Soft Polenta with white bean, squash and sage ragout

This is a little more time consuming than the other recipes, but not bad and WELL worth the effort. Enjoy with a nice crisp green salad

6 servings

For the ragout:

2T olive oil
1 large onion diced
3c winter squash peeled and roughly chopped-butternut, red kuri, etc.
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1" piece of ginger peeled and minced
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
3 c cooked white beans
1T fresh sage minced or 1t dried
fresh black pepper

For the Polenta

6c water
1t salt
3/4c fine yellow grits
3/4c yellow cornmeal
parmesan cheese optional

Ragout: heat oil in heavy pot, add onion and pinch of salt and saute 5 mins, until soft. Add squash, garlic and ginger and saute 5 mins-don't brown. Stir in tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Add beans and sage and reduce to low heat and simmer, covered, for 25-30mins. Add water if ragout gets too thick.

Polenta: In heavy saucepan over high heat bring water to a boil (can use veg broth), add salt. In a bowl combine grits and cornmeal and mix well. While stirring water slowly add the corn mix and whisk smooth. Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 25 mins, stirring from time to time until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan. I make mine in my rice cooker and walk away, works great. Contrary to poplular belief polenta does not need to be constantly stirred. Serve in shallow bowl with ragout on top.

385 cals/ 6g fat/71g carbs/15g protein

Roasted Cauliflower with Peppers and Cumin

I make a huge batch of this and often toss in any other items hanging out in the crisper. The cumin is a nice aromatic and doesn't add a lot of heat. For more spice add a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes. I serve this over pasta or rice.

4 Servings

3T fresh lemon juice
1T Olive oil
1t sea salt
1t cumin seeds
1t ground coriander
1 cauliflower cut into flowerets
1 large red bell pepper seeded and cut into 1" chunks
1 large yellow pepper seeded and cut into 1" chunks
1 package of firm tofu crumbled (not lite)
1/2 c parsley

preheat oven to 450

In large bowl combine lemon juice, oil salt, cumin, coriander whisk to combine. Add veggies and toss well.
Spread veggies on baking sheet sprayed with nonstick and roast for 45mins, stirring every 15mins or so.

Toss with parsley and tofu right before serving.

140 cals/ 7g fat/ 2g sat fat/ 13g carb/9.5g protein

Tuscan White Bean Pate

Use this pate to make a great sandwich. Toast some crusty bread, add arugula, tomatoes-goes great with the Tomato Bisque

serves 4

2c cooked white beans
1t sesami tahini
2 small garlic cloves
2 whole dates, chopped
2t fresh lemon juice
1t white wine vinegar
1/3c water

place all the ingredients in a blender or processor and blend until smooth. Will keep in fridge for 5 days.

171 cals/ 1g fat/ 32g carbs/ 10g protein

Tomato Basil Bisque

serves 6
2T Olive oil
1/2 C chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 c chopped celery
6c vegetable broth
1 15oz can whole tomoatoes
1c chopped fresh basil
1t dried thyme
1/2 t dried oregano
1c cubed tofu

In large oup pot, heat the olive oil and add the onion, garlic and celery. Saute for 5-10 mins, until tender, don't brown.
Add the broth, tomoatoes, basil, thyme and oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 mins stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool. Transfer the soup, and the tofu to a food processor or blender and blend smooth. Gently reheat to eat and add salt and pepper to taste.

120cals/6.5g fat/<1g sat fat/12g carb/ 4.5g protein

MADRAS CURRY CHICKPEAS AND CAULIFLOWER WITH SPINACH

Serves 10

This makes a stewy curry that is a nice compliment to rice or quinoa. There are many curries out there and they will stale in your cupboard, so if you've not gotten a fresh one in over a year go a shopping for a new curry. Curries vary in degree of heat so choose whichever one you fancy. The Capiscum in the curry will help with circulation.

1 large head of cauliflower florets
2T vegetable oil
1 large tart apple,grated
2 large onions, chopped
2T fresh minced ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
2T all purpose flour
4T curry powder
1 14oz can lite coconut milk
1 14oz can lite chicken broth
1 bag of fresh Spinach chopped or 1# frozen
2 cans garbonzo beans
s/p

First set a pot of salted water to boil and cook the cauliflower until crisp/tender, about 3 mins. Remove from water.

In large pot over medium heat add the vegetable oil and sautee garlic and onions until softening then add apple and ginger and sautee another minute. Add the flour and curry to the vegetables and cook for 5 min on medium. This will cook out the flour taste and toast the curry. While stirring add the coconut milk and broth and let this come to a gentle boil and allow to cook for about 3 mins. This will thicken and become gravy like. Add your spinach then the cauliflower and the beans. Allow this to very gently cook for about 15 mins. Taste and add salt and pepper.

