The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 27,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 6 Film Festivals
You are in the mood for comfort foods, passionately and creatively constructed for sharing with a house full of good friends, over a special glass of wine or two, with plenty of amusing stories, many marvelous memories and a full measure of laughter. What could be better on a long cold night? Leave Mother Nature at the door, and settle in for a tasting treat, purely vegetarian.
Get ready in the kitchen for some amazing and relatively easy creations this season. You will please the crowd with these two recipes. Oven Roasted Winter Squash, Spinach and Three Cheese Crepes, and Oven Roasted Savory Winter Squash Soup. Any variety of squash will work with these recipes, with various flavours and textures, depending on the variety of course.
Winter squash is such a versatile veggie, that I never cease to discover new and exciting things to do with them. A real staple storage crop that promises to sustain the heart and soul throughout much of our winter season.
OVEN ROASTED WINTER SQUASH, SPINACH AND THREE CHEESE CREPES
Hazelnuts add crunch to the soft, rich filling in this vegetarian entrée – guaranteed to please cheese lovers, too.
8 – 6 inch round fresh crepes
Basic Savory Crepe Recipe
Sift the spelt flour through a fine colander into a medium bowl. Add eggs to the spelt flour and whisk together.
Gradually add milk of choice and water and whisk until smooth. Add salt and melted butter and give it a final whisk.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Once you can feel the warmth by placing your hand over the pan, spray on a thin layer of olive oil. Add 1/4 cup of batter to the pan. Immediately move the pan around, tilting it in a circular motion, to get a thin layer off batter all over the pan.
Cook the crêpe about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, it is done when the bottom has browned. Flip using a rubber spatula to get under the edge and heat the other side through about 30 seconds. Pile finished crepes on a plate so that they’re ready for filling.
Filling:
Peel and cube squash to make about 4 cups and place in roasting pan. Add garlic, onion, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper; roast in 425°F oven until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool.
In food processor, purée together squash mixture, ricotta, Parmesan cheese and sage. Stir in hazelnuts. Rinse spinach. Shake off excess water. In large saucepan, cook spinach, with just the water clinging to leaves, over medium-high heat until just wilted, about 3 minutes; drain in colander. Let cool; squeeze out liquid and chop spinach in rough bite sized pieces. Fold spinach into Squash mixture. Set aside. (This step can be made ahead of time)
White Cheese Sauce:
In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; whisk in flour and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly add milk; bring to a slight boil. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking often, until bubbly and thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 cups of the cheese until smooth.
Spread 1 cup of sauce in 13- x 9-inch glass baking dish. Set aside. (this sauce can be made ahead of time if need be)
Spread scant 3 – 5 tbsp squash and spinach filling in the centre of a crêpe and roll it up, leaving the ends open or tucked under is totally your choice. Place crepes snugly, seam side down, in dish with the sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with the remaining white cheese.
Bake on rimmed baking sheet in 375°F oven for 2o minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly and cheese is lightly browned, about 15 -20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve along side a bed of fresh baby greens with a light vinaigrette dressing, and a huge glass of your choice Red or White.
FYI
This dish can be made ahead, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 hours. Crepes may be substituted with lasagna noodles and baked for 40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
Here is something quick and relatively easy to whip up on a cold damp day when all you want is to warm up the kitchen with some heartwarming memories-of-home and aromas of satisfying and soothing comfort foods.
OVEN ROASTED SAVORY WINTER SQUASH SOUP
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, toss butternut squash, onions, garlic, spice of choice, salt, and pepper with vegetable oil to coat. Divide between 2 roasting pans or one large cookie sheet and roast until browned, 45 minutes.
Using a blender, puree batches of roasted squash with vegetable broth.
Transfer to a large pot and heat. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream.
This horned melon is also called African Horned Cucumber or Kiwano. Horned Melon is a fruit that is a cross between a melon and a cucumber. It is also nicknamed “Blow-fish Fruit”. It is native to southern Africa and grown in the United States, Portugal and New Zealand. The outer flesh has distinctive spikes or horned protrusions that are responsible for this fruit being referred to as the horned melon. It is also called Kiwano, which was derived from New Zealand where the fruit was named for its resemblance to the kiwi, with its bright green inner flesh that is jelly textured and filled with soft flat edible seeds. When eaten raw, it has a flavor that may be considered the same as a cucumber and melon combined, with a slight taste of banana and lime as well. When ripe, the outer skin of the melon should be orange-yellow in color and firm to the touch. It can be prepared for use in salads by removing the outer skin and slicing the inner flesh into squares or slices. Or it can be used as a salad dressing, by whisking the flesh with a little olive oil and substituted in place of vinegar. Scooping out the flesh and blending it into a drink, and then adding other ingredients such as yogurt, sorbet, honey, or vanilla ice cream is another way it can be prepared. The flesh can also be added to soups or sauces to provide a delicious fruity flavor. When entertaining, the scooped out shell can be filled with ingredients to create a colorful and unique presentation. For storage, the melon can be kept at room temperature for several weeks, or to enhance the flavor, store in a refrigerator and serve shortly afterward.
