Rice and Bean Salad

There has been a lot of well-deserved attention lately to the amount of food wasted in the US, from the farm fields all the way to grocery stores, restaurants, and our own homes. With this in mind, I started considering some of the ways that I have found uses for relatively common leftovers.

When I cook rice, I often make a large quantity; you can see my method for baking rice at http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2010/10/cassoulet-for-crowd.html. But, what to do with this rice when you aren't in the mood for some kind of casserole or if you have more rice than other leftovers from the takeout or carry home box from your latest restaurant trip?

Another peek into the refrigerator revealed some bell pepper, celery, spinach, and something I've recently discovered, mayocoba beans. Sounded like the start of a great salad, especially since I actually have some cherry tomatoes and cucumber from my mostly failed garden. It is very easy to allow produce to go past its prime and end up in the compost (or worse, just the trash), so this seemed like a good day to use all of these foods while nice and fresh.

A little experimenting and tasting, and I came up with the following salad that will go just right with some chicken salad sandwiches and fresh fruit for a light dinner tonight. You can easily make your own changes to this recipe, based on the contents of your own refrigerator. Lightly steamed broccoli flowerets or carrot slices, frozen peas, or green beans could all be added for more color. Kidney or black beans could replace the mayocoba beans.

The result? A tasty, healthy salad and a little bit of pride in being able to avoid some bit of food waste in your own kitchen. Not a bad combination.

Rice and Bean Garden Salad

3 c cooked rice, well drained--be sure rice is cooked only until just tender, not too soft
1/3 to 1/2 c finely diced onion, to taste
1 c sliced or diced celery
1/2 c diced cucumber
1/2 c diced green pepper
1 1/2 c cooked and well drained mayocoba beans (see NOTE)
1 T fresh basil, finely chopped
1 t fresh thyme leaves

1 c cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 c baby spinach leaves



Dressing
1/3 c vinegar
1/4 c canola or olive oil
3-4 T sugar or more, to taste
1 t salt (or more, if both rice and beans are prepared without salt)
lemon pepper to taste


1.  Combine the dressing ingredients and whisk until well blended.








2.  Toss together the first 8 ingredients. Pour the dressing over this mixture and stir just until everything is well mixed.

3.  Chill at least two hours. Just before serving, stir in the tomatoes.

4.  If serving individually, spread the spinach on the plate and top with scoops of the salad. If the salad will be served from a large bowl, chop or tear the spinach leaves into bite-sized pieces and toss into the mixture with the tomatoes.

NOTE: If mayocoba beans are not available, substitute any other white bean or even garbanzos.

Quick Variation

Use a prepared balsamic vinegar dressing (Costco has a really good one) in place of the dressing above, using only enough to barely moisten all the ingredients. If you are using unsalted beans and/or rice, you will still need to add a bit more salt or lemon pepper.

A couple of notes/hints on preparation, illustrated

The batch of rice that I had in the refrigerator was quite moist. To be sure that the dressing didn't end being too diluted, I spread the rice on a plate and let it "dry" for about an hour in the refrigerator, following some instructions I found on the internet for "dried rice." Unfortunately, that didn't seem to help all that much, so I just went to a much more direct method, putting the rice in a fine strainer and pressing it lightly. If your rice is pretty "dry" already, you can easily skip this step.



And then there is the photo of the oil and vinegar. I have added another one below, showing even more clearly that this measuring cup is not clean! I had used the cup to measure the rice, the onions, and other vegetables, and then used it, without washing or even rinsing, to measure out the vinegar and oil for the dressing.

My point?  Just this. Streamline the steps you take in putting foods together and you will save yourself a lot of time, both in prep and clean up. Just a small hint, but over time, if you are accustomed to having to have a separate clean cup or bowl for every step, think about just reusing them without clean up between.

 

No Pectin Plum Jam

I have fought a losing battle with the squirrels in my yard this year. I planted two (sour) cherry and two plum trees a few years ago, and this year was the first that I had a really nice amount of fruit growing and prospering.

