The Fine Fettle Kettle

Pizza Rolls

2011-12-29T17:02:00.005-07:00

Pizza Rolls are a holiday tradition at our house. They are pretty much like cinnamon rolls, only stuffed with pizza toppings.

Dough:

Scald and set aside to cool:

1 cup milk

Cream:
6 T butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs

Dissolve:
2 T yeast
1 T sugar
1 cup warm water

When the above steps are completed, combine them and add 6 1/2- 7 cups flour and 1 tsp salt. Knead well and place in a greased bowl. Raise until double and divide in half. Roll out into two rectangles. Spread with pizza sauce and sprinkle with pizza toppings, such as cooked sausage, olives, ham and cheese. Roll and cut like cinnamon rolls. Place on a cookie sheet and allow to raise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile heat oven to 375ºF. Cook rolls for 15 minutes or until done. Serve hot. (I usually make half of the dough into cinnamon rolls and half into pizza rolls so that we have dessert too.)

Gambian Peanut Chicken Stew

2011-09-05T20:32:00.001-06:00

Peanut stew is a common street food in The Gambia. This recipe is simple, using peanut butter and crushed red chilli pepper as the main flavors.

Gambian Peanut Chicken Stew
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut in bite-sized pieces
1 small yam, peeled and cut in bite-sized pieces
1 medium turnip, peeled and cut in bite-sized pieces
2 small onions, peeled and chopped
1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs
7 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 cup peanut butter
Crushed red pepper
Salt and Pepper

In a large pot cover the potatoes, yam, turnip, and onions with water, and boil until tender. In a medium pot, cover the chicken thighs with water, add salt, and boil until cooked. Removed the chicken from broth and cut into bit-sized pieces. Add chicken to the vegetables. If necessary, add some of the chicken broth to the vegetables and chicken. Add the peanut butter and gently stir. Add red pepper and salt and black pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until flavors are blended and stew is thickened. Serve hot.

Pozolé (Pork and Vegetarian Versions)

2011-06-30T18:19:00.007-06:00

My sister's nephew said I need to cook some yummy Mexican dishes, and he chose pozolé as his dish of choice. I've never made pozolé, so I'm not sure how authentic mine is, but my family sure loved it, and so did I. This is based loosely on a recipe I found at Food.com

Pork Pozolé

Step One:
2 pounds of pork roast
8 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1 T cumin powder
1/2 large, sweet onion, peeled and chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano

Cover the pork with water in a pot. Toss in the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and seasoning. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Step Two:
3 dried Mexican Ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
1 1/2 cups water
Salt
2 T chopped onion
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled

In a small saucepan, cover the chilies with water. Boil for 15 minutes. Blend in blender with raw onion and garlic until smooth. Strain to remove chunks. Put aside this chilli sauce to be used as a garnish (I added about 1/2 of it directly to the pozolé.

Step Three:
Olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
1 T chili powder
Salt, to taste
Fresh, chopped oregano
Fresh, chopped cilantro
4 cups canned white hominy, drained
Chicken broth (about 4 cups)
2 4oz cans diced green chilies (do not drain)

In the bottom of a large pot, sauté the onion in the oil until tender. Cut the cooked pork into chunks, reserving the broth left over. Pour the pork broth and chicken broth over the onions. Add pork chunks. Add the hominy, chili powder, salt, pepper and green chilies. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours - 2 hours, until pork is tender. Add fresh oregano and cilantro and some of the chilli sauce, if desired.

Step four:
Pozolé is meant to be served with many garnishes. I fried up some tortilla strips and served fresh cilantro and oregano and lime juice on the side., It is often served with shredded cabbage, radishes, and lime wedges as well.

Fried Tortilla Strips

Vegetarian Pozolé
Found Here

5 cups white hominy, thawed if frozen, or well-rinsed if canned
14 cups good vegetable stock, preferably homemade
1-2 cups Hatch green chile
2-3 Tbsp New Mexico red chile powder
3-4 dried New Mexico red chile pods, shredded
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, whole
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
1 Tbsp miso
1 tsp Mexican oregano
salt
grated Co-Jack cheese
whole-wheat tortillas

Put all the ingredients except the cheese and tortillas into a big pot and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until flavors are melded. Top each bowl with grated cheese and use tortillas to scoop it up.

Individual Salsa Beans & Cornbread (Ramekin)

2011-06-29T13:58:00.006-06:00

I'm playing around with stuff cooked in a ramekin. Part of this has to do with me being surrounded by family who all cook, and being left to cook for myself. I'm finding that it's a good way to eat less, keeping my portions small. Individual desserts are good too.

Individual Salsa Beans & Cornbread (Ramekin)
1 T butter
1 tsp sugar
1 egg white
1/8 tsp baking soda
2 T cornmeal
2 T flour
Dash of salt
2 T plain yogurt
1/4 cup re-fried beans
1/4 cup shredded , cooked chicken
2 T Salsa
Salt

In a cereal bowl combine butter, sugar, egg white, soda, cornmeal, flour, salt and yogurt. Mix until blended. Place beans, chicken and salsa (salt to taste) in the bottom of a ramekin. Top with cornmeal mixture. Cook at 300ºF in a toaster oven for 20 minutes or until cornbread is golden and done. Top with fresh cilantro, sour cream, cheese, salsa, etc.

Individual Shepherd's Pie (Ramekin)

2011-06-29T12:52:00.008-06:00

I'm playing around with stuff cooked in a ramekin. Part of this has to do with me being surrounded by family who all cook, and being left to cook for myself. I'm finding that it's a good way to eat less, keeping my portions small. Individual desserts are good too. Also this.

3 oz ground lamb, turkey, or beef
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/4 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 cup chicken broth
Fresh oregano
Fresh sage
3 T fresh peas
1 cup mashed potatoes (salted)
2 T Cheese, shredded

In a small frying pan, brown lamb. Remove and set aside. Cook carrot, onion and garlic in oil left in the pan until tender. Return lamb to pan. Sprinkle with corn starch, and add chicken broth, stirring over heat until slightly thick. Add fresh chopped sage, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Add peas and cook until barely tender.

Divide mixture between two ramekins and top each with mashed potatoes and shredded cheese. Bake in toaster oven at 350ºF for 8 minutes.

Herb Roasted Baby Zucchini

2011-06-27T12:37:00.004-06:00

These tiny zucchini are about the size of my finger. So sweet and yummy.

Herb Roasted Baby Zucchini

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat baby zucchini in olive oil. Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle liberally with salt. Tear fresh basil and oregano and sprinkle the herbs over the zucchini. Bake for 20 minutes.

Elijah's Creamy Garlic Shrimp over Noodles

2011-06-27T12:25:00.003-06:00

You may have noticed that my kids are taking over my blog cooking for me, while I'm too busy with graduate school to cook/bake. Elijah is my youngest (13), and he avoids the camera like the plague, but I managed to catch him making shrimp... for breakfast. I watched and recorded what he did. This is his own recipe.

Elijah's Creamy Garlic Shrimp over Noodles

3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup half and half
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh basil, chopped
Fresh oregano, chopped

Saute garlic in butter until tender. Make a roux with garlic butter, and flour. Slowly add half and half and cook until thick. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and fresh herbs, add raw shrimp and cover. Cook just until shrimp is pink. Serve over pasta.

The last photo is of Eli's butter-garlic shrimp over rice from another day. He simply sautes the raw shrimp in butter and freshly crushed garlic.

Pizza-Stuffed Bread

2011-06-27T12:20:00.004-06:00

Pizza-Stuffed Bread

Scald and set aside to cool:

1 cup milk

Cream:
6 T butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs

Dissolve:
2 T yeast
1 T sugar
1 cup warm water

When the above steps are completed, combine them and add 6 1/2- 7 cups flour and 1 tsp salt. Knead well and place in a greased bowl. Raise until double and roll out. Spread with pizza sauce and sprinkle with pizza toppings, such as cooked sausage, olives, and cheese. Roll up and place on greased cookie sheet and allow to rise again. Bake at 375º for 40 - 50 minutes until brown and done in the middle.

