Autumn Butternut Squash, Cannellini Bean & Goat Cheese Bruschetta

We finally have our electricity and gas back on and are able to drive in and out of our canyon. Life for many in Boulder is far from normal as so many people lost their homes or will not be able to return to them for months but there is much progress and the downtown area is beginning to return to its familiar hum.

Taking a hike with my husband and pup, I am reminded how awesome nature is in its ability to recover and rejuvenate itself. From the deluge of rain that destroyed so much, green grass sprouts and the landscape that was ripe fodder for a fire is now revived. The leaves are turning those beautiful hues of russet, squirrels are gathering for the winter and I am in awe of the cycle of life and nature that rarely misses a beat.

Photo from Pinterest

With the mornings and evenings suddenly quite crisp, I’m beginning to think about pulling out my cozy sweaters and boots and stoking up the fireplaces. I also find myself thinking about entertaining and connecting with friends for a glass of juicy red wine and some seasonal appetizers.

Here is a quick and easy twist to a summer favorite using butternut squash instead of tomatoes to give it an fall flavor and heartiness.

Autumn Butternut Squash, Cannellini Bean & Goat Cheese Bruschetta

INGREDIENTS

1 Baguette (I like to use a seeded baguette)
2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into a small dice
1 scallion, green part sliced thin
3/4 cups canned cannellini beans, drained well
1 small clove garlic, minced fine
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus a few extra tablespoons for brushing the baguettes
2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
A few sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat broiler.
Toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Spread across a foil lined sheet pan.

Place the pan under broiler and cook the squash for 5-8 minutes, watching closely and tossing occasionally. When the squash is lightly browned and tender, remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, toss together the beans, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, scallions and the garlic. Add in the butternut squash, season with salt and pepper and give it one last toss.

Slice baguette into rounds, brush one side of the bread slices with a bit of olive oil and place in a toaster oven or under a broiler for a minute or two, until bread begins to brown. Remove from the oven or toaster.

Place a spoonful of the squash mixture on the toasted rounds, sprinkle with some crumbled goat cheese and garnish with a few thyme leaves.

Enjoy!

When The Rain Doesn’t Stop

The silence was eerie after four days of pounding rain. I realized that my ears had become accustom to the sound of the raindrops hitting the roof of our house. What began as a strong concern for people of Boulder and the surrounding areas, after three days of nonstop rain, turned into terror within a couple of hours. Clouds parked themselves over our city and let loose a torrential down-pouring of epic proportions. Flood sirens began to scream out and a warning flashed on the television screen to alert us that Boulder was in a state of emergency. I rushed into the living room on my way upstairs to tell my husband and realized that water was coming through our walls and windows. Moments later, as the two of us stood in the living room assessing the situation, the power went out and we could see that all of Boulder was dark.

Photo by Instagram@photogjake.

We were able to get snippets of information on our cell phones through Facebook and saw that the Boulder Office of Emergency Management was telling people in the canyons to run to higher ground immediately. I thought of these people in the pitch dark, maybe some with children or the elderly, trying to climb the mountainsides to get out of the way of the twenty-foot wall of water that was roaring down the canyon. I couldn’t stop crying.

We barely slept but did doze off for a couple of hours and woke to the morning light and the sound of rain still coming down. It rained all day and again all night. An occasional alert would come from Boulder Office of Emergency Management instructing people in different areas to rush to higher ground. We were safe in our home but reading the messages warning of a thirty-foot surge of water carrying cars and debris was horrifying and unimaginable.

The following morning we woke to the sound of silence. No rain. We ventured outside and talked to neighbors who were gathering to swap stories of damage to homes and to exchange information about what someone may have heard regarding our lack of gas and electricity.

A volunteer fireman drove by and informed us that there was no way out of our neighborhood. Roads had been washed away or covered by mud and rock slides. We commiserated and agreed that we were all fortunate to have survived the storm with little more than the inconvenience of being without electricity and gas. We are okay for now, we have food and candles – we are fine.

