New Year's Turnip Greens ♥

The last vegetable recipe of 2007: a New Year's traditional food said to ensure 'financial success' in the new year. Fresh greens cooked slowly with onion, ham and seasoning.

Happy New Year's to all!

So are we ready for New Year's Eve festivities? Champagne, check. Fancy appetizers, check. Check. Check. Check.

But come New Year's Day, we need a recipe for black-eyed peas for good fortune and greens for financial success.

These greens are really rich. It cooks down to just two cups but I suspect it'll go a long ways -- even though I skipped a whole five tablespoons of fat from this Paula Deen recipe. (I know, what was I thinking ...)

HOW to CLEAN & STORE GREENS This technique helps fresh greens 'keep' for at least three days. Soak the greens in cool water in the sink for a few minutes, sloshing them around every once in awhile to loosen dirt. Then rinse the leaves individually under running water, making sure to get water into the crevices. Throw away any leaves already turning soft. Drain in a colander for maybe an hour, then slip into a plastic bag but don't close it tightly. Store in the frig. I always eat a whole leaf just before cooking, to make sure they're not gritty.

SEE YOU in the NEW YEAR January will be filled with -- surprise! -- low-point and low-carb vegetable recipes, all for y(our) post-holiday dieting!

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VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ more leafy green recipes ~
~ more New Year's recipes from Kitchen Parade, my food column ~

MAKE IT A MEAL
Check the pork recipes in Kitchen Parade, my food column, to serve the greens with.

NEW YEAR'S TURNIP GREENS

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Time to table: 2 hours
Makes 2 cups

2 tablespoons bacon grease (Paula Dean uses 6 tablespoons butter, starting off with 2, adding the rest plus a tablespoon of bacon grease after the greens cook)
1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 1/2 cups water
1/2 pound smoked ham, chopped (or maybe better, a meaty ham hock)
1 teaspoon seasoning salt (I used Lawry's)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound turnip greens (just the greens, not the stems, though these were tender enough I really did think about chopping up and cooking with the onion)

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the bacon grease on MEDIUM heat til shimmery. Add the onions and toss to coat with fat (and flavor!). Cook til just beginning to turn golden. Add the water, ham and seasonings and bring to a boil. Adjust heat to maintain a slow simmer, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add the greens, submerging in the liquid, and cook until the greens are tender, 20 - 40 minutes.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Quarter Cup: 101 Cal (42% from Fat, 27% from Protein, 30% from Carb); 7 g Protein; 5 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 8 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb 2; 2 g Sugar; 119 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 1268 mg Sodium; 18 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Paula Deen Celebrates!: Best Dishes and Best Wishes for the Best Times of Your Life

KITCHEN NOTES
Next time, I'll use a meaty ham hock rather than leftover ham, something that is more stringy than meaty.
Turnip greens do come frozen, which would cut way back on the prep time. I have to say, however, these greens were just so gorgeous.
I'm quite sure you could make this a day or so in advance, then just reheat when ready to serve.

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

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

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

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Kitchen Parade Extra: Smoked Turkey Chowder ♥

When it comes to New Year's, it's a quandary. Some years, champagne and lobster, sure! Others? Well, there's nothing like a bowl of rich and creamy soup, one that cooks a long, long time on the stove, as if in remembrance of all things past.

This week's Kitchen Parade column introduces my local readers to the slow food movement, including St. Louis' own Slow Food chapter. It's at KitchenParade.com and includes the recipe for Smoked Turkey Chowder.

But whatever your New Year's plans, whether bubbly celebrations or morning-after breakfasts or comfort food on New Year's Day, Kitchen Parade's archives has New Year's recipes for inspiration. And for good luck in the new year, don't forget to cook some black-eyed peas.

See you on the other side! Happy New Year's, all!

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

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

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

A Veggie Venture is home of the Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and award-winning vegetable inspiration from Asparagus to Zucchini. © Copyright 2007

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Pumpkin Fruitcake ♥

Today's 'vegetables for dessert' recipe: A tender spice-rich fruitcake made with pumpkin purée. Filled with dried fruit, moistened with marsala.

So the whole world is baking for Christmas and behind the pixels, me too! Now by any rights, if I were to share a proper fruitcake recipe, it would be my grandmother's and the season would be summer. You see, her recipe needs shall we say? to soak awhile for what shall we call it? lushness. But since it's winter (really! look at the snow!) and there's no proper fruitcake in the pantry, this recipe for pumpkin fruitcake caught my attention. And I have to say, for a make-it-now and serve-it-fast fruitcake, it's got all the right parts.

Now piles of people think fruitcake is a scourge and for good reason, for truly inedible fruitcakes abound. I've got two tricks for great fruitcake, ones which I think might turn the tastes of the most ardent fruitcake hater.

Use real fruit, not that candied red and green and syrupy sugary gooey gunky rock-hard bumps from the supermarket. Real fruit. In this batch, I used a full four cups of currants, dried cranberries, dried apricots, dates and golden raisins and to my taste, the perfect amount. Other years, I've used the unsulphured candied fruit from King Arthur flour (unsulphured fruit is key) and love it.
Use real liquor, something with taste you really love. This cake is laden with marsala and the syrup is just delicious. But I'd also use dry sherry, Gran Marnier, anything a bit fruity that yes, that you like the taste of.

