Total Cheapskate Asparagus Soup

My step-grandmother, Edda, was the ch - oops, excuse me, the most frugal person I've ever met in my life - and that is saying plenty. (I come from a long line of Yankees and Germans, so I know what I'm talking about!) When she died and we went through her cupboards, we found that she had the largest collection of used tin foil, saran wrap, rubber bands, jars, cans, and waxed paper known in the civilized world. God, I miss her.

So one of the things she turned me on to was how to use the cast-off ends of the asparagus spears to make a lovely soup. You know how you have to bend them at the base until the tough parts snap off? Doesn't it just kill you to throw away all of that "perfectly good asparagus?" It does me! So, here you are, about to roast four pounds of organic, early season local asparagus. Even at bargain prices you'd be pitching over $5 worth of asparagus into the compost heap.

Fortunately, you saved the snapped off tips when you made the roasted asparagus, as I recommended, yes? So here's what to do with them: (and you can do this while the asparagus roasts, and then bag the results aside in the fridge to make the soup for tomorrow's lunch, btw).... but, back to the matter at hand:

Using the sharpest chef's knife you have, slice off the least bit of the old, cut end that you can easily cut through; the goal is to eliminate what is too tough to eat, but to save as much of the stalk as possible for the soup. If it's too tough to cut fairly easily, move your knife up the piece and try again until you can. One of the clues you will get is how much of the stalk has turned purplish-white; the more it trends towards that color, the more likely it is to be very tough. A few pieces will be so tough that they go straight into the compost, along with the cast-off trimmings.

Take the remaining piece of stalk, and using a vegetable peeler, peel off the skin very thinly all the way around. Yes, this all takes a little while, but if you are frugal, and it's nice asparagus, it's worth it, right?

Once you have finished your trimming and peeling, chop up what you have left crosswise into lengths of about 1/4 - 1/2" inches.

Now, put the proceeds into a saucepan big enough to hold it with room to spare, and fill it just to cover with chicken or vegetable broth. (I like to use Better Than Bouillon Organic; very tasty and very convenient. It comes in a jar, and you use a teaspoon per cup of water. I use a generous teaspoonful for this.)

Put the pan over medium heat and boil the asparagus until it is just tender. Then, using either an immersion blender (my favorite - it's this wand thingie that you use to blend right in the pan) or a regular blender or food processor, whirl it up until it's pureed; it's okay if there are a few chunks left for texture. Now, add just enough heavy cream to make it all come together in luxury, and season it to taste with freshly ground pepper (and salt, if you need more) and whirl it up until it's all blended. Check and adjust the seasoning, as needed.

Voila! Total Cheapskate's Asparagus Soup. (Frankly, I will often make a batch while everyone is out of the house, and eat the whole thing for my lunch. Yum.)

Flourless Chocolate Cake

It's Teacher Appreciation Week at Johanna's school. Naturally, I agonized; the new peanut butter cookies I'm developing, (next post!) mini - breakfast cheesecakes? I've been eying this flourless chocolate cake recipe in Gourmet Cookbook for a while, after my friend Kate brought it to my attention. The recipe calls for making it in a springform pan, but since I'm baking for 30+ teachers, aides, staff, librarians and such, it had the potential for a big messy scene, where 10 people got a piece and 20 didn't. So, I thought I'd try little muffin cups and pray it wasn't a disaster. Hurray! It worked perfectly; 41 cute lil' bites, instead of one big cake. (p.s. Top Secret tip: this is spectacularly delicious, but incredibly easy. This is a perfect "company" cake, or to bring to a party!)



Flourless Chocolate Cake

from The Gourmet Cookbook

serves 10-12 in full-sized slices, makes about 40 mini-cupcake bites

8 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened) coarsely chopped
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus additional for dusting

Special Equipment: a 10" (26 centimeter) springform pan, or paper muffin cups and 2 muffin pans

1. Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 F. If using the springform, butter it, lie with parchment paper, and butter the paper. If using muffin cups, place them in your muffin tins. You can cook in batches if you have more batter than muffin tins.

2. Melt chocolate with butter in a medium metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth.

3. Remove bowl from heat, and whisk in sugar.

4. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.

5. Sift the cocoa powder over the chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined.

6. Pour the batter into the pan, or spoon into the muffin cups.

7. Bake until top has formed a thin crust and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs adhering to it, 30-40 minutes for the big cake. Mini-muffins took about 15 minutes, so larger muffins would probably take 20-25.

