Two Root Coulis- Using Celery, the youth and beauty food

I’ll have to say that this book is my “bible ” of sorts when it comes to health. Whenever I have a few spare moments , I read a section or two and bookmark recipes to try; I even underline important nutrient information.

Two Root Coulis- With celery

1 celery root (about 1 lb ,peeled and chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 carrots , peeled and chopped

2 cups vegetable broth

Place potatoes in medium saucepan, add cold water to cover.  Bring to boil, cook until tender ( 15 minutes).  Drain and mash using a food mill, electric mixer, or hand-held masher.

In a second saucepan, combine celery root and carrots.  Add cold water to cover.  Bring to boil and cook until tender (about 15 minutes).  Drain. Combine the two mixtures.  Puree’ ( with blender).  Serve vegetable or pasta. 

Variation : Substitute parsnips ( a close relative) for carrots. ver hot steamed veg

Note: A coulis is a thick puree.

From the Super zfoods book, by Frances Sheridan Goulart.

Recipe Corn Casserole

The best Corn Casserole

Serves 6

1 can ( 16 oz ) yellow cream style corn

1 cup biscuit mix

1 egg, beaten

2 Tablespoons salad oil

1/2 cup milk

1  can (4 or 5 oz) green chili peppers, drained and cut

6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese ,sliced

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients, mixing well.  Spread half of the mixture in greases 8 x 8 x 2 inch pan.

Cover with green chili peppers and sliced cheese.   Spread remaining batter over all.   Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes in 400 degree oven or until browned.

By Harriet Lang Worsham of the cookbook ” This Little Higgy Stayed Home” .

Ingredients:

Happy Sunday everyone!  I’m counting the days until the official start of spring. One thing is certain,  my ” sock-liner” socks have just been put away because I don’t expect to see any cold temperatures into the 20 degrees range from now on.   Bring on Spring!!! Easter will be here in just four weeks.

Saturday Evening Supper menu:

Turkey and Cheese  Pie

Frosted Cauliflower

Honey Biscuits ( No recipe)

Turkey “n” cheese Pie

This is a ” Made over ” entrée!  Original recipe was beef “n” cheese pie.

To lighten the recipe , I used ground turkey instead of ground beef, and low-fat sharp cheddar cheese.  For those on low-sodium dietary restrictions, use garlic powder instead of garlic salt.  As We do not care for onions, we omitted the onions.

1 1/4 pounds ground beef ( I substituted ground turkey)

1/3 cup chopped onions or 3 to 4 tsp instant minced onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 8 ounce can cut green beans ,drained

1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes

 1/4 tsp garlic salt 

1/4 -1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls ( substitute what you have on hand, we had honey biscuits, which were sliced in half and placed on the bottom of the glass pie dish).

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

paprika

1 8 ounce can ( 1 cup) tomato sauce with mushrooms ( I used plain tomato sauce, you could add a small can 4 oz. size  of cut mushrooms , stems and pieces. 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.   In large fry pan , brown your meat, onion, and green pepper; drain fat.  Stir in tomato sauce, green beans garlic salt and salt.  

Simmer while preparing crust. Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles in ungreased 9 -inch pie pan. ; press over bottom and up sides to form  the crust.  Sprinkle with paprika, parsley and remaining cheese. 

Bake 20 to 25 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. 

Refrigerate left-overs.  Makes 5-6 servings.

Frosted Cauliflower:

1 large head of cauliflower ( or frozen cauliflower)

boiling salted water

salt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1/4 cup shredded  ” low-fat” sharp cheese

Precook cauliflower for 12- 15 minutes in boiling salted water

Or Steam in the top of a Steamer  pot 

Drain and place in an ungreased shallow baking pan.  Sprinkle with salt. 

Combine mayonnaise and mustard.  Spread over cauliflower.

Top with cheese.  Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, ir until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Serves 4. 

Tip:  Cauliflower may be reheated by wrapping in aluminum foil and baking at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. 

References:

Recipes adapted from this cookbook that I purchased at a library/ town sale.

“Home Cookin for the King of the Road” 1976  ( from issues of Road King Magazine – which is the first time I’ve heard of. ; )

Cooking with Zucchini- Stove top casserole

Good morning. I don’t know about you, but whenever I have a free morning, I’m at the computer, and looking out the window at the sunshine, sipping some green tea.