EXPERIMENTING with a STANDING MIXER I do love to bake and for all these years, have been completely happy with just a bowl and an inexpensive hand mixer. But this winter, I'm borrowing my mom's 1970s-vintage KitchenAid stand mixer. I've got mixed feelings about it. I do miss the control of the hand mixer and find myself wanting to reach for it with each new batch of cookies. I'm still not ready to commit to a stand mixer, that's for sure, the money or the counter space.

MY BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT Meet Lisa, my best friend for so long it was before BFF. We've swapped favorite books, recipes and much more for so many years now, half the time, it's not clear not sure if a book or a recipe started with her, or with me. And now, yes, she's blogging, at My Own Sweet Thyme. If you're baking for the holidays, be sure to check out her recipe for peanut butter fudge (addictive!) and I've got my eye on the ginger cookie sticks, too.

NEXT TIME I'll use a lot more fruit, even as much as double.

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VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES

~ more 'vegetables in dessert' recipes (this new section of the Recipe Box is actively under construction and will be complete soon, you'll see where it's headed ~
~ more pumpkin recipes ~
~ more Christmas recipes at Kitchen Parade, including Jesus' Birthday Cake ~

~ one year ago this week Festive Celery, Cauliflower & Apple Salad ~

PUMPKIN FRUITCAKE

Hands-on time: 10 minutes on Day One, 40 minutes on Day Two
Time to table: about 3 days
Made 5 mini loaves, about 8 slices each, each slice cut into 3 lengths so 120 pieces (the inspiring recipe used a Bundt pan and "8 to 10 servings" which is way way too much fruitcake, really, even when you love it!)

DAY ONE - SOAK the FRUIT
4 cups dried fruit - I used roughly equal measures of dried currants, dried cranberry, dried apricot, golden raisins, dried dates
Soaking liquor - I used marsala but choose anything you really like the taste of

If needed, cut larger pieces of fruit into small pieces. In a large glass bowl, collect the fruit. Stir in 1/4 cup of liquor and let rest for 15 minutes. Repeat until fruit no longer absorbs the new liquor. For 4 cups of quite moist dried fruit, this was only 3/4 cup of marsala. Let soak for 24 hours. (You should probably refrigerate, at least I did.)

DAY TWO - MAKE the CAKE
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar (the inspiring recipe used 2 cups, I like cake slightly less sweet but 2 cups wouldn't be too much)
4 eggs, at room temperature, one at a time
1 cup canned pumpkin purée (or if you like, roast your own pumpkin)
Zest of a lemon
Zest of an orange (save the orange for juice for the soaking liquor)

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350F. While the oven preheats, place the nuts on a baking sheet to toast until golden and aromatic. Stir occasionally and set the timer so the nuts don't burn.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the pumpkin, lemon zest and orange zest.

Separately, stir together the flour, soda, spices and salt. Incorporate 1/3 the flour, then 1/2 the buttermilk. Repeat, then incorporate the remaining flour. With a wooden spoon, stir in the fruit and toasted nuts.

Separate into well-greased loaf pans (I used 5 mini loaves) or a Bundt pan. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour for the mini loaves, and (according to the inspiring recipe) 1 1/4 hours for the Bundt pan.

Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 10 minutes.

SOAKING LIQUOR
1/2 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons marsala (or the liquor you're using)
Up to 1 cup sugar (I used 2/3 cup)

Stir together juice and liquor. Add sugar, stirring until the sugar no longer collects in the bottom.

While still warm, remove the cakes from their pans. Place on racks on plates with curved edges or a lip (something to catch the soaking liquor). With a knife or a skewer, poke the cakes in several places. Slowly spoon the soaking liquor over the top of the cakes, letting it soak in. Some will collect in the plates so collect this and spoon over top again. (In the end, I removed the racks so the cakes could soak up the extra liquor from the bottom, too.) Finish cooling. Wrap well (I used wax paper, freezer paper would be better) and keep tightly closed until ready to slice and serve.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
For 40 slices, per slice: 206 Cal (32% from Fat, 6% from Protein, 62% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 3 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 32 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb 30; 22 g Sugar; 33 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 80 mg Sodium; 37 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 4 points

With 40 slices, each slice cut into three lengths, per length: 69 Cal (32% from Fat, 6% from Protein, 62% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 2 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 11 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb10; 7 g Sugar; 11 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 27 mg Sodium; 12 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point (so yes, if you love fruitcake, eat three lengths for 3 points vs 1 slice for 4 points, oh the vagaries of Weight Watchers point system!)

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
The classic vegetable cookbook, Greene on Greens

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

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

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

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Turkey Florentine ♥

Today's Vegetable Recipe: An easy turkey casserole. Layers of frozen spinach and leftover turkey topped with a cheesy sauce. Low carb.