Until, that is, the fruit began to ripen. Then, in one weekend, the squirrels ate all but two cherries off those two trees, and they then began to systematically harvest the plums as soon as they showed even the slightest sign of ripeness. Since I was out of town several times when they were attacking, I ended up always being behind them, and my futile attempts at netting the plums were in vain.

Fortunately for me, my kids have also planted plum trees, and they live in a neighborhood almost devoid of squirrels. As a result, I ended up with several pounds of "windfalls" this week. After making two desserts, I still had enough to make a small batch of plum jam.

Plums are among the fruits with high levels of natural pectin, so there is no need to add in any commercial pectin. Depending on the variety of plum and ripeness (less ripe fruit has the highest pectin levels), it may take less than half an hour to get to the just right stage of jelling. I like to use a wood spoon for stirring the jam, as it seems to work best for me to test for jelling, as noted in step 5 below.

An advantage with not using purchased pectin is that you can make a batch of jam that matches the amount of fruit that you have. It is wise never to use more than about 6 to 7 cups of fruit, however, as the mixture may not evenly cook and/or it will need a much longer time to jell, leading to an overcooked flavor.

If you have more (or fewer) plums, just use about a 4 parts sugar to 5 parts plums ratio--or a little less, as in this recipe, if your plums are very sweet. Just don't cut back too much on the sugar, as it not only adds sweetness; it also helps in the jelling of the final product.

No Pectin Plum Jam

5 c plum pulp
3 3/4 c sugar
1/4 c reconstituted lemon juice (such as ReaLemon)

To make the plum pulp:

1.  Chop the plums coarsely and put in a heavy pan, with just a tablespoon or so of water to keep the fruit from sticking. Cut out any bad spots but keep the pits in the mix. Cover and cook the plums over medium heat, until the fruit is very, very soft. This will take about 25 to 30 minutes.




2.  Run the fruit through a food mill or press through a coarse colander. (I will admit it: I washed my hands well and just pulled the pits out of the mixture with my bare hands! It didn't take very long and I was able to maximize the yield. Plus, the fruit closest to the pits is often the most flavorful.)



To make the jam:

1. Place a small saucer or two in the freezer. 

2.  Measure the amount of pulp that you have and use 3/4 cup sugar for every cup of pulp (perhaps a bit less if you have very sweet plums). Use about 2 1/2 to 3 teaspoons of lemon juice per cup.

3. Put all the ingredients in a large pan (this will boil up quite a bit) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.


4.  Continue to cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. Depending on the plums, it will take anywhere from half an hour to 45 minutes to reach the jelling stage.

5.  Testing for jelling:  Hold the spoon with which you are stirring the jam above the mixture and allow the jam to run off the spoon slowly. Watch for when the drops of jam start to "sheet off" the spoon--instead of individual streams of liquid flowing down, the drops start to combine and flow in only one or two syrupy streams.  When it begins to do this, remove one of the saucers from the freezer and put a few drops of jam on the plate.

When you can run a rubber scraper or knife through the jam and it holds its shape, the jam is ready to take off the heat.

At this point, the jam can be put into sterilized jars and kept in the refrigerator for a month or so, the easy way to work with smaller batches of jam. However, if you want to store the jam on the shelf, you will need to process the jars in a hot water bath.





Processing Jam in a Hot Water Bath

You will need a pot (a "canner" ) large enough to put water in an inch above the top of the jars you are using, and you will need to use canning jars with lids specifically made for canning.

Bring water to a rolling boil in the canner and gently lift the sealed jars into the water. Cover and allow the water to return to a boil. At this point, set a timer, and continue boiling gently for 10 minutes for either half pint or pint jars. Remove the jars from the boiling water and allow to cool.












