Sage Butter Summer Squash with Dill Garnish

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds summer squash
• 2-3 tablespoons butter
• 3-4 large garlic cloves
• 4-5 sage leaves
• sea salt, to taste
• lemon, to taste
• dill, to taste

Directions:

Slice the summer squash into half lengthwise, then slice horizontally into small pieces (~1/4 inch) and set aside.  Finely mince garlic and set aside.  Finely mince sage leaves and set aside.

Melt butter into a large pan on medium heat.  Add summer squash and garlic and begin cooking, turning periodically.  After about 5 minutes, sprinkle in the sage.  Cook until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes.

Once done, add a bit of salt (perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon) and squeeze lemon juice over the top (perhaps the juice of 1/2 to a whole lemon).  Toss.  Then sprinkle dill across the squash—a light even coating on the top—and toss once more before serving.

Myrtle's Note:  To start, I am a bit vague on the final ingredients, because I made this recipe with a single summer squash, essentially quartering the ingredients.  I will make more next time, even if I don't have guests.  I decided to mince the sage, because I wanted more flavor than I thought would come through by just putting the leaves whole in the pan.  By cooking slowly, the minced garlic browned and became a bit nutty, but did not burn.  I was concerned about the fresh sage, so I waited a while before adding it.  As I squeezed the lemon, some of the pulp fell in, which I thought was serendipitous.  The combination of flavors was rather tasty.  Certainly, this will be a new staple in my larder.


Yield:  4 servings

Source:  http://food52.com/recipes/18035-sage-butter-summer-squash-with-dill-garnish

Creamy, Smoky Whipped Rutabaga

Ingredients:

• 2 rutabagas  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon large flake smoked salt
• 1 cup whole milk 
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Peppercorn Medley

Directions:

Mince garlic and set aside.  Put olive oil and paprika in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.  Cube cream cheese and set aside to soften.  Cut centimeter slices and then cut again cross-wise to create cubes and set aside.  

Melt butter in a sauteuse pan.  Add garlic and sauté to a golden brown.  Add rutabaga cubes and toss well to coat the rutabaga.  Add salt and pepper.  Toss again.  Add milk and simmer for 30 minutes or  until the rutabaga is very tender and can easily be pierced with a fork.

Add all the contents of the sauteuse pan to the mixing bowl and then top with the cream cheese.  Using a hand or stand mixer, whip it all together.  Add additional salt and/or pepper to taste, if desired.  Serve immediately.

Myrtle's Note:  I rewrote the directions as to how I prepared this.  I did find the weight notations odd, since I had both one large and two medium rutabagas.  The two rutabagas were each about 1 pound.  So, I cannot fathom how four of those (equaling the 3.5-4 pounds) would have worked with the rest of the proportions since what I made worked out so well.  Not having smoked olive oil, I substituted smoked salt, reducing the amount a bit.  I also changed the type of pepper, because that peppercorn medley works so well with root vegetables and squashes.  And, for the record, I found the consistency more ... grainy ... than mashed potatoes, but incredibly tasty.

   

Yield: 4-6

Source:  http://www.thekitchn.com/autumn-recipe-creamy-smoky-whi-157478

Roasted Broccoli Patties with Garlic, Herbs, and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 12 oz fresh broccoli florets
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tablespoon of minced fresh thyme
• 1/2 tablespoon of minced fresh oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon of minced fresh basil
• 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup Kraft® shredded Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago cheeses
• Sea Salt
• McCormack® Peppercorn Medley 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.


Directions:

Mince garlic and set aside.  Cut off the florets from a head of broccoli until you have a 12 ounces. After getting the amount, cut the florets in to small pieces so that they fit well with the patty shape.  Put the florets in a wide, shallow glass bowl.  Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add minced garlic and toss again.  Spread onto a metal baking pan or sheet.  Season with sea salt and the peppercorn medley.  I used approximately 5 pinches of salt and then evenly dusted the top of the florets with the ground peppercorns.  Shake the pan from side to side a bit and then place into the oven.  Roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Whilst the broccoli and garlic is roasting, spray a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.  Beat the eggs and set aside.  Mince the fresh herbs and set aside.

