Cabbage Rolls

Starting this blog has caused me to change a lot of habits! I am far more a "dump and taste" than a "measure everything" cook, which means my usual instructions and amounts are sometimes more than a little hazy! To be sure any recipes I provide are workable for any reader so inclined to make them, I will be testing each one with measuring spoon and cup in hand before including them here.

Still, there will always be some "about" or "approximately" to describe amounts. That actually should be encouraging for even beginning cooks. For example, in the recipe for cabbage rolls below, I have included volume measurements for the onions, celery, and carrots but these really should be approximations only.

Why?

First, there are the definitions of "large," "medium," etc. I normally would have written the recipe to include a large onion, one medium carrot, and a stalk of celery, but what do those size descriptions really mean? As it turns out, the "large" onion I used was just under two cups after being coarsely chopped. What if you start out with a "large" onion and find that you have three cups of chopped onion, or maybe only a cup and a half? It won't mean that the chemistry of the dish will be ruined—this isn't like using only half a cup of sugar in a cake instead of two cups—but it will mean you will end up with quite a different flavor. The same differences apply to the meaning of "medium" carrots and a "stalk" of celery.

Even if we have similar ideas of what constitutes a large onion, however, the likelihood of any onion yielding exactly two cups after chopping is pretty slim. You might have a couple of tablespoons less or maybe a third of a cup more. You might chop yours more finely or pack the pieces down more firmly. The point is—if you end up with 2 1/4 cups of chopped onion, don't throw out the extra quarter cup, and if you have only a cup and a half, don't feel like you must cut up another one to fill up the measure. Approximations are fine!

Not everything, of course, is ever going to be completely measured. You will still find a lot of seasoning that will be listed as "to taste." Two reasons for this: these wonderfully natural flavors—whether it be apples in a pie or a stir fry of many kinds of vegetables—will vary from one batch to the next. The carrots in one day's stir-fry will be far sweeter than those tossed into the same mixture next week. Your dried basil may be fresher than mine and so you will need less.

And of course there is that matter of personal taste itself; perhaps I like thyme and you do not or you avoid black pepper while I might lay it on with a heavy hand. Adjusting seasonings to your taste is what will make each recipe truly your own.

Remember--cooking is both science and art. Measurements help get the basic "science" right, but your adjustments make each dish your own work of art.

So here is today's first cabbage recipe, measured to a science and then open to your own adaptations. Enjoy!

Cabbage rolls

NOTE: I had four large cabbages from my pre-Saint Patrick Day shopping so had plenty of loose, easy to work, leaves. While you can buy a large head of cabbage and work to carefully unwrap the outer leaves, a far better way to make this dish is to take the largest leaves off each cabbage you buy over time; wash the leaves well and put in a large plastic bag in the freezer. When you have accumulated 15 to 20 leaves, just remove them from the freezer and prepare as in the recipe instructions.

Ingredients
Approximately 17 medium to large cabbage leaves
Filling
1 pound ground turkey, 85% lean
2 c chopped onion
1 c fine breadcrumbs
1/2 c diced celery—including leaves
1/2 c finely grated or chopped carrot
1/3 yellow pepper, diced (okay, so I forgot to measure this before I put it in the mixture!)
1/2 c nonfat dry milk powder
2 jumbo eggs (that was the only size I had in the house; extra large or even large could be substituted without any adjustment in total number)
Sauce
1 28 ounce can or jar spaghetti sauce, any flavor
Approximately 1 cup cooking water from cabbage (optional)

1. Prepare cabbage.
Put about three inches of water in a large Dutch oven (or deep sided 12 inch skillet) and bring the water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove and wash well the coarse outer leaves from several large cabbages, trimming off any very coarse area near the base. Place the leaves in the water and cook just until they are bright green and pliable. Remove immediately and drain. Reserve the cooking water.
2. Prepare the filling.
Combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well blended.
3. Make the rolls.
Spread out a cabbage leaf and spoon about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the filling mixture in the middle. Try to be sure that no part of the filling is more than 2 inches across so that all the meat will be fully cooked. The larger the leaf, the more filling you can include. Unless all your leaves are very uniform in size, don't worry about using different amounts of filling!
Roll the leaf around the filling, kind of like a burrito, tucking in the edges so that the filling is completely wrapped up.
4. Place each cabbage roll back in the pan used to boil the leaves. put the largest rolls around the outside edge. This number of rolls fit snugly in my 12 inch Dutch oven. You may need to stack a few of your rolls if your pan is not as large. If so, try to keep the center less densely packed, to be sure that you do not have an area of undercooked rolls.
5. When all the rolls have been placed in the pan, pour the spaghetti sauce over all the rolls. If this does not completely cover the rolls, add a little of the reserved cooking water.
6. Cover the pan and place in a 325 degree oven for an hour. Check after about 45 minutes; if necessary, move some of the rolls from the center to the outside edges.