8. Cool cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the side of the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate and reinvert onto rack to cool completely. Dust cake with cocoa powder just before serving.

(Sugar-Free, Low-Carb) Breakfast Cheesecake

My friend Mimi is also doing the low-carb thing, which is really great because it gives me someone to talk to about diet stuff, which frankly is the most boring subject on the planet. Seriously; the only thing more tedious than being on a diet is listening to someone else talk about it. And I KNOW you know what I'm talking about, right? Okay, here's an example:

I was at a friend's birthday party in a nice little restaurant. A large number of us were gathered around the table, trying to decide how many charcuterie plates to order. One member of the party started describing all of the crazy diets she'd been on over the years, including one where you ate one food exclusively all day, every day for like a week before switching. She was invited out to dinner to a very, VERY nice restaurant that specialized in duck. Trouble was, it was grape week on her diet, and she was a hardcore dieter; she was not making any exceptions for this meal. She brought along a bunch of grapes, and asked the waiter to plate them for her. I, naturally, asked her if they had charged her a "grapeage" fee.

This yummy breakfast cheesecake is full of protein and calcium, and completely delicious even for those of you not setting limits these days. Naturally, they are not just good for breakfast; there's lunch, snackage, and dessert. There really is only one problem with these at our house: Johanna loves them so much, it's not easy to get one for myself in the morning!

Mimi R., this one's for you.


Breakfast Cheesecake

2 cups full fat cottage cheese or ricotta
8 ounces soft/whipped full fat or low fat creamcheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk greek yogurt
1/3 cup erythritol
4 tiny scoops stevia
2 TB xylitol
1 generous pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla OR 1/2 tsp almond extract
zest of 1 orange or 1 lemon
3 large eggs

If you don't have erythritol, substitute 1/3 cup xylitol in TOTAL. If you don't worry about sugar, substitute 1/2 a cup of white sugar for all of the sweeteners.

Preheat oven to 325 F

1. Set 6-8 6 ounce ramekins or custard cups in a high sided baking pan (at least 2")

2. Pour the cottage cheese into the bowl of your food processor and whirl until smooth.

3. Add the cream cheese and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

4. Add the yoghurt, sweeteners, salt and extracts and whirl until smooth.

5. Add the eggs and zest and whirl until just incorporated.

6. Pour the batter into the cups. Then carefully pour hot water into the pan around the cups, until it comes halfway up their sides.

7. Bake the cakes for about 40-45 minutes, until the sides are firm and the centers are just barely firm at the center.

Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries

We were heading off to Lake Tahoe for our annual Ager Family ski trip, and planning out the menu and shopping list. Every year, Joel and I go to the Truckee Safeway and buy about a hundred dollars worth of rib-eye steaks to barbecue, roast a bunch of russet potatoes, and make a big salad. But this year, there would be no baked potatoes for "Atkins Girl"; amazingly, potatoes are higher on the glycemic index than pure sugar - go figure! Burgers and Fries, no more. Sigh. Then I remembered: Sweet Potato Fries! Yay! I can have those! As I have gone on and on about before, sweet potatoes, despite their tasty, sweet nature, are low on the glycemic index, meaning that your body digests them into blood sugar slowly. Plus, they are PACKED with nutrients. And best of all, they are DELICIOUS. Bring 'em on!

So, dinner time came around. Best steaks ever. Plenty of baked potatoes (for everybody else) and I made a batch of sweet potato fries; guess which ones were wiped out?

Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries

* 2 pounds orange sweet potatoes (aka yams) about 3 large ones
* olive oil (about 1/4 cup)
* 1 Tbsp salt
* 1-2 Tbsp spice, spice blend, or spice combination of your choice: cumin, za'atar, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, Chinese five-spice, garam masala, cayenne, black pepper, cinnamon, chiles, Cajun seasoning, etc.

Pre-heat the oven to 450 F

Wash, dry, and trim off the ends of the potatoes, and remove any obvious blemishes.

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, then, laying the flat side down, cut each half into 4-8 wedges, depending on how big the potato is. The thinner the wedge, the more crispy it will be. If you like them more soft, make them bigger. If they are really long, cut them in half crosswise as well.

Put the wedges in a large bowl and drizzle them with the olive oil, then, using tongs, toss well to coat. Sprinkle them all over with the salt and spices, and toss well again until the seasoning coats the the wedges evenly.