Addendum:

Okay, I cannot tell a lie. I had a small cluster of black grapes (from Aldi, not local) that really needed some attention. Why not, I thought. I already was using two varieties of plums, some deep purple, some rosy red. The grapes would represent less than 10 percent of the total fruit in the jam, so I chopped them up and added them to the plums. The result? Just a richer, fruity flavor, with no real hint of grape in the final product.

Quick Banana Bread

While I had the oven heating for an Apple Raspberry Crisp, I thought it would be a good time to use up some bananas browning a little too rapidly on the counter. Since I also had some mayonnaise in the refrigerator, it was a good time to do some more experimenting with that interesting ingredient.

I discovered there are quite a few banana bread recipes made with mayonnaise on the internet. However, almost all of these seemed a little bland, without any spices or vanilla.

Really?

How can you think of baking quick breads without some spices and flavorings?  Cinnamon and vanilla are almost as basic for me as onion in chili or meatloaf.  I like ginger in breads and cakes, and it goes well with bananas. Freshly grated ginger would be even better here, but I didn't have any in the house, so the ground form had to do.

And then there is the whole wheat flour, another thing missing from the internet recipes I found.  I won't pretend this is a totally "healthy" bread, but I prefer to use whole grain flours whenever I can, for the flavor as well as the better nutrition. However, it's not a deal breaker if you don't have any; just use all enriched flour if you don't have whole wheat.

A few notes about bananas:  The riper they are, the more sugars they contain, so you can cut back a little on the sugar. However, besides providing sweetness, the sugar in quick breads like these provides a softer texture; cutting it out completely is likely to leave a much less tender product.

Many older recipes (and some new ones too!) will list "3 bananas" or some other number, rather than a measured amount. A problem with this approach is the variation in the size of each banana. However, you might be tempted to throw away part of a banana if the 3 or 4 called for here equal more than a cup. Please don't do that! How can a site that lists "frugal" as its first word ever recommend such waste?! Be aware that a little extra banana (probably even as much as another quarter cup) will not lead to failure. The bread is likely to be just a little more moist, but you probably won't even notice the difference.

On the other hand, if you have only 7/8 of a cup or so of banana and you don't want to start another one, you can just fill the cup with milk--or applesauce if you prefer. The key here is to be sure the bread is moist enough, but a small variation in amount shouldn't cause problems.

Hmmm, maybe those old-fashioned cooks had the right idea by just saying "3 bananas."

That's a pretty long introduction to a really easy recipe. The longest part of making this is the baking, so it could be whipped up as a last minute dessert after you get home from work. However, as with many breads of this type, it is even better the second day.

Final result of the experiment? A tender, almost creamy bread with lots of flavor (but not a hint of a "mayonnaise-y taste).

Easy Banana Bread

1 c mayonnaise
1 c mashed bananas (about 3 to 4, depending on their size)
3/4 c sugar (if the bananas are very ripe, you could cut this by a few tablespoonsful)
1 t vanilla
1 c enriched flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t ground ginger (optional)
1 c chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Beat together the mayonnaise, mashed bananas, and vanilla until smooth.

2. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the banana mixture. Stir gently just until completely combined.

3. Turn the batter into well oiled pans. Since I prefer smaller slices, I use an 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 inch pan along with two 3 1/2 X 6 inch pans--the size of those small disposable pans you can buy in sets of three. You could also use two of the 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 pans, but I only have one of those. Using the smaller pans means I always have a small loaf to share with a friend or neighbor too.

4.  Bake at 350 degrees. (If using a glass pan, lower heat to 325 and add a few minutes to the baking time.)

The smaller breads will take about 18 to 20 minutes while the larger loaf will take about 28 to 35 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick in the center; it should come out with no unbaked batter clinging to it.

5.  Allow the breads to cool in the pans on a cooling rack for 15 to 25 minutes before removing. Store in the refrigerator.





Variations:

Add half a cup or so of raisins or dried cranberries with ( or in place of) the nuts.

