Susan Gregg Gilmore's Blog

Ah, yes, spring has sprung here in the South. In fact, I think it began springing back in February. But with the dogwoods and redbud in bloom, my cooking always takes on an even lighter touch, and of course I look to one of spring's best and first vegetables, ASPARAGUS.

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Rebecca has done it again and come up with a wonderful dish for us all to enjoy.

Asparagus Salad

You Will Need:

2 pounds asparagus, (about 2 bunches), trimmed

1 pint tiny cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 bunches (4 cups) salad greens, whichever you prefer

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, optional

Directions: Prep time- 20 minutes Cook time –15 minutes

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Place asparagus in a large bowl. Add tomatoes and oil and toss to coat. Spread in a heavy roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and add a generous grinding of pepper. Roast until the asparagus is crisp-tender and the tomatoes are warmed and slightly crinkled, about 15 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve.

Whisk lemon juice, orange juice, honey, & mustard in a medium bowl until blended. Reserve half of the dressing in a small bowl.

Add salad greens to the medium bowl; toss to coat. Spread the salad on a platter. Arrange the roasted asparagus and tomatoes on the salad.

Drizzle the reserved dressing over the asparagus and tomatoes and sprinkle with dill, if desired.

Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Makes: 6 servings

Calories: 61

Total Fat: 3 grams

Sodium: 223 mg

Carbohydrate: 9 grams

Fiber: 2 grams

Protein: 3 grams

It was Rebecca's idea to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with spinach. And I thought it was a super, if not very green, idea. So here we go, Cheesy Spinach Cakes, for your Luck 'o the Irish celebration. We'll leave the green beer to you!

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You Will Need:

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed & well drained*

Cooking spray

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, or low-fat cottage cheese

1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

2 large eggs, beaten

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

*After the spinach is thawed, place in a paper towel and squeeze out

as much of the liquid as you can over the sink. This will prevent the

cakes from being too watery.

Directions: Prep time- 15 minutes Cook time – 20 minutes

1.      Preheat oven to 400°F.

2.      Spray a medium skillet with cooking spray and turn heat to

medium. Sauté the diced onion until tender and browned.

3.      In a medium bowl, add WELL DRAINED spinach, onion, ricotta (or

cottage cheese), Parmesan, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper; stir to

combine.

4.      Coat 8 cups of a muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide the

spinach mixture among the 8 cups (they will be very full).

5.      Bake the spinach cakes until set, about 20 minutes. Let stand

in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out

onto a clean cutting board or large plate. Serve warm, sprinkled with

more Parmesan, if desired.

Makes: 4 servings

Serving Size: 2 spinach cakes

Another very dear friend of mine lost her father last week, and I headed to the kitchen to prepare some comfort food. The weather was a little cool so I cooked up one of my favorite dishes. . .white beans.

Beans are like a blank canvas. You can do almost anything you want to them. I threw in some very low-fat chicken sausage, carrots, and spinach, and the result was colorful and yummy. I added a salad with fresh berries and Hendrickson's Original Sweet Vinegar & Olive Oil (NON-FAT, GLUTEN-FREE, PRESERVATIVE-FREE, SUPER YUMMY) Dressing. Ann's husband closely watches his cholesterol so I was keeping that in mind as I prepared this meal.

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When I delivered the food, Ann and I sat down and talked about her dad. He had a heart attack on the way home from Wednesday night church services. He had pulled safely off to the side of the road and turned on his caution lights, and then died there in his car. I was touched by his consideration of others even at the very end. The state trooper who found him called him a hero.

Walking away from my friend's house, I was the one who had been comforted.

Recipe for White Beans

Note: I typically soak my beans using the quick method. And I cook them according to the instructions on the bag.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

6 cups water or chicken stock (I add Better than Bullion to desired taste)

1 pound rinsed, soaked and cooked white beans

1 cup finely chopped carrots

3 cups of fresh spinach leaves

2 cups low-fat chicken sausage, sliced

1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add stock, beans, carrots, spinach and sausage. Simmer gently with lid tilted until desired tenderness is reached, about 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Pepper to taste.

Nutritional Content

Rebecca says this is an EXCELLENT source of fiber, providing 60% of the daily requirement. She also recommends using water or low-sodium chicken broth. I have to admit this is where I am bad. I tend to use Better than Bullion or full-octane chicken stock.

Calories: 276

Fat: 4.5g

Saturated fat: 1g

Cholesterol: 25mg

Sodium: 248mg

Carbohydrate: 40g

Fiber: 15g

Protein: 21g

It's official, the flu is a no-show this year. At least, it's very late to the winter games. Apparently flu germs, unlike most of us, like cold weather. They thrive in it.

