Poached Pears with Cardamom Yogurt Creme

Autumn desserts are special somehow. Pears in season are one of the best parts of my culinary life. Try Pear Pie this year if you haven't already, or for a lighter touch try out these poached beauties-lightly scented with ginger and lemon-for a warm finish to a fall meal.

Poached Pears
3 nearly ripe pears - Bartlett end up softer, Anjou firmer
1 cup sugar
2 slices lemon
2-3 small knobs of ginger root
4 cups warm water
Slice pears in half lengthwise. Core with a spoon and scoop seeds out. Leave stem intact if desired. Heat sugar, lemon, ginger and water in a large pan until sugar is dissolved. Peel pear halves and place in heated water. Cover and bring to a light simmer. Reduce heat to maintain this level of simmer. Poach for 6 minutes then with a slotted spoon remove pears to a covered dish to keep warm. Remove and discard 2 cups of the poaching liquid. Bring the remaining liquid to a boil and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes or until volume is halved. Discard the lemon and ginger. Serve by placing a pear half in a bowl, topping with Cardamom Creme (see below) about 2 tablespoons of the reduced syrup and pistachios.

Hints: I prefer the softer Bartlett pear but the Anjou is nice, too. If the Bartlett is too ripe, it will not hold it's shape when poached and become mushy. Boiling the pears will also cause them to break down too much, so be sure and just simmer lightly. The reduced liquid will be quite hot so be careful handling it.

Cardamom Yogurt Creme
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 1/2 (plus more to taste) tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 (plus more to taste) teaspoon ground cardamom
Stir together and taste. If desired, add more cardamom or brown sugar to taste. Serve with poached pears or apples.

This creme is also great as a dip for fruit platters or as fruit salad dressing.

Orange, Ginger and Carrot Waffles

Happy Easter! Warm maple syrup poured onto crispy ginger-scented carrot waffles--sounds like a breakfast (or brunch) plan to me...

Orange, Ginger and Carrot Waffles
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1/4 cup masa harina (corn flour)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Heat waffle iron. Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl. Add ginger, orange zest and juice, carrot, butter and sugar. Mix thoroughly. Stir in masa harina, flour, salt and baking powder. Cook in hot waffle iron according to manufacturers directions. Serve with maple syrup or orange marmalade.

Hints: I used a large micro planer to zest the orange, grate the ginger and shred the carrot right into the batter. You could use white flour in place of the masa harina but the flavor will have a little less earthiness. Freezing ginger root is such a great way to not only store it (it lasts longer) but it makes grating it quick. Brown sugar or honey would work in place of the raw sugar. This make 4 waffles in my waffle iron but it would depend on the size you have.

Easter is one of my favorite Holidays. The Spring weather is so welcome after the Winter. The Celebration of Life Resurrected. The Hope, Peace, Love and Light of the Atonement. May God bless us all to know and appreciate His Son more fully.

Quinoa and Pinapple Salad

Fresh pineapple is a treat around here. Savoring every bit is not difficult because it is eaten with gusto. If there happens to be a little left over, this salad is a super way to use it. Healthy quinoa, lovely mandarins and sweet, chewy dates all tossed in a lightly sweet dressing. It's a keeper.

Quinoa and Pineapple Salad
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup finely diced fresh pineapple
3 mandarin oranges, peeled
1/3 cup sliced dates
Dressing:
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger root
1/4 teaspoon vanilla salt (or kosher salt)
2 tablespoons grape seed oil or other vegetable oil
2 tablespoons finely grated Bella Vatino Balsamic cheese (or Swiss cheese)
Place the quinoa in a serving bowl. Add the pineapple. Cut the orange segments in half and add to bowl. Add the dates. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over salad. Toss to coat.

Hints: Use quinoa cooked in plain water not stock. Have the pineapple in about 1/8 inch dice. Juicier mandarins are better. Vanilla salt can be made by splitting a vanilla bean and placing it in a jar with kosher salt for several days. It is lovely on salted caramel dishes. Taste the dressing and add more lime juice if you like. Or Salt. Or anything else. I buy the cheese at Costco.

This is a very refreshing salad and gives a hint of Spring. I served it with Braised Pork and Scallop Potatoes and Carrots.

