Up until about five years ago, I ate a candy bar a day. About
three in the afternoon, I’d get that chocolate craving and go find
a Snicker’s or a bag of peanut M
&
amp;Ms.
Up until about five years ago, I ate a candy bar a day. About three in the afternoon, I’d get that chocolate craving and go find a Snicker’s or a bag of peanut M&Ms. At some point, of course, my natural metabolism started petering out and I realized the daily candy bars would have to go. After all, they contained about 15 grams of fat each and my daily intake of fat was supposed to be close to 20.
If I ate two peanut butter cups in the afternoon, dinner had better be carrots and celery and not much else (that wouldn’t bode well for this column). Though I still get a craving a few times a week, I try to stamp it out with a few chocolate-covered raisins and a cup of tea.
Next week, however, all that goes out the window. I’m sure you’ve been in the grocery store and have seen the mountains of candy, stockpiled, waiting for the Halloween-crazed sugar-buying spree. I’ve actually considered buying a bag of mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, just for me. Instead, I’ll wait until the last minute, buy a few different kinds, put on my witch costume and prepare for the little goblins. I love handing out candy but, in all honesty, it’s the post Trick or Treat-ing that really gives me pleasure.
You may be a parent who’s able to withstand the pressure of a full brown bag of candy, but I’m not. Instead, I’m at the kitchen table helping with the sorting, trying to sneak a small pile of loot. I won’t play any tricks, but I definitely want some treats.
• Moist muffins: Pumpkin is known for its moist nature. These muffins are no exception. These were brought to a potluck last year by Jean Cort of Morgan Hill. She got the recipe from the cookbook, “Taste California.”
Banana Pumpkin Muffins
2 ripe, medium bananas
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare 12-muffin pan by lining with paper or coating with nonstick cooking spray. Mash bananas, then mix with pumpkin, sugar, milk, oil and egg until well blended.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture until evenly moistened. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool.
• Pasta light: This pasta recipe is from the Junior League of San Francisco’s cookbook, “San Francisco Flavors.” It contains lots of fresh vegetables; add or subtract to please your family. This recipe calls for bone-in chicken breasts, to preserve more flavor. If you decide to use boneless chicken breasts, sear for 2 minutes per side and shorten the total cooking time by 10 minutes.
Penne with Chicken and Vegetables
1 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 chicken breast halves, bone in
1/4 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped or one 14-oz. can chopped tomatoes, drained
2 T. minced fresh thyme or 2 tsp. dried thyme
1 lb. penne pasta
3 leeks, white part only, cut into diagonal slices
4 carrots, peeled and cut into diagonal slices
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into diagonal slices
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
Put water on to boil for the pasta.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Sear breasts for 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Pour in the wine and cook for 1 minute, stirring to scrape up brown bits from pan. Add stock and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and half of the thyme. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from sauce and let cool. Pull meat from bones and shred into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Cook pasta as directed on package; this will take about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the leeks to the sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in carrots and remaining thyme and cook for 5 minutes. Add asparagus and peas and cook about 3 minutes, until asparagus is crisp-tender. Stir in the chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese.
• RSVP: Reader Sherri Freitas was looking for a brownie recipe that could be made with a German chocolate cake mix. This recipe is by Barbara Jordan in the “Lovin’ From The Oven, Too” cookbook. She writes that there are never any leftovers from this unusual recipe.
Unusual Brownies
1 package German chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup margarine, melted
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup chopped pecans
6 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz. bag caramels
Combine cake mix, margarine and 1/3 cup evaporated milk in bowl; mix well. Press half the mixture into bottom of 13×9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle pecans and chocolate chips over crust. Melt caramels with remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk in saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Spread caramel mixture evenly over pecans and chocolate pieces.
Top with remaining cake mix mixture, spreading gently to cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting into 2-inch squares (these are rich, so small brownies seem to work well). Makes 24 servings.
Tip of the Week:
Use a light touch when forming burgers and meatballs, so the mixture doesn’t become too compacted and hard.
Notes from Jenny’s Kitchen
• Dried peas can be stored for up to 1 year, tightly covered, or they may be frozen indefinitely.
• To add a special touch to biscuits, sprinkle sesame seeds on top just before baking. No need to pre-toast; the baking will do the job.
• What’s the difference between oatmeals? Old-fashioned (rolled) oats have been steamed and flattened into flakes. Quick-cooking oats have been cut into small pieces, steamed and flattened. Steel-cut oats (or Irish oatmeal) are oats that have been cut but not rolled. Old-fashioned and quick-cooking oats can be used interchangeably in recipes, but never use instant oatmeal, which has been cut into very small pieces, precooked and dried. These will give your baked goods a mushy texture.
• End notes: “Be regular and orderly in our life – so that you may be wild and original in your work.” ~ Gustave Flaubert
Jenny Midtgaard Derry is the Executive Director of the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau.
