Fresh for summer, our breakfast menu offerings range from healthful to decadent with an emphasis on fresh and in-season whenever possible. Plus, upon request, we do our best to accommodate folks with dietary including vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free.
We hope to see you at The Morning Star!
Wishing you a lovely summer …
it is a rainy Memorial Day Weekend here in Manhattan, Kansas. So I thought that a White Chili would be a good dish to serve – fun & casual, flavorful & warming, but not too heavy. I hope that you are having a great weekend!
White Chili
This flavorful dish is what is traditionally referred to as a white chili (because no tomatoes are used in the base). This vegetarian version, though, is more of a light golden color.
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. crushed garlic
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 c.)
2 stalks celery, chopped (about 1/2 c.)
1 Anaheim pepper, chopped (about 1/2 c.)
5 sweet mini yellow peppers, chopped (about 1/2 c.)
1 jalapeño, minced (about 2 T.)
1 (15 oz) can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. frozen yellow corn, semi-thawed
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. white pepper
3 c. boiling water
2 “Not-Chick’n” bouillon cubes
4 oz. low-fat cream cheese
1 ripe avocado, diced (for garnish)
juice of 1 lemon
1 c. chopped ripe tomato (for garnish)
2 – 3 T. cilantro leaves, stemmed and chopped (for garnish)
cheddar cheese, shredded (for garnish, optional)
Enjoy! Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
Bananaberry Smoothie
(serves 2)
1/3 c. light coconut milk
2 T. fresh orange juice
1 medium size frozen banana, peeled and cut into slices (about 3/4 c.)
1 c. mixed fresh berries (sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and/or blueberries)
fruit for garnish
Place coconut milk, orange juice, banana and berries in blender and process until smooth. Pour into serving glasses and garnish with fruit. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
• A mix of red berries and dark berries produces the best color.
• This recipe makes a smoothie that is thin enough to drink. For a thicker smoothie, use frozen berries.
This is a simple dish to make – done in the amount of time that it takes to cook a box of spaghetti – but it has a delicious combination of flavors and is very rich and satisfying.
Spaghetti with Spinach
Ingredients:
8 oz. package of spaghetti (gluten-free is ok)
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. dry white wine*
1/3 c. finely chopped yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced (about 1 T.)
salt
red pepper flakes + extra for the table
several large handfuls of baby spinach (about 2.5 oz. by weight), washed and larger stems removed
2 oz. (about 2/3 c.) fresh grated Romano or Parmesan cheese + extra for the table
3 marinated peppadew peppers, coarsely chopped
Directions:
Buon Appetito!
* I served the pasta with Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina and so used that in the dish.
A light, but flavorful and warming soup to start your new year!
Orange Carrot Soup
4-6 Servings
Ingredients
3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 c. diced yellow onion
salt
fresh ground pepper
2 T. semi-dry white wine, divided
4 c. diced, peeled carrots
2 t. smoked paprika
1 t. ground cinnamon
4 c. vegetable (or chicken) broth or bouillon*, divided
3 T. honey, divided
1 – 1 1/4 c. fresh-squeezed orange juice, to taste
zest from one of the oranges (use a course-textured zester)
croutons or Greek yogurt, optional
*I use 2 “Not-Chick’n” bouillon cubes dissolved in 4 c. boiling water. “Not-Chick’n” can be found in the organic foods section of many grocery stores.
Directions
Enjoy! Happy New Year!
The combination of chopped onions, celery and carrots, sautéed in olive oil (to make what Italians call soffritto) or in butter (to make what the French call mirepoix) is wonderful for adding flavor to sauces, soups, stews and stuffings. Around the holidays, I keep soffrito or mirepoix in the refrigerator so that I have the aromatic vegetables already prepared to make holiday cooking easier.
I generally use about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of butter or extra virgin olive oil per cup of raw vegetables, adding a dash of salt and pepper. To the onions, I also add a splash of dry white wine. For this minestrone, I prefer olive oil to butter, but either will work. If you have soffritto already made, you can substitute 3 cups of it for the vegetables in this soup and reduce the olive oil to 1 to 2 tablespoons.
Fire Roasted Tomato Minestrone
This is a delicious, stew-like minestrone … flavorful and filling for the winter months. If you prefer a more brothy soup, you can thin this with a little vegetable or chicken stock.
