whocares cooks

juicing fun

2011-08-01T07:44:00.004-06:00

yes! you too can juice the rind AND LIKE IT. :)

because Daphne asked, here are a few of my favorite raw juice recipes so far. i'll add to it if i come across a delicious new recipe. i like them best when they're very cold, so i refrigerated it for 30 minutes or put ice in it. hardcore juicers would tell you to drink it asap. you do whatever you like, just make sure to include the stems of your greens.

[PS - yes, you really do need an electric juicer for this. chop very roughly, the pieces only need to be small enough to put into the feed chute. for melons or very juicy fruit and greens, i've found i get more juice if i press the tamper down very slowly. you *could* probably do this in a vitamix and add water and ice to thin it, but i haven't tried that yet so attempt at your own risk.]

some recipes from jointhereboot.com

apple/beet/carrot
2 granny smith apples (unpeeled, cored)
2-4 beets, peeled
3-6 whole carrots, scrubbed but unpeeled (i cut the very top off)
4 c.(or to taste) spinach or kale
1" piece of peeled ginger

mexican jugo (this is not sweet, but is limey/peppery/cilantro-y.)
2 cucumbers, unpeeled
4 c. cilantro
1 lime, halved and unpeeled
1 poblano pepper, seeded and de-veined
1 golden delicious or granny smith apple

watermelon cleanser (best on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning)
1/4 med/large watermelon WITH rind (i cut the fruit away and chop the rind into pieces half as big as the one i'm holding in the picture)
1 lime, halved and unpeeled
thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled
this makes nearly a half gallon. i end up drinking this over a couple of mornings.

kermie
1 granny smith apple, cored but unpeeled
1 cucumber, unpeeled
3 c. spinach or kale or whatever green sounds good
1 lemon, halved and unpeeled
1" piece of peeled ginger

cantaloupe yum-yum
1 cantaloupe, seeded and peeled (that's right, no rind)
2 granny smith or golden delicious apples, unpeeled
6 kale leaves
6 swiss chard leaves (i didn't have these so i just did handfuls of spinach instead)

sunset
1 sweet potato (i'm going to peel mine)
1 carrot with peel
1 red pepper
2 beets, peeled
2 golden delicious apples, unpeeled
1 orange (i peel this unless it's organic. they gas oranges to make them orange. this doesn't happen with lemons and limes. fyi.)

leave a comment and tell us what you think about the recipe(s) you try! to your health, ladies. *clink*

(chili and) cinnamon rolls

2011-02-16T13:10:00.006-06:00

i hear the trend nowadays is to serve cinnamon rolls alongside a bowl of chili. true? my mom served this pairing recently - real, warm, spicy comfort food.

cinnamon rolls, to me, aren't supposed to be stiff and dripping with cream-cheese frosting. the cinnamon rolls i had as a kid - at least every christmas morning - were my great-grandma's recipe: light, tender, almost melting in your mouth. (she was also famous for the flakiest pie dough that folks said 'had wings'. her pie crust has ruined me for any other pie...except that sour cherry pie cheryl made last summer. OH! but i digress.)

so if you're going to try your hand at this chili-and-cinnamon-roll trend, may i suggest this recipe? [you'll just have to get over the scant amount of vegetable shortening it calls for. one bite and you won't remember it anyway.]

Hazel's Cinnamon Rolls:

scald 1 c. milk (that's just til bubbles form around the edge of the pan), take off heat.

dissolve 2 pkgs active dry yeast in 1/2 c. warm water. (i add a small pinch of sugar to the bowl, too.)- don’t dissolve until milk is scalded.

to the slightly cooled scalded milk, add:
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. salt
1/4 c. shortening

stir together. add the yeast to the liquid mixture, then mix in:
2 beaten eggs
2 c. flour

mix well.
add 1 cup of flour at a time (up to 2 cups), beating into the dough. it may be wetter than you're used to - don't fret (yet)!
turn out onto well-floured surface & knead, adding flour (up to 1 more cup) as needed just until the dough is elastic (about 5 minutes).

place in greased bowl & cover; let rise til doubled, about 1-1.5 hours. (i set the oven to 170F, then turn it off before placing the dough bowl inside, covered with a barely-damp towel.
punch down dough; let it rest 10 minutes in the bowl.
melt two sticks of unsalted butter - have it on hand along with your cinnamon & sugar.
divide dough in half.
roll each half a 15” x9”ish rectangle.
brush dough somewhat liberally with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar generously, to taste.
roll up dought lengthwise; seal ends.
cut in half, then in half again. (each quarter should yield 3-4 cinnamon rolls.)
grease a 9x13 pan or two cake pans; pour melted butter in, and sprinkle some brown sugar in the bottom of pan.
put rolls in pan, spacing evenly.
cover & let rise til doubled, approximately 1 hour.
while rising on counter, preheat oven to 350F.
bake 12-15 minutes til lightly golden brown.
turn upside down on foil & empty pan immediately.
let cool; then wrap in foil. they also freeze well in the foil & a freezer bag.

Mahi Mahi in Brown Butter

2011-02-09T19:39:00.003-06:00

I'm always looking for yum food that I can make in under 30 minutes. Tonight we hit the jackpot. You will not be disappointed.

1. Go to Trader Joes and buy their frozen fillets of Mahi Mahi. Let defrost overnight in fridge.

2. melt 3 T. better in skillet over med. low to med. heat.

3. Pat fillets dry with paper towels and toss them into a plastic zip lock bag. Add 1/2 c. flour, salt and pepper. Seal and shake.

4. Observe butter until it is just turning brown. Add fillets (make sure you shake of excess flour first). Set timer for 3 minutes and don't move them.

5. Flip fillets with spatula, set timer for 3 minutes again and also add 3 T. lemon juice and a bit of zest if you have it. Swirl to incorporate and continue the cooking.

6. Check for doneness by inserting fork in fillet. If it easily separates, remove right away and serve. If not, keep cooking and keep a close eye.

7. Serve!! They should be browned and dripping with lemon butter sauce.

salted caramels

2010-12-20T09:32:00.007-06:00

my Christmas gift to you, whocaresians near & far. the *new* and *improved* recipe, with a *bonus* thrown in a the end!

*ready?*

;)

Salted Caramels

1 c. heavy cream
5 T. unsalted butter
1 t. kosher salt*, plus extra for sprinkling (*see note below ingredients)
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. molasses or light corn syrup
1/2 t. vanilla extract

*note about salt: there is a difference between morton kosher salt (it's easier to locate) and 'nicer' kosher salt like the diamond crystal brand (can find it at Penzey's Spices)...morton's is crumbly, while diamond crystal's is flakier. i've made it both ways and the flakier kosher salt is what i prefer (it's not much more expensive at all), and looks nicer on top of the caramels. that said, use either.

1. Line an 8" square baking pan with parchment, allowing it to drape over two sides. Grease the paper well. (I've also just used a glass pan and greased it really well.)

2. In a small saucepan, combine the cream, butter and 1 t. of salt to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.

3. In a deep saucepan, combine 1/4 c. water, sugar and corn syrup or molasses, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stirring occassionally, boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown, if using corn syrup. If using molasses, boil til a candy thermometer reaches 250 F.

4. When the sugar mixture is complete, stir the cream mixture and slowly add it to sugar mixture. Use care - it will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla and cook over medium-low heat until your candy thermometer reaches 248 F. Stir constantly - this will take up to 20 minutes.

5. Very carefully pour the caramels into your prepared pan, sprinkle with salt (I wait til it's cooled for about half an hour in the fridge), refrigerating for a few hours, until firm.

6. When the caramel is cold, pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board and cut into long strips. Cut each strip into little squares. (I can usually get 4 dozen out of one pan)

*note - using molasses not only give these caramels more depth of flavor, but makes them a bit softer and much easier to cut.

7. Cut parchment or freezer paper into 4x5 inch pieces and wrap each caramel individually, twisting the ends. Store in the refrigerator.

And now, as promised, here's a quick recipe for homemade corn syrup, if you dare:

Light Corn Syrup

2 c. white sugar
3/4 c. water
1/4 t. cream of tarter
dash salt

Combine all ingredients in large pan. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cover for 3 minutes to get sugar crystals off side of pan. Uncover & cook until reaches soft ball stage on a candy thermometer. Stir often. Cool and store in covered container at room temp. It will keep for up to 2 months and makes almost 2 cups.

New Fall Soup

2010-10-21T12:00:00.002-06:00

This really hit the spot last night. It was so easy and so yummy.

Butternut Squash Soup

Saute the following in 1 T. butter for 5 minutes:
1 roughly chopped onion
1 chopped carrot (don't bother peeling)

Add:
3 c. chicken broth (or veggie broth)
1 apple, peel and chunked
1 butternut squash, peeled and chunked.

Simmer/boil for 10-15 minutes with lid on.

Add: 2 heaping t. of Chaat Masala (i bought this at the INdian grocery on our Spice Crawl)

Puree with an immersion blender. Enjoy!!

Peach Skillet Cake

2010-08-04T20:22:00.000-06:00

skillet cake, in the skillet

skillet cake, a la mode, with coffee

I made this with fresh peaches from Wenninghoff's. It just sounded old-timey and good. And, it was.

Fruit/caramel layer:

1 can of peach slices (I used 2 fresh peaches, peeled)
1/4 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar

Batter:

1/3 c. butter
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 t. ginger (I used powdered)
1 1/2 c. flour
3 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2/3 c. milk

Drain peaches (if app.). Melt butter and brown sugar in 10" iron skillet (mine is larger, but i reduced the baking time to 25 min and it worked out just fine). Heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Place peach slices in sunburst effect.

Make batter: Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Combine ginger, flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to mix. Gently pour into skillet over peach slices. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 35-40 minutes (adjust according to pan size) or until tests done.

Immediately turn upside down onto large serving plate (or cutting board, in my case, b/c of my pan size. This is likely to be a two-person job and requires good communication/coordination).

The result is a lovely cake that's not too sweet, topped with a gooey layer of fruit and caramel. The cake has a cornbread-like texture. Super yummy. Would be great for breakfast too!

Rhubarb Custard Pie Filling

2010-06-09T09:37:00.001-06:00

This is from my Mom's good friend Clare Pincock. It makes an amazing filling for those rhubarb purists that don't want strawberries muddling the flavor of their pie.

3 c. rhubarb in 8" pie plate lined with pastry
1 c. sugar
2 T flour
1/8 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten

Mix the last for ingredients well and pour over the rhubarb.
Bake 450 for 10 min, 325 for 30 min.
For a 10" pie, double the recipe and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Blueberry Scones

2010-05-23T10:40:00.003-06:00

2 1/4 c. sifted flour
3 T sugar/honey
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Cut in 6 T butter

1 c. buttermilk OR 3/4 c. milk + 3 T white vinegar OR 3/4 c. milk plus 2 - 3 T of sour cream

Combine dry ingredients. Add buttermilk and honey. Mix loosely.
Add two handfuls (2 c.) of blueberries (frozen work best).
Fold in berries. Press dough or gently roll into a small oval.
Cut into pie wedges. Place in a greased cookie sheet.
Cook 12 - 15 min in preheated oven at 400 degrees

If you wish, you may add a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar to the tops of the scones before baking.

European Peasant Bread

2010-05-14T14:17:00.001-06:00

From _Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day_. My friend Xandy introduced me to this bread when I was visiting her in Seattle and I instantly knew I had to make it.

I like this bread a lot. I've been halving the recipe, so I can actually eat it all before the 14 days are up. I like that it makes 1 pound loaves, which seem really manageable. I like making them in round boule shapes, but you can make them oblong or whatever you like. The BEST part of this recipe is that you can store the dough in the fridge for 14 days (I keep it in a disposable ziploc container and write the date I made it on the lid in permanent marker) and make it when you want it. It's good and crusty and the flavor gets better the longer the dough is in the fridge, I think.

Okay. Here goes.

