Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with Blueberry-Lemon Sauce

July 31, 2012December 22, 2013 / More Time at the Table / 6 Comments

I’m not a big plain homemade vanilla ice cream fan; I like coffee ice cream. But add some beautiful hot fudge or sliced fresh peaches and I’ll eat vanilla. I’ll even make it. And it does fill the bill for a crowd. It pleases nearly everyone.

When it’s northwest blueberry time (warm days/cool nights make the best berries), I’m likely to make some fresh, quick blueberry jam for toast. For years, I’ve filled freezer bags or containers full of these berries and kept them until blueberry season (not the Chilean season) begins again. (Store frozen and unwashed; rinse just before using them.) I’m able to make great muffins, pancakes, or top my yogurt all year long without resorting to Fed Ex fruit. Regular readers know my drill. This year, I went for a beautiful blueberry topping (similar to the jam or conserve of other years) for that ice cream, but paired it with a bit of lemon to offset the sweetness of the blueberries.

A bloom bursting on beautiful blueberries!

This recipe is for a crowd; it makes a gallon and could be increased by 1/2 to make 1 1/2 gallons or the 6 qts in the White Mountain ice cream maker. Bring it to a picnic and people will be if not swooning, at least very happy. We took this sweet, cold dessert down to a neighbor’s the other night to serve after an al fresco supper on their back deck. A hot day, it was also a fairly warm evening. We were all glad of something frozen for dessert. What else for summer?

Here’s how:

Make the custard. Eggs must cook, of course.

Cool hot custard mixture in an ice water bath and chill in frig for a few hours or overnight.

Place ice cream maker with custard mixture in tub to keep ice from flying around garage.


Add ice and freeze! (This machine comes in a hand-crank version, too.)	In the meantime, make the sauce.

vanilla ice cream and blueberry lemon sauce

Ice Cream : makes 1 gallon approximately or 16 1/2-cup servings

Ice cream must chill for several hours before freezing; start early in the day needed (or night before)

*3 cups whole milk
*3 cups heavy cream
*2 cups 1/2 and 1/2
*1/4 t table salt
*1T vanilla extract (Use the best real vanilla extract you can find; I like Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla)
*1 1/2 cups sugar

*10 egg yolks, beaten in another bowl

1. In a 6-8 qt stockpot, heat milk – sugar until steaming; do not boil. Lower heat a bit.
2. Starting with 1-2 T, whisk some of the hot milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Add another 6-8 T, 2 T at a time, until eggs are tempered or warmed up enough so that they won’t cook when added to milk mixture. Slowly pour the egg mixture, whisking all the while, into the milk mixture.
3. Cook over low heat until mixture barely thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir for a few minutes; the custard will continue to cook.
4. Strain through a fine sieve into another pot sitting in a bowl of ice water. When cool, place in refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Chill your freezer’s ice cream container before pouring the custard into it immediately before time to make the ice cream.
5. Freeze in gallon ( 6qt ) ice cream freezer according to freezer directions.

Note: I like fresh, made-that-day ice cream, but if you need to store it or want harder, firmer ice cream, store in a container without a lot of extra space. Pack the ice cream in tightly and seal very closely before freezing. According to David Lebovitz (The Perfect Scoop and davidlebovitz.com ), ice cream should be stored 2-4 months with the exception of custard, which does not keep long. As this is custard (has eggs), invite the neighborhood and make sure it’s all eaten so there’s no worry.

Blueberry-Lemon Sauce
Watch out! Blueberries don’t just stain, they dye!

*2# blueberries, cleaned and picked over, stems removed
*3/4 cup white sugar
*1/4 cup water
*1t grated lemon zest

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer until berries are popping and mixture has thickened somewhat. Stir regularly. Remove from the heat and let cool; mixture will continue to thicken. Cover and refrigerate if not using within an hour or so. You’ll have more than you need for the gallon of ice cream. Use the remainder for pancakes or spread on toast with peanut butter. Use within 3-4 days.

Sing a new song,
Alyce
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right now on my Dinner Place Blog–a one-dish side or vegetarian lunch:

Green Beans, Mushrooms and Jasmine Rice with Tarragon and Mustard Vinaigrette

38 Power Foods, Week 7 — Brussels Sprouts –Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with New Potatoes and Parmesan

July 27, 2012December 22, 2013 / More Time at the Table / 14 Comments

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When brussels sprouts (note spelling) first came back in vogue (they were vegetable non grata for a long time, right?), I put off making them. It seemed everything was being thrown into the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper. Was there anything you couldn’t cook that way? Brussels sprouts joined in the olive oil-oven fun all over the food world. I waited.

(above) This is one of Madeline L Pots’ award winning songs from her CD “Gonna Plant A Garden”.

As a kid, I didn’t like brussels sprouts. Did anyone? As a young bride, I occasionally bought a package of frozen ones (just for something different) as there weren’t fresh ones available at the places I shopped. As time went on, they just disappeared from my repertoire until a few years ago when I began to see them fresh in tiny bags or right on their very own totem poles at Whole Foods. (illustration courtesy Merriam-Webster)

A few special recipes began to be part of our regular meals as I developed not one, but several ideas for these special tiny lovelies. (I share a couple of them below- one with potatoes and one without.) Cooked slowly in a sauté pan, the inherent bitterness dissipates into the air, and the gentle beauty of brussel sprouts begins to shine in their sweet, tender nuttiness. Carmelization might be the word. Makes them wine-friendly, too.

