“My wife and I tried two or three times in the last 40 years to have breakfast together, but it was so disagreeable we had to stop.” ~ Sir Winston Spencer-Churchill, British politician, statesman, and Prime Minister (1874-1965)

Easy, hot, and naturally sweet breakfast. Are you with us?

Breakfast is always a challenge here; we tend to eat the same old thing until boredom consumes us, and then struggle to find something new that doesn’t include a ton of sugar or more time than seems reasonable in the middle of a busy week.

One of our favorite divergences from toast and peanut butter lies in a lovely tube of prepared organic polenta. While we shy away from most prepared foods, this is one that really doesn’t contain bad stuff, so don’t be afraid. Plain, prepared polenta contains water, corn meal, salt, tartaric acid (comes from fruit like grapes and tamarind), ascorbic acid (vitamin c) and beta carotene (vitamin a). Scratch ingredients usually include water, cornmeal and salt. Not a lot of difference as long as the vitamins, which serve as natural preservatives, come from organic sources.

When we think of holiday guests, it is only natural to treat them to a dish like polenta, which might rarely find its way to their table. The secret to making it extra-special, is all in the topping. We’ve written up the recipe to make two generous servings, but it doubles or triples well as need dictates. The walnuts and apples provide significant redeeming value for the topping, with a full serving each of fruit and heart healthy walnuts.

Apple-Walnut-Maple Topping

Serves 2
Time: 15 minutes

½ cup California walnut halves and pieces
1 large Granny Smith apple (or 2 small)
2 teaspoons buttery spread (we use Earth Balance)
2 tablespoons 100% maple syrup

Toast the walnut halves in a dry, non-stick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until they are fragrant and just beginning to brown – about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, core, peel, and slice the apple. You can chop the apple into bite-size pieces, if you prefer, or slice into ¼ to ½ inch thickness. Don’t cut them too small, however, or they will mush up when cooked.

Add the buttery spread and the apples to the walnuts, stirring occasionally and continuing to cook until the apples have softened and are browned around the edges. Remove from the heat and stir in the maple syrup.

Serve while still hot over polenta slices, waffles, or pancakes. Leftovers also are delicious re-heated in the microwave for 10 seconds and spooned over a creamy frozen dessert!

“We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends and living our lives.” ~ Dr. Maya Angelou, American author and poet (1928 – )

Part of how we enjoy the holidays at this time of year is in taking the opportunity to prepare special dishes to honor family and friends. We use the finest ingredients and don’t skimp on tradition. The day after, however, is when we treat ourselves to the much beloved leftovers.

This time, we’re using leftover cranberry sauce to make a tasty new snack cake.

Whole cranberries are high in anti-oxidant, cancer fighting, and anti-inflammatory agents, and their bright red color makes them especially beautiful on this cake. The downside of cranberries is that they are quite bitter, so require more sugar than we like to make them palatable. We have, however, balanced that a bit by making the cake portion with only a little bit of sugar.

We used the Cranberry Sauce recipe from page 114 of the Mosaic Meals cookbook to make sure it was prepared with a Fair Trade certified sugar not processed with bone char, but it will also work with a can of prepared cranberry sauce of your choosing. Note: A 12-ounce bag of cranberries makes about 2 cups of sauce while a 15-ounce can contains about 1 ½ cups. Since we make this cake with leftover cranberry sauce, the amount called for is flexible.

Cranberry Upside Down Cornbread

Makes 9 squares
Time: 10 minutes prep + 20 minutes in the oven

1 to 1 ½ cups cranberry sauce (not jelly)
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
3 tablespoons water
½ cup vegetable or canola oil
¾ cup plain, non-dairy milk (we use organic, unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage)
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup all purpose flour
¾ cup cornmeal
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 400° F and grease an 8-inch square pan

Spread the cranberry sauce in an even layer to cover the bottom of the prepared pan.

Combine the ground flaxseed with the water in a medium bowl and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Measure the oil, non-dairy milk, and vinegar into the flaxseed mixture and stir gently to combine.

In a second bowl, measure the remaining ingredients together and stir to combine. Add the liquid mixture all at once and stir with a fork only just enough to make a smooth batter.