Isaac's Steak and Carménère Mushroom Sandwich with Fries

2011-05-24T14:33:00.009-06:00

I love that my kids all cook, and so I covertly photographed my teenage son, Isaac, making his own breakfast: with mushrooms cooked in carménère, fresh garlic and butter and topped with sliced Anaheim pepper and lettuce. The best part was watching him pull out a porcelain plate and arrange the sandwich before setting it on the table to eat.

Isaac's Steak and Carménère Mushroom Sandwich
1 clove garlic, crushed
Top Sirloin Steak
Oil
Sliced mushrooms
Carménère wine
Butter
Salt and Pepper
Slices of Anaheim Pepper

Saute mushrooms and pepper in wine and butter, set aside . Cook steak , rubbed in garlic and salt and pepper, in oil until medium-rare, while at the same time in the same pan, cook the pepper slices until tender-crisp. Toast bread, top with mushrooms, steak and peppers. Top with fresh lettuce. Eat. Repeat, if you are a teenage boy.

Isaac's Fries

Turkey Pie in a Sour Cream Crust

2011-04-27T16:31:00.004-06:00

This crust recipe was given to me by a classmate, Bobby. It's really delicious and I love the texture.

Sour Cream Crust:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup butter, softened (Yes, you read that right. No need for cold butter.)
6 heaping tablespoons of sour cream
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Turkey Filling (you can add any veggies you like):
1 cup peeled & chopped carrots
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
Turkey or chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 T corn starch
Rosemary, Tarragon, Sage & Thyme
Salt and Pepper

In a saucepan, cover the veggies with just enough broth. Add seasoning and salt & pepper to taste. Cook until tender. Mix in corn starch. Add milk and cook until thickened. Pour into 1/2 rolled out pie crust. Top with other 1/2 crust. Bake in preheated oven at 425ºF for 35 minutes.

Oeufs en Cocotte & Dave's Butter-Wheat Bread

2011-04-22T16:08:00.005-06:00

Notice the steam rising from the hot bread. Mmmmm.

Oeufs en Cocotte is a French dish. It can be cooked with mushrooms, ham, smoked fish, veggies, just about anything you like with eggs. Sauces in the bottom of the ramekins are good too. Marinara sauce, Alfredo sauce, Salsa, etc. This recipe is very basic with butter and cheese in the bottom and cream on top. Get creative! And be sure to serve these with Dave's Butter-Wheat Bread (recipe below). This is Dave's own recipe, and it is my favorite bread lately, so rich and hearty and wonderful!

Oeufs en Cocotte
2 eggs per serving
1 Tbsp shredded cheese per serving (any cheese you like)
1 small pat of butter per serving
1 Tbsp half & half, cream, or milk per serving
Salt & Pepper to taste
Herbs & Spices to taste (I used a mixture of rosemary and oregano)

Place pat of butter in the bottom of each ramekin. Top with 1 T cheese. Drop two eggs carefully over cheese. Spoon 1 T cream/milk over eggs. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, herbs and spices. Bake in a 350ºF oven for about 30 minutes or until cooked with soft yokes (to taste). Serve with Dave's Butter-Wheat Bread.

Dave's Butter-Wheat Bread
2 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
5 T melted butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup dry milk
3/4 cup mashed potato flakes
15 oz whole wheat flour

Put all of the ingredients in a large mixer bowl. Mix using the paddle (rather than the dough hook). Dave suggests beating it for 10 minutes on medium. Dough is sticky. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double. Shape and place in greased 9"x 5" loaf pan. Allow to rise about 60 - 70 minutes until it crowns the pan by about 3/4". Bake at 350ºF for about 45 minutes or until done.

Lebanese-Inspired Spicy Lamb Pizza

2011-04-10T15:40:00.008-06:00

I had lamb in the fridge, and wanted to do an Easter dish this week. I ended up craving Lebanese food, and used that craving to inspire a Lebanese lamb pizza instead. I don't know why it is, but I seem determined to create unique and/or bizarre pizzas. Probably because I think everything tastes better on top of bread. Where I live, it's difficult to find ground lamb, although ground buffalo is everywhere. So I use a meat grinder and grind my own lamb from a lamb roast.

Lebanese-Inspired Spicy Lamb Pizza
Pizza dough, your choice or use one from my blog such as this
1 pound lamb roast, chipped or ground
1 potato, sliced thin with skin on
oil (canola is good)
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
salt & pepper to taste
handful of cilantro, chopped
Several Tbsp organic tomato paste
1/3 cup goat cheese

Boil potato slices until tender, set aside. In a frying pan, cook onion and peppers in oil with pine nuts until tender. Add ground lamb and seasoning, cook until brown. Sprinkle cilantro and potatoes into lamb. Roll out dough and pre-cook the dough on a pizza stone in a pre-heated 525ºF oven for 5 minutes. Remove dough, spread with tomato paste. Top with lamb mixture. Sprinkle with goat cheese. Return to the oven for 7 minutes or until dough is browned and done.

Healthy, Low-Fat Creamy Veggie Soup

2011-03-27T14:24:00.002-06:00

So easy, so yummy. This is a good template for quick, after-work soup on a cool evening.

Place 3 cups finely chopped veggies (I used onion, carrots, celery & broccoli) in a medium sauce pan
Cover with veggie or chicken broth and cook until barely tender
Add 2 cups milk and salt and pepper, tarragon, rosemary or other seasonings to taste.
Heat through then sprinkle 1 cup of potato flakes in the soup to thicken it.

"Unbroken" Veggie Frittata

2011-03-22T11:34:00.003-06:00

3 Tbsp Rosemary-infused oil
1 bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 large eggs
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup (your favorite brick cheese), shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium-large skillet, saute the pepper, onion, zucchini, mushrooms and garlic in the rosemary oil until tender. Break the eggs carefully to form a top layer over the veggies. Cover and cook until the egg whites look white. Cut through the eggs with a spatula, allowing the yokes to run. Top with tomatoes and cheeses and cover, cooking just until cheese melts. (Add salt and pepper as you go along, to taste). Cut into wedges and serve. Makes 4 breakfast servings under 300 calories each.

Dave's Brioche in a Pan

2011-02-06T12:33:00.005-07:00

Brioche dough is buttery and flaky and is a good base for a fabulous variety of rolls and desserts. Dave is mastering all kinds of artisan breads, and this dough is one that he has been working with. Dave suggests using a scale to make bread rather than volume measurements. It's more accurate that way.

Brioche Dough
Adapted from Baking Artisan Bread by Ciril Hitz

3/4 cup milk (185 g)
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk (reserve the egg white)
1/4 lemon zest
3 cups + 2 Tbsp Bread flour (440 g)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (45 g)
3 3/4 tsp instant yeast (12 g)
1 tsp salt (7 g)
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold (165 g)

Put milk, egg, and zest in mixer bowl. I a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add dry ingredients to mixer bowl and mix with dough hook for 4 minutes. If dough is too dry, add the reserved egg white. While dough is mixing, hammer the butter with a rolling pin until it is like child's play dough. Increase mixing speed and add butter in 4 stages, each after the butter is thoroughly incorporated. Continue to mix for an additional 10 - 20 minutes until you can stretch dough extremely thin without it breaking. (sometimes called a gluten window).

Shape dough into a round, wrap with plastic and place in freezer for at least 6 hours (or up to 3 weeks). Remove dough the night before baking and place in refrigerator for 12 hours. Remove from fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

For Brioche in a pan, divide into 10 pieces and place in two rows in a greased 9 x 5 inch bread pan. Brush with egg wash and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes.

See my other blog for a variation (hazelnut rolls).

Peanut, Yam, Bean and Chicken African Soup

2011-02-06T11:55:00.003-07:00

This lightly-sweet curried soup is inspired by an African storyteller I listened to recently who talked about the ingredients of an African soup. I wish I could tell you the name of the storyteller, but I can't.

Peanut, Yam, Bean and Chicken African Soup
1 tbsp oil
5 cloves garlic
1 large yam, peeled and chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper, cored and chopped
1 red onion, peeled and diced
1 quart chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black-eyed peas
1/2 cup peanut butter (natural, such as Adam's brand)
3 Chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
1 small bunch greens (such as spinach or Swiss chard)
1/2 bunch cilantro
Juice from one lime
2 tsp brown sugar (optional)
1/3 cup Thai Curry Sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, cook minced garlic in oil until tender. Add the potatoes, pepper and onion and cover with just enough chicken broth to cook them. Simmer until tender. Add the rest of the broth, tomatoes, beans and remaining ingredients. Heat through and allow the greens and cilantro to wilt and flavors to combine. Serve hot.