Prep: Try to buy young sprouts; older ones tender toward the bitter side. Store young, fresh brussels sprouts (yellowed leaves removed if they’re a bit older) for up to two weeks loosely covered in refrigerator. When ready to cook, wash them well, remove a leaf or two, and trim the stem–not too far up or all the leaves will come off. You can also cut an X into the stem to quicken cooking time and ensure even cooking. If they’re huge, cut them in half. There’s a video for everything and here’s one about cleaning brussels sprouts since I know you have nothing else to do today:
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Now that you know all about them, try this:

PAN-ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS with New Potatoes and Parmesan

2-3 servings

2T olive oil (regular is fine; don’t need extra virgin)
12 fresh brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed, cut in 1/2
6 red potatoes- 1/4d if large, left whole if small
1 large onion, peeled and cut into eighths
Kosher Salt, freshly-ground pepper, pinch of crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, “grated” in large shards with a potato peeler (skip for vegan version)

Heat oil in a 12- inch skillet over medium heat. Add brussels sprouts, potatoes, and onions. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and add just the pinch of crushed red pepper. Stirring frequently to avoid burning, but still to brown nicely, cook for about 10 minutes.
Add Parmesan to the pan. Turn heat down to medium-low and cook until vegetables are fairly well-done, but still somewhat crispy. Take care to not burn the Parmesan but it should be quite brown; some of it will be almost chip like. This may take another 20 minutes or so, depending on how hot your skillet is. Taste; re-season if necessary. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Cool completely before storing well-wrapped leftovers in refrigerator for 2 days.
To re-warm, place in a skillet over medium heat with a tiny bit of olive oil to prevent sticking. Heat, stirring often, until hot–about 10 minutes.

Saving the best for last, here’s my pan-roasted brussels sprouts mixed up with only very crispy shards of Parmesan and topped with pumpkin seeds for crunch. Cooked slowly and thoroughly, the sprouts become a little nutty and the Parmesan turns into something akin to chips. Scrumptious. Even if you never wanted to eat brussels sprouts.

PAN-ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH PARMESAN AND PUMPKIN SEEDS

12 fresh brussel sprouts, cleaned and trimmed (Take l layer of leaves off, cut off bottom tiny core) and cut in half
2T olive oil
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, “grated” in long pieces with a potato peeler
1/4 c pumpkin seeds
Kosher Salt and freshly-ground pepper

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and add brussels sprouts. Stirring frequently to avoid burning, but still to brown nicely, cook brussels sprouts for about 10 minutes. Add parmesan and pumpkin seeds. Turn down heat to medium-low and cook until sprouts are fairly well-done, but still somewhat crispy. Take care to not burn the parmesan; it should be quite brown. Salt and pepper well. Serve hot. Follow storage and re-heating instructions above.
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I’ve served these brussels sprouts for many occasions, but particularly like them for my fast Thanksgiving dinner.

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everything you didn’t want to know about brussel sprouts
courtesy brusselsprouts.com:

Brussels sprouts, or Brassica oleracea gemmifera, are related to other better-known vegetables in the Brassica genus like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. They are part of the cruciferaeor mustard family, so known because of a four-part flower in the shape of a cross.

HISTORY: Sprouts were believed to have been cultivated in Italy in Roman times, and possibly as early as the 1200s in Belgium. The modern Brussels sprout that we are familiar with was first cultivated in large quantities in Belgium (hence the name “Brussels”sprouts) as early as 1587, with their introduction into the U.S. in the 1800s.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Brussels sprouts are a very good source of many essential vitamins, fiber, and folate. They are especially high in Vitamin C. (Click here to see the nutritional label) They, along with their other cruciferous cousins, have been shown to have some very beneficial effects against certain types of cancer, as they contain many different ingredients that are believed to help prevent the disease

These recipes originally available on More Time and Dinner Place in separate blogs.
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38 Power Foods is a group effort! Stop by these other blogs and see what they’re cooking each week as we team up to bring you some of the healthiest cooking available.

Ansh – SpiceRoots.com

Casey – bookcasefoodie.wordpress.com

Jeanette – JeanettesHealthyLiving.com

Jill – SaucyCooks

Martha – Simple-Nourished-Living.com

Mireya – MyHealthyEatingHabits.com

Sarah – Everything in the Kitchen Sink
Anabanana – adobodownunder.blogspot.com
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As we go along, I’m guessing we’ll get some other writers involved. If you’re interested in joining the gang writing each week, get in touch with Mireya from My Healthy Eating Habits: Mireya@MyHealthyEatingHabits.com

Sing a new song; cook a new brussels sprout,

Alyce

two-dog kitchen and around the ‘hood

Miss Gab watching Ina with me.

Lovey-Dovey

I’m busy developing and testing recipes for the soup cookbook. This week, I’m working on
Pozole (Mexican stew–mine’s made with pork tenderloin, corn, and hominy) and Tom Kha Kai (coconut/chicken from Thailand). I’m finding the most difficult part is figuring out how this whole thing goes from a Word doc (actually becomes a pdf first) to the 6×9, 100 printed page.
How can I be sure that the pagination makes sense or that recipes are on one page? Or that the margins are accurate? Did I consistently use “t” or “tsp” for teaspoon? You get the picture! Slowly, I’m starting to see how it works. I have a bunch of home-testers cooking away. If you have a testing recipe and I haven’t heard from you, I’m looking forward to a response pretty soon. Test on!

It’s NW blueberry time; I’m eating all I can get and freezing the rest.

You can see how easy it is to move around my kitchen.

In Colorado, we have time for movies with the grandkid. Thanks, God.

Just for grin and giggles, I made homemade mayonnaise for a dressing for a steak and fresh potato chip salad. Dear.

