Spectacular Squash Stew

Winter has been back and forth a few times these recent Minnesota days. And with the quixotic temperatures our appetites here at Potluck Paradise headquarters have slipped into wanting something both hearty and light.

I stood there in the grocery store looking at the wide array of fish, fowl, and meats. None of them "fell into the cart" with menu in hand.  Suddenly I remembered a years-ago recipe for squash stew. I hadn't made it in years.  I did a quick U-turn and headed back to the vegetable section. Amazingly, I remembered most of the ingredients. What I didn't recall in time to purchase, I discovered I already had in my pantry once I pulled the yellowed file card from the recipe box. Okay, I did make a substitution. I only had one can of white beans, so I put in a can of black-eyed peas left over from our New Year's Lucky Food dinner.

The stew turned out so well, I know it won't be years before I make it again.

I made a couple of loaves World War I wheat-stingy bread it has cornmeal and oatmeal in addition to some wheat flour. A slice or two nicely sopped up the stew's delicious juices. A couple of pickles on the side.  Yum!

As the days have continued to alternate between snow and cold with wonderful, warm snow-melting sun, we've gotten into a vegetarian kick here at headquarters. Once we no longer have to climb over snowdrifts to get to the grill we'll probably cook up some burgers or chops. But for now, this lighter vegetarian fare is just right.

Sensational Squash Stew

1 large butternut squash peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes, about 4 cups

2 cups unsalted vegetable or broth

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 large sweet onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic, more or less to taste

2 green peppers, cut in 1-inch pieces

2 ribs celery cut in 1-inch slices

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

2 cans chopped tomatoes

2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon allspice

Combine the squash and broth in large saucepan and simmer over low heat until the squash is slightly cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes. Put the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and sauté until it is just beginning to turn transparent. Add the garlic and green paper. Saute a few minutes longer. Stir in the tomato sauce, cover and reduce heat and cook for about 5 minutes. In a large slow cooker or stockpot combine the squash and broth, the contents of the frying pan and the remaining ingredients. Cook over very low heat until the flavors are combines, about a half hour on top of the stove, or longer in the slow cooker. Serve with brown rice or crusty bread and a salad. 

Copyright 2013 Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved.

Soup and Culture Snack Potluck

Girl Scout "Pigs in Potatoes" Snack

Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters we're not shy about borrowing--a cup of sugar, yesterday's newspaper, a really GREAT idea. So here is an idea we're sharing to celebrate our own National Potluck Month.

Back in January 2008, our friends Barbara and Chas made a resolution to do "one cultural thing each month." Unlike the resolutions we made in January 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. and 2012--they have kept it!  Now more than sixty exhibits, performances, concerts, lectures, public programs, discussions, and discoveries of charming museums later, they are still going strong. Barbara has posted some of their activities and discoveries on her Facebook page leading us to share in some of those adventures and find new places ourselves. 

We got to thinking not only is this a great idea, it is a terrific platform for a potluck party!  

So, now is the time to adopt this resolution and encourage your friends to do the same. Then, once a month, or once a quarter, have a Soup and Cultural Snack Potluck. Host family provides the big pot of soup. Everyone else brings the finger foods to share. Those foods--conversation starters--should represent something about the cultural event or trip from their recent visits. 

There are plenty of things to do in big cities and even the smallest towns have adventures if you go looking. Our favorite small town of Clear Lake, Iowa (population 8,000), has the Firehouse Museum, the Pioneering Museum, and the Arts Center and public library each with a variety of programs. And that's just scratching the surface.

Here in the Twin Cities cultural opportunities seem to be around every corner. While thinking about a recipe to include in this post, I decided to feature one of my favorite small community resources and museums. As February 8, 1910 is the officially recognized birthday of Boy Scouting in America, the North Star Museum of Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting seemed a natural.  The museum is located just off Highway 36 in North St. Paul. They offer programs for the public and for scouting groups. Check their website for hours and opportunities. North Star Museum.

A while ago I did a program for the museum on old time scouting foods. Now I've adapted the Girl Scout hearty "pigs in potatoes" into a two-bite appetizer.  The flourless oatmeal cookies are easily made and a light end to a meal full of sharing. 

Girl Scout Pigs in Potatoes 

12 "B"-size red potatoes, pick ones that are about an inch diameter

1 package fully cooked "brown and serve" sausage links--one for each potato

1/2 cup finely grated Cheddar cheese--2 teaspoons for each potato

Scrub and gently boil the potatoes until tender. Cool and slice in half. With a small spoon scoop out a hollow bowl in the middle of the potato halves, reserving the scooped out potato bits. Cook the sausage according to package directions then dice. 

Combine the cooked potato, diced sausage and grated cheese. Gently press back into the potato shell. Warm under the broiler or in the microwave until the cheese melts. Serve hot or at room temperature. These can be prepared ahead and easily reheated. 