Year-End Awards

2011-01-02T10:54:00.006-07:00

I didn't cook or bake as much as I wanted to this year, but here are some of my favorites. The images are linked to the recipes.

BEST TASTING:

MOST HEALTHY:

MOST FUN TO MAKE:

Mimsy's Swiss Chard with Black Beans & Egg

2010-12-30T15:54:00.006-07:00

This makes one individual serving and is around 200 calories. It's a quick, refreshing hot lunch.

Mimsy's Swiss Chard with Black Beans & Egg

3 large Swiss chard leaves, diced
2 slices of onion, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup black beans, cooked
1 egg

Saute chard, onion and pepper in 1 tsp olive oil until tender. Add beans and heat through. Transfer to plate, add 1/2 tsp olive oil to pan and cook egg until soft-done. Top veggies with egg. Eat!

Dave's Ciabatta Bread and Acorn Squash Soup

2010-12-30T10:20:00.003-07:00

Dave is getting to be more and more of an expert artisan bread maker as he works to improve his techniques and find the perfect recipes. His Ciabatta bread is absolutely divine. The texture is fabulous! Ciabatta has a rich, soft lacy center with a crisp crusts. It is never dry, and tastes wonderful dipped in infused olive oils or served with soup or used in panini sandwiches.

Dave's Ciabatta
Originally from Jason Molina with instructions by Jason "LilDice" on The Fresh Loaf.

500 g Flour
15 g salt
2 tsp yeast
450 - 490 g water

Directions

In Kitchen Aid style mixer: Mix all ingredients roughly till combined with paddle, let it rest for 10 minutes.

With the paddle (I prefer the hook to prevent the dough from crawling into the guts of the mixer), beat the living hell out of the batter, it will start out like pancake batter but in anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes it will set up and work like a very sticky dough. if it starts climbing too soon, then switch to the hook. You'll know it's done when it separates from the side of the bowl and starts to climb up your hook/paddle and just coming off the bottom of the bowl. I mean this literally about the climbing, i once didn't pay attention and it climbed up my paddle into the greasy inner workings of the mixer. It was not pretty! Anyway, it will definately pass the windowpane test.

Place into a well oiled container and let it triple! it must triple! For me this takes about 2.5 hours

Empty on to a floured counter (scrape if you must, however you gotta get the gloop out), cut into 3 or 4 peices. Spray with oil and dust with lots o' flour. Let them proof for about 45 minutes, which gives you enough time to crank that oven up to 500F.

After 45 minutes or so the loaves should be puffy and wobbly, now it's iron fist, velvet glove time. Pick up and stretch into your final ciabatta shape (~10" oblong rectangle) and flip them upside down (this redistributes the bubbles, so you get even bubbles throughout), and onto parchment or a heavily floured peel. Try to do it in one motion and be gentle, it might look like you've ruined them completely, but the oven spring is immense on these things.

Bake at 500F until they are 205F in the cnter (about 15-20 minutes), rotating 180 degrees half way through. Some people like to turn the oven down to 450F after 10 minutes, but whatever floats your boat. I usually bake in 2 batches.

Dave's tips:

"The key is to beat it and beat it to death. Also measure using grams instead of cups, because you can get the ratios better. Flour is dependent on the humidity and how long it's been sitting. A cup measurement is not a good way to measure flour.

It will be super sticky to begin with, and you beat it until it becomes shiny and elastic. The flip at the end is really tricky, so parchment paper is a life-saver. If the flip is too hard, skip it, because it's optional. A baking stone is a must for this bread.

Put water on your hands when touching the dough. It's really gooey and sticky and you don't want to add extra flour. Bread knives are helpful so you don't have to touch it with your hands at all.

Keep trying if you don't get it right the first time! It's worth it."

Dave will be trying out even more recipes for ciabatta and other breads that will hopefully end up on this blog.

Acorn Squash Soup
Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

3 whole acorn squash (about 8 cups)
6 shallots, 1 cup diced, 3 left whole and peeled
3 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper, freshly cracked, plus more for seasoning
1 stick unsalted butter, divided
4 cups chicken stock, low-sodium
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tsp sage, dry
1 tsp savory
1 cup cream
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the squash in half on the equator and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut a flat spot on each end so the squash will sit flat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the squash, cut side up. To 3 of the squash halves, add a peeled shallot and to the other 3 add 2 garlic cloves on each. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with 1 tablespoon each of the salt and freshly cracked pepper. Roast in the hot oven until very tender and starting to caramelize and collapse, approximately 1 hour. Remove from oven and when cool enough to handle, remove the squash from the skin. Reserve the roasted shallots and garlic with the squash. Can be done ahead.

In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat and when the butter is starting to foam, add the raw diced shallots and saute until they are starting to caramelize, about 5 to 6 minutes. Deglaze with 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and stir to remove any fond. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the reserved squash, roasted shallots and garlic and then the remaining chicken stock. Stir to combine, then puree with a stick blender. The mixture will be very thick. Add in the cayenne, white pepper and the herbs. Stir in the cream and Worcestershire sauce and heat slowly over medium-low heat. When the mixture comes to a slow simmer, mix again with the stick blender and stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and turn heat to low. Serve with a fresh crack of black pepper, a nice drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a light sprinkle of remaining Parmesan. Ladle into soup bowls and serve.

Banana Nut Oatmeal Whole Wheat Muffins

2010-12-30T10:12:00.003-07:00

I came up with this recipe for muffins while in Vegas this last week, and they are so healthy and yummy that I've made them three times in one week.

Banana Nut Oatmeal Whole Wheat Muffins
Makes 18 largish muffins 250 calories each
Or 24 regular muffins less than 200 calories each

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
4 bananas, smashed
1/2 cup pecans

Pre-heat oven to 400ºF. Mix sugar and butter together, add milk, yogurt and eggs. Mix until smooth. Mix together salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, oats, flour, and baking powder in separate bowl. Combine with wet mixture. Stir in mashed bananas and pecans. Fill muffin tins nearly full and bake for about 18 minutes or until done.

Mini Oatmeal Muffins With Fresh Cranberries

2010-12-12T12:53:00.004-07:00

These are healthy, low-fat, whole-grain muffins with nippy, bitter little cranberries. Yum! I think I might start a series of mini muffins because my clients are always hungry when they come in for therapy, and I've been thinking of serving them mini muffins and coffee/tea/cocoa.

Mini Oatmeal Muffins With Fresh Cranberries
Makes 36 mini muffins
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup applesauce
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp canola oil
1 egg
1 cup fresh cranberries (slice the bigger ones in half)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together applesauce, milk, sugar, oil and egg. Add dry ingredients and stir until wet. Add cranberries. Distribute in greased mini muffin tin, then bake for 12 minutes or until done. Don't over bake. Remove instantly from tin and cool on rack.

Baked Eli Rice (Naked)

2010-12-12T12:37:00.003-07:00

"Eli Rice" is the name we gave to rice frittata when my son, Eli, was young.... because at the time he was picky and it was something he actually liked. Rice frittata is a great way to use leftover rice, and this version is baked in a pie plate rather than in a skillet on the stove top. The slice in the photo is totally naked. This can be made so much more interesting and pretty with added veggies and/or meat. Get creative!

Baked Eli Rice
2 cups cooked rice
10 eggs, beaten
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Your favorite herbs and spices (to taste)
Chopped, steamed veggies (such as onion, pepper, tomato, spinach, squash, etc.)
Chopped, cooked meat/poultry/protein (such as ham, beef, pork, bacon, chicken, etc.)
1 cup grated cheese (your favorite)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix rice, eggs, seasoning and veggies. Pour into greased pie plate. Top with cheese. Bake until well-set (about 1 hour).

