Boiled New England dinner features corned beef, carrots, potatoes, turnips, cabbage, and squash. It requires little tending and no added seasoning. (Kitchen Report)

New England boiled dinner

By Stir It Up! Editor, Kendra Nordin / 03.16.13

Here in Boston, boiled corned beef is especially cherished by Irish Americans on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s even served every Thursday evening at Doyle’s Cafe, our local Irish pub in Jamaica Plain (movie stars and politicians love this place).

Say the words “boiled dinner” to most epicurians and you might be greeted with a grimaced face that seems to say, “Boiled? It sounds simply awful!”

In fact, boiled dinner is quite delicious. The corned beef is cooked until it melts in your mouth and the root vegetables are so tender they can be sliced with a spoon. It’s also so easy to prepare without much watching that it could be called the original slowcooker meal.

When considering this dish as a New England classic, it’s easy to see how the corned beef could have been put on to simmer early in the morning before church, and then finished up when everyone returned home for Sunday dinner.

New England boiled dinner was also a favorite dish of another famous Bostonian – Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of The Christian Science Monitor.

Her cook, Minnie Weygandt, took copious notes on what meals were served in the Eddy household to avoid repeating menus too often. But New England boiled dinner was a regular in the rotation. On April 15, 1900, she noted this dinner:

“One dinner which [Mrs. Eddy] liked so much that it almost seemed as if she hardly knew when to stop eating was boiled dinner. But that was not ordinary boiled dinner such as most of us are used to. The corned beef was put on at dawn to simmer in a great kettle. Then all kinds of vegetables were put in and this cooked and cooked until it was almost like jelly. Three Bartlett pears were added when they were to be had.

When this dish was brought to the table it was of such texture and consistency that it melted in the mouth. Custard pie was often served as dessert.

As it was quite a job to prepare and cook these boiled dinner just as Mrs. Eddy wanted them, I always saw that there was ample quantity on hand. The leftover cabbage was packed in a mold and sliced down and served cold, dressed with vinegar the next day. The vegetables and beets were made into what Mrs. Eddy called ‘flannel hash.’ She was very fond of these dishes, but the family somtimes got tired of them and fussed a bit when they saw a boiled dinner appear, thinking, I suppose, that there were going to get too much of a good thing.” (Weygandt reminiscences, p. 36-37)

When I set out to recreate New England boiled dinner, I had some trouble figuring out what “corned beef” looked like. I know you can buy corned beef hash in cans, but that’s not what I was after. The tattooed hipster store clerks at the community co-op where I shop had no clue either. I circled the store several times before I found it.

It is a huge piece of meat.

The package held about 4 pounds of brisket. I decided for my purposes, I would just make half the recipe. This also makes a good winter meal because it uses such a nice collection of root vegetables and squashes. You can swap out and add any variety of root vegetables to your liking.

I put the meat on to simmer and then got to work peeling and chopping the vegetables. Traditionally, carrots and potatoes you leave whole. And, you can leave the potato jackets on, it probably helps them to keep their form as they boil. My potatoes were naked, but they turned out fine.

The other interesting thing about this recipe is that there are no added spices or seasonings – you simply cook the vegetables in the salty broth of the meat.

Another tip: Remove the meat from your Dutch oven or large pot after it is done and keep it warm to make room for all of the vegetables as they cook in the pot. (Unless you have one of those giant over-the-fire kettles.) The recipe also says when serving to simply lay the meat on a large platter and arrange all the vegetables around it. Every morsel is so tender that you can scoop up what you want from the platter, the meat doesn’t need to be carved. I remember doing this as a child, since New England boiled dinner was one of my dad’s all-time favorite meals.

This communal approach isn’t a very “pretty” treatment to a dish that is quite homely to begin with. If you are trying to plate your meal in a way that looks attractive to your dinner guests, I suggest checking out New England boiled dinner on Simply Recipes. Elise does a nice job of styling an appetizing boiled dinner there.

Otherwise, just gather your friends ’round the table, lift your spoons, and dig in – after you say grace, of course.