Ingredients (makes 4 1-pound loaves):

3c. lukewarm water
1 1/2 T. instant yeast
1 1/2 T. salt
1/2 c. rye flour (I just use whole wheat, but rye makes it more peasant-y I think)
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
5 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
cornmeal

1. Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast and salt with the water in a 5 qt. bowl or lidded (not air-tight) container. (I do it in the bowl of my kitchenaid, using the dough hook).

2. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients without kneading, using a spoon or stand mixer with a dough hook.

3. Cover (not airtight--I used a kitchen towel), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and flattens on top (approx. 2 hours).

4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight--following Xandy's lead, I use a disposable ziploc container) container and use over the next 14 days.

5. On baking day, dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1 pound (grapefruit size) piece. Dust with some flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Allow to rest on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel (available at Target for $10) for 40 minutes.

6. 20 minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450 F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray (or cookie sheet with sides) on lower shelf.

7. Sprinkle the loaf liberally with flour and slash a cross, scallop, or tic-tac-toe pattern into the top, using a serrated bread knife (don't forget to do this--I did and the loaf was crazy tall and skinny. Weird.) Leave the flour in place for baking; tap some off before slicing.

8. Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone. Pour 1 c. of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door (I think this makes the crust crusty). Bake for about 35 min., or until the top crust is deeply browned and very firm. Adjust baking times according to size of loaf.

9. Allow to cool before slicing. Eat and enjoy!

Food Blogs

2010-05-14T10:37:00.002-06:00

Brooke, you're inspired a resurgence of Who Cares Cooks! At least for me. Thanks.

So, food blogs. I get the impression lots of us look at 101 cookbooks, simply recipes, smitten kitchen, orangette, the kitchn, pioneer woman and of course chocolate&zucchini...those are some of my faves that I cook from often. Here are a few others I have been enjoying lately, too.

Sprouted Kitchen

Homesick Texan (Tex Mex/Mexican)

Saliu's Kitchen (Indian)

Shutterbean

Food Eaten (a shout out to a great Omaha food blogger)

Del Marie Creamery (ha! but seriously I use the recipe section a lot!)

What are some of your favorite food blogs or websites?

Jam Bars

2010-05-13T15:44:00.001-06:00

My mom used to make these all the time when I was a kid. I made them this week, using homemade plum jam from last summer, and they brought a preview of summer as well as a (tasty!) flashback to childhood. Super simple. Super yummy. Sweet with a hint of salty.

Mmmm.

Cream together:

1c. butter or margarine
1 1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/3 t. salt
3/4 t. baking soda
2 c. oats (quick cooking or regular)

Press half the mixture into a 9x13 pan. Spread with 12 oz. of jam or preserves and pat remaining crumb mixture on top.

Bake at 400F for 25 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Asparagus Risotto

2010-05-10T21:43:00.001-06:00

I made this tonight and it was GOOD. I halved the recipe and I used onions instead of shallots, because that's what I had on hand. Preparing all of the pieces before getting started on the risotto itself made the whole thing quite a bit easier. I think I could eat this every night. When my sugar snap peas grow, well, I'm gonna make some sugar snap pea risotto. Yum.

From: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/asparagus_risotto/

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus
3 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/4 cup water)
About 3 1/2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian option), can substitute some of the asparagus cooking water for stock*
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

If cooking gluten-free, use gluten-free stock.

Method

1 Prepare the asparagus by breaking off discarding the tough ends (about the last inch of the spear). Cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces (tips longer, base shorter). If your asparagus are especially large, cut into even smaller (bite-size) pieces. Bring a saucepan with a quart of water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes. At the end of two minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus pieces to an ice water bath to shock the asparagus into a vibrant green color and to stop the cooking. Drain from the ice water bath and set aside.

2 In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.
3 While the shallots are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan.

4 Add the wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
Note the stock amount given is approximate. You may need a little more or less. If you end up needing more stock and you find yourself without, just use water or the cooking water from the asparagus.

5 Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining 1 teaspoon butter, and the asparagus. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.

Beet Hummus

2010-05-10T12:32:00.002-06:00

I picked up some amazing beet hummus at a natural food store in Ames, Iowa a few months ago. I tried my best to recreate it from the ingredient label. Here's my best try. I think it is pretty good: (Darby, I adjusted it a bit since you had it)

Beet Hummus

1 can whole beets, drained (would taste better with fresh, I'm sure!)
1 can drained garbanzo beans
2-3 T canola oil
1 1/2 T. red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic
3/4 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. pepper

Blend up in a food processor until smooth.

old fashioned molasses cookies

2010-03-09T09:27:00.002-06:00

try these, my friends. you'll be glad you did. we dip one side of doughball in turbinado sugar before placing on parchment paper.

jamie oliver's chicken korma. yum.

2010-02-03T18:19:00.001-06:00

serves 4-6 (it makes quite a lot, really)

for the curry paste (if you don't want to make your own, he suggests patak's):
2 cloves of garlic
thumb-sized piece of ginger root
1 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. garam masala
1/2 t. sea salt
2 T. peanut oil
1 T. tomato paste
2 fresh green chilis (i used serrano)
3 T. unsweetened shredded coconut
2 T. almond flour (i used whole wheat b/c that's what i had)
small bunch of fresh cilantro

spices for toasting:
2 t. cumin seeds
1 t. coriander seeds

first peel the garlic and ginger. put a frying pan on a medium to high heat and add the spices for toasting to the dry pan. lightly toast them for a few minutes until golden brown and smelling delicious, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the toasted spices to a pestle and mortar and grind until fine, or put them in a food processor and whiz to a powder (i did the latter). Either way, when you've ground them whiz the toasted spices in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients until you have a smooth paste.

Now, the chicken korma itself:
1 3/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 medium onions
optional: 1 fresh green chile
thumb-sized piece of ginger root
small bunch of fresh cilantro
1 15oz. can of garbanzo beans
peanut or vegetable oil
pat of butter
1/2 c. korma paste (patak's or homemade)
1 14oz. can of coconut milk
small handful of sliced almonds (i didn't have these)
2 heaped T. of unsweetened shredded coconut
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
natural yogurt
lemon

To prepare:
cut chicken into approx. 1 inch pieces. peel, halve, and finely slice your onions. halve, seed, and finely slice the chile if you're using it. peel and finely chop the ginger. pick the cilantro leaves and finely chop the stalks. drain the garbanzo beans.

To make your curry:
put a large casserole-type pan (i used a large frying pan with high sides) on a high heat and add a couple of lugs of oil. add the onions, chile, ginger, and cilantro stalks with the butter. keep stirring it enough so it doesn't catch and burn but turns evenly golden. cook for around 10 minutes. add the curry paste, coconut milk, half your sliced almonds, the drained garbanzo beans, unsweetened shredded coconut, and sliced chicken breasts. half fill the empty can with water, pour it into the pan, and stir again. bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on. check the curry regularly to make sure it's not drying out, and add extra water if necessary. when the chicken is tender and cooked, taste and season with salt and pepper--please season carefully.

To serve your curry:
serve with rice. add a few spoonfuls of natural yogurt dolloped on top, and sprinkle over the rest of the sliced almonds. finish by scattering over the cilantro leaves, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Enjoy! I surely did.

My new quick dinner-- Veggie Melts

2010-01-15T20:37:00.003-06:00

-Leftover rustic bread from the night before, sliced
-1/2 bag of frozen veggies containing: broc., caulf., and carrots
- frozen roasted red peppers from last summer
-frozen pesto from last summer
-whatever cheese is in the fridge( mozz&parm, emmenthaller, sharp cheddar...)

Heat frozen veggies in skillet. Dump on cutting board and coarsely chop.

Place sliced bread on cookie sheet, slather on pesto (lots!), lay on chopped veggies, layer on grated cheese. Low broil until cheese bubbles. Serve with chips.

Pate

2010-01-01T13:36:00.002-06:00

adapted from Bon Appetit

1 stick unsalted butter,soft
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
12 oz. chicken livers, trimmed
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped into small cubes
3/4 t. dried marjoram
2 hard-boiled eggs-- can still be hot
2 T. brandy
1 1/4 t. salt
parsley for garnish

Melt 1/4 c. butter in large heavy skillet over med-high heat. Add chopped bacon and saute a few minutes. Add onion and sauce until pale golden. Add garlic-- saute 1 minute more. Add livers, apple, marjoram and saute until livers are no longer pink inside and apple soft-- about 10 minutes or so.

Transfer warm liver mixture (which just sounds so gross) to food processor. Add eggs, brandy, and salt. Puree until very smooth. Process in remaining 1/4 c. butter and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving bowl and chill. Can be made up to 4 days in advance.

Sweet Potato and Chard Gratin

2009-12-28T20:58:00.004-06:00

I made this for Christmas dinner with my extended family. Everyone loved it-- big hit. (As a note, I used emmenthaler for the cheese and half-in-half instead of the cream)

peanut butter blossoms

2009-12-20T15:17:00.002-06:00

a nice straightforward cookie. :)

preheat oven to 375.

cream together:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar

then beat in:
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

in another bowl, mix together:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
and stir it, gradually, into the liquid ingredients.

if you have an orange on hand, a bit of orange zest grated in is very nice.

drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet, bake until pale golden, 7-8 minutes. while the cookies are still warm, stick a chocolate star into each one. cool completely on a wire rack.

Peppernuts

2009-12-20T10:08:00.003-06:00

Because I love you all, I'll share our family recipe for Peppernuts, which are eensy little Christmas spice cookies with a yummy crunch. Within Mennonite clans, each family has their own recipe, which they claim is "the best." Of course, this one is the REAL best recipe.

It is a very big recipe and will make hundreds of tiny cookies, which I eat by the handful (very dangerous). I'm sure that you could halve it, but why would you want to? Their meant to be given away anyway!

This is also a fun recipe for kids to help with...younger kids rolling out the ropes and older kids cutting. Plus the slave labor helps, since they're a little time intensive. Maybe I should have some kids.....?

Peppernuts are best with coffee, dipped in or just crunched along side your sipping. And it's the only cookie that you're allowed to eat with breakfast.

The specifics in this recipe come from my mom.

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
6 cups flour (I use 5 1/2 cups)
1.5 cups finely chopped nuts (pecans recommended)
A dash of salt
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. anise oil or 3/4 tsp anise extract
3/4 T. baking soda dissolved in 1 T. hot water

Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and continue beating. Sift flour, measure and sift together with spices and salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture. Add soda solution and anise. Add nuts. Chill dough.

Roll out on floured board into long round sticks about 3/4 inch in diameter. Roll onto cookie sheet lining them up until the sheet is full. Chill again (I freeze them). Take out one strip at a time and cut into 1/4" - 1/2" circles and bake on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes, depending on how thick you cut them. I bake them until they are nice and brown because that makes them crispier.

The rolled out dough can be kept in the freezer as long as you'd like -- until you're ready to bake lots or just one pan at a time. They freeze very well after baking too!

kefir?

2009-11-19T15:34:00.002-06:00

Question for the Whocaresian foodies: anybody know where to buy live (not frozen or dried) kefir grains? I want to start making my own at home and am looking for some live grains to start. I'm not sure which online stores to trust, so I'm hoping I can get some locally. Any ideas?

Breakfast Casserole

2009-10-30T11:52:00.003-06:00

My Mama's Breakfast Casserole
(recipe requested this morning)

6-8 slices of white bread
1 lb sausage
1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 c. sliced mushrooms
3/4 c. light cream (half & half)
1 1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. mustard
salt and pepper to taste
6 slightly beaten eggs

Cube bread after removing crusts and line the bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Cook and drain sausage and sprinkle over the bread. Then sprinkle the cheese and mushrooms over the bread and sausage. Add cream and milk to the beaten eggs, stir in the seasonings and beat well (hand beater). Pour egg mixture over the casserole. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!

it is so good apple, honey, quark tart

2009-10-11T19:10:00.001-06:00

okay. so i had some left over pie dough from making a quiche and there are apples all over in the market. and cheryl told me about the wonders of the quark you can get from the cheese people at the farmer's market. together, they made this amazing tart. i used this recipe as the basis. you should make this. it. is. so. good. you won't regret it.

i didn't use a tart pan or anything. i just made a free-form tart out of the dough i had remaining. this is what it looked like when it was done:

i definitely recommend spreading the cheese gingerly with your fingers. otherwise the crust will tear. oh, and since i used pie crust instead of puff pastry, i partially baked the crust before putting the fillings in.

