Ten Diet Rules for the Rest of Us

1. If you eat something and no one sees you eat it, it has no calories.
2. If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, the calories in the candy bar are canceled out by the diet soda.
3. When you eat with someone else, calories don't count if you don't eat more than they do.
4. Food used for medical purposes never count. Examples include hot chocolate, toast, chicken soup and chocolate cake.
5. If you fatten up everyone around you, you will look thinner.
6. Movie related foods, such as Milk Duds, buttered popcorn, Junior Mints, Reese's Pieces, Red Hots, and Tootsie Rolls, do not have additional calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.
7. Cookie pieces contain no fat — the process of breaking them causes the fat to leak out.
8. Things licked off knives and spoons have no calories if you are in the process of preparing something. Examples include peanut butter on a knife, while making a sandwich, and ice cream or chocolate sauce on a spoon, while making a sundae.
9. Foods having the same color have the same number of calories. Examples: spinach and pistachio ice cream; shiitake mushrooms and chocolate. Chocolate is a universal color and may be substituted for any other food color.
10. Foods that are frozen have no calories because calories are units of heat. Examples are ice cream and , frozen pie.

Vegetable Mosaic Casserole

I'm always on the lookout for ways to add more vegetables to my family's diet. Inspired by the Mosaic Timbale from the Greens Cookbook, I came up with this variable vegetable casserole. It's not a vegan dish by any stretch of the imagination. It's more of an ovo-lacto vegetarian one.

The vegetables and cheese are variable according to season and taste. Use your favorite herbs, as well. The only thing I would keep constant is make sure to use either leeks or an onion, garlic, the eggs and yoghurt for the sauce, and plenty of herbs.

One thing I like about this dish is that it's a casserole. Casseroles have a huge place in Utah Mormon cuisine. Usually you take them to sick or injured neighbor's houses. They can be made in advance and frozen, reheating them for later. This one you'll want to keep for your own table.

Equipment needed
colander
cutting board
kitchen knife
medium mixing bowl
measuring spoons and cups
large frying pan
medium baking dish

Ingredients
2 leeks, white parts only
2 to 3 cups asparagus
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet bell pepper, green or red
4 eggs
2 cups plain yoghurt
1/4 cup low fat milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup bread crumbs or crushed butter crackers (Ritz)
1 teaspoon dried basil, or 2 teaspoons fresh basil, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
butter and canola oil as needed


Directions
Butter a medium baking dish. Coat with a single layer of bread crumbs, reserving the remainder of the crumbs, and set aside.

Quarter the leeks and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Rinse well in a colander or sieve and set aside. Break the bottoms off the asparagus and cut into 1 inch lengths. Seed the bell pepper and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl. Beat the eggs, then mix well with the yoghurt, milk, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Mix in the herbs and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and add 1 tablespoon of canola oil to the hot pan, melting the butter. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt. Saute until they start to get soft. Add the peas, peppers, asparagus and garlic. Saute until the asparagus is bright green and the vegetables are starting to soften. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In the meantime, heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once cooled a bit, toss the vegetables in the egg mixture until completely coated. Pour the vegetable-egg mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs evenly over the top. Cover and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, so that a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.

Makes 9 servings, enough for dinner and leftovers.

The original Greens Mosaic Timbale was baked and served in individual ramekins with either a tomato or herbed bechamel sauce. They would make a nice addition to this version, as well.

Essential Baking Equipment Part 2: Cakes, Pies and More

In part 1, we discussed some pretty basic ovenware, mostly for breads, muffins, cookies and the occasional casserole. In this baking equipment installment, we're going to start with cakes.

Layer Cake Pan
You can bake a cake in a square baking dish, but there's just something about a round one that screams, “I took extra time for you” when your baking a cake for someones birthday or other special occasion. You didn't actually take any extra time, of course, but they don't have to know that. Mine have solid bottoms, but I know many people who like the loose-bottom variety, making it easier to remove. I can see the appeal, but for the extra cost I don't see the need. The cake will pull away from the sides of the pan, anyway. Butter and flour the pan well and you should have no problems removing the cake by placing a large plate or baking dish over the top and gently flipping it upside down. For that same reason, you don't need to invest in a nonstick surface, but you do want them to be solidly made. I recommend buying two.

Springform Pan
For those who don't know, a springform pan has a clasp on the side that opens up the pan and releases the bottom. They're much better than a regular cake pan for baking cheesecakes and other delicate cakes that can't be turned upside down to remove. Again, non-stick isn't necessary. A springform pan has to be greased and floured well, or lined with parchment paper, no matter what it's made of. Spend the extra money on solid construction, not unnecessary coatings.

Ramekins
These small ceramic baking dishes are really fun for making individual servings of souffles, custards and other dishes. Ramekins come in various sizes, the most common being about 3/4 of a cup,  and can be brought straight from the oven to the table. The larger ones are great for making French onion soup. They can be a little expensive, but keep your eyes open for deals, buying a few at a time as your budget permits, until you have enough for every member of your family and maybe a couple more for guests.

Pie Pan
Some people claim that metal is better than ceramic or ovenproof glass for pie pans. It's reported to give the pie a crispier crust, because the heat distributes more evenly. Understanding the physics of it, I'd have a hard time arguing with them. They may be right, but I've gotten good results with my Pyrex one for the last twenty years so I'm not looking at replacing it very quickly. Regardless of the material, though, plain sloping sides and a good sized lip of the pie edging is essential.

Quiche Pan
I've seen metal quiche pans with lovely fluted edges designed to strengthen the pastry shell. Most of them have a loose-bottom design so the entire quiche can be removed without breaking the crust and for easy serving. To be honest, I've never felt a need to buy one. I've only made a half-dozen quiches in my lifetime and my regular pie pan has worked  just fine for them.

Next time in Essential Kitchen Equipment, we'll cover roasting pans and such.