That’s all she wrote.

38 Power Foods, Week 6 — Broccoli — Broccoli Soup with Toasted Brie

July 20, 2012January 15, 2018 / More Time at the Table / 11 Comments

When my kids were growing up, they all loved broccoli. Pretty unusual. One of them adored spinach and one of them always wanted pickles, but all of them would eat broccoli. So broccoli it was. A lot. To this day, when our youngest, Emily, is home from grad school, she asks for Chicken-Broccoli Casserole (a quick Chicken Divan known as “Government Girl Casserole” around the D.C area) and I don’t have to look for a recipe.

You get the picture: I seldom make broccoli anymore. Being a healthy (see below for nutrition information) and relatively inexpensive cruciferous ( a family of plants which have four petals arranged like the arms of a cross, as the mustard, radish, turnip, etc.) vegetable, I know I’d like to buy it more, but some days I just can’t. I have fallen in love with broccolini (a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli) and often sauté it with large shards of Parmesan until the cheese is a golden, crispy chip-like accompaniment. The Parm-crusted broccolini is then laid gently atop greens and tiny tomatoes with a bit of lemon, black pepper, and olive oil for a filling main-course salad.

Working on the soup cookbook for the past two months (I got an ISBN number yesterday..AHHH!!) has been one of the most positive, annoying, interesting, and P-Offing of all my cooking experiences. Somehow, the first soup I worked on (can’t remember why) was broccoli. Too funny. Maybe I had a plethora in the vegetable bin for some terribly odd reason; I don’t know. Maybe it was on sale. Whatever; that soup is out to a couple of testers now, but I’ll share it here with you. I’ve made it several times shall we say. If you make it, I’d enjoy knowing how your soup turned out. Read this carefully as we’re in the middle of a wretchedly hot summer in the U.S. (unless you’re an Australian or Scot reader):

This soup is luscious hot or cold. The cold version is served differently: instead of the brie toasting on top, you put a spoonful of peppered (or you could use lemon peel) yogurt down in the middle of the soup as a surprise to your table mates. Being sure ahead of time, naturally, everyone eats dairy. To serve cold, make it early in the morning before the heat of the day claims your kitchen. Let cool and refrigerate covered until dinnertime.

Shopping note: Fine French brie is an expensive, highly caloric treat. While I’m crazy about it, I wouldn’t necessarily use it in this soup, though of course you can if you like. (I like my French brie as is.) Domestic brie, often made in the great state of Wisconsin, is sold for a great deal less and is fine here. The Whole Foods in St. Paul, for example, sells a good-sized wedge for $2.99–a sale price, but it’s often on sale. I haven’t checked the Colorado Springs Whole Foods for its availability. Anyway….

Try the little preview from my soup book and have fun!

This soup is warm and filling without being heavy. Made with puréedbroccoli and other vegetables, it appears to be a cream soup, but contains no cream. Topped with a slice of brie and slipped under the broiler for a few minutes until toasty, it’s a perfect lunch for guests arriving midday. Ladled into tiny bowls or cups, hot or cold, it’s a first course for a birthday dinner with the surprise of a tiny spoonful of peppered Greek yogurt hidden in the middle. While it may take a few minutes past the 30-minute mark, it’s worth it!

Still working on getting a good picture!

Broccoli Soup with Toasted Brie 4-6 servings

· 2 quarts low-salt chicken stock**, heated in microwave or on stove
· 2 tablespoon olive oil
· Crushed red pepper, fresh ground black pepper, and kosher salt
· 2 garlic cloves (one left whole to flavor oil and one chopped for the soup)
· 1 medium onion, peeled, trimmed, and cut into eighths
· 3 stalks celery, trimmed, and cut into 2” pieces
· 2 carrots, trimmed, and cut into 1” pieces
· ½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
· 1½ teaspoon herbes de Provence (or a mix of dried basil, thyme and rosemary)
· 5 cups fresh broccoli, trimmed well, and chopped finely*
· Hot sauce, 4-6 drops, or to taste
· Zest and juice of one lemon
· 6 1-oz slices of Brie

1. Heat the chicken stock in the microwave or on the stove. (I like an 8-cup Pyrex measuring cup for the microwave.)

2. Place the chopped garlic clove, onion, celery, and carrots into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until chopped coarsely. (Or chop by hand.)

3. In an 8-qt stock pot over medium heat, sauté a pinch each of the pepper and salt along with the other whole garlic clove for one minute. Add the chopped vegetables, stir, and cook covered about five minutes until beginning to soften.

4. Meantime, preheat the oven broiler.

5. Add the broccoli, hot stock, hot sauce, ½ t each kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, and lemon zest and juice to the stockpot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat a bit, cover, and cook until broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir once or twice. Using an immersion blender (or process in batches in food processor), puree the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings.

6. Ladle soup into broiler-safe bowls and top each with a piece of Brie cheese. Place bowls on baking sheet about 4 inches under broiler and broil 3-5 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. (You could also bake this soup at 350 degrees F for several minutes if you do not have broiler-safe bowls. Alternately, simply place the cheese in the bottom of the bowl, ladle soup on top, and let sit a couple of minutes to melt cheese.)

7. Serve hot or let cool, chill covered in refrigerator, and serve cold with a surprise small spoonful of peppered plain Greek yogurt hidden in the middle of each bowl.

*You could also use leftover cooked broccoli here to hasten cooking.

**Use vegetable stock for vegetarian option

{printable recipe}

Accompaniments: Midsummer, a small plate of ripe tomatoes and peppered cottage cheese with crackers for lunch. Add a salad and grilled salt and pepper baguette for supper anytime of the year.

