Tasty Jambalaya

This dish has all the spicy, carb, meaty goodness that I'm looking for in comfort food. And possibly the longest list of spices I've ever put into one dish.

I came to this deliciousness by searching ingredients that I had in my fridge that needed to be used. This is my favorite way of discovering new things to cook while being my thrifty Mennonite self.

I served the jambalaya on top of sautéed kale. The kale really helped balance all the flavors and heaviness out, especially because I made the jambalaya super spicy.

Here's the real recipe from Chow. My modifications are below.

INGREDIENTS
For the spice mix: (I leaned on the heavy side with all these spices)

• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
• Pinch celery salt

For the jambalaya:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
• A good glug of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 large yellow onions, medium dice
• 2 andouille sausages, medium dice
• 4 bacon slices, medium dice
• 3-4 medium peppers, multi-colored and multi-spiciness, medium dice
• 3-4 celery stalks, medium dice
• 1 jalapeño finely chopped
• 3-4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes (I used fresh tomatoes, and a larger quantity)
• 1 handful sun dried tomatoes, soaked in boiling water til soft
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 medium scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)

INSTRUCTIONS

For the spice mix:
Place all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine; set aside.

For the jambalaya:
Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the lower third. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and set aside.


Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed, ovenproof, 7-quart pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the chicken pieces in the pot and cook, stirring rarely, until browned all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Set aside.


Add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onions, scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions just begin to brown, about 6 minutes.


Add the sausage, bacon, and half of the reserved spice mix. Stir to coat everything with the spice mix and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until the meat is browned and the onions are very tender, about 10 minutes.


Add the bell peppers, celery, jalapeño, garlic, measured salt, and remaining spice mix. Cook, scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until the bell peppers have softened, about 10 minutes.


Add the rice and toast a few minutes.


In a food processor, blend the fresh/canned tomatoes and sundried tomatoes in their soaking water until just slightly chunky but mostly smooth. Add to the pot.


Add the reserved chicken and any accumulated juices. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Add the stock or broth, and bay leaves, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, transfer to the oven, and bake until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes.


Remove the pot to a wire rack and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir to evenly combine the jambalaya, taste, and season with salt as needed. Sprinkle with the scallions and serve.

Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Squash

Made this last night and it will become a winter staple in our household. SO GOOD. The recipe called for two acorn squash but I had one buttercup squash on hand so I used that instead. I think it'd work great with pumpkin or any larger squash.

There was lots of filling leftover after stuffing the squash. Just finished a delicious lunch of the sausage/quinoa filling that I scrambled with eggs, served in a corn tortilla.

Here's the original recipe. The recipe below is based on my modifications.

Ingredients

• 1 medium- to large- squash, halved and seeded (roast the seeds too, for sprinkling at the end)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground pork sausage (I used spicy italian)
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ cup celery, finely diced
• 4 smallish multi-colored and multi-spicy peppers (or whatever you have to taste), finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 apple, diced
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper
• parsley, chopped
•  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Roast squash on pan for 45 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender. After cooking, I scooped out some of the squash to make room for more of the filling.
3. While the squash is cooking, heat a large sauté pan with olive oil. Add the sausage and brown. Add the onion, celery, peppers, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion is tender and translucent.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped thyme and rosemary. Stir in the quinoa and apples. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Scoop the mixture into the roasted acorn squash halves. Top with parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve topped with a garnish of chopped fresh parsley and the roasted seeds.

My new quick dinner-- Veggie Melts

-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.

Coconut Peanut Curry

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.

Extra zucchini?

Make this amazing pasta dish from Smitten Kitchen.

making it with what you got

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.

Sage Pesto

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

Moroccan Chicken Pot Pie

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.

My pizza dough

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!

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

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.

AMBF's Taco Night

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.

seared salmon with balsamic glaze

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.

Tortilla Soup

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

Saag Paneer (spinach w/ cheese)

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.

Puttanesca Sauce

I really love this recipe because it is so yummy, quick and it makes my husband happy. Also it can be made solely out of pantry and fridge-door ingredients. This sauce does require that you like anchovies. If you've never tried 'em, don't knock 'em.

3-4 T. olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic sliced
1 24 oz. can diced tomatoes (with juice)
1 T. tomato paste (optional if you want sauce thicker)
8 wee little anchovy fillets (they come in a cute little tin), minced
20-25 kalamata olives, halved (this is not as many as it seems)
3 T. capers, rinsed if you want
hefty pinch of crushed red pepper
salt to taste
chopped parsley (optional as it is a non pantry ingredient)
grated Parmesan cheese

Saute garlic until just golden in hot oil (heated over med heat), add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Add anchovies, tomato paste, olives, capers, red pepper and salt. Simmer 10 minutes more. Stir in parsley if using. Serve over linguine or other pasta and sprinkle with cheese.

not your usual (nor quick and easy) lasagna bolognese

but oh so worth the time for a sunday dinner or something special. i'm generally not a big fan of lasagna BUT some close friends of ours in germany made this for us several years ago and i've never looked back. john and i have made this several times over the last few years and are never disappointed.

p.s. - i am not a huge fan of pancetta, so often leave it out but some of you out there might really enjoy it.