While talking with mom on the cordless phone,  our conversation went like this.  I was reading a blog recipe aloud where they mentioned Sea Salt as the ingredient for the salad dressing .  (lemon, white vinegar, and sea salt).  Mom asked,” which one is better Sea salt  or Table Salt? ” If there’s a question, Google has the answer. She was amazed , how fast the computer works.

Sea salts retain the trace elements while table salt has been processed to remove trace elements and include additives.

Table salt is processed to remove trace elements while sea salts, in general, leave these in.  These minerals are indeed important in our diets, but in sea salt they exist in what the Mayo Clinic describes as “insignificant amounts.” Chances are you are getting the same minerals in greater quantities in the fruits and vegetables that you eat.

Mom then posed the question about Salt mines. Where are they located?

Google again.

“The oldest salt mine known to date located in Azerbaijan, Duzdagi mine”

“In order to understand these interactions, CNRS researcher Catherine
Marro and her team have been exploring the Araxes basin (Turkey, Iran,
Azerbaijan) for the last ten years or so. The archeologists have been
focusing particularly on the Duzdagi (4) salt mine situated in
Azerbaijan, more specifically beside the old medieval Silk Road linking
Tabriz (in the north west of Iran) with Constantinople.”

“To the researchers’ surprise, intensive salt production was carried out in this mine at least as early as 3500 BC.”

The economic and symbolic importance of salt in ancient and medieval
times is well-known. Recent discoveries have shown that salt most
probably played a predominant role in protohistoric societies, in other
words those that preceded the appearance of writing.  How is salt
obtained? The two most widely used techniques are based on the
extraction of rock salt, in other words a sedimentary deposit containing
a high concentration of edible salt (2), and the collection of sun-dried
salt in salt marshes, for example.”

http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=90605&CultureCode=en

Mom then said, “Well those mines are older than the Coal mines of Pennsylvania. ”

Stove Top Casserole

zucchini 4 cups sliced

Vegetable oil 3 Tablespoons

Garlic cloves, 2 crushed

salt and freshly ground pepper

spaghetti sauce, 1  16 ounce can, heated

mozzarella cheese, 3/4 pound thinly sliced

oregano, 1 teaspoon, crushed

basil 1/4 tsp

In a large Teflon skillet, saute zucchini slices, 1 cup at a time in 1 tablespoon oil with garlic.

Cook until almost tender and a little brown; drain on paper towels.  pour off any excess oil; then layer hot zucchini in skillet, season lightly with salt and pepper , and spreading each layer with some of the hot spaghetti sauce and sliced mozzarella cheese.  Cover top layer with cheese and sprinkle with herbs.   Cover and cook very slowly until mixture is just bubbly and cheese is melted.

 Serves 6.

Reference: The Zucchini Cookbook by Paula Simmons.

Carrot Soup

Carrot Soup

This afternoon, I was looking for a carrot soup recipe in  my classic cookbooks,  ( basic  – “Betty Crocker”, and Good Housekeeping Cookbook), and did not have success.  I’ve actually collected many more books.   I suspected, I ‘d have to check my Vegetarian type cookbooks.   Ahh , success.

From the Moosewood Cookbook from my mother’s collection is the following recipe.

Carrot Soup

Prep time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:                                                     4-5 servings

2 pound carrots, peeled and scrubbed, and chopped

4 cups stock or water

1 1/2 tsp salt

optional : 1 medium potato, chopped ( for heartier soup)

Bring to a boil.  Cover and Simmer 12-15 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature.

Next, Saute  in 3-4 TBSP butter with a little salt, 1 cup chopped onion, 1-2 small cloves crushed garlic, 1/3 cup chopped cashews or almonds until onions are clear.

Puree everything together in a blender until smooth.   Return the puree to a kettle or double-boiler and whisk in one of the following:

You choose:

1 cup milk

1 cup yogurt or buttermilk plus a little honey

1/2 pint heavy cream

or  3/4 cup sour cream

Now heat this very slowly, ( this means on low flame and keep a careful eye on it, so as not to scorch your pan!)

