Cozy Fall Salad

Cozy and salad are hardly words that one thinks of in the same phrase, but this salad is just that. It has roasted sweet potatoes, tangy cranberries, and a kick of chipotles with a crunch from pepitas. We paired this wonderful fall salad with a bed of spinach and a veggie sausage for an easy and fulfilling meal. One suggestion: put a little more water into the cranberry-chipotle dressing to allow the dressing to coat the potatoes more.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Cranberry-Chipotle Dressing (Cooking Light, October 2011, Mark Bittman)

2 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 cup water

2 tsp. honey

1 (7-oz.) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkinseeds)

3/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Place sweet potatoes on a large jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with 2 Tbs. oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Bake at 450 for 30 minutes or until tender, turning after 15 minutes.

3. Place remaining 1 Tbs. oil, cranberries, water, and honey in a saucepan. Remove 1 or 2 chiles from can; finely chop to equal 1 Tbs. Add chopped chipotle and 1 tsp. adobo sauce to pan (reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use). Place pan over medium-low heat; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until cranberries pop, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Mash with a potato masher or fork until chunky.

4. Place pepitas in a medium skillet; cook over medium heat 4 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan frequently.

5. Combine potatoes, pepitas, onions, and cilantro in a bowl. Add cranberry mixture to bowl; toss gently to coat.

Ragin' Cajun

Cajun food is probably my Dad's favorite genre of food. He has certainly passed that love on to me. The only problem is that it tends to be very heavy on butter, meats, and seafoods. Paul Prudhomme is especially known as a butter, oil, and lard-heavy chef. Here is his version of Crawfish (or Shrimp) Étouffée, which is absolutely delectable. When we made it, we used veggie sausage and mushrooms instead of the shrimp and cut the butter to about 1/2 a stick. The étouffée was still incredibly rich and satisfying, but I didn't feel quite so terrible about eating it. I hope you enjoy this Cajun meal as much as I did.

Crawfish (or Shrimp) Étouffée (Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen, Paul Prudhomme)

Seasoning mix:

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)

1 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. dried sweet basil leaves

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1/4 cup chopped onions

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers

7 Tbs. vegetable oil

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups, in all, Basic Seafood Stock [or vegetable stock]

1/4 lbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, in all

2 lbs. peeled crawfish tails or medium shrimp

1 cup very finely chopped green onions

4 cups hot Basic Cooked Rice

1. Thoroughly combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl combine the onions, celery, and bell peppers.

2. In a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron), heat the oil over high heat until it begins to smoke, about 4 minutes. With a long-handled metal whisk, gradually mix in the flour, stirring until smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until roux is dark red-brown, about 3 to 5 minutes (be careful not to let it scorch in the pan or splash on your skin). Remove from heat and immediately stir in the vegetables and 1 Tbs. of the seasoning mix with a wooden spoon; continue stirring until cooled, about 5 minutes.

3. In a 2-quart saucepan bring 2 cups of the stock to a boil over high heat. Gradually add the roux and whisk until thoroughly dissolved. Reduce heat to low and cook until flour taste is gone, about 2 minutes, whisking almost constantly (if any of the mixture scorches, don't continue to scrape that part of the pan bottom). Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Heat the serving plates to 250 in an oven.

5. In a 4-quart saucepan melt 1 stick of the butter over medium heat. Stir in the crawfish (or shrimp) and the green onions; sauté about 1 minute, stirring almost constantly. Add the remaining stick of butter, the stock mixture and the remaining 1 cup stock; cook until butter melts and is mixed into the sauce, about 4 to 6 minutes, constantly shaking the pan in a back-and-forth motion (versus stirring). Add the remaining seasoning mix; stir well and remove from heat (if sauce starts separating, add about 2 Tbs. more of stock or water and shake pan until it combines). Serve immediately.

6. To serve, mound 1/2 cup rice on each heated serving plate. Surround the rice with 3/4 cup of the étouffée.

Cream of the Crop

It isn't very often Adam chooses to have soup, but he did twice in two weeks! I take every advantage of it that I can too. This soup was definitely a winner with an avocado and sweet corn base topped with chicken and/or baked tofu. Before avocado season ends, you must try this recipe as it is a completely healthy and perfectly summery soup.

