 minutes I will bake the rolls, also. and.......
dinner is served.

Today is my Birthday and I'll cook what I want too....

Happy Birthday, Me!!

I got the cutest card from my kitties. Made me laugh at loud. Lately my male cat has figured out he can nab the birds on my bird feeder. Who knew he could jump so high? He's our clumsy one, and ChaCha practically walks on water. He's been to the vet's for a splinter in his paw, he has a weepy eye we have to treat with an antibiotic, he's fallen on a fence and punctured his tush, he ate a venomous bug and his throat swelled up (another vet visit, blood test to check his liver for any damage) and he's fallen off the roof of our neighbor's shed. We love him to death but he's costing us a fortune in vet bills. My husband likes to tell me.....
Boys will be Boys

Now, my little angel, does nothing wrong, well.....maybe not nothing.
I call her the Mayor of Hopatcong. She visits everyone, makes the rounds, stops in for a nosh, never comes when she's called and she hates to be picked up unless you have a cookie. Miraculously, strange things happen to my kitty when she sees a Greenie. She's the cat of your dreams. She will do anything for a cookie.
She weighs all of 5 pounds, more than half her brother's weight of 12 pounds and her nose is smaller then my pinkie nail.
Love her to death but it might just be mine.
She has spent the night up a tree, chased by doggies she was taunting, we think she got into someones garage because she didn't show up for 12 hours (I was a wreak), she catches chipmunks bigger then her head and proudly brings them home. I have woken up to a chippy staring at me from the other side of the pillows.

I started the tradition of giving The Nudge a funny cat card and then a mushy card from me and he picked up on it, so this morning my card from my cats said......
A little birdie told us you're turning another year today.open card
But don't worry ---we made sure he won't be telling anyone else.

After the titmouse he brought me yesterday, this was such an appropriate card.

I made myself breakfast and not just a peanut butter corn muffin.
A real breakfast, the kind I only cook on Sundays.

For dinner tonight I decided to grill shrimp and squash with a really blue cheesy salad. After all it's my party and I'll cook what I want to........


I wrapped summer squash in apple wood smoked bacon....Yum


I always wanted to try Polenta Croutons, so I made a batch of Hominy Grits, which I flavored with Parmesan cheese and salt & pepper.
I spread it out in the smallest flat pan I had which would also allow the croutons to be 1/3" thick. This is all I had. I let it set-up and then cut it into 1" squares.

Hominy Croutons
* 2 cups water
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup quick cooking grits
* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Boil water, add salt, then whisk in grits.
Cook on low, stirring occasionally for 12-15 minutes. Add in cheese and spread evenly in a small baking dish. Let cool and set for about 2 hours. Slice into squares.


I floured them in pepper seasoned oat flour but I do suppose you could use cornstarch like the Chinese do (I will have to try that next time, and there will be a next time). Do not skip this step. Cornmeal or polenta will spit and spatter when fried in oil. The flour helps keep the spitting down to a minimum. I fried them in a saute pan until they were GB&D about 5 minutes on each side. They might look like nothings happening, but do not walk away, it happens all at once.

I am definitely entering these in this weeks Corn Side-Dish Showdown at Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice.
I had to stop myself from eating them before dinner. Boy, are these good.
The Nudge should love these because he doesn't eat bread croutons.
Will let you know what he thinks, I'm betting he eats them and goes for seconds.


I made a salad of mixed summer greens, blue cheese, my homegrown yellow grape tomatoes and, of course, the croutons.



I made a tangerine glaze for the shrimp, cut them down the back to clean them but left the shells on. They grill better (no sticking), the shells protect them from flare-ups and they impart extra flavor (all good things).

Tangerine Glaze
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1/2 cup fresh tangerine juice
* 5 strips tangerine zest
* 1/2 cup agave nectar
* 3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
* 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
* 3 scallions (white parts only, crushed
* 3 slices (1/4" thick) fresh ginger, crushed
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 star anise

Place all the ingredients and boil until mixture is thick and slightly syrupy. Strain the glaze into a bowl and use right away.

The bacon wrapped squash was really good. Even though I bought small ones, next time I will cut them lengthwise into quarters and wrap each quarter. More bacon flavor that way. The Nudge stopped eating it when the bacon was gone, so yes, more bacon.....lol

* excellent diabetic recipe, no carbs and low GI but loaded with flavor.

Albondigas or as I like to call them Mexican Porcupines

I am testing out a recipe for Albondigas but purists will take one look at the ingredients and say..No Way, Jose!
First, I use ground chicken and pork. Mexican meatballs have to be pork. The chicken is in there to make it more healthier.
1 pound of each.










I then use something unique. I make my sofrito with 1 (16oz) Birdeye frozen bag of stir fry peppers and onions.
I saute them in canola oil until there is no liquid in the pan.















I then grate a small zucchini, salt it and add that to the fry pan.
Yes, again till the liquid is gone and there is brownage starting to form on the bottom of the pan. We want that, it is flavor. Add some salt & pepper and remove to your processor bowl.
When cool, process with 1 cup cilantro and 3 cloves of garlic.
In a small saucepan, boil 2 cups salted water with 1/2 cup brown basmati rice for 20 minutes. Drain and cool.

To a big mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup egg substitute, 3 tablespoons good chili powder, 1/2 the sofrito, the meat and the rice.

To make the simmering broth, saute the remaining sofrito in canola oil, add 3 cloves of sliced garlic, 1 container of chicken and 1 container of beef broths, 1 (14oz) can tomato sauce, and bring to a boil.

Using a small scoop (I believe it is a #1) drop scoops into simmering broth and cook for 30 minutes. I do this in batches. Meatballs will float to the top so do not overload the saucepan. You should be able to do it in 2 batches.

I did not actually count them but I would say 100???

They are very flavorful, tender and store well. I am giving my Dad a quart container of meatballs and then topping it with the broth, which by the way, gets better the more meatballs you simmer in it.

* This is an excellent dish for Diabetics. There is no bread in the meatballs, just the sofrito and egg substitute. The all vegetable sauce is a wonderful sauce to freeze for other uses. The GI and GL are 0 for both the meatballs & sauce. Enjoy!!


Now, talking about respecting the heritage of a dish and not wanting to change a classic, what I would say, comfort food. It is comfort food, like meatballs and spaghetti, and meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Can you have a meatloaf without meat??? I suppose you could, but then shouldn't you call it meat inspired loaf?

I recently ran into a unique situation and I am going to run a survey each month, foods of the 50's 60's and the new retro, nitro foods of the 21st century. We have tagged cute litle names on just about everything new and in the news lately, I wonder how people really feel about changing a classic. So, starting tomorrow, on my birthday, if you would like to fill out the survey on the side panel, I would appreciate it.