Mimsy's Oxtails

2010-12-07T19:28:00.004-07:00

Why throw away the good parts? Oxtail is rich and delicious and so coveted that what used to be scrap meat is now highly priced and sometimes hard to find. Oxtail is wonderful in stews and soups and makes beautiful stock, but it's also great rubbed with spices and baked in the oven on a broiling pan, like ribs.

Mimsy's Oxtails
2 oxtails, sliced at the joints
soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Place oxtail on a a broiling pan which has been filled 1/4 full with water. Sprinkle oxtail slices with soy sauce. Create a dry rub with spices and sprinkle over oxtail. Cover with aluminum foil and cook at 350ºF for about 3 hours or until tender. Remove foil and brown for 10 minutes. Serve with hot buttered rice and veggies.

Idea: Boil the leftover oxtail in the drippings from the broiling pan and additional water as needed. Throw in some onions, carrots, mushrooms, etc. for stew.

Holiday Clam Chowder & Dave's Sourdough Bread

2010-10-31T10:51:00.005-06:00

My mom makes this clam chowder every year around the holidays. You'll want to save it for special occasions, because it isn't great on the waistline, but wow, does that hot, creamy, buttery chowder taste good on a cold November or December night. Especially when Dave makes fresh, hot sourdough bread to go with it!

Holiday Clam Chowder
(This makes a small batch, enough for 4 small bowls)

1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup celery, finely diced
2 cups potatoes, peeled (optional) and finely diced
2 (6.5oz) cans minced clams
Clam juice (optional)
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1 quart half & half
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
2 -3 Tbsp of robust red wine (or more to taste)

Drain juice from clams and pour over vegetables in a sauce pan. Add enough clam juice or water to cover veggies. Simmer until barely tender. Drain vegetables. In a large soup pan, melt butter and flour and make a roux. Add half & half slowly, stirring. Heat and stir until thickened. Add vegetables, clams and vinegar. Serve hot. Sprinkle with cheese, green onions, and crumbled bacon (optional). My family likes to add a couple of dashes of aged pepper sauce (such as Tabasco) too.

Sourdough Bread
(From King Arthur Flour)

Ingredients
1 cup sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups luke-warm water
2 1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
5 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

Pour the cup of starter into a large mixing bowl. Add the arm water and 3 cups of flour. Beat vigorously. Cover with plastic wrap and set it aside to rest at cool room temperature for 4 hours. Then refrigerate overnight, or for about 12 hours.

Add remaining ingredients, kneading to form a smooth, soft dough. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise till very puffy though not necessarily doubled, about 5 hours.

Divide the dough in half, and shape into two oval loaves. Place on a baking sheet, cover and let rise till doubled, about 2 - 3 hours.

Slash the tops of the loaves, and bake in a preheated 425ºF oven for 309 minutes or until golden brown. (Dave cooks the loaves on a preheated baking stone in the oven.)

Not-Really-Shakshuka with Potato

2010-10-11T13:46:00.004-06:00

This recipe is based on the Israeli dish shakshuka, but with a Mimsy twist: potatoes. Okay, so I was born way out there in Idaho and something about being born in the potato state makes me crave potatoes once in a while. This time they ended up in the shakshuka. I like 'em there!

Not-Really-Shakshuka with Potato
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 a large sweet onion, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped and seeded
1 large potato, finely chopped (skin, okay)
5 - 6 fresh tomatoes, chopped (skin, okay)
Few handfuls of fresh spinach
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp paprika
Salt to taste
Parsley leaves
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil. Add the potato and pepper and cook until the potato is tender (add a bit of broth if you need to). Add tomatoes, spinach and seasoning and cook until tomatoes are stewed. Top with eggs, cover and cook until yokes are just the way you like them. Top with parsley and feta cheese and serve hot.

Spicy Tomato Zucchini Soup

2010-10-09T11:15:00.003-06:00

I'm still pulling dozens of tomatoes off the vines before the late October frost kills them. I created this simple hot blender soup on a chilly day and it was delicious in a bowl, but I also found that after the leftovers were chilled in the fridge it made a great cold sauce for chips or warm sauce over burritos.

Spicy Tomato Zucchini Soup with Garlic & Jalapeno

Fill up your blender about 1/2 of the way with fresh tomatoes (no need to peel or seed them)

Add:
1 medium chopped and peeled zucchini
6 - 8 peeled whole fresh cloves of garlic
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and cut in large chunks
1/4 onion peeled and chopped
Enough veggie broth to cover the veggies in the blender without spilling over
Salt & Pepper to taste

Blend until smooth. Transfer to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 8- 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Crunchy Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2010-09-13T15:25:00.004-06:00

I'm not going to lie. I've never been a fan of Brussels sprouts. But I acutally ate these down and even enjoyed them. Simplest recipe and edible, besides. So why eat Brussels sprouts? Because they are one of those dark, leafy greens that are supposed to pump your body full of good stuff.Brussels sprouts have vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, E and K, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, folate, phosphorous, protein, copper and calcium. Wow, huh? And if that doesn't convince you, try cooking them this way and you might be surprised like I was by how good they taste too:

Trim the ends of about 1 1/2 lbs of Brussels sprouts. Mix them in a bowl with 3 - 4 Tbsp of olive oil, salt & pepper (to taste). Place on a cookie sheet in one layer, and cook in a 400ºF preheated oven for 40 minutes or until slightly brown-blackened. Most people like these better with lots of salt, so if you like salty, crunchy snacks and your blood pressure is good... sprinkle liberally with salt. Eat hot, fresh out of the oven.

Tomato & Smoked Gouda Pie

2010-09-06T18:47:00.004-06:00

This delicious recipe is from my friend Catherine Healey. It's so wonderful with fresh tomatoes from my garden! This is definitely going on my end-of-summer cooking list from now on.

2 cups shredded or grated smoked Gouda cheese
2 Tablespoons Flour
1/4 tsp of Nutmeg (or to taste)
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
Tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
4 ripe medium tomatoes, peeled or unpeeled as desired, cored and
cut into small pieces
Single Pie Crust (your favorite recipe or buy an uncooked refrigerated crust)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh Basil (for garnish)

In a small bowl, combine cheese, flour and nutmeg, mixing well; set aside. In a small heavy skillet, saute onion in butter for about 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender, but not browned. Prepare pie crust for baking according to package directions and fit into a9-inch pie plate; flute edge of crust to form a standing ridge. Turn cheese-flour mixture into crust. Combine onion mixture and tomato pieces; spread mixture over cheese. Sprinkle salt and pepper over tomato mixture. Bake in preheated moderate oven (375 degrees) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tomatoes are tender and cheese is melted. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mimsy's Fresh Salsa

2010-08-16T16:54:00.006-06:00

One of the best things about having a garden? Fresh Salsa. I leave the tomato skins on. That's right. On. Right on. Because once they are blended or chopped up, tomato skins really aren't tough guys any more, and it saves a bundle of time. You can use any combination of tomatoes from your own garden. These are what I have the most of right now.

Mimsy's Fresh Salsa
1 quart grape tomatoes, measure then blend
5 - 6 large beef tomatoes, chopped
1 cup yellow pear tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3/4 bunch cilantro, stems removed and chopped
1 large jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
1 Anaheim pepper, finely chopped
1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 T fresh lime juice
Salt & Black Pepper to taste

Combine everything in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving (to combine flavors). Stir and serve.

Fresh Tomato, Pork & Black Bean Pizza

2010-08-15T17:17:00.003-06:00

I have so many tomatoes in my garden, I'm having a great time putting them all over everything. Tomatoes just go with pizza, and they just go with beans, and beans just go with pork. This pizza was a hit with my kids... except the ones who don't like tomatoes. For them, I made a second one without the tomatoes on top:

There really isn't much to explain about this pizza. Use your favorite dough, or use one of mine.
Easy Pizza Dough
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
or
Italian Pizza Dough

The toppings are simply these, in this order:
1 cup salsa (your favorite)
1 can black re-fried beans (I used Rosarita Lowfat)
Leftover Shredded Pork Roast (Or shredded beef or shredded chicken)
Shredded Cheese (I used Mozzarella, Colby, and Jack)
Fresh Tomatoes, sliced and lightly salted

Cook on a pizza stone preheated to 500ºF until dough is browned and cheese is melted. With heavy toppings like this, it's a good idea to pre-cook the dough for 10 minutes first. That way, it won't collapse as you transfer it from your pizza peel to your pizza stone. If you don't have a stone, cook the pizza on a large cooking pan that's been preheated in the oven.