Desperate for a cup of coffee, my husband ground coffee beans by bashing them with a rolling-pin and then brewing them cowboy coffee style in a pot of water over our old Weber grill which still had some propane in it. The following day we used my grandmother’s molcajete and pestle to grind the beans. We’ve been able to use the grill not only to brew coffee but also to make…

…chilaquiles…

….with tortillas supervised by our pup, China…

…lentil soup…

…and I even made homemade English muffins with eggs for us this morning.

Anyone who knows me well understands that one of the most comforting and relaxing activities for me is cooking. This week was no different. Challenged with what we have on hand and few resources, we have been having some fun finding creative ways to pull our meals together and turn lemons into lemonade, so to speak.

For Ric and me, this has been an amazing experience where comforting each other and working together through a tough and frightening situation expresses once more in dramatic terms how solid we are as couple.

Boulder is a close-knit community now traumatized by this disaster, if not by what we went through individually, then by loss of homes and life that we are witnessing of friends, family, our collective Boulder family and the surrounding areas. As bad as things have been, there is always that silver lining of community coming together and our neighborhood has been no different. People are sharing food and checking in on others to make sure that they are safe and not in need.

One last comment, it may be that it is only during the call to action of emergency responders that we truly know how incredible and brave these human beings are. There are no words to express the depth of gratitude my husband and I feel towards these men and women who we have seen on the ground and in the air in our neighborhood where we lost three people to the flood waters. We see the helicopters flying into the mountains and canyons where they are airlifting the stranded and injured, we see the volunteer firemen and women who stood for hours in the rain directing traffic, going through the streets informing us of the changing situation and the contractors who are working nonstop to clear roads so help can get to those who need it and we know of the many who risked their lives to save others in the midst of the worst of this flood. These are the heroes we are bowing to in sincere appreciation and thanks.

Note about how this was posted: since we are without electricity, we have been charging our cell phones and computers in our car, which we had the good fortune of filling up just before the flooding began. We are able to get cell reception by driving to the edge of the mountain where we park to make our calls and that is how I was able to post this blog post.

San Antonio Tortilla Soup

A number of people have asked me for this delicious tortilla soup recipe that I posted on a previous blog a few years ago.

This hearty and rich soup can be made a number of ways. If the cream and cheese are left out, this is a wonderful low-fat vegan soup, roasted or poached chicken can be added for an amazing *chicken tortilla soup, or my favorite, with the cream and cheese added keeping it vegetarian but not vegan. All of the variations are delectable!

San Antonio Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced (this time I used 1/4 cup roasted poblano pepper and 1/4 cup fresh green bell pepper)
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced fine
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (sweet, not hot)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (adjust to your taste)
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (fire roasted are best)
5 cups vegetable or chicken broth (I make a vegetable stock with water and a one or two Rapunzel herb bullion cubes)
6 corn tortillas torn in 1 inch pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
1/2 to 1 cup Colby Jack, Monterey Jack or Velveeta cheese (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped coarse

DIRECTIONS
Sauté onion, pepper, celery and carrot in the olive oil until tender. Add the garlic and all of the spices except for the cayenne pepper and cook for a minute or two to release the flavors. Add tomatoes and broth and bring to boil. Toss in the corn tortillas, turn the heat down and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Just before serving, add cream and cheese and warm the soup thoroughly until cheese is melted and incorporated. Stir in the cilantro and half of the cayenne pepper, taste for desired spiciness and add more if you prefer more heat.

Garnish with tortilla strips or chips, sour cream, fresh cilantro and even some diced avocado.

* For Chicken Tortilla Soup – 10 minutes before serving, add 2 cups roasted or poached chicken that has been shredded or cubed and use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock.

Makes 6-8 servings.

The Way the French Do It ~ Asparagus & Mushroom Quiche

Quiche is such a versatile dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is a perfect entrée for entertaining as it can be made ahead of time, actually, it tastes much better if it is baked, allowed to chill for 24 hours and then reheated. This allows the ingredients to settle and all of the flavors to meld into each other.
Served with home fried or roasted potatoes or a simple salad, this is a great comfort dish.

I made this quiche in a 2 inch deep by 8 inch round fluted tin with a removable bottom.

For the crust:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup cold water

Blend flour, salt, and butter in a food processor by pulsing on and off until a coarse meal forms. Add the water a bit a little at a time and give the dough a few pulses until the dough just begins to come together.