Wine: I like a California Chardonnay with this soup, but a French Sauvignon Blanc with its grassy nose would also work.

Dessert: Blueberries and a spoonful of lemon ice cream or sorbet.

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a few facts about raw broccoli

According to the USDA Nutrient Database, a standard 100 g serving of raw broccoli has 34 calories with .37 g fat, 1.70 g sugars, 6.64 g carbohydrates, 2.6 g dietary fiber and 2.82 g protein. Broccoli also contributes greatly to your daily vitamin and mineral requirements. For example, raw broccoli delivers 89.2 g of vitamin C, which equates to 149 percent of your daily allowance. In its raw state, broccoli provides 9 percent of your daily requirement of potassium and 12 percent vitamin A.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/490102-nutrition-in-broccoli/#ixzz21AGJIlby

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Every Friday for the foreseeable future, I’ll be blogging one of the 38 healthiest ingredients from POWER FOODS : 150 DELICIOUS RECIPES WITH THE 38 HEALTHIEST INGREDIENTS by the editors of Whole Living Magazine.

38 Power Foods is a group effort! Stop by these other blogs and see what they’re cooking each week as we team up to bring you some of the healthiest cooking available.

Ansh – SpiceRoots.com

Casey – bookcasefoodie.wordpress.com

Jeanette – JeanettesHealthyLiving.com

Jill – SaucyCooks

Martha – Simple-Nourished-Living.com

Mireya – MyHealthyEatingHabits.com

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in memoriam
\
One of my great cooking heroes, Marion Cunningham, is now cooking in that great perfect kitchen where the Tupperware bowls and lids all match and the whole world comes to the table in peace to ease their hunger…. Read my tribute to Marion on the Dinner Place Blog.

Bannocks- a simple, flat, oaty, crispy Scottish cracker-bread..from Marion’s BREAKFAST BOOK

Sing a new song; cook something of Marion’s,
Alyce

Grilled Eggplant and Sausage Pasta Made on the Grill

July 18, 2012July 5, 2023 / More Time at the Table / 2 Comments

Every summer, I get about half-way through and want…chili. Pot Roast. Lamb shanks. I’m a bit perverse, I’m fond of saying. I can’t wait for the first grilled chicken and tomato salads. I’m nuts about burgers on the patio in May with zin. But there comes a day when salad looks bleh (stick out tongue) and I don’t even much care about that long-awaited burger. I want something real. I want pasta. And I don’t want it in a restaurant.

So last year, in January (way ahead), I experimented with a pasta dish that included grilled vegetables and sausage, but I still made a cooked sauce in a pot. A lot of folks have been interested in that post, so here’s a continuation…

I had the idea then to create a dish totally done on the grill--much fresher– and I’ve now tried it. Even the pasta is cooked on the side burner, if you have one. (If not, buy fresh pasta to cook indoors; it cooks much faster.) I’ll amend that; Dave mostly tried it. I designed, orchestrated, cheer leaded, made fresh cheese, and ate it up. The only true heated cooking I did was to saute some garlic in the microwave and warm the milk to make cheese! (5 minutes) Do you have to make cheese? Of course not. Buy ricotta–fresh if you can get it. But I’d love it you made cheese.

I lately have been encouraging cooks to just try making an easy, quick fresh cheese. There isn’t much simpler to do and the brief instructions are below. I’ll also point out that if you need a lot of ricotta, this is the way to go; you’ll save a bunch of cash. To purists, this isn’t true ricotta, which is made with all milk; here I add some yogurt. My idea actually is a riff (a mistake I made and liked) from a recipe created by dessert guru and Parisian blogger David Lebovitz. See the original here. (See my first attempts and info on how to make a firmer cheese here.)

Imagine pasta in the summer and no hot kitchen? Try this:

grilled eggplant and sausage pasta made on the grill
serves 4

directions: (ingredients below)

1. On the grill’s side burner (or on stove indoors): bring to a boil a kettle of salted water with a couple of springs of fresh basil and several grinds of black pepper. This takes a while outside, so start here. When it boils, add 1# whole wheat linguine. I like Whole Foods 365 brand; it’s luscious. Cook until al dente — where your teeth are stopped just gently as you bite into it. (Read package directions.)
2. Heat oiled grill to medium heat and add 2 sliced unpeeled Japanese eggplant*, 2 sliced medium zucchini, and 2 large onions sliced. Grill, watching closely, until nicely browned grill marks appear on one side and turn. Continue grilling until vegetables are almost tender. Remove to a large pasta bowl or pot. Sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper and toss.

3. Grill 4 Italian sausages (buy locally made if you can), turning once or twice, until thoroughly cooked–about 6 minutes on each side. Remove from grill, let rest a couple of minutes, and slice into rounds about 1/3″ thick. (Juices should run clear.) Add to the pasta bowl with the vegetables and toss.
4. Meantime, microwave two minced cloves of garlic with a little olive oil in microwave-safe container on high about 30 seconds. (I use a 1-cup Pyrex measuring cup.) Stir into the meat and vegetable mixture.

5. When pasta is done, drain well, and add to the meat and vegetables. Add 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or cherry tomatoes cut in half. Toss with 2-3 T extra-virgin olive oil. (Cont’. below)

If you’d like to make your own cheese, here’s how:

6. Stir in 2 cups homemade or store-bought ricotta and 1/4 cup shredded fresh basil. Sprinkle with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper. a pinch of crushed red pepper and stir well. Taste and re-season. Serve hot or at room temperature with grated Parmesan cheese, if you like.