If you are one of those people who need chocolate in everything, a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips could be folded in with the nuts. I'd omit the ginger and increase the vanilla to 1 1/2 teaspoons.

If you really, really like chocolate, stir in 1/3 cup cocoa with the bananas and yogurt and then add chocolate chips with the nuts.

Mixed Berry Muffins with Grapenuts

Two reasons for posting this recipe today:  the berries and the cereal.

First, the Grapenuts.  Having gotten a very good price on a  humongous box of Grapenuts (typical Costco sizing!), I have been finding new uses for this old-fashioned cereal. One of the things that has always drawn me to Grapenuts is the fact that it remains one of only a tiny handful of "mainstream" cereals with no added sugar. In fact, the total ingredients list (other than the usual vitamin and mineral additions) is: Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Salt, Dried Yeast. 

I am using the brand name here, because that is what I have. However, there are a lot of generic "crunchy wheat nugget" cereals out there that will work just fine for this recipe too.

And then the berries: There are so many berries at good prices in the produce section or (better yet) at the farmers' markets or (best of all) in the back yard. 

Sometimes, however, we may end up with small amounts of one or more kinds of berries that won't quite stretch to fill the measuring cup for a favorite recipe. 

Today, for example. My blueberries are still in their first real season of bearing, so I only had a handful of ripe berries available, and I had about the same amount of raspberries this morning, as the first of the two everbearing seasons taper off.  With some strawberries from the store I wanted to use up, this seemed like the perfect time to make muffins using all three. 

Muffins are a great summertime bread, as they bake in a third of the time of cakes and quick breads, keepingthe kitchen just a little cooler while still enjoying the fragrance, and flavor, of home-baked goodies.

 Mixed Berry Muffins

1 c Grapenuts
1 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 T canola oil
1/3 c nonfat dry milk powder
1 c all purpose unbleached flour
2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 1/4 c mixed berries--raspberries, blueberries, and/or strawberries, whatever you have
1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional) 

1.  Prepare a muffin tin by spraying with cooking spray or placing cupcake paper liners in each. This amount will make 12 to 15 muffins, depending on the size of your pans. (Don't worry if you have only one muffin pan; the rest of the batter can sit on the counter while the first batch is baking.) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.   Combine the Grapenuts and the applesauce in a large mixing bowl and set aside for 15 to 30 minutes.

3.  After the Grapenuts have had time to soften, stir in the sugar, egg, oil, and dry milk powder. Blend well.

4.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon, and gently fold into the Grapenuts mixture, along with the berries and nuts. Stir only enough to moisten all the dry ingredients--too much mixing of muffin batter can lead to "tunnels" or toughness in the finished product.

5.  Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the muffins spring back when you press one lightly in the middle. 

6.  Remove the muffins from the tins and place on a cooling rack.

Piquant Carrot Salad and "French Dressing" for Later

Some time ago, I posted a recipe for a carrot salad that is a refreshingly different side, perfect for summer potlucks and picnics. You can find it here:  https://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2012/03/piquant-carrot-salad.html



One thing I didn't note in that earlier post is an extra benefit of the salad. When I have served it for the last time, there is always, always some of the dressing left. The first time this happened, I realized I had some really flavorful liquid that could be used for other things. Since then, I have marinated fish and chicken in the liquid (or just poured it over microwaved fish as a sauce) and added it to tossed salads as a kind of "French dressing."

Today, I still had a few of the carrots left as well as a small amount of the dressing. After tossing together some tomatoes, mixed greens and herbs from the garden and some peppers and radishes from the farmers' market, I poured the few carrots and dressing over the salad. A few cubes of cheese (today I had Jarlsberg Swiss) and a grind of fresh pepper and I had a colorful main dish salad with a "homemade" dressing, with very little prep time needed.