These freeze well and can be quickly reheated in the microwave.

Corned Beef and Cabbage-Take Advantage of the Specials This Week

Almost the Ides of March and what does that mean for those of us who cook? Cabbage, potatoes, corned beef, and, sometimes onions, are all on sale this week. No matter where I have moved, I have learned to watch for really big cuts on prices for these foods at some of the grocery chains, and this year is no exception.

As a result of loss leaders prices this week, I was able to buy twenty pounds of cabbage today (four really big heads) for 15 cents a pound. The lowest price over most of the winter has been 59 cents a pound, so I paid only $3 today for what would have been almost $12 last week. Then there were the two "point cut" corned beef portions; at $1.49 a pound, these will provide a lot of boneless meat at about $2.50 a pound less than these were running just a week or two ago. Ten pounds of all purpose potatoes at another store were only $1.99, right next to some five pound bags of red potatoes that were going for $2.29.

All well and good you say, but what to do with twenty pounds of cabbage? Or even one piece of corned beef?

Good questions, so here are some ideas.

First, the traditional corned beef and cabbage meal.

Today's corned beef is probably one of the greatest convenience foods in the meat counter. You just put it in a pot with water to cover, add the seasoning packet that seems universally packed with these things, and then simmer the meat for the amount of time noted on the package. Only when the meat is tender will you add the vegetables. Usual additions are potatoes, carrots, and onions, added about 45 minutes before you are ready to eat. If you cut these in large chunks, they will not only cook more quickly than if they are left whole; they will more uniformly absorb the flavor of the broth.

And no, I didn't forget the cabbage. One of the biggest mistakes many people make is to put the cabbage in too early. Cut it in wedges no more than 2 inches wide and then add it only about 20 minutes before you are ready to serve the meal. This will allow the cabbage to cook and soak up the corned beef flavor without getting mushy and discolored.

How many vegetables should you include? This is where you adjust to your family's tastes; a general rule of thumb would be to use a medium to large potato (or two small potatoes) and a small to medium carrot for each person to be served. If you want onions (and I always do), use about half a medium onion per person; cut these in quarters. Depending on your family's taste for cabbage, plan about 2 to 3 two-inch wedges of cabbage for each person. Keep in mind that the more vegetables you have in proportion to the meat, the less salty will be the final result.

And the meat? Cook a three to four pound brisket for up to six or seven people. The meat is boneless, but somehow it does seem to cook down more than other cuts. Besides, you'll want leftovers for Reuben sandwiches or corned beef hash.

Leftover corned beef

What else to do with the leftover meat? Actually, you can use it in any casserole (hot dish for Minnesotans) that calls for ham. I have not tried the recipes at http://southernfood.about.com/od/cornedbeefandbrisket/tp/leftovercb.htm, but this might be a good site to visit just to get some other ideas. The meat can also be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to a month.

Cabbage

Now, for all that cabbage. Keep in mind that cabbage will keep in the crisper drawer of most refrigerators for weeks and weeks. Don't keep it tightly wrapped in plastic and, if you keep it for an extended period of time, don't be surprised if you need to peel off an outer leaf or two that may have dried a bit.

Cabbage is far more versatile than we sometimes realize. For example:

• Coleslaw—this is always good, especially in the winter when the choices for tossed salads are often very limited. 
• Stir fries—shredded cabbage mixes remarkably well with other vegetables in all kinds of stir fries.
  

• As a lettuce replacement in tacos and other Mexican foods. Don't be surprised; you may stumble across some "authentic" Mexican restaurants that routinely make this substitution.
• Stuffed cabbage leaves—if your heritage includes some of these recipes, the St. Patrick's day cabbage is often the best of the year. You may have noticed that there is much less trimming of the cabbage when it is on sale for only pennies a pound, but take advantage of this and use those large outer deep green leaves (with even more food value than usual) to make some savory cabbage rolls.

Shredding the Cabbage

The hardest thing about cabbage is probably the shredding. If you have a food processor, this is  the easiest way to get the fine shreds we all seem to prefer. But what if you don't have one, or you just want to shred a wedge or two? Here is the basic technique:

Use a large, very sharp knife; I like my cheap, serrated, "Ginzu kitchen knife as seen on TV."
Place the head of cabbage on a large cutting board and cut in half and then in quarters. If the head is very large, cut the quarters in half (or even quarters) again. The key to fine shreds is to have pieces of cabbage that are not too large as you begin cutting. Remove all but one wedge from the cutting board.

