Pumpkin Dip

I’ve been playing with variations of pumpkin dip that are savory enough to serve with pita chips, crackers and carrot sticks but also taste good with sliced apples and grapes.   The first version used a traditional sour cream and mayonnaise base and got some subtle sweetness from a home-made pear chutney.  It needed a bit more sophistication to make it to the grown-up table but is a fun way to include a kid-friendly food with the appetizers on Thanksgiving.  The next version added roasted red pepper and was, well, not good.  The last version used fewer ingredients and balanced simple sweet and spicy flavors with the fresh pumpkin taste.  This final recipe can be adjusted for sweeter palettes or fired up for those it like a little heat. It is not very heavy (no eggs or mayo) so won’t ruin any appetites but will keep any growling stomachs quiet before the main meal. 

Pumpkin Dip
Makes a little over 1 cup

Ingredients
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned fine)
1/3 cup cottage cheese
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons apricot fruit spread (or jam)
1 tablespoon sour cream
large pinch dried red pepper flakes (more to taste)

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a small food processor or blender. The cottage cheese will whip up into a smooth and light dip base for the other ingredients.  If you do not have a small appliance to really whip it, substitute ricotta cheese.
2. Pour into a small bowl.  Cover and chill until needed.  
3. Serve with grapes, sliced apples, carrots, celery, crackers or chips.

Every recipe developer needs an audience.  I give thanks to my tasters who gamely sampled several dips and gave excellent comments and tasting notes.  Enjoy, and feedback welcome.

How to Roast Fruit, Fish and Meat

Roasting is a ridiculously easy cooking technique.  It takes little supervision or fuss.  That makes it perfect at this busy time of year.  And you can cook several items at once. A roasted entrée with sides of roasted vegetables is a great combination.  You can even finish the meal with roasted fruit served with ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce.

Fruit roasts at a lower temperature than other dinner elements so I roast the fruit first.  I use chef Jeremy Tower’s method.  He roasts halved pears and apples rubbed with a tiny pinch of salt on beds of sugar (about 1/8 inch deep) on a parchment-lined, rimmed cookie sheet.  It takes about an hour at 350˚F.  Fruit is done when it is easily pierced with a sharp knife and the sugar is caramelized.  Slip a spatula under the fruit and set it on a large dish to cool.  Serve sliced fruit for dessert or breakfast with yogurt and granola or put sliced, roasted fruit in a salad with some dried cranberries and blue cheese.  Roasted fruit keeps for several days refrigerated.  It is a good "make ahead" item or a great way to have your oven do double duty when something else is in the oven at 350˚F. 

To roast vegetables, crank the stove to 425˚F and chop a medley of vegetables into bite-sized pieces.  Good combinations are peeled winter squash, potatoes, beets and carrots with a thin coating of olive oil, salt and pepper plus some sprigs of thyme or rosemary.  Or try chopped cauliflower, celery, broccoli, mushrooms and zucchini dressed with olive oil, crushed garlic clove and low-sodium soy sauce.  Place the vegetables on a foil lined metal roasting pan or glass baking dish.  If you’d like the vegetables to steam first, cover with foil for the first 20 minutes then remove the top foil, stir the vegetables and roast for another 20-30 minutes until they are tender and lightly browned. Brussels sprouts rank as our favorite when roasted.  Steam halved sprouts with a bit of water until tender then toss drained sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a roasting pan.  Roast for about 15 minutes at 425˚F, turning occasionally.  Don’t discard the little leaves that will inevitably fall off during steaming.  These roast up into little crispy chips that act as an instant garnish to the finished dish.

What to roast alongside your vegetable medleys?  Thick fillets of fish like sea bass, haddock, tuna or salmon would be nice with soy sauce-infused roast vegetables.  Add the fish during the last 10-15 minutes of roasting.  Fish only needs minimal prep.  I like a touch of olive oil or butter with good squeeze of lemon.  On white fish, chopped tomato (fresh or sun-dried in oil) and chopped parsley are good flavor builders.  For the meatier fish, tuna and salmon, a light glaze of low-sodium soy sauce or miso is terrific.  No need to turn fish over during roasting. It is ready when the meat flakes. 

