Recipes Archives - K.V. Fischer

Farmer’s Market Treasures for Italian Pasta Salad

recipe, pasta salad, veggies, organic, garlic, oregano, vinaigrette, vegetables, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, olives, broccoli, corn, cheese, edamame, peas, carrots — Farmer’s Market Treasures
Miller Farms – Organic

There’s still time to take advantage of those farmer’s market treasures for a delicious Italian Pasta Salad. If you’re from the Northern Colorado area, you may want to check out the Longmont Farmer’s Market. It’s open Saturdays 8:00 – 1:00 through November. The Italian Pasta Salad can be made as a side dish, or a full meal. I tend to beef it up to a full meal.

Recipe — Italian Pasta Salad

Cook:

12 oz. dry gemelli pasta in a pot of boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Gemelli pasta is a thicker Italian pasta. You may substitute what you have, especially if you can’t find it.

For the Salad:

As a side dish

2 cups seeded, chopped cucumbers
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 cups halved marinated green olives
1 cup shredded Pecorino Romano (3 oz.)
1/3 cup diced red onion (Feel free to use green onions.)
Add the cooked gemelli pasta

This side dish makes 10 servings (10 cups).

Beefed up as a full meal:

I omit the cucumbers and add:

peas
carrots
broccoli
cooked fresh corn
Asiago or Cheddar cheese chunks
cooked chicken, tuna, or cooked shrimp
dry roasted edamame

Choose your favorites!

In a large bowl, mix the cold drained pasta with the vegetables.

For the Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette:

Whisk:

1/2 cup white wine vinegar (Feel free to use apple cider.)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (To decrease the calories and add a little more bite, use 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil and increase your vinegar. I usually add Balsamic vinegar to my personal serving but not the whole batch as a matter of personal preference.)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano (Use dry if fresh is unavailable.)
2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1/2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. black pepper

Toss whisked vinaigrette with pasta salad.

Enjoy this delicious and healthy dish! What are your favorite veggies to add to a pasta salad?

Gluten Free – Turkey & Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

dining, Highlands, North Carolina, Recipe — Dining Delight

Whether you have a gluten sensitivity or not, this recipe is a gluten free keeper — Turkey and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash. A good friend of mine shared this tasty, low fat, nutrient rich meal that’s sure to leave you feeling satisfied.

acorn squash, recipe, gluten free, Turkey & Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash — Acorn Squash – Delicious Stuffed

This recipe serves 8 so feel free to double it or cut it in half.

Ingredients:

4 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
8 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher or fine sea salt, to taste (I typically cook without the added salt)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound ground turkey
2 medium sweet apples, such as Pink Lady or Gala, peeled, cored, and
Apples for Your Gluten Free Recipe – Turkey & Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium celery stalks, diced
1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
3/4 cup blanched almond flour
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the squash halves cut sides up on the baking sheets. Brush with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 45-55 minutes, until tender when pierced with fork (and when top edges are nicely browned).

mushrooms, recipe, Turkey & Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash — Mushrooms

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the turkey. Cook, breaking up with wooden utensil, until cooked through and no longer pink. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Add apples, onion, celery, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and poultry seasoning and stir 1-2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with turkey. Stir to combine, then taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Stir in almond flour and egg whites.

When squash halves finish roasting, pile stuffing evenly into the halves. Return to the oven for 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Squash is a nutrient rich food we should all indulge in when we can. Do you have a good squash recipe to share? How about a gluten free one? Check out my Sweet & Sour Chicken — another gluten free keeper.

Thanksgiving — Turkey Dressing Through the Generations

Thanksgiving is upon us and it’s time for a very special side dish — my mother’s turkey dressing! I only treat myself to this guilty pleasure at Thanksgiving (and of course for leftovers) for very obvious reasons. However, among the many blessings I have to be thankful for, this is one I’d like to share for all to enjoy.

