Fall Harvest Sumpin’

I don’t know what to call this. I really just made it up, which doesn't happen often, and it tasted great. It must be good for you, given the ingredients. Fresh fall veggies have so much flavor. Be sure to test the seasonings. Nothing is worse than bland squash.

1 large spaghetti squash. Trim stem, cut in half the long way, scoop out seeds. Then place cut sides down on a large pan. Place in oven and add water to pan about ¼ to ½ inch deep. Bake at 350 until a fork easily pierces them. Remove and let cool. I flip them over into a new pan without water to cool.

In the meantime,

6 medium tomatoes, chopped (I replaced 2 of the tomatoes with about 25 cherry tomatoes. They have great flavor. I removed the stems and squished them until they popped out of their skins)
1 large onion, chopped
1T. olive oil
seasoning to taste (I use Costco’s salt free seasoning, about 1T., and 1T. dried basil)

Saute the onion first in the oil. When transparent, add tomatoes and seasoning. Reduce heat to med. low and cover to encourage tomatoes to break down some. 5-10 minutes. Uncover for about 5 more to evaporate some juice. Taste to check the seasoning. Let cool.

In a new bowl, mix together:

About 6 oz. chopped feta (or good parmesan would work)
1 egg
1 c. fat free sour cream
1 c. cottage cheese

Now you are ready to assemble. I use my hands to remove the squash flesh. Place in a large bowl. Stir to break up. You may need to drain off excess water at this point. Stir in onion/tomato mixture and about 4 more ounces of feta. Put into a 9x13 baking dish. Pat flat. (I had a left over ½ c. of spaghetti sauce that I sprinkled on top.) Carefully spoon the cheese mixture over the top, spreading lightly. The squash is wet, so be gentle. Lastly, lightly sprinkle the top with some shredded cheddar or other favorite cheese.

Bake at 350 until bubbly around the edges and GBD. I let cool 20 minutes to set up before serving.

HUCKLEBERRY PIE

August is the season for huckleberries. I am from the midwest and grew up picking low bush blueberries. Huckleberries are cherished here in the west. I still think blueberries are unbeatable, at least in my memories. Did you ever read the children's book about Sal, blueberry picking, and the bears? I thought of that whenever out picking with my mom or grandma. Commercially grown blueberries don't compare to wild ones. As you would expect, the pampered, watered kind are bigger, with less flavor. Huckleberries are still gathered here wild. The flavor is unsurpassed. Time for pie! This one is easy (if you use a purchased crust).

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Pastry for 9" two crust pie
1/2 c. sugar (I am diabetic, so I use Splenda)
1/4 c. flour (whole wheat)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4 c. fresh huckleberries (I prefer ½ huckleberries, ½ blueberries)
1 tbsp. lemon juice

2 pie crusts. I prefer Marie Callender. As good as most homemade or purchased pies.

You can also use this recipe to make a blueberry pie.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry. Lay out berries in a large cookie sheet. Use a large flat object to flatten ½ of them to release juice. Stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon; mix with berries and lemon juice in a bowl. Let rest for 15 minutes. Turn into pastry lined pie pan. Cover with top crust, which has slits cut in it; seal edges. You may also do a lattice by cutting the second crust into 7 pieces and weaving on the top. Seal the ends.

My fave tip:
Cut a square of aluminum foil large enough to cover the entire top. Fold onto 1/4s and rip out a hole in the center. Unfold, cover the pie, and lightly wrap at the edge to the pie pan to prevent excessive browning. Remove foil last 15 minutes of baking. Bake a total of 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.

Better Butter

We got this recipe from Laurel's Kitchen, over 20 years ago, long before the worries about trans fats. It is fabulously easy, spreads right from the refrigerator, and is all natural. We have a container solely for the storage of our better butter. When the supply gets low, I set it on the counter to soften and then scrape it clean into a small dish to be used soon. Then I wash the container and refill. Chill, and you are done.

1 pound butter
2 cups olive oil (we use the lighter version, flavor wise)
1T milk
salt to taste (varies on whether you use unsalted butter or salted)

Soften butter to room temperature. I measure the olive oil in my blender. Add the butter, milk, and salt. Blend. Start slowly so it doesn't splash. Blend throughly and pour into your container. Make sure it has a tight lid to keep out stray smells/tastes. Chill.

Of course you can divide or multiply the ingredients. We have never had any problem with freshness in the size above. We have 4 people in our family.

