Bird's Nest Mashed Potatoes

BIRD'S NEST MASHED POTATOES:
What you need:
Potatoes
2 eggs, separated
1 stick real butter (may substitute margarine)
Sea salt
Milk or cream 
Cook potatoes as you would for making mashed potatoes. Add sea salt and partially mash potatoes. Combine 1/2 to 1 stick of melted butter (or margarine), a couple tablespoons of milk or heavy cream and the yolks of two eggs and beat well.( Save the egg whites you separated for later). Add butter/milk/yolk mixture to potatoes and continue with preparation. When they are the consistency you want, prepare a cookie sheet with a piece of foil that you brush with oil to prevent sticking. Place consistent sized heaps of mashed potatoes onto the cookie sheet and make an indention with a spoon in the top of each mound of potatoes. Brush the tops and sides of potatoes with egg white and place under the broiler of your oven (on the middle rack, so you do not scorch them) until they begin to just start to brown. This part is kind of like making meringue, so watch them carefully.


(Best served by  arranging on platter around a roast, chicken, etc. and spooning sauce/gravy over potatoes.)

Very Simple Berry Trifle ~ TAO exclusive

I make a simple trifle that is  easy and excellent. It does not call for lady fingers or anything fancy and you can make it up in a snap. It is not even a recipe so I will explain what I did here. I used frozen organic berries when I made this back in the winter. Now that it is spring,  fresh berries are starting to appear and I made this recently with organic strawberries and it was was sublime.  I still prefer the mixed berries, however. 

Took a 16 oz package of frozen mixed berries and thawed them (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries). Sprinkled them with 1/2 cup of sugar and added a dash of a true mint extract...NOT strong peppermint. It was made with spearmint and mint leaves, steeped in grain alcohol. Do not over do this part....just a drop or two is more than enough. I was going to use Grand Marinier or Medori but was out of both. Let berries sit in fridge for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until ready to assemble the trifle. 

Use a steep sided clear glass container for presentation but any steep sided container will do. I have used one of my Corning ware casseroles and it is perfect. In the bottom I spread a layer of the juice from the berries, just enough to moisten the bottom of the bowl. On top of that I added very thin slices of lemon cream cake. Pound cake or other cake would do okay, too. Angel food is good but for this recipe, you would need to use thick pieces. Hence a denser cake works better. I made this once with carrot pound cake and while it was not a fave, it was passable. Guess what I am getting at is that you can experiment with this and still have something good as a result. On top of the cake, I put a layer of the berries, more cake, more berries, layering it until I finished with a layer of berries. 

Topped that with whipped cream (made my own, flavored with a little sugar and some vanilla....if I had used the Grand Marinier, I would have added some of it)  Put it back in the fridge and chill another 20-30 minutes. 

It was very easy, pretty to look at and very, very tasty!  One note, though....do NOT use something in a can, like Redi-Whip or Cool Whip. You want to beat your own cream until it is very, very thick.  That is one of the secrets to this recipe. 


My father is diabetic and I made this for him a couple of times with Splenda. It was not half bad.  I haven't tried to find a sugar free cake yet, but I imagine you could find something suitable.  If I try that, I will post it here at TAO.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Curry (love this one!!)

Ingredients:

4 tbl butter or margarine

2 cup finely chopped sweet yellow onions

1 tbl yellow curry powder

1 med -size butternut squash (1 1/2 pounds) peeled, seeded and chopped

2 x tart, green apples, peeled, seeded and chopped

3 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp marjoram

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

1 cup apple juice

Salt and pepper

Sour cream (optional)

Apple slices, for garnish

Melt butter in stock pot. Add onions and curry powder. Cover and cook over low heat until onions are tender, about 20 minutes.

NOTE: I do this a little differently. I saute the onions, curry and apples in my skillet first, adding a little sea salt and some garlic. I also use only rosemary and little or no marjoram. You can adjust the herbs to your liking.  I also put a pinch of sugar in while sauteeing the onions and apples.  Once everything is cooked, I go on to this next step. Also the hot sauce is optional.

Add squash, apples, chicken broth, hot pepper sauce, salt, marjoram and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash and apples are tender, about 25 minutes.