Flourless Oatmeal Cookies

2 eggs, beaten separately

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch salt

2 1/2 cups oatmeal

1 cup nuts or coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside. Combine the egg yolks and sugar and beat. Mix in the melted butter and vanilla. Stir in the baking powder, salt and oatmeal and nuts. Last, fold in the beaten egg whites. Drop onto greased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until light brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let baked cookies sit on sheet for a minute and then remove to cooling rack. Yield: 6 dozen cookies

Copyright 2013 Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved.

Let the Potluck Begin--with Super Leftovers!

The Super Party is Over.  The Ravens won and the 49ers put up a good second half.  The commercials had some winners and losers, too. The half-hour long game (and commercial) delay caused by the power outage may have caused guests to empty Super Party buffet tables more than usual, still, we're betting that there some leftovers tucked into cabinets and fridges. 

Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters the month-long celebration of our very own "National Potluck Month" is just beginning. . . and beginning with the best makings for great "potlucks" in the first meaning of the word -- the luck of the pot. 

There are loads of opportunities for savvy and clever cooks to use the Super leftovers to make more meals and snacks. Of course in the name of food safety, any food--other than those which are temperature-stable such as chips, raw fruits and vegetables, or cheese--that has been sitting out for more than an hour or so should be discarded.  But for many of us, that still leaves a lot of possible, creative and money-saving possibilities. 

Here are seven ways of thinking about some of the most familiar Super Party leftovers. 

1.  Here in the northern Midwest, we know there is no better topping for a casserole or "hot dish" than crushed potato or corn chips.  Gather up all those crumbs and tuck them away. No need to make buttered crumbs when you have these tasty morsels at hand. 

2. When is a dip not a dip?  When you convert it into a sauce!  Even the smallest drib or drab of creamy dip can be mixed with cooked vegetables and a bit of milk to make a quick creamed vegetable.  Sour cream and onion dip mixed with cooked frozen spinach or boiled new potatoes, yum!  Add leftover salsa to cooked carrots, green beans, or corn, more yum!  You don't need a lot, even the last two tablespoons make a tasty difference. 

3. As the French say, "The sauce is everything!"  With leftover cheese, bits of ham or turkey, and even partial bottles of wine, you have the sauce makings for pasta, macaroni, vegetables, potatoes, or to pour over a toasted English muffin for a quick dinner.

4. Slightly wilted vegetables from the veggie tray slip right into soup stock.

5. Combine slighted fruits such as strawberries, apples or pineapple cubes with sugar and cook into sauces or ice cream toppings

6. The Avocado!!  Unopened ripe avocados will hold for a few days in the refrigerator. You can deploy ripe ones into mashed potatoes. Chop and mix the avocado with a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice to stop it from turning brown, then add to the potatoes and mash away!

7. Chicken Wings!!!! Reports surfaced over the weekend that more than one billion chicken wings were slated for Super Party platters.  The truly frugal among us would have gathered all those bones, combined them with water and some of the veggie tray leavings to simmer into a stock.  I'm not that thriftily willing to take something that has been in someone's mouth and make it into soup.  However, I would happily cook up any unconsumed wings after rinsing off the salt-containing sauce. 

Copyright 2013 Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved

Baltimore Super Bowl® Ham

Count down to Super Sunday is now in its last week for the teams and for those of us who relish the game at parties, or just sitting in front of the television cheering loudly for our favorite teams. . . or commercials. However you watch it, the day is all about stars.

Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters we got to looking in the fridge for game-treat ingredients and discovered the end of the holiday ham nicely nestled in the freezer. And we got to thinking about those who sit on the bench, waiting for their opportunity to get in the game and take off as a star.

We've already put up a couple of recipes for the 49ers and the Ravens. This time we took our inspiration from a book loosely based old Maryland colonial-era recipes. We found a baked ham coated with brown sugar and doused in sherry. What would happen if we brought those flavors to the last cup of leftover holiday ham?

Well, we ended up with "Put Me in the Game, Coach" Minced Ham.

Quickly made, this new ingredient combination is ready to help any number of other culinary players elevate their game. It effectively stretches a sandwich's worth of ham into enough deliciousness for several sides or snacks.

 Use it to:
Stuff mushrooms
Mix into deviled eggs
 Put into scrambled eggs or omelets
Mix half and half with buttered bread crumbs Great for for green bean casserole topping
Toss into salads or scalloped potatoes
Blend with granted cheese, spread on English muffin and broil
The list goes on and on.

And it couldn't be easier to make.

Baltimore "Put me in the Game, Coach" Minced Ham

1 cup minced ham
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 teeny, tiny pinch ground cloves
3 or 4 grinds black pepper

Put all ingredients into a medium frying pan and cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the liquid is evaporated.

Add small amounts to make eggs, potatoes, leftovers and other dishes sideline stars.
Keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for a month.

 Super Bowl is a registered trademark of the National Football League 

 Copyright 2013. Rae Katherine Eighmey All rights reserved.

