Season To Taste

Attention!!  This is the LAST POST that will appear at this blog URL!!! 

 Please visit Season to Taste at its new home at:

www.seasontotasteblog.wordpress.com

Like most people, I found myself with a whole lotta turkey leftovers after Thanksgiving.  There’s nothing like a cold turkey sandwich, but after a day or two I’m usually all turkied-out!  After looking into my pantry and finding a few cans of beans and some diced tomatoes,  I decided to turn my leftovers into a turkey chili that I could stick into the freezer for another night (when turkey might sound appealing again).  I often make chili using turkey, but ground turkey in place of ground beef for a healthier, lower-fat version.  However, by dicing the cooked turkey I already had, it cuts down on cooking time considerably, making this recipe extremely quick cooking.

You can use whatever kind of beans you like…but I used a combination of cannellini, garbanzo, and pinto, only because that was what I had in my pantry.  I love all beans and think that anything goes when it comes to chili.  I also used fire-roasted diced tomatoes, which give a bit of a smokey flavor to the chili.  By choosing Mexican-style chili powder, the chili will be a  little sweeter than if you used another type of chili powder.  Then, the secret ingredient is what  pulls it all together:  peanut butter.  Sounds strange, I know, but adding it gives the chili a creamy consistency and a unique flavor that will keep your family guessing.

If you don’t like or don’t have turkey, you can substitute cooked, diced chicken in this recipe very easily.   It is a perfect dish to eat while watching those New Year’s Day football games! 

Mexican Turkey Chili

Serves 10

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2  - 14 oz cans diced tomatoes

3 - 14 oz cans beans (any variety or combination)

4 cups diced cooked turkey

2 tablespoons Mexican chili powder

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

salt and pepper

In a large pot, heat oil until hot but not smoking.  Add onions and saute for a few minutes until slightly softened.  Add garlic and continue to cook until onions are translucent.

Add tomatoes and chili powder and cook for around 5-7 minutes to allow flavors to meld. 

Add beans and diced turkey.  Heat through.

Add peanut butter and stir until incorporated.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve hot or cool completely and freeze for up to 3 months.

In July 2008 I was approached to write a food blog for Twolia.com (at the time called the WOW Women’s Network).  I’d been blogging on my own for about a year at www.thesecretingredientonline.blogger.com and had just said to my husband, “I love doing this, if only I could get paid for it!”.   Call it serendipity, good luck, or a sign from above, the very next week this fell into my lap.  I couldn’t believe my good fortune.  A paid blogger!  And with that, Season to Taste was born.

Writing two posts weekly with original recipes was no small feat, but I enjoyed (almost) every minute of it.  I got a crash course in food photography (clearly not my forte, but fun none the less) and I was off to the races.  I would have rolls where I would crank out four or five postst in an afternoon and set them to publish on specified dates.  Sometimes I wouldn’t write anything for a week, either because I was busy teaching my cooking classes, dealing with my kids,  or sometimes I just had a case of writer’s block.  When I went on vacation, I had to be sure I had enough posts scheduled in my queue to last until I returned (no, I was not blogging from Cape Cod or the Caribbean).  It was a job that combined two of my favorite things…cooking and writing.  Something I could be passionate about.

Then, earlier this month, we Twolia bloggers got word that the site administrators had decided to focus their energies on ” promoting and bringing together female musicians, filmmakers and entrepreneurs”.   So, although the bloggers will no longer be a part of the Twolia site, I’m sure many (including me) will continue to write elsewhere. 

Please note that if you were previously subscribed to this blog, you’ll have to re-subscribe at Season To Taste’s new home found at:  www.seasontotasteblog.wordpress.com.  I hope to see you there!

Many thanks for reading… your comments, emails, and notes continue to be an inspiration! 

 Happy cooking to you all and and wishing you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!!!

NEW HOME OF SEASON TO TASTE IS:  www.seasontotasteblog.wordpress.com

Above photo by Andrew Huff

Acorn squash has always been one of my go-to fall/winter veggies when I need a quick and simple side dish for something homey like roasted chicken.  This evening, I decided to try something a little different with my acorn squash, and instead of cooking them in halves, I decided to slice them into crescent shaped wedges.  The ridges on the outside of the squash provide a perfect guideline for where to cut, and the result is not only delicious, but beautiful.

In keeping with the flavors of the season, I sprinkled the wedges with a combination of cinnamon, allspice, and freshly grated nutmeg (which is SO much better than the ground stuff in the spice aisle).  Before roasting, I add some fresh rosemary, which adds flavor and a touch of color, and makes the entire house smell amazing.  Try this dish as an accompaniment to your holiday ham or roast! 