Small or individual cuts of meat like a hot roasting oven. Try pork tenderloin marinated in slurry of a tablespoon of mustard, 1-2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup water (pat dry before roasting). Pork tenderloin takes 18-22 minutes at 425˚F.  Test with a meat thermometer for an internal temperature of 160˚F.  Thick cuts of steak can be roasted too.  Sear both sides of seasoned steaks in a skillet with a little oil until nicely browned and then place the (oven-proof) skillet in the oven to finish.  Rare (135-140˚F) takes just 8-10 minutes more for a one and half inch thick steak.  Medium about (150˚F) 12 minutes and well-done (160-165˚F) is ready in 15 minutes.  Remember to let the meat rest before cutting and serving. 

Whole chickens need to roast at lower temperatures but dark chicken parts can stand a higher heat in a roasting pan with a light coat of oil and a little water or broth.  Plan on 20-30 minutes for thighs/leg quarters.  They are ready when the internal temperature reaches 165-170˚F.  Your oven may run hot so start checking at 20 minutes using a meat thermometer.  If the outside is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil.

Roasting is a pure foods method that allows food to taste like itself.  Use a light touch with seasonings to keep the main ingredient’s flavor forward.  And if you oven has room, save yourself some time (and lower your energy bills) by cooking a double batch of vegetables or meat.  Use the vegetables in soup or mixed with grains the next day.  Slice the extra meat for sandwiches and skip the cold cuts for a few days.

Calcium Loading

The New York City Marathon is one of the city’s big fall events.  Runners enjoy an annual pasta meal the night before the big race.  Everyone knows its called “carb-loading” and it helps lean marathoners go the distance without depletion. 

There’s another race that more if us are involved in, the slightly longer marathon to maintain strong bones throughout our lives.  While marathoners are carb-loading, you can be calcium-loading. 

Calcium-loading is a mindful approach to getting calcium at as many meals as possible every day.  The body can only absorb about 500 mg of calcium at a time but the recommended daily amount is between 1,000-1,500 mg for most adults.  Taking a calcium supplement is recommended for many women but keeping up with the dosage can be taxing.  Take it all at once and most is lost to the body.  Try to take a pill at every meal and risk forgetting. Healthy bones are too important to neglect so here is a plan to keep calcium flowing through your system via- surprise- food.  Many low fat options make this possible for all but the lactose intolerant.  Add a few of these to your routine on a consistent basis and your doctor may suggest cutting back on the supplements.

There are choices at every meal and snack opportunity:

Breakfast
Coffee Latte—Get you caffeine with a bigger shot of milk and add 33mg calcium for every ounce (regardless of fat content).   I like strong hot coffee with at least 1/3 of the mug filled with milk.  That’s almost 100 mg* and plenty of caffeine.

Hot Chocolate-- Don't feel guilty about a morning hot cocoa.  If you can make it yourself,  it's likely you'll get out the door with less sugar and fewer calories than a coffeehouse special latte.  Hold the marshmallows.

Orange Juice—you can buy calcium-fortified versions but plain is also a contributor at 52 mg. calcium in 4 ounces.

Egg- one large egg contributes 27 mg calcium to your morning.  (Note: over 90% of the calcium is in the yolk.)

Yogurt- dollop it on oatmeal, which itself contributes about 85 mg of calcium in a cup, eat it plain or in a breakfast parfait with fresh or stewed fruit and a handful of low fat granola.   Eight ounces provides from 300-500 mg of calcium  (check the label on your favorite).

Cream cheese- replace butter with an ounce of regular or low fat cream cheese on toast, muffins, rolls and bagels.  Skimp on that huge bagel by cutting it in half but don’t cheat yourself out of the nutrition-rich cheese.   It also delivers a nice quantity of protein, keeping you satisfied through the morning.  One ounce gives you 25+ mg calcium bonus over butter or jams.  Mix in some cinnamon or a teaspoon of maple syrup for a terrific pancake or whole wheat waffle spread. 

Almond butter is a second option on breakfast breads.  It tastes good with cream cheese or on its own.  One tablespoon gives you 43 mg of calcium.

