2 posts from October 2006

What food or drink do you love when it's cold out?  (Recipes and recommendations, please!)

Thank goodness for cold weather.  I'm so sick of the heat.  There are far too many foods that you just can't stand when it's hot out--I'll be craving soup, make soup, then get three spoonfuls of it to my face before deciding that I just didn't want soup.  Too darn hot, as Cole Porter would put it.

Anyway, things to crave when it's cold out:
Drinks:  Cocoa, coffee, tea, hot apple cider
Foods:  Soup of all kind, stews, crockpot dishes, freshly baked bread, PUMPKIN PIE!, cheesy dishes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, potatoes in nearly any form, homemade applesauce with cinnamon, lasagna, chocolate desserts, apple kuchen...mmm, apple kuchen.

Apfel Kuchen(German Apple Cake)

This is an old family recipe--basically a shortbread crust, covered in apple slices and a 
streussel topping. Or, as one friend puts it--butter, sugar, apples, and more butter.

Crust: Combine the following using your hands or a pastry cutter. The dough will be crumbly. 
Press into bottom of a 9x13 pan.

2 c. flour 
1/4 c. sugar 
cinnamon and nutmeg (as desired) 
2 sticks salted butter (NOT margarine. If you use unsalted butter, add 1/2 t. salt) 

Apples: Peel and slice 8-10 granny smith apples, then mix with 1/2 to 1 c. sugar and some 
more cinnamon/nutmeg. Let sit while you make top layer.

Streussel Topping: Combine the folllowing using your hands or a pastry cutter. It will be VERY crumbly.

3/4 c. flour 
3/4 c. sugar 
cinnamon/nutmeg 
6 T. butter 

You can neatly arrange the apple slices, or just pour them into the crust. Tastes great 
either way. Then top with the streussel yumminess and bake in a 350 deg. oven for 45-50 
minutes. You may want to put it under the broiler for a minute or two to lightly brown the 
top. (This recipe has also been used with blueberries (kinda soggy), peaches, pears--all 
tasted wonderful.)

Cheese Broccoli Soup (a la The Black-eyed Pea, a local chain)

1 1/2 lbs. broccoli			3/4 t. salt
1 pt. half-and-half			1/2 t. pepper
2 c. water				1/2 c. cornstarch, mixed w/ 1 c. water
1 lb. Velveeta

Steam broccoli.  Combine water, half-and-half, Velveeta, salt and pepper in top of a double 
broiler on low heat until melted.  Add chopped broccoli.  Stir in cornstarch and water until thickened.

Cream of Vegetable Soup (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

2-3 c. of your favorite vegetable (or 5 c. mushrooms, 16 c. spinach)
1 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1-2 cloves garlic
1 T. margarine/butter
1 T. flour
Your choice of seasonings*
1/8 t. salt
Couple dashes of freshly ground pepper
1 c. milk or light cream

Cook vegetable until tender.  Drain if necessary.  In blender or food processor, combine 
2/3rds of veggie, garlic and ¾ c. broth.  Process about 1 minute, or until smooth.  Just 
chop remaining veggies, to give the soup some texture.

In a medium saucepan (preferably with a heavy bottom) melt margarine.  Stir in seasonings, 
salt, pepper and flour.  Add milk all at once, whisking until the mix is smooth.  Cook over 
medium high heat until slightly thickened and bubbling.  Cook one minute more, then stir in 
vegetable puree, chopped veggies and remaining broth.  Cook until hot.  If the final product 
is too thick, add some milk.  If it is too thin, dissolve 2 T. cornstarch in 2 t. of cold 
water.  Stir into the soup and raise heat to bubbling for a minute or so.  Season to taste 
and serve while hot.

*Seasonings:  This is a good place for experiments, but here are some suggestions to get you 
started: broccoli or mushrooms: thyme /	carrots:  parsley and basil /spinach:  nutmeg

Red Beans and Rice (From a genuine Louisiana Debutante!)

1 Bag Red Beans (1 lb.)
1 whole bulb garlic, separated into cloves and chopped *
1 chopped red onion *
1 chopped yellow onion *
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 cube chicken bouillon (or use 1 c. chicken broth)
3 whole bay leaves
1 T garlic powder *
1 T black pepper *
Salt to taste
1 package sausage, cut into pieces (I use lite keilbasa, but many sausages can work)
* Use less if a milder dish is desired.

Rinse and sort beans.  Put the first 10 ingredients in crockpot on high with enough water to 
cover.  Let cook on high for 10 hours (I usually start it in the morning for dinner-even 
easier if you cut the veggies the night before.)

Brown the sausage then add to crockpot.  If you would like a creamy texture, mash up a cup 
of the beans with a fork and then return them to the pot.  Cook with the top off for a while 
(generally during the 20 min. it takes me to make rice!) and it will thicken.

Serve over hot rice.  I usually make corn bread or biscuits and serve with some fresh 
veggies (carrots make a great contrast) and lots of ice water.

Tortilla Soup (From my friend Dema)

2 T. vegetable oil
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cans diced green chiles or 4 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, and diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
12 corn tortillas, cut into strips
1 TBS ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 TBS chili powder
4 quarts strong chicken stock (I just use however much stock one chicken makes)
3 cans diced tomatos, undrained
1 can tomato puree
Meat from one chicken, cooked and diced (recipe says 2 lbs)

Garnishes:
Crisp tortilla chips
queso fresco
chopped cilantro

In a large kettle, heat oil and add peppers, onions, chiles, and garlic.  Cook until onions 
begin to turn translucent

Add corn tortillas and stir until they begin to soften.  Add spices and mix well.

Add stock and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.

Taste and adjust seasonings.  Stir in half a bunch of cilantro (from garnishes)

Add chicken.  Heat through and serve, garnishing with cheese, chips, and cilantro.

What do you do to get rid of a cold or flu? 
Submitted by ashenflowers.

Short answer:  You wait.

Longer answer 1:  A cold--

You do what you can to be more comfortable--soup, lots of liquids, rest rest rest. 

Avoid at all costs daytime tv, as it'll just get you sicker AND depressed.  But this is an excellent time to catch up on movies or anything TIVO'd, as long as you're not skipping sleep to do so.  (Staying up until 3am to watch all of last season's LOST episodes will not put you on a path to wellness.) 

When you can, eat nutritiously--fruits and veggies and such.  Too much dairy makes some people gunky.  But I'll admit-when I'm whiny and sick, I need my cocoa--phlegm be damned.

Obviously, it's important to keep an eye on yourself to make sure you aren't getting a secondary infection-waiting it out doesn't work as well if it feels like someone is sitting on your chest, if your throat hurts so badly that you can't swallow, or anything is making it so you can't sleep.

Longer answer 2:  A flu--

First, you whine that maybe you should have gotten that flu shot.  Then you consider getting a doctor's appointment so you can get the cool anti-viral med that may not cure you, but will make you feel like you aren't going to die.

Next, consider meds to reduce fever and soothe the aches.  Some people have better luck with ibuprofen, others with tylenol.  Personal body chemistry is weird and wacky. 

After that, follow the steps to wellness for a cold, as listed above.