Roasted Acorn Squash Slices with Rosemary

Serves 6-8

2 medium acorn squash, washed, halved lengthwise and seeds scooped out

olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place the cut side of each acorn squash half down on the cutting board.  Using the ridges (indentations) as a guide, slice the squash into wedges.

Place in a large baking pan and toss with olive oil (about 1-2 tablespoons) sprinkle generously with salt, and add spices and fresh rosemary.  Toss to combine.

Roast in preheated oven for approximately 30 or until squash is softened and golden brown.

PLEASE NOTE THAT AS OF JANUARY 1, 2010, THE URL OF THIS BLOG WILL CHANGE TO:

www.seasontotasteblog.wordpress.com

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

Food has always had a powerful effect on people.  It’s used to soothe (”comfort food”), it’s used  to woo (”the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”),   and it’s used to show affection (”cooked with love”).   Not everyone loves to cook, but I’d be hard pressed to find a person alive who doesn’t like to eat.  So when a person is having trouble, whether it be emotionally, physically, or otherwise, nothing shows a person you care like a home cooked meal.

Recently, I discovered  just how much people care when I  found myself out of commission for several weeks due to an illness.  Without my knowledge, my friends mobilized and I was presented with a calendar indicating who would be bringing dinners for the next 4 weeks.  To say I was completely floored is an understatement.  I always knew I had wonderful friends, but this went beyond anything I could have ever imagined.  Each evening, a different car pulled into my driveway, and out popped a different one of my friends with foil-covered dishes of every sort.  We had chicken—roasted, baked, cutlets, and casseroles.  There were pastas of every variety, chili, and soups.  We had pot roast and pork roast and everything in between.  Amazingly, we went weeks without a repeat.  It was like eating in a comfort-food themed restaurant every single night.

Knowing what I do for a living, many of my friends arrived with disclaimers for their dish….but it was completely unnecessary.  Every single meal was truly excellent.  My friends are seriously good cooks!  They managed not only to bring complete meals to my house during what I always think is the craziest time of day (late afternoon/early evening), but everything was always perfectly cooked, beautifully presented, and nothing short of delicious. 

I once read a quote from a chef who said “no one cooks for a chef except his mother.”  That might be true for him, but I’m lucky enough to have dozens of friends who were willing to take time out of their day to cook for me when I wasn’t able to do it for myself.  That’s pretty powerful stuff.

Casserole dish photo by merebearlandon.

PLEASE NOTE THAT AS OF JANUARY 1, 2010, THE URL OF THIS BLOG WILL CHANGE TO:

www.seasontotasteblog.wordpress.com

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

As the weather turns chillier, nothing warms your little ones like a hot lunch at school.  However, if you’re like me and don’t consider mozzarella sticks from the school cafeteria an adequate meal for your growing child, consider making a hot lunch at home.  All you need is a few minutes one evening to put together some thermos-friendly lunches.  Not only will you alleviate some of the morning chaos in your house, but will send the kids off to school with a hot lunch you can feel good about! 

This “lunchbox lasagna” is an easy rendition of the classic.  The next time you’re preparing pasta for dinner, make a little extra for this dish.  There’s no baking required—just mix, heat, and pop into a pre-warmed thermos (see not below).  Your child will be the envy of the school cafeteria!

Lunchbox Lasagna

Serves 2

2 cups cooked bowtie pasta (or your favorite short pasta)

¼ - ½  cup prepared tomato sauce (depending on how saucy you like your lasagna)

¼ cup ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

2-3 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese

6 mini meatballs, defrosted (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes to heat through.

Divide lasagna mixture evenly between two prepared thermoses (see note below).  Replace the lid and place in lunchbox (don’t forget to pack a fork!).

NOTE:  To insure food will stay hot until lunchtime, fill thermoses with hot water and allow to stand for 2-3 minutes before draining and filling with hot food.  I like the 10 ounce wide-mouth thermoses—they are perfect for a kid-sized portion and it’s easy to get the food out (and easy to clean).

PLEASE NOTE THAT AS OF JANUARY 1, 2010, THE URL OF THIS BLOG WILL CHANGE TO:

www.seasontotasteblog.wordpress.com

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

My grandmother used to make the best chicken soup.  Chicken and stars, to be exact.  She did it all from scratch, by boiling the chicken in water to make the broth, then using the meat in the soup.  It was the best chicken soup I ever had, and I will probably never duplicate it. 