Turkey leftovers! I like them so much that after our turkey-less, ham-happy Thanksgiving, I roasted a big turkey breast and all the trimmings just for the leftovers. But after a bit, just like anyone else facing a mountain of turkey, I was asking, What to do with leftover turkey? This easy casserole used up the last of the turkey in a one-dish meal, tasted great and fed a small crowd quite happily.

FLORENTINE? What does 'florentine' mean? In recipes, it usually means something on a bed of spinach. In general, it means something from the city of Florence, Italy.

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VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ more spinach recipes ~
~ one year ago this week Date-Night Chicken from Kitchen Parade, not all that different! ~
MAKE IT A MEAL Ha! This already IS a meal so will be added to the still-being-updated list of Main Dishes, recipes for main dishes with vegetables, of course.

TURKEY FLORENTINE

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Time to table: 1 hour
Serves about 6

WHITE SAUCE (takes the longest so start first)
3 tablespoons butter
3 bouillon cubes, crushed (or you could soften in a bit of the milk that will be added later, I used 3 teaspoons of bouillon concentrate)
1/2 an onion, chopped (optional)
garlic? mushrooms? other chopped veggies? add what's on hand (optional)
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups milk (I used whole milk because it was on hand, skim works fine too)
1 cup cheese - grated Parmesan, cheddar, etc.

SPINACH LAYER
16 ounces frozen chopped spinach
Juice of half a lemon
Salt & pepper

TURKEY & FINISHING
Cooked turkey, chopped (I used a good two or three cups)
Other cooked leftovers, if you have them and want to extend the casserole
Paprika (for color, optional, I used the smoky Spanish paprika called pimentón, which is quite delicious)

Preheat oven to 350F.

SAUCE: In a large saucepan, melt the butter til shimmery on MEDIUM. Add the onion, garlic, mushrooms and other veggies and sauté a bit. Stir in the bouillon, flour and salt, stir til fully incorporated. A tablespoon at a time, add the milk, incorporating each tablespoon before adding the next. (This is what recipes mean when they say to "gradually add the milk". Doing so slowly prevents floury lumps from forming in the sauce.) When it's fully added, add the cheese and let cook for a few minutes, stirring often, til it's thick and hot and the cheese is melted.

Meanwhile, spread frozen spinach into a shallow casserole dish. Mike it for two or three minutes. (After miking, if it's really wet or if you're picky, you might squeeze handfuls of the spinach over the sink a bit to release some of the excess liquid.) Sprinkle the lemon juice over top, season with salt and pepper.

Top the spinach with the turkey and any other cooked ingredients. Spread the sauce over top, covering completely. Press a bit to help get down into the turkey and a bit into the spinach. Top with cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 339 Cal (45% from Fat, 41% from Protein, 14% from Carb); 35 g Protein; 17 g Tot Fat; 10 g Sat Fat; 4 g Mono Fat; 12 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb8; 6 g Sugar; 383 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 768 mg Sodium; 109 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 7 points

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
The Christian Science Monitor

KITCHEN NOTES
The spinach layer was delicious, perfectly fresh and green. It started with a bag of frozen spinach. A box would work too but spinach from a bag meant that the spinach didn't need thawing to spread across the casserole dish.
The inspiring recipe didn't thaw the spinach beforehand. But it was easy enough to throw into the microwave for a few minutes while the rest of the casserole came together.
Next time I might cook some chopped mushrooms with the white sauce. (Or go ahead, use a can of mushroom soup thinned with milk. I won't tell!)
Cheddar cheese would add more color to the top.
But next time, I'll turn the cheese into the white sauce so that the cheese-iness works into the turkey and spinach.

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

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

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

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Kitchen Parade Extra: Perfect M&M Cookies ♥

Tomorrow is my annual cookie swap and for perhaps the 15th time in 15 years, my friend Kathy will bring her M&M cookies.

Now why would someone make the same cookies year after year? Because these M&M cookies are oh-so-good and because they're so good, we won't let her bring anything ELSE.

But she might be off the hook, because Kathy gave me permission to share her recipe -- it starts with the classic Tollhouse cookie recipe, with M&Ms.

But Kathy's been tweaking the recipe for more than a decade, so now they're absolutely perfect mix of crispy chewiness and chocolatey sweetness. So here you go, Kathy's recipe for Perfect M&M Cookies.

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CHRISTMAS COOKIES from AROUND the WORLD One of my favorite food bloggers is Susan from Food Blogga and she's collecting Christmas cookie recipes from food bloggers all over, it's a great collection of cookie recipes, be sure to check it out! Perfect M&M Cookies are so very American, yes?

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The recipe for Perfect M&M Cookies will go go into the collection of recipes for Christmas in Kitchen Parade's Recipe Box.

~ my favorite roll-out cookie recipe ~
~ the cranberry-macadamia nut cookie recipe I'm making for this year's cookie swap ~
~ the graham cracker toffee that everyone finds so addictive ~
~ one way to share the true meaning of Christmas with children, Jesus' birthday cake ~
~ the mix-now and bake-later bran muffins I'll pull from the oven a couple of mornings ~
~ the Swiss muesli that lets everyone choose their own favorite nuts, dried fruit and sweeteners ~

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

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

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

A Veggie Venture is home of the Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and award-winning vegetable inspiration from Asparagus to Zucchini. © Copyright 2007

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Broccoli & Tomato Holiday Wreath ♥

Today's oh-so! festive vegetable recipe:
Broccoli & grape tomatoes formed into a wreath shape, topped with a lemon butter sauce. A perfect vegetable for Christmas dinners.