Then, in a large bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and fresh herbs.  Then add the Parmesan,  Romano, and Asiago cheeses and mix again.  Next add the cheddar cheese.  Set aside until the broccoli is done.

Once the broccoli is out of the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees.  

Add the broccoli and the beaten eggs to the bowl and mix together.  Once thoroughly mixed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently to get all the bread crumbs,  form a ball in your hands and then shape into a patty and place on the greased baking sheet.  [The mixture will be crumbly and stick to your hands.  I had to mostly grab a handful, hold it in a ball shape, place it on the pan, and then sort of shape and press it into a patty shape.]  Repeat until all the mixture is gone.

Bake 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees, until the tops are golden brown.  Remove from oven, turn over, and bake an additional 12-15 minutes.  15 minutes on each side will make them very crispy, so keep an eye on them.


Myrtle's Note:  I've been wanting to make these for over a year, but have always thought the recipe seemed a bit ... lacking.  I kept searching for other recipes, but they are all pretty much the same ... the main difference being if you bake them or fry them.  Now, having done a lot of cooking myself, I had the confidence to try and craft a better recipe for baked broccoli patties.  Not being an onion person, I simply dropped the onions from the recipe, but then I used the core ingredients to craft something that had much more flavor.  For one, I used fresh broccoli and then roasted the broccoli and garlic together first.  Then, I added in the fresh herbs.  I also changed it from merely Parmesan cheese to a mix of hard cheeses.  I found them really tasty and far more ... together ... than I would have thought given how crumbly the mixture is and how hard it was to form the patties.  One recipe had the option of adding in some parboiled potatoes chunks. I might try that sometime.


Yield: 6-7 patties

Inspired from:  http://www.food.com/recipe/baked-cheese-broccoli-patties-500602

Zesty Roasted Rutabaga and Carrots

Ingredients:

• 1 large rutabaga
• 2-3 medium carrots
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• juice and zest of a large lemon
• 1 table spoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon dill
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.


Directions:

Peel and julienne the rutabagas and carrots into 3 inch slices.  Place in a sauteuse pan with the water and bring to a boil.  Cook for 5 minutes.

While the pieces are parboiling, juice and zest a lemon.  If you have a long curl zester, mince the curls.  Then, whisk together the lemon juice and zest and the rest of the ingredients into a shallow glass bowl.

Drain the vegetable pieces and toss in the bowl until thoroughly coated.  Spread out onto a metal pan.

Roast for approximately 40-50 minutes, turning after about 20 minutes to more evenly cook the vegetables.

Serve either warm or cold.


Myrtle's Note:  These were bloody fantastic!  I think the combination of carrots and rutabaga made both better.  And I liked the tang quite a bit.  As with most roasted vegetable recipes, I increased both the temperature and cooking time.  I also disagreed about the serving size.  Below is pictured 1/4 quarter of a rutabaga and the equal of about 2/3 carrot.  However, whilst I reduced the amounts of carrots and rutabaga, I kept the proportions the same on the marinade the same and I changed the type of sugar.  Like I said, though, these were bloody fantastic!


Yield: 4 servings

Source:  http://straightfromthefarm.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/zesty-roasted-rutabaga-and-carrots/

Herb Crusted Roasted Rutabaga

Ingredients:

• 2 rutabagas
• 2 table spoons olive oil
• 1/2 table spoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon McCormack® Peppercorn Medley
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.


Directions:

Mince the herbs and set aside.  Peel, slice, and then cube into small pieces the rutabagas.  Place the cubes in a wide shallow bowl and toss with the olive oil.  When coated, add the herbs and toss again.

Spread on a metal baking sheet and bake for approximately 40-50 minutes.

Myrtle's Note:  I made just a fraction of the recipe since I was trying out two rutabaga recipes at the same time.   So, my first batch had a tad too much oil, 1 tablespoon for just half a rutabaga.  The photo below is actually just 1/4 a rutabaga and half of what I made.  I adjusted the proportions above to make 4-6 servings.


Yield:  4-6 servings.