Divide evenly between 10 pint containers. Serve with rice.

1 serving -without rice: 170cals, 6g fat, 2g sat fat, 23g carbs, 7g proten

CHIPOTLE CHILI

Makes 10 servings

Far be it from me, a New Englander, to think that I know anything about chili, but this one is quite yummy in my book. You can get chipotle chilis in a can in adobe sauce and worth having on your shelf. The smoky spice is intoxicating. The serving in the photo is in an oversized bowl- it really is quite a lot of food. Pictured are lf corn muffins which I'll post the recipe next week for. Don't be afraid of the tempeh. You'll never realize it's there and it adds the texture of meats. If you're really against tempeh you can substitute ground turkey.

1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 c corn kernals (I often use frozen)
2 14oz cans of kidney beans
1 14oz can of black beans
1 24oz can of Italian crushed tomatoes
1 heafty T of ground cumin
2 chipotle chillis in adobo, minced
1 jalepeno, minced
1 8oz package of tempeh, crumbled
s/p to taste

In large pan, spray with pam and on medium head sautee onions and garlic until just soft, about 5 mins. Add sweet peppers and zucchini and sautee until soft but not overcooked, about 3 mins. Add the crushed tomatoes, beans, spices and hot peppers and stir to combine. When heated add in the corn and tempeh and simmer for about 20 mins on low, stirring often.

If the chili gets too thick you may add in some water or tomato juice to thin. After letting the chili simmer taste and then add salt. The salt will bring out the heat of the peppers, so don't taste until you get them well melded into the chili.

My brother tells a story of a chef he used to work with that would never salt the chili-he didn't believe in it. He would add in a ton of spices to bring out the flavor. More than on unsuspecting customer would add salt and it would blow their head off.

This makes a fairly spicy chili. If you not into fire omit the jalepeno and only half the chipotle. If after letting it simmer you feel it needs more heat you can add in another chipotle.

Divide the chili into pint containers about 2/3 full. This will leave room to toss in some brown rice on the top and take to work.

1 serving with 1/2c brown rice: 180cals, 2.3g Fat, neg sat fat, 29g Carbs, 10g protein

The offending Apple Pie. My daughter left the note.

HERBY VEGETABLE ROLLS

Makes 20 rolls, 10 servings

It's easy to just dallop some of my weekly herb mix into the vegetables but if you don't have any on hand you can chop up whatever herbs you have and add to veggies as you go. Dried herbs are fine too. Go lightly on things like dried sage which can be overpowering, rosemary too- but pile on the basil!

I recommend getting your mise en place in order before starting to cook. Meaning: chop everything up first!

1....green pepper, chopped
1....red pepper, chopped
2c...red cabbage, shredded
1#..white mushrooms, sliced
1#..shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks....celery, chopped
1....carrot, chopped
2cl...garlic, minced
1sm...red onion
1c...weekly herb mix (see previous recipe) or a chopped mix of basil, oregano, parsley
squeeze of lemon
1/2 block...firm tofu, crumbled
s/p
1pk...whole wheat filo dough, or egg roll wrappers

This recipe makes a pretty good size batch. So to cook the veggies properly I cook them one at a time and then put them into a large bowl. Don't be tempted to over cook the veggies. They will continue to steam in the bowl after you remove them from the pan and they will cook a tad when they get reheated. A little crunch is also more enjoyable so cut your cooking time about 1-2 minutes.

In a med fry pan on medium, lightly spray with pam and sautee the peppers together, then the cabbage, etc. Add more Pam between batches but no need to clean the pan, in fact, don't. Toss in the herb mix and the tofu and gently combine.
Taste the mix when done and adjust seasoning. It better to err on the side of more than less IMO. Nothing bland here. I love to use my weekly herb mix for this but it works just as well with whatever you have on hand. Allow the mix to cool to at least warm.

Prepare the filo dough by cutting it in half, making two fairly square rectangles. If you like your rolls crispy and light you can spray each sheet lightly with Olive oil Pam, but it you're watching fat you can eliminate it. I like it. Filo dough dries out pretty quickly so get yourself set up with a sheet pan, your bowl to the side and a clean open space to work before you begin. It was advisable to put a damp towel on the filo dough that you were not using but I don't do that anymore. It would cause more hassles than good. Just keep moving, it really goes quickly if you set up an assembly line.

starting at the corner (not the bottom edge) place about 4T of cooled filling. pull up the corner and tuck over the filling. Roll a couple of times and then fold over the edges of the filo to make a packet and roll to the end. This will keep the mix tucked in nicely. Lay on a baking tray seam side down. I put parchment on my try, you can use foil or lightly spray the sheet pan. Lightly spray rolls with Pam before baking.