I have done the same thing with "leftover" coleslaw dressing as well--for the recipe I most often use, check this out:  http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-best-cole-slaw-ever.html

And, one more "stretcher" hint:  There was a special on potato salads in the deli department of a local grocery store, so I picked up a couple of pints. As usual, while the salad was delicious, the ratio of dressing to potatoes was way too large, so I tucked a couple of potatoes in the microwave, "baked" them just until done, cut them to about the same size as in the purchased potato salad, and stirred them in. This doubled the amount of potato salad and reduced the total cost by a lot--without having to make any potato salad myself!

Almost Artisan Bread

After the past several years, more and more grocery stores and bakeries have been selling "artisan bread." Do a search for "artisan bread cookbook" and you will get over 300,000 Google entries. Do the same at Amazon, and you'll get more than 3,000 books available with artisan bread in the title.

So what exactly is "artisan bread?" Back to the search engines, where the definitions seemed endless. Sometimes it's the recipe, often just water, flour, salt, and yeast--or not even yeast, just a variety of starters. Sometimes it's the method, often requiring many days of stirring, proofing, pushing down--careful, some will warn you, the old-fashioned "punching down" of dough is really very bad; just push lightly.

With world-famous chefs and wonderful bakeries all promoting "artisan bread," I began to wonder if what I have been doing lately could also fit into that definition. Comparing my loaves to the ones in the fresh bakery sections of the various grocery stores in town (and at least one bakery as well), I think I can include what I am doing in the artisan bread category.

So here is a method rather than a recipe.

I still am having trouble getting a recipe down to the exact measurements I need to include here on the blog. (In case you have ever wondered, every single recipe I include here has been carefully measured and tested to be sure it can be easily duplicated by anyone reading the recipe.) I still tend to put water or milk in my favorite bowl "up to about here" and then measure the salt like my Mom did, with a few little piles in my palm. Sometimes there will be eggs, sometimes not, sometimes more sugar or oil than others, and then there are all the many kinds of grains that might be added in with the bread flour. 

What I would like to stress today is that you can take probably any yeast bread recipe you may already be using and make it more "artisan-like," with the interesting crust and shape that matches what many of the bakeries and stores are selling at premium prices. (I have not yet tried this with frozen bread dough, but I expect you could get good results with that as well.)

Artisan Bread Method

1.  Prepare your yeast bread dough to the point where it is ready to shape.

2.  Meanwhile, spread some canola or olive oil lightly on a flat cookie sheet. Then, shake a few teaspoons of masa harina on the oil and shake the pan to spread the masa evenly.

(NOTE:  You can use regular corn meal, yellow or white, instead of the masa, but I have found that masa gives exactly the right crust for our household. In fact, I buy masa harina expressly for this use.)

3.  Start with a loaf-sized lump of dough (If  you have a scale, you may want to measure out about a pound of dough). Begin to shape it into a long rope, perhaps about 3 inches or so in diameter. twist the dough slightly and, when it is an even tube shape, lay it on the prepared pan.

4.  Using kitchen shears (or a knife if you don't have good shears), cut the dough in regular "slices" along the length of the loaf.

Round the tops of the slices slightly, if needed.

5.  Allow the loaves to raise as usual and bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.

6.  When the bread is well browned and done, remove from the oven, slip on to a baking rack, and brush with butter or olive oil while still very hot.  (The first picture below is a close up of the bread before this brushing on of the fat, while the second shows the sheen that results from the oil or butter wash.) When the bread is just cool, store in a plastic bag.

Variation:

If you like having sesame or poppy seeds on your loaves, use a small amount of water to moisten the loaves at the end of step 4. Then sprinkle with the desired seeds. (If you wish, you can even brush the loaves with a little beaten egg yolk. The loaves will have a slightly firmer, shinier crust, but I usually skip the elaborateness of this step.)

