October 2009
Comfort Foods for the Soul
by Mary Gerlach, R.D.
Registered Dietician
The weather has cooled and it’s time to scrub the grill, cover it up and put it away for the winter. It’s also time to begin thinking about cooking stews, soups and “comfort” casseroles for our families.
Most farmers’ markets will close in the majority of the state in the next few weeks, so take advantage of your locally grown fresh fall fruits and vegetables. From Shiprock to Carlsbad, Clayton to Silver City, and all up and down the Rio Grande from Questa to Sunland Park your local farmers’ market should have piles of bright orange pumpkins for sale, as well as apples and grapes, winter squash and sweet potatoes, and perhaps even some fresh pears.
If it’s a fresh green salad you’re hankering for, you should still find salad greens, yellow and red onions, beets and radishes, bell peppers and cucumbers, as well as delicious home grown tomatoes. The wonderful, pungent smell of fresh green chile will be wafting through the market, and in southern New Mexico, the new fall crop of pecans and pistachios should be available.
Doesn’t it make you hungry just thinking about it? So go on out and take advantage of the freshest fruits and vegetables you’ll find until the market opens again next year. Then head for your kitchen and cook some great dishes chock full of nutrients and delicious flavors. Your family will thank you for it.
Green Chile, Pumpkin and Red Lentil Curry Stew
This delicious stew is easy to make, is low in calories, has great flavor and is
nutritious too!
1 Tb. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups cubed, peeled fresh pumpkin
1/2 tsp. each ground ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and red chile pepper
3 fresh green chiles, roasted and peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 large fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 cups organic vegetable broth
1/2 cup dried small red lentils
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tb. chopped fresh cilantro
2-3 lime wedges
Heat oil in large saucepan over high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in pumpkin, spices, green chile, and fresh tomatoes; saute 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth and lentils and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer about 25-30 minutes or until pumpkin and lentils are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and crusty bread. Makes about 2-3 servings.
Nutritional information per 1 1/2 cup serving: Calories 222; Carbohydrates 42 gm; Protein 10 gm; Fat 7 gm; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 657 mg.
Roasted Garlic, Green Chile and Butternut Squash Cassoulet
To get a head start, roast the garlic, caramelize the onions and even put the casserole together the day before you plan to serve it. Then bake it fresh just before
serving time.
1 whole garlic head
2 ounces pancetta (Italian unsmoked bacon), chopped
2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup vertically sliced onion
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
2 1/2 cups cubed, peeled butternut squash
1 cup chopped fresh (or frozen) green chile
1/2 cup organic vegetable broth
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 16-ounce cans cannellini or other white beans, rinsed, drained
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
2 Tb. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 350° F. Remove outside layer of white papery skin from garlic head, but do not peel or separate cloves. Wrap garlic head in foil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Set one-third of garlic pulp aside; reserve remaining pulp in the refrigerator or freezer for another use. Discard skins.
Heat large Dutch oven over high heat. Add pancetta; sauté 5 minutes or until crisp. (You can substitute regular smoked bacon for pancetta, but use only one ounce to reduce the smoky flavor in the dish). Remove pancetta from pan and reserve drippings in pan. Add 2 teaspoons oil and onion to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 25 minutes or until onion is very tender and browned, stirring frequently. Stir in vinegar.
Preheat oven to 375° F. Add garlic pulp, pancetta, squash, green chile, seasonings, beans, and bay leaf to onion mixture; stirring to mix. Cover and bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until squash is tender.
In small bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese and ½ teaspoon oil; sprinkle evenly over baked squash mixture. Uncover squash mixture and bake an additional 15 minutes or until topping is browned. Discard bay leaf; sprinkle with parsley. Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional information per 1¾ cup serving: Calories 259; Carbohydrates 40 gm; Protein 10 gm; Fat 8 gm; Cholesterol 11 mg; Sodium 679 mg
Pecan and Irish Cream Brownies
If you’re concerned about the Irish Cream, the alcohol bakes out of these delicious chocolate brownies, but the flavor remains.
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350° F. In medium mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
In microwave-safe bowl, place chocolate chips and butter; microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes or until chocolate and butter melts, stirring every 30 seconds.
Add sugar to melted chocolate and stir until sugar dissolves. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each egg into mixture. Stir in vanilla.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in liquid ingredients until just mixed; stir in pecans.
Spread batter in an 8-inch square-baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° F. for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean.
Be careful not to overbake; if you wait until the pick comes out clean, the brownies will be overdone. Cool on wire rack. Makes 16 brownies.
Nutritional information per brownie: Calories 145; Carbohydrates 24 gm; Protein 4 gm; Fat 6 gm; Cholesterol 8 mg; Sodium 93 mg.