Oats and Berry Squares

We baked a few goodies for the Holiday Season - we meaning me mainly, with my little girl being a fairly willing but rather inexperienced sous chef :)

Mostly Christmas Sugar cookies, some Lemon Butter cookies and a batch of these fairly "healthy" oats and berry squares. I had canned some Blueberry+Raspberry preserves from all the berries we picked over summer which seemed like a good filling for these simple oats and berry bars.

If using butter alternatives like Smart Balance™ or Earth Balance™ they don't behave the same way as traditional butter - they are too soft. If shaping them into cookies, preferably refrigerate for 2-4 hrs before working with it and even then, work really fast... but, as far as these bars go, it seemed fine - we just want a crumbly mixture to pack at the bottom and the Smart Balance™ Omega that I used seemed to work all right.

Ingredients
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup Smart Balance™ Omega butter or regular unsalted butter
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup berry preserves

Preparation

1. Beat brown sugar and butter until fluffy
2. Stir in flour and baking powder till it makes a crumbly mixture; reserve ¼ cup (or more) mixture for topping
3. Grease an 8-inch baking pan and pat the crumbly mixture at the bottom in a single uniform layer; spread the berry preserve in a single uniform layer over it; top with the reserved crumbly mixture
4. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 30-40 minutes till brown
5. Cool on a wire rack and cut into little squares or into rectangular bars. I like to cut it into little squares so it is easy to allow the kids to enjoy a reasonable portion at a time.

Dark Cocoa and Walnut Biscotti

Something about the bone-chilling winters here makes me want to bake. Possibly, the aroma of cookies and breads supply the much-needed warmth that the soul craves to keep up with the joys of the season. Not to mention the fact that the body is programmed to accumulate and store fats till Springtime :)

Anyway, this biscotti recipe is a simple variation on the standard ones for the lemon or almond biscottis available on the web. I love dark chocolate. I had walnuts handy, no almonds. And, this dark cocoa and walnut biscotti surprised me by turning out alright despite all the substitutions.

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup Hershey's Special Dark™ Cocoa (less, if preferred)
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup brown sugar or granulated sugar
2/3 cup Smart Balance™ Omega spreadable butter
¾ cup Egg Beaters™
½ cup chopped walnuts
Optional:Powdered Sugar for glaze

Preparation

1. Combine the dry ingredients - viz., flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt - and keep it handy (Sugar is considered a wet ingredient in most baking recipes)
2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and butter and beat with electric mixer in medium-speed for 2 minutes or till creamy; add egg beaters™ and beat well for another minute; then at low speed, add the dry ingredients a little at a time and continue mixing, beating till just blended; stir in walnuts, if using
3. Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil spray, turn out the dough and shape into two long logs about 1½ to 2 inches thick
4. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 25-30 minutes till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
5. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for about 15 minutes
6. Using serrated knife, cut the logs diagonally into the familiar biscotti slices
7. In the same baking sheet, place the pieces cut-side up and bake in 350°F oven for about 12-15 minutes; flip so the other cut-side is up and bake another 12-15 minutes till crisp and edges are brown
8. Remove from oven, allow to cool on wire rack
9. Optional Glazing: Mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 5-6 teaspoon water to form a glaze and drizzle it over the cooled biscotti slices

Purple Cauliflower and Pear Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Purple cauliflowers are not just beautiful. They are also antioxidants-rich (anthocyanin) vegetables with chockfull of nutrients. I can't seem to pass them up at the farmer's market.

With white cauliflower, I like to roast them, make Gobi Manchurian, or Aloo Gobi, or throw them in soups and salads, even make a cheesy casserole.

With Purple cauliflower, it seems a shame to cook it down and lose some of its nutrients and color in the mix. So, salads seem like a wonderful way to present them. And, this time, rather than toss them in with the usual Romaine lettuce and other salad fixings, I wanted to let the purple cauliflower be the primary ingredient with just a simple balance of flavors and a simple vinaigrette to enjoy it fresh.

Plus, I had just enough pickled asparagus and pickled baby scallop squash waiting to be used up.

The sweet, crisp pear counters the vinegar-soaked asparagus and scallop squash, while the fresh mild purple cauliflower provides texture and balance, with a light vinaigrette of olive oil and lemon juice.

Ingredients
2-3 cups purple cauliflower florets
½ cup chopped pickled scallop squash
4-6 pickled asparagus spears, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 medium pear, sliced
optional: Spring onions, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts

Vinaigrette:
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 clove of garlic, crushed finely
salt to taste

Preparation
Simply toss the salad ingredients together, drizzle as much vinaigrette as needed, top with cranberries and walnuts, serve fresh.

Butternut Squash Soup with Olive & Herb Dampers

Hot Butternut Squash soup with warm dampers fresh from the oven is a wonderful winter treat... at least for the adults. The kids don't seem to like it much. At least not so far... maybe a few years down the road they'll start loving it?

For the soup, I find it easiest to peel, core, cut into chunks and cook the squash in a pressure cooker, with some onions. Then, mash it well, simmer it in a broth with flavors, and finally, purée it before serving for a smooth texture.

The dampers are really simple and quick, done in about 20-25 minutes, about the time it takes to finish up the soup.

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cored, chopped into chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
Herbs: Thyme, Sage, Rosemary, Basil, Marjoram
salt to taste
1-2 cups evaporated milk
water as needed



Dampers:
3 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp salt
¼ cup chopped pitted olives
½ cup herbs: parsley, chives, oregano
3¼ oz melted butter
½ cup water
½ cup milk

Preparation

1. Butternut Squash Soup: pressure cook the squash chunks and onion; then, mash with a potato masher or purée if preferred; return to stove, simmer on low adding evaporated milk and herbs, adjust salt to taste; add water to adjust consistency of soup, if preferred
2. Herb &a Olive Dampers:
   • Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, make a well, add the wet ingredients, stir till incorporated, then turn it over onto a floured surface and knead till smooth
   • Shape into a ball, lay it on a greased cookie sheet and press down to make an 8-inch round
   • Score gently into 8 sections with a sharp knife taking care not to cut through
   • Bake in a 415°F oven for about 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes or so till golden brown and done - i.e., sounds hollow when tapped on the surface
3. Serve the warm fresh dampers with the hot soup