Autumn-to-winter fare warms kitchens with lovin' in the oven

After a summer of barbecues and fresh fruits and veggies galore, it’s fun to get back to cooking up some “real” food for a change. Today’s offerings feature baked delights– main- or side-dishes that need a little preliminary work before consigning to the oven. Then, while the cook rests, the aromas permeate the kitchen to whet appetites.

With our illustration as inspiration, we’ll begin with Filled Baked Onions.

To prepare this versatile and delectable offering, you must first select perfect, round onions – white are best – peel them and place in boiling water to cover for 10 minutes. Drain and let onions sit until cool enough to handle. Carefully scoop out the center of each with a sharp-edged spoon, leaving a shell 2 layers thick. Chop scooped-out portion and set aside for use in filling, or wrap and refrigerate for other uses.

As for filling, you may use any of your favorite rice/veggie mixtures, meatloaf-type mix, or even prepared stuffing mix for a great turkey go-with. Here’s a lentil filling that would also accept other grains such as bulgar, couscous or rice just as well.

Lentil-Filled Onions

1 cup dried lentils

2 cups chopped reserved onion from prepared onions

4 cups water

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons unsalted (organic) butter

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro

2 ripe but firm tomatoes, peeled, chopped, drained

½ cup shredded mild white cheese such as mozzarella or Monterey Jack

½ cup ricotta or small curd cottage cheese

In a medium saucepan, combine lentils,1 cup chopped onion and water. Bring to boil, cover and lower heat to simmer for about 30 minutes, until lentils are soft and cooked through. Drain well and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saucepan, sauté remaining chopped onion and garlic in butter until soft and translucent. Add spiced and cilantro and continue to sauté 3 minutes longer. Add chopped tomato and the drained lentils and stir to blend. Stir in cheeses and remove from heat.

Fill onion shells with mixture, place in a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes until filling is soft and blended together but shells still retain their shape. Top with a peach or papaya chutney (as pictured), if desired.

Originally referred to as “Devonshire Potatoes,” this rustic but elegant dish is a winner. It is NOT, however, a “health-food” since it is rich with butter. That said though, do not substitute real butter with any other fake product.

Potato/Mushroom

Layered Casserole

5-6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes

2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup buttermilk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

¼ cup diced onion OR ¼ cup green onions w/tops

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pinch of black pepper

½ cup crème fraiche ( ¼ cup each heavy whipping cream and sour cream)

Paprika for garnish

Peel potatoes and place in large pan with 1 teaspoon of the salt and water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to boil, lower heat and cook on med-low until tender – about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, gently heat together the buttermilk and 3 tablespoons of butter until butter is melted. Also, in a medium-size skillet over medium heat, sauté the sliced mushrooms and onion in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until soft and translucent and most of the liquid is cooked away. Stir in lemon juice and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9-inch glass pie dish.

Drain potatoes and place into a large mixing bowl. Add the warm buttermilk mixture and 1 teaspoon salt to the potatoes. Using a masher or large fork, crush and mash the potatoes to rough puree. Place half of the potatoes in a thick layer over bottom of the prepared dish. Evenly top with the mushroom mixture, then spread with the crème fraiche. Spread remaining potatoes over all. Bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Garnish with paprika and serve.

Among the myriad recipes for home-baked beans, my favorites are always flavored with maple syrup and/or molasses. Here’s a favorite recipe from years ago.

Maple Baked Beans

1 pound navy beans

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped (optional)

1 rib of celery, finely chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup pure maple syrup

½ cup tomato puree or crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 ½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

Rinse beans well and cover with plenty of hot water to soak for at least an hour or overnight if you wish. Drain, then combine beans with about 4 quarts of fresh cold water in a large pot. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer partly covered, just until tender, 1 ½ - 2 hours. During the cooking, heat oil in a large skillet and add the onion, pepper and celery and sauté for several minutes. Add garlic for last minute or so. Remove from heat; set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Drain the cooked beans, reserving the cooking water, into a large bowl. Whisk together 1 cup of the reserved cooking water, the maple syrup, tomato, molasses, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Add the sautéed vegetables and the maple mixture to the beans and mix well. Place the beans in your choice of bean pot or casserole, and cover tightly. Bake for 2½ to 3½ hours, checking periodically to make sure there is plenty of liquid; add more of the reserved cooking water if necessary. Serves about six.

Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com or by phone at 208-265-4688.