Lettuce Wraps w/ Cauliflower

I've shared some lettuce wraps before, with beef. They are tasty but quite different than the lettuce wraps you get at Oriental food restaurants. Here is an Oriental inspired type I made last week that turned out to be scrumptious. Lots of good for you veggies and a hot sauce you can use for other dishes, too.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
2 chicken breast halves, raw meat cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons coconut oil (or peanut oil)
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup minced onion
1 minced garlic clove
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger root
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Iceberg lettuce leaves, about 1/2 head
Roasted peanuts
Hot and Sour Sauce (see recipe below)
Pour the toasted sesame oil and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce over chicken. Toss to coat and set aside. Heat a wok or large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add the coconut oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the chicken has begun to brown slightly, begin adding the veggies. Add the carrots, onions and garlic first. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the celery and bell pepper, cook and stir for another minute. Finally add the cauliflower, cabbage and ginger. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, while in a small bowl you whisk together 2 tablespoons soy sauce, coriander, red pepper flakes and cornstarch. Stir soy sauce mixture into chicken and veggie mixture. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 more minutes, check for seasoning, adding salt or soy sauce if needed. Serve with lettuce leaves, peanuts and hot sauce.

Hints: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and that was quick. I diced them while they were partially frozen which made it easier. While I prepared the rest of the ingredients, the meat thawed out all the way. Adding the ingredients at different times will make some of the veggies softer and some crisper, you can alter the order listed to get the veggies you want crisper added at the end. I have started keeping some ginger root in the freezer and love it! It grates so easily with my microplaner. Less fibrous end produce when grated and very fine. It doesn't get soft or mold like it sometimes can in the produce drawer of the fridge.

Hot and Sour Sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
Mix all ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl that has a one cup capacity. Heat in microwave for 1 minute or until the cornstarch is cleared. Stir and allow to cool before serving. (This recipe can be doubled.) This sauce could be used as a dipping sauce for pot stickers or chicken skewers etc.

This is a delicious dinner served with some black rice but would also make a great appetizer or snack. Serving the hot sauce on the side allows for everyone at the table to tailor their dinner to their heat tolerance (or lack thereof). Three of us wolfed the lettuce wraps and black rice down lickety split. And we all felt pretty good about it. A healthy dinner is a nice way to end a day or begin an evening.

 

Chciken Salad Spring Rolls

Wrapping it up: I know summer is over but a salad is always great. Nearly any occasion or any time of year is right for salad. These Chicken Salad Spring Rolls with dipping sauces are fabulous in the spring and summer but I really enjoy them in the fall and winter as well. They are fresh, light tasting and work great as a make ahead meal, snack or appetizer. The wrappers and the rice noodles will keep in your pantry for quite a while, so these can be made anytime you can get some fresh veggies and basil.

Chicken Salad Spring Rolls
3 cups water
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 rice wrappers
1/4 package thin rice noodles
1 head butter or Boston lettuce
16 fresh basil leaves, approximately
3 green onions 
1 medium cucumber
In a 9 or 10 inch skillet, heat water, chicken, salt and pepper to a boil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside to cool. Place rice noodles in a glass dish and pour about half of the hot chicken water over them. Allow to sit while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Leave the remaining water in the skillet. Wash the lettuce and separate the leaves, discarding any hard stalk parts and keeping the soft, delicate parts. Pat dry with paper towels. Wash basil leaves and dry these as well. Clean green onions and slice them into thin rounds. Peel and seed the cucumber, then julienne it. Shred chicken with two forks. Assemble wraps by first dipping a single rice wrapper in the reserved water in the skillet. Soak it for about 15 to 20 seconds and then remove to a smooth work surface. Place a lettuce leaf (or two if they are small) on the wrapper, greenest side down. Top the lettuce with a tablespoon or so of chicken, 1/8 of the softened rice noodles, some of the cucumber and green onions. Finally use a couple of basil leaves on the very top. Pull the lettuce sides up to meet the basil and then warp the whole thing in the rice paper wrapper like a burrito--side in , bottom up, other side in then roll fairly tightly to the top edge. Place on a plate. Repeat with the other 7 wrappers. Chill for at least one hour and serve with Sweet Chili and Peanut dipping sauces.

Easy Peanut Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1/8 teaspoon cayene pepper
Mix all ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Serve at room temperature.

Hot Chili Dipping Sauce
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
Place water and vinegar in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Stir cornstarch into sugar and add to pan. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook and stir for 3 minutes and remove from heat. Serve warm or at room temperature.  