Elijah's Crêpes

2010-08-15T16:54:00.003-06:00

Crêpes were really popular in the late 80s, early 90s. I remember having crêpe parties with friends. It seems like the next generation likes them as much as we do, because Elijah asked for crêpes for his birthday party. Usually, I make the crêpes and fill them with hot food as I go, but to save time, I made them ahead, let everyone fill them to their liking and then heated them up quickly in the microwave. They didn't seem to suffer in texture, and no one complained.

Elijah's Crêpes
1 1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp oil
1/3 tsp salt

Whisk ingredients together in a bowl. Allow batter to sit at room temperature for an hour. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Toss in 1 tsp butter and move the skillet around to coat the interior. Add 1/4 cup of batter to the skillet, tipping the skillet in circles to distribute the batter evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set the pan on medium heat and leave undisturbed until edges are starting to brown. Flip crepe and cook briefly on other side. Top with desired toppings while in the pan. Fold the crêpes over gently, and remove it from the skillet.

Elijah requested ham, shredded pork, steamed broccoli and shredded cheese, topped with a white cheese sauce.

Mimsy's Pork Buns

2010-08-12T11:14:00.001-06:00

I just discovered that my offspring are gaga for steamed pork buns. I don't think they knew it any more than I did. I had fun experimenting yesterday with some leftover pork, and these were absolutely delicious. Maybe not as pretty as some I've seen in photos, but the taste made up for the marred looks.

Mimsy's Pork Buns

Filling
1/2 lb slow-cooked, shredded pork
1/3 cup Chinese plum sauce
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Combine in a bowl and set aside

Dough
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour

Add yeast to warm water with a pinch of sugar until it bubbles. Add remaining ingredients (except baking powder) with the first cup of flour and mix for at least a minute. Add more flour until the dough forms a smooth, soft ball, not too sticky, but not firm. Allow dough to rise until double. Divide dough and shape into about 24 balls. Flatten each ball into circle, fill with 1 Tbsp of pork filling, and wrap dough around filling. Place buns on wax paper and allow to stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Boil water in a wok or large sauce pan with a steamer and lid. Place buns that will comfortably fit on the steamer, leaving 1 -2 inches between buns. Steam over water for 15 - 20 minutes in batches until done. Serve hot, or chill in fridge and serve cold.

Bumper Crop Tomato & Pepper Pasta

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

When I arrived back from being on holiday for the week, I found that my vegetable garden was loaded down with various tomatoes and peppers. I was cooking for one, but when my family saw what I was eating, they started into chopping tomatoes and peppers too.

Bumper Crop Tomato & Pepper Pasta
(One Large Serving)
2 strips thick peppered bacon
1 cup chopped tomatoes of all varieties
1/4 cup chopped bell peppers, seed removed
1/4 cup chopped mild peppers (all varieties), seeds removed
3/4 cup cooked shell pasta
1/4 cup Alfredo sauce

Cook bacon in frying pan until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Add peppers to the pan and cook until tender. Stir in tomatoes and pasta and sauce and stir until warm. Crumble bacon in and serve instantly.

Fresh from my garden!

Kim's Quick Alfredo Sauce

2010-07-23T17:35:00.000-06:00

My daughter's friend, Kim, made dinner for us the other night and shared her sauce recipe with me. Something this rich and delicious makes a quick and perfect company dish.

Kim's Quick Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup butter
8oz cream cheese
2 tsp garlic powder
2 cups milk
8 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
1/8 tsp black pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, whisking until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan cheese and pepper. Remove from heat and serve immediately over favorite cooked pasta.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

2010-07-20T19:08:00.007-06:00

I nab every chance I get to play around making different pizzas. This one was a huge success with my teens. It involved a tomato-based barbecue sauce, chicken, veggies, mozzarella cheese, and bacon.

Pizza Dough:
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 cups unbleached flour (I used 2 1/2 cups of unbleached bread flour)

Add yeast to warm water with a pinch of sugar until it bubbles. Add remaining ingredients with the first cup of flour and mix for at least a minute. Add more flour until the dough forms a smooth, soft ball, not too sticky, but not firm. Allow dough to rise until double. Stretch or roll dough to form a medium size pizza. This dough is very soft, so if you use a pizza stone, you may want to pre-bake it for 5 minutes at 450ºF before adding toppings for easier handling as you transfer it to the stone. If you bake it in a pan, there isn't a problem.

Toppings:
Barbecue Sauce (your favorite homemade recipe or from a bottle)
8 baby carrots, finely diced
2 slices onion, finely diced
1/4 green pepper, finely diced
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 strips extra-thick (good quality) bacon

In a large frying pan, cook chicken pieces until done (don't overcook). Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Saute carrots, onion, and pepper in the same oil until tender.

Preheat oven (and pizza stone, if you have one) to 450ºF. Spread barbecue sauce over pizza dough. Top with veggies. Top with chicken. Sprinkle with desired amount of mozzarella cheese. Transfer to stone or pizza pan and cook until dough is done and cheese is melted (about 10 - 15 minutes). In the meantime, cook the bacon strips in the frying pan. Serve fresh, hot pizza with bacon sprinkled over the top.

Dave's Oyster Beef with Snow Peas

2010-07-18T18:18:00.004-06:00

I haven't been doing as much experimenting in the kitchen lately (even though I always cook), so I'm sharing a few dishes that Dave and other of my family members cook. This recipe is one that Dave brought into our marriage 23 years ago. It's been a long time since he made it, and I'd forgotten how yummy it is.

Oyster Beef with Snow Peas

Sauce:
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp dry sherry

2 Tbsp water
1 tsp cornstarch

Marinade:
1/2 lb beef tenderloin, sliced thinly and marinated for 1/2+ hours in the following:
1 Tbsp dry sherry
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp peanut oil

Veggies:
1 cup snow peas
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 can bamboo shoots
1 can water chesnuts
2 green onions, sliced
6 slices fresh ginger root

Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat wok (or large frying pan) and add 2 Tbsp peanut oil. Stir-fry meat until almost cooked through. Remove from wok and set aside. Do not overcook.

Add 2 more Tbsp oil to wok. Stir-fry green onion and ginger until fragrant. Add remaining veggies and cook until barely tender. Return meat to wok and add sauce while stirring. Heat through. Be careful not to overcook. Serve on a bed of cooked Napa cabbage or rice.

Pumpkin Sauce with Garden Herbs and Veggies

2010-07-02T14:32:00.001-06:00

Pumpkin isn't just for the winter holidays. It combines beautifully with tomatoes for a light summer pasta sauce.

1 cup finely diced veggies (such as onion, broccoli, carrots, etc.)
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup cooked pumpkin
1 cup fire roasted chopped tomatoes in juice
Chopped fresh basil, rosemary, lavender and anise leaves (to taste)
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Goat Cheese

Cook the diced veggies in the wine until tender. Add pumpkin and tomatoes in juice. Sprinkle in fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Warm through and serve over pasta. Top with crumbled goat cheese.

Thai Pizza

2010-06-27T09:05:00.007-06:00

Thai pizzas seem to be all over the place now, so I thought I'd come up with my own version. I scanned a bunch of recipes over the internet for ideas, and ultimately ended up using a combination of bits from here and bits from there with a little "me" thrown in. I've broken the recipe into steps, which makes it look complicated, but it's really not as difficult as it looks.

Marinated Cucumbers
3/4 cup cucumbers, peeled and julienned
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
Drizzle cucumbers with honey and vinegar and set aside.

Garnish Toppings
1/4 cup shredded carrots
2 julienned green onions
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Prepare veggies and measure topping then set aside

Pizza Base
Pizza Dough* (your choice)
1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce
Red pepper flakes
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Roll out and cook pizza dough on a pizza stone, cookie sheet or pizza pan for about 5 minutes until it just starts to bubble. Remove from oven, spread with Hoisin Sauce, sprinkle with red pepper flakes (to taste), top with red onion, bell pepper and mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and cook for about 15 - 17 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. While pizza is cooking, prepare the peanut chicken.