Lay the wedges in a single layer on a large baking dish, being careful not to crowd too much. (If you crowd them, they won't brown as well, and will be more squishy than fry-like). If it is overly crowded, add a second pan.

Bake them for about 15-20 minutes, then, using a spatula, turn them all over. Return to the oven for another 15 or so minutes. When they are golden brown and tender, they are ready.

Garlic Lime Chicken

Joel has often described his youth in the suburbs of Detroit, when his mother, a highly intelligent and educated woman, (and reluctant housewife), described the preparation of the evening meal thus: "It is four o'clock, and housewives all over America are looking at a chicken and wondering what to do with it."

Well. My limes are so plentiful and ripe, they are falling off the tree, and I happened to have a couple of packages of organic chicken thighs in the refrigerator..... So I decided to try this recipe, which I found three pages away from the fabulous Philippine Adobo recipe I wrote of earlier. Uh, wow. Once again, a deceptively simple recipe, (this time invented by a Gourmet reader), creates a wonderful and complex dish. Delicious, pleasing to all family members, and super fast prep time. You have to do a little advance planning to get the marinade going for the right length of time, but otherwise, easy peasy lemon (or limey) squeezy. Gotta love that short ingredient list! And while it's in the oven, why not squeeze up any leftover limes and make a few margaritas?


Garlic Lime Chicken

Recipe by Bella Jarret of New York City, inspired by a box of limes she received from Florida. From The Gourmet Cookbook.

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 olive oil
1 TB minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 pounds skin-on chicken parts: 4 breast halves or 6-8 chicken thighs

Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients in a container just large enough to hold them plus the chicken. Wash, pat dry, and cut off excess pieces of fat, but be sure to leave on the skin. Add the chicken, turning to coat. Marinate, turning once or twice, for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours.

Put a rack into the upper third of the oven, then preheat to 400 F.

Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade) and arrange skin side up, without crowding, in a shallow baking pan. Season all over with salt and pepper.

Roast until just cooked through, 25 - 35 minutes.

Turn oven to broil. Broil chicken about 2 inches from heat until the skin is crisp, about 2 minutes. Serve with lime wedges, and brown rice cooked with chicken broth. The pan juices make a lovely sauce for the rice.

Variation 1: yes, you can use lemons. They are good, but not as good as the limes.
Variation 2: Take 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, wash and dry, and, using only the leaves and tender stems, pile under the chicken before you roast it. (I'm sure it would also be good as a garnish.)

Note: Any leftovers are easily reheated; microwave to heat, then re-crisp the skin with the broiler setting of the toaster oven. None of it has lasted long enough to try these ideas yet, but I think would be worth a try: on top of a composed salad, as a filling in enchiladas or burritos, added to a soup.....

Sugar-Free Sweet Potato Bread

Sweet Potatoes, how do I love thee; luscious, moist, flavorful, low glycemic, packed with vitamins and fiber - sweet! So, it naturally followed that I should develop some new, recipes using this wonder food. This is very, very good; moist and rich tasting.


1 1/4 cup/12 ounces cooked sweet potato, mashed
1/2 cup water
1 large egg
1 extra large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract OR 1 TB bourbon
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, (minus 4 TB)
2-3 TB flax meal (optional)
1 TB soy protein (optional)
1 TB whey powder (optional)
1/3 cup xylitol
4 1/2 tiny scoops stevia
3 TB +1 tsp erythritol ("Zero")
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

If you don't have access to erythritol, raise the xylitol to a scant 1/2 cup.

If sugar is not a problem for you, substitute 3/4 cup of sugar for all of the sweeteners.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes well with a potato masher, and whisk in the water. Then stir in the eggs and vanilla or bourbon until well blended.

If you are using the supplemental proteins and flax powder, measure the 2-3 TB of flax meal, 1 TB of soy protein, and 1 TB of whey powder, then fill the rest of the measure with the whole wheat pastry flour. In a medium sized bowl, add this, plus the second cup of flour, the baking soda, the salt, the spices, and all of the sweeteners, and whisk the ingredients to blend.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir well. Add the nuts and blend. Spoon into the loaf pan, using a spatula to get all of the batter, and bake for about an hour. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the loaf, then cool on a rack. This is quite delicious toasted, served with sweet butter or toasted nut butters.

Notes from Christine: You may have a bunch of questions as to why I've given the substitutions I have. Why whole wheat pastry flour? Pastry flour is lower in gluten than regular flour, so it makes a less dense bread. This way you get the whole grains and the reduced carbohydrates, but without the heaviness. Why one extra large egg? When I have made similar breads before using 100% whole wheat, it didn't rise as much as it did with all unbleached refined flour, or 50/50. When I baked this version, I happened to have one extra large egg and one large egg on hand, and this is what I used. Voila; it rose to perky heights! Why the flax meal? Flax meal is full of omega 3 fatty acids, which actively convert "bad" cholesterol into "good" cholesterol in your body. Here is a lovely way to sneak them into something yummy. Also, if you are cutting carbs, this substitutes a lower carb ingredient. Why the xylitol, stevia and erythritol? As I have written in previous posts, stevia is a calorie-free, completely natural sweetener extracted from stevia leaves. However, it has a funky aftertaste. Therefore, it is best to mix it with another sweetener. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol, which the body metabolizes differently than sugar. It is 40% lower in calories, and metabolized 75% more slowly than cane sugar. I like those numbers! Plus, it is actually good for your teeth. However, it is extracted in weird and yucky ways from wood, so I'm not thrilled. Erythritol (marketed as Wholesome Sweeteners Zero) is my new darling; it is available made from organic sugar which has been fermented, with zero calories and zero on the glycemic index - wow! But, it is only 60% as sweet as sugar, and is wickedly expensive. So, ta da! Mix them together!

Whey powder is available from well-stocked grocery and natural food stores. Berkeley Bowl carries whey powder and flax meal in a refrigerated case near the bulk food section.

Sugar-Free Deep Dish Apple Pie

I admit it; I have O.P.D. - Obsessive Pie Disorder. Ever since I went low-carb, I've been developing new recipes to satisfy my sweet tooth. I've been averaging a pie a week, alternating between apple and sweet potato, with a chicken pot pie thrown in for good measure. Yum.

As I've gone, I've continued to fiddle with the balance of sweeteners, trying to hit the sweet spot. As I have mentioned before, stevia is a completely natural, calorie-free leaf extract, but it has a funky aftertaste. Xylitol is a sugar alchohol, slightly sweeter than cane sugar, neutral in flavor, measures like sugar, 70% lower on the glycemic index than sugar, anti-cavity, BUT - extracted in a funky fashion from wood. Then I discovered a new darling; erythritol, marketed as organic "Zero" by Wholesome Sweeteners. This is also a sugar alcohol, but made naturally through fermentation, and available as an organic product. (Be careful; some of the stuff out there is made from corn cobs in China. No thank you.) No calories, zero on the the glycemic index - Ooh - so far, so great! But it is only 60% as sweet as sugar, so you need to use more, and it is wickedly expensive; about $14 for a 12 ounce bag. Ouch!

So, the blending continues...

Deep Dish Apple Pie

Whole grain pie dough for one crust (see my earlier post for pie crust)

8-10 baking apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 Meyer lemons: all grated zest, plus 2 TB juice (or more to taste)
OR 1 Eureka/Lisbon lemon: all grated zest, plus 1 TB juice (or more to taste)
1/4 cup xylitol
3 tiny measuring scoops powdered stevia
3 TB erythritol (Zero)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2-4 TB (1/2 stick) sweet (unsalted) butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg whisked with 2 TB water, milk or cream for glaze
1 tsp sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 425 F, and bring the crust to room temperature.

Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples, put them in a large non-reactive bowl, then toss with the lemon juice and zest.

Combine the salt, sweeteners and spices in a small bowl, and whisk to combine them well.

Sprinkle sweetener/spice mixture over the apples, and toss well to combine.

Pour the apples into a deep-dish pie plate. Dot with the butter.

Roll out the pie crust, and carefully transfer it to the top of the apples. It's fragile; try using a spatula to help transfer it over. If it breaks on the way, don't freak, just patch it up with your fingers. Tuck the excess dough down into the sides of the pie dish. Cut a circle of steam slits with a sharp paring knife.

Put the pie onto a cookie sheet to catch the drips. Bake the pie at 425 for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 F, and bake until the fruit is tender when pierced with a skewer and the crust is golden brown; about 25 more minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool 15 minutes or to room temperature before eating; this helps thicken the juices.

Note: This makes a delectably sweet pie. If you want it a little less sweet, cut back the xylitol by a couple of tablespoons and check the taste.