From Soup to Dessert

My itching eczema seems to be responding to the dietary changes I am instituting into my daily routine.  It seems that the biggest culprit affecting my condition has been sugar.  I am day 3 without refined sugar, and the itchiness is much reduced, as well as the redness.  The size of the patch also seems to be shrinking.  It may be a combination of the lotions and creams and the diet, but whatever it is it seems to be working. 

Here is my regime for creams.  First thing in the morning I put on Aveeno Eczema Therapy on the patch.  Within about 6 hours, I put my first application of oil and vaseline.  First the baby oil, then about 5 minutes later I put on the vaseline.  At supper I put on more of the Aveeno, and during the night, if I find myself itching the area, I put on another application of oil and vaseline.  The burning I used to get from my prescriptions no longer occurs. 

Now for my diet.  I did not totally go macrobiotic, but I had a leftover soup from Thanksgiving so I used it.  It is called Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque, and I pulled off the recipe from the Two Rivers Country Club.  Here is the recipe, with a few changes that I added.

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ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH BISQUE From Two Rivers Country Club Ingredients: 2 butternut squash (approximately 4 pounds total) - halved and seeded 6 tablespoons unsalted butter Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper Fresh ground nutmeg (about ¼ teaspoon) 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup finely diced onion 1 cup finely diced leek 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger or ¼ teaspoon dry ginger 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock ½ cup of heavy cream or ½ cup crème fraiche Instructions: Preheat oven to 375°. Cut each squash in half and discard seeds. Brush the cut sides with 6 tablespoons of the butter. Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Place the squash cut side down in a baking dish and bake until tender, approximately 1 ½ hours. Cool, scoop out the pulp from the skin. Puree the squash in a food processor. Reserve. In a large saucepot, heat the olive oil and add the onions and leeks. Sweat over low heat. Do not brown! Add the puree of the butternut squash, cinnamon,  ginger and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream, if desired or ladle in serving bowl and add small dollop of crème fraiche.

  
                                     








































             The two changse I made was adding a 3 oz jar of pimento to the soup, and using sea salt.  To keep a primarily macrobiotic recipe, use a homemade vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, as I did.

Link to the recipe


Since this was a leftover, I had some of my Savory Brown Rice left from the previous night.  So I added it to the squash soup, and it was postively magnificent. 

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Main Course - Spinach And Goat Cheese
                        Mini Quiche

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped leeks
1 10 oz package fresh spinach
1/2 cup non fat organic plain yogurt
3/4 cup skim milk
3 large eggs
1/4 tblsp ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp Dulse granules (available at natural food stores)
1/2 pound raw goat cheese
1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning
large cupcake pan
olive oil

Wash spinach.  Do not drain.  In a large sauce pan on high heat, place raw spinach and stir until spinach starts to wilt.  You may need to do this in steps because you don't want to have too much spinach in the pan at once.  After spinach has wilted, transfer to a colander and let spinach cool.  After the spinach is cooled, squeeze dry and chop coarsely. 

Combine mushrooms, garlic and leeks in the same saute pan with 1 tblsp olive oil.  Add Dulse granules and saute for about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and add spinach.  Divide the mixture evenly in your six holes in the large cupcake pan.

Take your goat cheese and divide it into six, and place a dolop on each spinach cup in your pan.

In a medium bowl whisk the yogurt, milk, eggs, pepper, and garlic and herb seasoning.  Combine well, then pour in equal amounts over the spinach/cheese mixture in your cupcake cups. 

Bake for about 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees until eggs are set and tart is browned.

These are so good that you will probably want to eat two, so this recipe makes 3 servings.

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Flourless And Sugarless Oat and
Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups rolled oats
A handful of  raisins (maybe 2 or 3 tblsp)
A handful of walnuts
3 tblsps raw honey
1/4 cup Polenta Cornmeal
1/4 cup unsweetened, unsalted natural peanut butter
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
2 tblsp organic butter substitute (available at health food stores)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix well until batter is blended evenly.
Portion cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  I actually picked up about a tablespoon, and with my hands tried to compress the batter as much as I could, then when it was on the cookie sheet I pressed down to flatten.
Bake cookies for approximatey 12-15 minutes.
Makes about 12 cookies.

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My journey into healthier eating continues, though I am currently looking at Entenmann's chocolate covered doughnuts.  It is taking everything in my power to remember what sugar apparently does to my eczema, but so far I have been okay.  The cookies are actually very tasty, and hopefully they will satisfy my sweet craving.  Tonight, though it isn't macrobiotic, I will be making beef stew for the family.  My recipe for stew includes an onion broth that I cook the meat in, then I add carrots and potatoes in the last 20 minutes or so of cooking.  It is simple, hearty, and the family loves it. 

