Creamy Mashed Rutabaga

1 3/4 lbs rutabaga, peeled and thickly sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, slivered (I used minced garlic)
3/4 tsp dried marjoram or oregano
1 tsp salt
3 T evaporated low-fat milk
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp butter

Combine rutabaga, apple, garlic or marjoram, and 1/2 tsp salt in large saucepan. Add water halfway to top of ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until rutabaga is tender, about 30 minutes. Check water about halfway through and add more if needed. Drain well, and transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add the evaporated milk, Parmesan, butter and remaining 1/2 tsp salt and mash until the mixture is well blended but still chunky.

This recipe can be prepared 1 day ahead by boiling the rutabaga mixture until rutabaga is tender and then refrigerating. To serve, gently reheat over low heat, stirring in the remaining ingredients. If you'd prefer a smooth vegetable purée, mash with a potato masher or an electric beater until no lumps remain.

There are local rutabagas available all winter, and they are really good cut up and tossed into soups as well.

Pork and Butternut Squash Sauté

3/4 lb. small red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper, divided
1 lb pork loin, cut into 2 by 1/4 inch strips
1 T olive oil
3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
3 turnips, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
3 carrrots, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 T chopped fresh parsley

In small pan with a little water, cook potatoes, turnips and carrots until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside. At the same time microwave squash until tender, but still firm, about 10 minutes. Check at five minutes, and then again at 7 minutes, and remove any that are ready. (If they get too soft though it doesn't matter, so don't sweat it too much.) Meanwhile, combine flour with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a gallon ziploc bag. Add pork and shake to coat. In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add pork and cook, stirring frequently until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer pork wth slotted spoon to a plate and set aside. Add potatoes, turnips and carrots to the skillet, stirring to coat. Stir in the broth, vinegar, sage, ginger, remaining 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook five minutes. Add squash and cook five minutes more, or until vegetables tender. Return pork to pan and cook uncovered until pork is cooked through, about three minutes. Stir in the parsley, and serve.

Roasted Cabbage with Simple Balsamic Reduction

4 cups chopped red cabbage (1 inch pieces)
4 cups chopped green cabbage (1 inch pieces)
2 T olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Simple Balsamic Reduction, for serving, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Core and chop cabbages into 1 inch pieces, and mix in large roasting pan. (I found that half a large cabbage yielded 4 cups chopped.) Drizzle oil, salt and pepper over cabbage, and toss to mix well. Roast for 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring once halfway through. Cabbage is done when still crisp-tender and edges begin to caramelize. Remove from oven, and drizzle with Simple Balsamic Reduction to taste, if desired.

Simple Balsamic Reduction

1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
3 T brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

In a small pot, combine vinegar, sugar and garlic. Bring to a moderate boil, and boil 5 minutes to reduce mixture by half. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened about as thick as pancake syrup. Remove and discard garlic, and serve. (Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.) Makes about 3/4 cup.

I found that I only needed half the reduction for my taste so I will cut the recipe in half next time. My massage therapist tried this with other vegies and said they all roasted very nicely and tasted great with the reduction.

Collard Greens

Wash 1 1/4 lb collard greens (allow 8 ounces per serving) and strip leaves from inedible stalk. Stack the leaves, roll them up, and slice into strips. They can be chopped at this point or left as strips. In a 3 quart baking dish, place greens with the water that clings to them from rinsing. Cover and cook on high until tender 7 to 10 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes. Season with salt and hot pepper sauce (or vinegar, lemon or garlic).

Serves 2

Three Bean Chili

Three Bean Chili-Dr. Phil

Hands-on time: 25 minutes| total time: 1 hour | makes 4 servings

2 t olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T chili powder
2 t ground cumin
1 (14 oz) can. no salt diced tomatoes
1 cup canned great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups, no salt, fat free vegetable broth
1 medium sweet potato, peeled
1/2 t salt

1. Heat oil in large saucepan or pot set over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook, stirring until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in the chili powder and cumin. Cook another 20 seconds, until aromatic.
2. Pour in the tomatoes, beans, and broth and bring to a simmer.
3. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the sweet potato into the chili. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer slowly, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 40 minutes. Stir in the salt and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.

Melted Sweet Potato Quesadillas

2 T vegetable oil
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1-2 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
4 c. peeled, grated sweet potatoes (about 2 large)
1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 T minced fresh)
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
10 (6-8 inch) whole wheat or flour tortillas
1 1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

Sauté the onions and garlic in heated oil until onions soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in grated potatoes, oregano, chili powder and cumin. Cook, covered, for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Spread 1/3 c. sweet potato filling on half of each tortilla and top it with 2 T cheese. Fold tortillas over to make half-moon shapes. Place folded tortillas, 2 at a time, in the skillet for about 3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. (You can also bake the quesadillas on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees.) Keep cooked quesadillas warm by placing them on a cookie sheet in a 300 degree oven until they are all ready.

Makes 10 servings
Per serving: calories, 248; fats, 10 grams (18% of calories); cholesterol, 20 milligrams; carbohydrates, 29 grams; fiber, 3 grams; protein, 10 grams; sodium, 270 milligrams