(Okay so before I tell the backstory, is anyone as amazed as I how much just broccoli and tomatoes really do look like a wreath?!)

Before Christmas awhile back, my friends' mother (we'll call her Mrs. K) called, asking for help with a recipe. She'd seen it in a magazine -- or wait, maybe a cookbook? -- and was desperate to find it again. She remembered the basics, broccoli and tomatoes in a wreath shape. But what would bind them? We couldn't think, not eggs, no, and certainly not gelatin. Cheese maybe? She thought not.

So Mrs K returned to her hunt. Many days and magazine piles later, at last she found her recipe. "It's just butter," she said exultantly. "Do you really think that just butter can hold it all together?"

It can. And this festive vegetable dish -- buttery yes, but still definitely a vegetable -- is absolutely delicious. The ingredient list is short and it's way less fussy than it looks. It does call for a ring mold -- check your grandmothers' attics for her old "salad form", that's where mine came from, or perhaps the Goodwill or a thrift shop. No luck? I think a round cake pan with a bowl in the center is worth a try, too. Do try to use a shallow cake pan, however, so that it can be inverted onto a plate without upsetting the broccoli.

NO RING MOLD? NO ENERGY TO FUSS? STILL LOVE the FESTIVE LOOK? Just cook the broccoli and tomatoes as directed, then put into a shallow casserole dish. Cover and warm through. I think it'll be just fine.

KITCHEN NOTES
Shoot for a generous pound of just the very most tender broccoli florets. Even buying broccoli crowns, I started with two+ pounds of broccoli to yield a pound+ of florets. Luckily the stems and stalks make a great broccoli soup.
The butter doesn't 'bind' the broccoli as much as lightly contain it. Be gentle.
Next time I will plate it differently, perhaps on a bed of rice? so that the buttery sauce has something to soak into. As you can see, it just pooled on the plate, not so prettily.
It's lovely hot, but because the pieces are small, can't hold the heat long. Luckily, it's still good at room temperature so this would work for a buffet, too though of course the 'effect' will be smashed with the first scoop.
Mrs K is gone now but her wreath recipe is just one more reason to remember her ever so warmly. (Hello Mr K! Hi C&C&E! Hugs J&K!)

FROM the CREASE of MY RIGHT EYE This is the name of the event being hosted this month by Danielle from Habeas Brulee, celebrating all things layered and stuffed and this broccoli wreath is my contribution to the creativity in its midst. Danielle, you can perhaps appreciate that the broccoli is stuffed and pressed into a ring mold?

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VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES ~ Red & Green

~ more Red & Green Warm Spinach Salad ~
~ more Spinach & Artichoke Gratin ~
~ more broccoli recipes ~

~ one year ago this week Celery with Tomato, Olives & Capers, perfect 'spareness' amid holiday excess ~
~ two years ago today Italian Wedding Soup ~

BROCCOLI & TOMATO HOLIDAY WREATH

Hands-on time: 20 minutes? sorry, I really lost track
Time to table: maybe 60 minutes?
Serves 6

BROCCOLI
Salted water
2 pounds of fresh broccoli, crowns only
Ice bath

Trim the broccoli, using just the green broccoli tops, cut into bite-size pieces. Drop into boiling salted water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh in a large bowl of ice water until just cool. Drain thoroughly.

TOMATOES
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
6 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar (don't skip, it makes a difference!)
Salt & pepper to taste

In a skillet, melt the butter on MEDIUM until shimmery. Add the tomatoes and warm through but don't allow to pop. Remove from heat, stir in sugar and season.

SAUCE
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used about 4, it was plenty)
Juice of half a lemon (about a tablespoon or two)

In a small saucepan, melt butter, then add lemon juice. Keep warm but don't allow to boil.

ASSEMBLE
Preheat oven to 350F. Very gently, stir together broccoli and tomatoes. Arrange in a ring mold, distributing tomatoes throughout as best possible. Press gently into the mold with the back of a spoon. Cover with foil (I forgot this step, it didn't seem to make a difference) and place into a larger pan. (You could make ahead this far.) Fill the outer pan with boiling water about halfway up the ring mold. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through. Remove the ring mold from the larger pan. Place a serving plate on top of the ring mold. With one quick motion, invert the ring mold onto the serving plate, jiggling gently if needed to release the broccoli. Tuck any loose florets back into the wreath. Drizzle with the butter sauce and serve immediately.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 203 Cal (82% from Fat, 5% from Protein, 13% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 20 g Tot Fat; 12 g Sat Fat; 5 g Mono Fat; 7 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb 5; 2 g Sugar; 43 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 28 mg Sodium; 51 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 5 points

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

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

---

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

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Braised Brussels Sprouts ♥

Today's Simple Vegetable Recipe: Fresh Brussels sprouts braised in shallots, cream and broth, then stirred with mustard and parsley. Low carb.

