Baked Apple Pancake

This morning it was overcast and a little chilly, so I decided to make something warm and comforting for breakfast. 

backyard garden view 

I had one-half of a raw Fuji apple that I needed to use and I thought of this riff on a baked apple pancake. I photographed each step so you can follow along:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
 Core the apple and cut thin slices – I prefer to leave the skin on.
In an ovenproof skillet, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter and add the apples in a single layer to the pan.
Sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon sugar.  

Cook about 5 minutes and then flip them over and cook a few more minutes.
 While the apples are cooking, put milk in glass measuring cup or a medium bowl and mix in egg.  When egg and milk are beaten together, add baking mix and mix just until blended.     

Pour batter over apples in pan and sprinkle with a little more cinnamon sugar.   

Bake about 15 minutes until set and pull out of oven.  

You can flip onto a plate or cut into slices and flip them over when you put them on the plate.
 Serve with syrup or jam or fruit medley.   I served with blackberry jam – Yummy!

Recipe Details Follow for 1 to 2 servings cooked in a 6-8 inch skillet:

One-half raw apple
½ cup milk (you can substitute non-dairy milk of your choice)
1 egg
1 cup baking mix (I used Trader Joe's multi-grain baking & pancake mix; you can use any baking mix)
Cinnamon-sugar mix (buy pre-made or mix 1 part cinnamon to 2 parts sugar)
1 tablespoon butter (you can substitute any oil or margarine but the taste may vary)
 Note: This recipe can be doubled and cooked in a 10-12 inch skillet
 

Yes you can have baked apple pancake during the week!

Until next time… may you find enjoyment in food and nature,

Marla

Summer Zucchini and Tomatoes

Summer always makes me think of my lovely mother, who left this earth some time ago…while she was here one of her passions was gardening and growing veggies in the summer. Tomatoes were her favorite and so I always think of her when I think of homegrown tomatoes. If you have not had one, try a tomato fresh from the garden at your local farmer’s market or health food store…it may not change your life, but it could change your palate…. you will never enjoy a tomato as much as when it is fresh picked.

As another summer wanes we are blessed with an abundance of zucchini and tomatoes. This summer I did not plant much of a garden because of the drought. Luckily a dear friend shared her generous crop with me and brought me two huge zucchini and two bags of various sized tomatoes.

I started thinking about how I could use the tomatoes and zucchini together and came up with a variation of eggplant Parmesan, substituting zucchini and creating a lighter version and making a quick sausage tomato sauce. You can easily leave out the meat for a vegetarian version.  This combination is a winner for combining these two summer favorites….and a hit with my friends.   Recipe follows:

Fresh Zucchini Tomato Parmesan

Ingredients for Layers:

2 large or 4 medium zucchini – chop half of the zucchini in thin slices and dice the other half.
¾ - 1 cup good quality bread crumbs
2 eggs (each beaten separately, one for cheese and one for breaded zucchini)
Olive oil
Pinch oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper
8 ounces mozzarella, shredded
8 ounce container ricotta
½ cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Ingredients for Sauce:
32 ounce can crushed tomatoes
8-10 fresh tomatoes, diced (I prefer to leave peels on)
1/2 teaspoon each, oregano, basil, thyme – if using fresh herbs use a bit more diced finely
salt and pepper to taste
1 medium diced onion
2-3 cloves garlic – finely chopped
2 sweet Italian chicken sausages
2 hot Italian pork or chicken sausages

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare a large rimmed baking sheet by brushing it with oil.  Put bread crumbs in one shallow bowl or rimmed plate and add pinch of spices.  Put 1 beaten egg in another shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in egg and then crumbs and place on baking sheet. Drizzle  slices lightly with a little more olive oil. Put in oven and bake 15 minutes. Check and bake another 15-20 minutes until light golden and fork tender (poke with fork or point of knife).

Meanwhile prepare sauce – in a large (3 quart) saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Slice sausages lengthwise and remove meat from casings – crumble into pan and using wooden spoon, cook on medium heat till pink color is gone and meat is small crumbles. Add diced onion and garlic and cook till onions are softened and translucent. Add spices and tomato sauce. Bring just to boiling and turn down to low – add chopped tomatoes and cover – let simmer while the rest of the ingredients are being prepared.

Combine mozzarella and ricotta cheeses with one beaten egg in a bowl.  Mix well.