Summer Canning - July 18, 2011

What is happening on the "farm" this week?  The harvest is ready to start canning.  Growing up in a farming family, canning was as much a part of our year as going back to school in September.  My father used to can pickles and tomatoes.  My grandfather lived with my uncle, and they used to go head to head to see who could get the best garden, and they both canned not only pickles, but beans, relishes, corn, just about anything they could grow. 

Every one of my relatives canned every year.  It is totally natural that I would follow along with the tradition.  The moment I moved into my house in Tolland, I thought about gardens and canning.  No more apartment living, and I took full advantage of that fact.   So every year I have canned something, and I have shared that love with many of my friends and acquaintances.  It  is great fun to be hanging over a hot stove cooking apple butter when you have somebody to do it with.   I choose that example because apple butter has to be one of the hottest dishes to can.  We would take turns stirring the butter over the heat, because when you make any kind of butter the cooking can go on for an hour or two, but it is worth every minute once you taste the apple butter, and have it on toast on a cold morning in January. 

So what am I canning this week?   We have cucumbers, dill, basil, and blueberries.  So that means it is time to can dill pickles, make a batch of pesto, and make spiced blueberry jam.  My dad remembers fondly the spiced blueberry jam he would get from my aunt in Cushman, MA.  Growing up on our hill in Ellington, CT., we had numerous wild blueberries, but never enough to make jam.  What do you expect.  We were kids that were sent out to pick the blueberries.  By the time we were done, many would fall out of carelessly held coffee cans.  If they did not fall out, they ended up in our bellies.  Three hours later we would come home with just enough blueberries to make one batch of blueberry muffins. 

We have remedied the problem of  blueberries by planting several high bush variety.  Admittedly, nothing is as tasty as wild blueberries, but the cultivated bushes do bring enough blueberries for several pies to freeze, lots of jam, plenty of breads and muffins, and some years even enough to make blueberry wine. 

Cucumbers and dill are never a problem.  Every year it seems we have too many of both.  I usually plant just the pickling cucumbers, because they are versatile and can be used in salads like the long cucumbers you buy in the store, with a crispness and small seeds.  I always start my pickle season with dill pickles.  I make bread and butter pickles later on.  There is something about homemade dill pickles that can't be beat.  I don't do brine pickles.  I do refrigerator pickles or canning by the jar. 

Of course, basil is an herb that produces a great deal of leaf throughout the season.  I am making pesto for now, but I am exploring other uses of basil in fruit dishes and things like that.  Pesto is a spread that I made for the first time last year.  I am sold on the stuff, and love every teaspoon that gets spread on crackers, toast, pasta, and meats such as chicken.  Here are the recipes I used this week.

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Spiced Blueberry Jam
Ingredients:
3 cups blueberries
1 tsp lemon juice
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 pouch liquid pectin


Remove stems from blueberries.  Crush them,
one layer at at ime.  Measure 2 1/4 cups, packed solidly.  Add water to make up amount.  Pour into saucepan.  Add lemon juice, sugar and spices; mix well.  Bring to a full rolling boil (a boil that can't be stirred down) and boil, stirring, for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in pectin.  Ladle into hot jelly jars.  Cover with lids, then process in boiling hot water bath for 5 minutes.  Makes about 4 8oz. jars  of jam. 

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Dill Pickles By The Quart

Ingredients:

1 quart (1 1/2 pounds) pickling cucumbers

1 clove of garlic, split in half

1 red hot pepper, dried (I used cayenne)

2 tblsps white vinegar

1 tblsp pickling salt

2 (or more) fresh dill heads

boiling water

Wash the cucumbers.  Slice a small piece from each end of the cucumber.  Prick two or three times in different places with the tines of a fork.  Pack cucumbers in a 1 quart canning jar (I always use wide mouth for dill pickles.)  Add the garlic, pepper, vinegar, salt and dill.  Cover with boiling water, seal with canning lid.  Store in the refrigerator.  Should be ready to eat in 2 or 3 weeks.  The longer you let the cucumbers pickle in the refrigerator, the stronger the flavor will be. 

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Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.
Yield: Makes 1 cup.

This recipe was provided by Simply Recipes

I have had advice from a top notch Italian cook who says that you can use about half the olive oil that most recipes call for.  Instead of using 1/2 cup, use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of olive oil.  I also use fresh parmigian cheese.  If you would like to try a less expensive "nut" I have used roasted, unsalted soy nuts in my pesto.  It still tastes very good. 

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Swiss Chard - The Other "Spinach"

,We had wonderfully refreshing thunderstorms last night.  The rain pounded loudly, and one crack of thunder was so close it shook the house.  The results of that thunderstorm was the amount of growth in my garden.  It sounds weird, but it looks to me as if my swiss chard doubled in size.  I weeded it a few days ago, and I wasn't compelled to pick any.  However, this morning, I had to.  The chard was very tall.  Of course, it doesn't look like I weeded either. 