Turn the wedge of cabbage so that the larger, outer side is away from you. Hold the wedge firmly with your left hand (reverse for you lefties) and begin cutting very narrow strips from the cabbage, starting at the right end. If the shreds are too long, grasp the bunch of shreds and cut across the other direction. Repeat with as many wedges of cabbage as you need for your recipe.

While you are cutting, you may want to shred extra for future recipes. Put leftover shredded cabbage in a plastic bag, sprinkle with just a few drops of water, and store—without being tightly sealed—for three to four days in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator.

Don't forget the color--red cabbage is often featured at this time of the year too. Cutting it into somewhat thicker shreds will help emphasize its color even more. 

Stone Soup

Here it is, less than two weeks from the first day of spring, and the wind chill even in the middle of the day stands at 11 below zero. Meanwhile, the economic news continues to be dismal, and we all try to tighten our belts just a little more.

Friends will be coming for lunch tomorrow, and this seems like an ideal time for some Stone Soup, warming the house and giving off those wonderful comfort food aromas.

Stone Soup? What is that? If you haven't heard the story of Stone Soup, you can find one version of the legend here:

http://www.kousi.gr.jp/kousi/syoukai/hp-siryou/stone-soup.html

When my kids were young and our budget was especially tight, I started making Stone Soup with a package of ramen noodles as the "stone." I knew that the nutritive value of these little packets was dismal, but the flavoring packet combined with lots of cheap basic vegetables made a wonderfully filling meal. The high sodium content was reduced per serving because we stretched the same amount of seasoning over 3 or even 4 times as many servings.

Today's stone soup will be quite different, because the "stone" that I will be starting with is a free ham bone. A friend of mine had made ham for a gathering and was not going to have enough time to use the bone so she wrapped it up and gave it to me a few weeks ago. The return of frigid weather was a perfect time to pull it out of the freezer.

Just as in the story, the "stone" that gives the soup its name is really just a starter. Start thinking of leftovers as the beginning of a new and wonderful soup and who knows what you can come up with? Try these for ideas:

• Restaurant carry out—those odds and ends of stir fry and rice and broccoli chicken might be just the things to put together in a pot with some additional vegetables and broth from the freezer
• Leftover spaghetti—make a basic chicken vegetable soup and cut the spaghetti into it instead of using noodles
• Chicken wing tips—I am always saddened to see recipes for things like buffalo wings that include instructions to "cut off the wing tips and discard." Of course, you don't discard good food! Toss them in a pan with some water and a little poultry seasoning and simmer while you are doing other things. Strain the broth when the meat is falling off the bones and use it for a great soup base.
• I even have heard of sautéing a little onion and then adding leftover macaroni and cheese, some frozen vegetables and either spaghetti sauce or a can of tomato soup. Throw in a couple of leftover hotdogs, sliced, and it sounds like it might be a filling meal a lot of mac-and-cheese-only kids might gobble up

The point is—starting with an unexpected or almost free ingredient can result in some really creative and wonderful soups. Following are two general recipes to try.

Traditional Stone Soup

1 package ramen noodles with seasoning, any favorite flavor
1 medium to large onion, chopped
1 to 2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, finely diced
1 to 2 c shredded cabbage
1 large potato, scrubbed and diced—does not need to be peeled
Other fresh or frozen vegetables to taste: corn, peas, chopped spinach or other greens, etc.
Sauté the onion in a little oil, just until it begins to turn golden. Stir in other raw vegetables and seasoning packet from soup and allow to cook for a few minutes. Add about two to three quarts of water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are soft. If soup seems too thick, add a little more water. Turn up heat and stir in the frozen or cooked (leftover) vegetables and the ramen noodles, broken into small pieces. Cook for about 10 minutes or until noodles are cooked. Taste for seasoning and serve.

The amount of water used will be variable, depending on how many additions you are making to the soup and whether you prefer a thicker stew-like consistency or something more traditionally soupy.

Other seasonings you might want to add:
• Fresh grated pepper
• Minced garlic or garlic powder
• Wine or cider vinegar (don't be afraid to stir in a teaspoon or so of vinegar in any soup, stew, or chili that seems a little bland—it is amazing what this shot of acid does to brighten up the flavor.)
• Chiles or jalapenos, finely diced
• Herbs of your choice

Ham Bone Stone Soup

1 ham bone, with some scraps of meat left on it
1 large onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, diced
1 lb carrots, finely diced or grated
1 lb split peas, washed and drained
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T mixed herbs—rosemary, thyme, basil, and marjoram (OR your own favorite blend)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 T cider vinegar
Salt to taste (optional)

Put ham bone in a large pot with enough water to cover. Simmer for an hour or two until the meat falls off the bone. (This can also be done in a slow cooker overnight or while you are at work.) You should have at least three quarts of liquid to start the soup.

