Cassie’s Ruminations

Apple Cranberry Turkey Pasta

This very odd sounding pasta was surprisingly good. My husband thought it was outstanding. 😀 I’m not sure where the inspiration for this came from; it was just Shaun and me punting in the kitchen and ending up with something interesting and good. The sweet and savory balance nicely in the dish. A good new way to use up some of those Thanksgiving leftovers!

Apple Cranberry Turkey Pasta
Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 packed cup leftover diced turkey
2 small apples, cored and diced (I used Fuji apples)
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 bottle (12 fl oz) hard cider (I used Angry Orchard, Crisp Apple)
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt

8 oz uncooked spaghetti

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the turkey, apples, and cranberries.

Saute for 5 minutes, until the turkey is slightly browned and the cranberries are just starting to pop. Add the cider and deglaze the pan. Stir in the sugar, pepper, and salt, and increase the heat to medium high. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes or so, reducing the liquid by two thirds and making the apples tender.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to package directions. When it is done, drain well, then toss it with the sauce and cook together for 2-3 minutes.

Serve warm.

Posted in Food, Fruit, Leftovers, Pasta, Poultry | No Comments »

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted in Food, Holiday Cooking | 1 Comment »

Spinach and Feta Egg White Rounds

These are a quick and easy breakfast on the go. I make a batch, freeze them, and take one with me to work each morning. You can change it up with just about any type of veggie and/or cheese. Just keep the ratios about the same.

Spinach and Feta Egg White Rounds
Makes 12 Rounds

1 pint (16 oz) egg whites (I use Egg Beaters)
1 5-oz package raw baby spinach
1 6-oz package crumbled feta cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a silicon muffin pan lightly with non-stick spray.

Wilt the spinach in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, adding a tablespoon of water if necessary to help the process.

Divide the spinach, cheese, and egg whites evenly among the 12 muffin cups. The cups should end up being about 3/4 full.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the egg white is cooked all the way through and the edges are just started to get a little bit golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool. Package in individual zip top bags and freeze.

To reheat, place the egg round on a plate and microwave for 30 seconds (if refrigerated), or up to 1 minute 30 seconds from frozen. Serve warm.

Posted in Breakfast, Budget, Eggs, Food, Vegetables | 1 Comment »

Happy Halloween!

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Growing Washington CSA – Week 19

Week 19!

1. Dried Heirloom Beans
2. Pluot-Dapple Dandy
3. Pluot-Dapple Dandy
4. Apples-Honeycrisp
5. Winter Squash-Pie Pumpkins
6. Tomatoes-Heirloom
7. Tomatoes-Heirloom
8. Potatoes-German Butterball
9. Beets-Red Ace

Posted in CSA, Food, Fruit, Vegetables | 1 Comment »

Feasting on Seafood

My folks are in town for just a couple days, so I had to treat them to some steamed Dungeness crab! 🙂

They brought some awesome Goose Point oysters from the coast. I ate a couple raw and baked the rest, seasoned lightly with salt and pepper and topped with panko bread crumbs. They were very tasty, but not very photogenic, so no picture. :p

Posted in Food, Seafood | 2 Comments »

Growing Washington CSA – Week 18

Week 18!

1. Tomatoes-Mixed Rainbow Cherries
2. Tomatoes-Mixed Rainbow Cherries
3. Dried Heirloom Beans
4. Pluot-Dapple Dandy
5. Plums-Angelina
6. Apples-Honeycrisp
7. Mushrooms-Shiitake Shortage – will be in next week’s box
8. Tomatoes-Heirloom
9. Beets-Red Ace

Posted in CSA, Food, Fruit, Vegetables | No Comments »

Apple Pie

A delicious apple pie to use up some of the apples from the CSA. 🙂

I just used my go-to recipe from Joy of Cooking, blogged here.

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Food, Fruit, Pies | No Comments »

Homemade Chicken Noodles

In celebration of Shaun passing the bar (hurrah! ), we made homemade chicken noodles today. This is something we don’t make very often, as it’s a huge batch, and not particularly healthy, but it is oh so good, and worthy of celebrating Shaun’s accomplishment. We’re stuffed and have leftovers for the next few days. 😀

Homemade Chicken Noodles
Makes a whole lot

1 whole chicken, ~ 4-5 lbs
4 gallons of water
1 dozen eggs
10-12 cups of flour
Salt
Pepper
Chicken bouillon granules (I prefer Wyler)

Warning: This is an all-day evolution, but it’s worth it!

Clean off all counters and tables. You’re going to need the real estate!

In a large mixing bowl or with your stand mixer, knead together 12 eggs, enough flour to make it a dough (anywhere from 9 to 14 cups of flour depending on the day), and salt and pepper to taste – about ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp of pepper for me. The dough should be firm and no longer sticky, but still very elastic.

Roll out the dough to one sixteenth of an inch thickness (a pasta machine works great here, but a rolling pin works too) and cut into long strips about 1/2 inch wide.

Set the noodles out to dry on all that clean counter space or use a Pasta Drying Rack like mine. Dry for 2 hours on the tree or 3-4 hours on the counter. They should be stiff, but still pliable when they’re ready.

While the noodles are drying, pull out your largest stock pot. Put the chicken into the stock pot (having removed any organs, neck, etc. that the store kindly included) and cover it completely with water. Add some salt and pepper and about 3 tsp bouillon granules. Bring to a vigorous boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer over medium low heat for 1-2 hours or until the chicken is cooked completely and just starting to fall off the bone.

When the chicken is done, remove it to a large bowl, leaving all the broth in the pot. Skin and de-bone the chicken, and return all the meat and some small pieces of the skin to the stock pot. Add more salt and pepper and bouillon if necessary. Simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes as the noodles finish drying.

Add the noodles to the stock pot one by one, gently submerging each one. Turn up the heat to medium high. Cook the noodles for 5-10 minutes or until the broth is slightly thickened and the noodles are cooked through and tender.

Dish up and enjoy!

Posted in Eggs, Food, Pasta, Poultry, Ramblings | No Comments »

Growing Washington CSA – Week 17

Week 17!

1. Tomatoes-Green
2. Pluot-Dapple Dandy
3. Plums-Angelina
4. Peaches
5. Apples-Honeycrisp
6. Winter Squash-Bush Delicata
7. Tomatoes-Sungold Substitute: Tomatoes – Cherry
8. Tomatoes-Sungold Substitute: Tomatoes – Cherry
9. Squash-Romanesco

Posted in CSA, Food, Fruit, Vegetables | No Comments »