Smoothies made with low fat milk, plain yogurt and fruits including banana as a thickener make a quick breakfast protein shake.  Here’s a seasonal recipe that tastes like pumpkin pie:

Pumpkin Smoothie:
Serves 1

Ingredients
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup pureed pumpkin (canned is fine
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Shake all ingredients together in a lidded jar with a few ice cubes or, if doubling the recipe, mix it up in a blender. 

Lunch
Beverage of choice: Milk- your kids are (perhaps) having a glass of milk with their school lunch.  Maybe you should try it too.  Skim milk goes well with a sandwich and adds a big boost of both calcium and protein to your day.

Cheese please- Diet guides often recommend peeling the cheese off a sandwich to lower calories.  Instead, add a slice of your favorite hard cheese and lose a slice of bread to create an open face sandwich.  One ounce of most hard cheese provides between 100-200 mg calcium with only about 100 extra nutrient rich calories. If you can’t get out of your own way on the calories front, enjoy low-calorie versions of cheddar, Swiss and many others.  Melted is really good!

Spinach salad- Toss a cup of baby spinach leaves into your next midday salad and scoop up an extra 30 mg of calcium with just 7 calories. 

And while you’re at the salad bar, reach for chick peas.  You’ll add 43 mg calcium for every half cup (143 calories and 6 grams of protein makes your salad a main dish).

Snacks
Cottage Cheese- Once considered “diet food” only, cottage cheese is still a great side or satisfying snack with melon or pineapple.  Now it’s also used by savvy cooks in dip and baked pasta recipes. 

Cheese, Glorious Cheese- When you snack well it feels satisfying, not hunger-inducing.  An ounce of cheese can get you through to dinner and if you are not serving something with calcium it’s the perfect pre-dinner appetizer or elegant dessert with fruit. At about 100-140 calories per ounce it competes with most energy bars.

Chocolate milk—Com’n, you know you like it.  You can grab one on the go or whip one up at home.  If you are making chocolate milk at home, add a drop of real vanilla extract to enhance the deep chocolate flavor and reduce the amount of sugar needed.

Nuts- One ounce of nuts goes farther than you’d think to curb your appetite and add calcium.   Almonds 75 mg calcium, 1 ounce = 22 nuts, brazilnuts 45 mg calcium, 1 ounce = 6 nuts. Pistachios 31 mg calcium, 1 ounce = 49 nuts, walnuts 28 mg calcium, 1 ounce = 14 nuts.

White beans- two ounces contributes 20 mg calcium.  Mash beans up with a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and dried rosemary, salt and pepper to taste.  Celery, carrots, steamed green beans, asparagus, and cauliflower are all calcium-contributing dippers.

Edamame (soy beans) 1 cup =261 mg

Dinner
Many vegetables are a surprising source of calcium.  Half cup of cabbage or bok choy provides 190 mg calcium, broccoli 33 and okra 65 each.  A cup of cooked spinach provides 250 mg calcium and collard greens are at close second at 226 mg per cup serving. 

Go Au Gratin: One ounce of grated Parmesan has 110 calories and a whopping 313 mg calcium.  Cheese and broccoli casserole is suddenly more meaningful.  Try it with a low-fat version of cheddar and a dusting of grated Parmesan.   See below for a fast and freezable broccoli-cheese-rice casserole.  (Even rice has a respectable amount of calcium.)

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole
Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients
2 cups cooked rice
3 cups steamed broccoli
1/2 cup sliced, steamed celery
6 oz vegetable or chicken broth
1 /4 cup lite mayo
2 T sour cream
1/3 cup each grated mozzarella and cheddar
1/2 cup Parmesan, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.  Spray a large casserole dish with spray oil.  
2. In a small bowl, slowly whisk mix broth into mayonnaise and sour cream a bit at a time to form a thick sauce.  
3. Add grated mozzarella and cheddar and half the Parmesan.  Set aside.
4. Place rice and vegetables in prepared casserole.  
5. Pour cheese mixture over and toss to combine.  
6. Cover and bake 20 minutes until heated through.  
7. Remove cover, sprinkle on remaining Parmesan cheese and bake another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Fish like salmon and sardines load on the calcium.  Three ounces give your between 300 and 350 mg calcium.  Finish fish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.  12 grams provides 80 mg, calcium.  (Make your favorite tuna recipe with canned salmon to boost mid-day calcium. A three ounce serving of canned salmon packs 234 mg calcium.