*If using regular eggplant, choose one that’s 1 to 1 1/2 #, firm, with shiny dark purple skin. Unlike the Japanese eggplant, you’ll need to peel the larger one before grilling.

ingredients list

1# whole wheat pasta (I like 365 Whole Foods brand)
sprig of basil for the pasta water, plus 1/4 cup shredded to finish dish
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 Japanese eggplant, unpeeled, and sliced (or 1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2″ x 2″ pieces)
2 medium zucchini, unpeeled and sliced 1/4″-1/2″ thick
2 peeled onions, sliced 1/2″ thick
Canola oil to oil grill
4 Italian sausages
2 cloves garlic minced
4 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided (a bit to cook garlic; the rest to toss with pasta toward end)
2 cups chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 cups fresh ricotta, homemade or store-bought
crushed red pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

two-dog kitchen and around the ‘hood

Summers in Colorado are hot days and cool (sometimes cold) nights. Wild lightning storms across huge skies. Stacks of summer reading take me to Italy and beyond.

Testing recipes for the soup cookbook keep me in the kitchen mornings before it’s too hot.

Neighbors pop by for a drink on the porch or get together to watch a movie in a cool basement. Friends come for supper to try the soups on the back deck. So far, I like the Corned Beef-Potato with Irish Cheddar best. But I’m far from done and even that one needs working on.

Sing a new song,
Alyce

38 Power Foods — Green Peppers — Alyce’s Ratatouille

July 13, 2012August 18, 2018 / More Time at the Table / 9 Comments

Ah, summer. Here’s my favorite use for green peppers. Right after my mom’s stuffed green peppers, that is.

I loved the movie (Ratatouille).
Also “The Big Night”
And “Babette’s Feast”
Try them. Food movies. Ah.

I love the real deal better. If you become a devoted cook, your world will revolve around the seasons. Stews in winter. Apple pie in the fall. Berries in the spring. And…
High summer: Tons of vegetables at their peak.

Continue reading →

38 Power Foods, Week 3 — Avocado– Chicken-Guacamole Salad

June 29, 2012May 3, 2016 / More Time at the Table / 19 Comments

Chicken-Guacamole Salad with a Big Squeeze of Fresh Lime…

If you live in the part of world where it’s summer, this is your dinner. Because it’s just too hot to cook nearly anything. Grill up a few chicken breasts at a time and you’ll have plenty for this meal and tomorrow’s, too. (Chicken tacos? Chicken salad sandwiches?) This guacamole couldn’t be better or easier: chop up a simple pico de gallo and stir it into avocados. Some cut-up or sliced chicken, greens, some lime? You’re already eating. Buy your avocados a couple of days ahead and let them ripen on the counter or in a paper bag if your grocery doesn’t carry ripe avocados. Try this: 

chicken-guacamole salad 3-4 servings

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped roughly, divided
1/2 cup fresh green pepper, chopped in 1/2″ pieces
1/4 cup red sweet pepper, chopped in 1/2 ” pieces
1/2 jalapeño, minus seeds and veins, very finely minced (for more heat, use the whole pepper)
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 cup roughly chopped tomatoes
2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
1 cup cooked rice seasoned with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 Lime, cut in half (Cut one of the halves into slices)
2 chicken breasts, grilled and chopped
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup sharp cheddar grated

Mix cilantro through tomatoes in a large bowl, reserving 2 T cilantro. Stir in avocados. Mix the reserved 2 T cilantro into the cooked rice and add the rice to the guacamole salad. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Squeeze half of the lime over the salad. Add chopped chicken breasts and spinach and stir gently. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve mounded, with a piece of lime on each plate to use at table.

Cook’s Notes: Don’t even have the energy to chop, stir, or cook? Buy a roasted deli chicken and pre-made guac for an even easier meal. Many shops now sell freshly-made pico de gallo or salsa. The packages of microwave rice would work well for this dinner and would cut both time and kitchen heat.

Wine? Not. It’s time for a margarita or a beer. (Ok, Sangria, Riesling or an Oregon Pinot Blanc if you have to have wine.)

Dessert? Lemon sorbet.

about avocados from the California avocado commission

courtesy ca avocado commission

Calories, yes. Cholesterol, no.

Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a “nutrient booster” by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

Avocados and Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but a healthy diet and exercise plan may help reduce your risk of developing the life-threatening illness.
The American Heart Association (AHA) Dietary Guidelines recommend a diet that has at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, contains up to 30% of calories from fats (primarily unsaturated) and is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, trans fats and sodium while being rich in potassium. Avocados can help you meet the AHA dietary guidelines because they have both monosaturated and polyunsaturated fat and contain potassium.

Want more avocado recipes?

If you liked this, you might like other avocado recipes like Shrimp Cobb from More Time at the Table

Pico de Gallo Halibut on Warm Rice Salad with Bacon Pintos from More Time at the Table

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Every Friday for the foreseeable future, I’ll be blogging one of the 38 healthiest ingredients from POWER FOODS : 150 DELICIOUS RECIPES WITH THE 38 HEALTHIEST INGREDIENTS by the editors of Whole Living Magazine.

38 Power Foods is a group effort! Stop by these other blogs and see what they’re cooking each week as we team up to bring you some of the healthiest cooking available:

Ansh – SpiceRoots.com

Casey – bookcasefoodie.wordpress.com

Jeanette – JeanettesHealthyLiving.com

Jill – SaucyCooks

Martha – Simple-Nourished-Living.com

Mireya – MyHealthyEatingHabits.com

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
two-dog kitchen and around the ‘hood
first three taken with my iphone

Sweet Peas next door in front yard

My hydrangeas from the west garden

South garden hostas in bloom

All the toys are mine, you see. Right?

