Northeastern Connecticut's Neighbors Paper

Recipes

Mocha Brownie Torte
by Amy Van Winkle

Here’s a recipe to try out for that special valentine sweetheart.  It’s relatively easy to make and sure to get you a kiss or two.  Serve it without plates or forks, you might even get a proposal.

2/3 c. hot water
2 T. instant coffee granules
1 box (20.5 oz.) brownie mix
2 t. vanilla extract
4 egg whites, lightly beaten
3 c. frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 T. instant coffee granules

Preheat oven to 325∞.

Combine hot water and coffee in a large bowl;  stir well.  Add brownie mix, vanilla, and egg whites;  stir until well blended.  Pour mixture evenly into 2 (9 inch) cake pans coated with cooking spray.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Let cool in pans.

Place whipped topping in a bowl;  sprinkle with coffee granules.  Gently fold in coffee until evenly dispersed. 

Loosen brownie layers and turn out onto cake plate.  When completely cooled, spread whipped cream frosting between layers, over top and sides.  Serve immediately or store loosely covered in refrigerator.  Serves 12

Soup’s On: Veggie Chili
By Janet Dauphin

January is a good month to have some friends over to watch football and serve up some homemade veggie chili. There’s nothing fancy here—the convenience of store bought chili powder makes it easy, and the addition of a good bottle of beer into the soup pot adds a depth of flavor. Serve it with some warm corn chips, sit back and watch the game.

2 tbs. olive oil
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 pound potatoes (small red work well)
1 small bunch of broccoli
3 tbs. chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (or more, to taste)
28-oz can whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands
16-oz can whole kernel corn
12 oz good Brown ale
1/4 c. tomato paste
15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained

In a 5 qt. Dutch oven or saucepot over medium heat, sauté carrots, celery, and onion in the oil until golden, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut potatoes into 3/4 inch chunks, and broccoli into florets. Into vegetable mixture in Dutch oven, stir chili powder, salt, and ground red pepper; cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes with their liquid, corn with its liquid, beer, tomato paste, potatoes, and broccoli. Turn heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and broccoli are tender. Stir in beans and heat through. Makes six main dish servings.

by Janet Dauphin

I must admit, I never really liked pumpkin soup. That is, not until I stumbled upon this non-pureed version. In an effort to simplify a recipe from The Greens Cook Book (Bantam, 1987), I inadvertently missed the part about “cook until pumpkin had broken into a smooth puree.” The result was a chunky soup with a nice light broth. This recipe also includes some other departures from the original, making it a little quicker and less complicated to make. It’s still not a “throw together after a long day’s work” soup, but hopefully the extra effort will be worth the while.

Pumpkin and White Bean Soup
1 1-lb. pumpkin (see note)
3 leeks
5 parsley sprigs
5 cloves of garlic
1 bay leaf
2 sage leaves
1 tsp. salt
8 cups cold water
1 15-oz can small white beans
1 2 sprigs of thyme
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 tsp. nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley, and olive oil for garnish

Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop the seeds and stringy fibers into a stock pot. Slice and peel the pumpkin, adding the peel to the pot and setting the “meat” aside. Coarsely chop the green parts of the leeks and add to pot, along with parsley, 4 of the garlic cloves (peeled, but left whole), bay leaf, sage leaves, salt and water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and let simmer for about 45 minutes. Strain stock, discarding solids.

Cut the pumpkin into 1/2-inch dice, and mince the remaining clove of garlic. Warm the oil in a soup pot and add the pumpkin, garlic, carrots, celery, and nutritional yeast. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 1/2 hour, until pumpkin is soft enough to easily pierce with a fork. Add the beans and heat through. Garnish with chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. A rustic brown bread makes a hearty contrast to this surprisingly light soup.