Recipe

Modifications to the original recipe were made to reduce the saturated fat and salt content while retaining its delicious flavor. This has always been my favorite…

Ingredients:

1 package cubed seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 loaf bread (whole wheat or bran bread – “stale”).
Thanksgiving Basket
1 container of chicken livers
1 cooked turkey liver
Broth (boil the neck to make fresh broth, or use already prepared broth)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning.
4 cups chopped celery
4 cups chopped onion
6 large eggs (beaten slightly).
pepper
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

Sautee onions and celery in olive oil, cook until soft then set aside.
Sautee chicken livers and turkey liver, cook until soft then set aside.

Advance timeline:

3 days before — onion and celery
2 days before — cook liver, neck, innards in chicken broth, low salt.
Dice the liver and add to the onion mixture in refrigerator. Save flavored broth for stuffing.

recipe, turkey, dressing, Thanksgiving — Thanksgiving Turkey — Dressing Through the Generations

Day of Meal:

Place bread in a large pan (Take 1/2 loaf of bread out a couple of days before and dry out.)
Wet bread with broth, add beaten eggs, butter/oil, liver, onions & celery. If done in advance, you will need to lightly heat mixture before adding to bread mixture (not too hot though or the eggs will cook).
If you stuff your turkey, do it just before baking and place it in a mesh stuffing bag. Bake according to the directions. Please note, it is critical to maintain proper internal safe cooking temperatures.

Certain foods or particular meals bring us “home” in tradition. This is one of mine… . What family recipe is one of yours that you would like to share?

Thanksgiving, recipe, turkey, dressing — Thanksgiving Day
Thankful for Every Blessing

Mr. Bugs Had It Right — Carrot and Cashew Soup

fall harvest, carrots, soup, recipe, ginger, carrot and ginger soup — Fall Harvest — Carrots

Mr. Bugs had it right! It’s the end of harvest season — at least in Colorado, and this Carrot and Cashew Soup recipe is delicious!

bunny, carrots, healthy, antioxidant — Mr. Bugs Had It Right — Carrots — A Healthy Choice

Before we get to the recipe, check out the skinny on carrots, a very versatile vegetable. It’s commonly eaten steamed, roasted, boiled, raw, and as an ingredient in many stews and soups. They are easy to grow and can be bought canned, frozen, fresh, and pickled.

Carrots – A Healthy choice

The carrot is a crunchy, sweet, aromatic vegetable that is a very healthy, popular vegetable high in Vitamin A (it provides 210% of an adult’s daily needs). Carrots also contain vitamin E, folate, potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc and fiber. Evidence exists that vegetables and fruits high in antioxidants (carrots included) reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Vision will also be restored by correcting Vitamin A deficiencies.

If you have an over abundance of carrots, you may ask, “What should I do?” A neighbor who has a garden of carrots shared a delicious soup recipe — Carrot and Cashew Soup (this is a favorite even of those who are not crazy about carrot soup).

Ingredients

colorful carrots, carrots, Carrot and Cashew Soup, recipe — Colorful Carrots

Carrots — 3 pounds chopped.
Chopped onions — 1 1/4 cup.
Cashews — 3/4 cup unsalted, unroasted.
Olive Oil – 2 TBS.
3 crushed garlic cloves.
Vegetable stock or water (you may substitute with 3 cups of low sodium chicken broth and 3 cups of water) — 6 cups.
Soy milk (or what you prefer) — 2 1/2 cups.
Ginger root — 1 Tablespoon grated.
Black pepper to taste (optional).

Directions

Add the water or stock with the carrots to a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Onions for Carrot and Cashew Soup

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Sautee the onions, garlic, and cashews in another pan in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil until the onions are soft and translucent.
Place the contents of both pans in a blender and puree until very smooth.
Return the puree to the saucepan and add the ginger, soy milk, and black pepper.
Garnish with toasted cashews, parsley, and yogurt.