Peanut Chicken
1 Tbsp peanut oil
3 cups cooked chicken, cut or pulled into bite-sized pieces
3/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup coconut milk
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp Thai sweet pepper sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
Several dashes of hot pepper sauce (to taste)
Water

Combine everything but the chicken. Stir, and add water until it makes a very thick sauce. Add oil to a large skillet on medium high heat. Spread chicken over the bottom of the skillet. Top with peanut sauce and allow to heat until bubbly, turning over chicken carefully and heating through without breaking up pieces (otherwise you'll end up with a big glomp of shredded chicken in peanut goo.)

Once you remove the hot pizza base from the oven, top with the heated peanut chicken, the marinated cucumbers, and garnish toppings.

*I used this dough for the pizza in the photos:

Pizza Dough:
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
1(+) cup whole wheat flour

Add yeast to warm water with sugar until it bubbles. Add remaining ingredients with the first cup of flour and mix for at least a minute. Add more flour until the dough forms a smooth, soft ball, not too sticky, but not firm. Allow dough to rise until double.

Fire Roasted Beans

2010-06-19T11:31:00.005-06:00

I don't like those sickly sweet beans that people make for barbecues covered in molasses and brown sugar. They taste like they should be a dessert or something, and are so sweet that the flavor is completely flat and boring. Baked beans are particularly horrible when they are canned that way or use cans of pork and beans in the recipe. However, I'm not entirely against doing a little creative can "dumping" if the right canned ingredients are used. I made up this recipe based on a bottle of Buffalo brand chipotle hot sauce that I found at the Mexican market. I later found this same sauce in the grocery store, so I don't think it's difficult to find:

As you know, chipotle is a smoked jalapeño pepper. In this recipe I used chipotle hot sauce and fire roasted tomatoes, which is why I'm calling these Fire Roasted Beans. The smokey flavor is not overwhelming, but adds an outdoor flair to the beans and makes them a great side dish for a barbecue.

Fire Roasted Beans

9 thick slices of bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 15oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 15oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 15oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
2 - 4 Tbsp Chipotle Hot Sauce (or to taste)
1 Tbsp Molasses (or to taste)
1/2 bunch cilantro

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove, but leave drippings. Cook onion, jalapeño and garlic in drippings until tender. Add beans and tomatoes, heat through. Add Molasses and Chipotle hot sauce to taste, drop in bacon and cilantro. Serve immediately. (I had these beans going on a hot plate all evening at a party and even though they still tasted okay, they were MUCH better when they were fresh a few hours earlier and not so overcooked.)

Pumpkin Rhubarb Muffins

2010-06-13T11:24:00.003-06:00

This is a great combination. I can't take the credit for coming up with it, because I adapted this recipe from one I found here.

Pumpkin Rhubarb Muffins
(makes 12 rhubarb muffins)

2 1/2 cups whole wheat all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar, yogurt, vanilla, egg, oil and gingers. Using a mixer combine for about 2 minutes on medium. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until just combined, stir in rhubarb. Grease muffin tins and fill cups. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve hot.

Dave's Rack of Lamb with Chardonnay Sauce

2010-06-12T09:57:00.003-06:00

Lamb is Dave's baby and he makes this fabulous chardonnay sauce that pairs perfectly with rack of lamb. If you enjoy being a carnivore, and love the refined flavor of chardonnay... this is to die for.

Chardonnay Sauce
1 1/3 cup cabernet wine
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
6 cups drippings from lamb
2 tablespoons lamb seasoning*
1 tablespoon garlic powder

In a bowl mix 1/3 cup of wine with flour, set aside. Put remaining wine, broth, parsley, lamb seasoning and garlic powder in saucepan . Bring to a gentle boil, then turn heat down and reduce about 4-5 minutes. Stir in flour mixture.

While you are reducing liquid, brown butter in another pan. Add browned butter to sauce.

*Lamb Seasoning
1 tbsp. sweet paprika
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary -- crushed

Mix and store in a airtight container in a cool place.

Wheat Pecan Salad with Honey-Coriander Dressing

2010-06-03T18:46:00.004-06:00

Now that I grind my own wheat for flour, I have a bunch of wheat berries on hand. They make a great breakfast mixed with a little honey and cinnamon. They also provide a hearty salad for lunch or dinner. I came up with this combination for my dinner this evening, because my family were all cooking for themselves (a typical evening at our home with all the cooks who live here) and I was left to cook for myself. Well, I didn't feel like cooking. I had been in the sun most of the day, so I wanted a cold dinner. This turned out to be just right for my mood.

Wheat Pecan Salad with Honey-Coriander Dressing (One Serving)

1/2 cup boiled wheat berries (cold)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Salt to taste
1 oz pecan pieces
1/2 tomato, chopped
Fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves, chopped
Green onion, chopped
Baby spinach leaves
Goat cheese

Combine the wheat berries, lemon juice, honey, coriander, salt and pecans. Place wheat mixture over a bed of baby spinach leaves. Sprinkle with tomatoes, goat cheese, green onion and fresh cilantro.

Asparagus & Potato Pizza

2010-05-19T14:28:00.009-06:00

If you haven't noticed, I love making pizza. Pizza dough is like a canvas to paint on, and you can be as creative or funky as you want. It's spring, and for some reason every blogger in the world seems to use asparagus in some spring recipe. I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of asparagus. I don't dislike it, I've just had too much of it over the years. It used to grow wild in our yard and take over our grass, so I think of it as a weed. But, it is a pretty vegetable, and contains lots of nutrients that we need, so I used it in this recipe. I'm glad I did, because I love this pizza! I've played around with the idea of putting potatoes on pizza, but never tried it until now. It works! Potatoes taste good on pizza.

Asparagus & Potato Pizza

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough:
1 tsp white sugar
1 Tbsp Yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp Lethicin*
2 Tbsp Gluten*
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Once it is bubbly, add olive oil and salt. Stir in lethicin and gluten, and add flours, kneading until it forms a smooth ball. Allow to rise double (about 1 hour), divide into two pieces, roll out for pizza.

*This dough will work without the lecithin and gluten, but works much better with them.

Toppings:
Olive Oil
Salt
4 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small white potato
1 cup your favorite veggies, chopped (I used red bell peppers, zucchini, & mushrooms)
1 large bunch of asparagus
1 3/4 cups fresh mozzarella, cut in squares
1/3 cup grated aged Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

Remove the ends of the asparagus, cut in half and then again in half lengthwise. Soak the asparagus in cold water to remove grit. Saute the chopped veggies in olive oil until tender, (or roast them before chopping them). Sprinkle with salt and set aside. Slice potato thinly and cook in olive oil until tender, sprinkle with salt.

Preheat oven to 500ºF. Rub pizza dough with olive oil. Sprinkle with minced garlic and green onion. Spread cooked potato slices over the top. Top with cooked veggies. Scatter uncooked, drained asparagus over all. Finally top with three cheeses. Bake on a pizza stone or pan until dough it browned and cheese is melted.

Potato Soup With Parsnips and Leeks

2010-05-05T13:17:00.002-06:00

Creamy potato soup seems like a winter dish, but I created a light version and added parsnips, which sweeten up the flavor and make it just right for spring.

Potato Soup With Parsnips and Leeks

3 leeks, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
4 large potatoes, skinned and chopped
3 medium parsnips, skinned and chopped
16oz vegetable or chicken broth
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
salt to taste
3 -4 cups milk

In a large pot saute leeks and garlic in olive oil and butter until tender. Add potatoes and parsnips. Cover with broth and add tarragon, rosemary and salt. Simmer until tender. Add milk and heat thoroughly. Blend about half of the soup until smooth. Add back into the pot. Heat through. Serve topped with a little shredded cheese if you wish.

Spanish Tortilla

2010-04-27T13:42:00.004-06:00

While I was in Spain last month, one of the things that we were served everywhere in parts of Andalusia and as far north as Madrid was "Spanish Tortilla". It's what I would probably call a frittata here in the U.S. Spanish Tortilla is easy to make, simple, filling, and delicious. I used a recipe from Tyler Florence that tasted very similar to what I had in Spain. This is yummy served with slices of fresh tomatoes.