That's it. Nothing really difficult, but the crust that you will develop in this way will be very different from a loaf made of the same dough but baked in the typical bread loaf pan. If in doubt, bake half the dough with this method and half in a "bread loaf" pan. Both can be good, but there is a very different quality--one that I find many prefer--with the "artisan" approach.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Squares

Cherry Kuchen

This is an old, old recipe from my kids' Great Grandma, passed down and modified to slightly more modern measurements and instructions. "Put in a buttered coffee cake pan?" What size is that? And was a "cup" really a measuring cup, or just the closest coffee cup you could find? I've tested this a few times to be sure that it will work with our modern ingredients and measures, but I think the flavor ends up as comforting and fresh as the original.

This is adaptable to so many summer fruits. While the original called for "1 can sour cherries, drained," fresh or frozen fruit will be even better. As noted below, strawberries, raspberries, probably even blueberries (haven't tried those yet), peaches, nectarines, or some combinations of these can all be used. The amount of sugar might vary too--for very sweet fruits, perhaps only half a cup of sugar needs to be mixed with the fruit in step 1.

I have reduced the levels of fat in the recipe, but, if you want the richer version from the old recipe card, see the variation below. 

Whatever options you choose, this is a recipe that will be a nice variation from pies and crisps.

Cherry Kuchen

Crust
1/3 c butter (if unsalted butter is used, add about 1/4 t salt to this mixture)
1/4 c sugar
1 1/4 c flour
1 egg yolk

1.  Use a pastry blender* to mix the butter into the sugar and flour. Then stir in the egg yolk just until the mixture is evenly blended.


2.  Using your fingers, press the dough into a well-buttered 9 X 13 pan, working it up along the sides about half an inch or so.

* If you don't have a pastry blender, use two table knives, holding one in each hand, to cut through the butter, pushing the blades against each other.

Fruit Filling
1 pound (about 2 1/2 c) frozen cherries, slightly thawed--I used a mix of sweet and sour cherries from Costco; drain and reserve juices
1/2 c sugar (if using all sour cherries, use 3/4 c)
1/4 c flour

Custard Topping
1 egg + 1 egg white
1/4 c sugar
drained juices from fruit
1 c milk
1/3 c dry milk powder
1/2 t almond extract (optional)

1.  Mix the thawed and drained cherries with the 1/2 c sugar and flour. Spread the cherry mixture over the prepared crust.
2.  Bake at 425 degrees (400 degrees if a glass or thin aluminum pan) for 10 minutes.
3.  Meanwhile, combine all the custard ingredients, beating until smooth.
4.  Remove the cherries and crust from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
5.  Pour the custard over the top, and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the custard is set. (You can test it by inserting a knife in the center. If it comes out clean, the custard is done.)

This can also be baked in two 8 inch pie pans, dividing all amounts evenly. The final baking step may be reduced by 5 or so minutes.

Variation, using fresh fruit

Reduce the flour added to the fruit to only 2 tablespoons. No need to drain the fruit before spreading over the crust and baking. When using fresh cherries, they should be chopped as well as pitted, as they tend to take longer to bake than some fruits.

Variation, using original recipe amounts

Use 1/2 cup butter in the crust.
Omit the almond extract.
Omit the dry milk powder and use half and half or evaporated milk instead of the milk. Actually, the really original recipe used "top milk" here. Farm wives who had their own, un-homogenized, milk, would take the cream from the top of each bottle for baking. Sometimes they might want to save some of that cream for butter or for whipping, so they would use part cream, part milk for their "top milk" recipes.

Other Fruit Possibilities

This recipe works well with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or a mixture of any of these. Chopped or thinly sliced peaches or apricots may also be substituted.

Southwestern Chicken and Lentils

When I found chicken thighs on sale for less than 60 cents a pound, it was an easy decision to buy a "family pack" of 12 thighs. Braising them all meant that there would be lots of meat in the refrigerator to try out some new chicken options.

Along with plenty of prepared chicken, the pantry also held far more bags of lentils than necessary (story too long to tell here),  so I decided to find a way to use both chicken and lentils in a single main dish. 