Apple, Honey and Goat Cheese Tart

INGREDIENTS:
1 sheet puff pastry (about 8.5 ounces)
2 small apples (I think I used Cortland, but I really just asked the farmer what type were best for a tart. You would be totally safe using a golden delicious apple, for sure) [i used granny smith--b.]
A little lemon juice
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp butter, melted (mine was mostly melted)
6 ounces fresh goat cheese (as soft and spreadable as you can find — *not* crumbles)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Core, peel and slice the apples into thin half-moons. Set aside in a bowl with a teaspoon or two of lemon juice, to prevent them from browning.
3. Roll out puff pastry to about 1/4″ thick, so that it covers a 9″ square tart pan. Roll puff pastry onto your rolling pin and lay it down on top of the tart pan. Press the dough into the corners and crevices to create a fluted crust.5. Spread a thin layer of goat cheese over the bottom of the puff pastry in the tart dish. I used my fingers (with very washed hands) to spread it gently, because even a cheese knife risked breaking the puff pastry.
4. Toss the apples with butter and honey to coat evenly. Spread in a uniform layer over the goat cheese.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until apples are lightly browned and honey is bubbling. Remove, cool for ten minutes, and serve.

Serves about 6 as a first course and dessert, or 12 as hors d’oeuvres.

Leek and Goat Cheese Tart

2009-09-15T17:10:00.002-06:00

I was at La Buvette about a week ago and had a taste of a lovely leek and cheese tart. And then I found leeks at the farmers market. And goat cheese. And so, I had to find a recipe for a tart. This is what I used (with some alterations I've noted). It was tasty warm. I also just found out a few minutes ago that the leftovers (if there are any) are quite nice cold.

Makes 4 servings.

1 12" pie crust (I used one of the ones by pillsbury that you just unroll and make the size you want)
4-5 medium leeks (I had 4 small leeks, so I added one medium onion, thinly sliced)
2 T olive oil
3 T whipping cream
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground pepper
1 1/2 T chopped fresh tarragon (I didn't have this, so I left it out)
3 oz. crumbled goat cheese

Preparation:

Unfold piecrust, and roll into a 12-inch circle on a lightly greased baking sheet. Fold outer 2 inches of dough over, and crimp. Prick bottom of crust with a fork. (I rolled the outer edges into a kind of swirly edge. I thought it was prettier than folding and crimping, but to each her own.)
Bake crust at 425° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove root, tough outer leaves, and tops from leeks, leaving 2 inches of dark leaves. Thinly slice leeks; rinse well, and drain.
Sauté leeks in hot oil in a skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. (Do not brown.) Stir in cream, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, 4 to 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in tarragon.
Sprinkle 2 ounces (1/2 cup) goat cheese on bottom of crust; top with leek mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake at 375° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Mine got golden, but not bubbly. And it took more than 20 minutes. In fact, the goat cheese did not really melt. I think that the next time I do this, I'll cream the goat cheese with an egg or with some cream cheese or something and put that on the bottom of the tart and then crumble chunks of goat cheese on top. The flavor of this was great--really rich--but I'd have liked a creamy cheese layer in terms of texture. But that's just me.

Indian Peach and Tomato Chicken

2009-09-01T16:39:00.001-06:00

Makes 4 to 6 servings

It may seem like an odd pairing, but the tangy tomato and lime juice, the sweet ripe peaches, the onions, and the hot green chile peppers all balance out, and the spices weave their own special magic in the dish. (The writer's gloss, not mine. I would say: damn tasty!)

6 to 8 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
2 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed
6 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala + 1/4 teaspoon for garnish
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) chicken, skinned and cut into serving pieces (discard back and wings)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.) In a food processor, process together the ginger, garlic, and green chile pepper until minced. Then add the peaches and tomato and process until pureed.

2.) Heat the oil in a large non-stick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onions until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, black pepper, and salt.

3.) Add the chicken, mix in the pureed peaches and tomato, and cook over high heat the first 5 to 7 minutes, then over medium-low heat until the chicken is tender and most of the juices evaporate and a thick sauce clings to the chicken.

4.) Add the lime juice and 1/4 cup cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with garam masala, and serve.

Coconut Peanut Curry

2009-08-31T09:38:00.005-06:00

Recipe slightly modified from From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook
Makes 4 1/2 Cups

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 small red onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 teaspoons)
1-2 serrano pepper (or any hot pepper from the garden), seeded and minced
4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
4 teaspoons curry powder
4 teaspoons cumin
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
5 teaspoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons honey
1/8 cup lime juice
1/8 cup ketchup
3/4 cup water

Heat canola oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic, serrano pepper, and ginger until onion is translucent. Add curry powder and cumin; sauté over low heat for 1 minute. Add coconut milk, peanut butter, cilantro, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, ketchup, and water. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking often. Reduce the heat; simmer for 10 minutes.

Saute vegetables, meat or tofu (I used eggplant, fresh green beans and beets)in a wok a few minutes with a smidge of oil, then added the cooked sauce and simmer until tender, stirring and adding water occasionally if it gets too thick. I served with basmati rice, which was delicious. I think jasmine rice would be even better.

This is such a good dish to use the cornucopia of vegetables that are available, cheap and yummy right now.

You all would appreciate a good bran muffin recipe, right?

2009-08-03T16:01:00.003-06:00

Mix:
3 T. canola oil
2 eggs
2 T. honey and or/molasses
1 c. milk

Mix (in another bowl):
1/2 c. wheat flour
1/2 c. white flour
1 c. bran (I buy in bulk at Whole Paycheck)
3 t. baking powder
pinch salt
1/4 c. sugar
raisins (optional)

Mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients only until combined.

Pour into 12 lined muffin cups. Bake 18 minutes at 425 degrees.

These are not tough at "healthy" tasting-- they are light and yummy. And, rumor has it, they do wonder's for Ben W.'s intestinal tract.

Zesty Grilled Chicken

2009-07-20T14:22:00.004-06:00

Here's a basic chicken marinade that we've been enjoying lately. I usually let the chicken remain in the marinade at least 6 hours. While grilling the chicken, I boil the remaining marinade for seven minutes & spoon over the meat when it's finished as a sauce. We have enjoyed the chicken with & without the sauce.

6 T. White Vinegar

3 T. Canola Oil

2 T. Ketchup

2 t. Parsley

1 1/2 t. Garlic Salt

1/2 t. Paprika

1/4 Dried Oregano

1/8 t. Hot Pepper Sauce (I use Frank's/Tabasco)

1/8 t. Worcestershire Sauce

1 Bay Leaf

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Combine the first 10 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Place chicken breasts in large, re-sealable plastic bag and pour marinade over chicken. Turn to coat. Refrigerate for 4-8 hours, turning occasionally. Grill chicken on medium heat for 6-8 minutes per side.

Slap Your Mama Good Yogurt Pancakes

2009-07-05T11:52:00.003-06:00

These aren't healthy but they're the best we've made. SO GOOD and easy. This might be the last we try. I think a cast iron pan makes a difference. The real maple syrup, tapped from one of Caleb's co-worker's trees, may have made the difference as well.

Slightly less than 2 cups flour, all-purpose
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup yogurt, plain (we used whole yogurt, so good...and bad)
1/2 cup sour milk
2 large eggs slightly beaten
5 tablespoons butter, melted

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, sugar, and salt.

In a separate bowl combine yogurt, milk, and eggs. Stir in melted butter.

Pour liquids into flour mixture, mixing just until dampened.

Cook on hot cast iron pan, sprayed lightly with cooking oil.

Modified from this recipe

Extra zucchini?

2009-07-01T14:55:00.002-06:00

Make this amazing pasta dish from Smitten Kitchen.

making it with what you got

2009-06-19T07:20:00.003-06:00

we only have one shelf in the fridge and pantry each here at the bonny doon.

so i dont have tons of ingredients to choose from all the time. we're keeping it simple. it's nice.

here was a surprisingly delicious meal, the highlight being the last of our week's arugula and spinach from the CSA. yes a box of veggies is delivered to our house each thursday for us to share! it's amazing.

-1 box annie's mac and cheese (white cheddar)
-lots of arugula and a little spinach
-onion
-garlic
-fresh oregano
-oil
-cashews

saute chopped onion and sliced garlic in oil in a cast iron pan. add the spinach, arugula and oregano, and give it just enough time to wilt. season w/ salt/pepper.

plop a serving of mac/n/cheese on the plate
add a big dallop of the greens
sprinkle some crushed toasted cashews on top.

caleb loved it. it's pretty and delicious! one of those quick but yum meals when you dont have time or much in the fridge.

What I did with my farmer's market broccoli today

2009-06-14T12:21:00.003-06:00

Broccoli Slaw
Adapted a bit from a Smitten Kitchen recipe

1 heads of broccoli, broken into bits
1/4 cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped

Dressing-- whisk together
1/4 cup mayonnaise )
1ish tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
milk to thin

Sage Pesto

2009-06-14T12:16:00.003-06:00

A friend of mine (Jaci White) recommended to me that I try to make pesto out of sage. I adjusted this recipe and tried it today and all I can say is YUM! we're planning on using it this week with pasta and sliced sausage.

3/4 c. fresh sage leaves
1/4 c. fresh wide leaf parsley leaves
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts
a few tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. olive oil (or more)
3 cloves garlic
kosher salt to taste

puree in food processor or blender

What to do with radish tops?

2009-06-02T19:12:00.004-06:00

Radishes are everywhere at the Farmer's Market right now. Last week I picked up a bunch for $1. I've always felt sad composting the beautiful greens-- and last Sat. decided to give Clotilde's recipe for Radish Leaf Pesto a go. It had (obviously) quite a different taste than regular basil pesto-- but we totally enjoyed it. It made a huge serving and with the help of a few guests ate it all up with chips. Definitely making it again-- yummy and incredibly economical.

Rhubarb (or any fruit) Crisp

2009-05-14T15:17:00.004-06:00

This is the recipe I used for Wednesday's rhubarb crisp. The part for the topping is my aunt's. You can pretty much adapt it to any kind of fruit you want. It is easy peasey. Which is why I love it.

For the fruit part, I used 5c. of chopped up rhubarb for a 9x13 pan, but you can use however much you have or need in order to fit the dish.

Mix the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon) and then mix them into the fruit.

I used 1/3c. of sugar and 1T of flour per cup of rhubarb. If you use another kind of fruit, adjust according to the sweetness of the fruit. I also sprinkled a little salt and a little cinnamon into the mix. A little lemon zest is nice too, if you have it. Dump the fruit mixture into your pan.

For the "crisp" part, I used 1 stick of butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 cups of flour for a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle a little salt in there too, if you remember (which I didn't). Cut the butter into the dry ingredients. So long as you keep these proportions, you can make as much or as little of this as you want, according to the size of your dish. Usually I like to have about 1/4" or so of topping spread over the whole thing.

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then continue baking at 350 for 25-45 minutes, until the fruit is soft and the juice looks like it's getting good and thick.

At the end, I stick it under broil for a few minutes, just to make the topping brown and crisp up a bit.

Happy crisp making!

Pizza

2009-03-23T13:27:00.001-06:00

Daphne: This recipe looks more daunting than it is ... it is one of the quickest, easiest things I make. And it never disappoints!

Makes two 12-inch pizzas.

This recipe requires a pizza stone and a peel. You can shape the second dough round while the first pizza bakes, but don't add toppings until just before baking (or you can freeze the second dough round after you let it rise). You can let the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator if you like; place the dough balls on a floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap coated with nonstick cooking spray. If using mozzarella packed in brine, pat the cheese cubes dry before placing them on the pizza.