In several batches, puree soup in food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until smooth. (Return pureed soup to stock pot and add apple juice. NOTE: I have an emersion blender that is heat resistant and I find that is a lot easier to use for this part because you don't have to take the soup out of the pot and risk being scalded pouring it back and forth. ) Heat through, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Garnish soup with dollop of sour cream, if desired.  Personally,  I just put a splash of heavy cream or vanilla soy milk in each bowl when serving it.  You can vary this soup just about anyway you like....long as the basics are there.

Balsamic Glazed Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

4 lrg sweet potatoes peeled, and

cut into 3/4" by 3" cubes

1/4 cup olive oil plus more

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar plus more

2 tbl unsalted butter melted

2 tbl chopped fresh herbs such as

rosemary and thyme

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

2 med butternut squash peeled, seeded,

and cut into 3/4" by 3" cubes

1 sm arugula bunch washed, and

stems removed

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon herbs, salt, and pepper.

In a separate bowl, toss together squash, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon herbs, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on two 13- by 18-inch baking pans. Transfer pans to oven, and roast vegetables until golden and tender, 45 to 60 minutes, rotating the pans between the shelves halfway through roasting.

Remove the pans from the oven, and allow vegetables to cool slightly. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Toss the vegetables with the arugula. Drizzle with additional olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and serve immediately.

This recipe yields 10 to 12 servings.

Mexican Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 tsp Olive Oil

2 cup Butternut Squash Peeled And Cubed

2 cup Chopped Onion

1 cup Chopped Red Bell Pepper

1 cup Chopped Celery

1/2 cup Poblano Peppers Seeded And Sliced

1 tsp Dried Oregano

1 tsp Chili Powder

4 cup Vegetable Broth

15 1/2 can Whole Kernel Corn, Frozen Thawed

1/4 cup Fresh Lime Juice

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash and next 6 ingredients (squash through chili powder); saute 3 minutes. Add broth and hominy; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in lime juice and cilantro.

Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Sage and Croutons

Ingredients:

3 med or 2 large butternut squash, (4 lbs.)

OR acorn squash

28 oz canned vegetable broth, (1 quart.)

1 tsp coarse salt

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

4 tbl extra-virgin olive oil

OR

3 Tbs. vegetable oil and 1 Tbs. walnut

oil

24 x fresh small sage leaves

4 slc firm-textured white bread

For an extra-special touch toast the squash seeds to sprinkle over the soup. Rinse seeds, pat dry with paper towels, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes, tossing occasionally. This make-ahead soup can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds; save seeds for toasting if desired (see above). Place squash halves cut side down on large baking sheet with sides. Bake until skins are browned and squash is tender, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Scoop cooked squash from skins and transfer to large saucepan. Mash well with potato masher, then stir in broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Soup should be as thick as tomato sauce-add up to 1 cup more water to thin if necessary. If you prefer a finer texture, cool slightly then puree soup in a blender or food processor. Let cool completely, transfer to container with lid and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Up to 4 hours before serving, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sage leaves and cook until lightly browned, turning once, about 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer sage to paper towels to drain.

Reserve oil in skillet.

Trim crusts from bread, discarding crusts. Cut each bread slice diagonally into 4 triangles, then cut each triangle in half to make 32 croutons total.

Heat reserved oil in skillet over medium heat. Add half the croutons and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet and cook remaining croutons as before.

Rewarm soup over low heat, stirring occasionally. Ladle soup into howls and scatter 3 toasted sage leaves over each portion. Garnish each with 4 croutons and serve hot.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon

Ingredients:

2 slc Bacon

1/2 med Onion, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)

White and pale green parts of 1 large, chopped fine and leek, washed well (about 1 cup) ( If you don't have leeks, either leave them out entirely or use a mild green onion. Regular onions arenot a good substitute)

1 lrg Garlic clove, minced

1/2 x Bay leaf

1 1/4 lb Butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

1 med Granny Smith or other tart apple

2 cup Low-salt chicken broth

1/2 cup Water plus additional for thinning soup

2 tbl Sour cream or creme fraiche

Garnishes:

Sour cream or creme fraiche

Chopped unpeeled apple

In a skillet cook bacon until crisp and drain, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons fat. Crumble bacon.