Sing a new song,
Alyce

38 Power Foods, Week 2 — Asparagus — Asparagus Soup

June 22, 2012December 22, 2013 / More Time at the Table / 13 Comments

Alyce’s Asparagus Soup a la Silver Palate

Every Friday for the foreseeable future, I’ll be blogging one of the 38 healthiest ingredients from POWER FOODS : 150 DELICIOUS RECIPES WITH THE 38 HEALTHIEST INGREDIENTS by the editors of Whole Living Magazine.

38 Power Foods is a group effort! Stop by these other blogs and see what they’re cooking each week as we team up to bring you some of the healthiest cooking available:

Ansh – SpiceRoots.com

Casey – bookcasefoodie.wordpress.com

Jeanette – JeanettesHealthyLiving.com

Jill – SaucyCooks

Martha – Simple-Nourished-Living.com

Mireya – MyHealthyEatingHabits.com

Sarah – Everything in the Kitchen Sink
.
As we go along, I’m guessing we’ll get some other writers involved. If you’re interested in joining the gang writing each week, get in touch with Mireya from My Healthy Eating Habits: Mireya@MyHealthyEatingHabits.com
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Read me regularly and you know asparagus is just about my favorite vegetable. Maybe zucchini is first; I don’t know. But I cook asparagus at the drop of a hat. In lots of ways. Here’s one of my favorite recipes, worth buying some gorgeous tiny bowls for (think antique store) so you can make this as a first-course. I first made Asparagus Soup as a starter for the lunch celebrating my daughter’s baptism, and have been making it ever since.

alyce’s asparagus soup a la silver palate
4 main course servings 6-8 first course servings

1 1/2 medium onions, chopped coarsely
1 shallot, chopped
2T butter or olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 large garlic clove, minced
6T fresh tarragon (or 2t dry), divided
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
2# asparagus, trimmed well and chopped
1 1/2-2 quarts chicken broth, unsalted*
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery with leaves, chopped
4-6 drops hot sauce (I like Tabasco.)
1/4 c low-fat sour cream*
Lemon rind

In 6qt stockpot, heat butter or oil over medium-low and add chopped onions and shallot. Saute about 10 minutes until softened; add garlic. Cook another 5 minutes or until vegetables are very soft. Add salt, pepper, tarragon, parsley, and asparagus. Let flavors marry by cooking a minute or two, stirring and smelling as you go. Oh, tarragon.

Pour in 1 1/2 qts chicken stock and add the carrots and celery. Add the Tabasco carefully. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 40 minutes or so until all the vegetables are very tender indeed. As it cooks, add more broth if it seems too thick. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Carefully puree in batches in blender (hold down top with a big towel) or in the food processor. You can use an immersion blender if you have one, of course.

Pour back into pan and serve hot or let cool and chill to serve cold. Top with a spoonful of sour cream, a sprinkle of tarragon, and a grate or two of fresh lemon rind.

*For a vegan version, use vegetable broth and leave out sour cream


If you live in St. Paul, my tarragon is right off my back porch in a whiskey barrel; you’re welcome to pick some.

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about asparagus

A. Morgan

Asparagus is the leading supplier among vegetables of folic acid. A 5.3 ounce serving provides 60% of the recommended daily allowance for folacin which is necessary for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease. Folacin has been shown to play a significant role in the prevention of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, that cause paralysis and death in 2,500 babies each year.

Its wealth of nutrients, fiber and very low sodium and calorie content make asparagus a nutritionally wise choice for today’s health-conscious consumer.

Asparagus is:

Low in calories, only 20 per 5.3 oz. serving, less than 4 calories per spear.
Contains no fat or cholesterol.
Very low in sodium.
A good source of potassium.⁽¹⁾
A source of fiber (3 grams per 5.3 oz. serving). ⁽²⁾
An excellent source of folacin. ⁽³⁾
A significant source of thiamin. ⁽⁴⁾
A significant source of vitamin B6. ⁽⁴⁾
One of the richest sources of rutin, a compound which strengthens capillary walls.
Contains glutathione (GSH). ⁽⁵⁾
^{nutrition info: courtesy asparagus.org}

other new projects – phew!

Here’s my fast Clam Chowder. Should it go in the new book???

I’m SO excited: I’m just starting to write a small cookbook called 30 Soups in 30 Minutes, and would enjoy some ideas you might have about what soups you’d like to know how to make quickly–or which soups from either blog you particularly like. There’ll also be some simple accompaniments for the soups, wine pairings, and a few tiny (read instant) desserts. It looks like I’ll be publishing through amazon on Create Space and then on to Kindle. Thoughts? Anyone done this before? I have July and August to work hard on it; I’m not directing a choir and only have some lessons and a seminar to teach. If you’d like to test any soup recipes, let me know; I need testers. The first recipe, Broccoli Soup with Toasted Brie, is ready for testing. Someone once wanted to do wine pairings for this book. Still up for it?! I’m so grateful to each of you for your support over the last three years (or more) and can’t wait to show you the book! Now that I’ve put it out on the blog, I’m gonna have to come through, eh? Sounding real.

Sing a new song; cook a new soup,

Alyce

Grilled Chicken with Couscous Greek Salad and Lemon Vinaigrette

June 20, 2012August 19, 2020 / More Time at the Table / 2 Comments

Dedicated to Gus and Irene Matthews

Hello! I missed you. (Actually, I didn’t; I had no time to miss anything.) But I’m happy to be back. Thanks for being here.