Avocado-Corn Chowder with Grilled Chicken (Cooking Light, August 2011)

Baked tofu is a great, flavorful, and chewy meat-substitute. I replaced my chicken with savory-flavored tofu, which worked perfectly!

2 ripe avocados, divided

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. kosher salt, divided

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided

1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (optional)

12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast

1 tsp. olive oil

1 small garlic clove, cut in half

1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 lime wedges

1. Peel and coarsely chope 1 avocado; place in a blender. Add water, orange juice, honey, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and red pepper, if desired; blend until smooth. Place in freezer to chill while chicken cooks.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush chicken with oil; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Place chicken in pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; rub chicken with cut sides of garlic halves. Let chicken stand 10 minutes; cut or shred into bite-sized pieces.

3. Peel and dice remaining avocado. Stir diced avocado, corn, bell pepper, and onions into chilled avocado puree. Spoon chowder into bowls; top with chicken and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Twist on Thai

I've looked at this recipe for years with interest, but I have never made--until now. The crepes are a bit time consuming, however it's a fun and different meal to mix things up a bit. If you're in the mood to try something new, these should definitely be on your list. You may want to add some stir-fried tofu to make this a completely nutritious meal--we will next time.

Thai Vegetable Crepes with Peanut Sauce (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

1 recipe Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)

Filling:

1 1-lb. eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 Tbs. canola or corn oil

3 carrots, cut into 3-inch-long julienne strips

10 scallions, halved lengthwise, cut into 3-inch lengths, then cut into julienne strips

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into julienne strips

1 Tbs. soy sauce

2 cups cooked rice, or 4 cups chopped nappa cabbage

Crepes:

1 3/4 cups unbleached white flour

2/3 cup glutinous rice flour (available in Asian markets)

1 tsp. salt

4 eggs

1 3/4 cups water

About 1 Tbs. canola or corn oil (or some spray oil)

Garnish:

Whole chives

1. Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 375. Spread the eggplant cubes on a baking sheet that has been lightly coated with oil. Bake the eggplant for 15 minutes or until it has softened.

While the eggplant bakes, heat the 1 Tbs. oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the carrots, scallions, and peppers. Saute them for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the soy sauce, then the rice or nappa cabbage. Cook for 2 minutes more, stirring frequently. Take the pan off the heat, and stir in the baked eggplant.

2. Make the crepe batter: In a large bowl, mix the white flour, the rice flour, and the salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs and the water. Slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients, whisking continuously. Whisk until the mixture is almost smooth.

3. Cook the crepes: Over medium-high heat, coat a griddle, a crepe pan, or a large skillet with oil. Ladle 1/3 cup of the batter onto the surface, and let the crepe cook for 1 minute. Flip the crepe over with a spatula, and cook it another minute. Transfer the crepe to a plate, and ladle another 1/3 cup batter onto the hot surface. Continue cooking the crepes in this fashion until you have twelve. Keep them warm by covering them with a kitchen towel.

4. Assemble the crepes: Warm the filling in the skillet. Warm the peanut sauce over low heat in another skillet. Then ladle some sauce (about 1/4 cup) onto each large dinner plate. Spoon about 3 Tbs. filling onto each crepe, roll the crepes, and plate two on each plate. Serve the crepes garnished with whole, crisscrossed chives.

Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup coconut milk (you can freeze the rest of the milk in the can for later use)

1/4 cup finely chopped dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts

2 Tbs. Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce, or 1 Tbs. soy sauce

3 Tbs. rice vinegar

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs. chopped cilantro (optional)

hot chile sauce to taste (optional)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and the coconut milk for a minute or two, until the mixture is smooth.

2. Add the peanuts, fish or soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and, if you like, cilantro. If you want some heat, add a bit of chile sauce.

Burritos with a Twist

This is the perfect weeknight meal--it's fast, easy, and delicious. These Good Goat Burritos are a great way to mix up your Mexican go-to. We used Trader Joe's frozen brown rice that microwaves in 3 minutes to make this meal even easier. I think it took us about 15 minutes from start to finish. Serve these burritos with guacamole and your favorite hot sauce.

Good Goat Burritos (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped scallions, both white and green parts (about 1 bunch)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. ground cumin seeds

2 tomatoes, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups cooked rice

salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

1 cup cooked black beans, or more, to taste

4 Tbs. soft, mild chèvre (goat cheese)

2 10- or 12-inch flour tortillas (or 4 8-inch flour tortillas)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped scallions, garlic, and cumin. Saute, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rice, and heat them well, stirring. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, and keep it warm.

