Recipes and treatments for Stems, Skins & Stalks
Recipes and treatments for Past Peak produce and breadstuffs
Recipes and treatments for Once Cooked foods
Recipes and treatments for Negligible Quantities
Recipes and treatments for Nearly Expired condiments
Recipes and treatments for Ill-Fated Creations
Home
About expendable edibles
Recipes organized by ingredient
Press Room releases
Contact Nancy and Marlene

Stems, Skins and Stalks  = fresh vegetable trimmings, full of flavor and nutrients, 
either cooked in water, sautéed or baked. On the fruit side – fresh zest used as 
garnish or as a flavoring, or peels, candied.

FRUIT
• Orange peels
• Orange zest

VEGETABLE
• Broccoli stalks
• Corn cobs
• Mushroom stems,
  leeks, onions
  and celery ends
• Potato skins

 

 

FRUIT

ORANGE PEELS

Candied Orange Peels not only acquire a bright shade of orange, but also a brilliant shine and a slightly curly nature, making them a lovely sight when boxed. The flavor is floral brimming with sweetness. Garnish your ice cream with candied orange peels or chop them up finely and mix them into your favorite cookie dough.

 

Level 1
Candied Orange Peels
Yields 35-45 peels

Peels of 2-3 oranges (tangerine, grapefruit or lemon peels work as well)
Equal parts sugar and water (approx. 1 cup each)

Cookware needed:

  • Bowl ice water
  • Wax paper or fine wire rack
  1. Using scissors, julienne orange peels. Soak strips in cold water for about ½ hour, until they begin to curl. Drain and set aside.
  2. Bring sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thoroughly dissolved. Reduce heat, adding citrus peels. Cook on low until peels appear translucent. Remove peels and cool on wax paper or on a fine wire rack. When thoroughly cooled and dry, store in an airtight container.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cooking Tip: Cooking peels slowly minimizes the peels from losing too much of their natural color.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good Hostess Tip: Citrus peels can be stored up to 48 hours in a re-sealable plastic bag. After a few days of orange eating, you’ll have enough to make a gorgeous hostess gift.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canning Tip: Continue reducing the syrup once the peels have been removed, until half the original volume remains. Strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Place peels in a sterilized canning jar, pour liquid over peels and you have now “canned” your peels without refrigeration. For an added kick, try adding a teaspoon of orange liqueur.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     top

ORANGE ZEST

Orange zest in cookie dough or icing is imparts a lovely citrus quality everyone will notice.

 

Level 2
Florida Sunshine Sugar Cookies
Yields 4 dozen cookies

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla or orange extract
1/2 tsp. orange zest
2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
½ tsp. salt

Cookware required: cookie cutter forms and rolling pin

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Decoration Tips: cinnamon sugar, unsweetened coconut flakes (chopped, toasted nuts such as almonds or pine nuts)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.

  2. In a large bowl, using a hand held mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla; blend in the zest.

  3. In a separate bowl, mix together baking power and flour. Add to batter mixture in small batches, mixing thoroughly after each addition, until thoroughly mixed.

  4. Split dough in half, placing each on a sheet of wax paper. Roll into two separate packets; chill in fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

  5. Take dough out of refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for approximately 10 minutes to soften. On a floured surface, roll out dough with a lightly floured rolling pin to 1/2" thickness.  Press cookie cutter forms into dough, cutting out forms. Arrange on a greased cookie sheet, and bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

  6. Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container.
        top    print recipes

VEGETABLE

BROCCOLI STALKS

Any kind of stems are wonderful when thrown into a soup you’re planning to puree. Use what you would ordinarily toss as long as it’s clean and mold-free – tough asparagus stalks, broccoli or fibrous stems of mushrooms, for instance. Better yet, the final product bears no resemblance to those original woody or coarse stalks.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Storage Tip: Broccoli stalks keep in a re-sealable bag for up to 3 days refrigerated. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Level 2
Sautéed Broccoli Stalks & Carrots
Serves 2 as a side dish

4 broccoli stalks
1 small carrot (or more based on personal preference)
1 tsp. olive or any unsaturated vegetable oil; butter (or both in a 2:1 ratio)
1 Tbsp. ginger, peeled and cut thinly in slivers
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional seasonings : a drop or two of sesame oil, a pinch of freshly minced ginger and lemon zest
Optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds

  1. Peel and julienne broccoli stems and carrots. Using a paring knife, cut each “log” in half, then in half again, creating thin strips.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prepping Tip: For larger quantities, speed up the process by using julienne blades in your food processor.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  1. In a pan, heat oil or butter. Sauté ginger and garlic together until soft. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Add carrots and broccoli, cover and shake pan around every few minutes to coat vegetables. This encourages even cooking without damaging the juliennes. Keep covered, and steam for about 5 minutes or until slightly tender. Remove immediately from heat and serve.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flavor Tip: Butter provides a nuttier flavor when allowed to brown slightly, amplifying the vegetable’s own flavors. Try pouring some slightly browned melted butter over each serving.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     top

CORN COBS

In the following example is a classic cooking lesson: broths made from veggies impart such intense flavors to cooking water, they’re sure to break your bouillon habit. Here a neutral-colored broth from corn holds its own against the boldest borscht or tomato-tinted soup stock.

 

Level 2
Corn Stock
from John Chiakulas of Lettuce Entertain You, Chicago

Finding bouillon cubes too salty and canned stocks too bland, John enhances whatever stock he’s using with corn water from corn cobs. “Wherever you’d normally use chicken stock,” says John, “consider the natural sweetness of corn.” John cuts the kernels off the cob, saving them for the stock at the last minute as a way to retain their crisp, al dente texture. Lining the bottom of the pot with corn cobs, he fills the pot with enough water to cover, allowing for the seafood he plans to add to the pot. After the water is brought to a broil, he lowers the flame to a simmer and adds whatever seafood is in season (mussels, clams, scallops, or whole Dungeness crab). The alchemy begins when the denuded cobs start delivering milky plumes of rich corn flavor into the stock – the process takes about 5 minutes. Once the seafood is cooked through, out come the cobs.

      top    print recipes

MUSHROOM STEMS

Level 2
Mushroom Water
from Dominique Tougne of Bistro 110, Chicago

Dominique Tougne of Bistro 110 saves the stems of discarded mushrooms (chanterelles or morals are his favorites but any kind will work) to make mushroom water that can be used for poaching or pan-steaming fish on another night. “Using mushroom water to steam salmon,” says Dominique “infuses the fish with all the essence of those wild mushrooms.” He covers the stems in water, cooking them for about 10 minutes at a gentle boil before straining the liquid through cheesecloth or strong paper towel. Next, he returns the broth to the pot for a little more light boiling. Once reduced to half its original quantity, he stores the broth in the freezer or refrigerator until he’s ready to use it again.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reducing: Boiling a liquid - usually stock, wine or a sauce mixture - rapidly until its volume has been diminished. The moisture steams off, resulting in a thicker consistency which intensifies the flavor.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Dominique pan-steams salmon in mushroom water, he uses the remaining liquid as the base for a cream sauce. Melting approximately 2 tablespoons of butter in a separate sauté pan, he adds small amounts of mushroom water a little at a time and stirs briskly. With a drizzle of cream (about 1/3 cup), a sprinkling of fine white pepper, and finely chopped parsley or dill, he finishes the sauce and spoons it over the salmon. Ooh-la-la. If there’s no fish in his future, Dominique often reheats the broth, enjoying it straight from a mug - a soothing alternative to coffee or tea on a chilly day.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prepping Tip (for mushroom caps): Skip the scrubbing. If you pop the stem out, the skin can be peeled right off by starting at the underside where the stem used to be, and pulling the peel outwards back over the cap.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MUSHROOM STEMS, LEEKS, ONION & CELERY ENDS

Level 2
Egg Drop Soup
Serves 4 as a first course

Expending no extra effort, you can make this delicious Asian soup using all the vegetable trimmings you were about to throw away when preparing some other dish. Throw all mushroom skins and stems, green parts of leeks, outer leaves of onions and celery ends into a soup pot with 2 cans or 4-5 cups of chicken broth. Add 1/2 cup white wine, 1 bay leaf, any fresh vegetables like baby carrots, green onions and chives, or any part of a tomato. Bring to a rolling boil, then lower to a simmer, cooking for an additional 45 minutes. Strain the soup of all the trimmings and adjust seasonings.

The fanciest part – the egg drop is simple:

1 Tbsp. white flour
2 eggs well beaten

  1. Blend flour a little at a time into eggs with a fork until smooth.
  2. Drop by small spoonfuls into boiling broth.

Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

        top    print recipes

POTATO SKINS

Baked and seasoned potato skins make a great garnish on salads (substitute for crumbled bacon or croutons), as a topping on a steak sandwich in lieu of a bun, or even as tapas with drinks. What baked potato skins do best, though, is satiate those overwhelming “carb-cravings” one gets on carbohydrate-restricted diets.