Here's another winner, just fresh Brussels sprouts cooked in liquid in a covered skillet (yes, that's what it means to 'braise').

"BUT MY FAMILY WON'T EAT BRUSSELS SPROUTS!" I know, I know. Discomfort with Brussels sprouts and other vegetables in the cabbage (ahem) family is likely all about a sensitivity to bitterness. And the bitterness comes from chemicals called glucosinolates. If someone in your family is hesitant, resistant or outrightly militant in opposition to Brussels sprouts, know that the trick is to break up the center of the sprouts by cutting them in half and then, in order to leach out the chemicals, to cook them in a lot of well-salted water. (Thank you, On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, for this lesson.) Or, like tonight, as I learned, well-salted cream.

When trimming these particular Brussels sprouts, I could tell that they were definitely on the bitter side. So even though the inspiring recipe suggested leaving them whole, I cut them in half, pole to pole, right through the core. Then I cut a small slit into the core, opening up the most dense part of the sprout. (I knew this would make them cook faster, too, and would let the cream sauce wind its way into the caves and tunnels inside a sprout.) Bitterness, be gone!

NEXT TIME I'll try a couple of changes, not because the recipe needed improving, taste-wise, but to simplify it further.
When the sprouts were finished cooking, the halves looked so pretty in the skillet that I was sorry to have to 'stir them up' to add the mustard. So next time, I'll stir the mustard into the cream and broth beforehand and then take the entire skillet to the table. Yay! A dish saved!
For calorie purposes, I'll skip the cream and just braise the sprouts in chicken stock and mustard.

"ALL THAT TRIMMING, WHAT ABOUT FROZEN BRUSSELS SPROUTS?" I don't have good luck with frozen Brussels sprouts. Especially if you're trying to convert someone to how good Brussels sprouts can be, I would definitely use fresh ones. This time of year, supermarkets will often have whole stalks of Brussels sprouts, just break off ones of similar size.

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VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ Wine-Glazed Brussels Sprouts ~
~ Lemony Creamy Brussels Sprouts ~
~ more Brussels sprouts recipes ~

~ one year ago this week Delicata Squash with Hot Pepper Glaze ~

BRAISED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 4

1 tablespoon butter
2 large shallots, chopped
1 pound small- to medium-size fresh Brussels sprouts

1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock (I used bouillon)
Salt (only if the stock or bouillon isn't already salty)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or other good mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (definitely optional here)

In a large skillet with a cover, melt the butter til shimmery on MEDIUM. Add the shallots and cook gently til just cooked. (The sprouts may not be fully prepped when the shallots are cooked, turn down the stove so they don't burn.)

Meanwhile, trim the Brussels sprouts. HOW TO TRIM BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Wash well. Slice off the end, this will loosen some outer leaves. Discard these, then remove a layer or so of leaves, until what's left inside is clean and bright-looking. Now slice the sprouts from top to bottom, slicing through the center of the core. With a knife, make a small slit just into the core.

Stir the cream and stock into the skillet (and the mustard, if you're trying this). Place the Brussels sprouts in a single layer, cut-side down, in the skillet. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. (Taste one to see if it's done, if salt is needed.)

Remove the skillet from the from heat. If needed, stir in the mustard and the parsley. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
With cream, Per Serving: 111 Cal (45% from Fat, 15% from Protein, 40% from Carb); 5 g Protein; 6 g Tot Fat; 4 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 12 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; NetCarb 8; 3 g Sugar; 61 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 113 mg Sodium; 18 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points

With more broth substituting for cream, Per Serving: 86 Cal (31% from Fat, 19% from Protein, 50% from Carb); 5 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 12 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; 3 g Sugar; 57 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 145 mg Sodium; 8 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Jack Bishop

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

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Kitchen Parade Extra: Five-Week Bran Muffins ♥

So this week I mixed up some muffins to serve hot from the oven when family visits over the holidays. (What? Mixed muffins now? for serving in three weeks? Yes!) Talk about make-ahead recipes!

The batter keeps in the frig for five weeks. Along the way, bake fresh muffins (as many as you want, even just one or two) any time. The recipe is from a 2002 Kitchen Parade column, published today online for the first time. So check it out, it's my recipe for Five-Week Bran Muffins.

The recipe is just one in a collection of recipes for Christmas in Kitchen Parade's Recipe Box.

~ how to host a cookie exchange along with my favorite roll-out cookie recipe ~
~ the cranberry-macadamia nut cookie recipe I'm making for this year's cookie swap ~
~ the graham cracker toffee that everyone finds so addictive ~
~ one way to share the true meaning of Christmas with children, Jesus' birthday cake ~

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

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

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

A Veggie Venture is home of the Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and award-winning vegetable inspiration from Asparagus to Zucchini. © Copyright 2007

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Potato Latkes ♥

Today's holiday recipe: Potato latkes fried in oil for Hanukkah. Crispy on the edges, warm and potato-y in the center.

