A Savory Scone

Christmas is over, the gifts are put away, and I’ve been binge watching New Girl and reading books - it’s been a successful vacation so far. I still have 3 books to read (plus a new one I got for Christmas) before I go back to work on Wednesday - looks like I’ll be busy the next few days; busy in the best way possible that is. 

Rumor has it that soup is new juicing - and well being a soup lover, I’m all over that. There is something comforting about a nice bowl of steaming soup and delicious bread on a cold MN winter day, which we have many of from January to April. 

I’ve been doing the Vegetarian thing for over 2 years now and I have to say I’m still liking it. I do fish from time to time and once a year (right after the holidays) I’ll do a bowl or two of Dan’s famous turkey soup. He boils the turkey carcass for an entire day, removes the meat, and then sets the pot outside to cool. When it’s cold he removes the fat from the top of the broth, chops carrots, celery and other veggies and boils them until they are done - the result is delicious. 

Soup needs a companion and bread seems to be one of its favorite companions (at least at our house). I found this scone recipe and liked the combination of veggies and we just happen to still have a few acorn squash from last years garden so it seemed like a good option. These scones are great for weekend brunch, or with your favorite soup.

Ingredients

2 cups kale leaves, loosely packed

2 cups unbleached flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar

1/3 cup vegan butter

1 egg

3/4 cup almond milk

1/4 cup cooked squash in small dice

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Set oven rack in the middle.

Steam kale for a minute or two, just to blanch. Chop kale finely, squeezing out as much liquid as you can. You should have less than 1 cup of chopped kale. If you have more, save it for soup or eat it. (Too much will make the scones sticky.)

Blend or sift the flour, salt, soda, baking powder and sugar together. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or your fingers.

In a small bowl, beat the egg, then add the milk, continuing to beat until well combined. Add egg/buttermilk mixture, along with squash, kale and cheese to dry ingredients, mixing with a fork just enough to combine.

Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment-paper-covered cookie sheet. Bake about 20 minutes until lightly browned. 

Note: These are dropped by the spoonful but if you'd rather use a cookie cutter or knife to make triangles or other shapes, knead in about 1/4 cup of extra flour at the end to make the dough easier to handle.

A Paella by Any Other Name

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! The gifts are purchased and wrapped, the groceries have been shopped for and are ready to be cooked. We’ve been cooking, wrapping, and partying - it’s Christmas! 

We’ve taken a break from hosting Dan’s family this year and it’s liberating - no planning, emailing, organizing, cleaning or excessive cooking. I’m enjoying being a guest for the first time in about 5 - 6 years. We’ll most likely host again - or not, maybe that next generation is ready to bring us all together for future events. 

We had some of Dan’s co-workers over last Sunday for a “welcome to the new kitchen we haven’t seen you in ages” get together. The group had a few food challenges; 2 vegetarians, 2 no cow, 1 lactose intolerant and no seafood - yikes!

I found a delicious vegan paella recipe that at first glanced looked easy to prepare, fairly normal ingredients and was delicious - I’d say we scored on all 3 counts. If you want the long version with many photos you can check out Pumpkin & Peanut Butter’s blog post. If you want the shorter version with a few changeups keep reading. 

This paella brings together many of my favorite foods; mushrooms, onion, delicata squash, basmati rice, and cauliflower. So many good flavors. The recipe below takes about 1 hour to prepare and servers 8 - 10 people as a main dish. We served it with a spinach, orange, date and pecan salad dressed with a fig and curry dressing, fresh bread and fresh fruit. 

Ingredients

2 - 3 Tbsp vegan butter 

8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

1 Medium yellow onion, sliced

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

2 cups brown basmati rice

4 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 delicata squash, halved and sliced

1 1/2 cup cauliflower florets

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley, for topping

optional: pepitas or roasted butternut squash seeds, for topping

Instructions 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sliced delicate squash in half and remove seeds with a spoon. Then, slice squash into 1/2'' slices. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then spread across a baking sheet. Do with same with the cauliflower florets and spread across the same baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing once.

In the meantime, heat 1 tbsp of butter in a large skillet. Add in sliced mushrooms and 2 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley. Sauté until mushrooms are golden, then remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, add 1-2 more tbsp of butter and sliced yellow onions. Sauté onions until golden brown.

Add diced tomatoes into onions and stir to combine. Next, add in 2 cups of brown rice and stir once again to coat. Toast rice for 1-2 minutes, then add in vegetable broth, cinnamon, tumeric, and paprika. Stir to evenly disperse liquid and spices. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cover. Cook for 40-45 minutes over medium low heat.

After almost all of the liquid is absorbed, stir in frozen peas and cooked mushrooms. Cook for another few minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice develops a bit of a crusty the sides and bottom of the pan. Top with delicata squash around the edges in a circle, and place the roasted cauliflower in the center. Sprinkle with lots of freshly chopped parsley and pumpkin or squash seeds.

If you are spending time with loved ones this holiday season - enjoy. If you are missing loved ones, cherish the memories and if you just want to spend time alone - that’s good too. Do what makes you happy. 

Resolutions - I have none. I am going to continue my 18 for 2018 into 19 for 2019. My goal is to do 19 things (with the exception of a couple items, most of the 19 will be unplanned and spontaneous) that benefit me or someone else in a positive way. I’m planning to walk/run/bike 2019 miles in 2019. I did this back in 2017 and I really enjoyed it so, I’m giving it a go again this year. 

I am thinking there will be a few surprises for me in 2019 - no hints yet but keep reading, because you will hear it here first!

Wishing you and yours a holiday filled with love, laughter and good cheer. Thanks for stopping by!