Swiss chard is a nice green that tastes a little like beet greens, a little like spinach.  I have planted spinach in the past and never got a lot of growth on it, and it always seems to succumb to leaf miner damage.  Not so with chard.  The stuff is easy to grow, tastes good, and is quite versatile.  Any recipe that you find that asks for spinach or beet greens can have chard as a substitute.  The benefit to chard is that once you cut the stems for harvest, they grow back.  Chard will grow all summer and can be used instead of lettuce in salads. 

Bright Lights Swiss Chard from Coventry Regional Farmers Market last year.

Though the bright lights chard is very pretty, I have gone back to planting the old fashioned variety with plain white stems.  That variety produces a lot more chard, though the flavor is not all that different. 

As a child growing up in Ellington, CT, my dad was the gardener. We had a garden way back on our 4 acres, beyond the chicken coops and the horse paddock. It was basically a cleared area in the middle of the woods. He was the one that introduced me to swiss chard. We always had deer problems in our garden, but the chard was rarely touched by them. Needless to say, we always had plenty of swiss chard for the summer.

I have two 6 foot rows of chard growing, and from today's harvest I have enough to make several chard dishes.   I am a recipe collector, and as creative as I can be in the kitchen, I often like to start with a real recipe from a website or cookbook, then I will make my own variations after cooking it according to the original directions.  One very simple recipe I got from Epicurious. 

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Sauteed Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• 2 large bunches Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips

Preparation:

Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chard; stir to coat. Cover; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to bowl and serve.

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The reviews on this recipe are glowing.  Many who tried the recipe said they aren't big fans of swiss chard, but this recipe was really good and they would make it again.  As I read the ingredients, I believe this one will freeze well. 

When swiss chard leaves get very large, you can stuff them just like cabbage.  I have created stuffed chard in the past, but I can't for the life of me remember what I did.  Do you think I wrote down what I did?  Of course not.  I know I used zucchini squash, mushrooms, feta cheese, pine nuts, onions and garlic.  It must have been an experiment since zucchini squash comes in abundance, and I also make many different things with pine nuts and feta cheeses.  I most likely had them all on hand and just combined them.  However, in my search for recipes, I did find one for stuffed chard.  It is on EatingWell, and it sounds quite good. 

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                 Stuffed Chard With Marinara

            Ingredients:
• 1 pound 90%-lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 2 medium shallots, minced, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 8 large Swiss chard leaves, stems removed (see Tip)
• 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (optional

 Preparation:

1. Gently mix beef, breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon shallot, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until just combined. Divide the mixture into 8 oblong 3-inch portions.
2. Overlap the two sides of a chard leaf where the stem was removed and place a portion of beef there. Tightly roll the chard around the beef. Place each roll, seam-side down, in a large nonstick skillet. Pour in broth, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a roll reads 165°F, 8 to 10 minutes. Discard any remaining broth.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining shallot, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the shallot is soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and thickened, about 8 minutes. Serve the chard rolls topped with sauce and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
4. Tip: Remove chard stems, including the widest section of the rib at the base of the leaf, by making narrow triangular cuts.

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If you just want to cook chard as a side dish, the simplest way is to place the leaves, cut into strips, in a microwave safe dish.  Add about a 1/2 inch of water, and cook on high for about 4 minutes.  Drain, then add butter and salt and pepper.  That is how my husband likes it.  However, I am different.  For some reason, when I was growing up, we always spread on mayonnaise, not butter.  So of course, when I eat chard or spinach or beet greens, I never use butter on mine, I always use mayonnaise.  Sometimes I will get adventurous and add italian dressing instead.  I believe that the reason why we always used mayonnaise is because we couldn't always afford butter.  Much of my childhood now makes sense since I too have to economize and make do. 

My chard series begins here.  I will be using a lot of chard in recipes until I start getting in squashes and beans.  So goes the gardening.  To make the best of what you have, use what is growing, and create many different dishes with it.  Okay, you want more.  Here is one more recipe that I plan on trying with chard. 

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Chard Wrapped Chicken

       

ingredients

• Roasted Carrots and Onions (see recipe below)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill, oregano, or sage
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 6 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 6 Swiss chard leaves, stems trimmed

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Prepare Roasted Carrots and Onions and place in oven. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the snipped herbs, the garlic, and pepper. In another small bowl combine feta cheese and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil mixture. Mash mixture together with the back of a spoon to form a paste.
2. Top each chicken breast with some of the feta mixture, pressing firmly. Wrap center portion of each chicken breast with a Swiss chard leaf, leaving ends exposed. Place wrapped chicken breasts in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish.
3. After carrots have been in the oven for 10 minutes, add chicken to oven. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degree F). If desired, sprinkle chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon snipped fresh herb. Makes 6 servings.
4. Roasted Carrots and Onions: In a 2-quart rectangular baking dish combine one 1-pound package peeled fresh baby carrots; 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges; 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or salt, and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. Toss to coat. Bake as directed above.

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