New England Boiled Dinner
From “The American Heritage Cookbook”
Serves 6 to 8

4 to 5 pounds corned beef

6 carrots

6 medium potatoes

1 medium yellow turnip

1 small head green cabbage

1 small crookneck or butternut squash

Place beef in a large kettle and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer gently for 3 to 4 hours or until tender when pierced with a fork. While beef simmers, scrape carrots and leave whole; pare potatoes and leave them whole, too; pare turnip and cut in sixths; cut cabbage head in sixths; peel squash, remove seeds and membrane, and cut in large even chunks. 

The trick to cooking a good boiled dinner is to have all the vegetables down at the same time. Carrots, potatoes, and turnips take about 30 to 35 minutes to cook. The cabbage and squash will cook in 15 to 20 minutes. As you drop each batch of vegetables into the liquid, increase the heat so the broth continues to bubble. to serve, place beef in the center of a large heated platter and surround it with all the vegetables. Traditional accompaniments are freshly cooked beets dressed with vinegar, and johnnycake, with apple pie for dessert.

This post was part of the First Saturday program at The Mary Baker Eddy Library, which sponsored a month-long look at 19th-century foodways.

Enhance the flavors of a simple Irish stew by browning the lamb first and adding crispy bacon. (The Runaway Spoon)

Saint Patrick's Day Irish stew

By Perre Coleman Magness, The Runaway Spoon / 03.15.13

Like many traditional dishes of the British Isles, my first taste of Irish stew was in the dining hall of my college at Oxford. And it wasn’t a particularly good experience. Tough meat, watery broth, soggy vegetables. But I never gave up on the notion; I just think I liked this dish in theory more than in concept. But a warming, hearty lamb and vegetable stew is just a plain good idea, so I stuck with it.

I have read many Irish stew recipes over the years and they are all pretty simple and plain, which I think is a hallmark of Irish cuisine. And I’ve made many versions, too, but I always felt they needed a little oomph. So I’ve added some bacon for smoky saltiness and browned the meat for extra richness. Some of the impetus for sticking to the dish is that I now find beautiful pasture-raised, local lamb, and good meat makes all the difference. I love the contrast of peppery parsnips, and sweet carrots, and of course, no Irish Stew would be complete without potatoes.

Irish stew
Serves 8 
If you don’t find ready-to-use stew meat, ask the butcher counter to cube lamb shoulder or leg for you.

3 pounds lamb stew meat, in 2-inch cubes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 pound bacon

1 large yellow onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 cups beef broth

3 bay leaves

6 sprigs fresh thyme

2 parsnips

3 carrots

2 yellow potatoes

chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Pat the lamb cubes dry with paper towels. Mix the flour, salt and pepper together in a large zip-top bag, then drop in the lamb and shake it around to coat each cube with flour.

Cut the bacon into small pieces and place in a large (5-quart) Dutch oven. Cook over medium high heat until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain using a slotted spoon. Let the bacon grease cool a bit, then very carefully pour it into a glass measuring jug. Carefully wipe out the pot, cleaning out any burned bits.

Return the pot to the stove and heat 1/4 cup of the bacon grease. Remove the lamb cubes from the bag, shaking off any excess flour and cook them in the bacon grease until browned on all sides. You will need to do this in batches, removing the browned pieces to a plate. If needed, add a little more bacon grease to the pot and heat it up between batches.

When all the lamb is browned and removed from the pot, add 2 more tablespoons of bacon grease and the chopped onions and cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. When the onions are soft, add 1/4 cup of water and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cover and cook until the onions are soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Return the lamb and about 3/4 of the cooked bacon to pot. Pour in the beef broth, add the bay leaves and thyme and bring to a boil. Stir the stew well, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook for 1-1/2 hours.

Peel the parsnips and carrots and cut into bite-sized chunks. Add to the simmering stew. Scrub the potatoes, but do not peel, and cut into nice chunks. Add these to the stew as well, give it all a good stir, cover the pot and cook for a further 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes, carrots and parsnips are tender.

At this point, the stew can be made up to a day ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated. Reheat over medium just until warmed through. Fish out the bay leaves and thyme stems before serving.