Bake in a 375degree oven for about 15-20 minutes until toasty and golden.

I wrap these into two packet units and put in the freezer. To eat I'll microwave them for 45 seconds and then finish them off in the toaster oven to crisp up.

2 rolls per serving

101 cals, 4.3g fat, .06g sat fat, 12.7 carb, 4.4g protein

SAFFRON POTATO CUPS

Ok, so these are actually twice baked potatoes but I'm afraid that name gives one some preconceived notions of what to expect and it just wouldn't be fair. I served these to Pond and he gave me the "oh, hippy food for dinner" look. This was short lived- these babies are quite wonderful, lighter than you would think and loaded with protein, fiber and flavor.

I make double batches and freeze them. Now Pond frowns when here isn't one in his lunch bag.

Makes 8 servings

4.........russet potoatoes
1/2t ....olive oil
1/2......red onion, diced
1.........celery rib, diced
1.........carrot, diced
1/2c....broccoli florets
1T.......garlic, minced
1 1/2t..oregano, fresh, minced
1/4t.....saffron, crumbled
2oz......firm tofu, crumbled
1/4c.....nonfat cottage cheese, whipped
1/4c.....feta cheese
6..........egg white, large
2T........parsley, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Oven at 375 degrees.

Bake the potatoes for 40-45 mins until thoroughly cooked and then set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.

In sautee pan, heat oil on medium and saute onion, celery and carrot for 3-4 mins. Add the broccoli, garlic, oregano and saffron and cook for another 1-2 mins.

Transfer to large bowl and add the tofu, cottage cheese, feta, egg whites, parsley and s/p. Stir until thoroughly combined. It will be lumpy and funny looking.

When cool enough, cut potatoes in half and scoop out flesh of the potatoes, keeping the skins in tact and save them. Mash them into the vegetable mix thoroughly. You can either finely mash your potatoes or keep them with a bit of texture.

This recipe is also a great conduit for anything that is kicking around in the fridge. Corn kernals, spinach, edamame, etc. Just toss it right in.

Spoon the mix back into the shells and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 mins until golden.

per potato shell: 140 cals, 3.75gFat, 1g Sat Fat, 21.5gcarbs, 9.35g protein

A WORD ABOUT HERBS

There is nothing like the bright tang that parsley can add to a dish. A high note in the culinary chord, and what would pasta be without basil, oregano? But let's face it, herbs can be pricey and I don't know about you, but then wilt and die faster in my fridge than those bananas I just got 2 days ago. I love opening my fridge and seeing my herbs. I like to think of myself as Oh So together as a woman and a cook. A fresh stocked fridge to me is akin to a good hair day. Look! Look world, I can do it! I can bring it home and fry it in a pan! Training, working, being a woman, friend- all that takes time, time that just does not wait for those fragrant herbs going from bright vibrancy to wilty blackness. From kitchen goddess to sad crisper mucker.

I have devised a few tricks that I do with my cache-especially this time of year when the last of the extraordinary herbs like, verbena, cinnamon basil and the like are starting to wane from the farmer's market.

The first is to freeze them. I have packets of herbs in plastic bags that I store on the door of the freezer. I try to destem them first or at least loosen them from bands or ties so I can sneak a pinch with ease. These are best for the woodier herbs like rosemary, oregano, thyme but I freeze everthing. Out of the freezer and defrosted the more tender leaves will be black and soft, so not great for a salad- but cooked into a dish it is a far better cry than dried herbs.

Speaking of dry herbs the next thing I do is to dry my own herbs. For years I used to hang my herbs but hated those dusty mess makers and would often end up tossing them anyway. A better method is to lay the herbs on a tray spread out and put into a turned off oven with a pilot light. Not only to they dry up beautifully but they keep a very nice color as well. So if it's at the end of the dinner and I KNOW I'm not going to get to those babies fresh, I'll pop them into the oven and in the morning pull them out, crumble them and put them into tins on my stove shelf. Warm herb smells first thing in the morning ain't bad, let me tell ya.

Lastly one of my favorite things to do with my herbs. I will make a melange puree and keep it in the fridge. This week was:

1c basil
1/2 c cinnamon basil
1/4c spearmint
1/4c oregano
2c parsley
2 anchovy filets in oil
1/4c fruity Olive Oil
1T capers
2 cloves of garlic
healthy pinch of salt and equally healthy grind of pepper
zest of 1 lemon and it's juice
3/4c water- vary amount to get a smooth paste consistancy- not too watery, keep it paste like.