INGREDIENTS

Dough
1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup water (8 ounces), room temperature
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces), plus extra for dusting work surface and peel
1 cup cake flour (4 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons sugar

Topping
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 small clove garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Table salt
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (see note above), cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
* Any other ingredients you might like (we're fans of mushrooms, eggplant or avocado - just make sure you add the avocado AFTER the pizza has been cooked).

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lowest position, set pizza stone on oven rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. In liquid measuring cup, whisk yeast into water to dissolve. In food processor fitted with metal blade, process flours, salt, and sugar until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine running, slowly add liquid through feed tube; continue to process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of work bowl, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (If after 1 minute dough is sticky and clings to blade, add 1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and continue processing. If dough appears dry and crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water and process until dough forms ball.) Divide dough in half and shape into smooth, tight balls. Place on floured counter or baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart; cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with nonstick cooking spray and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

2. FOR THE TOPPING: In clean bowl of food processor, process tomatoes until crushed, two or three 1-second pulses. Transfer tomatoes to fine-mesh strainer set over bowl and let drain at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to release liquids. Just before shaping pizza rounds, combine drained tomatoes, sugar, garlic (if using), 1 tablespoon basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in bowl.

3. TO SHAPE AND COOK THE PIZZAS: When dough balls have doubled in size, dust dough liberally with flour and transfer balls to well-floured work surface. Press one ball into 8-inch disk. Using flattened palms, gently stretch disk into 12-inch circle, working along outer edge and giving disk quarter turns. Lightly flour pizza peel; lift edges of dough round to brush off any excess flour, then transfer dough to peel. Spread thin layer of tomato topping (about 1/2 cup) over dough with rubber spatula, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Slide onto stone and bake until crust begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove pizza from oven with peel, close oven door, and top pizza with half of cheese chunks, spaced evenly apart. Return pizza to stone and continue cooking until cheese is just melted, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to cutting board; sprinkle with half of remaining basil, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and pinch salt. Slice and serve immediately. Repeat step 3 to shape, top, and bake second pizza.

requesting annemarie's pizza recipe

2009-03-17T18:06:00.001-06:00

or anyone else who has a good recipe!

i want to make pizza. or calzones.

Savory Oatmeal for breakfast

2009-03-12T07:54:00.001-06:00

I was skeptical, but now I'm sold.

1/3 c. old-fashioned oats
2/3 c. water

--cook as normal--

drizzle with olive oil, a generous pinch of sea salt and a generous pinch of coarse ground pepper.

Spicy Cauliflower Soup

2009-03-03T08:14:00.003-06:00

This is from The Art of Simple Food (by Alice Waters), which is the best cookbook ever. John and Annemarie gave it to us for our wedding...LOVE IT! annemarie sent this recipe my way and said i must try. she was right. I made this last night and wow. i also made chicken burgers but gave mine to caleb and had another bowl of soup instead. (and by the way, full fat yogurt? decadent and delicious. i had some with granola for breakfast today)

so here is the recipe, courtesy AMBF and Alice Waters.

Spicy Cauliflower Soup
(makes 2 quarts: 4 to 6 servings)

This is an unusually spicy and full-flavored soup; if necessary, adjust the pungent spices to your comfort level. (AM's note: In other words, if you can't take spicy hot then take it easy on the chile flakes or leave them out altogether. I left them in, as I love food with heat and the yogurt really helps as well.)

Heat, in a heavy-bottomed soup pot:

- 1/4 cup olive oil

Add and cook, stirring often, over medium heat:

- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed **
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed **
- 1 teaspoon chile powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon dried chile flakes
salt
freshly ground black pepper

When very soft but not browned, add:

- 6 cilantro sprigs, coarsely chopped
- 1 large head of cauliflower, trimmed of green leaves and coarsely chopped (about 6 cups)
- 6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

Raise heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is very tender, about 30 minutes. Stir vigorously with a spoon or whisk to coarsely puree the soup (or use a hand-held blender to puree; can also use potato mashed). You may need to add more broth to thin the sop if it is too thick. Taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary, and serve hot . Garnish each serving with:

- whole milk plain yogurt
- chopped cilantro or mint
- a squeeze of lime juice

** I lightly toasted the coriander and cumin seeds on the stove, allowed them to cool and then crushed them with a mortar and pestle - you can also use a coffee grinder for this.

---
So, so good.

A salad? How?

2009-02-27T10:50:00.001-06:00

Today I was looking through my old church's cookbook to get my mom's recipe for carrot bread. (If anyone is interested, I can post it.)

I was flipping through the pages and getting a good chuckle from some of the recipes. Here's my favorite. How this qualifies for a salad I truly do not know.

5 apples, chopped
6 Snickers bars, chopped
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 jar marshmallow cream
-Combine and serve-

Ada's gone dairy-free.

2009-02-23T17:20:00.002-06:00

In attempt to thwart her persistent asthma we're trying a dairy-free diet. I think it will be fairly manageable, but if anyone has any recipe ideas for me, I'd love the input. (And you can pray for Ada, too, that she won't miss cheese.)

Easy Homemade Turkey Sausage

2009-02-23T17:09:00.003-06:00

I discovered this on Goop-- Gwyneth Paltrow's blog-thing that I doubted the authenticity of for a while and now have decided it is legit.

Anyway, we've been making this a LOT. One, it is easy. Two, it is cheap. Three, is is healthier than regular sausage. Four, it is GOOD. Five, my husband is loopy-crazy for breakfast meat. (This is our slightly adapted version)

SERVES: 4
TIME: 15 minutes

* 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
* pinch of hot chili flakes
* pinch of cayenne pepper
* pinch of dried rosemary
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
* 1/2 pound ground turkey
* 2 teaspoons real Vermont maple syrup
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Using a mortar and pestle or mini food processor, bash the fennel seeds, chili, cayenne, salts and black pepper together. Combine this spice mixture with the sage, turkey and maple syrup in a bowl until thoroughly combined.

Form the mixture into 12 small, thin patties. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Cook the sausages for about a minute and a half on each side, pressing down with your spatula to really brown them and keep them thin. Serve warm.

Moroccan Chicken Pot Pie

2009-02-17T08:14:00.003-06:00

A friend of ours made this for us this weekend. It was SO good. We ate it for dinner one night and breakfast the next morning. I think the original recipe was from epicurious.com

Moroccan Chicken Pot Pie

1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 lemon
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup green olives, pitted, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup raisins
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 refrigerated or homemade pie crust (my friend used spelt flour-- yum!)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix chicken cubes with paprika, cumin, and cinnamon in large bowl to coat. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper. Cut lemon in half; remove seeds. Using small spoon, scoop out enough pulp and juice from between membranes to measure 2 tablespoons. Add to chicken mixture; stir to blend.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, olives, and raisins. Sauté until onion is almost tender, about 4 minutes. Add chicken mixture and stir 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over; stir 1 minute. Add broth and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Transfer filling to 9-inch-diameter deep-dish glass pie dish.

Place pie crust over dish and seal dough edges to rim of dish. Using small paring knife, cut several slits in pie crust. Bake pot pie until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling thickly, about 25 minutes.

Tortillas de Harina

2009-02-11T17:09:00.003-06:00

This is one of my favorite recipes. I grew up eating these a lot!

4 c. flour (bread-making flour works best)
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
Cut in 1/3 c. shortening
Add 1 3/4 c. of hot water, add up to 2 cups as needed.
Knead. Place in plastic bag for at least ten minutes

Roll on a floured surface until very thin.
Fry in a dry pan on med-high heat.
Store in plastic bag in fridge.

Notes: The pan should be hot enough that they puff up when cooking. I put them in a tea towel and they keep fairly warm.

Serving Suggestions: Burritos with homemade refried beans, enchiladas (red/white/green), burritos with eggs, salsa and freshly diced tomato

My pizza dough

2009-02-10T15:13:00.003-06:00

Darby and I were chatting yesterday about what we've been making for dinner. (Now that I think about it, I answered her question, but failed to reciprocate the question...) Anyway, I told her we make pizza once a week because we can turn it into whatever we want it to be and then make a simple cheese pizza for the kids. Everyone is pleased.

Tonight Kyle and I are having anchovies, pesto, red onions and peppers. Kids will have cheese as usual.

Here's the dough:

Throw into large food processor with dough blade attached:
- 1/2 c. wheat flour
- 2.5 cups white flour
- 1 (heaping) teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 T. kosher salt

process until mixed

Sloooowly add 1 to 1 1/4 cups room temp water interspersed with adding 2 T. olive oil. The entire addition should take a minute and a half so it "kneads" the dough for you. When it has pulled away from the side and forms something like a ball, I take it off the base, throw a towel over it and plop it in front of my heat vent for about 2 hours. (You can let it rise all day in the fridge if you like...)

At dinner time I punch it down and if I have time let it rest for 10 minutes before I spread it out onto a greased cookie sheet. Add toppings and bake at 500 until done!

DIY baby food

2009-01-13T08:33:00.008-06:00

I know Cheryl has an earlier post on making your own baby food, so I thought I'd just tag-team that one and offer a few tips of my own, since I started making most of Liam's food myself.

I have found it INFINITELY easier to make his food one serving at a time with my immersion blender. Mine's the one pictured (a Proctor-Silex), and it was only $15. It's only one speed, but it works well, and I can quickly mash up his food to whatever consistency I want, from a rough chop to a fine puree. This little contraption makes food prep so much faster - and if you don't have one, even buying this little cheapo version is worth the money. It's also easy to clean. And handy in case I make something a little too chunky for his palate - just blend it for a few more seconds, and it's pureed.

Here's some of the stuff I've made for Liam with the immersion blender:
- oatmeal with frozen (& thawed) berries (just throw it all into one bowl & blend)
- canned fruit turned into a chunky sauce
- turning a chunky soup that we've eaten into a creamy one for him
- making fruit salad easier to swallow
- steamed veggie leftovers from our dinner mashed up for lunch the next day

You get the picture.

I also got a wonderful food processor for Christmas, and when I saw the price I couldn't believe it, so I thought I'd pass it along. (How I survived this long in the kitchen without one, I don't know.) It's a Hamilton Beach 'Big-Mouth' processor - and they aren't kidding. It has a 14-cup capacity and you can put whole foods right in. You don't even have to cut them up. This beast is amazing. I even used it to pulverize hard bar soap for laundry detergent. It's also not screaming loud. Of course, it's not a Cuisinart, so who knows how long it'll last. I saw it on several websites for $80, but I saw it on sale at Walmart (gasp!) last week for $39. That, my friends, is a steal, and worth gritting your teeth to run in and getcha one. :)

Another random thought: I saw a commercial for Robert's Dairy the other day that states they no longer use milk from cows given the bovine growth hormone. I also know Land-o-Lakes doesn't, either. (their milk tastes pretty close to organic, in my opinion) - for those of us who can't afford organic milk but don't like the idea of the BHG in our milk.

What I want to know is, how have some of you made meat palatable for your toddlers? I hate the gerber pureed meats, so I don't buy them. Looking for something a little more creative, yet easy to eat for Liam. Any ideas?

Tortillas!

2009-01-01T23:00:00.000-06:00

Here is the recipe for Tortillas.

4 c. flour (bread flour is best)
3/4 - 1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c. shortening (cut in to dry ingredients)
Add 1 1 - 1 3/4 c. water. (start with 1 c. and add the rest gradually as needed until dough is a bread-like consistency)

Place dough in plastic bag for 10 min.
Preheat dry pan on medium high heat.
Flip each tortilla after they start to rise/bubble & are a deep brown.

Store in plastic bag once cooled. Keep in fridge for a week or so. The dough can be stored for several days as well, but microwave/bring to room temperature before handling.

My Mom's turkey enchilada recipe:

Fill tortilla with white sauce, meat of choice and roll, filling a casserole pan. Top with remaining white sauce, cheese and black olives.

White Sauce:
Cream of mushroom soup/Any homemade white/bernaise sauce.
Sour Cream
Hot/Mild Green Chilies
Sharp Cheddar Cheese

I also enjoy making my own refried beans by pureeing pinto beans (canned/soaked overnight). I add sauteed onion to the puree and then "re-fry" my beans with olive oil/bacon fat/depending on your flavor preference.