Part of the reason I will never duplicate it is because I rarely have the time to make soup completely from scratch.  Whenever I roast a chicken for dinner, I take great pleasure in spending some time afterwards with the mangled carcas, pulling every bit of meat from the bones that I can manage.  On a recent night I was able to pull off about a cup’s worth of shredded chicken, which was just enough for a pot of soup .  I do the same with the whole rotisserie chickens I buy at the store when I’m in a hurry.  Using prepared broth (a good quality boxed brand or water and the appropriate amount of concentrated soup base) and the left-over chicken, I make a simple chicken noodle soup my kids love to take to school for lunch in a thermos. 

I keep it simple and use carrots as the main vegetable, but somtimes add green beans, chopped celery, or even peas.  Depends on my mood, and what I have in the fridge or freezer.  I mix up the pasta too—tiny shells, alphabet macaroni, ditalini, or little rings.  Anything small will work.  This soup can be your own creation—add what you love, leave out what you don’t.  And don’t forget this is equally good with leftover turkey meat!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves 4

6 cups chicken broth

3 carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 cup small pasta

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken or turkey meat

salt and pepper

Place the broth in a medium saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil.  Add carrots and pasta, and cook approximately 10 minutes or until carrots are tender and pasta is cooked.

Add the cooked chicken and heat through.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

PLEASE NOTE THAT AS OF JANUARY 1, 2010, THE URL OF THIS BLOG WILL CHANGE TO:

www.seasontotasteblog.wordpress.com

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

Sundays are the perfect day to roast a chicken.  It takes some time (at least an hour, mostly unattended), which hopefully you’ll have on the weekend, but makes a satisfying, homey meal that is hard to beat.

I love infusing flavor into my chickens with fresh herbs and citrus.  I often use lemon, but on this night I decided to combine orange and fresh rosemary.  By stuffing orange wedges and rosemary into the cavity it gently flavors the meat while also adding moisture.  I also place a couple thin slices of orange between the skin and meat on the breast, which looks pretty and adds a touch more flavor. 

Sunday night never tasted so good!

Roasted Orange-Rosemary Chicken

Serves 4

1 -  5 lb whole chicken

1 orange, cut into wedges

4-5 stalks fresh rosemary

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse and pat dry the chicken and place on a wire rack in a roasting pan.  Generously season the bird inside and out with salt and pepper.

Rub about a tablespoon of olive oil over the outside of the chicken.

Reserving one wedge, place the rest of the orange wedges and the rosemary in the cavity of the chicken.  Slice the reserved wedge into two thin slices.  Using your fingers, loosen the skin on the breasts from the meat and slide the orange slices in between.

Roast in oven for approximately 60-75 minutes, or until internal temperature (taken near the inner thigh) reaches 160 degrees.  Chicken should no longer be pink and juices should run clear.

Allow bird to rest for approximately 15 minutes, then carve and serve.

PLEASE NOTE THAT AS OF JANUARY 1, 2010, THE URL OF THIS BLOG WILL CHANGE TO:

www.seasontotasteblog.wordpress.com

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

The kitchen can be a wonderful place for kids, but could also present some danger.  When my little sous-chefs are helping me in the kitchen, we talk a lot about safety, and they know that the knife drawer is completely off limits unless they are being supervised (they are five and seven years old).  However, as they become more independent, they have begun to ask about trying to do more things for themselves.  They’ve been getting their own drinks for ages, and they always know that anything in the bottom fridge fruit drawer is theirs for the taking.  However, lately they have been jonesing  to make their own breakfasts, and who am I to squelch such enthusiasm?  While I am eager for them to take this to task, I did have some safety concerns.  Enter kid-friendly kitchen gadgets.

The first gadget I bought was a bagel slicer, or bagel “guillotine” as it was called on the box.  Yes, mom and dad, you were right.  They are great (they have been trying to buy us one for years and I kept saying “why do I need to have a bulky gadget to cut a bagel when I had a knife?”).  Since bagels are the breakfast of choice around my house, we do a lot of bagel cutting.  By using this kid-friendly gadget, the kids can slice their own bagels without fear.  Then, with the help of a step stool, they can even toast them safely, with the use of my next gadget….wooden toaster tongs.  These are another great invention.  They allow you to reach into the toaster and pull out your bagel (or waffle, or toast, or whatever) without the risk of burning those mini-digits.  My kids LOVE using both of these kitchen tools, and are so proud of themselves for making their own breakfast (now if I could just get them to wipe the counters down afterward, I’d be in business!).