The texture of “wet-seasoned” skins is chewy, while “dry-seasoned” peels are crunchier, but without the greasy taste of deep fried peels. Peels may shrink up to 50% their original size after baking, so keep this in mind when figuring out how many potato peels you’re likely to serve.

 

Level 2
Crispy, Seasoned Potato Peels
Serves 2 as a snack, appetizer or garnish

Russet potato peels (2 cups)

Cooking ware needed:

  • Bowl of ice water
  • Vegetable peeler with wide blade
  • Metal cookie sheet
  • Cloth towel or several layers of paper towel
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cooking Tip: Plan to use peels within 24 hours. Otherwise you risk changes in texture and color caused by exposing the sugars and starches in the surface of the cut potato to air.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  • Peel potatoes using a vegetable peeler to create naturally curvy lines of perfect width. (How long they are is up to you!) Drop peels immediately into bowl of ice water.
  • Air-dry peels by employing the “drop and roll” method, rolling peels up in a towel. Peels don’t have to be bone-dry before you use them.

  • Decide whether you prefer wet seasonings, dry seasonings or both. Think creatively about whatever you’ve got on hand – and be adventuresome.

    • -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Seasoning Tip: Don’t be shy about adding more salt to seasonings. The moisture and natural starches in potato peels tend to diminish the taste of salt so it’s more difficult to overdo it.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For wet seasoned peels

    For dry seasoned peels:

    Our favorite dry seasonings are dried herbs & salt combos - many available

    • roasted garlic and red peppers (store-bought mix)
    • lemon pepper and salt
    • seasoning salt and paprika
    • celery salt and garlic powder
    • cumin and touch of cinnamon
    • ground achiote (a.k.a. annatto seed)

    Plus 2 Tbsp. butter*
    * Figure approximately 1 Tbsp. butter for every cup of potato peels

    a. Melt butter in a microwaveable measuring cup. Check in 30 second intervals whether butter is thoroughly melted because microwaves vary. Pour melted butter into a bowl.

    Butter vs. Oil:

    - Seasoning adheres better to butter than to oil
    - Skins bake crispier because the whey (or solids) in butter actually brown
    - Butter acquires a wonderfully nutty flavor, and
    - According to the South Beach Diet*, a modest amount of fat diminishes the portion of carbohydrates absorbed by your body

    * South Beach Diet , by best-selling author and Miami Beach cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD

    b. Dip potato peels into a small bowl of melted butter, tossing them with a spatula. Shake excess butter off peels and drop them into a re-sealable plastic bag containing 4 Tbsp. or more of your choice of dry seasoning mixture. This should be enough to coat the peels unless all you want is just a hint of spice. Seal and give plastic bag a good shake or two.

    c. Spread out peels in a single layer on a metal, non-stick cookie sheet. If using ceramic or glass pans, expect longer cooking times because they heat up more slowly than metal ones. Before sliding into the oven, give pan a firm shake to help separate peels. Be sure that peels stay in a single layer. Put pan on top oven rack.

    d. Bake peels for about 15 minutes for a crunchier texture. Ovens vary so check peels periodically.

    For wet seasoned peels:

    Our favorite wet seasonings include these combos:

    • horseradish cream sauce and freshly black pepper
    • chipotle hot sauce
    • curry powder and apple butter
    • salad dressing (your choice)

    Plus 2 Tbsp. butter*
    * Figure approximately 1 Tbsp. butter for every cup of potato peels

    a. Prepare bowls with 4 Tbsp. of desired wet seasoning. Drop in peels and toss to coat well. If you want less spicy peels, dilute the hot spice with butter - one part sauce and two parts butter.

    b. Spread out wet seasoned peels in a single layer on a metal, non-stick cookie sheet. If using ceramic or glass pans, expect longer cooking times because they heat up more slowly than metal ones. Before sliding into the oven, give pan a firm shake to help separate peels. Be sure that peels stay in a single layer. Put pan on top oven rack.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Cookware Tip: If your pan isn’t of the coated non-stick type - before you bake the peels, put a teaspoon of vegetable oil on the surface, rubbing it in with a paper towel.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    c. Bake wet seasoned peels for about 25 minutes or longer, checking periodically for crispness. Remember the more peels on the tray, the greater moisture level, and the longer the cooking time.

    Seasoned Potato Peels are economical, fast and un-fussy. Good for the earth, good for your health, and good for your conscience.

          top    print recipes

     

    © 2004-2007 Expendable Edibles  Last updated: January 2007