Serve in big bowls, topped with the remaining bacon pieces and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley.

Celebrate Pi Day with a Victorian custard pie that is smooth without being sugary. (Kitchen Report)

Pi Day: Celebrate with a vintage custard pie

By Kendra Nordin, Kitchen Report / 03.14.13

Baking a pie for Pi Day (March 14, aka 3.14) may seem like a daunting task. But an easy recipe to tackle would be this simple Victorian custard pie from the late 1800s. With its short list of ingredients, not much can go wrong. I tested it last fall for the Mary Baker Eddy Library, which sponsored a month-long look at 19th-century foodways. (Mary Baker Eddy was the founder of The Christian Science Monitor.)

The first thing I noticed was how few eggs and little sugar are used in this recipe. Most contemporary custard pie recipes call for 3 to 4 eggs and at least 3/4 cups of sugar, as opposed to the old-timey 3 tablespoons in this recipe from Fannie Farmer’s “The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook.” This could be for two reasons: (1) sugar was an expensive commodity in the late 1800s and (2) the American diet was much more bland than it is today.

I doubt the taste buds of our Victorian-era ancestors could tolerate our modern sugar-based diet!

The other wording I stumbled over in this recipe was “paste,” this of course meant the pie shell. And in Fannie Farmer’s cookbook there was no actual recipe for the pie shell. I can only assume that the cooking school took for granted that most home cooks knew how to mix and roll out a pie shell.

I do not, at least not by heart.

My preference, of course, is to buy a premade pie shell because it’s so easy and takes no time. But for the sake of recreating the Victorian experience, I persisted to rollout my own dough. If you are a novice pie dough maker like me, be sure to mix and refrigerate your dough before preparing the filling.

The recipe also does not indicate how much to preheat the oven, nor how long the custard pie should bake. It simply says “bake in a quick oven at first.” So I preheated the oven to 400 degrees F., and then reduced it to 350 degrees F., after the rim had set, as the recipe instructs.

I have no idea how long I left it in the oven, since the instructions didn’t specify. I simply took it out when it looked done and set. Usually when I’m cooking I set my timer on the microwave and multi-task with other chores, checking my e-mail, or watching TV. That is one thing you’ll notice about late 19th-century recipes, they take for granted that the cook of the house was probably in the kitchen all day, tending to the wood or coal stove, peeling vegetables for the next meal, or planning dishes for the reminder of the week.

A custard pie may have been a quick finish to a more elaborate meal in an 19th-century household, an easy aside in a whirl of cooking and baking. In my modern kitchen, it was the main event.

The finished product was delicate and not very sweet, and I could see how it would make an appropriate dessert for a heavy meal like a New England Boiled Dinner. In fact, I found it to be so bland it was like a dressed-down quiche. I enjoyed a slice for breakfast several days in a row.

After all, pie for breakfast has long been a tradition in the Yankee kitchen, according to “The American Heritage Cookbook”: ”The custom of eating apple pie for breakfast, at which lesser men have quaked and blanched, has seemed natural, inevitable, and pleasurable to New Englanders. ‘What is pie for?’ Emerson exclaimed, and the matter was settled.”

Custard Pie
From the “Boston Cooking-School Cookbook“

2 eggs 

3 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

Few gratings nutmeg

Beat eggs slightly, add sugar, milk. Line plate with paste*, and build up a fluted rim. Strain in the mixture and sprinkle with a few gratings of nutmeg. Bake in a quick at oven at first to set the rim, decrease the heat afterwards, as eggs and milk combination need to be cooked at low temperature.

*Pastry for pie crust
From “American Heritage Cookbook”

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening

2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

Sift flour and salt together in a bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture looks mealy. Sprinkle water over mixture (the less water you use, the better your pastry). Mix lightly with a fork, then work the pastry with your hands until it can be formed into a ball. Chill thoroughly. Using light strokes, roll out on a floured board. Start at the center and roll toward the edge. When dough is about 1/8 inch thick, line a 9-inch pie pan, pressing pastry to bottom and sides. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

This post was part of the First Saturday program at The Mary Baker Eddy Library, which is sponsored a month-long look at 19th-century foodways.