The other kid-friendly gadget I’ve come to love is the apple corer/slicer.  I realize every one of these tools are breaking my cardinal rule:  no single use gadgets!!  However, if they help my kids to do more on their own (which translates into less for me to do), I’m all for it!  My kids are big fruit eaters, and apples are one of their favorites.  However, while one kid loves eating them whole, the other prefers them cut.  This apple slicer is the perfect solution.  Center it right over the top of the apple, press with all your might, and voila!  Perfect apple slices.  There were three different apple slicers from which to choose at my local kitchen supply store:  an OXO for $10, a high-end one that adjusted for different sized slices ($20), and a basic one made from recycled materials that had nice big, kid-friendly handles and was a fun bright green color for $6.  We opted to “go green” and have been happy with our choice.

Even if you are not a gadget geek, try these items and get your kids involved in the kitchen.  They make GREAT stocking stuffers for your little helper!

PLEASE NOTE THAT AS OF JANUARY 1, 2010, THE URL OF THIS BLOG WILL CHANGE TO:

www.seasontotasteblog.wordpress.com

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

The other night I was making Mussels Marinara for dinner, with crostini toasts for dipping and a salad.  I’m not crazy enough to think my kids are going to go for this, so I needed to come up with something a tad more kid-friendly.  I’ve said before that I’m not a fan of “kid food”—chicken nuggets, hot dogs, etc.—and really make a concerted effort to be sure my kids eat what we eat.  I will not cook twice a night, and God strike me down before I eat that garbage on any sort of regular basis!  But, occasionally, when I’m in the mood for something a little more “grown-up”, like mussels, I’m willing to bend, a little.

I had an entire baguette for the crostini toasts, and while I could probably eat most of it myself, I didn’t want to go into carb-shock.  I decided to use half the loaf to make French Bread Pizzas for the kids—since I already had tomato sauce for the mussels, and there was a piece of mozzarella in the fridge.  I always have grated parmesan cheese on hand (sprinkle it on and your kids will eat almost any veggie!), so I could easily make them something they’d enjoy without feeling like I was whipping up two completely separate dishes.  Result?  Everyone was happy.  Nothing beats a whine-free dinner!

French Bread Pizza

Serves 2-4 kids

1/2 French baguette, halved lengthwise

1/4-1/2 cup prepared tomato sauce

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

2 tablespoons grated parmesan (optional)

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 350 degrees.  Line a small baking sheet with tin foil (for easy clean up).

Place the two pieces of bread on the pan, cut side up.   Spread the sauce evenly on the bread.  Top with mozzarella and sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly, and edges of bread are golden and toasted.

PLEASE NOTE THAT AS OF JANUARY 1, 2010, THE URL OF THIS BLOG WILL CHANGE TO:

www.seasontotasteblog.wordpress.com

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

Have YOUR cookies ever turned out like this?  Yes, folks. those are cookies.  Well, they were SUPPOSED to be cookies.

As I’ve written before, they can’t all be winners.  For me, these disasters seem to occur when baking, where there is little room for error.  One incorrect measurement and it could be curtains.  That is exactly what happened here.

Rainy day.  Kids had a half day of school.  What to do?  Bake cookies!  They unanimously agreed on chocolate chip, which was a good thing since I had all the ingredients in my pantry (my favorite recipe is from The Joy of Cooking or the Toll House recipe).  As I went to grab a stick of butter, I remembered that I had a box of Earth Balance sticks I really wanted to use up.  Earth Balance is a great vegan “buttery spread” that really does taste very good without all the saturated fat of real butter.  It comes in tubs and sticks.  I really like this product, except for one thing:  the sticks are not normal “stick shape”.  They are shorter and fatter than regular sticks of butter.  I know, I know, this should not matter.   A stick is a stick.  Four ounces is four ounces.  But I was distracted, and in my head those stubby little sticks were HALF a stick each, not a whole stick.  That “little” mistake ended up being a BIG one.

As I whirred everything together, I thought the dough seemed soft.  I scooped them onto my parchment lined baking sheets and still was stymied.  Too soft.  But why?  As soon as the oven door closed and I began cleaning up, I realized my mistake.  Those TWO Earth Balance wrappers sitting there on the counter should have been ONE.  Well, it was too late, and I knew my cookies were going to spread like California wild fire.  I had to double the baking time to even have any prayer of saving them. 

In the end, they were very flat. very crispy, and very buttery.  Not exactly what I’d intended, but the good news was my kids could care less.  They actually weren’t bad, so it wasn’t a complete disaster.  However, I learned my lesson (PAY ATTENTION!  STUBBY BUTTER IS THE SAME AS REGULAR BUTTER!). 

NOTE:  cookies can also get flat if you MELT the butter instead of simply softening it before mixing.

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.