Remove the ham bone from the broth and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut the meat off the bone, dice into bite-sized pieces, and refrigerate.

Sauté the onion, celery and carrots in a little oil (or some of the ham fat that you have cut off the bone) until onions are translucent. Add to the ham and broth along with the split peas, garlic, and herbs. Continue simmering for an hour or so, until the peas are very soft. Taste for seasoning and add pepper, vinegar, and salt as needed. When the peas and other vegetables are done, stir in the diced ham and continue cooking long enough to be sure the meat is heated through. (If desired, you may puree the soup before adding the ham.)

Ten Healthful Foods, Starting with Canned Pumpkin

The February 13-15, 2009, USA Weekend magazine included this list of "10 healthful foods for cents a serving:"
• Canned pumpkin
• Beets
• Spinach
• Kiwi
• Sweet potatoes
• Frozen berries
• Canned tuna or salmon
• Oranges
• Yogurt
• Beans

No real surprises here, but I wonder how many people reading this brief item might have passed it by. Beets, spinach and beans seem to carry a really poor reputation among many people, and calling frozen berries starting at more than $3 a pound something that is only "cents per serving" may have turned others away as well.

Part of the problem of course was that there wasn't enough space to include more than the briefest of suggestions on how to use these foods in a way that would stretch the costliest among them and "hide" the strong flavors of some of the others.

In the next several days, I am going to try to post at least one suggestion for each of these foods to help get people started on incorporating these ten foods into their meals. Maybe after this list is done, I can start on one of the other similar compilations touted in news articles and features on the net and in print.

First, the pumpkin.

There are lots of recipes for pumpkin soup around the internet I have not yet tried but I do have a way to include pumpkin in your meals without the added sweetness of a dessert.

"Pumpkin Puddles"

Lay a piece of waxed paper, about a foot or so square, on a cookie sheet. Now open a can of pumpkin. Be sure you are using plain pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling!

With a large spoon, drop mounds of the pumpkin on the waxed paper, rounding them into neat little piles. These should each be about 1 to 2 tablespoons in size, but you don't have to worry about exact measurements. Put the pumpkin in the freezer until frozen solid. Then, keeping the waxed paper wrapped around them for extra protection, transfer the "puddles" to a zippered freezer bag and return to the freezer.

Now, every time you make anything with a tomato base—chili, sloppy joes, spaghetti sauce, soup, even lasagna--stir in one of the pumpkin "puddles." The result will not have a "pumpkin-y" taste, but you will notice an added depth of flavor, and you will have measurably increased the nutritive value of your dish as well.

If you prepare your own pumpkin, you can take this same approach, but be sure the pumpkin is well pureed so that it blends completely into the final recipe.

Finally, of course, I really can't talk about pumpkin without including some dessert, so here is a "pudding" that is really a cake. It is so dense and rich it can be served in quite small slices or squares, moderating the final calorie count. As an added benefit, the pumpkin, walnuts, and dates provide more than the usual nutrition in such a great dessert....and, the unusual method for combining the ingredients makes it very quick and easy to prepare.

Pumpkin Date Pudding

1 2/3 c flour
1 1/3 c sugar
1 c cooked or canned pumpkin
1/4 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
1/2 c butter
1/3 c water
1 t soda
1 egg
1 c chopped dates
1/2 c chopped walnuts
Combine butter, water, pumpkin, and dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Add the egg and chopped dates and beat for 2 more minutes. Fold in nuts and pour into a greased 6 1/2 cup mold or 9 inch square pan. bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or drizzle a thin powdered sugar glaze over the top.

Frugal, Fast, and Fun for Fourteen Friends

Take eight children, ages six and under, and add six adults. Stir in a schedule that keeps the hostess away from her home for about 6 hours the day of the meal, bringing her home only an hour before the first guests arrive. Blend well with a lot of fun and informality and you have the makings of an altogether wonderful evening.

Really.

Sure, we are by now comfortable with this informality because we eat together about every two weeks. Still, I do like to think that every meal should reflect warm hospitality, but an especially busy week made last Wednesday's dinner a little more challenging than usual.

The hardest part was deciding what to serve. I provide the main dish while others bring the rest of the meal. This week, that would include a special first birthday cake for the youngest in our group. So how could I balance such a special ending with something simple and yet not too unhealthy?