After writing about Hanukkah recipes for Blogher yesterday, the only question was 'what kind' of latkes would we have for supper? Carrot? Spinach? Sweet potato? I chose traditional potato latkes, prepared (I think, based on other bloggers' recipes) in a somewhat unconventional method. Instead of grating, the potatoes are whizzed in the blender with onion, apple and egg to the consistency of applesauce. This lets them 'splat' into hot oil for cooking, creating lots of crispiness.

Served with sour cream, warm applesauce and sorghum, the latkes were completely delicious, enjoyed immensely by both my dad and me. Since this was my first time to cook (and eat, too?) latkes I have a few impressions but certainly can't be considered an expert.

• While crispy is good, Dad and I both preferred the latkes crispy on the edges (way more than in the photograph, I got better as I went along) but a little thick in the center. This might be a case of 'to each their own taste'. Luckily the latkes can be cooked to different consistencies.
• To achieve crispy, you have to use a heavy layer of oil in the pan. With less oil, the latkes were more like potato pancakes.
• The potato mixture definitely turns an ugly gray if left for more than 30 minutes. So while you can gather the ingredients ahead of time, don't put them through the mixer until the griddle is heating up.
  
• A griddle would be useful. For the two of us, I used a skillet which held only four small latkes at a time.
  
• I loved these with applesauce and sour cream. My dad loved them with sorghum (or maple syrup would be good).
• It's messy to make latkes! I was glad I'd changed into a sweatshirt before starting, as oil splashed everywhere.

NUTRITION NOTES I wish I'd kept track of how much oil was used -- it wouldn't surprise me if I used nearly a cup, just for the two of us. But these were delicious. To my taste, they're worth an occasional indulgence. Next time, I'd like to try grated sweet potato latkes. And of course, there are still six more nights of Hanukkah ...

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VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES

~ more potato recipes ~

~ one year ago this week Carrot & Daikon Refrigerator Pickle, great to have on hand for a quick salad ~
~ two years ago today Celery & Apple Salad, surprisingly simple, surprisingly delicious, a great winter salad ~

POTATO LATKES

Prep time (not including the actual cooking): 20 minutes
Serves 2 - 3 for supper, 4 - 6 for sides

2 pounds baking potatoes (these are the mealy potatoes, often called Idahoes or russets), peeled, cut into 1/2" cubes, (this next step isn't needed if you're putting into the blender right away) dropped into cold water so they don't discolor, dried on paper towels before proceeding
1/2 a medium onion, chopped
1/2 apple, peeled, cored, chopped
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
White pepper to taste
1 teaspoon baking powder (the inspiring recipe suggests using kosher baking powder or omitting)

1/4 - 1/2 cup matzoh meal (or flour) - I used a full 1/2 cup of matzoh meal which was good for crispy-on-the-edges latkes, use less for more crispiness throughout

Oil, vegetable or canola (make sure it's fresh, if it smells even a tiny bit off, make something else)

For serving, sour cream and warm applesauce

Whiz all the ingredients except the matzoh meal and oil in a blender til the consistency of medium-fine applesauce. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the matzoh meal.

Spread a layer of oil in a skillet or on a griddle and heat on MEDIUM to MEDIUM HIGH (you'll need to gauge your own temperature, one that lets the latkes cook through with the brownness and crispiness you like). To know when the oil is hot enough, it should sizzle when you sprinkle a drop of water into it. Scoop about a tablespoon of potato mixture and from about 6 - 8 inches above, drop it with a splaaaat into the oil - look out, it will splatter. If needed, use the spoon to spread the mixture out a bit. Let cook 1 - 2 minutes til crispy, turn over and cook another 1 - 2 minutes. Add oil between batches, letting it heat up before splaaattting more potato mixture into it.

Savor, enjoy!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
(Assumes 3 servings, 3/4 cup oil for frying) Per Serving: 885 Cal (59% from Fat, 6% from Protein, 35% from Carb); 14 g Protein; 59 g Tot Fat; 8 g Sat Fat; 15 g Mono Fat; 79 g Carb; 5 g Fiber; NetCarb74; 5 g Sugar; 157 mg Calcium; 4 mg Iron; 822 mg Sodium; 164 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 21 points (yikes!)

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family

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

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

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

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Red & Green Warm Spinach Salad ♥

Today's Christmas-y salad recipe: Quick sautéed spinach with a garlicky yogurt sauce, toasted walnuts, pomegranate seeds and fresh mint. Low carb.

And isn't it festive and pretty?! And the unexpected combination of ingredients - spinach, mint, walnuts, pomegranate seeds and yogurt - somehow really work.

This salad has a lot of parts but luckily they're not 'moving parts' and if you're inspired to serve this for a holiday meal -- it has the right colors, yes? -- all but the last step could be done in advance.

The recipe comes from Street Food by Tom Kime, what's turning out to be a real treasure. I love the irony that a street-side specialty called 'salatet bil s'banegh joz' somewhere in the Middle East or north Africa (the book doesn't say where) is also perfect for a dinner party salad.

For everyday, I'd omit the walnuts, pomegranate seeds and mint, leaving just the quick-cooked spinach topped with the garlicky yogurt sauce.