Spread the batter into an even layer over the cranberry sauce and place in the center of the oven to bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the inside edge of the pan to be sure it releases easily.

Place a large plate over the top of the pan, then invert the plate and pan together. Gently lift the pan off of the cake, tapping with the back of a spoon or knife handle if the cake needs a little encouragement to let go.

Best served while still a little warm – leftover pieces reheat well in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Q: “When is soup musical?”
A: “When it’s piping hot!”
~ a very old joke of unknown origin

A heavy frost on the car’s windshield reminded us that soup season has arrived. Some soups take hours simmering on the stove, filling the house with an aroma that is hard to beat. Other soups, however, are designed to meet the more immediate needs. Fortunately, both can be delicious.

When pressed for time, this favorite Mexican “sopa” comes to mind. It is, as are many of our favorite dishes, well suited to changing up to suit whatever is in the pantry. Sometimes we throw in some frozen spinach instead of the zucchini, and sometimes we spice it up with the addition of dried chipotle chili pepper.

What follows is the basic recipe I have written down from several years ago. It is a life saver when supper must be served in a hurry. We usually have some tortillas on the side to wipe the bowl clean, and sometimes top the soup (before garnishing) with a nicely rounded scoop of rice.

Refried Bean Soup

Makes 6 cups
Time: 15 minutes

1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning Mix (see page 110 in the Mosaic Meals Cookbook for a recipe to make your own)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (15-ounce) can vegetarian refried beans
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
2 cups vegetable broth
Optional garnish: ¼ cup each of chopped fresh tomatoes and avocado
1 lime cut into wedges

Soften the onion in the olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, about 5 more minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning mix, refried beans, diced green chilies, and the vegetable broth, breaking up the refried beans until they are well incorporated.

Heat just to simmering. Serve while hot, garnishing with chopped tomato and avocado, and offer a wedge of lime to squeeze over the top before eating.

Q: “Will you join me in a bowl of soup?”
A: “Is it big enough to hold both of us?”

“Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good.” ~ Alice May Brock, book illustrator and owner of Alice’s Restaurant, the subject of a famous Arlo Guthrie song and movie by the same name.

Ajvar (or ajivar) is a versatile Eastern European condiment that will be gracing our holiday tables this year. It can be prepared to be mild or spicy, depending on who it will be served to or with, and has a natural creaminess provided by the eggplant that makes it almost addictive. And then there is the garlic… no onions and no tomatoes, but plenty of garlic!

While traditionally served to top meat or fish, ajvar is great just about anywhere you would use ketchup as well as a garnish for soups, salads, or crackers. For this coming party season, if you are planning to serve a tray of cheese and crackers as an appetizer, we would suggest including a bowl of ajvar so that those who are avoiding cholesterol or dairy will feel especially welcome.

We like to prepare our ajvar a day or two ahead of time, so that the flavors have the chance to marry, and it also frees up needed kitchen space the day of an event. Since ajvar is a traditional dish, there are many ways to make it; if there is something you see here that you would do a little differently, you are encouraged to make it your own. Sometimes we switch out the cayenne for plain black pepper, and sometimes for a smoky chipotle chili.

Ajvar (make ahead)

Makes about 4 cups
Time: 10 minutes prep + 40 minutes roasting + cooling time

3 large sweet red or yellow bell peppers, or combination
1 medium-small eggplant
2 teaspoons (about 4 cloves) minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
⅛ teaspoon cayenne or other ground pepper
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Wash the bell peppers and the eggplant. Place them in a roasting pan and then into the oven for 40 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pan or place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the vegetables and allow to cool – it doesn’t matter if they cool in or out of the oven, whichever is most convenient.

When the vegetables have cooled to the point where they are comfortable to handle, remove the stems, seeds, and skin from the peppers, and the skin and stems from the eggplant. You don’t need to be terribly picky about little spots of skin; a bit is ok. Scrape off most of the eggplant seeds only if they are dark, which means they have become bitter. Light brown seeds can be ignored.

Finely chop the peppers and eggplant, and mix together in a medium bowl along with the remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

And now, for the winners from last week’s So Delicious giveaway…… Heather and Justine – check your e-mail for an address request for where to send your coupon!