2. In another skillet, heat the black beans with a bit of water to moisten them, stirring so they do not scorch. Keep them warm.

3. Sprinkle a bit of water on one tortilla, then place the tortilla in a large dry skillet over high heat. After a few seconds, turn the tortilla to heat the other side, again for only a few seconds. Place the hot tortilla on a work surface. Spread 2 Tbs. goat cheese across the center part of the tortilla. Place half of the rice mixture and half of the black beans over the cheese. Roll up the tortilla tightly, folding in the sides as you roll. Serve the burrito immediately, and make another just like it. (If you are using four 8-inch tortillas, use 1 Tbs. goat cheese and 1/4 of the rice and beans per tortilla.)

Fantastic Fusion

Don't let the number of steps daunt you. This recipe is a must-try. None of the steps are difficult, and you end with a fantastic meal of crunchy rice cakes with flecks of vegetables and the most perfect coconut-sweet potato-ginger sauce that is literally plate-licking good. We added pan-fried tofu and a bed of spinach to the dish, as Didi Emmons suggests in her variations, to create a well-balanced meal.

Golden Rice Cakes with Sweet Potato-Ginger Sauce (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

Rice:

3 Tbs. canola or corn oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups uncooked jasmine rice

2 1/2 cups water

1 tsp. salt

Sweet Potato-Ginger Sauce:

1 medium sweet potato (about 3/4 lb.)

14 oz. coconut milk

1/2 cup water or orange juice

1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger

salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

1 carrot, coarsely chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

4 scallions, both green and white parts, coarsely chopped, and 2 scallions, finely chopped

2 eggs, beaten

1. In a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat 1 Tbs. of the canola or corn oil with the garlic over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the jasmine rice, and stir constantly for 1 minute more. Add the water and salt. Bring the rice to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook the rice for 15 minutes. Transfer the rice to a large bowl, and let it cool for 15 minutes.

2. While the rice cooks, cut the sweet potato into thirds. Place the pieces in a pot, and cover them with cold water. Bring the potatoes to a boil, and cook them until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain them, and let them cool.

3. In a saucepan, bring the coconut milk, the water or orange juice, and the minced ginger almost to a boil, then turn the heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. Slip the skin off the cooled sweet potato, and puree the flesh with the coconut-ginger liquid in a blender or food processor. Pour the sweet potato puree back into the saucepan, and add salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm.

5. Mince the carrot, the red pepper, and the coarsely chopped scallions in a food processor. Add half of the jasmine rice and the 2 beaten eggs, and run the machine in spurts until the mixture has a mealy consistency. Put this mixture back into the bowl with the rest of the jasmine rice, and mix well. Put half of this mixture into a clean bowl.

6. Heat two skillets or a large griddle over medium-high heat. Divide the remaining canola or corn oil between the skillets, or spread it all on the griddle. Divide the rice mixture in each bowl into thirds. Form each of the six parts into a ball, then place each ball in a skillet or on the griddle, and pat the ball down to form a cake about 1 1/2 inches thick. Fry the cakes for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown.

7. Reheat the sauce, and ladle it onto plates. Place a rice cake on each plate, and top with the finely chopped scallions.

Variations: To make this entree heartier, embellish it with some pan-fried tofu. Or rest the rice cake on some spinach that has been pan-fried in olive oil and formed into a round slightly larger than the rice cake, and ladle the sauce around the spinach.

Hearty Fall Salad

September's Cooking Light included a series of vegetarian grain salads that all looked fantastic. The previously posted quinoa salad was one of them, and here is another. This Toasted Barley, Green Bean, and Shiitake Salad with Tofu was also delicious and worth trying. The toasted barley has a nutty flavor and chewy texture that melds well with the shiitakes and tofu. Adam is not a fan of green beans, so we exchanged them for asparagus spears. The dressing was a bit sweet for our taste, but that could easily be toned down. And, this salad does take quite a long time to make. I would make it over the weekend and pack it for lunches. All in all though, a nice, hearty fall salad for a brisk, sunny day.