Pi Day doesn't have to be just about numbers. Take some time to make this Meyer lemon ice box pie to share today. (Ravenous Couple)

Meyer lemon ice box pie for Pi Day

By Hong and Kim Pham, Ravenous Couple / 03.14.13

We’re fortunate to enjoy a winter harvest with the mild southern California weather. Our garden is full of winter vegetables such as bok choy and edible chrysanthemum, but the harvest we look forward most is our Meyer lemons. Our baby Meyer lemon tree only yielded six lemons last winter, but with more nurturing throughout the year, our tree more than tripled it’s bounty this winter.

Thought to have been crossed from a Eureka lemon and a mandarin orange, we love Meyer lemons because it’s sweeter and more fragrant then a regular lemon, without the mouth puckering sourness. While juicing them for lemonade is perfectly acceptable, we’re always trying to find other ways to maximize our harvest and the unique flavors of Meyer lemons.

That’s where this lemon ice box pie comes in. Sarah's version of this classic Southern pie at Hollywood’s new The Hart and the Hunter restaurant won us over with it’s silky smooth and tart bright flavors. Plus, the chilled texture of the pie was a pleasure to eat. We immediately went home to harvest our Meyer lemon tree and attempted to recreate the pie.

A lemon ice box pie differs from a classic lemon meringue pie in two key ways. First, you’re not cooking the lemon custard ahead of time and second, it’s a frozen pie, which sets the lemon filling and also a great way to enjoy the bright citrus flavors. There are many recipes on the Internet that use cream cheese and whipped cream topping. Our recipe is adapted from Food and Wine magazine and based on what we ate from Sarah’s creation.

This is the perfect make ahead dessert as it requires freezing at least overnight. It also stores well, at least a week if well wrapped, perfect for a daily slice of heaven or unexpected guests.

Meyer Lemon Ice Box Pie

 2 packets (14 crackers) graham crackers

6 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup sugar, divided in 1/4 portions

4 eggs, yolks and whites separated

2 cups fresh Meyer lemon juice (or any fresh lemon)

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 cans condensed milk

9 inch spring form pan

Directions:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Process the graham crackers and 1/4 cup of sugar in a food processor until fine and add the melted butter and pulse until butter is incorporated. Pour into spring form pan and spread out the mixture evenly and 1/2 way up the sides to form the crust. Press a measuring cup against the side of the pan to even out the crust. Set aside.

In mixing bowl, whisk the condensed milk, lemon juice, zest, and eggs until well incorporated. Poor mixture into the pan. Whip the meringue by combining remaining 1/4 sugar and egg whites until stiff peaks form, and spoon on top of the pie, spreading evenly to seal the pie.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until top of meringue is golden brown, remove and allow to cool.

Cover well with plastic wrap and place in the freezer overnight. To serve, do not defrost. Remove from freezer and run a knife around the edge of pie to release the meringue and then release the spring form pan. Run knife in hot water, slice and serve.

Optional: torch the sides of the meringue of each slice before serving. The pie will last a week in the freezer if well wrapped.

Use a muffin tin to make these cakey doughnuts topped with a sugary glaze. (The Pastry Chef's Baking)

Glazed doughnut muffins

By Carol Ramos, The Pastry Chef's Baking / 03.12.13

These muffins are accurately named as they really do remind me of doughnuts – at least cake doughnuts rather than yeasted doughnuts. It could be the taste of cinnamon that reminds me of doughnuts, but it’s also the glaze. (Confession: I didn't sift the confectioners' sugar or the glaze so you can see little lumps in the glaze.) They are delicious! As with any muffin recipe, mix sparingly, just enough to have the batter come together. If you overmix, the muffins won’t have as tender a crumb or texture.

These would make for a good addition to an Easter brunch, if you're planning that far ahead. To make them as doughnut like as possible, let both layers of the glaze set before serving. Or serve gooey warm with runny glaze.