Here are seasoning combinations to choose from:

2 pinches of nutmeg, 1/2 tsp dried mint, dash of cinnamon

or 1/2 to 1 tsp thyme, marjoram, basil,

or 1 tsp fresh grated ginger root, sautéed in butter plus a dash of Sherry, (add just before serving.)

Garnish with grated apple or toasted nuts or sour cream.

For my afternoons’ soup creation, I chose the nutmeg , and cinnamon combination.   I tasted a couple small spoonfuls and it is delicious.   I put the rest in the fridge for later or tomorrow’s supper.

Potato Provencal, recipe

Once the dog days of summer have left and September’s cool weather is here, I ‘m ready to get back to the kitchen and start baking more often with my oven.

There is so much variety when your taste buds tell you to make potatoes.   Red skin potatoes have a thinner skin and are a little quicker to peel than a baking potato,or a  sweet potato.

I don’t recall how this cookbook called, “A taste of Heaven and Earth, a Zen Approach to cooking and eating”, came into my house; perhaps one of my mom’s book collection.  With this title, I think I’ll do some yoga poses after I’m finished, a  Sun Salutation, tree pose, dog or cat pose.   I love the spa close to my house, they have a very serene spa classroom; I just wish they were open on a Wednesday!

Now, its recipe time!

This casserole dish is rich with a variety off Mediterranean flavors.

Ingredients:

1 pound new red potatoes.sliced 1/3 in thick

3 TBSP olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium  red onions,sliced thin

1 TBSp crushed fresh lovage or fresh sage( eek what is lovage?)

1 TBSp chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp tamari

freshly ground pepper

4 tomatoes, thinly sliced in half (about 3/4 lb)

1 cup pitted and halved black olives ( on Sunday after a baby shower, I took my mom shopping to a Dollar store and she wanted me to buy a can of olives!-however, I said, Pat said our pantry is full!)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese ( as my co-worker  ,Italian Frank just said yesterday that fresh grated Cheese is the best! , have you read the pre-grated variety container?-all the additives!)

Finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Cook the potatoes by steaming them for 5 minutes or until halfway cooked and still firm.  Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in a small skillet.  Saute’ the garlic, onions, and herbs over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently.  When the onions become translucent, remove from the heat.   In a medium bowl, carefully mix the cooked potatoes with the onions.  Season with tamari and freshly ground pepper.

Assemble all the ingredients in a 2 quart casserole ( mine is a yellow Pyrex that my grandmother gave to me):

Place half the potatoes and onions in the bottom of the dish, cover with half the tomatoes and olives, and top with 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.  Continue layering in this order until all ingredients are used.

Bake in the oven, covered loosely with foil, for 30 minutes.  Uncover and continue to bake for 20 minutes, until brown on top.  Garnish with parsley.

Serves 4.

Cookbook: A taste of Heaven and Earth   by Bettina Vitale

This Casserole dish

Celery & Soffritto

Celery,  I ask , what do I do  with two bunches of celery?

Last week after making a delicious soup of  quartered potatoes , carrots ,  ” Smart choice ”  elbows pasta, and celery simmered in chicken broth,  I commented that I had used the LAST of the celery.   Unbeknownst to me, my husband bought celery last Saturday and this week, I bought another bunch of the same root vegetable.   While I’ve got your attention, I’ll share  a recipe that is used by Italians.

“Soffritto” is the base for many Italian dishes.

a mixture of some diced vegetables which are cooked in a heavy pan with three tablespoons of olive oil (although some other kinds of oil and fat are also been used) until they reach a consistency which is defined as “under (sub) fried”. This means that we should not overcook those vegetables or caramelise them, unless it is a specific recipe which calls for that.

Soffritto:

The basic recipe requires the following ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, small dice

1 clove garlic, flattened and chopped

salt and pepper to taste

The onion is sautéed in the oil for about 12 minutes until it becomes transparent.

During the last 2 minutes, you add the garlic and keep on cooking it.

In Northern Italy, 2 sticks of celery and 2 carrots, all diced, are added to the onion.

Many other vegetables, all diced, such as zucchini, mushrooms, aubergines, etc. can also be added.

Then your base is ready and you may add cooked meat, chicken or even seafood.

