Bulgar Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

6 to 8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 15 oz. can stewed or diced (Italian) tomatoes

15 or 20 black or favorite type of olives - sliced

1 15 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts

1/2 to 1 cup white wine (such as Pinot Grigio)

black pepper and sea salt to taste

1 cup vegetable broth

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup bulgar (cracked wheat) presoaked and drained

3 acorn squash, cut in half (scoop seeds and clean middle)



Directions:

Saute garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil over low heat. Add artichoke hearts, and cook until they get a little bit of color. Add 1/2 cup wine (reserve remaining wine to add only if more liquid is needed.) Cook until wine is slightly reduced, concentrating the flavor. Add canned tomatoes and juice, sliced olives and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Add the presoaked (& drained) bulgar. Add black pepper and sea salt to taste and simmer while liquid reduces slightly.


Prepare acorn squash, by cutting in half and scooping out seeds and pulp. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pile the bulgar filling in the acorn squash halves and bake until flesh is tender (approximately 1 hour.)


Notes: This filling would be good in other "stuffable vegetables" such as butternut squash, peppers, tomatoes or zuchinni. We roasted our squash seeds in the oven, lightly seasoned like we do our pumpkin seeds.


photo by Haiku, November 29, 2007
original recipe by Aisling, November 29, 2007

Cobbler Days

As our weather has caught up with the calendar, bringing cold nights and frosty mornings, I have started to bake more again, and to pull the large pot out of the wide drawer under the stove more often. These are cobbler days and pot-of-soup nights.

photos by Aisling, October 2007: 1 & 2) Peach and Blueberry Cobbler served for breakfast last weekend 3) Corn Chowder with garden fresh dill

Apple Granola Salad

I came up with this "salad" this morning, when I discovered that there wasn't any soymilk to go with the granola that I made yesterday. It was simple, but a really satisfying breakfast.

1 large apple grated (I used Granny Smith)

1 cup granola (I used homemade Vanilla Maple Granola)

1/2 cup dried fruit (I used raisins)

Mix and enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: Summer Breakfast

"He who fills his stomach with melons is like he who fills it with light--there is baraka (a blessing) in them." ~ A Middle Eastern Proverb

photo by Aisling, cold cubes of cantaloupe or musk melon, July 25, 2007

Greens & White Beans Sandwich Filling

This is a very simple sandwich filling, that can be made in just a few moments.

Chop by hand or (lightly) in a food mill, and mix together:

• 1 15 oz. can Cannelini (white kidney beans) smash slightly with a fork or roughly chopped
• 1 cup frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained) or about 1/2 cup fresh chopped
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 small carrot finely chopped (I made ribbons of carrot with a veggie peeler and the chopped those.)

Dressing (this makes more than you need):

• 1/4 lemon juice
• 1/4 cup oil (canola or extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Pour about 1/2 the dressing over beans & spinach mixture and serve on break, rolls or in a wrap. Serve the remaining dressing over a salad as a side dish, or save it for later. You may also use a favorite bottled dressing.

To make this lighter, skip the oil and just drizzle with lemon juice and spices, and serve in lettuce leaf wraps. Today, I had mine open-face on freshly-made wholewheat bread, with a glass of Peach Passion Ice Tea.

Later in the summer, I hope to make this again with swiss chard from my garden and summer squash in place of, or in addition to, the carrot.

photo by Aisling, July 9, 2007

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Local strawberries are available at the farm market now, so on Sunday, I made a strawberry pie as part of our Father's Day dinner. The pie crust recipe is based on one I clipped from a magazine years ago, and the pie filling is based on one in the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook I received almost 20 years ago as a bridal shower gift. I have doubled the amount of strawberry glaze the cookbook calls for, because I slice the strawberries rather than use them whole. The recipe which follows, is the way I make it.

You will need about 6 cups (1 and a half quarts) of fresh strawberries altogether - and more to nibble on while you work. Better get at least two quarts! *grin*

Pie Crust

1/4 cup shortening (I use Smart Balance Non-Hydrogenated Shortening)

1 cup flour

2 to 3 Tablespoons cold water

Cut the shortening into the flour, using a pasty cutter or the whisk blade of a mixer. Add cold water until dough forms. Roll out on floured surface and transfer to pie dish. Pierce with a fork. Bake until lightly golden (maybe 15 minutes - keep your eye on it!)

Strawberry Glaze

2 cups fresh strawberries

2 cups water

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

6 Tablespoons Cornstarch

Place strawberries and water in pan. Smash berries into small pieces (with potato masher.) Bring to boil, then turn down and simmer 2 minutes. Strain, retaining juice and discarding berry "pulp." Place sugar and cornstarch in pan, and whisk in strained juice. Simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and translucent.

Assembling the Pie

Slice about 4 cups of strawberries, then layer in the cooled, precooked crust, alternating with glaze. I start with a layer of glaze in the bottom of the crust, then lay in a single layer of strawberry slices, then pour on a layer of glaze, more strawberries, etc. Make the top layer as pretty as possible, saving some large, nicely formed slices for this layer. Chill about 3 to 6 hours before serving.

photos by Haiku, June 17, 2007

Rice and Roasted Vegetables

I like the simplicity of eating just rice with roasted vegetables. If you add a protein-rich legume to the mix, you have a complete, healthy meal. Tonight we roasted chick-peas and edamame (soybeans) with sweet potatoes and served them with rice, cooked in vegetable broth and seasoned with turmeric and black pepper to taste.

You can really use any combination of vegetables and seasonings, but we used this tonight:

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in small cubes

1 15 oz. can chick peas (garbanzo beans)

about 6 to 8 oz frozen edamame, thawed and shelled

crushed red pepper, crushed garlic cloves and paprika to taste

Roast in a 400 degree F. oven (start the sweet potatoes first for about 10 or 15 minutes) until everything has a bit of golden brown color.

Simple and delicious... and look at all that healthy color!