To avoid the lumps in the glaze, simply strain it before using. I find it's easier to strain glaze or frosting rather than sifting confectioners' sugar before using. If you sift the sugar to get out the lumps, tiny lumps can still form in your glaze as you mix the sugar with the liquid. Save a step and strain the glaze once it's made and before it sets.

Glazed Doughnut Muffins
 From Sweet Pea's Kitchen

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. With the mixer on low speed, add baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla until just combined. Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.

Spoon batter into cups, filling the cups, and smooth tops. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Bake until muffin tops are a pale golden and springy to the touch, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 10 minutes before glazing.

For the glaze:

3 tablespoons butter; melted

1 cup confectioners’ sugar; sifted

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons hot water

In a medium bowl mix together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and water. Whisk until smooth.

When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin crown into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. Once hardened, dip a second time and allow to harden before serving.

Don't have black-eyed peas handy? You can used a sprouted bean mixture and red quinoa in place of the beans. (Beyond the Peel)

Meatless Monday: Kale and black-eyed pea stew and a vegan cookbook review

By France Morissette and Joshua Sprague, Beyond the Peel / 03.10.13

I received a book called the 'Superfood Kitchen' by Julie Morris. I had agreed to review it and would only post a review if I liked it. Well, to my surprise it wasn’t only a superfood cookbook, but vegan too! I actually didn’t realize it at first with the absence of terms like “vegan cheese” and “butter substitute” but after spending a couple of hours with the book I realized I was going to be in for a real treat! Don’t let the price tag fool you (less than $10) it’s absolutely packed full of great recipes and information in a 200 plus page hard-cover book.

I had looked for vegan cookbooks before and they are usually disappointing. I’m not saying they all are, just the ones I had access to to look at and flip through. So much of them were filled with tons of sandwiches, pastas dishes (made with white flour noodles), cool whip and nature’s balance and vegan cheese (the store-bought nasty stuff, not the homemade ones made from cashews and nutritional yeast).

Julie Morris doesn’t market this book as being vegan… it just happens to be. So it was a pleasant surprise. So was the dessert section. Yeah baby! Ice cream cupcakes anyone?! No bake-brownies, truffles, and fudge! 

But one can’t live on sweets alone. So there’s an entire section on breakfast, another for salads and soups. Now you might be thinking, “Oh great, soups and salads, who wants to live off those?” But she included delicious mains, including grain free pasta dishes, creamy noodle dishes made with vegan cream sauces (cream sauces made from cashews are down right amazing by the way), stews, chili, and fun burgers and patties (none of which are made from funky GMO soy products). She even included side dishes like Yam Fries and a one minute ketchup recipe to go with it. There’s cracker and flat bread recipes and an entire section on superfood snacks. You don’t need to get past the breakfast section to know this book is a keeper. There’s not a single recipe I wouldn’t make.

Ok… I should mention there’s a scary part… There’s going to be ingredients you’re not familiar with. But that’s ok! If you’re intimidated by the superfoods…DON’T BE.

Yes, there’s a list of fancy ingredients that cost a little extra to purchase, but I’ll share a few secrets with you.

• If you don’t want to buy the fancy superfoods, you can still make 90 percent of the recipes in this book. They can, for the most part be left out.
• If you only buy local food (since some of superfoods can come from far away places), there’s still a massive selection of recipes to choose from.
• If you’re eating vegan, you can most likely afford the product anyway since you’re already saving so much money by not buying animal products.
• If you choose to buy some of the fancier superfoods, they can be ordered online and shipped to you so you don’t have to worry about accessibility.
• And though the initial cost may seem high at first, the amount that is used in a recipe is very small, which means that little package you paid 10 dollars for will last you a very long time.

I’ve already shared with you one of Julie Morris’ recipes for delicious Yam Fries (superfood maca powder optional) but today I’m going to share with you one of her super satisfying stews. We had this for lunch and dinner for two days with zero objections from the hubby. That’s’ saying something.

