Nutty Acorn Squash

Easy baked squash is perfect for fall. Barry loves it with brown sugar, butter, fruit and nuts. So, this recipe is for him. It’s a great side with pork but while I was preparing the squash, he poached salmon and made Veggie Quinoa –we deemed it a yummy food combination.

     I also like to pack the squash cavity with savory fillings, too – that will be another post.

Nutty Acorn Squash    Serves 2

This is a vary-to-your-own taste recipe so the amounts are variable!

1 acorn squash

2 pats (about 1 teaspoon each) soft butter

About 1½ to 2 tablespoons dried cranberries or raisins

2 tablespoons brown sugar

About 2 tablespoons walnuts, coarsely broken

Maple syrup for drizzling – real is ideal but maple-flavored is good, too

1. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Spray lightly with pan release.

2. Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds (a grapefruit spoon is what I use).

3.  Place acorn squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350° oven from about 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender (insert a knife or toothpick to check).

4.  Reposition squash, cavity side up, on baking sheet. Smear about 1 teaspoon butter in each cavity; add dried cranberries or raisins, top with brown sugar and walnuts. Drizzle lightly with maple syrup.

    5. Return to oven to heat through. Or, squash may be set aside and reheated right before serving.

About Acorn Squash

Selection: Choose squash that are heavy for their size and have a hard, deep-colored rind free of blemishes or moldy spots. The hard skin of a winter squash protects the flesh and allows it to be stored longer than summer squash. It does not require refrigeration and can be kept in a cool, dark place for a month or more, depending on the variety.

Cooking Options: Once the seeds are removed, winter squash can be baked, steamed or simmered.

Nutritional Value: They're a good source of iron, riboflavin and vitamins A (more than summer squash) and C.

Other Squash Recipes on our blog . . .

  Crookneck Squash

  Pepper-Chicken w/ Spaghetti Squash

  Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Style

  Saucy Spaghetti Squash

FINGER LICKIN’ MAIN DISH – Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Strips

A homemade alternative to products such as McNuggets with reduced fat and calorie content.

     Dickinson County PAT (Parents As Teachers) participants explored strategies for successful mealtime experiences and put together the components for a nutritious take-home meal during AT THE TABLE workshops held on September 29, 2011. Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Strips is one of those recipes they prepared.

    For additional information about the workshop and additional resources (+ more photos), go to PAT's website - Food & Nutrition page @ http://docs.abileneschools.org/~pat/PAT/Nutrition.html

     Funding for this workshop was provided by a grant from Kansas Parents As Teachers Association (KPATA) and Methodist Health Ministry Fund.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Strips     4 adult size servings (about 8 child-size servings)

Crispy, Parmesan-flecked chicken tenders dipped in marinara sauce is an easy dinner the whole family will love. Dipping them in a Ranch dip or a mixture of plain yogurt with chopped fresh basil would be tasty too. We suggest serving them with raw veggies & dip + slices of whole wheat bread, a glass of milk and frozen bananas for dessert. The magazine’s serving suggestion: Serve with sautéed green beans and roasted sweet potato wedges. Source: EatingWell Magazine: September/October 2010

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/parmesan_chicken_tenders.html

Prep Time: 10 min / Bake Time: 20 min

Canola or olive oil cooking spray

¼ cup whole wheat flour (regular or white whole wheat)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs (or low-fat buttermilk could be substituted)

½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat (we used Panko)

About 1 pound chicken tenders or chicken breast cut into strips

Dip of your choice, if desired: heated marinara sauce, Ranch dip, yogurt w/ chopped basil

1.     Preheat oven to 450°F. Cover baking pan w/ foil or parchment paper; coat with cooking spray.

2.     Mix flour with Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt in a shallow dish. Lightly beat eggs in another shallow dish. Combine Parmesan and breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish. Coat each tender in flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Dip in egg and let any excess drip off. Then roll in the breadcrumb mixture. 

      Place the tenders on the prepared pan. Generously coat the top of each tender with cooking spray (this helps brown the coating as it bakes).

3.     Bake for 10 minutes. Turn each tender over and coat with cooking spray. Continue baking until the outside is crisp and the tenders are cooked through, about 10 minutes more. 

      Serve the tenders with your choice of dipping sauces, if desired.