Hints: These can be vegetarian by omitting the chicken and replacing it with more rice noodles or other veggies. Another good alternative is using cooked shrimp. The wrappers and the rice noodles are both available at Smiths Marketplace but I haven't found them at other grocery stores. Of course, they are available at Asian Markets. I use these same rice noodles for Oriental Chicken Salad but flash fry them in peanut oil for that recipe. They are also great under stir fries. The rice wrappers are not too difficult to work with if you take them out of the water before they are too soft. They continue to soften up as you are filling them and as they chill. Try to work quickly before they get too soft and begin tearing; that is why you work with only one at a time and you should have all your other ingredients ready to go before you get the wrappers wet. It may take you one or two rolls to perfect your wrapping skills. It will still taste great even if they look less than perfect. Photos of how to wrap Stuffed Grape Leaves  use the same technique and may be helpful. Add more water to the Peanut Sauce if needed. And up to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in the Sweet Chili Sauce if you want it very spicy.

I first had one of these type of fresh spring rolls in San Fransisco at The Slanted Door, a wonderful place located in The Ferry Building. I have since had them at several places and liked them so much I needed to be able to make them. It is great to learn how to make your favorite things because it gives you the opportunity to customize them to your liking and makes them available more often! 

Rice wrappers are like thick paper until softened.

Soak in hot water or flash fry.

Gingered Sweet Potato Fries and Pomegranate Sauce

It is hard to improve ketchup and fries. So I'm not calling this an improvement but a revision. Sweet potatoes are so yummy and so healthy and this new "ketchup" (pomegranate sauce) is supremely versatile. I have some more awesome suggestions to use it in the Hints section.

Gingered Sweet Potato Fries with Pomegranate Sauce
1 large sweet potato
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Peel potato and cut into 1/4 inch thick fries and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine oil, ginger, salt and nutmeg. Toss potato strips in oil mixture to coat evenly. Place fries on a baking screen. Cook at 450 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until crispy and beginning to brown. Serve immediately with pomegranate "ketchup".

Pomegranate Sauce
4 cups pomegranate arils
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and keep at a simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often. Puree using an immersion blender. Push through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds. Serve warm or chilled.

Two kinds of fries on a baking screen.

Hints: Getting the fries done at the same time without burning is made posible if they are cut close to the same size. A baking screen is the best possible way to get the fries crispy without deep frying them. Screens are fairly inexpensive, available at cooking stores and can be stored in minimum space. Fresh grated ginger root tends to burn in this recipe so opt for the powdered ginger here. The sauce is great by it self but you can add 1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger root to 2 tablespoons of sauce for a really nice kick. The sauce is also great to garnish baba ganoush instead of pomegranate molasses. It makes a great base for saucing pork medallions or sauteed chicken: deglaze the sautee pan with a bit of orange juice (or grapefruit juice) and finish the sauce with some butter like in this recipe, adding about 1/4 cup of the pomegranate sauce with the butter. I could see this sauce replacing cranberry sauce, being used as a ice cream topping, as a syrup base in beverages or in frosting.  It would be great on a buffalo blue cheese burger! I had it on my multi-grain pancakes this morning. Endless options here folks...make some soon and please let me know how you used it.

An easy way to get the arils is under water. Score the skin in several spots and pull apart under water.

Pomegranate season is here! I love it! The pomegranates, the leaves changing, sweater weather! Thanksgiving is coming! What's not to love?! 



 

Refreshing An Old Standby

Ginger Lemonade (or Limeade)
1 part lemon juice (or lime juice)
1 part ginger simple syrup*
2 1/2 parts water
1/2 part ice
Raspberries for garnish
Mix all ingredients in a glass or container and enjoy!

*Ginger Simple Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar (white or raw)
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root cut into 8 slices
Mix together in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to return to room temperature (about 2 hours). Discard ginger pieces (or chop and use in another recipe). Place syrup in a covered container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This syrup will keep in the fridge for several weeks.

 Hints: It is great to use fresh juice but bottled turns out nice, too. The ice will melt and you will end up with 3 parts water to 1 part juice and 1 part syrup. Sometimes when I make the ginger syrup, I will use 6 cups each water and sugar with 3 inches of ginger, sliced 1/8 inch thick, which is 1/2 inch per cup of water. The flavor will change in a great way if you use raw sugar rather than white. I don't peel the ginger root, but you can if you like. I use this syrup in Italian sodas, banana bread, smoothies, cobblers etc.

Ginger is such a fabulous addition to citrus. It is also soothing for stomach upsets. It just makes my tastebuds happy, happy, happy.

Jumping on the Band Wagon

I know that many of you may already have jumped on the Spinach Smoothie band wagon. If you haven't, here is my version. I think you'll find it delightful!