Look if new foods scare you, and you’re new to whole foods, this might be too big of a leap. But if you are looking to lose weight (eating lots of vegetables is a big part of that) or are looking to include more vegetarian items into your diet, this is worth the minimal investment. If you’re enthusiastic about trying new food, new combinations and especially if you’re dabbling in veganism (or you are vegan), this is a worthy purchase. There’s also minimal use of grains (quinoa and rice used a handful of times) and no dairy or eggs, so it makes it a good choice for those with allergies.

I made changes to this recipe because I was missing one of the ingredients. I didn’t have the black eyed peas. I substituted in a sprouted bean mixture and red quinoa in place of the beans. I wrote the recipe down just the way it is in the book so that you could choose which of the two version you’d like to make. This will be included in the recipe notes.

Kale and black-eyed pea stew

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 cups diced white onion

6 garlic cloves

3 stalks celery, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 tablespoon each fresh oregano and thyme , chopped

1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

3 cups each water and vegetable broth

2 tablespoon wakame flakes

3 cups cooked black-eyed peas

1 head kale, stems discarded and chopped

1/2 lemon, juiced

fresh parsley to garnish

In a large pot, melt the coconut oil. Add the garlic and onions and cook for two minutes over medium high heat. Add the celery and pepper and cook for a few more minutes. Add the spices, cook for 30 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients, except the kale and lemon juice, and cook for 30 minutes. Add more water and salt as needed during the cooking process. Add the kale and cook for a few more minutes until kale is wilted. Finish by adding the lemon juice at the end. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and garnish with fresh parsley.

Note: I did not have black-eyed peas cooked and ready to go. To speed things up, I substituted 1 1/2 cups dry sprouted bean mixture and 1/2 cup red quinoa. I added 2 extra cups of water. I also had 3 cups of freshly cooked butternut squash that I added. This stew cooked in about the same amount of time as the original version.

The elements are simple in this classic dessert. Rich homemade pudding layered with buttery cookies and fresh bananas. What’s not to love? (Whipped, The Blog)

Banana pudding parfaits

By Caroline Lubbers, Whipped, The Blog / 03.09.13

Somewhere online, I saw this book about desserts in jars. I sort of giggled at the idea that such a specific concept of “desserts in jars” could fill an entire book. But, once I thought about it, I decided it wasn’t such a bad idea. I haven’t yet flipped through Shaina’s book but it did inspire me to build these banana pudding parfaits in jars. They kept well in the refrigerator and would be perfect for picnics or meals on-the-go.

Old fashioned banana pudding has always been a favorite of mine. I like it best the next day when the pudding has made the cookies just soggy enough but the bananas haven’t broken down to mush. Since I am a vanilla pudding/custard addict, I prefer traditional, old fashioned vanilla pudding without flavorings or liqueurs adding banana flavor into the pudding. I let the fresh bananas do all the work. And, though I like whipped cream, I didn’t include it in this batch. A little, freshly whipped cream cloud on top wouldn’t hurt.

Usually, Nilla wafers are used in banana pudding recipes. I experienced a happy accident when I couldn’t find them at my local store. Instead, I bought a box of Lorna Doones. The buttery, shortbread cookies were a welcome substitute and will be my first choice in the future. If you have leftover Girl Scout shortbread cookies, this might be a nice place for them to find a final resting place. If you really want to impress, make your own homemade shortbread cookies!

When our last jar of this banana pudding was left, our four-person family eagerly crowded around to share. Fighting almost ensued as little eyes determined whether or not each bite was of equal size. Though the elements are simple, this is one of my all-time favorite desserts. So comforting. Unctuous, rich homemade pudding layered with buttery cookies and fresh bananas. What’s not to love?

Banana pudding parfaits
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups whole milk, divided

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 fresh bananas cut into 1/8 inch slices

18 small shortbread cookies (I used Lorna Doones)

whipped cream (optional)

To make the pudding:

Put 2 cups of the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. In another bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar and salt with a whisk. Add the additional 1/2 cup cold milk and whisk to combine. Whisk in egg yolks until smooth.

When milk is hot but not boiling, slowly add a half cup of the warm milk into the cold mixture, whisking constantly. Then, slowly add the mixture into the pan of hot milk, whisking constantly. Continue to stir and heat until you see the first bubbles. Turn down to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for another one-two minutes until pudding begins to thicken.