Ingredients
• about 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 c. diced onions
• 1 c. diced celery
• 1 c. diced carrots
• 1/3 c. dry white or red wine
• 2 28-oz. cans diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes – or 1 can diced, 1 can crushed (do not drain)
• 1 15-oz. can cannellini beans (white kidney beans) or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-oz. can red kidney beans or black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 T. dried oregano, crushed
• 1 T. paprika or smoked paprika
• 1 t. dried thyme, crushed
• 1/2 t. sea salt
• fresh grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, optional garnish
Directions
(1) If you do not have soffritto already prepared, start by sautéing vegetables in olive oil, one type at a time, using about 1 – 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper, per cup of vegetables. I like to add a splash of dry white wine to the onions. Cook briefly until crisp-tender.
(2) Add prepared vegetables, wine, about 1 T. of the remaining olive oil, tomatoes, beans, and spices to a large pot (6-8 qt). Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the minestrone comes to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook at a low simmer, continuing to stir occasionally, for about 15 minutes. (So that the vegetables remain crisp-tender, don’t overcook.) Taste. Add more olive oil, wine, or seasonings if desired. Ladle into warm bowls to serve.
Serving suggestion: At the table, grate a little cheese over each bowl of minestrone – but not for vegans. Serve with warm bread and a glass of wine.
Happy National Cheesecake Day on July 30th! I decided to mark the occasion by making one of my favorite cheesecakes – Banana Chocolate Crumb Cheesecake!
Banana Cheesecake
This is a soft, not-too-sweet, delicately flavored banana cheesecake with a dark chocolate cookie crumb “crust”. The custard recipe comes from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s banana variation of her Cordon Rose Cheesecake in The Cake Bible – a truly excellent cookbook.
Make 1 day ahead
Ingredients (at room temperature)
1 lb. (2 8-oz. pkgs.) cream cheese
1 c. granulated white sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. salt
2 c. sour cream
2 large, very ripe bananas, enough to make 1 c. mashed
3 T. fresh lemon juice, strained
1 1/4 – 1 1/2 c crushed dark chocolate wafer cookies (use gluten-free cookies for a gluten-free cheesecake)
Prepare Pan
1. Butter the inside of an 8″ springform pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the inside of the pan – just smaller than 8″ in diameter. Butter the paper and then place it in pan.
2. Wrap the outside of the pan with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil to prevent seepage from the water bath.
3. Have ready a larger baking pan – I use a 9″-square brownie pan – to use as a water bath for baking the cheesecake.
Directions for Making Cheesecake Custard
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Using a mixer or large food processor, beat together cream cheese and sugar until perfectly smooth. Scrape bowl. Beat in vanilla and salt, then sour cream. Scrape bowl. Mash bananas together with lemon juice. Beat bananas into custard. Scrape bowl.
3. Pour custard into prepared springform pan. Place pan in larger baking pan. Pour in 1″ of very hot water. Bake cheesecake for 45 minutes. Turn oven off, without opening the door, and leave cheesecake in oven for one hour. Remove cheesecake from oven and from water bath. Remove foil from pan. Plan pan on a cooling rack and let cheesecake continue cooling at room temperature for one more hour. Cover pan with plastic wrap. Chill cheesecake in refrigerator overnight.
Serving
1. The next day, wipe outside of cheesecake pan with a hot, damp towel. Run a thin spatula around the inside of the pan. Release the clasp on the springform pan and remove the outside of pan. If there is condensation on the cheesecake, lightly pat it dry with a paper towel. Invert cheesecake onto a flat plate or a small cutting board covered with plastic wrap. Remove parchment paper.
2. Pat cookie crumbs onto bottom and sides of cheesecake. Re-invert onto serving plate. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until serving. Garnish and serve.
Suggested Garnishes
• Whipped cream, chocolate shavings and banana and/or strawberry slices.
• Whipped cream and hot fudge.
• Whipped cream and dark cherries.
• For Banana Split Cheesecake, serve with whipped cream, banana slices, strawberry slices, pineapple chunks, chopped walnuts, chocolate sauce, and melted strawberry jam.
Enjoy! Happy National Cheesecake Day!