Looking in the freezer, I decided on hot dogs on buns with a crockpot of baked beans. Along with the birthday cake, there was also a wonderful spinach salad and lots of sliced oranges. While I often make my beans from scratch, the week was so hectic that I used canned beans as the base. The turkey hot dogs were put in a 7 X 11 cake pan in the oven at 350 degrees, long enough to "grill" them; I then turned the heat down to 200 to stay warm until ready to serve. There were buns, ketchup, three kinds of mustard, two kinds of relish, and chopped onions to include most favorite toppings. (I know, no sauerkraut; I always forget that since it something I really don't care about. Maybe next time I'll remember.)

The food seemed rather like a picnic, even if the weather outside is still way too cold to think in those terms, so I pulled out my bright and orange plastic plates and put them on my sand-colored tablecloth to help us think warmer thoughts. The beans and franks were served buffet-style from the counter, while the salad and oranges sat on the table along with a fat candle lit for the occasion.

The end result was a lot of satisfied eaters and conversation—with the kids playing peacefully at our feet—until almost 9 pm. Gratifying too was the fact that the kids had chosen large servings of the healthier parts of the meal and there didn't even have to be any "no dessert until you finish your food" comments. In fact, six-year-old Sam proudly stacked up twenty-seven pieces of orange rind to reflect how much he had eaten of his favorite part of the meal.

Frugal? I had purchased the hot dogs and beans on sale over time and tucked them away on the pantry shelf and in the freezer. The hot dogs were lower fat turkey dogs so not as inexpensive as some brands might have been, but the sale prices meant that the three packages cost well less than $4. The total cost of the beans—which served us all with almost a quart left over—was also under $4. I bought the whole wheat buns at the bread surplus store for a total of $3 and still have one package left. The beautiful cake was made from a mix also purchased on sale for less than $1, with a basic cream cheese and powdered sugar icing, so it may have cost less than $3. We ate a four-pound bag of oranges that were featured this week for $2.50, and the salad was probably around $3 to $4. Even at the higher cost for the salad, the total food for 14, with a few pieces of cake and a lot of beans and buns left over, came to well below $20.

Fast and Fun? Sara says the salad was "really easy" to put together, the oranges were sliced while we put the rest of the food out, and the beans and hot dogs couldn't have been easier. The cake was probably the most labor intensive, but Michelle used this as an opportunity to teach one of the middle-schoolers in our church about cake decorating, so it sounds like the time they put into it was a lot of fun.

Healthy? Whole wheat buns, pinto beans added to reduce some of the overly sweet sauce in the canned variety, reduced fat hot dogs, salad and oranges on the side to balance the not quite so healthy finale, and milk for all the kids. Maybe not your perfect nuts and granola meal but still a lot of good nutrition overall.

NOTE: Everyone was aware of the potential choking hazard of hot dogs for small children, but we were careful to cut up these for the youngest among us, and none of the children was allowed to walk around with their food. When serving this meal to those under four, you really do need to exercise extra caution and watchfulness.

Quick Beans in a Pot
Serves 12 to 16

2 28 to 30 oz baked beans, any style (NOT "pork and beans")
1 29 to 32 oz can pinto beans, drained
1 to 2 15 oz cans pork and beans, drained (optional)
1/2 medium onion, chopped—about 1 cup
1/2 finely diced green pepper (optional)
Barbecue sauce to taste (optional)
Yellow mustard to taste (optional)
Dash of balsamic or cider vinegar (optional)

Open beans and put in a slow cooker. Add onion and green pepper if used. Turn to high for 2 to 3 hours (or low for up to six hours). Taste after a few hours of cooking and add barbecue sauce, vinegar, and/or mustard if desired. It is likely the beans may have more sauce than home-baked beans, so serve with a slotted spoon.

I used two different kinds of the local store brand baked beans—maple bacon and vegetarian—and found the combination to be especially good. I would not include the pork and beans next time; I tossed them in only because I wanted to be sure I had enough for everyone, but I don't think they add much more than sweetness to the overall mix.

Orange Smiles

Okay, so this isn't so much a recipe as a method. The point is that, where children are concerned, presentation can often be everything.

Oranges, preferably navel or other seedless variety

1. Wash the oranges and dry. Using a sharp knife, cut each orange in half from the stem end to the navel.
2. Lay the half orange face down on a cutting board and slice into quite thin half circles.
3. Arrange the oranges on a plate or on the cutting board—this is a good "helper task" for beginning cooks, as the end result can look quite festive.

Be prepared to serve lots of these orange smiles, allowing at least half an orange per person unless you have other fruits alongside.

CAUTION: This is a casual meal food, as you should allow—and expect—everyone to eat the smiles with their fingers. At a more formal dinner, the peeling should be cut off with a knife and then the orange can be eaten with a fork, but these are a lot more fun the casual way!

