Happy New Year!!!

The New Year is a time for new beginnings, a clean slate, celebrating the old and welcoming in the new. And what better way to celebrate than with some food and a few drinks? Nothing brings people together like a delicious dish. But this particular holiday calls for meals that bring luck, health and prosperity to the upcoming year. And not all foods are created equal when it comes to ringing in the New Year. Every culture has a different dish they consume for New Year's, but they all share similarities, like hoping for happiness and prosperity in the future.

 

Greens

Cabbage, kale, chard and collards are all cooked on New Year's because of their vibrant green hue. They resemble money, therefore symbolizing good fortune in the coming year. It's believed that the more you eat, the healthier and prosperous you will be. These greens are enjoyed in a variety of ways across the globe. The Danish like to sprinkle stewed kale with cinnamon and sugar, while the Germans enjoy sour cabbage, otherwise known as sauerkraut.

Round fruits

Resembling money or coins, for their round shape, are fruits like oranges and

clementines. In the U.S., people eat these by the slice, but how many slices they eat is the important part. Americans snack on 12 slices, which represent the number of months in a year. Other countries, like the Philippines, eat 13 slices because the number is said to be lucky.

Cornbread

In the Southern United States, cornbread can be found on the plates of many on New Year's. Its warm yellow shade represents the color of gold. Some even add kernels of corn to their bread to symbolize gold nuggets for even more prosperity in the coming year.

Champagne

It may not be found on a plate, but every year, people pour a

glass of Champagne and toast to a wonderful year as well as a prosperous future. Champagne, otherwise known as sparkling wine, is loved for its bubbly nature. It was first made from grapes in the region of Champagne, France. Hugh Capet, King of France in 989, drank the bubbly at his coronation banquets, which intrigued monarchs. Champagne was also the drink of choice for King Louis XIV.

Tips for serving Champagne:

• Serve Champagne chilled, between 39 and 48 degrees Fahrenheit. You can store the beverage in a wine refrigerator or fill a wine bucket with water and ice and give the bottle about 30 minutes to chill to perfection.
• Always leave the bottle corked until you're ready to serve.
• Serve in long-stemmed flutes, which helps the flow of bubbles and even makes the aroma of the beverage stronger.
• Never chill the flutes - leave them at room temperature.

Here's to a happy and healthy New Year for all!

Cornbread Stuffed Squash

Turkey isn't the only thing great for stuffing. So are squashes. I recently came across a recipe for squash stuffed with cornbread and it sounded good, so I tried it last night. Just the thing for a cool evening.

In fact, the stuffing was so good, I could have eaten it just by itself. The combination of the onion, celery, sage and pecans with the cornbread worked well and it was really delicious.

Roasted Winter Squash with Cornbread Stuffing

1 small to medium winter squash (acorn, butternut, or pumpkin), about 1 1/4 lbs.

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup dried cranberries (I omitted these)

Kabocha Pumpkin

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

3 Tbsp. chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups cooked and crumbled cornbread
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.

Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds and brush cut sides with olive oil. Place cut sides down on a baking sheet lined with foil. Roast 25 minutes or until tender.

Soak dried fruit in hot water 10 min. Drain and discard liquid. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, celery, sage and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Combine drained fruit, onion mixture, broth (start with 1/4 cup and see if more is needed), pecans, cornbread, parsley, salt and pepper.

Place cornbread mixture into each squash half. return squash to oven and bake about 20 min, until stuffing is thoroughly heated and golden brown on top.

Serves 2.

Recipe by Brian Morris, courtesy of relishmag.com.

Wheat flour alternatives

Several weeks ago, I posted about gluten-free diets. I thought I’d add more information about some of the wheat “alternatives” that are available today for us to explore. When baking and cooking, consider incorporating some of these instead of the typical wheat flour that is so prevalent everywhere. Most of these alternatives are low in sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat, and are good sources of dietary fiber.

Buckwheat Flour

Buckwheat is not in the wheat family at all. Its flour has a distinctive flavor, and is used in an array of international dishes such as soba noodles, crepes and pancakes. Wheat-free and gluten-free (provided it has not been “cut” with regular wheat flour, as some manufacturers will do), it is a good source of magnesium and manganese.

Corn Flour

A finely-ground version of corn meal, corn flour can be added to bread, biscuit or pancake recipes. Cornbreads are richer and less crumbly when corn flour is substituted for corn meal.

