cooking beets

Kitchen Parade Extra: Caramel Corn ♥

Who else is itching to get into the kitchen for fruitcake, Christmas cookies, holiday candies, all the wonders of holiday baking? I can hardly wait!

This recipe for caramel corn (and corn is a even vegetable, yes?!) is great in the interim, satisfying both a sweet tooth and a baking binge. The caramel corn is made in the microwave with nothing more than a few ingredients and a paper bag -- and some shake-it-up fun!

It's from a 2002 Kitchen Parade column, published today online for the first time. So here it is, my recipe for homemade caramel corn.

And because I'm expecting a houseful, already I'm planning menus and stocking the freezer, some times testing new recipes, other times turning to long-time family favorite recipes already published at KitchenParade.com, especially all the soup recipes and wintry comfort food recipes.

SO WHAT IS KITCHEN PARADE, EXACTLY? Kitchen Parade is the food column that my Mom started writing for our family newspaper when I was a baby. Today it's published in my hometown newspapers in suburban St. Louis and features 'fresh seasonal recipes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences'. Want to know more? Explore KitchenParade.com, including Kitchen Parade's Recipe Box!

WHY DOESN'T THIS POST ACCEPT COMMENTS? Because I hope that you'll click through to the actual column and comment there!

E-MAIL & RSS SUBSCRIBERS You may subscribe to Kitchen Parade directly, then you'll receive the complete column and recipe directly in your In Box or RSS reader. Just sign up for Kitchen Parade via e-mail or Kitchen Parade via RSS.

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Spaghetti Squash Cooked Whole ♥

Okay, I finally get it.

Each time I cook spaghetti squash, no matter how, I'm unimpressed by the taste. Sure, it is easy to cook. Sure, it has virtually no calories. But why waste one's energy on food with no taste?

My sister likes spaghetti squash, however, so she's always puzzled by my reaction. Three times now, she's repeated, "I just cook it for the noodles."

Oh, right! Here's the deal: cook spaghetti squash and then put it under something, just like we would noodles or rice or potatoes. That makes it a virtually calorie-free, carb-free starch. Get flavor from what's on top, not the spaghetti squash itself.

Sisters are smart!

When Adanna mentioned she'd cooked a whole spaghetti squash with great success, this I heard her the first time! I cooked one whole today for lunch, leaving the washed unpricked spaghetti squash in the oven at 350F for an hour. And then I put some peppery-hot lentil soup over top. Perfect.

NEXT TIME How long to cook spaghetti squash? The strands were cooked after an hour but next time I'll leave the squash in longer, say 90 minutes, to see if the strands become more noodle-y with more time in the oven.

MAKE IT A MEAL That's Oven-Cooked Lentil Soup there on top. Yum!

VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES

~ how to roast a whole butternut squash ~
~ how to roast a whole pumpkin ~

~ more winter squash recipes ~
~ more quick vegetable recipes ~

~ Zucchini Ribbons, another 'vegetable noodle' ~

~ one year ago this week Harvard Beets ~
~ two years ago today Pumpkin Corn Bread ~

SPAGHETTI SQUASH COOKED WHOLE

Hands-on time: 1 minute to start, 5 minutes to finish
Time to table: 70 - 90 minutes
About 3 cups of 'noodles' from a 2 3/4 pound spaghetti squash

1 spaghetti squash

Set oven to 350F. Wash the squash, especially around the stem and blossom ends where bacteria can collect. Place directly on a rack in the center of the oven, setting the timer for 60 or 90 minutes plus whatever time is left to preheat.

When the squash is done, remove from the oven. Holding the squash with potholders, slice it pole to pole. Scoop out the seeds and discard. With the tines of a fork, scrape the flesh to separate the strands into noodles.

Top with something delicious!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Half Cup: 16 Cal (15% from Fat, 7% from Protein, 78% from Carb); 0 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 3 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; NetCarb0; 0 g Sugar; 12 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 9 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 0 points

PRINT JUST A RECIPE! Now you can print a recipe without wasting ink and paper on the header and sidebar. Here's how.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007

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Oven-Cooked Lentil Soup Recipe ♥

Chop-chop, then just leave it in the oven for five hours

Today's soup recipe: Hearty lentil soup, slow cooked right in the oven at a low heat. A great option for anyone who doesn't have a slow cooker.

Does this soup look worth trading, say, for apple pie?

That was the deal, a piece of American Apple Pie for the recipe for this oven-cooked lentil soup, all in fun, of course, since the recipe holder (hi, Rass!) was getting pie anyway and the pie-maker (me) often swaps recipes with Rass and his wife, dear family friends for more than 50 years.

And Rass' lentil soup is a good one! It takes some knife work to get started, then is left in the oven for a perfect five hours. What comes out is perfectly cooked, hot and hearty, steamy and spicy, utterly delicious. It's perfect for cold winter days.