In a heavy saucepan cook onion, leek, garlic, and bay leaf with salt and pepper to taste in reserved fat over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.

Add squash, apple, peeled and chopped, broth, and 1/2 cup water.

Simmer mixture, covered, until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes, and discard bay leaf.

In a blender puree mixture in batches, transferring as pureed to a clean saucepan, and add enough additional water to thin soup to desired consistency.

Whisk in sour cream or creme fraiche and salt and pepper to taste and heat soup over moderately low heat until hot (do not boil). Serve soup topped with crumbled bacon and accompaniments.

Asparagus and Mushroom Frittata

• Ingredients
• 3/4 pound fresh asparagus spears or one 10-ounce package frozen cut asparagus
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper
• A little oil for the pan 
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 small tomato, cut into wedges, or 1/4 cup chopped tomato

Directions:
Cook fresh asparagus spears in a small amount of boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Reserve 3 spears for garnish; cut remaining asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Or, cook frozen asparagus according to package directions; drain. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl beat eggs until foamy. Beat in cottage cheese, mustard, salt, and pepper; set aside.
Coat a 10-inch ovenproof skillet with thin coating of oil. Cook mushrooms over medium heat until just tender. Stir in asparagus pieces. Pour egg mixture over mushrooms and asparagus. (If using fresh asparagus, arrange the 3 reserved spears on top.)
Cook mixture over low heat about 5 minutes or until mixture bubbles slightly and begins to set around the edges.
Bake frittata, uncovered, in a 400 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until set. Garnish each serving with tomato. Makes 4 servings.
This recipe is from Good Housekeeping Magazine.  I included it because it is asparagus season here in my area. The fritatta looks yummy but based on the prices for local asparagus, mushrooms and eggs, it would be quite expensive to make. Might be worth it, though. 

Baba Ganoush (Roasted Eggplant Dip)

Baba Ganoush - A Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip
This roasted eggplant dip is a great party food or special treat. It is very easy to make. If you do not have tahini in the house, you can leave it out. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds and is sort of expensive. I can't think of a substitute you could use successfully. Leaving it out doesn't affect the end result all that much.

What you need:
2 large eggplants
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 teaspoon teriyaki sauce
1 clove crushed garlic
Wash both eggplants, and pierce them with a knife. Place eggplants on a cookie sheet, put them in a 450 degree preheated oven until you can easily pierce the skin with a fork (should be about 20 minutes). After eggplants are baked and cooled, peel the skin off. Put eggplant in a mixing bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, salt, olive oil, and plain yogurt. Mix ingredients until smooth. Stir in tahini according to taste. When all ingredients are added, transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Stir in teryiaki sauce and garlic. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Serve with toasted pita bread wedges or any hearty wheat cracker.

(One note of warning. This dish is not a pleasant color...it looks a bit like day old oatmeal. Don't let that put you off. You can always experiment with the basic eggplant puree and add ingredients that affect the color. See my version listed next. It is a beautiful golden color, thanks to the tumeric in the curry powder. ) 

I also made a different version, while experimenting of course, that was wonderful. We have had it frequently, served with warmed flat bread with cucumbers and/or sprouts.

Bubba Ganoush New Moon Curried Eggplant Dip 

This recipe has my own personal spin on Baba Ganoush using the previous basic recipe, with a few personal twists on it.  I think this version is much better. 

Wash both eggplants, and pierce them with a knife. Place eggplants on a cookie sheet, put them in a 450 degree preheated oven as with the previous recipe. After eggplants are baked and cooled, peel the skin off. Put eggplant in a mixing bowl. Stir in sea salt, some fresh garlic (I used about 6 cloves but it's all about preference here), just a drizzle of olive oil, and about 1 tablespoon or more of a really good curry blend, again to your taste if you want more.(I get my curry at a Middle Eastern market and the regular grocery store brands pale in comparison.) Puree all ingredients until smooth. If you want to rev it up, add a dried or fresh chili pepper when pureeing. Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve as a dip with chips or like I mentioned above. This dish is very similar to hummus but not so starchy and bland.