Remove the dough from the food processor, forming into ball and then flattening into a round disk. Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to a 14-inch round. Transfer dough to pan, pressing onto bottom and up sides of pan; trim any excess dough. Pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork in a number of places to allow the steam to vent. Chill for 10 minutes in the freezer.

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Remove the crust from the freezer. Take a large piece of parchment paper and gently press it onto the crust, fill with pie weights or dried beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove paper and weights and continue to bake until it begins to get a golden color, about 7- 10 minutes. Allow to cool until warm.

For filling:

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 clove fresh garlic minced
1 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced and sautéed and drained very well.
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
15-18 asparagus spears, lower ends of stalks removed and cut into 1” pieces
6-8 asparagus stalks cut to length that is half the diameter of pan for decoration
1 3/4 cups cream, milk or half & half
6 large extra large eggs
1 cup coarsely grated Gruyere Cheese
1 cup coarsely grated Emmentaler cheese or Jarlsburg
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon fresh dill
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and red pepper and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Toss with cooked mushrooms; sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place cooled crust still in pan on a baking sheet. Drain mushroom mixture if needed and then scatter over bottom of crust. Cover the mushroom mixture with half of the cheese, arrange uncooked asparagus on top of cheese and then scatter the remaining cheese over the asparagus. Whisk cream, eggs, dill, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper in medium bowl. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

A word about the egg custard mixture:
I use Julia Child’s basic quiche custard master recipe, which is 3 extra large eggs and then enough cream to make 1 1/2 cups. The measurements that I have used above are what I use for the deep fluted tin that I make my quiches in. You can adjust the amounts according to you pan size using Julia’s master formula.

Pour egg mixture into the tart pan and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake quiche for 35 minutes until the top is just about set. Arrange 6-8 asparagus spears on top of quiche and continue to bake for another 25-30 minutes, until the custard is set (if edges begin to brown too quickly, cover with foil). Cool to room temperature, cover and chill for 24 hours.

To serve, heat in a 350 °F oven for 30 minutes or heat slices in a microwave for a minute or so depending on your microwave.

Enjoy!

Pear Melba ~ Poached Pears with Raspberry Coulis

I am crazy for poached pears! I love the texture, taste and the way they marry so beautifully with other flavors. Serve them with chocolate syrup, a red wine sauce, or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar (I know it sounds weird, but it is an amazing combo if you use really great vinegar).

Here they are dished up with a raspberry sauce and vanilla ice-cream. Skip the ice cream and you will have a delicious no-fat treat. You can dress this dessert up or down, serving to the family or to a crowd at a dinner party.

Pear Melba

1 3/4 cups water
4 small pears, peeled and cored and halved
1 lemon
1 cup sugar
2 cups raspberries (I use frozen except for a few fresh to garnish)
Vanilla Ice cream
Mint leaves for garnish

Additional flavoring options- you can add other flavors to the poaching liquid to give the pears a subtle taste of vanilla, cinnamon, wine. For vanilla, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the poaching liquid. For cinnamon, toss a cinnamon stick in the poaching syrup and for the wine, follow the directions here.

Squeeze the lemon juice from half of the lemon into a shallow bowl or plate. Use this juice to rub on the freshly peeled and cut pears so they don't discolor.

In a saucepan over medium heat bring the water and sugar to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add the juice from the other half of the lemon. Place pears in the liquid and simmer for 10-15 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the fruit, until the pears are tender but still firm. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Remove 3/4 of a cup of the poaching liquid and place it in a small saucepan with the raspberries. Cook just until the raspberries become soft and begin to disperse in the liquid. Mash the mixture with a potato masher or puree in a food processor and then strain through a sieve.

Throw out the pulp and return the raspberry coulis to the saucepan and simmer for 5-10 minutes to reduce it a bit. Place the sauce in a container and chill until cold.

To serve, pour some of the raspberry coulis on a plate or in a shallow bowl, place the pears on top of the sauce, add a scoop or two of ice cream and garnish with fresh berries and mint sprigs.

This is a great recipe to make for a dinner party as you can poach the pears and make the sauce a day ahead of time and then pull it all together just before serving.