To turn this into a ragu, you add

1 large tin of tomato puree (or a tin of tomatoes, chopped)

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

herbs to taste

(If you are not using the balsamic vinegar, add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar)

and cook thoroughly for a few more minutes.

You can also add chopped olives, capers, anchovies….. there are many variations.

This can be a sauce for pasta, polenta and for many stews.

Which is your favourite sauce which starts with a “soffritto“?

Reposted from http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy/

Another Celery dish:

You can cut each stalk in half, braise it in simmering water with a piece of thyme, a clove of garlic and a spill of olive oil until tender, then eat it as is with another spill of (good) olive oil and another pinch of salt, or reduce a cup of cream with same stuff, whole garlic clove, sprig of thyme, pinch of salt by about 1/3, and then pour over celery in oven proof dish. Stick into a 350 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.

GIada  DeLaurantes makes a great salad with celery mushrooms and parmesan. Very simple salad with a light vinegraitte  🙂 I  think it’s at foodnetwork.com. Make some grilled chicken and pair it with the salad. You should be able to use a couple of stalks with that.

In New Orleans , onions, celery,  carrots  cooked in this way are referred to as the “Holy Trinity” and form the basis, along with the French Roux, for most of the Cajun dishes for which the area is so famous.

MIDWEST Chow Mein:

Take the remainder of your celery and cut into bite site pieces.   Include flower bits as well.)   Heat up a large pan.   Add some oil.   When hot add some ground pork or ground turkey meat. (1 lb. or so).

When the meat is cooked, add the celery and enough stock (or water if no stock) to just cover.

You can add mushrooms if you like them.

Add a bit of molasses (for color, to darken it) and soy sauce (for salt) to taste.

Make a cornstarch slurry – mixing cornstarch with cold water or cold stock. When the mixture comes to a boil, add the slurry, let it come back to a boil and then turn off the heat.

Then add some bean sprouts if you have them.

Serve, over store-bought Chow Mein noodles (the dry crispy kind, ie, (La Choy) and some rice if you like. Add some cashews on top for more zest.

This, in the Midwest is “Chow Mein.”

Sippity Sup has a recipe for celery,

Italian Mushroom and Celery Heart Salad Serves 4

• 1⁄2 lb Crimini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 10 pale inner celery stalks with their leaves from a couple of bunches if necessary
• 1 lemon juiced
• 2 tsp  lemon zest
• 4 t  very good olive oil
• 4 t  kosher salt
•  pecorino-romano cheese , to taste
•  coarsely ground black pepper

Put the sliced mushrooms into a large bowl.

Pick of all the leaves from the celery and add those to the same bowl. Thinly slice the remaining celery stalks on a diagonal 1/8″  thick.   Add them to the bowl and toss to combine.

Whisk together the lemon juice, zest, olive oil and salt until well combined.

Pour the dressing over the celery and mushroom mixture, tossing to coat. Shave large thin sections of cheese on top of the salad with a vegetable peeler. Topping it all with a good helping of coarse black pepper.

http://www.sippitysup.com/italian-mushroom-celery-heart-salad-my-past-life-yours

MakingSense says,  I serve it as a winter vegetable frequently.

• Celery is wonderful braised in a little chicken stock. Add a knob of butter just at the end if you like. Dash of nutmeg. Sprinkle of flat-leaf parsley.
  Excellent steamed with lemon and dill.
  A little browned butter, slivered almonds and bread crumbs.
  Blue cheese and walnuts.

  Health Benefit Of Celery

  The medical quality of celery was first described by the Greeks Discorides and Pliny.    The green leaves, stem and the bulbous root of celery are all extremely rich & makes celery a very important medicinal plant.
  It contains balanced minerals, vitamins & nutrients & its oil has strong smell due to concentrations of plant hormones.    The existence of essential oils makes celery special.  They are also found in the seeds & can be added to the juice also. These oils have a specific effect on the regulation of the nervous system, and have a great calming influence.
  A tablespoonful of honey in celery juice, sipped slowly, will very effectively reduce the appetite if taken before a meal, and makes a delightful drink. It will also help in reducing their weight.

  You can take the same mixture as a nightcap; it will help you to relax into a soothing and restful sleep. So those who have a problem of sleeplessness must enjoy the sound sleep after having this yummy health drink.