Smooth Breakfast
3/4 cup frozen strawberries
3/4 cup lightly packed fresh spinach
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
3/4 cup coconut water
1/2 a medium banana
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 tablespoons honey (or more--to taste)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
Place all ingredients in a blender in order listed. Blend until very smooth and spinach bits are indiscernible. Pour into a tall glass to serve. Makes one or two servings.

Hints: Don't feel bad if you drink the whole thing! A serving of veggies along with one or two servings of fruit and the great health benefits of coconut water, Greek yogurt and flax seed--what more could you want to start the day off right? Well, I sometimes have a slice of whole wheat toast with my breakfast smoothie. This also makes a great snack later in the day. Update: Neal tells me this is a bit too tart for his liking--more honey for Uncle Neno next tme!

Some band wagons are not worth getting on. Some are optionally good. Healthy eating is one we all would do well to jump on. But be smart about what you choose to believe--check out reputable sources for accurate information and pay attention to what your own body has to tell you about how you are feeding and treating it. Here's another plug for my go to source on all things nutrition related, The Nutition Diva.  I like listening to her pod casts when I exercise.

Healthy and Hearty

 

Pork and Veggie Stir Fry with Ginger

1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin

3/4 cup tangerine or clementine juice, divided

3 teaspoons tangerine zest, divided

2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger, divided

4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided (gluten free if desired)

1 cup broccoli, chopped

2 cups thinly sliced red bell peppers

1 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 cup thinly sliced onion

1 clove garlic, crushed

4 teaspoons cornstarch 

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 tablespoons peanut oil

3 tablespoons water

Sticky rice for serving

Slice pork into very thin shavings. Place in a bowl and toss with 1/4 cup juice, 1 teaspoon zest, 1 teaspoon ginger and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Set aside to marinate while slicing other veggies and preparing sauce. Have veggies and garlic separated and ready to toss into the wok. Mix remaining juice (1/2 cup), cornstarch, remaining soy sauce (3 tablespoons), 1 teaspoon ginger, sesame oil and red pepper flakes together in a bowl and set aside. Heat a stove top wok to a very high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and allow to heat to a shimmer. Stir fry pork until browned. With a slotted spatula remove to a plate when just cooked. Pour any juices remaining in the wok on top of the pork. Return pan to heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to bottom and when shimmering, stir fry broccoli just until bright green, add 1 tablespoon water to wok and stir until steam desapates. Remove to plate with pork. Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok, heat to shimmer, stir fry carrots and peppers for a minute or two, add 1 tablespoon water, cook a few seconds longer and remove to plate. Add last tablespoon oil to pan, heat to shimmer again and add crushed garlic, ginger and zest. Stir quickly then add celery and onions. Cook until onion becomes a bit pliable. Add sauce liquid and cook until sauce thickens. Return all the veggies and pork and toss to coat with sauce. Serve immediately over hot rice. 

Hints: Although this seems to be a long recipe, it takes very little time to cook and the prep is sped up with the use of a food processor slicer or mandolin. My daughter, Amy, gave me a mandolin a few years ago and it is a real boost to cooking quickly. If the pork is slightly frozen, it will shave on the mandolin easily. All the veggies are rapidly sliced as well. Even the broccoli. Be sure and use the hand guard as the blades are extremely sharp. Not a good tool for kids!

The delightful tones of ginger are perfect with pork. Oriental food is a real favorite of mine because it is generally healthy and delicious--what's not to love? But my favorite way to eat it is when my friend Kris cooks it!

You Can Never Have Too Many Pears

This is the kind of pie that people mention a few days later when they see you... a memorable food experience. An absolutely wonderful way to celebrate Pear season. Use a plain crust if you must, but know that the addition of whole wheat and ginger is not only healthy--they add depth, texture and a flavor kick, too.
Pear Pie with Citrus and Ginger
Crust:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup white flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup shortening (lard would work!)
3/4 cup cold water
Mix dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles meal. Add 1/2 cup of the water and stir to moisten. Add remaining water just until dough forms a ball. Divide in half and roll each half into an 11" circle. Line a 9" pie plate with one half and reserve the other for top crust.
Filling:
6-7 cups pear slices (quartered, cored, peeled, sliced horizontally)
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
1/2 of a large lemon
2 tangerines, clementines or mandarin oranges
1/3 to 2/3 cup sugar (depends on how sweet the pears are)
1/8 teaspoon salt
4-5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place pear slices in a large bowl. Add ginger, zest and juice from citrus. Toss to coat. In another dish, stir together sugar, salt and cornstarch. Sprinkle onto pears and toss to coat again. Slide fruit mixture into pie crust. Dot with butter. Place top crust onto pie, trim excess and crimp edges to seal. (Be sure to make some slits in the top crust.) Place pie plate onto a shallow sided baking sheet. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbling clear juices. (You can cover the otter edge of crust with foil for the last 20 minutes to prevent over browning.) Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Hints: It is crucial to have just ripe pears--not too ripe and not too green--for the ultimate pear pie. However, I have found that greener or firmer pears work well too. Just don't use over ripe pears as they will be mushy. I like this pie by itself without any cream or ice cream but you may want to try it a la mode.