Toasted Barley, Green Bean, and Shiitake Salad with Tofu (Cooking Light, September 2010)

Tofu:
1 (12-oz.) package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 5 (1-inch-thick) slices
1 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 garlic clove, grated
cooking spray

Salad:
2 Tbs. dark sesame oil, divided
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
5 cups water
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1 lbs. green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
10 oz. large shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs. lower-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs. agave nectar or honey
2 tsp. finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced

1. To prepare tofu, place tofu slices on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Top with a cutting board; place a heavy skillet on top of cutting board. Let stand 45 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Cut each tofu slice into 10 cubes; arrange in a single layer in a shallow dish.
2. Preheat oven to 375.
3. Combine brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl. Pour sugar mixture over tofu in dish, and turn to coat. Let stand for 25 minutes. Arrange tofu in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. Cool completely.
4. To prepare salad, heat 1 tsp. sesame oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add barley to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Add 5 cups water and 1/2 tsp. salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until barley is tender. Drain; cool completely. Place barley in a large bowl.
5. Cook green beans in boiling water for 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge green beans into ice water. Drain well; pat dry. Add beans to barley.
6. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush tops of mushrooms with 2 tsp. oil. Add mushrooms to pan, oiled side down. Cook 5 minutes or until browned. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Cool slightly; slice mushrooms thinly. Add tofu, mushrooms, and green onions to barley mixture.
7. Combine remaining 1 Tbs. oil, rice wine vinegar, 2 Tbs. soy sauce, agave nectar or honey, grated ginger, and minced garlic in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over barley mixture in bowl; stir well to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Jamie's Done It Again

Whenever we need a good, hearty meal for a Tuesday night dinner, I know I can always look to Jamie Oliver to deliver. And deliver he did. His recipe for spinach canneloni is fairly easy and definitely worth every little bit of effort it took. We made some garlic bread to sop up the extra sauce and had sausage-stuffed mushroom caps as an appetizer to round out the meal. A side salad is a nice addition as well.

Stuffed Mushrooms (Cooking Light, December 2006)

We made these with chicken sausage and veggie sausage. I was surprised to find out that everyone really liked the veggie sausage mushroom caps, although the filling didn't quite have the right consistency. I guess it just goes to show that you should feel free to substitute what you like; you never know, you might get something better.

24 large button mushrooms (about 1 3/4 lbs.)
cooking spray
3 Tbs. chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
4 oz. 50%-less-fat pork sausage (such as Jimmy Dean 50% less fat)
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup (2-oz.) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
3 Tbs. grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Clean mushrooms, and remove stems; finely chop stems.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onions and garlic; saute 1 minute. Add sausage; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Add reserved mushroom stems, red pepper, salt, and black pepper; saute 2 minutes or until stems are tender. Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese and breadcrumbs. Stuff 1 Tbs. sausage mixture into each mushroom cap. Arrange mushroom caps in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with Parmesan. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until lightly golden and thoroughly heated.

Awesome Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni (Jamie's Dinners, Jamie Oliver)

2 knobs of butter
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
a large handful of fresh marjoram or oregano, roughly chopped
1/4 of a nutmeg, grated
8 large handfuls of spinach, thoroughly washed
a handful of fresh basil, stalks chopped, leaves ripped
2 14-oz. cans of good-quality plum tomatoes, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of sugar
14 oz. crumbly ricotta cheese
2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
16 cannelloni tubes
7 oz. mozzarella, broken up