MAKE IT A MEAL Soup and hot bread, yes? Think about pairing the lentil soup with Weeknight-Easy Rolls.

OVEN-COOKED LENTIL SOUP

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 5 1/2 hours
Makes 10 cups

1/2 pound smoked ham, cubed
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cut in small cubes (the bacon in my fridge was iffy so I skipped it, but know from tasting Rass' own soup that bacon contributes to the soup's heartiness)

2 tablespoons olive oil (I'd recommend skipping this if using the bacon but Rass cooks the bacon in the oil)
1 large onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 green pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, sliced thin in 'coins'
14 ounces canned diced tomato
14 ounces canned tomato sauce
1 cup red wine (Rass fills one of the cans halfway, then sploshes it around to rinse)

1 cup lentils (Rass uses brown lentils which are softer and a little bit creamier, I used what was on hand, black lentils from Trader Joe's which are 'meatier' and hold their shape better but are less creamy)

2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon dried parsley (I skipped this)
Salt & pepper to taste

4 cups beef bouillon (I had some beef broth on hand, mixed it with chicken)

Turn oven to 250F.

In a large oven-safe pot such as a Dutch oven, start cooking the bacon, add the onion, celery, green pepper and garlic as they're prepped, stirring often to distribute the fat. Then, as Rass says, "Chuck everything into the kettle, stir it up and put into the oven (covered) for five hours."

Hmmm. As I read his instructions carefully now, I realize that Rass doesn't cook the onion-celery-etc with the bacon but instead cooks the bacon on its own, then "chucks the rest in". Rass makes a mean lentil soup, you won't go wrong with his method!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Cup, made with bacon & olive oil - Per Serving: 261 Cal (51% from Fat, 19% from Protein, 30% from Carb); 12 g Protein; 15 g Tot Fat; 4 g Sat Fat; 7 g Mono Fat; 20 g Carb; 7 g Fiber; 4 g Sugar; 31 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 884 mg Sodium; 27 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 6 points

Per Cup, made with bacon but without olive oil - Per Serving: 237 Cal (46% from Fat, 21% from Protein, 33% from Carb); 12 g Protein; 12 g Tot Fat; 4 g Sat Fat; 5 g Mono Fat; 20 g Carb; 7 g Fiber; 4 g Sugar; 31 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 884 mg Sodium; 27 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 5 points

Per Cup, made with olive oil but no bacon - Per Serving: 157 Cal (26% from Fat, 25% from Protein, 50% from Carb); 10 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 3 g Mono Fat; 19 g Carb; 7 g Fiber; 4 g Sugar; 30 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 696 mg Sodium; 12 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 3 points

A Veggie Venture - Printer Friendly Recipe Graphic

MORE LENTIL RECIPES
~ Lentil Salad with Tomatoes, Dill & Basil ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Two-Way Lentil Skillet ~
~ Lentil Soup Vincent ~
from Kitchen Parade

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Kitchen Parade Extra: Cranberry Apple Crisp ♥

Hello from cold and snowy (and glorious) northern Minnesota where on Thanksgiving Day, the dawn temperature was about zero (yes, Fahrenheit) and ice diamonds fell from clearwater blue skies much of the day. Today, soft snow began to fall about noon, especially magical as people gathered to sing carols and light the town Christmas tree. It's no wonder I've got winter on the mind, you'll see the evidence in this week's recipe in Kitchen Parade for Cranberry Apple Crisp which also makes up in 'diet', 'topping' and 'crumb pie' versions. It's a lovely combination of sweet and tart, a wintry take on fall's favorite.

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Kitchen Parade Extra: Squash Puff ♥

"How are you?" Yesterday, at church in my hometown in northern Minnesota, Pastor Rosanna suggested that this is a good week to answer something other than the customary "Fine", suggesting "Grateful". Today, I'm sitting in a small coffee shop (thank you to Linda from the Smiling Moon, to whom I'm much grateful for WiFi!) to post this and just heard someone just-arrived for Thanksgiving give a local a big hug. I didn't hear his question, but did hear her laughing answer, "Grateful."

And so I am, and so, I hope, are you. Only a few more days, now, til Thanksgiving. I love imagining your kitchens all abustle, giblets simmering on the stove, the frig spilling over with pre-Thanksgiving ingredients, busy-busy-busy.

Today I republish my Thanksgiving column from 2005. There's a recipe, yes, for squash puff, a long-time family favorite. But I hope the accompanying essay creates a moment of quiet reflection, of gratitude, in your busy-ness. I call it Freedom from Want.

Safe travels, good cooking, warm family gatherings ... to all.