This morning I noticed that my cilantro has been growing quite nicely with the relatively cool weather that we have been having, so I decided to pick a bunch to make Chimichurri Sauce. (Once it gets hot, cilantro goes to seed quickly.) Chimichurri Sauce is an Argentinian condiment that is traditionally served on grilled meats, especially grilled steak. It can also be used as a marinade, dipping sauce or salad dressing. Shown above, I have served it on a grilled portobello mushroom with salad greens and avocado. Yum! I hope that you enjoy the recipe!
Chimichurri Sauce
2 c. fresh cilantro, packed
5-6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 T. chopped yellow onion
1 fresh Fresno chili pepper, chopped
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. fresh lime juice, or to taste
1/4 – 1/2 t. sea salt, or to taste
1. Wash cilantro and remove any large stems. Blot leaves dry with a paper towel.
2. Place cilantro, garlic, onion, and Fresno pepper in a small food processor. Pulse until ingredients are finely chopped. Transfer ingredients to a medium size bowl.
3. Stir in olive oil, lime juice, and salt to taste. Refrigerate until serving.
Variations: Substitute flat leaf parsley or spicy oregano for part or all of the cilantro; substitute lemon juice or red wine vinegar for the lime juice; substitute red pepper flakes for the Fresno pepper; add cumin, thyme or paprika; add tomatoes or red bell peppers.
Indian Pudding is a traditional New England dessert which can be traced back to the 18th century. I developed a fondness for it when I lived in the Boston area. For some reason, though, it is relatively unknown outside of New England.
Here is a brief history of the dish …
When British settlers moved to this country they brought their Hasty Pudding recipes with them. I’ve never had Hasty Pudding, but apparently it is a dish made from wheat cooked in water or milk until it develops the consistency of a porridge. Wheat was in short supply in New England, so the settlers adapted to the new world by substituting corn meal – which they called Indian flour. Being along a trade route with plentiful molasses and spices, they embellished the dish with these flavorful additions as well as with dried fruits and sometimes nuts … and thankfully, the new dessert, Indian Pudding, caught on.
Indian Pudding Ingredients
Butter or vegetable shortening to grease the cooking dish
4 c. milk (soy or almond milk can be substituted for vegan)
1 c. coarse cornmeal or polenta
4 T. melted butter (coconut oil can be substituted for vegan)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. unsulfured molasses
1/2 t. salt
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
2/3 c. dried fruits (such as raisins, yellow raisins, cranberries, cherries)
3 large eggs (3/4 c. packed pumpkin can be substituted for vegan)
Cooking Methods
(1) Prepare cook surface Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F. and grease a 2-quart baking dish; or grease and then preheat a crockpot on low or high heat. (A crockpot works well for holiday cooking when oven space is at a premium.)
(2) Cook the cornmeal Bring the milk (or substitute) to a low boil then whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat to low, and continue to cook, whisking frequently until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is softened (about 15 to 20 minutes).
(3) Add remaining ingredients Whisk together the remaining ingredients. Once the cornmeal mixture has thickened and the cornmeal has softened, set it aside to cool slightly and then whisk in the mixture of remaining ingredients. If you are not using eggs, then you can skip the brief cooling period.
(4) Finish cooking Pour the pudding mixture into greased baking dish or crockpot. Bake in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes; or cook in the crockpot for 2 hours on high heat or 4 to 5 on low heat . The finished “pudding” will be quite thick.
(5) Serve Serve hot with ice cream or whipped cream and serve leftovers cold with ice cream, whipped cream or just milk.
Caramelized Grapefruit
An elegant yet easy to make fruit dish for holiday brunches …
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
2 lg. red grapefruit
4 large grapes or maraschino cherries
Preheat oven broiler. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Cut grapefruits in half crosswise. Use a grapefruit knife to section the grapefruits and to remove centers. Sprinkle brown sugar onto each grapefruit half. Place grapefruits 6 inches under broiler and cook for about 5 minutes or until brown sugar is melted. (Watch grapefruit carefully during this time.) Remove from broiler. Place in dessert bowls or on dessert plates. Put a grape or cherry in the center of each grapefruit half. Serve immediately.
Note: If you do not have a broiler, you can use a chef’s torch to melt sugar. If you do not have a chef’s torch, let the sugar soak into the grapefruit for about 10 minutes before serving. The sugar will not caramelize, but the flavor will still be pleasing.
A Taste of Morning 