Even though the CDC says incidents of the flu are down, way down, I still hear people coughing, hacking, and sneezing. Alas, the winter cold! OK, so more annoying than troublesome, the common cold can still leave you feeling, well, yucky.

But I have a little something that will make you feel oh so much better, the hot toddy.

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Settle in and sip on this, and I promise you will breathe and sleep much better!

Recipe:

1 ounce brandy, whiskey or rum (I opt for Jack Daniels.)

1 TBSP honey

1 slice lemon

1 cup hot water

1 tea bag (I tend to use whatever's on hand but both black and green teas work well.)

1 cinnamon stick and a pinch of nutmeg if you like

Let your tea bag steep as you would when making a cup of tea. Then settle into bed or a cozy chair. Cover with a blanket and enjoy!

Nutrition facts:

Calories: 128

Fat: 0g

Carbohydrates: 17g

Protein: 0g

Rebecca and I talk a lot about finding the perfect comfort food. Chicken usually figures somewhere in the conversation. But the other day, Rebecca brought a favorite dish to my attention that I had not considered as a comfort food. Quiche!

My love affair with this dish began 30 years ago when I was given my first copy of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Just look at the page which features the Quiche Lorraine recipe. I've touched it many times.

notice the whole eggs and heavy cream

But Julia uses heavy cream and whole eggs. So Rebecca went to work to come up with a modern, healthier version that is sure to comfort and nourish. Here's what she has to say.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has made a cheddar and sausage quiche for people who are sick, have a death in the family, etc. I recently calculated one of her quiche recipes for calories, fat, etc. and was shocked to see it ring in over 400 calories per slice. After doing some research, I realized most traditional quiches have 400-500

calories per slice!

Quiche is great to bring to neighbors, family, and friends during a time of need because (as my mom says) no one usually thinks about bringing breakfast food. But the beauty of quiche is that it can be eaten any time of day. So next time you think about whipping up a traditional quiche, think about making the following swap outs in this healthier quiche recipe (1% milk instead of half-and-half, extra sharp cheddar which allows us to use less cheese, and 2 eggs whites replace 2 whole eggs). Quiche + fresh fruit = great comfort dish.

We've also included a pie crust recipe made with heart healthy canola oil instead of shortening. The best part about this quiche recipe is that you can add and subtract ingredients to make it your own (onions,mushrooms, chicken, crab meat)!

Turkey, Spinach, and Cheddar Quiche

1 recipe for Pastry (see below)

4 eggs, beaten (two whole eggs + 2 egg whites)

1 1/2 cups 1% milk

1/8 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

3/4 cup chopped cooked turkey (about 3.5 ounces)

3 cups lightly packed spinach, chopped

3/4 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

In a medium bowl, stir together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Stir in turkey and spinach. In a small bowl toss together the cheese and flour. Add to the egg mixture, mix well.

Pour egg mixture into pre-cooked pastry. Bake in 325*F oven for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pie Crust Recipe

Makes: 1 pie crust

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup canola oil

3-4 tablespoons milk

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flours and salt. Add oil and 3 tablespoons milk all at once to flour mixture. Stir lightly until combined. Add in 1 more tablespoon milk, if necessary. Form pastry into a ball.

2. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to flatten pastry ball. Roll pastry from center to edges into a circle 12 inches in diameter (pressing cracks back together). Gently roll pastry into a pie dish (not stretching it). Trim and crimp edges as desired.

3. Line pastry with foil. Bake in 450*F oven for 8 minutes. Take off foil. Bake for 4-5 more minutes or until pastry is set and dry. Reduce oven temp to 325*F for quiche recipe.

Nutrition Facts (one slice quiche with pastry)

Calories: 341

Fat: 18g

Saturated fat: 5g

Sodium: 451mg

Carbohydrates: 29

Fiber: 2 grams

Protein: 17g

*To further reduce the fat content, I used egg substitute with 0 fat grams, an organic reduced-fat chicken sausage, and spinach in mine as well as an organic white cheddar made with 1.5% milk fat.

And then, because I was too lazy to make a pie crust, I cubed a day old loaf of crusty bread and spread it across the bottom of my pie pan. I have to say, it was delicious!

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My Valentines's Day thoughts are filled with chocolate. And there's no reason you can't indulge and still feel good about it. So Rebecca has come up with a chocolate mousse that's sure to delight, and don't let the first ingredient leave you saying, "NO WAY!"

The non-refrigerated box at 12.3 ounces is the perfect amount.

I promise one bite of this tofu-based mousse, and you'll be begging for more.