Another great addition to any Mexican meal is Srirachi Chili Sauce!!! The garlic flavor works perfectly with Mexican food and it gives it a real kick!

http://veryasia.com/srchsa.html

Cranberry Cobbler

2009-01-01T16:50:00.003-06:00

got this recipe from my cousin janelle at christmas. mmm!

Cobbler:
3 c. biscuit baking mix
2 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. milk
3 c. fresh cranberries

Mix baking mix, sugar, eggs and butter together. Blend in milk. Stir in cranberries lightly until evenly coated with batter. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 50-55 min. Spoon hot butter sauce over warm cobbler. Serves 8-10.

Hot Butter Sauce:
2 c. sugar
1 c. butter
2 c. whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Mix altogether in a deep saucepan over medium heat.Bring to a boil. Boil 5 min., stirring constantly.

Notes:
*I halved the butter sauce recipe and it was plenty. I also just poured about half the sauce over the cobbler and served the other half on the side, letting people add as they desired.
*Caleb insisted i follow the recipe the first time i made it. I still wish i had added some orange zest to the cobbler, and maybe some pecans. I'll also add more cranberries if i can ever bring myself to make this again. And probably less sugar.
*Growing up, my mom made that exact same sauce but we called it 'pancake syrup.' YUM. We never had mrs. butterworths. It wasn't til i was an adult that i realized it was actually a sauce intended to go over apple cake. And now here it shows up again in the cobbler!

Chocolate Bark with Cardamom, Pistachios and Fleur de Sel

2009-01-01T09:35:00.005-06:00

Ingredients:

5 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao), chopped into chunks

1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds, toasted in a dry skillet, cooled, and crushed

3 Tbsp. raisins or dried apricots, cut into small pieces (I omitted this ingredient)

2 to 3 Tbsp. salted green pistachios, some left whole, some crushed into small pieces

- Fleur de sel

Steps:

1. Line a large flat dish or baking tin (about 10 by 8 inches) with a piece of parchment or waxed paper.

2. Put the chocolate and cardamom seeds in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. When chocolate has melted, stir in half the pistachios (and fruit, if using).

3. Spread mixture over the paper in a thin sheet, then press the remaining nuts (and fruit) lightly into the warm chocolate. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

4. Refrigerate until bark has set, about an hour.

5. To serve, break into pieces. Store any extra bark into the refrigerator in a covered container or waxed-paper bag. It will keep well for a few weeks.

I had a great breakfast this morning.

2008-12-22T18:47:00.002-06:00

I just found out that Cream of Wheat-- a much loved comfort food from childhood and something that I've denied myself for years because it is basically white flour in a bowl-- now comes in a whole grain version!

I didn't know I needed this.

2008-12-20T21:32:00.004-06:00

My mom bought me this dough whisk for my birthday this year. I thought to myself, well, if I don't use it, I bet it would make a good bubble wand. But, as it turns out it really is the perfect tool for making bread. It cuts through thick dough and acts like the hook attachment on a Kitchenaide mixer, if you are familiar. If you can't take my word for it's usefulness, take Clotilde's.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

2008-12-01T21:54:00.007-06:00

my mom made this chocolate cake for almost every birthday. after i went to college, she started making it with the mocha butter cream frosting and ganache and it got EVEN BETTER. she won first prize at the county fair with this recipe! :)

CAKE:
1 cup butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup cocoa (mom uses dark chocolate cocoa but i cant find it)
2 3/4 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Cream butter, add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together, add to creamed mixture, alternately with butermilk. Pour batter into three 9-inch pans which have been greased and lightly floured, lined with wax paper and buttered. Bake at 350 for 25 to 35 min. Cool completely on racks.

MOCHA BUTTER CREAM FROSTING:
Mix 2 tbsp instant coffee with 1 tbsp very hot water or coffee and set aside to cool. Beat together 3 c. powder sugar, 8 oz + 3 oz. cream cheese (cold) and 3/4 cup cut up butter (cold). Beat until fluffy then mix in coffee mixture. Frost cake and chill for at least 1 hour.

Note: instead of instant coffee i have made it with regular coffee, ground super fine. i actually prefer that. i just happened to have instant coffee in my cupboard this week. don't ask

GANACHE:
Heat very carefully 6 oz. dark chocolate, 1 stick butter and 1 tbsp. corn syrup just until melted (I take it off the stove before chocolate is completely melted and stir to finish melting). Pour ganache over top of cake and let drizzle down sides. You will probably need to let it cool a while so it is a thick enough to still pour but so it won't run to the bottom of the cake plate.

Warning: the frostings will become a pool of meltedness if you a) don't let the cake cool enough before frosting it with the buttercream, b) don't let the cake cool again after frosting with the buttercream or c) don't let the ganache cool enough before pouring it on at the end. i have made this mistake before and it makes an ugly mess.

Keep cake refrigerated until serving. If possible I like to take the cake out of the fridge about an hour before I serve it. I think the flavor comes out more as the temp rises closer to room temp and the texture is more moist.

Coconut MaCaron's

2008-12-01T10:13:00.004-06:00

For the coconut lovers among us...

2 - 7 oz. packages of sweetened flake coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 t. vanilla
2 egg whites, room temperature (very important!)
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 325 F. Fold the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla together. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until stiff & soft. Fold the whites gently into the coconut mixture. Scoop by small spoonfuls onto parchment-paper lined cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes til toasty brown.

*For a little extra sum'n-sum'n, dip them into melted Nutella. Slip into coconut coma. Dream of white-sand beaches.

begging for...

2008-11-30T08:40:00.000-06:00

lindsay's macaroon recipe and daphne's chocolate cake recipe. please.

Roasted Feta With Thyme Honey

2008-11-24T15:42:00.003-06:00

this has become my new favorite appetizer. so yummy. quick n easy too.

1 8-ounce slab Greek feta, blotted dry

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Greek thyme honey, or other honey

Freshly ground black pepper

Greek-style pita bread, toasted and cut into wedges

Heirloom tomatoes, roasted beets, nuts or pickled vegetables (optional).

1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Select a small oven-to-table earthenware dish or a small ovenproof sauté pan lined with aluminum foil to help transfer the cheese to a plate after roasting. Place the feta in the dish and cover with the olive oil. Bake until the cheese is soft and springy to the touch but not melted, about 8 minutes.

2. Preheat the broiler. Heat the honey in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water until it is fluid enough to be spread with a pastry brush and then paint the surface of the feta with it. Broil until the top of the cheese browns and just starts to bubble. Season to taste with black pepper. Serve immediately with pita wedges and, if desired, sliced heirloom tomatoes, roasted beets, nuts or pickled vegetables.

Serves 4 to 6.

Adapted from Sara Dickerman.

Found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/magazine/09food-t.html

mmmm, mmmm good

2008-11-17T10:05:00.004-06:00

This soup is likely familiar to all of you, as it originally came from the Chocolate and Zucchini Blog. It has become a new favorite (for its simpleness and amazing taste) and we've made it several times these last few weeks now that broccoli is in season.

In the original recipe, a mimolette cheese rind is used (and while mimolette happens to be my all-time favorite cheese - one can only find it at Whole Foods in Omaha and I never really shop there ...) but we've had just as good, if not better, results using a parmesan cheese rind. So, next time you buy a big ol' block of parmesan cheese, don't go throwing that rind away! Just wrap it up nicely in some parchment paper, zip it up in a plastic bag and freeze it until you need it.

Broccoli and Mimolette (Parmesan) Soup

- one onion
- one shallot
- one clove of garlic
- two heads of broccoli
- 3-4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock (depends on how much broccoli you have)
- rind from a large hunk of mimolette extra-vieille (substitute the rind from a hunk of parmesan or another firm and sharp cheese)
- a bunch of parsley stems (save the leaves for the garnish - be sure to tie the stems with twine so it is easy to remove them)
- a Tbsp of crème fraîche
- olive oil
- salt, pepper
- [optional] add a dash of red pepper flakes

(Serves 4.)

Peel and chop the onion, the shallot and the garlic clove. Heat up a little olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion, shallot and garlic over medium heat until softened.

Wash and chop the broccoli. Add it into the saucepan, along with the cheese rind, red pepper flakes (if using) and the parsley stems. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Add about three to four cups of chicken stock, to cover about halfway up the broccoli. (If you're not sure, it is better to add less water now, and adjust when the soup is ready, than the other way around...)

Bring to a small boil and let the soup simmer on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, until the broccoli is softened.

Remove the cheese rind and the parsley stems from the soup, and use a blender or a fork to puree the soup to the desired chunkiness. Adjust the seasoning, stir in the crème fraîche and serve.

Recent craving.

2008-11-17T08:39:00.004-06:00

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into "fry shapes"
olive oil, generous amount
kosher salt, to taste

-- toss together in bowl. Line cookie sheet with foil and spread fries onto sheet. Bake at 425 for 30-40 minutes, turning once.

-- Serve immediately with yummy Newman's Own Ranch Dressing.

Sesame Noodles

2008-11-06T19:06:00.007-06:00

We all love this side dish a lot. My kids inhale it.

2 t. sesame oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 T. tahini (sesame seed paste)
Chili sauce to taste
3 T. Soy sauce
2 T. Rice vinegar
2 T. Sugar
1/2 t. Salt

1- 12(ish) oz. pkg. Udon noodles (I suppose you could use linguine)

Wisk together all items except noodles.

Cook noodles according to pkg.; rinse with cold water, but I like them a little warm.

Add sauce to noodles and mix.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and/or chopped scallions.

Perfect for fall: BLACK BEAN CHILI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SWISS CHARD

2008-10-27T13:54:00.004-06:00

this is another annemarie recipe. sadly i missed the actual meal, but got the recipe via jara. perfecct recipe for that squash i have at home!

Top with chopped fresh cilantro, red onions, sour cream (or whole milk yogurt) and grated cheddar cheese, if you like.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled butternut squash
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin (i usually add a full 2 Tb. ... I love cumin.)
(2 Tb. corriander - see 'my notes' below)
3 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (I usually use 3 cans of tomatoes)
3 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves (from 1 small bunch) preparation

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender and golden, about 9 minutes. Add squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in chard; simmer until chard is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

My notes: Add an extra can or two of tomatoes or add one extra can and some tomato paste. Add a jalapeno or two. Add coriander to the spices. Add extra cumin and chili powder.

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread

2008-10-02T13:24:00.002-06:00

(i came across this on the internet today. sounds like the perfect topping for just about anything this fall. and it seems pretty easy! yummm!)

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese, sugar, and syrup til creamy.
2. Add pumpkin, spices and vanilla and beat til smooth.
3. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
4. Enjoy!

Notes on Canning - Where to find all the products

2008-10-01T10:33:00.004-06:00

For those planning to do some canning: Notes on where to find all your supplies

After searching through many stores to find the right-sized jars (small, cute 8-oz for jams and fruit, quart-sized for tomatoes and tomato sauce, 1/2 pint for relishes and chutneys, pint-sized for veggies, and so on), the necessary pectin, and canning tools, here is what I've found:

5 Canning Tools Supply Kit - many stores sell a box of necessary equipment which includes a funnel, tongs, jar lifter, magnetic lid lifter and jar holder. These usually run around $10.00 at World Market or Whole Foods.

Jars - Ace Hardware on Saddle Creek (of all places) has the best selection of jars and always seems to have the small, fruit jars that I like. I think No Frills on Saddle Creek does as well although I haven't been there in awhile. Hy-Vee tends to carry larger jars such as quart and pint-size.

Lids - If you a re-using jars, it is a good idea to replace the lids. Most grocery stores and Ace Hardware seem to carry replacement lids and screw bands if you need them.

Pectin - Thus far I've only used recipes that called for liquid pectin. The only reason is that is what I can find at Hy-Vee (located right next to the canning jars). I'm sure the powder pectin works perfectly well, I just haven't found it yet.

Stock pots with a Canning Rack - Thank you Lindsey for your note! Lindsay found a large stock pot with a rack at World Market for $25.00 - not too bad!

