Monthly Archives: October 2012

Pausing…

I want to take a moment away from talking about food and cooking for a second to remember two special people today.

Two years ago today, I lost my dad to cancer. I still think about him everyday. He was the kind of guy who didn’t care what I did, so long as I was happy doing it. He left this world too soon but I get comfort in knowing he’s back together with my mom now after living without her for 20 years.

Also, today I am writing to you from Ellicott City, Maryland where I’m attending the second annual Kelly D. Heflin Foundation Golf Tournament. Kelly was a dear friend and amazing woman who also lost her battle to cancer last year. Kelly is another person whose life was cut way too short by this horrible disease.

Her family has set up a foundation in her name, the Kelly D. Heflin Foundation, which helps to support people living with cancer and provides them with important necessities such as wigs, transportation to and from treatment, and financial assistance. Considering I lost both parents to cancer, this foundation is important to me and I’m proud to be in Maryland with Kelly’s family and friends celebrating her and celebrating life while also celebrating my dad.

For more information about how Kelly’s Foundation helps, please visit www.kellysfoundation.com.

Green Curry Fritters

I feel like I’m becoming tight with the ethnic foods aisle in my grocery store. For someone who used to only peruse said aisle to buy soy sauce, my refrigerator is now filled with all kinds of Asian condiments like Sriracha, coconut milk, hoisin sauce, peanut sauce, sesame oil, teriyaki sauce and sambal oelek. These flavorful items have become my best friends in a pinch. I throw no less than two or three of them into a bowl of ground turkey for making burgers and when my cupboard is growing scarce, my go-to dinner is usually a bowl of whole-wheat thin spaghetti swirled with a mixture of several Asian sauces – the hotter the better. Despite comfort with my expanding pallet, there was something about the small, unassuming bottle of green curry paste that had my knees shaking when I opened it. With an unappealing smell and an even more unappealing appearance, I questioned my judgement in deciding to try these Green Curry Fritters. What was I getting myself into? Had I finally gone too far?

Ground chicken is mixed with panko crumbs and scallions before being smothered in a mixture of mayonnaise, green curry paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, sambal oelek, ginger and egg. The mixture is flattened into patties and cooked in a hot pan with canola oil until browned and fully cooked. These fritters are salty, spicy and get a bite from the scallions. Don’t be confused by the name of these fritters because they are basically Asian-flavored sliders. And don’t be intimidated by the green curry paste. These fritters are packed with bold flavor and don’t have an overwhelming curry flavor which comes with curry powder. In fact, I didn’t taste curry at all, just bold tasty flavors. I ate my fritters with a simple side salad but these would be great with cabbage slaw as the recipe suggests because the cool cabbage would help to tone down the heat from the sambal oelek. Of course, my tongue was loving every second of the heat making me a big fan of these. I’m eating these fritters for lunch this week and getting compliments on how good my lunch smells. Whether you like curry or not, I suggest giving these a try. You just mind find a new condiment to like. Even if it’s kind of ugly-looking.

The ingredients:

Place panko, scallions, and ground chicken in a large bowl.

Combine mayonnaise, green curry paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, sambal oelek, salt, ginger and egg in another bowl.

Add green curry mixture to chicken mixture; mix lightly until combined. Divide into 12 equal portions; gently shape each portion into a small patty (do not pack).

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to pan; swirl. Add 6 patties to pan; cook 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure.

Serve with salad or cabbage slaw.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

  • Ground ginger

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Baked Pumpkin and Sausage Penne

October is my favorite month by far. I love sitting outside on a cool night with a fire pit and have my clothes smell like woody smoke. I love freaking myself out by watching random horror movies which can always be found somewhere on cable all month. I love putting an extra blanket on my bed and crawling under the covers on a chilly Sunday to watch football. And I love the scent that comes wafting to my nose the first time I break open a can of pumpkin for the season. Since I’ve had pumpkin in pasta before and liked it, I figured this recipe for Baked Pumpkin and Sausage Penne would be right up my alley. Pasta, yum. Pumpkin, yum. Sausage, yum.

Fresh sage is added to browned spicy sausage and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, canned pumpkin is mixed with milk, egg yolks, cream cheese and spices to create a rich sauce. The pumpkin mixture is added to the sausage and pasta and poured into a baking dish where it’s topped with panko crumbs and more cheese. Fresh sage, which mixes so perfectly with pumpkin, adds an earthy, herby flavor boost and the panko topping creates a crispy topping. As much as I love pumpkin, this was a little bit too pumpkin for me. I think a little less pumpkin and maybe the addition of ricotta might make for a better dish. I used parmesan cheese instead of Asiago cheese and used less than half of what the recipe called for so maybe that would have made a difference. This makes 8 big portions so by the last bite, I’d had enough. Next time I’m craving pumpkin and pasta, I think I’ll make Pumpkin-Ricotta Stuffed Shells instead.

The ingredients:

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat. Cook until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes, breaking apart with a wooden spoon. Stir in sage and cook 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside. Pour off and discard drippings.

In the same skillet, whisk pumpkin, milk, cream cheese, egg yolks, 1 cup of the Asiago, the nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Stir over medium heat until cheeses are melted.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water 1 minute less than package directions, about 9 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Return pasta to pot. Stir in sausage, pumpkin mixture and reserved pasta water. Mix well to combine.

Transfer to a 13 x 9 x 2-inch dish and top with panko and remaining 2 tbsp Asiago.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Turn broiler on HIGH and broil 1 to 2 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

  • Whole-wheat penne
  • Grated parmesan cheese

Overall Rating: So-So

Source: Family Circle Magazine

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