  The strong water removing powers of celery enable it to be used in the control of health problems such as arthritis, stone, liver problems and rheumatism.

  Calories In Celery: 1 cup or 100 gms of celery has only 14 calories

Recipe-Baked Red Beets

The beet, whose roots and leaves are both edible is that rarity among plant foods- a root vegetable with a second super healing leafy green vegetable attached as quoted in the book Super Healing Foods. This book has a wealth of information. The healing power is in your kitchen.

BAKED RED BEETS– The baked apple/baked potato Alternative

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

  Scrub two large fresh beets.  Cut off leaves and stems about one inch above beet top.  Pat dry.  Rub each beet with a little olive or canola oil and sprinkle with a few drops of water.  Place in a baking dish and cover with baking parchment paper or foil. 

Roast 45 minutres or until tender.

Serve as you would a baked apple or baked potato (spud) with a dab of yogurt (instead of sour cream) and a sprinkle of Super Healing salt. (see recipe).  Makes 2 servings.

Benefits of eating beets:

Beetroots have a rich supply of beta-carotene (22,700 IU) and organic mineral salts that speed tissue repair, detoxify the blood stream, and nourish the circulation that feed every living cell in the body.  Beets are also good brain and antifatigue food.  They are high in two amino acids (glutamine and asparagine), betaine ( a vitamin-like substance that aids brain function), and B-complex vitamins, especially folate, the antidepression vitamin.

Benefits of Beet greens:

Beet green rank in the five top rated sources of three anti-aging pigment anti -oxidants:

1.  The flavenoids, which produce “vitamin P” activity for strengthening the immune system, and the joint structures and vascular system.

2.  the alpha and beta ani-cancer carotenes.

3..chlorrophhl, the fat soluble substance that stimulates hemoblobin and red blood cell production ( and is useful in relieving heavy menstrual flow) , and provides protection from free radical threats to the immune system.

Beet greens also contain calcium, potassium, iron, and vitamins A and C, they are essential to any healthy heart program.

 Buying and storing:

The way to tell if the beets are good quality is if they have fresh-looking greens attached (slightly fabby greens can be restored to freshness if refrigerated in water).  The roots should be firm, smooth, and the color a vibrant purple. The younger the root, the richer the nutritional rewards.

Smaller beets are best for juicing, larger ones for steaming, baking, pickling, etc. 

Beets can be stored for three to five days in the refrigerator or with greens removed, two to four weeks.

Note: My maternal family heritage was in the coal-mining regions of Pennsylvania in Schulkul county.  When I spoke of this recipe, my mother relayed to me that growing up that had cooked red beets , as well as pickled beets that her mother and grandmother prepared themselves to be canned and placed in their root cellar.  She recall that on Fridays they  frequently had  potatoes, baked in a large pan ( recipe Koshie).

Soup- Vermont Butternut Soup

Vermont Butternut Soup

One of my favorite culinary memories is dining out and eating butternut squash soup at a restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia called “Bilbo Baggins.”

This is not their recipe, however I like to read recipe books to replicate it.  Since then , I enjoy the taste of  butternut squash soup each fall season taking me through winter.

Prep: 20 minutes             Cook 45 minutes                                                            Serves 12

Maple syrup brings out the best butternut flavor. 

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

3 tablespoons flour

4 cups warm chicken stock

1 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut in large cubes (about 9 cups)

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1  1/2 cups  milk

1/2 cup light cream

2 tablespoons maple syrup or to taste

Directions:

In a large kettle melt butter and add onion and carrot.  Cook over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes, until onions are tender. 

Sprinkle with flour and continue cooking for 3 minutes while stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and blend in warmed chicken stock.  

Add squash, garlic, and parsley, and simmer  covered for 45 minutes.  Cool.  Puree in batches in blender or food processor.

 

Transfer to kettle, add milk, cream, and syrup, and heat through.

 Make Ahead:

May be frozen in an airtight container after pureeing but before adding milk, cream, and syrup.  If not using full amount of frozen soup, or if planning to freeze some of it, use 1/2 cup squash puree, 1 teaspoon syrup, 2 tablespoons milk, and 2 teaspoons cream per person.

 

 

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