When all ingredients are done you are ready to build your parmesan.
Using a 9 x 13 inch oblong rimmed baking dish layer ingredients in the following order:
Ladle sauce to cover the bottom of the pan,
Cover with slices of breaded zucchini,
spread some of the cheese mixture over the zucchini to cover it.
Ladle more sauce and layer with diced zucchini and any remaining slices of breaded zucchini,
spread with the remaining cheese.
Ladle sauce to cover the top and sprinkle with parmesan or romano cheese.
Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 30-45 minutes till bubbling.
Let sit about 10-15 minutes before serving.

A serving of the parmesan 

Enjoy with a green salad and a glass of your favorite Italian wine or beer if desired.

Mom 

Until next time… may you find enjoyment in food and nature,

Marla

You Can't Rush a Chicken ...what I learned this week

This Week I found out you can’t rush a chicken…even an experienced cook has her bloopers.  Thanks to my farm fresh veggies the meal was not a total disaster.

Once or twice a month I love to pick up a whole organic chicken (brined if I can find one) and slow roast it for a Sunday dinner and leftovers for a few days.  My foolproof recipe is to snip herbs from my garden (whatever suits my fancy that week…such as rosemary and oregano and maybe even some lemon verbena) and stuff it inside the cavity of the bird. I tie the tip of the drumsticks together with string and sometimes even tie the wings into the body and lay the chicken on a bed of chopped onions in a shallow roasting pan large enough that the chicken fits completely inside. Season with pepper (and salt if it is not brined) and squeeze one-half lemon and a light drizzle of olive oil over the top of the chicken.  Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, squeeze the other half of the lemon over the top and bake 45 minutes more till golden brown. Let rest 15 minutes before carving.  It is usually perfect and still juicy.

Yesterday I rushed the process – 375 for one hour and 15 minutes and then put in the refrigerator and added 30 more minutes later because it was not done…. The chicken was chewy and tough. I was so disappointed. I couldn’t even give it to my dog because she is allergic to chicken.

My dog Roxy...she is prettier than the chicken 

Luckily my vegetables turned out gorgeous and delicious.  I had green beans, broccoli, carrots, baby summer squash (round zucchini and yellow patty pan) and a few stalks of skinny asparagus left from last week's trip to the farmer's market that I did not want to go to waste.  Here they are (the chopsticks are for practice….when it comes to hitting a golf ball and eating with chopsticks I am a perennial beginner….always in need of more practice)…Recipe follows.

Yummy Summer Mixed Veggies

2 carrots – thinly sliced

Handful asparagus – chopped in 1 or 2 inch pieces

Broccoli broken into florets and then sliced in 1 inch pieces

Green beans chopped in 1 or 2 inch pieces

Summer squash cut into 1 or 2 inch cubes

Dill seed (about 1 -2 teaspoons)

Coarse sea salt and pepper

1 cube vegetarian bouillon (I use “Not Chick’n” from the health food store)

½ cup water

In a 10 or 12-inch sauté pan put a generous tablespoon or more of olive oil and gently heat while cleaning and chopping the vegetables.

Chop all vegetables and put in a large colander to wash them off. When oil is heated put veggies in pan and add water; turn to medium high heat. when water starts to boil add dill seed and crumble bouillon cube over the top and stir to mix it in. Cover pan for about 5-8 minutes or until the vegetables are bright colored and still crisp. Uncover and turn off heat. Give a stir. 

Eat as a side dish or over your favorite pasta or rice.

Note: If you are not a fan of dill you can use cumin seed or any of your favorite herbs.

Until next time… may you find enjoyment in food and nature,

Marla

Sweet and Sour Cabbage - Unstuffed

Inside Out Rolled Cabbage

I have been buying the most beautiful slightly sweet tasting fresh cabbage at a local farm stand that is actually known for their strawberries. …The best-kept secret is the other veggies that are sometimes available here are deliciously fresh too.  Wherever you live fresh cabbage is readily available this time of year so I hope you can find a nice fresh head for this recipe.  Besides being delicious, cabbage is amazingly good for you. 