Boiling Canning Method

2008-10-01T09:21:00.002-06:00

For those who do not have or want to use a pressure cooker, here is a canning method for high-acid foods (i.e. - jam, jelly, fruit butter, conserve, salsa, chutney, condiments, pickles and basic tomatoes).

Boiling Method
(Using a large stock pot with a lid)

1. Clean the jars and closures: Wash jars, lids, and screw bands in hot, soapy water. Rinse well and drain. You don't need to dry them. (If using jars from previous canning projects, carefully examine jars. Discard any jars that have nicks, cracks, uneven rim surfaces or other damage or defects).)

2. Heat the jars: Place a rack in the bottom of a boiling-water canner (or stock pot), then place the required number of mason jars on the rack. When using 8-ounce or small jars, add water to the jars and the canner until it reaches the top of the jars. For pint and larger jars, add water to the jars and canner until the jars are about 2/3 full. cover the canner and bring water to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil the jars.

3. Prepare the closures: Set screw bands and lids in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil. Keep lids hot until you're ready to use them.

4. Prepare the recipe.

5. Fill the jars: a) Working with one jar at a time, remove the jar from the canner, pouring hot water back into the canner. Place the jar on a heat-protected work surface. b). If using, place funnel in jar. c). Ladle prepared food into hot jar, leaving the amount of headspace specified in the recipe. Headspace is the space between the top of the jar and the top of the food. d). If necessary, slide a nonmetallic utensil, such as a rubber spatula, down between the food and the inside of the jar two or three times to release the air bubbles. e). With a clean damp cloth or paper towler, wipe jar rim and threads. f). Using a magnetic or nonmetallic utensil, life a hot lid from the water and place it on the jar, centering the sealing compound on the rim of the jar. g). Place a screw band on the jar. With your fingers, screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight. Do not use a tool or excessive force to tighten the screw bands. h). Return jar to the rack in the hot water-filled canner. Repeat filling steps until all jars are filled.

6. Heat-process the filled jars: When all of the jars are in the canner, adjust the water level in the canner so that it covers the jars by at least 1 inch. Cover the canner with a lid and bring water to a full rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling hard and continuously, begin counting the processing time specificed in the recipe.

7. Cool the jars: At the end of the processing time, turn the heat off and remove the canner lid. Let the canner cool for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the jars, lifting them out of the hot water without tilting them. Don't dry lids or jars at this point. You don't want to distrub the lids while the seal is being formed Place jars upright on a towel in a draft-free place and let cool, undisturbed for 24 hours.

8. Store (If lids did not seal, then use right away or freeze.)

Autumn Cranberry Pear Jam

2008-10-01T09:09:00.005-06:00

Here is to a great time and some fantastic jam-making! It was so fun to see many of you last night!

Autumn Cranberry Pear Jam
(Makes about six 8-ounce (250 ml) jars)

3 cups crushed cored peeled pears (I'm thinking one could use apples as well)
2/3 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
5 1/2 cups granulated sugar (I think we used 3 cups or maybe 2 1/2 - Lindsay, do you remember?)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of fresh nutmeg
1 pouch liquid pectin

1. Prepare canner, jars, and lids. (See Boil Method Canning blog)

2. In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine pears, cranberries, apple juice, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. Over high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam.

3. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubble and adjust headspace, if needed, by adding hot jam. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

4. Place jars in canner (or stock pot), ensuring they are completely cover with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

NOTE: I've noticed our jam is not quite as solid as I expected. I'm thinking that with the additional pears we added to each batch we should have let the mixture with the pectin boil just a bit longer.

Spinach and Cheese Tart

2008-09-27T13:42:00.002-06:00

This quiche is sooo good -- but deadly. We had it at Julie's baby shower today. :) mmmmmmmm. Happy baby baby baby boy Juls!

Spinach and Cheese Tart

9" pie crust

Custard:
2 c. heavy cream
5 eggs
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated (i threw in a bit of parmisiano reggiano too)
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce (just used hot pepper sauce)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Filling:
3 cups fresh spinach (or 1pkg frozen spinach thawed)
6 oz gruyere cheese, grated
2 T. chopped fresh basil
1 T. chopped fresh oregano

Combine custard ingredients, mixing well.

Combine filling ingredient and place in bottom of pie shell. Gently pour in custard.

Bake @ 300 for 40-50 min. (usually longer)

AMBF's Taco Night

2008-09-26T10:20:00.005-06:00

One time last year AMBF invited us over for a spontaneous taco night. It was soooooo good. She was gracious to share her non-recipe recipe with me and I happened to run across it again today. Thought I'd post it.

For the Rice:
I used 3/4 cup basmati. I rinsed the rice a few times and then let it sit in water for about 20 minutes. In a pan I put in a 3/4 cup of water (equal to the rice), one can of diced tomatoes (drained), diced green onions, chopped jalapenos, some cumin and cinnamon. I brought all of that to a boil, added the rice, covered and set to simmer for about 15 minutes.

For the meat:
I always use ground turkey. I think that package was 1lb. I started with a tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan and sauted 1 chopped onion on low/medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Then I added chopped garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add the turkey, 1/2 Tb. of flour, and let meat brown. Add chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Then I always add a can of salsa (or that night I added 1/2 jar of salsa and 1/2 can of rotella). Let the meat simmer until the sauce becomes thick. I like to top with off with some fresh cilantro.

Beans:
I just used one can of drained black beans and this little, yellow can of "mexican" salsa I bought in the Latino aisle at No Frills ... it was super spicy and delicious. I just let the beans simmer in the salsa until warm.

Microwave Popcorn

2008-09-21T16:48:00.003-06:00

I stole this idea from the Motherload blog. I use this "recipe" every Sunday night for our Dyer Family Movie Night. It is SO much cheaper than buying microwave popcorn. But, if you love that butter taste, you're out of luck. No replicating that in a home kitchen. Pretty sure you need a factory for that. ;)

1/3 c. popcorn
-- put it in a brown paper lunch bag
-- add:
1 good drizzle of olive oil
1 hearty sprinkling of table salt
-- fold the bag over twice, place on plate and microwave as you would a store-bought popcorn bag.

Grandma Eck's Pickles

2008-09-20T08:12:00.004-06:00

For the brine:
2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup pickling salt
(this is enough for four jars)

Per quart jar:
-cucumbers to fill jar
-fresh dill weed (get tall sprigs that have headed into seeds. i got it from the french guy at the farmers market. you could also use the soft willowy kind but i think it'd milder in flavor and more expensive)
-grape, horseradish or cherry leaves (i couldn't find this. it makes them stay crunchy.)
-2-3 cloves of garlic
-1 tsp alum
-1/2 cup of the brine
-boiling water to fill jars

Mix vinegar and salt in a pot and boil to make the brine.

Meanwhile, wash jar and boil lids to soften rubber.

Put garlic, a small bunch of dill and grape leaves in bottom of each jar.
Add cukes
Add alum
Add 1/2 cup brine
Ad another small bunch of dill
Add boiling water to fill jar (we realized we needed to make sure that the liquid went to the top and covered all the cukes. dont let any stick out)

Wipe off any dill or debris from the jar rim before screwing lids on tightly, to ensure a good seal.

Put jars in 350 degree oven or a hot water bath just until sealed (do not boil). It took about 10 min.

This recipe is pieced together from three phone calls and four e-mails from my mom who ended up saying: "If you use this recipe then it is just however many jars of pickles it will fill. It is kind of a guess. I looked in the mennonite cookbook at pickles and not one recipe calls for alum. My mom always used it and I am sure grandma Eck did too but it is not written on her recipe. Old recipes are awful. Nothing is 'fer sure.' "

Browned Butter Blondies

2008-09-05T11:40:00.003-06:00

I made these the other day for Lindsey and Alicia and they requested this recipe. It is easy and yummy and has an atrocious amount of sugar. This is my go-to dessert recipe when my kitchen is bare.

2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
10 T. butter
3/4 c. eggs (which is funny, but the original recipe called for egg substitute, as I got this from Cooking Light. But, I'm not interested in using egg substitute)

Combine flour, sugar, b.p., and salt in large bowl.

Place butter in a small skillet over med. heat. Cook for 6 minutes, until lightly browned, stirring a bit. Cool 10 minutes or so. Whisk into eggs. Pour butter/eggs into dry ingredients and stir just until moist. Spread batter into 13x9 pan coated with butter. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Best a bit gooey.

Wanted Chocolate Pie

2008-08-28T07:20:00.001-06:00

Made this from 101Cookbooks.

Satisfied. :)

in a canning mood (or, as John would like to call this post - Nothing but the Jams)

2008-08-12T20:09:00.004-06:00

cheryl and i ran into each other at the Farmer's Market recently and discussed all the hours and afternoons we had spent (and were planning to spend) in the kitchen preparing foods for storage, freezing and canning.

last year I did a little freezing and canning via boil bath to experiment. throughout the year john and i enjoyed corn and tomatoes that tasted like summer. it was delightful. so this year we are moving full speed ahead. we've frozen corn, broccoli and beans. canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, relish and - best of all - jam! i tried two different kinds of jam this past weekend and 16 jars later ended up with more than enough blackberry/raspberry jam and blueberry jam to get us through the year (and the best part is that the jam recipes I used do not need a pressure cooker - a regular old stock pot with a lid will work perfectly).

both versions turned out beautifully and we've been enjoying both every evening since.

i'd love to hear what freezing, canning, preserving and storing plans all of you have. also, would there be any interest in a canning day? maybe we could all spend a saturday working on something together?

Bouranee Banjan

2008-08-12T09:36:00.006-06:00

Daphne asked me to post this dish and let me just say that it might be one of the best things you'll eat in your lifetime. It is my all-time favorite dish from Afghanistan and the reason I will forever believe that the Afghans were blessed with the most delicious cuisine in the world. They turn simple ingredients into world wonders.

This is a perfect summer dish - especially now with eggplants and tomatoes in season (in fact, I might just go out to my garden this evening and put this together).

You'll have to forgive the chaos of the recipe ... I never really had a recipe for this (I just watched several of my students make it) and I often make slight changes depending on what I have available or what mood I'm in.

Bouranee Banjan (Eggplant With Yogurt Sauce)

3 medium eggplants

Salt

Vegetable oil for frying (or brushing with oil if baking)*

2 medium onions; sliced thin

Several ripe tomatoes (Roma are the best) (I seem to use about 5-7 tomatoes usually)

1/4 cup water

coriander (ground)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Fresh cilantro (or mint, depending on your mood or what you like. If I use mint, I tend to use dried mint with just a bit of fresh ... otherwise its too overpowering)

2 cups lebene (yogurt found in Persian/Indian markets; or just use plain yogurt)

2 cloves garlic

Cut the stems from eggplants and peel. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Spread on a tray and sprinkle slices liberally with salt. Leave for at least 30 minutes, then rinse with water and pat dry.

Pour enough oil into a deep frying pan to cover base well. Fry eggplant until lightly browned on each side. Set aside on a cooling rack (with cookie sheet or plate underneath) when browned.

Add more oil to pan as required for remaining slices.

Place a layer of eggplant into a dutch oven. Top with some sliced onion, and tomato slices. Sprinkle liberally with salt and coriander. Repeat layering with eggplant, onion, tomato, salt and coriander until all vegetables are used.

Pour in any remaining oil from eggplant. Add water, pepper (and maybe turmeric if you feel like it).

Cover and place in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. Uncover for the last 10 minutes to evaporate the excess liquid. (I also do this on the stove sometimes. Just bring the water to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. If there is a lot of excess water, simmer with the lid off for awhile longer to reduce liquid.)

Combine lebene, garlic cloves, cilantro (or mint) and salt, and spread half of the sauce into base of serving dish. Carefully lift eggplant, onions and tomatoes (to keep the layers intact) and place on the serving dish.

Top eggplant with remainder of lebene. Sprinkle top with dried mint leaves or fresh cilantro. Serve with fresh flat bread.

*If you would like to bake the eggplant slices, brush with oil, place on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet underneath, and bake at 350 until lightly browned. I'll be honest though - the pan fried version is SO much better and authentic. I do the baked version when I'm feeling like I need to kick a few calories.

Creamy White Chili

2008-08-12T08:28:00.006-06:00

yes, it's still summer but come fall you should make it. someone asked me for this recipe yesterday and thought i'd share.

Creamy White Chili
Serves 7

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into ½” pieces
1 medium onion
1 ½ tsp. chopped fresh garlic
1 T. veg. oil
2 cans (15.5 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained (I use more beans and cook up dried beans if there is time)
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth (again homemade is better. i make it from rotisserie bones then freeze it in ice cubes so i have it on hand)
1 can (14.5 oz) chopped green chilies
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp. cayenne pepper (go on, give it a few more shakes)
1 cup sour cream
½ cup half & half

Saute chicken, onion and garlic in oil, until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilis and seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and half & half. Serve immeeejiately.

Zucchini bread (makes 2 loaves)

2008-07-31T13:19:00.003-06:00

A great thing to make now since zucchini is in season. This recipe is adapted from my friend Molly Brandt's recipe. She also tipped me off to the great idea of shredding and freezing 2 cup portions of zucchini so you can make this bread easily all year long.

1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2/3 c. vegetable or canola oil
1/3 c. applesauce
3 eggs
2 c. grated zucchini, not peeled
2 c. white flour
1 c. wheat flour
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts (optiona)
2 t. vanilla

Grease and line loaf pans with parchment or wax paper. Cream together the brown sugar, white sugar, oil, applesauce and eggs. Add zucchini. Mix together the flours, cinnamon, soda, powder and salt. Add to zucchini mixture. Fold in nuts and vanilla. Bake in 2 loaf pans for 50-60 minutes at 325 degrees.

Announcing....

2008-07-31T13:17:00.002-06:00

an incredibly useful and new feature for this blog: the search box. You can easily find past recipes on this blog and search for recipes with ingredients you have on hand.

Beet and Leek Salad with Peanut Dressing

2008-07-28T16:17:00.010-06:00

we made this salad again this weekend. it's really good. i got this out of cooking light years ago -- this photo is fromt he first time i made it. i think caleb and i had jara and kenley over for dinner. and obviously someone else, but i can't remember! (those are chicken lettuce wraps on the tray -- the salad is actually on the plates. blurry, i know)

Ingredients

2 medium beets (about 3/4 pound)
Cooking spray
4 cups thinly sliced leek (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups alfalfa sprouts

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°. Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets on a small baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 1 hour or until tender when pierced with a fork. Cool. Trim off beet roots and stem; rub off skins. Cut each beet in half lengthwise; slice each beet half crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Combine leek, oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; toss well to coat. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown; stir after 8 minutes.

Combine water, lime juice, peanut butter, ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk until smooth.

Arrange 1/3 cup sprouts on each of 6 salad plates; divide the beets and leek evenly among servings. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons dressing over each serving. Makes 6 servings.

Look at the name of the person who created it..... ;)

Didi Emmons , Cooking Light, MARCH 2005

Pea Pesto

2008-07-25T13:11:00.004-06:00

Speaking of peas, this pea pesto is great with pasta or as a dip. I don't have a real recipe, Caleb had it at a party once and loved it so we tried to recreate it.

Basically just make pesto but use peas (fresh or frozen) instead of basil. so good. so fresh. I didn't measure the ingredients, but I think this recipe is close to what I did (basil replaced with peas). Simply Recipes. You should just taste it as you make it.

2 cups uncooked fresh or frozen peas (I used a whole bag frozen)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts (i think almonds would be nice too but that's coming from an almond farmer's daughter)
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

our food photos

2008-07-23T09:18:00.004-06:00

dyers sauce

caleb suggested that we start using more of our own photos for the recipes on the who cares cooks blog. here are a couple photos of our last try at the dyers favorite red sauce.

seared salmon with balsamic glaze

2008-07-22T07:43:00.003-06:00

At Darci's request...here's my trusty salmon standby. I just realized I got this from Gourmet magazine (November 2000 issue). Doesn't look like much, but - dad gum! - it's good.

Seared Salmon with Balsamic Glaze
start to finish: 15 minutes
serves 4

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
4 t. packed light brown sugar
4 - 6oz. center-cut salmon filets (I like the skin on)
2 t. vegetable oil

Stir together vinegar, water, lemon juice and brown sugar. Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Increase heat to high and sear salmon, skin sides up, until well browned, about 4 minutes. Turn fish over and sear until just cooked through, 3-4 minutes more.

Transfer salmon to plates and carefully add vinegar mixture to skillet (liquid will bubble vigorously and steam). Simmer, stirring, until thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 2 minutes. Spoon glaze over salmon.

chicken peanut noodle salad

2008-07-22T07:30:00.003-06:00

I made this last night for the fam, and even my toddler loved it. It's easy and tasty (you can dress this dish up or down, depending on your culinary experience). I found it great for a summer evening. This recipe was in the paper awhile ago. I've added my notes in parentheses....

Chicken Peanut Noodle Salad
start-to-finish: 30 minutes
serves 6-8

1 pound spiral pasta (I used whole wheat spaghetti)
1 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. chunky peanut butter (I used natural creamy PB)
1/3 c. lowfat sour cream
1-2 t. hot sauce (more or less to taste)
1 T. cider or white vinegar (I used cider)
2 T. fresh ginger (the dried stuff worked fine)
1/3 c. orange juice
salt and pepper, to taste
3 c. roughly chopped cooked and cooled chicken (about 1 pound - you could use a rotisserie too)
2 large carrots, diced
3 scallions, chopped

Boil pasta according to package directions. Just as the pasta finishes, cooking, add the peas and stir for 30 seconds. Drain and rinse pasta and peas under cold water til cool. Let stand in the colander to fully drain.

Meanwhile, in a blender or with a whisk, combine peanut butter, sour cream, hot sauce, vinegar, ginger, and orange juice. Blend til smooth. Season with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add more orange juice or water til it is pourable (doesn't need to be runny).

In a large bowl, combine the chicken and carrots. Add peas and pasta; toss. Slowly add the peanut sauce, tossing to combine. Top the salad with scallions. (You could also add cilantro or maybe thai basil?, chopped peanuts or red pepper flakes) Serve immediately or refrigerate.

A Luxurious B.L.T. (with fried green tomatoes)

2008-07-19T14:59:00.006-06:00

If you haven't had fried green tomatoes before, now is definitely the season to do so. This recipe is a favorite of John's and is adapted from a salad recipe from a famous Birmingham, AL chef by the name of Frank Stitt. While I am normally not a huge fan of bacon, this sandwich really is quite memorable and great with a small side salad.

Fried Green Tomato and Arugula B.L.T.

Ingredients:

1 large egg

1 cup buttermilk (milk is also ok)

3 very firm green tomatoes, cut into 1/3 inch-thick slices

3/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

kosher salt and fresh pepper

dash of cayenne pepper

2 cups peanut, corn, or canola oil for frying

large handfull of arugula

several slices of bacon, cooked

Aioli (garlic mayo)

Toasted slices of bread

Preheat over to 200 degrees.

Lightly beat the egg in a shallow bowl and stir in the buttermilk. Place the tomato slices into the buttermilk mixture, turning to coat them. In a shallow pan, combine the cornmeal and flour and season with 1 teaspoon salt, some pepper and the cayenne pepper.

In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat the oil over high heat to 360 degrees.

Meanwhile, dredge one tomato slice at a time in the cornmeal, turning to coat and gently pressing into the mixture so it adheres. Transfer each prepared slice to a rack set over a baking sheet.

Using tongs, carefully ease the breaded tomatoes into the hot oil in batches of about 4 at a time so that the oil does not cool down. Cook for about 2 minutes, then turn and cook on the other side until the coating is a nice even golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the fried tomatoes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and put them into the oven to keep warm while you fry the remaining slices.

Toast some slices of bread and assemble the sandwich with some aioli, cooked bacon, fried green tomatoes and arugula. Viola!

Plump Pea Dumplings (from 101 Cookbooks)

2008-07-18T07:20:00.005-06:00

Plump Pea Dumplings

(click here for the recipe)

Did anyone else see this recipe on the 101 Cookbooks blog when it popped up in April? I've been thinking about it and eyeing it (with a watering mouth) for months. Last night the Voices staff had a get together and several of us decided to make these dumplings together.

My only question after making them - why on earth did I wait so long to do so?!?

They were divine and not nearly as time consuming as I anticipated. We tried both the steamed and fried versions - both of which were fantastic. There was just a little something missing so we threw together a sriracha and soy sauce mixture to use as a dipping sauce.

peanut-swirl brownies

2008-07-17T13:23:00.004-06:00

These are the brownies I made for the Feist concert picnic. Or did Cheryl? A legend is born....

Peanut Swirl Brownies
(by Ina Garten)

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan. Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water (*don't overheat, or the chocolate will burn). Allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the remaining 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter (*this handy little trick keeps the chips from sinking to the bottom of the batter when baked). Pour into the prepared sheet pan. Spoon the peanut butter over the top of the chocolate mixture and using a knife, swirl it through the chocolate mixture.
Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into large squares. Makes 20 large brownies.

Cheryl's Amazing Smoothie Blog!

2008-07-17T12:10:00.002-06:00

who knew?! cheryl, are yo holding out on anything else?????

http://cherylsrawadventures.blogspot.com/

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-07-16T09:25:00.004-06:00

I'm not much of a baker, but this blog, which links to this article, which is all about this chocolate chip cookie recipe is super interesting.

there are all kinds of little interesting tidbits in the article/recipe but the long and the short of it?

36 hours of resting cookie dough in the fridge + a small sprinkling of sea salt on top before baking = the best cookie

recipe requests!

2008-07-14T20:58:00.002-06:00

Cheryl - will you post your recipe for hummus that you shared with us on Friday? And while you're at it, how about your green smoothie concoction? (also please list green smoothie combos that aren't so tasty. let us learn from your experimentation!) My blender's wasting away under the cabinet, and this may be just the thing to bring it out from hibernation.

Nigella Lawson's Breakfast Bars

2008-07-08T08:33:00.004-06:00

I just got _Nigella Express: Good Food, Fast_ and tried these this morning. Nigella warns that she is "addicted to these" as is everyone she gives them to. Having tried one--just one!--I can see why. They're super easy, pretty low-cost, and really tasty. I can imagine that you could have fun experimenting with various mix-ins too. Here's the way they go:

1 - 14-fl. oz. can condensed milk
2 1/2 c. rolled oats (not instant)
1 c. shredded coconut
1 c. dried cranberries
1 c. mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame--I just used sunflower)
1 c. natural unsalted peanuts

1. Preheat oven to 250 F and oil a 9 x 13 baking pan.
2. Warm the condensed milk in a large pan.
3. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients together and add the warmed condensed milk, using a rubber spatula to fold and distribute.
4. Spread the mixture into the oiled pan and press down with a spatula or, better still, your hands to make the surface even. (My Note: this stuff is real sticky, so maybe butter your hands?)
5. Bake for 1 hour, remove, and after about 15 minutes, cut into four across and four down to make 16 chunky bars. Let cool completely.

She says they just get better with time and can be stored in a tin. These just might be my new tasty treat in the mornings. My initial test run indicates that they are pretty filling, too!

Baja-Style Fish Tacos

2008-07-06T10:25:00.004-06:00

John and I experimented with Fish Tacos last night. We searched through dozens of recipes and compiled what we liked into the following dish - which was simple, quick and fantastic!!

(Click on the recipe to view it as a readable recipe card)

Seasonal Eating

2008-06-27T12:49:00.003-06:00

For those of you who are interested in eating seasonally, Epicurious has map that helps you know what you can expect to eat in your State -- and when!