Delicious, this was!

MAKE IT A MEAL with Beef & Mushroom Stew and potatoes.

RED & GREEN WARM SPINACH SALAD

Hands-on time: 30 minutes to prep ahead, 10 minutes to finish
Time to table: 40 minutes
Serves 4

PREP AHEAD
1/4 cup walnut pieces - toast in a dry skillet til golden & aromatic
seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate (The Quick & Easy Way to Remove Seeds from a Pomegranate)
20 fresh mint leaves - chop coarsely
Yogurt garlic sauce - Mash a clove of garlic into salt with a fork, stir into 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (I used the more liquid keffir, it was perfect)

1/2 pound fresh spinach leaves - wash well, remove stems, chop roughly, drain

JUST BEFORE SERVING
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
Chopped spinach
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oil til shimmery in a large skillet. Add the onion and let cook til aromatic and beginning to turn gold. Add the spinach and cook, turning occasionally, til just tender. Season with salt & pepper.

TO ASSEMBLE
Lift spinach with tongs from skillet, letting excess liquid stay in the pan. Arrange spinach on plates or a serving tray. Drizzle with yogurt garlic sauce, then scatter with walnuts and mint. Top with pomegranate seeds.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
As written, Per Serving: 178 Cal (68% from Fat, 10% from Protein, 21% from Carb); 5 g Protein; 14 g Tot Fat; 3 g Sat Fat; 6 g Mono Fat; 10 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb7; 5 g Sugar; 81 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 343 mg Sodium; 6 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 4 points

Skipping the walnuts & pomegranate seeds, Per Serving: 117 Cal (70% from Fat, 11% from Protein, 19% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 10 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 5 g Mono Fat; 6 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb4; 2 g Sugar; 73 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 342 mg Sodium; 6 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points

MORE FAVORITE SPINACH RECIPES
~ Creamed Spinach ~
~ Orzo with Spinach & Pine Nuts ~
~ Spinach & Artichoke Gratin (also red & green) ~
~ Baked Eggs with Cream & Spinach (a good choice for Christmas morning) ~
~ MORE spinach recipes ~

~ one year ago this week Carrot & Daikon Refrigerator Pickle (great to make ahead to keep on hand for quick lunches and sandwiches) ~
~ two years ago today Warm Pepper Salad (hmm, this could be red & green too!) ~

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

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

© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2007

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"Wonderful" Glazed Turnips & Carrots ♥

Today's Vegetable Recipe: Glazed winter root vegetables. Cubes of turnip and carrot in a slightly sweet glaze.

Imagine a pair of seven-year olds (they're BFFs, for the uninitiated, that's Best Friends Forever) willing to spear still-cooking turnips and carrots straight from the skillet, flash big smiles and pronounce them "good", and then, after another bite exclaim, "These are wonderful."

No deception here, I snapped a quick photo and sent the girls home with a container for supper.

But I was sorry to see it go! These cubes of turnip and carrot are really good, slightly but not too sweet with brown sugar, slightly but not too bright with lemon. I will totally do these again, they're already on the menu for over Christmas. And the color is so festive, completely unusual for turnips.

MY FRIG, THE ROOT CELLAR If there's ever a reason to stock up on turnips, it's that they keep for weeks. The ones I cooked here had been buried in the vegetable bin in the frig for seven weeks. They were still firm and smooth and in great shape.

UPDATE I made these a second time, this time with turnips, golden carrots and celeriac to serve with ham for our Christmas Dinner. They were just as delicious but I missed the strong color contrast between the white turnips and bright orange carrots.

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TURNIP & CARROT RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ Creamed Turnips ~
~ Mashed Turnip & Apple ~
~ more turnip recipes ~

~ Butter-Simmered Carrots ~
~ Mashed Potatoes & Carrots ~
~ more carrot recipes ~

~ one year ago this week Lemony Creamy Brussels Sprouts & Celery ~

MAKE IT A MEAL Somehow I see this with pork, perhaps the big hit in my Canadian family, Tropical Pork Tenderloin.

GLAZED TURNIPS & CARROTS

Hands-on time: 10 minutes up-front, then occasional attention until done
Time to table: about 30 minutes
Serves 4

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 pound white turnips (don't use rutabagas, says the inspiring recipe), trimmed, peeled, cut in 3/4" cubes
2 large carrots, trimmed, peeled, the fatter end sliced in half lengthwise, then cut in 1/2-inch thick slices on the diagonal

2/3 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt (I left this out because the broth was salty)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper (I forgot this)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (I had none)
1 teaspoon lemon zest (don't skip this)

Squeeze of lemon juice (just a teaspoon)

