Some of you longtime Scramblers (I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you long timers!) might remember that The Scramble was built around my mom’s weekly menu planning habit when I was growing up.  My mom is an organizational genius and a great problem solver, so I had to share this private note I received from her after last week’s column about my coffee desperation during the blizzard. 

“Hi, Honey.  In reading your column (which I love to do), I was reminded of the worry I had going to Honduras in 1987 that I might not find my coffee fix (little did I know how important coffee was to the people there!).  So I took along edible espresso beans–maybe chocolate covered, just to get the “fix” if needed–which it wasn’t.  A little stash of those in your home might allay the coffee anxiety.”
Much love, Mom

Sweet Potato Pancakes (Hanukkah Latkes)

Prep (20 minutes) + Cook (20 minutes)

Makes 16 pancakes, or 4 servings

In my family, latkes are one of the best parts of celebrating Hanukkah. These modern potato pancakes have a terrific blend of flavors and a nice crunchy texture without all the oil.  If you make the batter ahead of time, refrigerate it until you are ready to cook them, and drain the excess liquid from the bowl before frying them.  Serve the pancakes with a green salad with dried cranberries and shredded or grated Parmesan cheese.  For a heartier meal, serve them with scrambled eggs. 

1 large sweet potato

1 large white potato

1 medium yellow onion

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

6 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

1 cup nonfat or low fat sour cream (optional for serving)

1 cup naturally sweetened applesauce (optional for serving)

Using a hand grater, coarsely grate the potatoes and finely dice or grate the onion.  Drain the vegetables then wrap them in a clean dish towel for a minute or two to get the excess water out.  Transfer the grated vegetables to a large bowl.  Stir in the beaten eggs.  Thoroughly mix in the flour, salt and cayenne pepper (optional).  (Prepare the eggs and salad now, if you are serving them.  The eggs can cook while the potato pancakes cook.) 

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium to medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, scoop in spoonfuls of the potato pancake mixture and flatten them with the spoon or a spatula.  Cook the pancakes for several minutes per side until they are browned.  After each batch, add 1 – 2 Tbsp. oil to the pan and let it heat for a minute or two, to keep the pancakes browning nicely.  If they start to get too browned on the outside before the middle is cooked, reduce the heat.  Transfer the cooked pancakes to the baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while the rest cook.  Serve them topped with the sour cream and applesauce (or dipped in ketchup, as our kids like them!)

Side Dish suggestion:  For fluffy scrambled eggs, beat 6 eggs with 1 heaping Tbsp. plain yogurt or sour cream, and 1 heaping Tbsp. cottage cheese until thoroughly combined.  In a medium-sized nonstick skillet, melt 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine.  Add the eggs and cook them over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are just firm and still fluffy.  Season them with salt to taste and serve. 

Nutritional Information per serving (% based upon daily values):

Calories 300, Total Fat 16g, 26%, Saturated Fat 2g, 10%, Cholesterol 110mg, 36%, Sodium 620mg, 26%, Total

Carbohydrate 32g, 10%, Dietary Fiber 4g,12%, Protein 6g, Sugar 8g

Nutritional Information per serving (with applesauce, sour cream, and 1 1/2 cups salad, 1/4 of eggs):

Calories 475, Total Fat 28g, 45% Saturated Fat 5g, 26%, Cholesterol 431mg, 143%, Sodium 825mg, 35%, Total Carbohydrate 36g, 11%, Dietary Fiber 5g,  17%, Sugar 8g, Protein 19g

I hope you enjoyed your feast last night with family and friends, and that the rest of your holiday weekend is a wonderful break (and that you don’t have to fight too much holiday traffic!).  If you are looking for a way to use up that leftover turkey, you might enjoy this healthy and delicious salad that can be served warm or cold. 

Have a happy and healthy weekend.

Warmly, Aviva

Wild Rice and Turkey Salad

Prep (10 min.) + Cook (60 min.) + time to cool
6 servings

1 cup wild rice blend (such as Lundberg)
1 cup cooked turkey breast, chopped
1 cup sliced celery (about 2 stalks)
¼ cup - ½ cup thinly sliced scallions, to taste
½ cup dried cranberries (or use raisins or pomegranate seeds)
¼ cup light balsamic vinaigrette dressing (such as Newman’s Own)
½ cup pecans, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
salt and black pepper to taste (optional)

Prepare the rice according to the package directions, using water or leftover chicken broth. 

In a medium serving bowl, combine the turkey, celery, scallions and cranberries.  When the rice is cooked, combine it with the ingredients in the bowl.  Stir in the vinaigrette dressing.  Refrigerate the salad for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 days.  Just before serving, stir in the pecans. 

I love this note I received last week, following up on the list of healthy snacks on my website:

Hi Aviva: I have to tell you a funny story - I printed out your “Snack Attack” list yesterday and gave it to my daughters, ages 6 and 4. My older daughter patiently read every option out loud, discussed it with her sister, and then wrote down yes, no, or maybe next to each one, depending on whether they thought they might like it or not. I couldn’t believe how seriously they took the task, how well they collaborated, and how easily they were entertained by it. Plus, I now have a fully anotated list on my fridge to refer to when we get the munchies. (And, of course, they’re particularly excited about the options that involve chocolate and such.)