Corn Meal

Originated in ancient Mesoamerican civilizations, corn is derived from gigantic domesticated grass. It is considered man’s first “genetically engineered” food. Cornmeal makes a flavorful and versatile ingredient in tortillas, breads and muffins. Gluten-free.

Garbanzo Flour

Used in Mediterranean, Indian and Middle Eastern dishes, garbanzo flour is made from finely ground garbanzo beans (chick peas). Good source of protein and copper, folate and manganese.

Oat Flour

Oats are a natural source of heart-healthy soluble fiber and oat flour can be mixed with other flours such as corn, rice, or buckwheat to create breads with interesting flavors and textures. Good source of thiamin, phosphorous, selenium and manganese.  Not always considered gluten free unless the package specifically says so (like Bob's Red Mill products).

Rice Flour (brown or white)

Nutty tasting brown rice flour is ground from whole-grain brown rice. It is a good choice for sauces, shortbreads, and for coating foods. Removing the bran from ground brown rice produces white rice flour and like brown rice flour, it has a grainy texture but a milder flavor. Both are gluten-free and often appear in gluten-free baking mixes.

Others

Amaranth, legume flours, millet, quinoa, and sago are other grains that can often be found in flour form and are worth a try.

I really believe that eating a wider variety of foods provides greater health and well-being because we are taking in different nutrients from everything we eat.  I am going to experiment with more of these myself. If you have any recipes to share that highlight any of these ingredients, I sure would love to hear from you.

Getting ready for Game Day

Well, I'm no sports fan (of football, at least) so this weekend's Super Bowl will go more or less unrecognized at my house. However, all this talk everywhere of Super Bowl menus and making vats of chili and cornbread put me in the mood for making them - a week early. So regardless of the impending game, last Sunday's rainy weather was perfect for a warming bowl of hearty chili and cornbread to go alongside of it, paired with a nice cool beer.

The chili recipe I used as a basis from which to start is from my Silver Palate cookbook but there were 2 problems right off the bat. One is that the recipe is called "Chili for a Crowd" and that's no joke: the serving suggestion says: 35-40 servings! Since I didn't need that much chili, I improvised with the quantities to bring it to 4 servings. The second issue is that the recipe calls for beef, which I don't eat, so I substituted ground turkey. Despite my finagling with the recipe I was pleasantly surprised with the results. It was damn good chili!

The cornbread was also delish. Thanks Ina ("Barefoot Contessa"), for the recipe.

Turkey Chili

2 Tbsp. good quality olive oil
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
1 - 1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey (or the original ground beef chuck)
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. good quality chili powder
1 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried dill
1 can (14 oz.) Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
1/8 cup red wine
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can pitted black small or medium California olives, drained

For garnishing chili:
sour cream
finely chopped onions or scallions
grated cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a large pot. Add onions and cook over low heat, covered, until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes.Crumble sausage meat and ground turkey into the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until meats are well browned. If using beef, spoon out as much excess fat as possible.
Over low heat stir in black pepper, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, chili powder, mustard, salt, basil, oregano and dill. Add tomatoes (add the liquid if you wish. Recipe says to drain it but I wanted it in), wine, lemon juice, parsley and kidney beans. Stir well and simmer, uncovered for another 15 minutes.
Taste and correct seasoning. Add olives, simmer another 5 minutes to heat through. Top with extra goodies. Serve immediately.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

Preheat oven to 350F.

Dry ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 cup medium coarse corn meal
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. baking powder
2 1/2 tsp. salt

Wet ingredients:
2 sticks butter (1/2 lb.), melted in a saucepan. While that's melting, whisk together:
3 eggs
2 cups milk
Add the butter.
Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir. Let batter sit for 15 minutes to absorb the liquid.

Meanwhile, prep the remaining ingredients:
8 oz. grated white Cheddar (sharp or extra sharp are best)*
1/2 cup chopped scallions*
1-1 1/2 large jalapeno peppers, finely chopped, all seeds and white membrane removed

* leave a little behind to add to the top before baking.
Stir these in to the batter. Grease a 9"x13" pan, spread the batter in. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese and scallions. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.

For an 8x8" pan, I reduced the quantities in 1/2.

So, weather you watch the game on Sunday or not, make this chili sometime. I realize everyone has a favorite they've tasted somewhere or made themselves, but if you're open to trying something different, I think you'll love it as much as we did.