Dark Chocolate Good-for-You Mousse

Makes: 2 cups mousse

Servings: 6

Serving Size: 1/3 cup mousse, 1 generous tablespoon whipped cream, 1 strawberry

Ingredients

1 (12.3 ounce) package silken tofu, drained

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup water

1/3 cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup heavy cream (or light whipped cream in the spray can be used here)

5 strawberries

Directions:

Place the tofu in a food processor and blend until smooth. In a saucepan add 1 inch of water and heat to simmering. Place a bowl with the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, and 1/4 cup water over the saucepan (or you can use a double boiler if you have one). Stir frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Mix in sugar, and vanilla a little at a time, until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture to the tofu and puree until smooth and well blended. Spoon the mousse into serving dishes, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

When almost ready to serve, Whip the cream with a beater. When the cream is almost completely whipped, add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and finish whipping. Cut the leaves off the strawberry, so it sits flat on the cutting board. Cut an "x" on the tip of each strawberry being careful not to cut all the way through to the flat bottom and place the whipped cream inside each strawberry "x" opening and serve on top of each mousse.

(I used non-fat whipped cream in the can to further reduce fat content.)

Calories: 189

Fat: 10g

Saturated fat: 5g

Sodium: 9mg

Carbohydrate: 23g

Sugar: 15g

Fiber: 3g

Protein: 5g

Good source of: Protein, Vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper, and Manganese

We saved 1048 calories and 81g of saturated fat by using silken tofu instead of whipping cream in this recipe which equals 175 less calories and 13.5 fewer grams of saturated fat (a day's worth for some people) per serving. Silken tofu is basically flavorless, so it takes on the flavor of whatever you add to it, so in this case it takes on the rich, wonderful flavor of chocolate!

A PLACE WHERE BOOKS AND FOOD COME TOGETHER

A couple of weeks ago, a good friend called to tell me her father was dying. I went to the kitchen and started to cook.

The Ultimate Comfort Food: Chicken and Dumplings

Cooking in sad times is not an exclusively Southern thing, but I think we do it really well down here. And I'm sure I could dig up some sociological and anthropological theories which would justify what I know to be true.

Simply put, when we moved into our first home in Tennessee, welcoming neighbors arrived at our door carrying fresh pies and baked bread. When we moved into our first home in Los Angeles, I took the homemade pies to our neighbors. Hardly scientific, but you see where I'm going with this. In all fairness, I do have some lovely, cooking, food-bearing friends in L.A., but I don't think it's quite the habit that it is here in the South.

Of course, being a preacher's granddaughter and the daughter of a Sunday-school superintendent has trained me well. I grew up going to visitations and funerals. And I listened to my dad read the obituary page every evening with such flair you would have thought he was reading from a novel. But I grew up understanding that it is the ritual that comforts us in times of great loss.

Probably no surprise that I've included a funeral scene in both of my books. And my third, yet to be released, is tentatively titled, THE FUNERAL DRESS. I'm not sure why I'm drawn to this particular ritual. I don't think it's a morbid obsession with death but more of a fascination with life and how we live through the sorrow and grief.

My friend's father died a few days after that call. Again, I cooked.

This time, I started thinking, really thinking, about the food I was preparing. Since my mother-in-law died of cancer several years ago, I've wanted to take a much closer look at our favorite comfort foods and figure out a way to make them better, healthier. I just hadn't found the time, until now.

So I've teamed up with a Chattanooga nutritionist to do just that. Rebecca Ellen Greer, is a registered dietitian with all the right abbreviations beside her name–MS, RD, LDN. Rebecca and I are going to work together to bring you recipes that are not only comforting but good for you. And we'll suggest the best dish for the right occasion–whether it's to care for those who've experienced a loss, feed those who are ill, or celebrate with those welcoming a new baby into the home, or just wanting to enjoy a simple family meal. Think of us as your go-to site when doing a good culinary deed!

We're going to start with the ultimate comfort food: CHICKEN 'N DUMPLINGS. I prepared this Saturday night, and my family loved it.

According to Rebecca, chicken soups are simply the gold standard for comfort food. "With it's mix of protein and fat, it's sure to please the palate. The browning of the chicken in this recipe before it is added to the soup really amps up the flavor factor. When cooking healthier versions of foods, it's important to take a little extra time to up the flavor (in this case browning the chicken before hand) without taking shortcuts by simply adding more salt or fat. That is what I consider cooking with love-providing delicious and nutritious dishes at the same time."

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

Ingredients

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8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 1/2 cups (1/4-inch) diagonally cut celery

1 cup (1/4-inch) diagonally cut carrot

1 cup chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

6 parsley sprigs

2 bay leaf

6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup non-fat milk

Preparation

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking

spray. Add chicken to pan; cook, browning on all sides.

Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add celery and next 5 ingredients

(through bay leaf) to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender.

Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute. Add broth to pan; bring mixture

to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a

knife. Combine flour, chopped parsley, baking powder, and salt in a

medium bowl. Add milk, stirring just until moist. Spoon by heaping

teaspoonfuls into broth mixture; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until

dumplings are done. Discard parsley sprigs and bay leaf.

Each serving provides:

Calories per serving: 318

Calories from fat: 24%

Fat: 8.5 g

Saturated fat: 2 g

Monounsaturated: 4.4 g

Polyunsaturated: 1.5 g

Protein: 25.5 g

Carbohydrate: 36g

Fiber: 3.3 g

Cholesterol: 55mg

Iron: 3.5 mg

Calcium: 133 mg

Sodium: 596 mg*

*Sodium content will vary by the type of chicken broth used. Regular chicken broth can contain up to 1400 mg sodium/cup while low sodium versions can be as low as 140mg/cup. It's always smart to prepare low sodium versions and then add a bit of salt on top if needed (after tasting of course).

Good source of Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, and Copper

Excellent source of Phosphorus, Potassium, manganese, selenium,Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K,Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, VitaminB6 and Folate

With the first days of June upon us, our thoughts turn to summer fare – cold watermelon, vine-ripened tomatoes fresh from the garden, and just about anything we can throw on the grill.  Meat, poultry, fish and veggies, it all seems better hot off the grill.

So maybe it's not so strange that my most recent non-fiction read, Nothing Left to Burn (one man's story about his own family's attraction to fire) left me thinking about grilling season and one of my favorite dishes – grilled corn.

Enjoy!

Jay Varner's memoir

FROM THE KITCHEN OF:  Melissa Hennessy

BOOK TITLE:   Nothing Left to Burn

BOOK AUTHOR:  Jay Varner

RECIPE:

This is one of those I pull from my head so the measurements are not exact.  Play with it till you get it just the way you like it.

6 ear of corn butter

juice from one lime

1/4 cup of water

kosher salt

fresh basil, chopped

Pull the husk back and remove some of the outer layers but not all of it.  Remove the silks and tie the husks together with one leaf of the husk.

Place the corn on a large sheet of aluminum foil.  Rub the ears with butter and then sprinkle with kosher salt.  Drizzle the ears with lime juice and water.  And then sprinkle with chopped basil.

Wrap the aluminum foil tight and place on a medium hot grill – keep an eye on the corn so it does not overcook.  Yum!

Kelly O'Connor McNees, the talented author of one of my new favorite books is coming to Chattanooga on Thursday to celebrate the paperback release of her debut novel, The Lost Summer of Louisa Mae Alcott!  We're going to eat, talk books, and visit with readers.

This is a particularly special occasion for me for several reasons.  For one, Kelly and I met through Twitter, and though I feel we are already dear friends, this will be our first meeting.  Second, one of my favorite independent booksellers, Foxtale Book Shoppe, in Woodstock, Georgia, is coming up to sell books and join the fun.

But most important, some of my friends from Ringgold, Georgia, one of the Southern towns hit hard by last week's tornadoes, will be celebrating with us.  (Ringgold is, by the way, the setting for my first novel, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen.) It is amazing to me that amidst all of the pain and heartache that these women must be facing right now that they value the healing strength of a good book.

The recipe below is for Lemon Angel Food Cake.  I made it the first time when I was reading Kelly's book and kept thinking of sweet Beth March.  Then I made it again this week after my electricity was restored.  Maybe there's a reason I've been thinking of an angel's cake these days.  Enjoy!

FROM THE KITCHEN OF:    Ina Garten and Susan Gregg Gilmore

BOOK TITLE:  The Lost Summer of Louisa Mae Alcott

Paperback available today. Visit your favorite indie store to pick up a copy of your own!

BOOK AUTHOR:  Kelly O'Connor McNees

RECIPE:  I use Ina's recipe but I add the zest of three or four lemons not two – just can't get it too lemony for me.  And I make the lemon syrup but drizzle it over each slice, usually served with some favorite sorbet and fresh berries.

A friend had a costume party for her birthday last year.  Only her women friends were invited, and we all dressed up as our favorite woman writers.  I was in charge of the food.  I went through a lot of my woman-author books and made the menu inspired from different passages in the books.  There is a blog post before the recipe that shows the entire menu and the chosen dishes.   It was a lot of fun!

(Ann, I must say that I love this idea.  A dinner party like this would be a great annual event for book clubs!)

FROM THE KITCHEN OF: Ann Tindell Keener

SHORT STORY: A Stroke of Good Fortune

AUTHOR: Flannery O'Connor

RECIPE: Check out Ann's blog for this writer-inspired menu!