Tofu, made from soy beans, is another way to add calcium.  A 4oz serving provides 150 mg calcium.  See if it’s in your favorite veggie burger. 

Not just for baked potatoes, dairy toppings can garnish steamed or roasted vegetables and thick soups.  Choose Greek yogurt, “yogurt cheese” or sour cream.  (To make yogurt cheese, drain a cup of plain yogurt in cheesecloth or a coffee filter for a few hours or overnight over a shallow bowl.)

Dessert
Puddings made with low fat and skim milk are a lovely treat every once in a while.  Chocolate pudding, vanilla pudding, rice pudding, tapioca can be made from scratch but are also available in low fat versions already prepared.

Yogurt—yes, for dessert.  We use it on fruit crisps instead of ice cream or whipped cream.  Try the plain, whole milk type (some brands have cream on top).  It is the perfect foil to sweet crisps. 

Close out a meal with a cheese and fruit platter or serve as a side to a soup meal.  Add some calcium-rich nuts like almonds to the platter too.  Keep cheese plates simple and portions in control.  An ounce of cheese is usually equivalent to the size of 3 dice.

The Cheese Plate  (calcium in one ounce)
Cheese          Calcium     Calories
Gouda              196           100
Fontina            154           109
Brie                   51             94
Cheddar          202            113
Goat Cheese      83           102
Swiss               221           106
Roquefort        185           103
Feta                 138             74

*Calcium content noted sourced from http://nutritiondata.self.com/

Vitamin D
Your body requires a supply of Vitamin D to help your system absorb and regulate calcium.  There are not many sources (fatty fish, meat and eggs).  One source is sunlight and it only takes 10-15 outdoors daily with face and arms exposed (no sunscreen) to obtain your fill. (A daily walk outside is another important bone strengthener.) Those who live in colder climates or who cannot be without sunscreen for that length of time can also get Vitamin D via fortified foods.

Apple Chips for Wine Night

It is my turn to bring the appetizers for Wine Night. We’ll be having pizza baked in the outdoor, wood fired oven that my neighbors built.  The wine is from the Finger Lakes region.  Dessert, a surprise. 

With pizza as the main coarse, the appetizer needs to be light.  No bready items and no anti-pasti or cheese that might come too close to imitating the pizza toppings. And, the appetizer needs to compliment the wine. 

It’s fall so roasted nuts and dried fruits come to mind as a nice foil to the dinner.  Guests can nibble and won’t get too full. Dried figs, apricots and dates will boost the flavors of the wines and roasted pecans, peanuts and almonds will balance some of the tannins of younger wines.

Apple chips dusted with herbs that compliment the wine will be the centerpiece of the appetizer spread.  Cinnamon-sugar scented chips are the usual flavor but my mix of dried mint, sage, black pepper and salt with a small amount of sugar will bring out the herbal notes in both the white and red wines being served and adds a sophisticated note to the apple flavor.  This is an easy recipe, but must be started early in the day.

Herbed Apple Chips
Ingredients
4 apples (note recipe can be halved if oven is not large enough for 4 sliced apples)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon each dried mint and sage
1/8 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

1. Arrange racks in oven so that they are evenly spaced.  Check how many sheet pans you can fit on the racks.  One medium sliced apple will fill a large baking sheet. This will determine how many apple chips you can make at one time.  
2. Bring oven to 225˚F while you prepare the apples.  Line the baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone pads or waxed paper sprayed with a bit of vegetable oil.  
3. Slice apples 1/8” inch or less thick.  A mandolin or slide-slicer will make this easy.  
4. In a wide bowl toss sliced apples with lemon juice, sugar, herbs, salt and pepper.  
5. Lay apple slices on prepared baking sheets as close together as possible without overlapping.
6. Bake 20 minutes, then using a spatula carefully flip apples over.  Continue to bake at 225˚F for a total of 1 1/2- 2 hours, turning every 15-20 minutes until apples begin to brown and are quite dry.  (Apple chips should be crisp, not chewy.)
7. As chips are ready, remove them from the baking sheets and place on a cool baking sheet or board to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.  You may recrisp these apple chips in a low oven, 15 minutes.