My first thought was a curry (lentils always seem to make that an easy decision), but I couldn't quite get excited about that. A little searching for ideas on the internet brought up some Mexican-themed dishes, and I started looking in that direction. Chiles, tomatoes, corn; I had all of those, so why not try to make a dish that used lentils instead of the more typical beans? 

A little of this, a little of that, and I ended up with something that was not really a stew but not your typical Minnesota hot dish either. I served this with the homemade bread I had already baked, but this would probably be even better with warmed or crisped tortillas. Either way, it is a great main dish with lots of flavor and nutrition without a lot of effort.

Southwestern Chicken and Lentils

¾ c brown lentils (the kind most commonly found in grocery stores)

1 ½ c chicken broth

salt to taste (only if the broth is not salted)

chicken fat OR canola oil

1 medium onion, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

2 carrots, sliced

3 to 4 cloves garlic, to taste, chopped or minced

1 15 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes

4 oz can green chiles

1 to 2 t cumin, to taste

1 t oregano

salt to taste

1 T cider vinegar

3 cooked chicken thighs, cut in large cubes (see method below for precooking, or use a rotisserie chicken if desired)

1 c  cilantro, chopped (see NOTE)

2 c  corn--if using frozen corn, no need to thaw first

2 to 3 c grated cheese--while cheddar or Colby can be used, there are many blends of "Mexican" or "taco" cheese that are especially good here

1.  Combine lentils and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow lentils to simmer until very soft, about 20 to 25 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, sauté the onions, bell peppers,  garlic, and carrots using some of the fat reserved from the chicken or canola oil. Cook on medium to medium high heat until the carrots are just beginning to soften. 

3.  Stir in the tomatoes, green chiles, cumin, oregano, and vinegar and return to a slow simmer. Continue cooking for about 10 to 15 minutes.

4.  Stir in the cubed chicken, lentils, cilantro, and corn. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, and continue cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes.

5.   Just before serving, stir in the cheese or, if you prefer, pour the mixture into the serving bowl and sprinkle the cheese over the top. 

Serves 5 to 6.

NOTE:  

With no fresh cilantro in the house, I used frozen cilantro here, so the color is not as bright as it would otherwise have been. Frozen cilantro does not seem to be as flavorful as fresh, so I actually used a little more than a cup.

Preparing Chicken Thighs for Later Use

canola oil

chicken thighs with bones and skin

poultry seasoning

seasoning salt

1.  Remove most of the skins from the chicken thighs and place in a large skillet, along with a small amount of canola oil. Cook the skins over medium-high heat until they are crisp and brown. Lift the pieces of skin out of the oils, allowing to drain a bit over the pan. Discard.

2.  Place the thighs into the hot oil and sprinkle each piece with poultry seasoning and seasoning salt, to taste. Cook until well browned (about 5 to 7 minutes) and turn. Brown the second side and then add a few teaspoons of water, lower the heat to medium,  and cover the pan. Continue to simmer the chicken until it is tender, to the point of falling off the bone if desired. Remove from heat.

3.  Set the chicken pieces aside to cool. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut the meat off the bones and cut into pieces for later use.

4.  Pour off any juices left in the pan and set aside to cool. The fat that rises to the top may be used for sauteeing onions, and other vegetables as in the recipe above. The liquid will be a very concentrated chicken broth that is also a great resource for all kinds of dishes.

This method can be used for as many pounds of chicken as you wish, so consider cooking up a large amount and freeze the boned chicken in recipe-sized portions for later use. The chicken needs to be tightly wrapped (preferably double-wrapped) and used within only a month or two for best quality.

I prefer bone-in chicken thighs to other parts, as the meat is not as dry as chicken breasts, and the thigh bones are much easier to remove than those of drumsticks. Bone-in pieces are usually much lower in cost, and the bones add extra flavor as well.

Triple Berry Pie

Many years ago, I spent a summer working in the kitchen of a local country club. My job was preparing the cold foods. In that time of no pre-prepared ingredients, every day started with peeling and cutting into meticulously sized sticks 5 pounds of carrots, cutting pounds of cream cheese into cubes for garnishing some specialty salad, and washing heaps and heaps of romain lettuce.

