Our foray into vegetarianism at Jackie Daley Realty has been greatly successful. We've been enjoying trying new recipes and working with different ingredients, and it hasn't been terrible for making us feel amazing, either!

Below is a recently tried recipe, taken from Vegetarian Times.

Butternut Squash and Duxelles Casserole

Duxelles (pronounced dook-SEHL) is a paste of finely chopped mushrooms and shallots used to flavor classic French dishes. A food processor makes quick work of the chopping. The mixture is extremely versatile—try it spread on toast as an appetizer. This recipe is also a good way to use tough stems from shiitake and portobello mushrooms.

Ingredient List

Serves 8

• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms or mushroom stems
• 2 shallots, coarsely chopped (1/4 cup)
• 1 1/2 tsp. butter
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped parsley
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• (3 oz.), divided
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 (2.5 lb.) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch slices

Directions

1. Pulse mushrooms in food processor 20 times, or until finely chopped. Transfer to bowl. Place shallots in food processor; pulse 20 times, or until finely chopped. Transfer to same bowl.

2. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots, and season with salt, if desired. Cook 10 minutes, or until mushrooms have released their liquid, most liquid has evaporated, and shallots are lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley and pepper.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or gratin dish with cooking spray.

4. Bring milk, flour, and garlic to a simmer in saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook 2 minutes, or until sauce is thick enough to coat back of spoon, whisking frequently. Whisk in 1/2 cup cheese and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

5. Spread one-third squash in prepared pan. Top with 1/3 cup cheese sauce and half of mushroom mixture. Repeat layers, ending with cheese sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake 45 minutes, or until squash is tender and top is browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 134, Protein: 7g, Total fat: 5g, Saturated fat: 3g, Carbs: 19g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 60mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 5g

The energy efficiency tax credit of 2010 has been modified for 2011.

In 2011, for certain energy efficient items purchased on your primary residence the tax payer may receive 10% of the cost of the items with a maximum deduction of $500.00.

For the month of January, two members of Jackie Daley Realty are going vegetarian. In an effort to start the new year off with health, Jackie Daley, Broker, and Patricia Adams, Office Manager will not be eating meat.

A Plant Based diet offers many benefits for those of you seeking to have better health and a better waistline. The best part is, even decreasing your meat intake by adding one or two completely vegetable-based meals for dinner a week can help!

East African Sweet Pea Soup
from: Elisabeth

This recipe is adapted from Sundays at Moosewood

• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp grated fresh peeled ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp homemade garam masala, which we happened to have on hand, OR
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
• 1 tsp ground cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp turmeric (I don't like it and didn't use it, but Moosewood does)
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, diced
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 3 cups fresh green peas (took me 45 minutes to shell them!)

Over medium heat, brown onions and garlic in a pot for 5-10 minutes.

Mix in the ginger, salt, and all spices and cook for a few minutes, stirring often.

Add tomatoes and sweet potato, stir. Add 1 1/2 cups of water, stir.
Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add 2 cups of the peas and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and add remaining 2 cups of water.

Puree in batches in a blender until smooth (Be sure to leave the top partially off the blender, or cover with a kitchen towel, so that the liquid doesn't explode the top off!) return to the pot, add the last cup of peas, and cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the revamped site of Jackie Daley Realty.  We'd like to use this blog to let you know what's going on in real estate, and to put a face to the people behind this business. We'll try to update the blog on a weekly basis, with two entries each month being devoted to real estate, and the other two entries being devoted to something we're passionate about here at JDR! We hope you enjoy reading about the industry and our passions!

Thank you,

Jackie Daley Realty