6 medium potatoes, thinly sliced or diced
2 small onions, chopped
1/2 tsp salt, plus 1/2 tsp
2 T sunflower oil, plus 2 T
7 eggs
1/4 cup milk

In a medium bowl mix the potatoes, onions, and 1/2 teaspoon salt by hand.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Fry the potatoes and onions on low heat and cover with a lid for 5 minutes to let them soften. Turn up the heat for another 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the stove and drain off any excess oil.

Meanwhile break the eggs into a medium bowl. Add the remaining salt and milk and whisk vigorously until frothy. Add the potatoes and onions to the eggs and mix until fully integrated.

Clean the frying pan and return to stove.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil on a high heat and pour in the mixture, moving it around in the pan to help the tortilla to rise. Fry until golden brown, stirring occasionally until it has set. Then turn down the heat to allow the inside to cook. After a few minutes turn up the heat in order to brown the tortilla.

When it's cooked place a large plate over the frying pan and flip the tortilla onto it. Return to the pan and fry the other side until golden brown.

Food in Spain:

This is a very typical sight in spain. Aged jamón (air-dried, cured pork), is sold on the hoof and can be priced as high as $94 per pound, depending on the pig's diet, length of aging and so forth.

This is a local fresh fish market in Malaga. My sister and I wandered through obscure streets and found this place. The people in the market were clearly not used to tourists sauntering in, but were pleased to sell us anything we would pay for.

Moroccan spices are sold on the streets everywhere in Southern Spain. Morocco is only a 45 minute ferry ride away from the tip of Spain.

Cinco de Mayo Pizza

2010-04-23T18:07:00.010-06:00

I was craving the Chichen Itza Pizza I made a while back, when I realized that Cinco de Mayo was coming up and it was about time I did a pizza in honor of it. Okay, so I'm French. And the day is a celebration about victory against the French. But I've spent a lot of time in Mexico and I happen to love not only Mexican food, but the border food that has been spawned out of the traditional. This is definitely not any more authentically Mexican food than the Chichen Itza Pizza was authentically Aztec, but does that matter if it tastes great? No, says I.

Cinco de Mayo Pizza
This Crust (I recommend that you pre-cook this 5 minutes. I didn't, and it was really difficult to move with the heavy toppings.)

Toppings:
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/3 cup mild green chili peppers, seeded and chopped
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 cups shredded beef (I used leftover roast)
1 can refried beans (I really like Rosarita Black)
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/3 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Queso Quesadilla cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Asadero cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 525ºF. Saute onion and chili pepper in olive oil. Roll out dough (pre-cook if desired), and top with beef, beans, onion & chili pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheeses. Bake on a pizza stone for 13 minutes or until done (watch closely).

Another version (vegetarian):

My daughter can't eat beef (intolerance) so I sometimes do a vegetarian or poultry version of dinner for her. Toppings on this pizza were simply black beans, fresh salsa, and a combination of Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla, Monterey jack, and Asadero cheeses.

Dave and Isaac ocean fishing in beautiful Mazatlan, Mexico several years ago. (click for larger image)

Isaac's Healthier Crisps

2010-04-22T09:27:00.004-06:00

I've been a bit out of it with cooking, so my kids have taken over. My son Isaac makes these fabulous crisps (potato chips). He's skilled with a knife and can slice the potatoes super thin. Yeah, so frying foods isn't the most healthy way to go, but it's better to fry at home than buy a bag of these suckers. You can control the saturated fats by using the right kind of oil, and lower the sodium content. And the taste way outshines what you get in a bag at the grocery store!

Isaac's Healthier Crisps
This is more of a suggestion than a recipe, since Isaac doesn't really measure while cooking

Scrub and slice as thin as you can several Yukon or russet potatoes (or try other varieties)
Heat one inch of canola oil in a large frying pan to medium-high
Fry potato slices in single layers until brown and crisp
Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt and/or herbs, spices and flavorings of your choice

Note from Miriam: I use my Kitchen Aid to slice the potatoes.

Flavoring suggestions:
Parmesan Cheese
Black Pepper
Mustard Powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cayenne Powder
Chili Powder
Paprika Powder
Vinegar Salt
Soy Powder
Indian curry
Thai spices
Dill & Lime
Rosemary & Tomato Powder
Etc.

And while I'm being proud of the fact that my kids like to cook, I'll add in this bonus photo of Isaac's French Toast from breakfast:

Isaac's French Toast
Whisk a couple of eggs with a tsp of milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Soak slices of homemade bread in the egg mixture then cook until done on each side in melted butter in frying pan on medium heat. Top with fresh raspberries and powdered sugar.

Greek Pizza Muffins

2010-04-12T07:49:00.005-06:00

These yummy little savory muffins are adapted from a Fitness Magazine recipe, and at 39 calories each, make a great between-meal snack. They are made from nutty whole wheat and loaded with the flavor of kalamata olives, feta cheese, onions and green peppers. The original recipe can also be found on the Food Network site as well as eatingwell.com. My version is slightly different, but the same concept.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2/3 cup finely chopped onion

2/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

2/3 cup 100% whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup low-fat milk

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 large egg, well beaten

2 tablespoons marinara sauce or tomato paste

2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives
2 tablespoons diced sundried tomatoes

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, oregano, sugar, garlic powder and salt in a medium bowl.

4. Stir milk, feta, egg, tomato paste and olives into the onion mixture. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fill the prepared muffin cups two-thirds full.

5. Bake the muffins until lightly browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Faerie Rolls

2010-04-08T15:05:00.003-06:00

For special occasions these light, buttery rolls are a tradition in my family. My sister-in-law, Janece, gave us this recipe over 20 years ago, and Dave makes them for holiday dinners. This year I made them for Easter dinner and decided to share the recipe with you. Normally I recommend whole wheat and something a little more healthy, but it's great to celebrate once in a while with bread that tastes like it was cooked by a faerie. The quote above these rolls in our family cookbook says, "Light as faerie wings and rich as faerie kings."

1 cup butter
2 cups hot water
2 Tbsp yeast
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
Extra butter for dipping

Combine hot water and butter. Allow to cool to 110ºF. Add yeast. Blend in eggs. Add sugar and salt. Mix in flour and baking powder and knead for 10 minutes. Cover and put in warm place to rise until double in size. Punch down and form rolls. Dip each roll in melted butter and place on a cooking sheet. Cover and allow to rise again to double. Bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes or until lightly brown.

Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew

2010-03-31T16:33:00.005-06:00

This is pretty close to being Brunswick stew. The main differences are that instead of Lima beans, I used navy beans and instead of tarragon, I used garlic, rosemary and thyme. Then I added potatoes, which aren't generally added to Brunswick stew. My reason for these changes is that these were the ingredients I happen to have this morning when I put everything in the crock pot. As with all my recipes, I hope that anyone following them uses what they like and adjusts the seasoning or ingredients to their own tastes. It's a waste of time to cook something if it's not the way you love it.

Brunswick Stew

4 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sizes (rabbit is commonly used in this stew if you'd rather)
1/2 lb diced ham
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 large baking potatoes, cut into bite-sizes (skin on if you wish)
1 cup water
2 cans (10oz) of diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can (10oz) corn, drained (or fresh corn would be better)
1 can (10oz) beans, drained
2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp dried & crushed thyme leaves

Put it all together in a slow-cooker and cook on low for up to 8 hours. Some people feel better about browning the chicken first in oil. If you prefer that, then please do it!

This version of Brunswick stew came out a bit more "broth-y" than some I've tasted. I like that, but you may want to watch the liquid.

Spinach & Ham Whole Wheat Bread Pudding

2010-03-28T21:09:00.006-06:00

At only 140 calories per serving, this is a great little recipe around Easter time. Save the calories for the carrot cake on my other blog. *wink* I've seen several versions of this recipe on the web. I'm not sure where it originated. I've changed things here and there to my own tastes. Never be afraid to play with recipes!