Super Bowl Viewing--Potluck Cook-Off

This is the first event in our third annual, self-proclaimed "February is National Potluck Month" celebration.

Some have called “Super Sunday” a national holiday. Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters we’re not sure the big game ranks up there with Valentines Day or even President’s Day in the range of February events. But we do know it is a time when our favorite kind of event come into its best. The Game Day Potluck.

With four teams and three weeks left, it is definitely time to plan. This year we’re taking our inspiration from a 1922 cookbook—The Stag Cookbook: Written by Men for Men and featuring the favorite recipes of famous fellows of the era. Reading through the recipes it seems as though many of them were actually cooked by the notable gents. There are a fair number of simple spaghetti with canned tomato sauce dishes along with mac and cheese and scrambled eggs. That’s a clue to the genuine nature of these dishes.

So, if those gents could come forth with tasty treats nearly a century ago, why not offer the challenge to the guys who attend this year’s Super Game Day parties? Kick-off is at 6:30 EST. Plenty of time for folks to gather and have a Potluck Cook-Off.

Instead of the usual chips, salsa, wings, pizza, toss out the challenge. Bring your best dish to be scored on a 7-point scale for flavor, texture, and overall appeal – with 2 extra “safety” points awarded for healthful ingredients, low sodium, or low fat. A bonus 3-point “field goal” score for using totally fresh ingredients.

To get the ball rolling, here’s one of the 1922 recipes.

Harry Houdini’s Famous Scalloped Mushrooms.

1/2 pound (8 ounces) fresh mushrooms of any kind
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup fresh bread whole wheat bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon salt, optional
several grinds of fresh black pepper

Preheat the over to 350 degrees F.
Wipe off the mushrooms and cut into thin slices. Lightly butter a tall, one-quart casserole dish. Divide the mushrooms into thirds. Put one layer in the bottom of the casserole. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup crumbs and pepper, Dot with butter, using about 1/2 tablespoon. Repeat layers. For the last layer of crumbs, melt the last 2 tablespoons of butter and add the last 1/4 cup of crumbs and mix well. Sprinkle these buttered crumbs over the top of the casserole. Bake until the mushrooms are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. The layers will sink considerably as they cook.

Serves 4.

NOTE: The key to this recipe is having three even layers of mushrooms and crumbs. It is easy to make a larger version using 1 pound in a two-quart casserole or 1 1/2 pounds in a three-quart casserole and increasing the other ingredients proportionally. Baking will take longer.

Now for treats form this year's four semi-finalist teams:

Starting with San Francisco

San Francisco 49er’s Chocolate Gold Rush Bars

Celebrate a 49er’s victory with a glass of champagne and these not-too-sweet treats made from two kinds of San Francisco’s famous Ghirardelli chocolate and some California red wine. They are so versatile that they could be a wonderful complement to ice cream if you need to sooth the shattered dreams caused by a “big game” defeat.  Perfect the way they are, but for a sweeter taste you can give them a glaze of chocolate or golden browned-butter icing.

1 cup Ghirardelli ground sweet chocolate

2 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup pitted dates, diced

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 8-ounce bar Ghirardelli dark chocolate 60%

6 tablespoons cold, hard butter

1/8 teaspoon salt, optional

2/3 cup wonderful California red wine

additional sweet cocoa powder for forming the bars 1/4 to 1/3 cup, approximately

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.   In food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the ground chocolate, flour, salt and baking powder. Add the raisins, dates, pecans,  the slightly chopped dark chocolate, and the hard butter cut in tablespoon-sized pieces. Pulse until the chocolate and fruit are chopped and the butter is blended in.

Note: if you do not have a processor, chop the raisins, dates, nuts, and chocolate into quarter-inch pieces. Blend the dry ingredients and butter as for piecrust and stir in the chopped ingredients.

Stir, or pulse, in the wine. Knead briefly, about 30 seconds, to form a smooth dough. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Divide the dough into 12 balls. Dust a work surface with the extra cocoa powder. Dip a ball of dough into sugar and roll under your fingers on the surface into a snake-like piece about 3/4 inch thick and 12 inches long. Cut into 2-inch long pieces and place on the baking sheet and flatten slightly with your fingers. You could easily make these into football shapes by tapering the ends. Continue with the rest of the dough. Bake until firm, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove to a wire baking rack to cool.

Yield: about 6 dozen bars.

Browned Butter Glaze

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon milk, more or less

Melt the butter in a small, heavy saucepan. Watch carefully as it begins to bubble and the butter solids turn brown. It can go from perfect to burned very quickly. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla.  Add the milk a little a time. You can also add more sugar if the mixture is too runny. 

For the New England Patriots we have Patriots Corn Cakes with Cranberry BBQ Beef and Apple Slaw

For the Falcons we have Atlanta Peachy Chicken with Peach Pecan Chutney

And 

For Baltimore you can add a can of crab meat to this non-fat dip with tasty carrot chips

Good Luck to All the Teams and Fans!!!

Copyright 2013. Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved.