With Thanksgiving just days away, we tend to focus on the major planning that goes into this very important dinner: What size turkey, how much stuffing, whole berry or canned cranberry sauce, what kind of pies? - the list is endless. But those of you hosting the meal might also be scrambling for ideas about what to feed overnight guests for breakfast. This meal tends to get lost in the shuffle. It doesn't have to be anything difficult or extravagant - simplicity is key. Yes, you can just always run to the bagel shop or get doughnuts from the bakery. However, another idea is to whip up some monkey bread. It's delicious, feeds a crowd, and is easy to make ahead. With its origins in America, this recipe also fits the Thanksgiving theme. You can have your kids help with this recipe too - they'll love the funny name, and will have a blast rolling the dough into little balls and stacking them inside a bundt pan. 
Monkey bread (also referred to as bubble bread, puzzle bread or pull-apart bread) is a yeasted bread that can be made savory or sweet. It's background goes way back to at least the 19th century and the idea of arranging pieces of dough in one pan and then baking them, like Parker rolls or even cinnamon buns or Mrs. Goodfellow's Spanish buns. 
According to the American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century, recipes for monkey bread began showing up in women's magazines and community cookbooks back in the 1950s. "The sweet version is also known a bubble loaf because the dough is pinched off and rolled into balls. These are dipped in melted butter and then layered into the pan with a flavored sugar mixture or a caramel or brown sugar glaze." One can see calling it "bubble bread" since the dough rises into big, pillowy bubbles, but even food historians are unsure of where the name "monkey bread" came from. Theories range from the fact that it is eaten in a "monkey-like" fashion by being pulled apart, that it resembles the monkey puzzle tree (so-named because of its unusual overlapping leaves that would pose a puzzle even for a monkey to climb), and even perhaps that it looks like a barrel of monkeys jumbled together. There is actually a fruit called "monkey bread," from the African baobab tree, but it has no connection to this bread. 
In any case, there are any number of recipes for monkey bread that exist today (just Google it). I did a quick search through my cookbook collection and found two sweet recipes (Lemon Bubble Ring from the Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, and Hawaiian Bubble Bread from Cooking Light Low Fat Ways to Bake), and one savory (Pull-Apart Cheese Bread from Bakery Treats). Most of the savory versions I saw seem to include cheese as an ingredient. I actually made the Hawaiian Bubble Bread years ago (the "tropical" flavors stem from the addition of sliced banana, cream of coconut and pineapple-orange-banana juice), and it was really nice, but I since I am partial to cinnamon, I liked the version I just made even better, as the dough "balls" are dunked in a milk and butter mixture and then coated with cinnamon sugar prior to placing in the pan to rise. Yum!!
This recipe does require two (albeit brief) risings but you could always do the one rising, roll the dough into balls, and then let it proof overnight in the pan. They will be all ready to bake in the morning - fresh, warm and gooey!!

Monkey Bread

Ingredients

• 13.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
• 4.75 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 1 cup)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package quick-rise yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 cup very warm fat-free milk (120° to 130°)
• 1/4 cup very warm orange juice (120° to 130°)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 1/2 tablespoons fat-free milk, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 
Preparation

1. 1. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached; mix until combined. With mixer on, slowly add 1 cup milk, juice, honey, and 2 tablespoons butter; mix dough at medium speed 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.)
2. 2. Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Combine 3 tablespoons milk and 2 tablespoons butter in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk.
3. 3. Punch dough down; divide into 8 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), roll into an 8-inch rope. Cut each dough rope into 8 equal pieces, shaping each piece into a 1-inch ball. Dip each ball in milk mixture, turning to coat, and roll in sugar mixture. Layer balls in a 12-cup Bundt pan coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining 7 dough ropes. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until almost doubled in size.
4. 4. Preheat oven to 350°.
5. 5. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Place a plate upside down on top of bread; invert onto plate. Combine powdered sugar, remaining milk, and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Microwave at HIGH 20 seconds or until warm. Drizzle over bread.

Sidney Fry, MS, RD, Cooking Light 
OCTOBER 2011

Sources: Food Timeline; Monkey bread - Wikipedia

Last night I got fancy and decided to try Brook Trout and Scallop Turbans with Vanilla White Butter. So glad I did - it was delicious and well worth the effort! Actually, the recipe it really pretty simple - it is more a matter of timing the different steps since some components of the recipe need to be refrigerated before starting the next step. Also, the vanilla white butter needs to be made at the very end and then served immediately.
I have now moved on to writing about the "Fish course" in my current book - The Thousand Dollar Dinner. As part of the research for this chapter,  I stumbled upon this interesting recipe in a charming little cookbook called Fish by Jean-Paul Grappe, a chef originally from Dijon, France who is the author of eight cookbooks and now lives in Montreal, Quebec.  I was charmed by the presentation: a ramekin is lined with brook trout, then stuffed with scallop mousse and topped with two plump sea scallops. Plus, I had never seen trout paired with scallops - just thought it sounded so good. I rounded out the meal with some peppery sautéed mustard greens and pearled tricolor couscous.  A bottle of Monsieur Touton Sauvignon Blanc complemented it nicely.

Ingredients:

• 4 small trout fillets (I used rainbow trout)
  
• Salt and ground white pepper
  
• 10 oz scallops (little over 1/2 pound)
  
• 1/2 egg white
  
• 2/3 cup cream
  
• 1/4 cup soft, unsalted butter
  
• 1 1/4 cups white butter (see recipe below)
  
• 1/2 drop vanilla
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 10 cups spinach leaves (or any green - I used mustard greens)

Directions: 

1. Using the flat bade of a large knife, gently flatten the fillets until large enough to contain the scallop mousse. Set aside. (I didn't really have to do this as the fillets I bought were already flat and thin).
   
2. Wipe the scallops and place in a food processor. Add salt and pepper. Blend 30 seconds; add egg white and cream. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
   
3. Butter ramekins well using a pastry brush. Sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper and flatten against the inside edges of the ramekins. Fill centers with scallop mousse. Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 310 F
   
5. Pour 4 cups water in a large jellyroll or broiling pan. Arrange ramekins in pan and bake until they reach 155 F in the center. While baking, prepare vanilla white butter.
   
6. To cook greens, spray a skillet with some olive oil and sauté  garlic for about a minute, then add greens. Cook for a minute or until they start to wilt, then add scallops and sauté on one side of pan.
   
7. Serve greens alongside the ramekins with some pearled couscous and the vanilla white butter in a separate sauce dish.

White Butter (Beurre Blanc):

• juice of 1 lemon
  
• 3 tbsp white wine
  
• salt and white pepper
  
• 3/4 cup butter, melted

In a steel bowl, over the bottom of a double boiler, heat lemon juice and wine, add the salt and pepper and whisk vigorously. Incorporate the warm butter.
NOTE: Always add the salt and pepper before the butter so the acidity of the wine and lemon juice dissolve the salt before the butter is added. It is important to make the white butter at the last minute since it is very fragile and must be served immediately. A half drop of vanilla complements the flavor of the dish.

Adapted from Fish by Jean-Paul Grappe

Brr.....who told winter it could arrive already? It has been really brisk and chilly the past few days! On the bright side, this is perfect weather for soups and stews. 
I saw this recipe in the food section of the Philadelphia Inquirer and was intrigued by the marriage of butternut squash and Moroccan spices. Usually I puree winter squashes for a creamy soup (as I mentioned in my last blog post about Acorn Squash Soup), but this recipe calls for dicing them into chunks and serving over fluffy, crunchy quinoa, which adds protein and texture and serves as a nice contrast to the stewed vegetables.
I did change up the recipe a little by substituting zucchini for carrot, as I thought  it would complement the golden color of the butternut squash. I also used smoked paprika instead of regular paprika to give it some extra kick, and some mild salsa instead of canned tomatoes. And I utilized my wonderful crock pot to allow the stew to simmer gently all day, filling the house with its savory aroma. It was delicious for dinner alongside a salad and bread, but it tasted even richer the next day as the flavors had a chance to thoroughly deepen and blend. This was also tasty over some nutty basmati brown rice.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chopped crystalized ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 cup mild salsa (I used Green Mountain Gringo brand)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 cups 1-inch cubes peeled butternut squash
1 zucchini, cut into large dice 
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; saute until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Mix in paprika and next 6 ingredients.
2. Transfer mixture to crock pot and add broth, salsa, lemon juice, squash and zucchini. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 4-5 hours until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, saute quinoa in a saucepan with in a little olive oil for a minute or two, stirring often. Add broth and bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the broth is abs
4. Ladle stew over quinoa and top with cilantro.

- Adapted from My Daughter's Kitchen by Maureen Fitzgerald on Philly.com
Per serving (based on 6): 253 calories, 9 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams sugar, 8 grams fat, 5 milligrams cholesterol, 442 milligrams sodium, 5 grams dietary fiber.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/mydaughter/-Morrocan-Stew-with-Butternut-Squash-Carrots-and-Quinoa.html#256LhYzUgqDDre36.99