Choose a Horned Melon fruit that have a fully ripened. It will have an orange rind with spikes. If you can not find a fully ripened fruit, wait to have a turn orange before eating it. Cut the fruit in half crosswise. Set the one half aside. Hold the remaining half to your mouth. Slowly,press the fruit from the lower end. Small, semi-slimy sacs of fruit, each containing a cucumber-like seed, should come to the cut surface of the fruit. Beat or suck up at least one sac of fruit and seed. Chew or suck on the sac of fruit, swallowing it once you have savoured the flavour.
Things to do with Jelly Mellon
BEEF WITH JELLY MELON SAUCE
The flavour of a horned melon is described as a citrusy cucumber. It makes an interesting complement to beef. This recipe is served as a salad entrée.
Beef:
To make sauce: Cut 1/2 horned melon into halves lengthwise. Use a grapefruit knife or a small sharp knife to scoop out pulp. Combine the melon pulp, lime juice, green onion, oil, cumin, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Cover and process until well blended.
To make beef: Cut 1/2 horned melon into halves. Cut crosswise into thin slices. Cut off skin. Cut the beef into thin slices. Grill or broil the beef to desired doneness. Arrange the lettuce on a large salad platter. Top with the grilled beef, melon slices and cucumber sticks. Spoon the sauce over the top.
MINTY BLOW-FISH KIWANO COCKTAIL
Slice Kiwano Melon in half size. Cut around the edges of the melon between the skin and the flesh. Use a spoon to dig out the flesh and place in cocktail shaker. Keep the melon half.
Add the Mint leaves to the shaker, mash a bit and shake vigorously . Add gin and lemon juice to mixture.
Shake well with ice pieces and strain in to melon half, or use a martini glass if you are too prissy to hold a prickly cup. Top with sparkling wine.
Garnish with lemon or kiwano slice.
KIWANO & LIME VINAIGRETTE
Here’s a simple salad dressing using fresh kiwano juice.
Cut the kiwano in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp. Press kiwano pulp through a sieve to extract juice. Discard seeds and pulp.
In a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Transfer to a glass bowl and let stand for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Give the dressing a good whisk
CREAMY AVOCADO AND HORNED MELON DRESSING
Cut horned melon in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp. Place pulp in a fine sieve over a bowl. Press pulp with the back of a spoon to extract juice; discard juice. Place pulp and remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
If you have never tried Pumpkin Bread, then is the recipe for you! There are always plenty of recipes and ideas for pumpkins and squash, and Pumpkin Bread is one of the best and easy ways I think to enjoy all what pumpkin and squash can bring to this season. Pumpkin Bread is a very versatile quick-bread to enjoy for breakfast with berries or fresh fruit on the side or as a mid-day snack, thickly sliced and slathered with butter or with a chunk of sharp old cheese. As a dessert or afternoon treat it goes well with a cup of hot steeped tea or fresh-brewed coffee. This bread will always satisfy any company you choose to share it with. This comfort food reminds me of home and all things earthy; bright warm fall days and cool cozy nights.
If you have a small sugar pie pumpkin, butternut squash, hokkaido or kabocha squash, those cook up deliciously. The spices make this quick-bread quite tasty and reminiscent of pumpkin pie, and the squash helps the loaf stay deliciously moist.
PERFECT PUMPKIN BREAD
To make pumpkin or squash purée, cut the vegetable in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff and lie face down on a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh and mash or purée in a food processor. Freeze whatever you don’t use for future use.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.
Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.
Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.
Can easily double the recipe. Makes one loaf.
A great way to make use of the seeds is eat them, salted and toasted. I like them with the shells on and if they are toasted properly they are wonderfully crunchy and easy to eat. It helps if you are going to eat them with the shells on that you use seeds from sugar pumpkins, or butternut squash. Boil the seeds in salted water first, and then toast them in the oven.
SIMPLE TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut open the pumpkin or squash and use a strong metal spoon to scoop out the insides. Separate the seeds from the stringy core. Rinse the seeds.