Colorado, fall, Karen Van Den Heuvel — Karen Van Den Heuvel — Fall in Colorado

You may salt and pepper to taste (although I avoid the extra salt since Americans consume too much).

Let me know your thoughts after you try this delicious recipe!

Southern Tomato Pie — Add to Your Summer Delight

Southern Tomato Pie, pie, farmers market — Southern Tomato Pie — A Summer Delight

Southern Tomato Pie is a delicious way to top off your summer! Savory, not sweet, take advantage of your garden or your local farmers market. Mouth watering fresh tomatoes and sweet Italian basil fill this pie along with a variety of cheeses. It makes a great side dish or a Vegetarian main dish — your choice.

Ingredients

1 9-inch pie shell (store bought or homemade)
3-4 tomatoes
1/2 cup red or yellow onion chopped
Sweet Italian Basil — Home Grown or Farmers Market Fresh
1/4 cup sliced basil (about 7-8 large leaves) — If you don’t have fresh, feel free to use dry.
2 cups (8 oz.) of shredded cheese (use a combination of sharp cheddar cheese and Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or Gruyere)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (reduced fat preferred)

1 tsp Hot Sauce if you like it hot (if not, skip this ingredient)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (Note: Used to remove additional liquid from the tomatoes. Cheese has a lot of naturally occurring salt. Generally, after squeezing the tomatoes, I do not use salt.)

Directions

To prepare the tomatoes:

tomatoes, vegetables, fresh — Fresh Ripe Tomatoes

horizontally cut them in half,
squeeze to ensure the removal of excess juice,
chop to yield about 3 cups.
- If using salt, lightly salt the tomatoes and set them in a colander over a bowl to drain.
- Note: Remove as much moisture as possible. Squeeze or press with paper towels, potato ricer, or a clean dish towel.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F:

Pre-bake the pie crust until browned lightly (about 8 to 10 minutes — a frozen pie crust may take a little longer). You may want to poke holes in the bottom with a fork to vent.

Layer the pre-baked pie shell:

Start with a layer of chopped onions on the bottom of the pre-baked pie crust,
spread the chopped, drained tomatoes over the onions, then
sprinkle the fresh sweet Italian basil over the tomatoes.

Prepare cheese mixture:

Mix together the shredded cheese, mayonnaise, hot sauce (if used), and black pepper in a medium sized bowl.
Spread this cheese mixture over the the tomatoes & basil.

Bake:

Place Tomato Pie in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F until bubbly and browned. This usually takes between 25 and 45 minutes.

Visiting the Highlands, North Carolina area?

Southern Tomato Pie, tomatoes, basil, — Dusty’s Rhodes Superette
Highlands, N.C.
Serving Delicious Southern Tomato Pie

Enjoy breakfast or lunch at Dusty’s Rhodes Superette, a wholly owned family operation since 1952. The original owners built this market with an attached apartment where current owners, Dusty and Kitty were born. With fresh produce, meats, specialty foods, a bakery, deli and more, it’s a great place to stop, shop and enjoy a meal. They also make a delicious Tomato Pie!

market, dining, breakfast, lunch, Highlands, NC — Dusty’s Rhodes Superette
Highlands, N.C.

The Ultimate 5 Week Bran Muffins

5 Week Bran Muffin, Fresh Fruit — The Ultimate 5 Week Bran Muffins

The Ultimate 5 Week Bran Muffins are not only delicious, but they are healthy as well. Food does not have to be high in fat, salt, and sugar to be scrumptious. With the summer months upon us and the farmer’s markets at their best, we can take advantage of the succulent fruit rich in vitamins and minerals that are available to us. Most will do for this easy, flavorful, healthy muffin that can be eaten for breakfast or dessert as a healthy alternative. The particular muffins shown in these photos have Georgia peaches, blueberries, bananas, apples and walnuts. You can use whatever fresh fruit you enjoy and is available (or a combination).