I have been making lots of cabbage dishes these last few weeks and wanted to do something different. My Austrian Grandmother made delicious sweet and sour cabbage rolls and I was thinking of them this weekend. However, after catching up on some overdue trimming and weeding in the garden, I did not feel like going to all the trouble to make the cabbage rolls.  I came up with this dish to get the same flavors in one pot with a little bit of work and most of the time spent simmering the ingredients together on the stove. I also used turkey instead of beef for a lighter version of this dish that I usually crave for cold weather.

Inside Out Cabbage Rolls with Rice

1 large or 2 medium sweet onions

1-pound ground turkey

1 small to medium head of green cabbage

1 good size juicy lemon

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

1 Bay leaf

1 can chopped tomatoes in juice (16 ounce)

Olive oil

About 3 quart size large rimmed sauté pan with lid

Rice – White or Brown, from scratch or pre-made

Before you start the cabbage if you are making rice from scratch – put on your rice. You can also use microwave rice if desired – Trader Joe's has a good organic brown rice that takes 3 minutes and it is delicious - you can find it in the freezer section. I keep some on hand in case I don't have time to make rice from scratch. 

I made an old world pilaf with this dish – it is different types of rice with some beans and lentils  that comes pre-packaged from the health food store – It takes about 45-50 minutes – I started it before I sautéed the onions and both dishes were ready at the same time.

Put about 1-2 tablespoons in large sauté pan. Heat on medium.

Meanwhile chop the onions in large dice. Put onions in pan and cook a few minutes till they start to turn translucent. Add ground turkey and stir breaking up the meat and mixing with the onions and let the turkey brown and the onions soften.  While onion and turkey is cooking, core the cabbage and rough chop – cut in wedges and then cut the wedges into strips and then cut those in smaller pieces.

Salt and pepper the onion and turkey mixture and add a bay leaf. Add the canned tomatoes with juice, the juice from the lemon, the brown sugar and the apple cider vinegar.  Mix together and add one-half cup more liquid if desired (water or some stock) – you want it juicy to steam the cabbage and make a sauce but not too wet.

When the mixture starts to boil add the cabbage, cover and steam for about 30 minutes on medium low heat. Check and stir periodically to make sure the cabbage is getting mixed in with all of the flavors.

Enjoy!

Until next time… may you find enjoyment in food and nature,

Marla

Easy and Quick Summer Salmon Dinner

 Summer is here and with the warmer weather I am not as inclined to spend long hours in the kitchen as I like to do when the weather is cooler.  I have found that I am not as motivated to create interesting meals, however I still prefer making my own fresh in-season ingredients rather than buying prepared foods.

Today I found a beautiful piece of Wild Alaskan Salmon on sale at my local market and I wanted to build a simple, healthy, and delicious dinner around it with not too many calories so I could splurge on some ice cream for dessert. 

I came up with a simple grill pan preparation for the salmon using lemon, salt, and fresh tarragon from the garden. If you aren’t fond of tarragon you can always use oregano or basil, or a simple sprinkling of herbs de Provence from the cupboard. You can also use a regular sauté pan if you don’t have a grill pan.

I had some kale leftover (that I bought to make a green smoothie), and picked up some baby zucchini, yellow and green crookneck squash, a fresh ear of corn, and a small sweet onion from a local farm stand – I decided rather than making rice and a salad to combine all of these vegetables to make a yummy fresh side dish with some crunch and varying texture.

Before I started I grabbed a nice glass of a red blend wine and a slice of fresh sourdough and sat on the deck to relax and reflect after a busy day.

After the wine and bread, the salmon and vegetables was just the right amount of food for dinner and the pairing was delicious.

Both recipes follow – If you prep ahead you can cook both at the same time. Approximately 15-20 minutes  from start to finish:

Pan Grilled Salmon (serves 2 – recipe can be doubled)

½ pound fresh salmon filet (about half inch thick)

½ lemon

1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon (3 sprigs approx) or herb of choice (basil or oregano) – if you do not have fresh you can use dried.

Sea salt to taste

Olive oil

Olive oil spray

Green onions for garnish

Put grill pan over burner on top of stove and preheat about 3 minutes or so till hot, spray with cooking spray and drizzle a little bit of oil (1/2 tablespoon or less) – you can use flavored oil if you desire.

While pan is heating, sprinkle top of salmon (flesh side) with salt and herbs.

When pan is ready place skin side down and set your timer for 4 minutes.

Flip salmon over after 4 minutes and cook another 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and let sit for about 2 minutes.

Top with sliced green onion and serve.