Lasagna Bolognese (Slow and Delicious)

Ingredients:

Bolognese Sauce:

2 oz. diced pancetta, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

11 oz ground beef

4 oz ground pork (I've used ground turkey on occasion and have been happy with it)

4 oz ground italian sausage (I've used veal in place of the sausage or the beef)

1 freshly ground clove

dash of cinnamon

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 lb peeled and chopped tomatoes (or 1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, packed in water)

1 cup whole milk

1/2 tsp sea salt

Bechamel Sauce:

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup cake flour (use all-purpose if you don't have cake flour on hand - no need to make a special purchase)

freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Lasagna:

About 16 sheets of an Italian brand of lasagna noodles (enough to make four layers in a 13x9 inch backing pan)

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

The Process:

The Bolognese:

(Can be made a day or two ahead of time - keep in the refrigerator in an air tight container)

1. Make the soffritto - combine pancetta, onion, celery and carrots in a saute pan with butter and cook over medium heat until onion turns pale.

2. Add the beef, sausage and pork to the soffritt0 and increase the heat to high; cook until browned. Sprinkle with spices: clove, cinnamon and pepper.

3. Stir in the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. If using whole canned tomatoes, break them up as you add them to the sauce.

4. Add milk and season with sea salt. Then turn down heat and simmer for 2 and 1/2 hours. Stir at least every 20 minutes. (If possible, definitely give the sauce the full 2 and 1/2 hours - the sauce changes quite a bit as it simmers.)

The Bechamel:

5. Heat the milk until almost boiling in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. In a separate pan melt the butter with the flour over low heat. Stir rapidly with a spoon. Cook this for 1 minute and then remove from the heat.

6. Slowly add half the hot milk to your butter and flour mixture. During this process stir constantly.

7. Return the milk, butter, flour mixture to low heat until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the remaining milk slowly while stirring - working it into the thickened sauce. Continue to stir until it comes to a boil

8. Season with some salt and grated nutmeg. Continue stirring until the right consistency has developed (until it coats a spoon thickly). Remove from heat.

The Lasagna:

9. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the instructions (I've used the non-boil kind and it worked out fine). Drain boiled lasagna noodles and rinse in cold water. Lay the individual noodles on kitchen towels, not touching, so they do not stick together.

10. Spread a little olive oil around the inside of the baking pan. Only use pyrex or stainless steel. Aluminum pans don't mix well with the sauce and will case it to taste very acidic. Put a layer of lasagna down first. Layer on a third of the bolognese sauce, then a third of the bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Repeat two more times. Top with a final layer of noodles and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

11. Put lasagna on the middle rack of the pre-heated oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the top begins to get lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Mmmmmm, mmmm good.

Simple Dal

We've made a lot of this lately. It is great the first day and even better the second. And it is cheap and super quick to make. I've frozen bags of this for Kyle to bring to work for lunch. And it is very easy to double.

1 c. dried red lentils
2 t. ground ginger
1 T. minced garlic
4 cardamom pods (I got mine in the Whole Foods bulk spices)
1 T. mustard seeds
2 whole cloves
1 t. black pepper
salt
2 T. butter

Combine lentils, giner, garlic, cardamom, mustard seeds, cloves, pepper in saucepan and add water to cover by about 1 inch. Cook at a steady simmmer until the lentils are quite soft-- about 20-30 minutes, salting when they soften.

Remove cloves and pods, stir in butter. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve over rice.

A well-tested Dyer recipe

This is a fairly quick and very easy recipe that we make pretty often. I'm certain in is not authentic at all-- but it is very, very good.

I'm actually making right now for dinner tonight.


Pork and Mango Picadillo
3/4 lb. ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. coriander
1 t. oregano
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. thyme
1/3 c. chopped green onions
2 c. salsa
1 mango, cubed
1 T. fresh cilantro (optional)
slivered almonds, toasted
couscous

In skillet, cook pork and drain fat. Stir in onions, garlic and spices. Cook for 2 minutes more. Gently stir in slasa and mango. Cook till heated thru. Serve spooned onto cooked couscous. Top with cilantro and almonds.

slow-cooked sauerkraut pork chops

My mom put this together in my crockpot for us this week, and boy did she deliver! The pork chops were so tender they just about fell apart. Even if you aren't a big fan of sauerkraut, you will like these chops...

4 thick (1") or 6 thin pork chops (can be on-the-bone)

brown these in a skillet however you like (with or without being dredged in flour). set aside & add a little water to the drippings in the pan to loosen.

2 lbs. sauerkraut, drained a little (keep some of the liquid with the kraut)
1 sliced apple (preferrably Granny Smith, but whatever kind you like that's good for baking)

in a small bowl, combine:

1 pkg. onion soup mix
1/4 c. brown sugar

layer the chops, kraut, apple & dry soup mixture in your crockpot, and pour the pork chop drippings over the top. you can also add 1/4 c. water to keep things moist as it cooks. cook on high for 1 hour, then on low for 6 hours. serve it up with some crusty rolls. smile. rub belly. crack open some good German beer.

Made this up tonight and I need to write it down before I forget.

It turned out so well. Yummy.

Pumpkin and Peanut Soup

2 c. diced onion
--saute 6-7 minutes with a bit of olive oil--
add:
1 T. curry powder
1 1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 crushed garlic cloves
-- continue to saute 1 min.--
add:
3 c. veggie broth
1 can pumpkin
1 c. shredded carrot
-- simmer for 20 minutes or so--
add:
8 T. smooth, natural peanut butter
more salt and pepper to taste
--do not boil, only re-heat--

Serve topped with rice and diced scallions on top.