Yogurt and Cake Mix Bar Cookies

Way back in the 80s, one of the winners of the Pillsbury Bake-off was a Sour Cream and Raisins bar cookie. I don't think I have ever made the "real" recipe, but I started modifying it and have come up with a whole set of variations that are different enough that I can really call this recipe my own. The speed at which this can be made and the variations that allow you to take advantage of whatever you can get on special really do make this a frugal, fast, and fun recipe.

Yogurt Cookie Bars

A really fast dessert with lots of variations possible

1/2 package standard size cake mix, any brand, any flavor (see NOTE)
1/3 c melted butter
1 1/2 c yogurt, plain or flavored
2 large or extra large eggs
1/2 c sugar--if using flavored yogurt, reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup

Optional ingredients

* 1/2 c raisins or dried cranberries
* 1/2 to 1 c chopped dried apricots
* 1/2 c nuts--sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans
* 1/2 t vanilla or almond extract
* grated rind of one lemon or one orange
* 1 c frozen raspberries, blueberries or chopped strawberries or peaches, only slightly thawed; if the fruit is quite juicy, either drain the juice or reduce the amount of yogurt by a tablespoon or so
* 1 c chocolate chips

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Cut the butter in chunks and put into a 9 X 13 pan. Put the pan in the oven as it is preheating to melt the butter. When the butter is melted, pour over the dry cake mix and stir until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Return to the pan and press firmly and evenly across the bottom.

Mix together the yogurt, eggs, sugar, and any optional ingredients being used. Stir until well blended and pour over crust. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until mixture is just set in the middle.

NOTE: The original recipe used a full package of cake mix, but we prefer the thinner crust only half the mix makes. Most brands seem to measure out to around 4 cups, so I either measure out two cups or just eyeball the two halves, trying to make them as even as possible. After I have divided the dry mix, I put the half not used in a zippered plastic bag or glass jar, add a post-a-note to identify it, and store it in the cupboard or refrigerator.

Some of our favorite combinations over the years:

With yellow or white cake mix:

* lemon or plain yogurt, almond flavoring, and dried apricots and almonds
* lemon, plain or vanilla yogurt with vanilla extract and raisins (or dried cranberries) and walnuts
* any fruit flavored yogurt with the same kind of fruit stirred in


With chocolate cake mix:

* plain or vanilla yogurt with vanilla extract, nuts, chocolate chips, and raisins
* raspberry yogurt with frozen raspberries and slivered almonds (I usually sprinkle these over the top instead of stirring them in)
* vanilla yogurt, chocolate chips, and chopped walnuts or pecans
* vanilla yogurt, almond extract and lots of slivered almonds

Broccoli Soup and Poor Man's Garlic Toast

After writing about all the uses of broccoli stems, it seemed like a good idea to make some broccoli soup. The cold weather we've been having is perfect for soup, and I had everything I needed to make a large pot of it. Alongside, I made "Poor Man's Garlic Toast" from the ends of ten loaves of bread; last night I helped make grilled cheese sandwiches for about 60 to 70 people and had all the leftover ends to use up.

Broccoli Soup

1 T (or less) peanut or canola oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 9 oz)
1 large rib celery, chopped (about 3 oz)
1/3 c chicken broth (optional)
water
1 medium potato (about 5 oz)
1 packet chicken seasoning OR 1 or 2 bouillon cubes
1/2 T chopped garlic (I used the bottled kind today, but fresh is always good)
1 1/2 t mixed herbs (see NOTE)
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper (or less)
1 pound broccoli stems, diced (about 4 cups)
2 c instant nonfat dry milk powder
7 oz broccoli crowns, cut in small flowerets (about 2 to 3 cups)

Saute onion and celery in oil until just translucent, about 5 minutes. Add broth, 2 cups of water, the potato, garlic, and seasonings. Cook on medium high heat about 10 minutes and stir in the chopped broccoli stems and 4 to 5 more cups of water. Taste for seasoning and turn heat to medium low. Allow to simmer for up to an hour, until broccoli is very tender. Stir dry milk powder into 2 more cups of water and add to soup. Remove soup from heat and allow to cool slightly.

While soup is cooling, prepare flowerets by cutting into small (less than an inch) pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl with 1 -2 tablespoons water, cover and steam in microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, until just barely tender.

When soup has cooled a little, place in processor or blender in small batches and process until quite smooth. Return to pan and return to a low simmer. Stir in broccoli flowerets and water from steaming, and cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the soup is heated through.

Serve with grated cheddar cheese and freshly grated pepper if desired. This makes enough for 6 to 8 people, depending on how often they want to refill their bowls.