Pour the pudding into a bowl. Stir in butter and vanilla extract. To avoid a pudding skin on the top, you can place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding. Cool the pudding in the refrigerator until ready to assemble. Whisk the pudding again before serving.

To assemble banana pudding parfaits:

Put a few spoonfulls of pudding at the bottom of each jar or serving cup. Spread a few banana slices on the pudding and crumble a cookie over the top. Add a few more spoons of pudding. Add banana and a cookie. Spread the final amount of pudding over the top and place a whole cookie on top.

If you are using whipped cream, add it between the layers of pudding.

Delicata squash has a rich, nutty flavor, which pairs nicely with salty, creamy tortellini. (Garden of Eating)

Two simple satisfying salads

By Eve Fox, Garden of Eating / 03.08.13

Roasted delicata squash and tortellini salad with cranberries, greens, and pepitas

After I discovered delicata squash a few years ago, it quickly gained "most favored squash" status in my kitchen. In addition to their divine flavor, one of the nice things about delicatas is that you do not have to peel them - just remove the seeds and cut them up - no need to remove the skin.

The lovely, rich, sweet, slightly nutty flavor of the delicata squash is enhanced by roasting and pairs nicely with the salty, creamy tortellini and the grated parmesan cheese. The greens add a light, fresh note (I only had baby spinach on hand but I prefer arugula as it gives the salad a nice peppery bite), the pepitas add a great, smokey crunch and the dried cranberries offer some tart, sweet notes.

It's hard to stop eating this salad. We made this for lunch today and my husband and I both had to try several times before we were able to finally lay our forks down for good...

Serves 3-4

2 delicata squash, halved, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

1 package fresh or frozen cheese tortellini

4 cups arugula or baby spinach, washed and dried

1/3 cup roasted pepitas

1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

handful fresh parsley and thyme, rinsed, dried and chopped

sea salt and black pepper

olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the squash cubes with the garlic, a sprinkling of sea salt and a healthy amount of olive oil to coat on all sides on a heavy baking sheet. Put in the oven and roast, removing every 10 minutes or so to turn the pieces to prevent any from burning. It will probably take two or three flippings with the spatula and a total of 25-30 minutes in the oven until the pieces are soft all the way through. Remove from the oven and let cool a bit.

2. While the squash is roasting, bring a pot of water to boil and cook the tortellini according the directions on the package (will vary for fresh or frozen) then drain and toss with some olive oil in a large shallow bowl.

3. While the pasta and squash are cooking, wash and dry the greens and chop the herbs.

4. Combine the squash, tortellini, greens, herbs, cranberries, and pepitas in the large shallow bowl and top with freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste.

Red cabbage, carrot, cilantro slaw

This quick Asian-inspired slaw works great as a side dish. Garden of Eating

I had half a head of red cabbage and a ton of fresh cilantro left over after making shrimp tacos last week so I decided to make something with them. My first thought was this divine little slaw I made up last winter but when I went in to grab the veggies, I noticed not one, but two bags of organic carrots cooling their heels in the crisper (no doubt the result of my faulty memory last time I bought groceries.)

So I changed course from a Mexican-inspired to an Asian-inspired slaw, pairing the veggies with sesame oil and rice vinegar instead of lime juice and honey.

Survey says... YUM! Carrots, cabbage and cilantro are a rather magical combo - crunchy, sweet and fresh. And mighty purty to look at, too.

Serves 4-6 as a side

2 cups grated or finely shredded carrot

2 cups finely shredded red cabbage (I used my handy-dandy mandolin - makes it a breeze!)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, washed, dried and chopped

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (also known as just rice vinegar - they're the same thing but they're NOT the same thing as rice wine or mirin which is good stuff, but something else, altogether)

1/2 tablespoon sugar, maple syrup, or apricot jam, to taste

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (you can also use peanut or olive oil)

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Combine the carrot, cabbage and cilantro in a bowl. Mix the other ingredients together and stir to allow the sugar (if you use sugar) to dissolve. Toss it all together and stir to combine.

