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Showing posts from November, 2009

Turkey Tettrazini with Spaghetti Squash

As it nears Thanksgiving, the Google searches for "leftover turkey" increase. This dish is highly recommended, and, it freezes well to boot. If you have never used spaghetti squash, or if you were struggling with whether or not it was worth preparing, let me assure you that it is the world's most funnest vegetable. Ever. Period. Turkey Tettrazini with Spaghetti Squash Best of Gourmet, 1990 edition 1 3 1/2 lb spaghetti squash 3 T unsalted butter 3 T flour 1 bay leaf 3 c cooked turkey, diced 1/2 c heavy cream, or half and half 1 T madeira wine, or dry sherry 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated lemon juice, to taste nutmeg, freshly grated, to taste bread crumbs Begin by preparing the spaghetti squash. Poke holes through the rind of the squash, using any kind of solid sharp kitchen knife (do not use your flatware knives for this). The spaghetti squash is fairly solid, so be prepared for some resistance, and, take caution that the squash doesn't roll out fr

Chickpea Cassoulet with Tomatoes and Chard

This little number comes from one of those recipe cards we all used to receive in the mail -- you know the ones. Wrapped in cellophane, enticing you to subscribe to some kind of recipe-of-the-month club. I carried this recipe around for years and years, only to try it for the first time for this blog posting. Chickpea Cassoulet with Tomatoes and Chard recipe card 4 T olive oil 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 pinches red pepper flakes 2 tsp thyme (fresh), or 1/2 tsp dried 1 tsp rosemary, chopped 1/2 tsp paprika pinch saffron (opt) 1 15-oz can chickpeas (or, about 2 c soaked and cooked from dried) 2 c tomatoes, chopped (I used canned) 1/2 tsp salt pepper 1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves only 12 oz spaghetti 1/2 c Parmesan, grated Preheat oven to 350. Heat a pot of water for cooking the spaghetti. Lightly oil a Dutch oven or other oven-safe skillet. Heat 2 T olive oil in a skillet. Saute onion with garlic, red pepper flakes, and herbs.

Eggplant Stew (Khoresh Bademjan)

  A friend of mine, Donna Pardue , responded to my recent spate of eggplant recipes by suggesting that I look into an Iranian eggplant stew called Khoresh Bademjan. She sent a partial recipe from one of her cookbooks, but I decided to base my attempt on a variant I found at the blog Turmeric and Saffron . I tweaked it a bit to remove any red meat from the recipe. Pretty much, if it's a stew and isn't too heavy on the meat, then I am going to love it. And this was no exception. I really enjoyed how the eggplant browned up to make an interesting texture for chewing. Also, the ingredients melded together nicely. Eggplant Stew (Khoresh Bademjan) Turmeric & Saffron blog 1 pound chicken 2 large eggplants, peeled, sliced and salted--with 2 tablespoons of salt 2 medium tomatoes, peeled 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves garlic minced 3/4 cup yellow split peas, cleaned, washed oil for sauteeing 1 can of tomato sauce 3-4 cups water Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 te