Harvest Hash

Winter is a magical season, yet harsh. It's cold outside and gets dark early. Our bodies crave carbs and warm comfort foods. In theory, sure, I want to stay healthy and savor fresh simple foods, especially fruits and vegetables. In practice, though, I really don't feel like coming in from the cold and eating a salad. Ech.

So what to do? Well for starters, find recipes for warm vegetable dishes. That means cooked, but not over-processed. Here are two of them.

Harvest Hash
The inspiration for this recipe came from an article in The Washington Post Food section by Bonnie Benwick, entitled, "Her Italian Accent" (November 11, 2009). (The Washington Post site has this and other archived articles available for purchase). Featured was a Georgetown woman who had lived in Italy for years and accumulated the Italian way of cooking, using what is fresh and in season. Use what you have on hand, keep it simple, and improvise, she advised. With this in mind, I came up with Harvest Hash, a cold-weather dish of turkey bacon, broccoli, and butternut squash.

Ingredients
5 slices Turkey Bacon (Louis Rich or similar brand)*
1/2 pound peeled butternut squash, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 crown of fresh broccoli, sliced into small pieces
1 teaspoon sage powder or 4 leaves crushed fresh sage
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. vegetable oil

Heat up large skillet on medium-high. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, spread around, and place turkey bacon on skillet. Cook 2 minutes to a side; set aside.

Add the remaining teaspoon of oil, butternut squash, and broccoli. Sautee lightly, then add 1/3rd of the chicken broth. Bring heat down to medium and continue to sautee the mixture. Add sage and gradually add the white wine and the rest of the chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or till vegetables begin to soften. Put turkey bacon slices back into the pan and mix everything together for another 2 minutes. Cover, turn off heat and let pan sit for a few minutes. Serves 2 people as a main dish, 4 as appetizer or side.

Serve with hot pita or naan bread, or by itself.


* Substitute ham if needed, cubed or deli-sliced.
The beauty of this dish is that you use many subsitutions: Zucchini for the broccoli. Any yellow or orange squash/pumpkin for the butternut.


Cheesy Zucchini Pockets
This dish is super-fast and easy.

Ingredients:
2-4 medium or large zucchini, sliced lengthwise into thin slices, tips removed.
shredded mozzarella cheese
grated parmesan (optional)
cooking oil spray (ex: Pam)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray. Place zucchini slices onto the foil, about 1 inch apart. Carefully sprinkle mozzarella cheese shreds onto the zucchini till just covered (more if you like it really cheesy). Sprinkle a bit of parmesan on top of each slice. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown on top. Serves 4-6 as appetizer, 2-3 as a side dish.

I wish you all a comfort-filled winter! As you sit at your table, no matter what is on your plate, take it in and enjoy. I also want to remember my fortunes and send the help that I can for the Haiti Earthquake victims from earlier this week. We might be far way, but we are all connected.