NOTE: I make my own mixed herb seasoning to use in many soups, casseroles, and stir fries. I combine 1 T rosemary, 1 T thyme, 1 1/2 T basil and 2 t marjoram (all dried ) in a mortar and pestle and mix thoroughly. I transfer this to a shaker bottle for storing. If you don't want to go to the trouble of doing this ahead of time, just crush a pinch of each of these herbs (or your own favorite blend) between your fingers and add to the soup.

Poor Man's Garlic Toast

Spread:
1/4 c butter
1/4 c olive oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, crushed
salt (optional)
Melt butter in microwave and stir in olive oil. Add garlic and salt. This is best is made ahead so that it cools to a nice spreading consistency and the garlic has time to permeate the entire mixture.

Bread:
Use the ends--heels--of any kind of bread, leftover hot dog or hamburger buns, or whatever bread you have that may be getting a little stale. Spread one side of each piece liberally with the slightly solidified butter-oil mixture. If using bread slices, cut in quarters for square little cracker-like servings.


Assembly:
After spreading, put the bread on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 to 375 degree oven until the bread is crispy and golden. Serve immediately, with soup, spaghetti, or any place you would use the more traditional garlic bread.

Extra spread stores well in the refrigerator, so make a larger batch and keep it on hand.


Between the leftover broccoli stems and the bread ends that would have otherwise been thrown away, this meal seemed like almost free food. By using these low cost ingredients, I was able to justify the cost of the butter. (I could also justify the calorie/fat cost too, since the soup is quite low fat if served without cheese and with water substituted for the broth.)

The Rest of the Broccoli

Our family has always liked the crunchy texture and flavor of the broccoli stems about as much as the more popular crowns, so I almost always buy the entire stalks. The full broccoli stalks are usually quite a bit cheaper too, but not if you are going to throw half your purchase away.

Right now, a local store has large bunches (averaging up to 3 pounds) of broccoli for $1.48 while the crowns are selling for $2.99 a pound; that's a lot of incentive for a frugal cook to find ways to use the whole thing. But what to do with all those pesky stems? Here are some of the things you might consider:

• Slice horizontally into circles and use in stir fry instead of water chestnuts
• Grate and use in place of cabbage for a wonderful broccoli slaw
• Make cream of broccoli soup
• Cut into sticks—peeling if the outside is very fibrous—and use to add interest to a fresh vegetable tray
• Cut into sticks and deep fry as you would zucchini sticks

Of course, there is still the old standard, preparing the whole thing like the same as just the crowns. Many people steam the uncut stalks and serve them on a platter, with perhaps a little lemon butter or other sauce on the side. While that makes for a very attractive presentation, it often means that either the tops are overcooked and mushy or the stems are still so hard, diners will just leave the woody pieces on their plates. Here's my suggestion for avoiding these problems:

• Prepare the broccoli by cutting the stems into bite-sized pieces and cutting the crowns into flowerets the size you want for serving. Steam the stems in the microwave about 1 to 2 minutes before adding the broccoli crown pieces. Cook for another 2 minutes, or until all broccoli is just done. Serve as usual for just the crowns.

Making Pizza with the Grandchildren, a New Pizza Stone, and the Last Garden Tomatoes

After years of reading about the wonders of a "pizza stone," I finally picked one up in an after Christmas sale and we tried it out last night, we being my two grandsons, ages 4 and 2 1/2, and me.

I did some exploring to find more information about using and caring for a pizza stone (my "kit" included lots of utensils but absolutely no instructions) and came up with lots of crust suggestions along with some wonderful sounding bread recipes that I'll be trying later in the week. The crust we ended up with was basic and not as healthy as I might have liked since I had just finished the last of my whole wheat flour and had only unbleached to work with. The following recipe was just enough for two 12 to 14 inch pizzas.

Quick and easy pizza crust

2 t dry yeast
1/4 c warm water
4 t sugar
2 T canola oil
1 t salt
3/4 c cool water
3 c unbleached white flour
2 T gluten (may not need if you have bread flour instead of regular unbleached)
cornmeal (see NOTE)

Stir yeast into warm water and add sugar. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until it is rising and foamy. Meanwhile, combine oil, salt, cool water, gluten, and half the flour. Stir in the yeast mixture and add the remaining flour. Beat and then turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead until a smooth ball is formed. Brush lightly with a little oil or soft butter so surface is completely covered. Put a towel over the bowl and set the dough aside in a warm place for an hour or so, until doubled.

When you are ready to start making the pizza, put the pizza stone in the cold oven, on a rack in the middle of the oven, and turn to 500 degrees. It should preheat for about 15 minutes or so, depending on your oven. (Some instructions talk about up to an hour of preheating, but this does not seem at all necessary.) Divide the dough in half, punch each down and let sit for about 10 minutes or so. Roll each half into a 12 to 13 inch circle and place on a cornmeal covered pizza peel or baking sheet with no rim. Spread with sauce and add toppings.