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Brussels Sprouts with Maple & Walnut Vinaigrette ♥

Easy prep beforehand, easy to cook at the last minute

Today's new Thanksgiving vegetable recipe: Fresh Brussels sprouts gently cooked and dressed in a simple vinaigrette, either a 'rich' vinaigrette for special occasions or a 'light' vinaigrette for every day.

Don't let me whine, but if there's one thing wrong with Thanksgiving vegetables, it's that so many recipes are laden with butter and cream and cheese and bacon and aloy! sugar. This means that if there are several vegetables on the table, they all sort of taste the same: rich and indulgent.

So I always like to make sure that there's at least one vegetable on the table that is spare and simple and yet totally full of flavor.

These Brussels sprouts are a perfect candidate, dressed in a simple vinaigrette with lovely flavors.

RECIPE for BRUSSELS SPROUTS with MAPLE & WALNUT VINAIGRETTE

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 8 (big servings, likely 16 for big Thanksgiving meals)

Salted water
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and Xd

VINAIGRETTE
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar (lovely tasting stuff, this)
4 tablespoons maple syrup (use Grade B, yes B, for the most flavor)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons walnut oil (the inspiring recipe called for 8 tablespoons, to my taste, 4 tablespoons is plenty rich)
Freshly ground nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Bring water to a boil. Add sprouts to water, cover and cook for about 10 minutes (for small sprouts) or 15 (for large) or until a knife can be inserted easily into the center. (There's a fine line between under- and over-cooking Brussels sprouts. The more cooked they are, the easier it is for the vinaigrette to penetrate, so I err to the more-cooked version. Then again, I'm scarred for life from once serving Brussels sprouts so undercooked they rocketed across the room at the sign of a knife.) Drain and return to hot pan.

Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together. Toss hot sprouts with a portion of the vinaigrette, you may not need it all and it makes a great salad dressing too. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with walnuts.

NOTE: For every day, I'd follow my standard proportions of 1 pound of vegetables to 1 tablespoon of oil and in this case, use a splash of maple syrup and a dollop of mustard -- and skip the nuts.

TO PREP AHEAD
NUTS Toast the nuts 1 - 2 days in advance
VINAIGRETTE Mix 1 - 2 days ahead, then re-whisk before using.
SPROUTS Wash, trim and X the sprouts day before or morning of (if done day before, I think I'd spritz and cover with a damp paper towel until ready to cook)

LEFTOVER REPORT These reheat beautifully and so make for great Thanksgiving leftovers.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Serving 8, Per Serving: 186 Cal (52% from Fat, 11% from Protein, 36% from Carb); 6 g Protein; 12 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 4 g Mono Fat; 18 g Carb; 5 g Fiber; NetCarb13; 9 g Sugar; 61 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 51 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 4 points

Serving 16, Per Serving: 93 Cal (52% from Fat, 11% from Protein, 36% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 6 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 9 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; 5 g Sugar; 31 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 26 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point (yes, this is right, it's the 'math' of Weight Watchers, where half of 4 can equal 1)

My 'every day version', serving 8, Per Serving: 47 Cal (32% from Fat, 15% from Protein, 53% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 2 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 7 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb5; 3 g Sugar; 26 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 20 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 0 points

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook

KITCHEN NOTES

HOW MANY BRUSSELS SPROUTS IN A POUND? There are about 50 tiny sprouts in a pound, only 17 - 20 large ones in a pound.

HOW TO TRIM BRUSSELS SPROUTS Wash the sprouts under running water. Slice off the stem end about 1/4 way into the sprout, then remove the outer leaves. Check to see that the remaining sprout is completely clean and the leaves unblemished, if not wash again and remove another layer of outer leaves. With a sharp knife, cut an X into the stem end, this helps the interior core cook at the same rate as the outer leaves.

Buy Brussels sprouts of roughly equivalent size so they cook evenly.

Frozen Brussels sprouts are -- okay -- but nothing close to fresh (and I promise, I love frozen vegetables in general)

To salt water for boiling vegetables, Epicurious recommends a scant teaspoon of table salt (more if you only have the less salty sea salt) per quart (four cups) of water but I use about double that

A good cook-ahead trick for any vegetables cooked or steamed in water: bring the water to a boil ahead of time, say 30 minutes or so, then cover and turn off the fire. When you're ready to bring the water to boil for real, it'll take far less time.

MORE IDEAS for THANKSGIVING VEGETABLE RECIPES
featured in 2006
~ Brussels Sprouts with Apricot Glaze ~

more ideas
~ Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Garlic ~
~ Wine-Glazed Brussels Sprouts ~
~ Lemony Creamy Brussels Sprouts & Celery ~
~ more Brussels sprouts recipes ~
~ more Thanksgiving vegetable recipes ~

Move aside, turkeys. (No, not you, dear readers! Thanksgiving turkeys!) Here at A Veggie Venture, vegetables are the real stars of the Thanksgiving table. So it's new Thanksgiving recipes all November long for a fabulous collection of Thanksgiving vegetable recipe ideas. Whether it's last year's famous World's Best Green Bean Casserole or a brand-new recipe which catches your fancy this year, move over turkeys, it's vegetables' time.