For the White Sauce
1 pint of creme fraiche
3 anchovies, finely chopped [or capers for a veggie version]
2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Then find a metal baking pan or ovenproof dish that will fit the cannelloni in one layer so it's nice and snug. This way you'll get the right over of sauce and the right amount of crispiness on top. When I cook this at home I just use one pan to cut down on the lots of washing up! Take your metal pan or a saucepan, put it on a high heat and add your butter, a drizzle of olive oil, one of the sliced garlic cloves, a handful of fresh marjoram or oregano and the grated nutmeg. By the time the pan is hot the garlic should be soft. Put as much spinach as will fit into the pan. Keep turning it over; it will wilt quickly so you will be able to keep adding more spinach until it's all in. Moisture will cook out of the spinach, which is fine. By cooking it this way you don't lose any of the nutrients that you would if boiling it in water.
2. After 5 minutes, put the spinach into a large bowl and leave to cool. Place the pan on the heat, add a little olive oil, the other clove of sliced garlic, your basil stalks and the tomatoes, then fill one of the empty tomato cans with cold water and add this too. Bring to the boil, then turn the head down, add a pinch of salt and pepper and the sugar, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until you get a loose tomato consistency. Then take the pan off the heat and add the basil leaves.
3. By now the spinach will have cooled down, so squeeze any excess liquid out of it and pour this back into the bowl. Finely chop the spinach and put it back into the bowl. Mix it with the liquid, add the ricotta and a handful of the Parmesan, and then use a piping bag to squeeze the mixture into the cannelloni. You can make your own piping bag by getting a plastic sandwich bag and putting the spinach mix into the corner of it. Then twist the bag up and cut the corner off. Carefully squeeze the filling into the cannelloni tubes so each one is fulled right up--really easy.
4. Lay the cannelloni over the tomato sauce in the pan. Or you can pour the tomato sauce into your ovenproof dish and lay the cannelloni on top. To make the white sauce, mix together the creme fraiche, anchovies, and the 2 handfuls of Parmesan with a little salt and pepper, then loosen with a little water until you can spoon it over the cannelloni. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and the mozzarella pieces, and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Cake for Dinner!

This savory cake is absolutely wonderful. I made it so that Adam and I could have lunches this week, but I could not stop eating it for dinner. I had to put it in the fridge so that I would stop! The array of vegetables mixed with cheddar cheese and the dill-spiced cake make a perfect combination. There is a lot of butter in this recipe, which I don't really like, but I think lessening the butter used to grease the pan and the amount to saute the onions can keep the fat in check without altering the recipe too much. I will look forward to my lunch tomorrow though!


Vegetable Upside-Down Cake (The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest, Mollie Katzen)

Part I: "The Vegetables"

3 Tbs. butter
1 heaping cup chopped onion
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 medium-sized carrot, diced
1 1/2 cups small cauliflower florets
1 cup minced red bell pepper
1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
5 medium cloves garlic, minced
5 scallions, minced (whites and greens)
salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
1 packed cup grated sharp cheddar

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8-inch pan with 2 Tbs. of the butter. Put up a medium-sized saucepan of water to boil. Have ready a strainer and a bowl of ice water.
2. Melt the remaining Tbs. of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and saute until translucent and soft (8 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, when the water comes to a boil, drop in the broccoli, carrot, and cauliflower, and blanch for just 30 seconds. Drain in the strainer over a sink, then immediately drop into the ice water. After a few minutes, drain again, dry with paper towels, and transfer to a bowl.
4. Add the sauteed onion and the remaining uncooked vegetables. Mix well, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Spread the vegetables into the buttered pan, and sprinkle the cheese over the top. (Wipe out the bowl so you can use it again for Part 2.)

Part II: "The Cake"

1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour [I didn't have any so I used whole wheat flour.]
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 to 2 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. each: dried oregano and thyme
2 Tbs. minced fresh dill
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk or yogurt
2 Tbs. melted butter

1. Sift together flours, baking powder, soda, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in sugars and herbs. Mix well, and make an indentation in the center.
2. In a separate medium-sized bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk or yogurt, and melted butter.
3. Pour the liquid mixture into the well in the center for the dry ingredients. Mix by hand--minimally but thoroughly--until well combined, being sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
4. Carefully spread the batter over the vegetables in the pan (PART I). Use a blunt knife and/or rubber spatula to distribute it as evenly as possible.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes--until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Have ready a clean serving tray slightly larger than the baking pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert the cake firmly and carefully onto the tray. Bring the whole thing to the table to delight your dinner guests. Cut into squares; serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

My brother-in-law makes a bunch of soups out of cauliflower and squash. We received this odd cauliflower-like vegetable from the farmers' market when my parents were here and didn't know what to do with it. So, we decided to roast it and make a soup with it. We added regular cauliflower to the roasting mix, then boil all of the vegetables together with vegetable broth, salt, and a bit of curry powder and pepper. Next, we blended it all together with an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, blend the soup in a regular blender, making sure the top has a vent to allow the steam to escape. Then, we sauteed portobella mushrooms to top the soup along with plain yogurt and scallions. I know this soup sounds too simple and delicious to be true, but you should give it a try.