Note: May be slightly under done, which I prefer as it is moist and not dry. If you prefer it more done add 1 or 2 minutes to cooking time.

Sautéed Corn, Summer Squash, Onion, and Kale (serves 2 – recipe can be doubled)

1 Ear sweet corn, shucked and cleaned

4-5 miniature summer squash or 2 medium size

1 small onion (sweet preferred)

6 leaves Lacinto (or dinosaur) kale

Olive oil cooking spray

Garlic olive oil

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Cut corn off cob into a bowl.

Clean and chop squash into bite size pieces (if using the larger squash cut in large dice)

Slice onion and cut the slices in half

Tear kale leaves off of stem and discard stem; cut leaves into 1 inch ribbons

Put all vegetables in a bowl.

Put sauté pan on medium high heat and heat for about 3 minutes. Spray sauté pan with olive oil cooking spray, add a small amount of  garlic oil. If you do not have garlic flavored olive oil you can use regular and thinly slice a clove of garlic and add to oil while heating.

Add all of the vegetables to the pan at the same time when it is heated.

Cook and stir until kale is dark green and onions are slightly softened and zucchini is fork tender – about 4 – 5 minutes. The onions and corn will stay relatively crispy.

Season with salt and pepper during the cooking so that all the vegetables absorb the seasoning.

Turn off heat and let set while Salmon is cooking and resting.

Divide Salmon and vegetables between two plates and enjoy.  You can add a salad, some small red potatoes, or some fresh sourdough bread if desired.

Enjoy!

Until next time… may you find enjoyment in food and nature,

Marla

Help From The Pantry

As a child I occasionally begged for a T.V. dinner in the grocery store because it was a novelty in our house…this is a grateful nod to my mother who prepared most of our meals from scratch. 

But sometimes the help of a box or can was necessary to stretch meat to feed more people or to save time. I learned from my mom to cook from scratch with fresh vegetables and meats as much as possible, and sometimes the cupboard can provide a little help.  

For my health I usually minimize my use of prepared or fast food and like to keep ingredients as simple as possible. I prefer to make fresh meals with seasonings and combinations that enhance the natural flavors, and rarely use pre-made sauces or packaged foods. However, some days I am too tired or just don’t have time to cook from scratch.  For those times when I want a healthy delicious meal but I am tired from a long day or short on time, I rely on my pantry.

Last week I was craving lasagna; usually one of those dishes that I save for company because it is labor intensive so I like to make a large pan of it including making sauce from scratch. I looked in the cupboard, found a jar of basil pesto and a large can of organic marinara sauce…  picked up a couple of things from the store and used a small pan with only two layers.  I had mushroom lasagna in an hour – paired with a salad for a satisfying and healthy dinner.

A couple of days later I combined the rest of the pesto, and a few more pantry items, with some raw ground turkey into a small turkey loaf and the flavors really worked well together.  So I had two great meals with the help of my pantry!

Both recipes follow:

Mushroom Lasagna (4 servings – can be doubled)

28 ounces (3.5 cups) marinara sauce (homemade or can/jar)

8 Shitake Mushrooms (or other medium size mushrooms of choice) – Sliced

8 ounces Ricotta cheese

8 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese – Thinly sliced

¼ cup Romano or Parmesan cheese – grated

1-tablespoon basil pesto

Dried oregano and parsley and a little extra grated cheese for the top

Olive oil

½ package or 8 ounces whole wheat or whole grain lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Set aside a 10 inch round or 8-9 inch square baking dish

Bring a large pot of water to boil – when boiling add the noodles and cook 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water so you can handle the noodles.  While the noodles are cooking prepare the sauce: Add olive oil to a 12-15 inch sauté pan to coat – not more than 1 tablespoon. Heat the oil, add sliced mushrooms and cook a few minutes till softened. Add marinara sauce and let cook at medium heat till warmed through. While noodles and sauce are cooking, mix ricotta and pesto and grated cheese and set aside.

Grab your pan and pour a small amount of the prepared marinara to coat the bottom. Layer noodles to cover the bottom of the pan – trim if necessary.

Spread ricotta mixture over the noodles and lay mozzarella slices on top. Spoon sauce over the layer of noodles and cheese, using most of the mushrooms but making sure to reserve sauce for top. Add another layer of noodles and trim if necessary to contain them within the pan.  