I first made this pie for a neighborhood pie party at the Bankheads. Each year, they would throw a party the Saturday before Thanksgiving and have everyone bring a pie because we all get too stuffed on Thanksgiving to enjoy the final course. They have moved on to a teaching opportunity in the mid-west but I think I will still make a special pie or two on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and remember.

Not Col. Sanders

Sautéed Chicken with Lemon and Ginger

Zest and juice from 1 large lemon

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon mild Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

2 to 2 ½ lbs chicken tenders

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

Mix the first four ingredients together in a large glass bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes. Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add oil and butter. When the fats are quite hot, carefully place chicken in the pan to sear. Cook on one side for about 3 minutes then turn over and cook for another 3 minutes or until no longer pink in the thickest part. Remove chicken to a warm platter and cover or place in a warming drawer while making the sauce.

1 cup water

2 teaspoons chicken stock paste

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon mild Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons orange marmalade (or orange and fig preserves)

Mix the chicken stock paste into the water. Add to the sauté pan to deglaze. Stir over medium high heat until bottom of pan is cleared. Stir in the ginger, lemon zest and mustard. Continue boiling and stirring until liquid is reduced by half and begins to thicken slightly. Stir in marmalade and continue to cook another 2 to 3 minutes or until reduced to one third. Remove from heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons cold butter until butter is incorporated. Spoon over warm chicken and serve.

 

Hints: I use ginger in a bottle or tube for this dish. Be sure that the fat in the pan is hot when you place the chicken in so that it will sear properly. The brown bits left on the bottom of the pan when you have finished cooking the chicken is called fond. This is always a good basis for a sauce.

My family liked this chicken a lot. But I can see that I need to get much better at photographing meat dishes because it doesn't look too great. It really was good. Hopefully the next time I provide a meat recipe, the photo will look more appetizing. I'm thinking a garnish and a better platter, etc. Sorry. 

Gingerbread Houses (a long standing tradition)

My friend Kris Monson gave me this recipe almost 20 years ago. I am not sure where she got it and I don't think she remembers either. So sorry I cannot give an original source. There are many recipe variations for gingerbread but I have always used this one--I like the taste and the dark color. This makes enough for one small house. It is easy to double or triple for a bigger house or multiple houses.

Gingerbread for Houses

2 cups flour

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground clove

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup shortening

½ cup dark molasses

1 egg yolk

Mix dry ingredients In a mixing bowl. Add shortening, egg yolk and molasses. Mix until thoroughly blended. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Press dough together and roll out on a floured board to ¼ inch thickness. Using a template, cut out house front, back, sides, roof and chimney. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes and remove from oven. Place templates over cookie pieces and trim edges using a pizza cutter. Remove templates and return gingerbread to oven for an additional 3 minutes to harden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on sheets for 5 minutes then place on cooling racks to finish cooling. Assemble and decorate as desired.

Hints: Making a template is easy. Get some thin cardboard or heavy card stock and make a front and back about 4 or 5 inches square with a gable about 3 inches higher. Cut a door into the front. Make the sides the same height as the front walls about 5 inches long. You will need to cut out two roof slabs that are a bit longer than the gable lengths and a bit wider than the sides--by a bit I mean about an inch so that the roof overhangs the gables and the sides by about 1/2 inch each way. I love using this dough to bake small diamond shaped cookies and drizzling them with a simple lemon flavored icing. They are one of my favorite winter cookies.

One of my family's favorite holiday events is our annual gingerbread night with the Monson clan. We always do 4 to 8 houses between the two families. Over the years the creativity has been incredible. The bungee jumping Santa, the "food storage" houses,the two face house, the rock cottage, the yurt, the Rapunzel tower....it boggles the mind. And then there were the beautiful and the cute. All ended up delicious, as are the memories. Thanks Monsons!

 

Pumpkin Soup w/ Orange and Ginger

Recycling Jack-O-Lanterns!