*EatingWell suggests using coarse dry whole-wheat “Panko breadcrumbs.” Find them in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets. Or, to make your own breadcrumbs, trim crusts from firm sandwich bread. Tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. (To make fine dry breadcrumbs, process until very fine.) Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until dry, about 10 to 15 minutes. One slice of bread makes about 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs.

Nutritional Analysis: Per adult serving : 293 Calories, 8g Fat (3g Sat; 2g Mono; 140mg Cholesterol), 22g Carbohydrates, 31g Protein, 3g Fiber, 603mg Sodium, 465mg Potassium.

Participants prepare a veggie dip (above & below) -- recipe for dip is posted @
http://docs.abileneschools.org/~pat/PAT/Nutrition.html

Others (above & below) prep fresh veggies.

Wacky Cake – A Blast from the Past!

      Remember when we used to make Wacky Cake? This is a recipe that appears in a cookbook that Stafford High School Home Ec. students made during our sophomore year. We each designed and constructed our own unique cover for the book and then cut and pasted mimeographed recipes (contributed by fellow Home Ec. students) onto sheets of paper that were inserted between handmade tabs. Think maybe my artistic boyfriend (Barry West) helped me design the cover!

     I took this recipe book back to share at our recent 46^th class reunion. And, since it was out, thought it would be only fitting to include a recipe from that book on our blog.

     Barbara Asher’s recipe for Whacky Cake (that’s how we spelled it in Stafford) seems typical of a dessert from that era. It is a cocoa-based cake that includes no eggs or milk. While it may have roots in WWII (when rationing was in effect), we continued to make this cake in 4-H and Home Ec. classes well into the 1960s. Not only was it inexpensive to make, it was mixed in the baking dish, so preparation and cleanup were kept to a minimum.

     Although I haven’t made this cake in years, two of my cookbook contributions (from long ago) actually are already included on our blog: Meatballs and Blarney Stones.

     By the way, Barbara Asher married Jerry Hildebrand – both were graduates of Stafford High School, class of 1965.

Whacky Cake  (Makes one 9” cake)

Recipe is typed as it appears in book with my additions in parenthesis.

1½ cups (all-purpose) flour

1 cup (granulated) sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon (baking) soda

¼ cup (unsweetened) cocoa (powder)

1 tablespoon vinegar (either white or cider work)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup Wesson® oil or melted shortening (any vegetable oil will work)

1 cup cold water

1.     Sift together dry ingredients into 9” (ungreased) baking dish. Make 3 holes in ingredients. In first hole put 1 T. vinegar; second hole put 1 t. vanilla; third hole put 1/3 c. Wesson oil. Over all pour 1 c. cold water and mix well.

2.     Bake at 350° (in a preheated oven) for 25 minutes (or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean).

Typically the cake was sprinkled with powdered sugar or topped with icing, or even served plain.

From 1963 (the year we made the cookbooks) to 2011 -- our class float at Stafford's Octoberfest .

Split Pea Soup -- Chock Full of Nutrition and Goodness

     Barry recently handed me a seasonal article on the benefits of split peas. These inexpensive legumes help stabilize blood sugar levels, help reduce cholesterol and contain isoflavones, which are helpful in reducing the risk of breast and prostate cancer.
 Low in calories, they are touted as a food that helps control weight. For more nutritional information, check out these sites:

·                         Health Benefits of Green Split Peas 

·                        Split Peas are an Excellent Source of Nutrition 

    
    The most common way to eat split peas is in soup. Lots of recipes add ham or even sauté the veggies is bacon fat. We start with olive oil and then often times use a strip or two of cooked, crumbled bacon, sour cream and fresh herbs as toppings. Thick and tasty, this soup makes a satisfying meal.

     Did you know? There are actually green and yellow split peas. They are generally interchangeable in recipes but yellow split peas have a milder flavor (than green peas) because of their lower chlorophyll content.

Split Pea Soup     3 to 4 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup finely chopped celery

½ cup finely chopped green pepper, optional

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup green split peas

4 cups broth (chicken, beef, vegetable)

1½ teaspoons seasoning blend (I use whatever is on hand such as Penzeys Forward! – a salt-free blend of black pepper, onion, paprika, garlic, turmeric, etc.)

1 teaspoon salt

Optional toppings: crisp, crumbled bacon / dollops of sour cream / freshly chopped herbs – parsley, chives, sprigs of thyme

1.  In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onion, carrot, celery, green pepper (if using) and garlic; cook until onion is translucent.

2.  Stir in split peas, broth, seasoning and salt. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 2 to 2½ hours or until peas are tender, stirring frequently. 

3.  Partially purée with an immersion blender or use a blender or food processor. If using a blender or food processor, remove about ½ to ¾ of the hot soup, blend and then return to remaining soup and reheat to pleasing serving temperature. Note: Typically slit pea soup is completely puréed, however we prefer to have bits and pieces of veggies immersed with the blended soup. 

So Easy, It’s Scary! Candy Corn Trees & “Finger” Food

Halloween countdown is underway and here's what I am brewing up in the West kitchen . . .

Candy Corn Trees

Yes, candy corn does grow on trees . . . and here's the proof!

Candy Corn

Hot glue gun

Tree branch

1.  Add a bead of hot glue to a piece of candy corn and then add it to a tree branch. Continue until the branch is filled with candy corn buds. It may be necessary to hold “buds” in place for a couple of seconds to insure they adhere to the branch. As you work with the hot glue, thin strings of glue may appear, resembling a cob web.

2.  Add candy corn tree to a vase.

“Finger” Food

 Lay these “fingers” around on counters and cupboards or offer them as favors at guest’s table setting.

Clear plastic glove

Candy Corn

Popcorn

Thin ribbon or string

1.  Add a candy corn to each finger of the glove – arrange so each appears to be a fingernail.

2.  Fill each finger with popcorn (beginning careful to keep the fingernail in place) and then fill the hand leaving enough room to tie off the top with a piece of ribbon or string.

Check out these Halloween-themed recipes:
Caramel Pop Corn
Eye of Newt Pudding
Hoot Owl Cookies

Rise n’ Shine — Bacon & Egg Skillet

     As Emeril would say, “It’s not rocket science!” — just a simple to prepare homey and hearty breakfast. A recipe that is great for guests or family weekend breakfast or brunches. Start it in a skillet and then pop it into the oven to finish cooking as you read the morning paper.

     Technically this egg skillet is a frittata. In culinary lingo, a frittata is a flat Italian-style omelet that's usually prepared in a cast-iron skillet and then typically sliced into wedge-shaped portions for serving. A brunch menu classic, the frittata may also have its origin in Spanish cuisine. The recipe that follows includes onions, mushrooms and tomatoes but spinach, peppers, or potatoes are other tasty additions.

Bacon & Egg Skillet

½ lb. bacon

1 small onion

½ cup sliced mushrooms, optional

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, well drained

1 cup milk

9 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 to 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1.     Preheat oven to 400°.

2.     Fry the bacon in a large, oven-safe skillet. Remove and set aside to drain on paper toweling.

3.     Drain off most of the fat from the pan. Add the onions and mushrooms (if using) and  cook under tender. Add the tomatoes and heat to absorb any excess liquid.

4.     In a mixing bowl beat the milk into the eggs. Stir in salt and pepper. Crumble the bacon and add it to the bowl. Pour mixture into the skillet with the onions and mushroom; stir to combine ingredients and sprinkle with cheese.

5.     Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until eggs are set.

Menu Suggestion: Serve w/ sliced tomatoes, wedges of avocado and toasted bread or biscuits.

Santa Fe-style Quinoa Salad

     Mentioned in a previous post that quinoa could be interchanged with pasta or rice and that it was quite versatile It takes center stage in this salad that is packed with flavors of the Southwest. This flavorful (and healthy) recipe came from Jane Medina. 

Santa Fe-style Quinoa Salad

1½ cups water

½ cup. mild or medium picante sauce or salsa

1 cup quinoa, rinsed under cold water

¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1½ cups fresh or frozen yellow corn kernels, cooked, drained and cooled

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered

4 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced (including white and green parts)

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, finely chopped

1 tablespoon canola oil

Jane also added some toasted pinon (pine) nuts

1.  In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine water, picante sauce, quinoa, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. 

2.  Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Uncover and toss with fork. Transfer to large bowl and let cool slightly. 

3.  Add remaining ingredients to quinoa, tossing well to combine. Serve slightly warm or let cool to room temperature. Alternatively cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days and serve chilled.

Review basic cooking methods and the benefits of quinoa at our previous post — "Supergrain of the Future®".