If you do plan on making it ahead of time, I suggest using a pinch of something like Fruit Fresh to insure that the pears don’t brown. Keep the pears in the liquid, in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

Cheers!

Pumpkin and Fresh Ginger Pancakes

What simple and delicious way to begin your day with a big stack of pumpkin pancakes that have a gentle hit of fresh ginger! Serve these up with some warm maple syrup and you will get everyone off to a happy start!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch clove
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, dry spices and salt. In another bowl whisk together milk, pumpkin, melted butter, ginger and eggs. Fold mixture into dry ingredients.

In a greased a skillet over medium heat, pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.

Cook pancakes about 3-4 minutes until they begin to bubble on top, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve with butter and syrup.

Makes 6-8 pancakes.

Enjoy!!

An Empty Nest and the Next Big Wave

Sharing a cozy fusion meal of satay chicken, spicy noodles and flan l'orange in front of the fireplace with my newly empty nester brother and sister in-law as the first flurries of the season were getting ready to drop some snow on us, we chatted about about the next chapter in life. What do we want to be doing, contributing and accomplishing and where do want to be while we do it.

It is an odd feeling when you have spent the majority of your adult life focused on family and children and then suddenly your kids are out of the house and you have time to indulge a moment on yourself. It can be an enlightening and intimidating occasion when viewing life from this very different vantage point. Couples find themselves sitting across the dinner table looking at each other saying "now what" as the chatter of children no longer fills the space. Single parents may find themselves alone in their home for the first time in a long while without their child campadre to share the time with. It can also be a time of questioning whether you have prepared your child well enough to survive and thrive in the big cold world, and then the realization as they do thrive, that they no longer need you as they once did.

As parents, our job is to lay the ground work and foundation for our children, to give them the support and love to live their lives without us. To instill the sense and confidence so they aren't afraid to venture out into society and find their true purpose in life.

I remember dropping my son off at college with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart, then the realization of a certain freedom as I sat on the flight home, only to be sideswiped by sadness as I found myself sitting in an empty house that evening wondering what to do with myself.

It is a roller coaster of liberation and longing, self discovery and a processes of grieving for life has changed and a new phase has begun.

These days, I can barely get a text out of my son since he is working, playing and globetrotting his way through life. I do miss him and never feel as if I get to see him often enough, however, this is the natural progression and how the child/parenting cycle is supposed to work. On occasion, I am reminded that my kid still needs his mom when I get the call to say "I'm sick and I feel horrible" or "There is this girl I met...".

At the end of the day, the additional leisure time can bring couples closer together as they rediscover each other and single parents time to pursue relationships, business ventures or creative endeavors. In fact, most parents find that the anticipation of their nest becoming empty is more painful then when thier children actually do leave.

There is always the pursuit of the next great wave to surf, mountain to ski, country to visit and friends to make. Life is full of surprises and never lacking adventures, so we all agreed that this is an exciting time in our lives.

Bring it on!

FLAN L'ORANGE

2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups sugar
8 large egg yolks
4 whole eggs
3/4 cup milk or almond milk
1/4 cup cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon orange-flower water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoons orange zest
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Over medium heat, bring the water and 1/2 cup of sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir until sugar has dissolved and then swirl mixture in pan but do not stir it as it boils. Continue to cook until the mixture becomes an amber color.

Quickly pour the caramel into 6 flan ramekins or a round 7 or 8-inch ceramic or glass dish, tilting and swirling the caramel to coat the bottom of the dish. Allow the caramel to completely harden and cool for 15 -20 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the remaining ingredients including the remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Pour the custard into the flam ramekins or dish.

Place ramekins or dish into a large casserole or baking dish that is deep enough to pour and inch or so of hot water around it creating a water bath or bain marie which will cook the flans more evenly than without the bath.

Place in the oven and bake for approximately 1 hour for the large flan or 35-45 minutes for the small flans. Take the flan out of the oven when the outer edges are firm but the middle still jiggles. The flans will firm up as they cool.

Cool on a rack and then chill for 6 or more hours.

To serve, run a sharp knife around the sides of the flan and then dip the ramekins or dish into hot water for 20 seconds or so. Place a plate or platter over the dish or ramekin and quickly flip it over releasing the flan onto the plate or platter.

Enjoy!