This yielded about 2 cups of luscious fragrant sauce.

With this mix I can stir it into yogurt for salad dressing, tossed it into my stir fry, mix into your eggs or last night it was the sauce on the roasted fish for dinner. It won't last more than about 5 days-largely because you'll eat it all.

I'm feeling guilty about the cupcake recipe, so here is a recipe for low fat banana bread that you can make into cupcakes too.


Low Fat Banana Bread

2 large eggs
3/4 C sugar
1 C ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 C buttermilk
1T veg oil
1T vanilla
2t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

325 degree oven. 8.5X4.5 loaf pan lightly greased and dusted with flour.

Using mixer beat together eggs and sugar until thick and light- about 5 mins (do this, don't skimp!). Mix in mashed bananas, buttermilk, oil and van. Sift flour, bp, bs and salt and add to mix and gently stir in. Pour into pan.

Bake until golden brown about 45 mins.

I just couldn't abide bad cupcakes! So here is a recipe for Golden Yellow cupcakes. The good news is even though they are not "skinny" they are at least unsaturated fat. I am also including my recipe for buttercream icing. A pain for the average cook to make, but very tasty. You can also freeze it and use it another day. Just let it come to room temp and beat again. If it "weeps" just keep a mixin, it'll come together.

Golden Yellow Cupcakes approx 24 350 degree oven

2.5 C Flour
2.5 t baking powder
.5 t salt

sift and combine these is a seperate bowl.

1.5 C Sugar
3 large eggs, room temp
1 C vegetable oil (canola, not olive)
1 t vanilla

combine these in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

1 C Orange juice, room temp

Stir one third of the flour mixture into the egg batter, then alternate with the OJ and rest of the flour.
Mix smooth but take care not to overbeat. The batter should be glossy and smooth and pretty loose. It will pour rather than lump into the cake cups.

Fill lined cupcake pans 2/3 full. I use a pitcher or a ladle for this. Wipe off any drips which will prevent burning in the oven.

Bake about 15 mins. Every oven is different. After 15 check a cake by touching it with your finger. If it's bouncy and firm it's done, if it's soft and dents give it another minute or two. The cakes get pretty golden but should not get dark. When in doubt slightly underbake a cupcake, those little babies will dry out in no time flat.


A little trick to warm up eggs straight out of the fridge is to set them in warm/hot water for a few minutes while you're assembling the other ingredients. Some other advice is to pull out all your ingredients before you start measuring and mixing. It'll be less stressful.


Gail's Meringue Buttercream icing

5 large egg whites, cold
1.25C granulated sugar
1/3 C hot water
1# sweet butter, cold
1t vanilla (or any other flavoring you like)

Place sugar and water in a small sauce pan and place over high heat. Boil until candy thermometer (sorry, you'll need one of those) reads 238 degrees/soft ball. Turn off heat.

Place egg whites in spotlessly clean grease free mixing bowl with whip attachment. (uh.. you'll need a stand mixer too...) and beat on high until the whites are stiff. Carefully pour sugar syrup over the whites with mixer on high. The sugar is molten lava, so be sure to be distraction free when you do this, and little fingers should definitely be out of the way.

Let the whites with the syrup beat for a few minutes 2-3. It will give off steam, that's ok.

cut up butter and with the mixer on a med/low setting drop the cold butter into the warm meringue.

Leave on low/med and let the butter cream stir down for a few minutes. It might appear soupy at first, it might look "broken", or it might look lumpy- just ignore it and let it go. As it incorporates and comes to room temp it will smooth out into a beautiful creamy consistency. Carefully add flavoring and stir in.

Use buttercream at room temp. You can also add melted and cooled chocolate or white chocolate to this icing.

I'm going to try that photo again and use a different color space. The flowers were beautifl rubies and plum....

These were done for a couple that loved mini cakes. They served them with small bottles of milk. On the disk is a copy of the monogram. Their two last names started with S so it's a double S in a heart shape- very pretty.

They also did a sweets table with whoopie pies, black and white cookies, rice crispy treats, lollipops, candied apples, meringues, and sugar cookies that I made along with jelly beans and licorice- all in reds. When the day was over I looked like Lizzie Borden!

It was a lot of work. 174 of those cakes plus the larger chocolate cake and all those other treats. Not to mention a few other wedding cakes too (all in red, What's up with THAT??). I got an email from them saying everything was fabulous and they loved it. What a relief- makes the umpteen hours well worth it.