Post your top 10 kitchen utensils/appliances

2008-06-26T19:19:00.002-06:00

Let me just say that i hate having too many gadgets in my kitchen. For me, why have an onion chopper, a mandolin, etc. when you have a.... knife. Especially when you have limited storage space. That said, there are a few gadgets that I love. Here they are in no particular order (please post yours, too)

stick blender (less dirty dishes), chefs knife, paring knife, food processor, vegetable peeler, microplane, cheese grater, salad spinner, hand juicer and mixer.

Here are the least used gadgets I own: electric citrus juicer, crock-pot (though I know people love 'em), a special utensil for taking the tops of strawberries, a poky comb thing that you are supposed to use to hold veggies down when you chop them, rotary cheese grater and waffle iron (too small)

I'm making this tonight and my mouth is already watering.

2008-06-25T11:42:00.004-06:00

This is our blue-prize winner of a marinara sauce. So, it doesn't start with fresh tomatoes, but it fits into my busy schedule.

Dyer's Favorite Red Sauce

2 T olive oil
1/2 small white onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes and juice, pureed (or, blended in pot with stick blender like I do-- much easier)
1 T sugar
1 t. salt
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/8 t. black pepper
1/4 t. red pepper flakes (don't leave these out!)
2 T. butter
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 T. freshly grated Parmesan

In med. saucepan, heat oil over med-high. Add onion and saute 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute more. Add tomatoes, sugar, slat and simmer 15 minutes. Add oregano, pepper, red pepper and simmer 15 minutes more.

Remove from heat and stir in butter scallion, parsley and cheese. Serve immediatley or cool and freeze.

We rarely serve it with additions like meatballs or such because it is so good alone. But you certainly can use it for lasagna, etc.

Tortilla Soup

2008-06-20T15:04:00.005-06:00

I just made the best tortilla soup last night. Coule be one of my favorite soup recipes ever. Thankfully I just moved into a neighborhood where we have a mexican grocery right down the street so Caleb walked down for the necessary ingredients. But there are easy substitution options if you don't have stuff like epazote or crema.

This recipe is from Cook's Illustrated. You have to be a member to get their recipes online but I signed up for their free email newsletters that comes every week. free recipes! Check out their website

here's their recipe.

Despite its somewhat lengthy ingredient list, this recipe is very easy to prepare. If you desire a soup with mild spiciness, trim the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño (or omit the jalapeño altogether) and use the minimum amount of chipotle in adobo sauce (1 teaspoon, pureed with the tomatoes in step 3). Our preferred brand of low-sodium chicken broth is Swanson's Natural Goodness. If advance preparation suits you, the soup can be completed short of adding the shredded chicken to the pot at the end of step 3. Return the soup to a simmer over medium-high heat before proceeding. The tortilla strips and the garnishes are best prepared the day of serving.

INGREDIENTS

Tortilla Strips:
8 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Table salt

Soup:
2 split bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds) or 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 1/4 pounds), skin removed and well trimmed of excess fat. we actually used a rotisserie chicken. EASY. i boiled it in the broth for about 15 min for flavor, then deboned it and saved the carcass for broth
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 very large white onion (about 1 pound), trimmed of root end, quartered, and peeled
4 medium cloves garlic , peeled
2 sprigs epazote, fresh, or 8 to 10 sprigs fresh cilantro plus 1 sprig fresh oregano. we used dried epazote from a package. first time! i think it contributed to the authentic flavor.
Table salt
2 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
1/2 medium jalapeño chile. i used a whole one, but cut out the seeds
1 chipotle chile en adobo , plus up to 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Garnishes
1 lime , cut into wedges
1 Hass avocado, diced fine
8 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled, or Monterey Jack cheese, diced fine
fresh cilantro leaves
minced jalapeno pepper
Mexican crema or sour cream

1. FOR THE TORTILLA STRIPS: Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread tortilla strips on rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with oil and toss until evenly coated. Bake until strips are deep golden brown and crisped, about 14 minutes, rotating pan and shaking strips (to redistribute) halfway through baking time. Season strips lightly with salt; transfer to plate lined with several layers paper towels.

2. FOR THE SOUP: While tortilla strips bake, bring chicken, broth, 2 onion quarters, 2 garlic cloves, epazote, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil over medium-high heat in large saucepan; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large plate. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer; discard solids in strainer. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces; discard bones.

3. Puree tomatoes, 2 remaining onion quarters, 2 remaining garlic cloves, jalapeño, chipotle chile, and 1 teaspoon adobo sauce in food processor until smooth. Heat oil in Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering; add tomato/onion puree and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture has darkened in color, about 10 minutes. Stir strained broth into tomato mixture, bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Taste soup; if desired, add up to 2 teaspoons additional adobo sauce. Add shredded chicken and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. To serve, place portions of tortilla strips in bottom of individual bowls and ladle soup into bowls; pass garnishes separately.

Per Serving:
Cal 250; Fat 7 g; Sat fat 1 g; Chol 45 mg; Carb 26 g; Protein 21 g; Fiber 4 g; Sodium 460 mg

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread (makes 2)

2008-05-28T07:47:00.005-06:00

That is actually simple to make, faster than most bread recipes, is super light and fluffy, rises well and tastes yummy. (Believe me, this recipe was HARD to find. We've made our share of rock-hard, super dense loaves) This recipe is courtesy of my friend, Keri Misawa.

3 c. whole wheat flour
1 T. instant yeast (also called BreadMachine yeast or RapidRise)
2 c. hot water (Keri said it was important it was 110 degrees, so I use a thermometer)

Mis together in a Kitchenaid with a dough hook. Mix until completely moist.

Add:
1/3 c. oil (I used canola, Keri uses light olive)
1/3 c. honey (I've also used a mixture of part maple syrup and corn syrup)
1 1/2 t. salt

Mix, then add white flour slowly until dough pulls away from the bowl sides of the Kitchenaid (about 2 to 3 cup white flour) Put on second speed for about 2 more minutes. It should be "satiny" and you can stretch it easily. Form into 2 loaves, and press down into two loaf pans (I use the smaller). You only need one rise!! Let rise for about an hour. Bake 20-30 minutes at 350.

Baked Salmon

2008-05-18T20:18:00.002-06:00

This recipe was given to me by my "Duluth" Grandma - Ruth Thorpe. Firecracker of a lady if there ever was one.

Preheat oven to 400.
Coat glass pyrex pan with olive oil.
Rinse salmon fillets (w/skin)
Lay fillets in pan skin side down without drying.
Pour olive oil over the top of the fillets.
Sprinkle fillets with tarragon, parsley, pepper & pinch of salt.
Place lemon slices on fillets.
Cover with foil & cook 10 - 15 minutes.

A note on purchasing salmon - be sure to always use wild salmon and not farm-raised as the fish often carry many diseases and spread them to the wild populations. Check an article about this at Patagonia.com. It is "Just Say No To Farmed Salmon" by Russell Chatham.

Aslo, my favorite smoked salmon store in Duluth is Northern Waters Smokehouse. Check it out at www.nwsmokehaus.com

Beans

2008-05-14T15:54:00.005-06:00

This is sort of a silly thing, but this week I learned to cook my own beans. Easy-peasy.

I've always purchased canned beans out of convenience-- however, now that we (and the rest of country) are on a slightly restricted grocery budget I decided to pick up a bag of dried this time and give it a whirl.

Pinto Beans

1/2 bag (8 oz), rinsed
enuf water to cover
a few garlic cloves peeled and whacked with a blunt object
salt/pepper
bay leaf
optional: 1 T. cumin, pinch of thyme

Put all up to boil (except salt), turn heat down and simmer for a few hours-- adding salt towards the end. Replenish water if needed. Voila!

i've got a lov-e-ly bunch of coconuts

2008-05-07T11:44:00.002-06:00

literally! i have 2 on my counter and don't know what to do with them....or, more specifically, the milk. got any ideas?

Radish Curry

2008-04-29T10:29:00.006-06:00

caleb's roommate john michael made up this dish. it's one of our favorites! sorry there are no measurements. do it to taste.

cut up:
a bunch or two of radishes, slivered
1/2 medium onion, chopped finely

Heat 2 T. oil (veg or peanut. not olive)
add mustard seeds cook until they pop
add 1 T. minced curry leaves

add the onion and cook until brown. add salt
add minced garlic and turmeric

add radishes. cook until they turn color.
put on lid and simmer until consistency turns mushy. the radishes will keep their form though. this will take a while. once they're mushy, bring heat up until radishes brown.
add 1 T. curry leaves

Saag Paneer (spinach w/ cheese)

2008-04-29T10:00:00.006-06:00

Annemarie requested this recipe and I thought I'd post for all. This is the best saag I've ever made. The recipe I used was really unclear and i didn't actually follow it all -- but I guess that's nothing new!

**You'll need one small square of paneer which can be bought of homemade. See recipe below. If you decide to make your own paneer -- and I recommend you do -- start it ahead of time. It takes about an hour of draining.

To make the Saag
Start by putting the following into a pot and boiling for 10 minutes (I covered the pot):
1 large onion
1 lb spinach, roughly chopped
4 quarter-sized slices of ginger
3 large garlic cloves peeled
1/4 cup water

Let cool a bit and pulse in food processor then return to pan. Don't get it too smooth. You want some chunks left. Put spinach mixture back in pot and add:
1/4 cup yogurt
Don't let the yogurt get too hot too fast and curdle. Thats prob why you're supposed to let the spinach cool before processing?

Heat up a saute pan, then add:
2 T. vegetable oil
1 T. melted ghee (you can use butter in a pinch)

Add the following and fry for 1-2 minutes:
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cracked-open cardamon pods
1 (1-inch) piece ginger peeled and cut into matchsticks

Add the following and fry for a few seconds:
1 T. ground coriander
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp fenugreek leaves (didnt have it so omitted)
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove minced garlic

At this point, you are supposed to clear out the pan and add more oil to fry some chilis. It seemed like a ton of oil to me already, so I just took out the cinnamon and spice 'chunks' from the saute pan and put them in a little bowl on the side. I left the oil mixture in the pan and fried up 4 dried red chili peppers (like chili de arbol). The chili peppers should be really dark, and look kind of burned.

Add the contents of the bowl/pan and the saute into the spinach and stir gently. Don't overmix it.

Add chunks of paneer that have been fried in a bit of oil. Or don't fry it. It's good either way. Serve with basmati rice.

To make paneer
This is a good tutorial but I add a little more yogurt than the recipe recommends.

Cliff's Notes version here: Bring 1/2 gallon WHOLE milk to a boil, then add about a cup WHOLE yogurt.

Stir until the milk and yogurt curdle, about two minutes. Add a pinch or two of garam masala, cumin and salt (all are optional). For saag I usually leave it unsalted and fry in oil and salt afterwards.

Pour the mixture in a strainer lined with cheese cloth. Gather up ends of cheesecloth and tie it on to the faucet for about 1/2 hour to let it drip out. Form the cheese into a flat/squarish ball in cheesecloth and let sit between two plates and balance a big pot of water on top to continue to squeeze out moisture, about 1/2 hour. Unwrap. Cut. Eat.

Pasta Salad

2008-04-21T07:49:00.003-06:00

Anyone have a good recipe for a pasta salad? Something I can pack for lunches, etc.

cured my ills as promised

2008-04-15T14:59:00.005-06:00

while ben hollered his head off (thanks, ferber) i made lindsay's no-bake cookie recipe. it was a good way to pass the time. i would like to eat them all myself. but i'm going to save some (most, hopefully) to share at bible study tonight. they taste really yummy.

the cure for PMS

2008-04-07T20:08:00.002-06:00

These cookies will cure whatever ails ya. The recipe is my great-great aunt's. I just can't stop eating these things when I get a hankerin'. If you don't believe me, try them:

Flo's No Bake Chocolate Cooky
(makes 3ish dozen)

Combine in a pot:

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1 stick unsalted butter or margarine
3 T. cocoa
1/4 t. salt

Bring to a full boil, then boil one minute. Remove from heat.
Immediately blend in:

1/2 c. peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
3 c, quick oats

Mix well. Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper to cool. Eat. Smile. Draw a hot bath. Go to bed. Leave a few cookies on the nightstand for middle-of-the-night craving.