It's a blustery, wintery March week for many across the country. Warm up with this Southwestern-inspired soup. (Blue Kitchen)

Lively, hearty black bean soup with ham hocks

By Terry Boyd, Blue Kitchen / 03.07.13

This has been a strange winter. But strange or not, it’s still winter, and that had me thinking soup. This soup started with a remembered ham hock not getting any younger in the freezer. My first thought was black-eyed peas, but there was also a bag of dried black beans in the pantry with similar faded youth issues. So black bean soup it was.

The prolific Anonymous once said, “Success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan.” Black bean soup must be successful indeed. Its origin has been credited to Mexico, Michigan, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central America, Europe… Lydia over at Soup Chick even makes a delicious sounding Korean-style black bean soup. Most versions I found when I started thinking about making it took their inspiration from the American Southwest. So did I.

This is a great soup to make a day ahead. It gets better when allowed to rest in the fridge and let the flavors blend. Speaking of flavors, the many potent ingredients– cumin, garlic, celery, bell pepper and even the smoked ham hock– each add their distinctive flavors without taking over the dish. And the jalapeño pepper, while only subtly affecting the taste, brings needed heat. With the volume of soup this recipe produces, the pepper doesn’t make it fiery– it just delivers a tingly kick, giving it another layer of interest.

Black bean soup with ham hocks
Serves 4 or 5 as main course

1 pound dried black beans, soaked (see Kitchen Notes for fast and slow soaking methods)

1 smoked ham hock, 3/4 to 1 pound

8 cups water

2 bay leaves

canola oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 large jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (see Kitchen Notes)

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 ribs celery, peeled and diced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (see Kitchen Notes)

salt

sour cream (optional)

chopped cilantro for garnish

Place soaked beans and ham hock in large, heavy stock pot or Dutch oven. Add water and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1-1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan or skillet. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, carrots, and celery. Toss to coat with oil and sweat vegetables for four or five minutes, stirring frequently. Clear a space in center of pan, drizzling in extra oil if needed, and add garlic and cumin. Cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat and toss vegetables to combine. Set aside.

Using tongs, transfer ham hock to shallow bowl and set aside. Remove and discard bay leaves; add vegetable mixture and tomatoes to pot. Season generously with fresh ground black pepper, but don’t add any salt at this point. Transfer four cups of soup to food processor and carefully purée (do this in two batches, if necessary). Return to pot.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or more. Meanwhile, when ham hock has cooled enough to handle, remove the skin, fat and bones and chop the meat into small pieces. Return to pot. As the soup simmers, you may get a bit of foam on the top. If so, skim it off and discard. This happened late in the cooking process for me.

Add lime juice and adjust seasoning with salt, if needed– the ham hock will provide plenty of saltiness, so you probably won’t need much. Ladle soup into bowls, giving it a good stir with the ladle to make sure everyone gets plenty of beans, vegetables and meat. Top with a dollop of sour cream, if using, and garnish with cilantro. Serve.

Kitchen Notes

Soaking beans. Here are two methods, the traditional slow soak and a convenient fast soak. Whichever method you choose, pick through the beans first to remove any pebbles and shriveled looking beans and give them a quick rinse.

Slow: Place beans in a large pot or bowl and cover with water by at least three inches. Soak them overnight, drain and rinse. They are now ready to cook.

Fast: I’m really liking this method these days– cuts way down on the need to plan ahead. Place picked over and rinsed beans in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Cover with cold tap water by at least three inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for two minutes. Turn off heat, cover pot and let beans soak for one hour. Drain and rinse. They’re now ready to cook.

Spice it up with the jalapeño. When you chop the jalapeño, include at least some of the seeds and ribs. They’ll add just enough heat to this big pot of soup give it an interesting kick.

Buy plenty of limes. Unlike lemons, limes are notoriously stingy when it comes to producing juice. It could take three or four limes to get the needed two tablespoons of juice for this recipe. And yes, lime juice is necessary. We sampled the soup when it was fully cooked before adding the lime juice. Despite all the various big-flavored ingredients, it was surprisingly bland. The lime juice brought it to life.