© Copyright 2007

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Boozy Baked Celery ♥

Great celery flavor, enhanced with sherry or brandy

[A warm welcome to all who are visiting A Veggie Venture for the first time! In November, it's all Thanksgiving vegetables, adding new recipes to build this year's collection of Thanksgiving vegetable recipes.

But don't worry, in December and especially January, A Veggie Venture will return to its usual vegetable recipes, fast, low-calorie, easy to put on the table.]

Aii, how butter, cream and cheese turn prosaic celery into pure poetry! As it bakes, the kitchen fills the luscious aroma of sherry. Noses lift into the air, "What is that in the oven?"

It's ribs of celery in a creamy white sauce imbued with the essence of both celery and sherry (or brandy or maybe an anise-flavored liqueur like Sambuca?) and then topped with Parmesan. And oh my -- it is delicious.

KITCHEN NOTES

Darn those celery strings! Next time I will definitely strip the strings off the celery ribs before braising them.
The inspiring recipe calls for a whole stalk (yes a stalk, the whole big thing) of celery, shortened to an eight-inch length, then quartered while keeping the quarters intact at the root; this makes for an elegant presentation, especially in a rectangular serving dish. But to make the celery easier to eat without cutting, next time I will separate the individual ribs and cut into bite-size lengths.
There's enough sauce for at least one full stalk of celery.
This recipe is best for the celery ribs alone. But don't throw away the celery leaves - save them for a delicious celery and apple salad or this recipe for vegetable stock.
I hope my local Kirkwood reader is reading today -- she chides me when I forget about the difference between celery stalks and celery ribs. Repeat after me: a 'stalk' of celery is the whole shebang, the whole big head and a 'rib' is well, an individual piece of celery broken away from the stalk.

MAKE-AHEAD TIPS
DAY BEFORE - Braise the celery and make the sauce. Cover and refrigerate separately.
THANKSGIVING DAY - Bring the celery to room temperature. Rewarm the sauce til just bubbly. Top celery with sauce, top with cheese and bake for 30 - 45 minutes til hot clear-through.

MORE THANKSGIVING VEGETABLE RECIPES - CELERY
~ Lemony Creamy Brussels Sprouts & Celery - light 'n' lemony ~
~ Jealous Marys - a light apértif ~
~ Standing Veggies - an easy, attractive way vegetable tray ~

~ more celery recipes ~

~ more Thanksgiving vegetable recipes ~

BOOZY BAKED CELERY

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 1 hour
Serves 8

BRAISE THE CELERY
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used Better for Bouillon)
1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth (I used sherry)
1 clove garlic, peeled and flattened with the side of a knife

1 whole stalk of celery,

Bring the liquids to a boil in a deep skillet.

Meanwhile, trim the celery, removing the root end and the celery tops. Remove the strings by running a vegetable peeler or paring knife along the outside of each rib. Cut the ribs into bite-size lengths. Drop into liquid, return to a boil, cover and braise for about 25 minutes or until soft. With a slotted spoon, remove celery from liquid. RESERVE THE LIQUID FOR THE SAUCE.

MAKE THE SAUCE
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour (reduced from 3 tablespoons)
1 cup reserved liquid from braising the celery (supplement with skim milk if needed)
1/4 cup cream
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste
1 tablespoon brandy (I used sherry)

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour until smooth. (Do remove any lumps, otherwise the sauce will end up lumpy.) Stir for a minute or two until thickened. (Cooking for a minute at this stage removes any potential floury taste.) A tablespoon at a time, add the braising liquid, stirring to smoothly incorporate each spoonful before adding another. (This also avoids lumps.) A tablespoon at a time, stir in the cream, following the same process. Cook, stirring often, until thick, about four or five minutes. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Stir in the brandy.

ASSEMBLE & BAKE
Braised celery
Sauce, rewarmed if necessary
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400F. Arrange celery in a buttered baking dish. Top with sauce, then sprinkle Parmesan on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until hot clear through.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 95 Cal (63% from Fat, 11% from Protein, 26% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 6 g Tot Fat; 4 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 6 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb4; 2 g Sugar; 90 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 192 mg Sodium; 18 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Greene on Greens by Bert Greene, a classic vegetable cookbook and one of my favorites, not so much for every-day quick and easy and low-calorie recipe, but for special and unusual ones like this

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Pages

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SPAGHETTI SQUASH COOKED WHOLE

OVEN-COOKED LENTIL SOUP

RECIPE for BRUSSELS SPROUTS with MAPLE & WALNUT VINAIGRETTE

BOOZY BAKED CELERY