Back from vacation and hot, hot, hot. HOT! I know it’s hotter out east, and the temperature has been going down this afternoon as a storm approaches, but I sort of miss Canada. Recipe way below if you’re interested…

I really miss being waited on. Having my coffee delivered every morning. Having no laundry (til I got home). Being with Dave all the time without anything to distract us from one another. (Ah, gee.)
Making new friends I wish I were with this minute.

She could find a French cafe anywhere.

Did you know they make wine in Quebec? I liked the dessert wines best and brought some home.

Dave’s favorite pose.

Coast of Cape Breton

Somewhere off the coast of Canada!

Me and my castle.

I guess I digressed, but we did wine and dine for nine days…. My favorite city (and we went on a ship from Montreal – Boston, visiting Quebec City, Prince Edward Island, Sydney, Halifax, and Bar Harbor in between) was Montreal; I’m dying to go back. Our best meal was at Hamersley’s Bistro in Boston. Many thanks to Lydia Walshin of Perfect Pantry fame, who recommended it as her favorite go-to.) Balanced, accessible wine list. House-made pâté with crispy, crusty, chewy baguette. Small, but perfect entree list; I chose “Lamb Three Ways.” I now know there is a God. Dave had roast chicken the likes of which I pray to taste again in my lifetime. (I thought I made great roast chicken with pan juices.) Kind, but refined service. No snooty guys in long aprons rolling their eyes; these folks were genuine food-lovers who knew their restaurant and wanted to make sure you knew it, too.

Just go.

Did you come for a recipe? Ah, grilled chicken and Greek salad! About it: I’ve made similar salads, but not quite exactly like this. There’s one on the blog, but I thought the idea worth repeating as we love this come hot weather. Grill up some chicken tenders or boneless breasts very quickly (Who even wants to stand in front of the grill?) while your partner makes a fast chopped Greek salad mixed with a bit of couscous. If it’s just you doing all the cooking, make the vinaigrette and couscous first, next the mixed vegetables, then the chicken, and last, toss the salad. Arrange it all on a big, beautiful platter (buy one–check out Good Will) and dinner is served. It was so hot last night that we ate inside.

grilled chicken tenders with couscous greek salad serves 4

You can also make this salad with cooked, diced rotisserie chicken. After tossing couscous with vegetables and greens, add the chicken and then the vinaigrette.

ingredients list:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
Kosher salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
Crushed red pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for brushing on chicken
1 1/2 cups cooked couscous made with onion and garlic (see below for directions)
1/2 English cucumber, unpeeled
2 ripe tomatoes
1/2 green bell pepper
1/4 pound feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 pound boneless chicken tenders
1 – 1/12 cups cooked couscous with added onion and garlic (see below for directions)
4 cups mixed fresh salad greens

1. Make a vinaigrette first: Whisk well together 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 3/4 t Dijon-style mustard, a good pinch of salt, pepper, dried oregano and crushed red pepper. Drizzle in slowly 1/2 cup olive oil and whisk until well-combined or thickened (emulsified.) Set aside.

2. Make the couscous as per directions below. Set aside.

3. Chop the English cucumber, tomatoes, green pepper (if using), feta, and red onion. Mince the parsley. Add all of the vegetables to a large bowl and stir in kalamata olives. Mix together gently with the other teaspoon of dried oregano, a pinch of crushed red pepper, and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. Set aside.

4. Grill until just done (about 2 minutes on each side) 1 lb. of chicken tenders or boneless chicken breasts brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Place at center of a large serving platter. Cover and let rest 2-4 minutes.

5. When chicken is resting, add 4 cups mixed greens and the 1 – 1 1/2 cups couscous to the vegetables in the large bowl and toss together. Drizzle with lemon vinaigrette and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Uncover the chicken and spoon the salad mixture onto the serving platter around the chicken tenders. Drizzle a bit more vinaigrette over the chicken and serve hot or at room temperature.

*COUSCOUS: Buy a box of couscous with roasted garlic and olive oil, such as the one made by NEAR EAST. Don’t follow the package directions. Sauté 2 tablespoons minced onion and 1 clove minced garlic with a pinch each of salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper in a tablespoon or two of olive oil until softened–a couple of minutes. Add the required 1 1/4 cup water and seasoning packet and bring to a boil. Add dried couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let sit until you need it, then fluff with a fork. You’ll need just 1 1/2 cups; use the rest for lunches.

{printable recipe}

above: the salad made with diced rotisserie chicken

We drank a brilliant Oregon white with this: Tony Soter‘s North Valley “Hyland White,” 2008–made from Riesling and Traminer vines. I don’t know if they’re still making this wine. At a quick glance, I didn’t see it on their website, but you should always call the vineyard to see what’s available. If they only have a couple of cases or a few bottles, it won’t show on the site. The winery, in 2008, made only 70 cases of this wine.

Here’s our wine group tasting at Soter a couple of years ago.

two-dog kitchen

The kids had Newman for supper last night. They’ve been apart for so long!

Sing a new song,
Alyce

all photos and text copyright Alyce Morgan, 2012. no use without permission. just ask.

The Blog is on Vacation, but Make This 10-minute Salmon Supper

June 7, 2012December 22, 2013 / More Time at the Table / 4 Comments

Out of sight, out of mind.

The blog is on vacation.
So are the the puppies.
Dave, too.

But until we all return, why don’t you make a 10-minute Salmon Supper I made for myself last night? I made enough for two meals, so I didn’t have to cook tonight. There are still enough green beans for my lunch tomorrow.