Mandarin Cole Slaw

one 16-ounce bag shredded cabbage with carrots
1 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise (or fat free)
2 tablespoons sugar or agave syrup or Spenda
1/4 teaspoon salt (omit?)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 T white, rice wine, or red wine vinegar
one 11-ounce can mandarin oranges in light syrup

1. Mix in a small bowl: mayonnaise, sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar.
2. Dump cabbage into a large bowl. Add above mixture and gently stir in.
3. Drain mandarin oranges and lightly fold in.
4. Refrigerate 20-30 minutes at least, to let flavors mingle.

You can also add bits of dried pineapple and chow mein noodles or you can add crushed dry ramen noodles. We have also added cooked chicken breast to make a complete meal.

Turkey Patties in Sweet and Sour Sauce

I so looked forward to the occasions when my mom would make this recipe. It was the closest thing we had to Chinese food as a child. I have altered it, especially getting rid of the ground beef. It has a wonderful flavor and texture. The onions soften and mellow with the cooking. It is GBD at its best.

Mix together and let stand 5 min.:
2 c. soft bread crumbs (or 1.5 cups of dried)
¼ c. chopped onion
dash of dried thyme
½ c. water

Add:
20 oz. or so of lean ground turkey (The size the Mr. Turkey, etc., packages come in)

Sweet and sour sauce:
1/2 c. brown sugar (may sub honey or agave syrup)
2 T. flour
½ c. white vinegar
¼ c. water
1 T. (heaping) prepared mustard
Wisk all together.

Shape turkey mix into patties, about 5. Brown in a skillet and turn over. Add 1c. sliced onions on top. Pour sauce over all. I cover some of the time. Cook at a simmer about 35 min.

Best and Easiest Quesadillas Ever

Adapted from Rachel Ray’s cookbook for kids

Using a large cookie sheet type pan, lay out flour tortillas, not over lapping. Top as desired. Some popular combos at my house:

-cheese
-refried beans and cheese
- chicken, beans, and cheese
-anything else that pleases you
-salsa also if desired.

Once your quesadillas have a layer of filling, top with another tortilla.
Bake 5 minutes at 350. They should look melty inside at this point.
Pull out of the oven and top with shredded cheese. You can also add salsa here.
Bake again until the cheese on top is bubbly and the tortillas begin to brown around the edges.
Remove from oven and let set a few minutes. I prefer to cut into wedges with a pizza wheel. It cuts soooo much better after setting a spell.
I top the finished wedges with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa on each piece.

This recipe is easy for kids to do. I just assist with the oven part, adding cheese to the hot pan, and cutting. It is healthier than any fried versions of quesadillas and tastes great. My kids eat one quesadilla each.

Also, make no mistake about it, the adults in my house love these too. You don't have to be a kid just because it was from a cookbook for kids!

Cold Marinated Shrimp

From Mary

2 lbs. cooked med. shrimp, peeled and deveined (Costco has a 2# cooked, tail off shrimp, frozen in a bag)
1 med. red onion cut into rings
2 med. lemons, cut into slices
1 c. pitted ripe olives (1 can)
1/2 c. olive oil
1/3 c. minced fresh parsley (less of dried)
3 T. cider or red wine vinegar (balsamic vinegar has tons of flavor)
3 T. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced (or garlic pwd.)
1 bay leaf (or not, if you don’t have one)
1 T. minced fresh basil or 1 t. dried
1 t. salt (omit)
1 t. ground mustard (emergency sub: one big squirt of table mustard)
1/3 t. pepper

Mary said you could use 4 lbs shrimp and not double marinade.
In 3 qt. glass bowl (or gallon zip lock bag), combine shrimp, onion, lemons, olives. In jar with tight fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients. Shake well Pour over shrimp mixture and stir gently to coat (I put in bag before shrimp and massaged it instead then added shrimp). Cover and refrigerate for 24 hrs., stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf before serving.

I put whole business in plastic bags and turned once in awhile.

Drain marinade and discard. Serve in a large flat dish, with dipping sauce on the side: mix cocktail sauce and mayo but Mary just uses catsup, horseradish and mayo.

There is a note on my adaptations: There was an increase in flavor with my changes. However, there was a loss in the color of the shrimp. The basamic vinegar darkened the shrimp somewhat. That didn't stop them from being the hit of the party, though. Just be aware.