In a small saucepan, add the seeds to water, about 2 cups of water to every half cup of seeds. Add a half tablespoon of salt for every cup of water. Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
Spread about a tablespoon of olive oil over the bottom of a roasting pan. Spread the seeds out over the roasting pan, all in one layer. Bake on the top rack until the seeds begin to brown, 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of the seeds. Smaller pumpkin seeds could toast more quickly. When browned, remove from the oven and let the pan cool on a rack. Let the seeds cool completely before eating. Either crack to remove the inner seed or eat whole.
Looking for a frozen dessert that is healthy, nutritious and sinfully delicious? Look no further. Frozen Chocolate Brownies, the piece-de-resistance at the end of a fabulous dinner for two. Prepare a large tray for family get-togethers or the corporate pot-luck lunch. This is a sure-fire way to put the finishing touches on any occasion.
Lady Locavore was recently enjoying a little one-one time with her big sister. “Girl’s Night Out” was the occasion. It was late in the afternoon; too early to meet the girls just yet, so chatting, laughing and sharing was in order. Knowing my passion for chocolate and how much I like very healthy things and that dessert being the best part of any meal, Sis, with those priorities in mind, decided to offer me dessert first, an amuse-bouche along with a glass of my favourite beverage, before going out. She had this decadent guilt-free dessert which was just sitting in the freezer begging to be enjoyed. “Want to try something new? Something chocolate? Something really good?” “Why, of course!” was my immediate reaction. The texture and taste of these frozen treats is amazing.
FROZEN CHOCOLATE BROWNIES , wheat-free, dairy-free, no-bake
This brownie can be served by piping the mixture into tiny paper cup-cake cups for individual frozen one-bite brownies.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a food processor to resemble a fine crumble. Pad down in an 8”square pan.
topping:
Puree until smooth and spread over the base. Sprinkle with fleur-de-sel. Freeze for at least 2 or 3 hours. Cut into squares and serve frozen.
What to do with all that Eggplant we seem to be seeing lately? Well, at your next soiree, this amazing casserole will dazzle the crowd, awe the taste buds and impress even the fussiest of pallets. Serve along side a bed of fresh greens drizzled with a fine balsamic vinaigrette topped with a sprinkle of roasted sliced almonds or toasted sunflower seeds and a crusty roll; sit back and prepare for the rave reviews!
LAYERED EGGPLANT BAKE WITH MOZZARELLA AND PARMESAN CHEESE
In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and basil. Mix well.
In another shallow bowl, lightly beat eggs using a fork. Working one at a time, dip eggplant slices into beaten eggs, shake off excess, then press slices into crumb mixture. Turn to coat both sides with crumbs. place slices on 1 large or 2 small greased baking sheets.
Spray tops of slices lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove eggplant from the oven, turn slices over and spray again with cooking spray. Return to the oven and bake for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven.
To assemble the casserole, spoon 1 cup pasta sauce over the bottom of a 9”x 13” baking dish. Place a layer of eggplant slices over sauce. Spoon another cup of sauce over eggplant. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella over top. Repeat with another layer of eggplant slices, sauce and mozzarella. Sprinkle parsley over the top.
Return to oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and sauce is bubbly. Serve immediately.
Complements will be sure to follow! L.L
POTATOES AND SWEET BELL PEPPERS
This is a fine example of the “less is more” approach to cooking vegetables – simple, good-quality ingredients cooked to perfection. Use waxy potatoes that will hold their shape during cooking and the biggest bell peppers you can find.
Heat the oil in a large, lidded skillet/frying pan. Add the red and yellow bell peppers and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to turn golden brown. Ad the potatoes to the pan, season with salt and pepper, cover with the lid, and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue cooking for a further 15 minutes, turning every few minutes as the potatoes begin to brown, taking care not to bread them. If the potatoes start to stick, this will just add to the flavor of the dish, but don’t let them burn.
When the potatoes are tender, transfer to a serving dish and top with the parsley, if using. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
SAUTEED POTATOES AND PEPPERS
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the potatoes for 5 minutes, then add the peppers and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for at least 15 minutes, turning potatoes frequently, or until potatoes start to look mushy.
ROASTED POTATOES AND PEPPERS
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Wash potatoes. Halve or quarter larger potatoes. Cut onion into eight pieces. Cut peppers into one-inch pieces. Combine oil and seasonings in a plastic bag. Add vegetables and shake to coat with seasonings. Place in shallow dish and bake uncovered in the oven, until potatoes are tender, about 40-45 minutes, stirring once.