Pour remaining sauce over the top and make sure it covers all the noodles. Sprinkle with grated cheese, parsley and oregano. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch anything that bubbles over. Bake uncovered 45 minutes. Let sit 10-15 minutes before cutting.  Serve with a salad and enjoy.

Pre-baked Lasagna

Turkey Meatloaf

1-pound ground turkey

1 egg

1-2 tablespoons feta cheese (crumbled)

1 heaping tablespoon basil pesto

1/3 cup bread crumbs (panko or regular with Italian seasoning if available)

Small can diced tomatoes in juice or tomato sauce

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste – and if using unseasoned breadcrumbs add some oregano

Mix first 5 ingredients together and shape into a small oval or rectangular loaf and place in a shallow rimmed casserole dish or baking pan. Top with tomatoes or tomato sauce, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Let rest 10 minutes and serve. I paired this with a simple romaine salad with watermelon radishes and crisp red bell pepper slices in a light vinaigrette. 

Until next time… may you find enjoyment in food and nature,

Marla

End of the Week Soup and Mint-Lemongrass Tea

I am so lucky to live in an area of abundant fresh produce; for me a week is not complete without at least one trip to a local farmer’s market or farm stand.

At the end of each week I look through my fridge and take an inventory of which vegetables I have not used. I think about what I can make to use them up while they are still fresh and to make room for the fruits and vegetables that I know will tempt me the coming weekend.

At the end of last week I found several veggies and some ground turkey I need to use. The weather had turned a bit cooler, which made me think of soup. The result is a non-traditional turkey meatball soup that hit the spot, delicious and satisfying but not too heavy. This recipe made enough for about four servings.

Farmer’s Market inspired Turkey Meatball Soup

Soup Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Clove garlic – finely chopped

2  Green onions – chopped in small pieces

3-4 Celery stalks with leaves – chopped

3-4 Carrots (washed and unpeeled) – chopped

1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped

½ small head of cabbage – coarsely chopped

Fresh Dill – 3-4 sprigs finely chopped

3 cups chicken stock (or 3 cups water and a tablespoon of good quality chicken paste or bouillon)

1 Bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste

Meatballs: ½ pound ground turkey, 1 egg beaten, 1 Tablespoon tomato paste, ¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs (you can use cooked rice to make this gluten free), salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oil in a large saucepan or medium size pot on medium low heat, add garlic and onion and cook a few minutes till softened, add celery, carrot, and pepper – cook till softened (about 5-7 minutes).  Note: You can also add zucchini squash or green beans cut in small pieces at this point if desired. 

Cover vegetables with stock and raise heat to bring to a boil (if using water and bouillon – boil water and then stir in bouillon). Add bay leaf and dill while bringing liquid to a boil.

Meanwhile make meatballs; mix together ingredients well and then form into 2 inch balls (golf ball size or smaller) and set aside on a plate. Drop meatballs into boiling soup, turn down heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes. 

Add cabbage and simmer for 5 more minutes uncovered – till cabbage is wilted.  Check flavor and add salt and pepper if desired.

Put into bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, or toasted pumpkin seeds, or slices of avocado and enjoy.

As I am writing this post, the wind has come up and it is quite gusty here. It caught me by surprise as I was walking the dogs this morning, making me sneeze from the dust flying around.

I learned some time ago from a practitioner of acupuncture that mint is good for balancing the effect of wind; since then I make it a practice to eat or drink mint in some form when I have had a good dose of wind to counter its affect on my ears or sinuses.  This morning I thought mint tea sounded good so I went to the garden and snipped a few sprigs of mint and while there I decided to add some lemongrass. I snipped a few leaves and one thin stalk.

I washed and cut up the lemongrass and pulled the mint leaves off the stem and put them together in a small teapot. I poured boiling water over the leaves and let it steep for 20 minutes. Then I strained the brew into a cup and added a splash of unsweetened vanilla soymilk.

The resulting drink was soothing and delicious and made my sinuses feel clearer. It may be all in my mind, but it works for me and it is so yummy and relaxing I urge you to give it a try – this is also wonderful after dinner or just before bedtime.

If you cannot find fresh mint or lemongrass it is usually available dried in a health food store in the bulk bins or in a tea or spice shop.  

Until next time… may you find enjoyment in food and nature,

Marla