I write two very fun food blogs and I rarely blog the same recipe on both; today I am. On Dinner Place, I’ve been occasionally experimenting with recipes that are more photos than text. See what you think.

grilled salmon with balsamic-honey sauce and green beans vinaigrette serves 2-3

Here’s how:

Cook oiled and salt + peppered salmon (2-8oz portions Copper River Salmon here), skin-side up, over medium-high heat on a grill or skillet for 4 minutes. Turn and cook until firm, but still moist– another 2-4 minutes for 3/4″ thick fish. Remove and let rest 2 minutes. Thicker or larger fish will take a bit longer.

Meanwhile, cook clipped package of haricots verts in microwave @ full power 2-3 minutes.

Make vinaigrette for beans: Whisk together in a medium bowl 1T white wine vinegar with 1/4 t each salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, Dijon-style mustard. Then whisk in 2T olive oil, 1 T at a time until thickened or emulsified.


Pour the beans carefully (HOT) into bowl and toss w/ vinaigrette. Grate a bit of lemon zest on top. Taste and re-season if necessary.

Make the sauce for the fish like this: In a small bowl, mix well together 2T balsamic vinegar and 2t honey with a good pinch of black pepper. Another sauce I like is fig jam mixed with balsamic vinegar– about 2T jam to 1T balsamic, with some crushed red pepper and a pinch of salt.

To serve: Place a piece of cooked fish on each plate and drizzle with the sauce. Add the green beans and serve hot.

Wrap well the second piece of fish (if not using) and store in frig; keeps one day. Store beans in the bowl, covered, and refrigerated. Use within 2-3 days.

Wine? I typically like Oregon Pinot Noir with salmon, but this prep calls for a bit bigger wine, so go with an Australian Shiraz or a California Cab.

two-dog kitchen and around the ‘hood

Tucker loves to watch the neighbors come to and from The Wine Thief and The Ale Jail. Gabby is more into, “Where’s the ball or what’s Mom doing?”

Below: my south garden. Summer in St. Paul!

yellow roses

columbines like it here

my favorite color rose

When I come back, I’ll be ready to get into the next group-blogging adventure:

Can’t wait to cook for you, but meantime read this article on summer cookbooks….

Sing a new song,
Alyce

Warm Two-Potato Salad with Mustard-Tarragon Vinaigrette

June 5, 2012June 25, 2015 / More Time at the Table / 1 Comment

Necessity is the mother of invention.
As is a determination to use what’s available in the larder.
Tonight, I had probably half a pound roasted pork loin and a nice dish of my favorite barbeque sauce leftover from a birthday dinner for my friend, Lani. I had, however, eaten the side that went with it for lunch. Of course I knew what I was doing, but I love toasted Israeli couscous with vegetables.

If this were in your fridge, you’d heat it up for lunch, too. Along with a nice big shard of parm Lani brought over Friday night as a “coming to dinner” gift. Yow.

Anyway, when it came time for dinner tonight (and we are eating outside every night now), it was kind of, “Well, I know what half of it is.” The rest I had to throw my eyes around the kitchen for. Bad grammar, too. I spy:

sweet potatoes
Idaho potatoes
shallots
fresh tarragon (out the back door)
red bell pepper (in the frig)
broccoli

And what to with it? My first idea was to grill the potatoes and make a salad, but I didn’t want to heat the stove long enough for my big cast iron grill. It was warm. Dave was busy upstairs; I decided to not have him pull out the big Weber grill outdoors for me. My 14″ saute pan was on the stove clean from yesterday’s frittata. A little olive oil, a little chop, and the salad began. Here’s how:

warm two-potato salad with mustard-tarragon vinaigrette 4 servings for a side (2 for a main course)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon each fresh ground black pepper and crushed red pepper

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil, salt and peppers over medium heat. Add:

1 each: large Idaho and sweet potato, medium diced (peel sweet potato only)

Cook, stirring often, until softened but not tender. Add:

1 small head of broccoli, trimmed and cut into small florets (about 1 cup)
1 large red bell pepper, small dice

Cook, stirring often, until broccoli is a bit browned (not done) and potatoes are tender. Add:

1 shallot (slice half for salad; mince the other half for vinaigrette)

Cook another two minutes or so until shallot is softened. Spoon into a large bowl and toss with vinaigrette (recipe below). Top with

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated aged Gouda cheese or Parmesan cheese

Serve warm or at room temperature.

vinaigrette:

Whisk together:

1/2 large shallot, minced (see above-you’ll use other half with potatoes)
2T white wine vinegar
1/2 t Dijon mustard
1T minced fresh tarragon (or 1 t dried)
pinch salt and pepper

Drizzle in, whisking, until well combined or emulsified:

4T olive oil

Done!

♥
Done just in time to see an episode of Downton Abbey. (I got Season 2 for Mother’s Day.)
And talk to my daughter for a while. I miss her so; she’s out doing her pastor thing in Niagra Falls. Thanks, God.

on the dinnerplace blog right now:

Cranberry-Blueberry Orange Muffins

two-dog kitchen and around the ‘hood

Miss Gab waiting for me to be done cooking.


On a walk around Lake Como–heard music. Looked up to see a wedding in process. Stopped yelling at dogs immediately!

Another Lake Como View–Can’t see, but a turtle family sunning on rocks.

If you liked today’s post, you might like this– French Potato Salad with Vegetables

Sing a new song,

Alyce


In 2 qt saucepan, heat 2 c whole milk, 1 c plain yogurt, 1 t salt, 2t vinegar for a few minutes. When curds form, pour the mixture through a colander or sieve lined with 2 layers of cheese cloth.