Open the oven, sprinkle the pizza stone quickly with just a little cornmeal and then slide the pizza onto the stone. Bake for about 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Carefully remove the pizza from the oven with a pizza peel or by sliding it back onto a baking sheet.

If you are making more than one pizza, wait about 5 minutes before putting the second one in, giving the oven and the stone time to return to full heat.

NOTE: This cornmeal is really just to keep the pizza from sticking to the surface of the pizza peel and stone, so you can use the cheapest brand available for this. Save your really good stone-ground cornmeal for times when it will be an integral part of the recipe!

Pizza sauce

While there are all kinds of recipes for this part of the pizza, my favorite is just whatever spaghetti sauce your family prefers, with some fresh garlic and dried herbs (I use oregano, marjoram, basil, and rosemary) stirred in. The key with a thin crust pizza like this is to spread the sauce sparingly to avoid sogginess.

Toppings

We used what we had on hand for vegetarian offerings: chopped peppers, black olives, chopped onion, sliced Roma tomatoes (see below), and lightly steamed broccoli flowerettes. Then we covered with grated Mozzarella cheese (I ended up using about 6 ounces on the two pizzas). We served the pizza with red pepper flakes and freshly grated Parmesan.

My "helpers"

Pizza is a great learning to cook food, and my grandchildren have all helped me make mini-pizzas using split pitas. They all have also used the rolling pin, having made cinnamon rolls and Christmas rolled out cookies at Grandma's house too, so rolling this "big" crust made the preparation even more fun. Both boys took turns rolling and then I applied the finishing touches before putting the crusts on to the pan.

I ladled out the amount of sauce I wanted into two little puddles on each crust and then handed each boy a small rubber scraper so they could spread the sauce over their half of each one. (These scrapers are about an inch wide by 2 inches high and have very short handles, just right for small hands. I think I found them in a dollar store.) All of the toppings had been prepared ahead of time and were placed in small bowls from which the boys could take their preferred toppings to spread evenly over the sauce. They were able to "take orders" for toppings from the adults, which added to the fun. For now, I handled the cheese, having found that getting this spread evenly is not yet within their skill level. Then it was time to set the table while the pizzas cooked. We had leftover broccoli, so the boys snacked on that with some yoghurt and dill dip while they waited.

The End of Garden Tomatoes

Finally, one other highlight. Here, almost in the middle of January, the tomatoes that we used to top the pizza were still from last year's garden! I had quite a few small green Romas and cherry tomatoes that I had picked just before the last frost, thinking to make green tomato mincemeat. I put them in my cool dark garage and found that they kept ripening slowly, so I enjoyed a few now and then, monitoring the rest for signs of decay--probably about a quarter to a third didn't make it--and bringing up to the kitchen those with the most color. Yes, the flavor of these last stragglers has been at the level of subpar winter tomatoes in the store, but it has been a great experiment, and they tasted fine on the pizza, especially knowing where they had been grown--you can't get more local than these.

Vanilla Beans and Vanilla Extract

A New York Times article on what to keep in your pantry mentioned "bargains in bulk" for vanilla beans when purchased on-line. Since this has always seemed too pricey for me to try, I decided to do a little research and found a) a good-looking source for beans, a pound of which would be about the price of a large bottle of vanilla extract (and, if the number of beans in a pound is accurate, would make far more extract) and b) a great article about making your own vanilla extract.

Have I tried any of this yet? Nope. After all, going from never having used a vanilla bean to buying more than 100 at a time, even from a wonderful source, seems like a big jump. But I am strongly considering trying it out. I really love good vanilla in so many things, so it seems like this would be a good project for a new year. It could be a frugal way to go (especially if I find others to share some of that huge volume of beans), and it sounds like it might be fun to try, but it definitely is not a fast project-though the actual work in making the extract after getting the supplies sounds like it only takes minutes.

Some of the links that I found helpful:

the NY Times article that started the search:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/dining/07mini.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&em

A really great blog post, with lots of narrative, a "recipe" for making extract, and some good feedback in the responses:
http://www.travelerslunchbox.com/journal/2007/10/9/project-vanilla.html

Another blog with some interesting feedback; this one recommends going on E-bay for the beans:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/baking-products/sources-vanilla-beans-in-bulk-033694

A frequently recommended source for beans:
http://www.theposter.com/vanilla2.html

A more formal recipe for making vanilla extract (this site also sells beans, but they looked to be a lot more expensive than some of the other on-line sources):
http://bostonvanillabeans.com/vanilla_bean_recipes.htm#Extract