Thank you for the list!”
Molly Thompson, Bozeman, MT

In addition to cooking, one of my other great passions is reading great books.  I’m just finishing an absolutely wonderful novel by Lorie Moore, called A Gate at the Stairs.  Every sentence reads like a poem, but the plot is keeping me engaged to the last page (which I WILL finish today before my book club arrives at 7:30!). 

I wanted to tell you about Bookbrowse, a terrific resource for book lovers that I really enjoy.  Bookbrowse has great reviews of new books, author interviews, book club guides, and many more resources for book lovers.  Owner Davina Morgan-Witts also wanted me to tell you about their new one-month free trial option, for those who like to take a nibble before they commit to a whole bite. 

Subscribe to BookBrowse and discover the books that truly give you what you want from reading!

As a BookBrowse member you’ll enjoy our interactive online-magazines with in-depth reviews, the stories behind the books, book club chats, author interviews, book news and more.

In addition, our previews of high profile and notable books will keep you way ahead of the crowd; and you’ll be able to find just the right books for you and your family by browsing our wide variety of themed reading lists and our handpicked ‘readalike’ suggestions from one book to another.

You’ll also be able to catalog and comment on any book anyway you want in your Personal Reading List; and receive free prepublication copies of books through our First Impressions program (USA residents only). Books are subject to availability with most members who take part receiving 2-3 books each year. 

All this for just $29.95 for a year or $9.95 for 3 months.

Start Your One-Month Free Membership 

“My book club friends think I’m so smart because I’m so informed about books!” - Betty, USA
I particularly like the previews, I put books on hold at my library and usually get them early.” - Barbara, Australia
“What an absolute gem for book lovers! It wants for nothing” - Marty, Canada
“Thank you for BookBrowse. It would be a bargain at twice the price.” - Karen, USA

Tonight my book club is coming for dinner, and I’m going to serve them Risotto with Sausage and Mushrooms, with Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, and a Spinach Provolone Bread from Great Harvest Bread Company (my favorite resource for fresh bread when I don’t have time to make my own. 

If you don’t have access to The Six O’Clock Scramble recipes through either the website or the cookbooks, here’s the recipe for the risotto:

Risotto with Sausage and Mushrooms

Prep + Cook = 30 minutes
8 servings, about 2 cups each

Our friend, Karen Murray, gave me this terrific and easy recipe.  According to Scramble recipe tester, Debbie Firestone, the risotto smells as “heavenly” as it tastes.  You can use any kind of sausage your family likes.  Serve it with roasted parsnips or carrots. 

1 lb. Italian sausage (or use meatless sausage)
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 tsp. minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 cups Arborio (changed from white) rice, uncooked
28 - 30 oz. low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup white wine (or use additional broth)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

Remove the sausages from their casings and crumble them coarsely (if using precooked or meatless sausage, dice it into 1/4-inch pieces). 

In a large skillet or saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, sausage and garlic and sauté them until the onions are tender and the sausage is browned, about 5 minutes.  (Meanwhile, prepare the parsnips or carrots, if you are serving them.) 

Add the mushrooms and rice, and stir until the rice is coated and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. 

Add the broth, wine and pepper and bring it to a boil.  Cover and simmer the mixture for 15-20 minutes until the rice is tender. 

Stir in the peas and cheese and serve it immediately. 

Scramble Flavor Booster:  Use spicy Italian sausage and season the risotto with lots of freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated cheese. 

Tip:  If you don’t like mushrooms, you can leave them out of this dish and it will still taste divine. 

Side Dish suggestion:  To make roasted parsnips or carrots, cut 1 lb. of parsnips or carrots lengthwise into quarters and cut those strips into 1-inch pieces.  In a roasting pan, toss the pieces with 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper.  Roast them in the oven at 450 degrees until they are slightly browned (15-20 minutes).  The longer you cook them, the sweeter they will become. 

Nutritional Information per serving:
Calories 510, Total Fat 28g, 43%, Saturated Fat 9g, 45%, Cholesterol 50mg, 17%, Sodium 560mg, 23%, Total Carbohydrate 44g, 15% Dietary Fiber 2g, 8% Sugar 3g, Protein 17g

In this week’s Six O’Clock Scramble newsletter, I addressed the benefits of using fresh vs. frozen vs. canned foods, and touched on the issue of BPA in cans which may pose a danger to our health.  For more on this topic, please read the following article by Naomi Starkman of Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports (a source I’ve long trusted):  http://civileats.com/2009/11/02/tests-find-wide-range-of-bisphenol-a-in-canned-soups-juice-and-more/

In the last few weeks a few terrific websites have been sending new customers my way.  I want to thank Nicole Heady’s Capture the Moment blog, Austin Kidbits, and Daily Candy Kids, in particular for their features:

http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2009/10/happytuesday.html

http://www.dailycandy.com/kids/all-cities/article/76882/Aviva-Goldfarbs-Mini-Meatloaf-Muffin-Recipe

http://austin.gokidbits.com/tidbit/word-to-your-mother-2

I appreciate the recognition of these bloggers and feel fortunate that their authors enjoy The Scramble enough to help me spread the word.  Thank you!