Pumpkin Soup with Orange and Ginger

6 cups pumpkin flesh cubes, (about 2 inch pieces)

1 large sweet onion, cut into quarters then eighths
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 to 1 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon fresh minced or grated ginger
1 cup half and half
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a large baking sheet toss pumpkin, onions, olive oil, salt and pepper until veggies are coated in oil. Roast for about 40 minutes or until very soft. Tansfer veggies and drippings to a large sauce pan. Add chicken stock, orange juice and ginger. Puree with a hand held blender. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Add half and half and more salt if needed. Serve warm with an optional garnish of diced grapes, orange peel and balsamic glaze.

Hints: This soup is also excellent with a curry based flavor--replace the ginger with curry powder and the OJ with additional chicken broth. You can also replace some or all of the half and half with coconut milk in either the orange ginger or the curry recipes. You may want to garnish the curry soup differently as well. Try some fresh sage leaves or roasted pumpkin seeds. Some types of pumpkin have a higher water content than others. If at the end of the roasting, the veggies are real watery, just reduce the amount of liquids you add. This soup freezes pretty well and is nice to pull out on a snowy day as a first course.

This is one of my favorite Autumn recipes. I have fun growing pumpkins in the garden each year and they hold well in the garage for a few months. I have tried several herb/spice combos and like these two best. Try out some of your own ideas and let me know what your favorites are.

Ginger Carrot Chowder, Ginger Honey Lime Dressing.

Have you ever awakened in the morning and thought "I need more ginger in my life"? How about rosemary? Or basil? Maybe chocolate? There are five forms of ginger in my kitchen. There are three sources of rosemary, I planted four varieties of basil in my garden this year and I have five different types of chocolate chips in my pantry. Wow. Here are two different recipes that utilize ginger, which is apparently one of my favorite flavors.

Root, candied, blended, powdered and jarred.

Carrot Chowder with Ginger and Curried Rice Crackers

Carrot Chowder with Ginger
2 cups finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup milk
Place carrots,onions, ginger, salt and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and cook until carrots are soft. Meanwhile, make a bechamel sauce with the butter, flour and milk. (Melt butter, stir in flour, cook for a minute. Stir in milk and cook until thickened.) Puree carrot mixture with a hand held blender in the pan. Then mix bechamel with carrots. Stir until well blended. Add 2 tablespoons raw sugar. Add salt and butter to taste just before serving. Optional: top with chopped fresh parsley to serve.

Hints: This soup is great the next day, too. The flavors meld beautifully overnight. Chop the carrots and onion in a food processor if you can--that makes it go very fast. I began freezing ginger root to preserve it, it is easy to grate directly into dishes when it is frozen, although it is not easy to peel but I don't bother to peel it for this soup anyway. Skim or 2% milk will work fine for this chowder. The raw sugar has an earthier flavor than regular granulated sugar and I have made this recipe with honey as well. The butter at the end melts into the chowder and makes it really silky; I usually use another tablespoon or two.

Ginger, Honey and Lime Dressing (for fresh fruit salads)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
3/4 to 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
Zest one lime and then squeeze juice into a small bowl. Whisk in honey and ginger. Toss with fresh fruit. The best combo is blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and cantaloupe. But you can't go wrong with pomegranate, kiwi and banana. Cherries, clementine sections and halved grapes are fabulous as well. Then there is pear and raspberry---oh my!---my mouth is watering, I have got to stop. Choose whatever is fresh. Just imagine the colors in combination and do a monochromatic or complementary scheme.

Hints: Any citrus fruit can be used instead of the lime-- orange or clementine, lemon, grapefruit all work very well. The more tart ones might require you to use a bit more honey in the dressing. A micro planer is the best tool for zesting citrus. It also works super for the ginger root-no need to peel the root even. I use my micro planer several times a week and have loved it. Best $5 I spent in 2007. I sometimes use the ginger in the jar or tube for this recipe because it is so finely minced and mixes so well. Ginger is supposed to be good for digestion and immune systems.  

Compliments come every time I serve fruit with Ginger Honey Lime dressing. It is one of my most requested recipes. This is my very favorite soup from San Francisco. It is served at the "Unicorn --Pan Asian Cuisine" on Pine Street in the financial district. I have it there every time I am in town and have tried to copy the taste in my own kitchen. This recipe comes close but the ambiance is just not the same. If you get there, try the coconut black rice as well--- I am working on that recipe now. (*Here it is!) Oh, and the sea scallops in wasabi cream or the fillet with green beans, then end with the mango panecotta. Ouch!