In a large nonstick skillet with a cover, melt the butter on MEDIUM HIGH. When it's melted, swirl to coat. (If you start this while prepping the vegetables like I do, I'd recommend melting the butter on MEDIUM, so you don't brown and then scorch the butter like I did. Turn down the heat til you're ready, then turn to medium high.) Add the turnips and carrots in an even layer, stirring to coat, then let cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Stir again, let cook another 4 minutes. Add the broth, brown sugar, salt, pepper, thyme and lemon zest (I prepped these while the veggies were cooking) and stir to coat. Cover, reduce heat to MEDIUM LOW (I left on MEDIUM HIGH) and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 8 minutes. Uncover and increase heat to HIGH, let cook, stirring frequently until liquid cooks down to a glaze, this took a few minutes. Stir in lemon juice and serve immediately.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 119 Cal (33% from Fat, 7% from Protein, 60% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 5 g Tot Fat; 3 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 19 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; NetCarb15; 12 g Sugar; 63 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 513 mg Sodium; 11 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

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

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

---

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

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St. Louis Food Gifts

If you're from St. Louis, you'll likely love this post filled with gift ideas from/for our area. If you're not, don't worry, tomorrow there will be a great recipe that works worldwide!

The St. Louis food bloggers are exploding in number and today some of us are posting about our best ideas for St. Louis food gifts. What do we mean? Well, we'll see! Maybe local somethings, maybe local sources, I haven't seen the other lists yet but am dying to know what we come up with collectively. Here's who is participating -- Kitchen Conservatory, St. Louis Eats & Drinks, Iron Stef, The Cupcake Project and Stl Bites -- check out their ideas for food gifts, too. And now, here you are, my own ideas for St. Louis Food Gifts.

American Visions - American Visions is the lovely gift shop at 9854 Manchester Road in Rock Hill, filled with pieces from American artists and craftsmen. My favorite food items are the beautiful-but-useable measuring cups and measuring spoons from the Tin Woodsman (scroll down to see samples). They come with wood stands, look just great on the counter but are entirely useable too.

Missouri pecans - Missouri is home to native pecan trees that grow alongside fields and rivers, mostly in farm country near Brunswick, 50 crow-miles northwest of Columbia, and Nevada, 90 miles south of Kansas City. Our shorter season and colder climate produce nuts that are smaller, sweeter and richer than the southern brethren. The nuts are remarkable, spectacular even. This site lists the St. Louis locations for Missouri native pecans. But I've also seen them at Straubs and have purchased at the Schnucks in Kirkwood, too.

Miller hams - If you're looking for locally produced and magnificent smoked ham, look no further than our own hometown of St. Louis. I buy Miller hams at Freddie's Market in Webster Groves at Big Bend and Rock Hill. I've cooked four of them in a year and haven't once been disappointed. Miller hams are also available right from the company's Benton Park location.

Apple sausage - I've been taste-testing the apple saugage and the salsiccia (ah! the salsiccia!) from McDonnell's Market in Kirkwood on Big Bend (west of Kirkwood Road, east of I270). It's handmade right there on the premises and is completely delicious. The apple sausage is only available through the holidays, however, so it's my pick for the moment.

Kakao Chocolate - Heather is the young chocolatier at Kakao Chocolate and had me mesmerized from the first nibble, with lavender and then cardamom in truffle bites. This is chocolate to savor in little little teeny tiny bites.

Steak 'n' Shake - Call me a sucker for experience but I'm partial to 3 a.m. trips to Steak 'n' Shake and Uncle Bill's and hey, even Denny's. It's all about the experience. But it could also be or Crown Candy Kitchen for a chocolate banana malt. (Isn't it cool that St. Louis' best ice cream parlor, an original, doesn't have a website but is listed in Wikipedia?!) Or hot dogs at Woofie's.

Chocolate Molasses Lollipops - It's what's best, now, in the new Bissinger's. These are a year-round St. Louis food tradition.

Prime Meat - from Ladue Market, where the butchers make even a reformed vegetarian feel welcome. This is the only place to buy retail prime meat in the entire St. Louis metro area, it's not cheap but, oh boy, is it good. This is where I get crown roasts and tenderloin for very special meals.

Knife Sharpening - Will someone please, please, pick up my knives and take them to Kitchen Conservatory for sharpening? While you're there, I'm out of Plugra and duck fat and covet a Emile Henry fluted pie plate. :0

Christmas Traditions Coffee - Only for a few weeks before the holidays, Cornucopia in downtown Kirkwood blends a lovely Christmas coffee called Christmas Traditions. It's bright with cinnamon, hazelnut and vanilla, perfect for holiday brunches and hot coffee around the Christmas tree all season long.



Straub's website has a nice collection of Missouri food gifts.

Here are more of my favorite St. Louis food specialties, updated occasionally.

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Kitchen Parade Extra: Caramel Corn ♥

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Veggie Venture is home of the Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and award-winning vegetable inspiration from Asparagus to Zucchini. © Copyright 2007

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Spaghetti Squash Cooked Whole ♥

Okay, I finally get it.

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

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

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

Sisters are smart!

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

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

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

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VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES

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

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

~ Zucchini Ribbons, another 'vegetable noodle' ~

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

SPAGHETTI SQUASH COOKED WHOLE

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

1 spaghetti squash

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

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

Top with something delicious!

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

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

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

---

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

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Oven-Cooked Lentil Soup Recipe ♥

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

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

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

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

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

OVEN-COOKED LENTIL SOUP

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turn oven to 250F.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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