Adapted from:  http://cookingfortwo.about.com/od/vegetablesandsidedishes/r/roastrutabaga.htm

Blueberry Lime Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats 
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


Directions:

Grease a muffin pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream and oats so that the latter will soften.  Beat the eggs and set aside.  Zest a table spoon of lime and set aside.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and set aside.

Add the butter, oil, eggs, sugars, vanilla extract. and lime zest into the sour cream and oat mixture until thoroughly mixed.  Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient and mix until the batter just comes together. You don’t want to over work the batter as this will affect the muffin’s rising in the oven so it’s okay if it’s lumpy. Gently stir in the blueberries (if using frozen, do not thaw them first).

Divide the batter into the muffin pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned on top and when a knife inserted into the muffin comes out clean.  Best when served warm.


Myrtle's Note:  I didn't feel like cleaning an extra pot, so I just used really softened butter.  The only changes I made to the recipe was to rework the directions a bit to remind myself how to make them next time.  They are not sweet at all, but full of oat flavor.  I think they would be great for breakfast or an afternoon snack.


Yield:  12 muffins

Source:  http://www.homesicktexan.com/2012/08/blueberry-lime-oatmeal-muffins.html

White Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoon cream
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 12 oz white chocolate chips
• 10 oz dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Directions:

In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside.

Beat together brown sugar, butter, and white sugar in large bowl until creamy.  Next, beat in the eggs, cream, and vanilla extract until a bit fluffy.

Gradually stir flour mixture into the butter mixture until well combined.  Then, add oats, white chocolate chips and dried cherries. Mix together until these are pretty evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Drop tablespoon sized portions of the cookie dough onto a stoneware baking sheet (or a greased metal one).  Bake for approximately 11-13 minutes. Keep on eye on them.  Undercooking them ever so slightly keeps them nice and chewy.  Allow to cookies to cool on a rack and enjoy!


Myrtle's Note:  All I changed was half-and-half to cream, because why would anyone use half-and-half when cream is available?  These cookies are DIVINE! My photo shows them a bit squished because I was impatient about moving them to the cooling rack.  But should photography matter when such tastiness is before you?

Yield ~60 cookies


Source:  http://www.foxnews.com/recipe/white-chocolate-cherry-oatmeal-cookies

Dr Pepper Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 1 1/4 cups Dr Pepper (not diet)
• 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground allspice
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the icing:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup buttermilk or half and half
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


Directions:

Grease a 9x9 cake pan and set aside.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and kosher salt and set aside.   Pour the Dr Pepper over the oats and let it sit for 10 minutes or until the oats are hydrated.  Beat the eggs and set aside.

Cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until well blended. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla and stir until fluffy.  Add in flour mixture and then Dr Pepper and oatmeal to the creamed butter and eggs and stir until a thick batter is formed.

Pour the cake batter into the pan and bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool.  On low heat, melt the butter, and then stir in the brown sugar, buttermilk, cinnamon, and salt.  Allow to simmer until it begins to look sticky.  Then pour over cake and put the cake back into the oven under a broiler for approximately 30 seconds so that the icing will become crispy.

Allow cake to cool again before cutting.


Myrtle's Note:  I do not like nuts or coconut in desserts, so I completely left them off of the icing.  In the original recipe, there is the suggestion to use a different icing in that case, but I stuck with the other ingredients.  I went ahead and put the cake back in the oven, per the directions, and the icing turned into something that looks like cinnamon toast.  Nice a crispy.  Except for the one spot that was a bit thick.  However, there recipe calls for putting the icing on a warm cake and I think it would work much better on a cooled cake, because my icing basically soaked into the top and sides of the cake.   Since there was no instruction to let the cake cool before cutting, I tried to cut it as soon as the icing cooled a bit.  The cake was still quite warm and crumbled into a million—albeit tasty—pieces.  Basically, I've changed the recipe to fit my tastes.  If you are a nut sort of person, follow the link to the original one.


Yield: 12-16 servings

Source:  http://www.homesicktexan.com/2012/01/dr-pepper-oatmeal-cake-coconut-topping.html