Just across the kitchen from me was the large area given to Florence, the woman in charge of the home-baked breads and desserts that were a feature of the club's dining room. From her, I learned much about quantity cooking, and I still have a now tattered napkin on which I wrote some of her recipes that she tried to translate down to family-sized portions.

One of her specialties that appeared on the menu only when blueberries were in season was "Freshy Blueberry Pie." This featured the now standard method of preparing a glaze of part of the berries to pour over the rest of the berries that are simply washed and spread in a prepared shell. What made Florence's pie unique was that she spread a thin layer of cream cheese over the crust before putting in the berries and then the glaze.

For many years, I couldn't afford cream cheese, but I made blueberry (and then peach, strawberry, and raspberry) pies with the glaze and fresh fruit, and these were always favorites of family and friends. This week, I had some cream cheese that I wanted to incorporate into a fruit dessert, but a cheesecake would need more time and calories than I wanted to devote. Then I was reminded of Florence's pies, and I decided to try something new, using blueberries from the freezer, fresh strawberries on special this week, and some raspberry syrup in the refrigerator. The result was beautiful, refreshing, and a great end to a springtime supper with friends.

Note that slightly less than a package of cream cheese can be used. This is a good recipe to consider if you bought some cream cheese for another use and ended up with a partial package that doesn't work for any of those recipes that require the whole package. And you can use whipped cream cheese or the regular block form, whichever you happen to have.

Because not everyone has raspberry syrup on hand (but you really should try it if you have any kind of raspberry crop available to you!),  I have given an alternative glaze following the main recipe. Either way, this is an impressive dessert that showcases the fruit beautifully. It can be a frugal dessert choice too; buy the blueberries in season when on sale and freeze and then make this when the strawberries are at their seasonally low prices too.

Triple Berry Pie

 1 9” baked pie shell

Cream cheese layer

3/4 to 1 c low fat or regular cream cheese, softened (may use whipped cream cheese if desired)

1 T honey

¼ t nutmeg

Filling

2 T sugar

2 T cornstarch

2 T water

1 c raspberry syrup

2 t lemon juice

½ t almond extract

1 c blueberries—if using frozen, thaw slightly

8 oz fresh strawberries, sliced

1. Beat the cream cheese together with the honey and nutmeg until well blended. Spread evenly over the baked pie shell and set aside.

2.  Mix sugar and cornstarch until well blended and then slowly stir in water. Stir vigorously to be sure the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. 

3.  Place the raspberry syrup in a large microwave-safe bowl (it will boil up, so be sure to use a large enough container). Gradually add the sugar mixture to the raspberry syrup, beating with a wisk or fork to be sure there are no lumps. 

4.  Microwave for 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture boils and becomes translucent. Stir in the lemon juice and almond extract along with the blueberries. Allow to cool slightly.

5.  Meanwhile, slice the strawberries and arrange in a single layer over the top of the cream cheese. Pour the blueberry raspberry syrup mixture over the top, spreading evenly and pressing down slightly to be sure the fruit mixture surrounds the strawberries completely.

6.  Allow to chill at least two hours.

  


Variation without Raspberry Syrup

Prepare the following mixture and use in place of the raspberry syrup in the main recipe.

1 1/2 c raspberries, fresh or frozen--if using frozen, include all juices
3/4 c sugar
water

Put the raspberries in a measuring cup and add water to fill the spaces so that there is a full 1 1/2 cups of berries and water.

Combine the raspberries, water, and sugar in a large bowl (the mixture will boil up) and microwave for about 3 minutes, until the berries are very soft. You may also cook the mixture on the stovetop, cooking for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a colander or sieve to strain out all or most of the seeds. Measure out a cup of the mixture to use in the main recipe.

Double Berry Pie

Substitute strawberries for raspberries in the variation above.