4 cups of cubed whole wheat bread (lightly packed)
10 oz wilted spinach
1/2 a red bell pepper, chopped and sauteed in oil or wine
1/2 an onion, chopped and sauteed in oil or wine
1 1/2 cups ham
7 -8 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, diced
Pepper and salt to taste (remember, ham adds salt flavor)
1-2 Tbsp mustard (optional)
1 cup grated cheese, your favorite (I used Gruyere)

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Mix together the bread, spinach, pepper, onion and ham in a large bowl. Pour the eggs and milk over bread mixture and combine until wet. Stir in rosemary, salt and pepper, and mustard if you wish. Dump the mixture into an oiled 2 quart baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese, and cook until bubbly and brown on top. Serve hot with plain Greek yogurt.

Taking a Break

2010-03-26T10:00:00.000-06:00

This past month not only involved a trip to Spain and Morocco with my sister, but also an extreme emergency in my family in which I almost lost my husband to death. I will regroup and continue my food blogs soon. I hope to share some dishes I gathered in my travels.

Thanks for following my blog!
-- Miriam Latour

Buckwheat Noodles with Sweet and Spicy Chicken

2010-02-19T11:54:00.003-07:00

Japanese buckwheat (soba) noodles are usually served cold with dipping sauce as a summer treat. But I had some soba noodles and wanted a warm dish on a winter evening, so this is what I came up with. It was popular with my whole family.

1 10oz package of Japanese Soba noodles
5 chicken thighs, boiled and de-boned
1 Tbsp peanut oil (or canola oil)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded
1/4 cup of honey
1/2 bunch chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup soy sauce

Cook noodles according to directions. Cool with icy water and set aside. Blend the jalapenos, honey, cilantro, and soy sauce in a food processor until smooth. In a large frying pan, saute the veggies in oil until tender, add boned chicken and blended jalapeno mixture to the pan. Cook until bubbling and hot. Add noodles to pan right before serving and stir just until hot. Garnish with cilantro and chopped peanuts (optional).

Mimsy's Hippie Muffins

2010-02-17T16:52:00.003-07:00

Loaded with nuts, fruit, carrots and whole wheat... one of these hippie muffins is a meal by itself.

2 cups whole wheat flour (I grind my own from wheat kernels)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup shredded apple
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup canola oil (or other heart-healthy oil)
1/4 cup milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Heat oven to 350ºF. Oil 12 muffin cups. Stir together flour and soda. Add other dry ingredients and spices. Mix in nuts and shredded things. Add wet ingredients and stir until wet. Fill muffin cups to 1/2 full, then bake for about 25 minutes or until done.

Lamb Kofta Sandwich

2010-02-13T19:31:00.004-07:00

2.5 lbs chipped (or ground) lamb
1 large onion, chopped
7 -10 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tbsp Garam Masala
1 tsp salt

Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Greek/Egyptian Yogurt
Feta Cheese
Spinach leaves
Pita Bread

Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix together first five ingredients, smooshing with hand until evenly blended. Form into cigar-shaped rolls and place on baking sheet or slitted roasting pan. Cook for 35 minutes or until done.

Fold lamb in pita bread and top with tomatoes, cucumbers, yogurt, cheese, and spinach.

Wheatberry Soup

2010-02-03T07:18:00.006-07:00

This delicious, hearty vegetarian soup uses my chili sauce as a base, but you can use ground chili if you don't want to go to the trouble of making homemade tamale chili sauce. Although wheatberry soup is easy to make, you need to give yourself time to boil some wheat if you don't already have some on hand.

2 cups boiled wheat berries (measure after they are boiled)
3 cups black beans, pre-cooked
1 cup corn, pre-cooked
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cans of cut tomatoes, with juice
2 cups water or broth
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 cup tamale chili sauce or 1 tblsp ground chili
1/2 tsp ground chipotle chili pepper (optional)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 bunch chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tblsp molasses

Pre-cook the wheat, beans and corn. In a large pot, sauté the onion, garlic and bell peppers in the oil until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve topped with sour cream, green onions, grated cheese, etc.

Crazy Carrot Soup

2010-01-27T11:54:00.003-07:00

This simple soup started out as cream of broccoli chicken soup, but in a crazy twist of missing ingredients ended up being a vegetarian carrot soup instead. But the craziest part is how huge of a hit it was with my kids, especially my picky kid... who went back for thirds. This soup is pretty much like eating a lowfat bowl of veggies. If a picky kid can love it, I call it crazy.

4 large carrots, peeled and grated.
1 onion, finely chopped
4 1/2 cups water
7 - 8 cups broccoli florets, chopped in bite-sized pieces
4 1/2 cups milk
Grated brick cheese (of your choice)
Salt & Pepper, to taste

In a large pot, boil the carrots and onion in the water until tender. Blend the carrots and onions and liquid in a blender until smooth. Return to pot. Bring back to a boil, then add milk and broccoli. Simmer until broccoli is just tender. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper and cheese to taste. Garnish with cheese if desired. Suggestion: serve with artisan bread or garlic toast.

Tamale Chile Sauce

2010-01-25T20:57:00.007-07:00

This sauce is fabulous with this tamale recipe, or with this soup recipe.

7 dried ancho chile peppers
7 dried California chile peppers
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp cumin

Wearing rubber gloves, remove stem and seeds from peppers. Place on baking sheet and cook in a 375ºF oven for 3 - 5 minutes until slightly darkened. Cover with water in a small sauce pan, and bing to a boil, then turn off heat and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Place peppers, cumin and garlic powder in a food processor with 2 1/2 cups liquid (use soaking liquid and added broth or water if necessary). Blend until smooth. Add to tamale meat or chili or other dishes.

Tamales

2010-01-25T20:46:00.010-07:00

Filling:
1 lb roast (beef or pork)
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
Homemade Tamale Chili Sauce

Cover and boil roast in large pot with water; whole, peeled onion; and whole, peeled cloves. Cook until meat is tender and easy to shred (about 3 hours). Reserve broth. Remove meat, shred by hand, and add Homemade Tamale Chili Sauce to taste.

Dough:
2 cups corn masa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup lard
10 corn husks

Soak corn husks in water until soft. Tear one husk into strips.

Whip lard and add masa, baking powder, and salt. Add strained broth from roast until a soft dough forms.

Spread masa mixture in individual corn husks. Place small amount of meat mixture in center. Roll each husk in a tube, then bend up the smallest end. Secure by tying together with torn husk strips (as show in photo). Mush masa over the meat at the open end to keep from leaking. Place tamales in a steamer basket, and steam for one hour. Remove husks before eating. Serve hot with extra Homemade Tamale Chili Sauce.

Non-Traditional Shepherd's Pie

2010-01-25T20:30:00.006-07:00

4 lbs of root vegetables, peeled and cut into chunks
1.5 lbs of freshly ground lamb or beef roast
2 tsp olive oil
3 carrots, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup + 1/2 cup broth (lamb or beef)
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup + 1/2 cup shredded brick cheese (your favorite)

Boil the chunks of root vegetables in a pot of water until done. Mash with 1/2 cup broth and salt and pepper. Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Cook ground lamb, carrots, garlic and onion in olive oil until vegetables are soft and meat is brown. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool slightly. blend with flour with meat mixture, then stir in 1/2 cup broth. Place meat and broth in the bottom of a 9 x 13" casserole dish. Top with mashed roots. Top with 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350ºF for 40 minutes, then place under broiler for 5 minutes or until cheese is brown.

Chichen Itza Pizza

2010-01-13T13:47:00.009-07:00

The first time I visited the ancient ruins of Chichen Itza, the guide said that the name was easy to remember because it rhymed with "pizza". I've been back since, and every time I visit, I think about making a pizza from foods that were brought to us by the ancient Mayans. So I finally got around to it! I settled on some of the most influential Mayan ingredients: tomatoes, black & red beans, cocoa, chilies, and maize. The base for this pizza is a rich mole sauce.

Chichen Itza Pizza

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough:
1 tsp white sugar
1 Tbsp Yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp Lethicin*
2 Tbsp Gluten*
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Once it is bubbly, add olive oil and salt. Stir in lethicin and gluten, and add flours, kneading until it forms a smooth ball. Allow to rise double (about 1 hour), divide into two pieces, roll out for pizza.

*This dough will work without the lecithin and gluten, but works much better with them.

Toppings:
Sweet onion, thinly sliced
Grape tomatoes, sliced in thirds
Diced canned tomatoes with green chili, completely drained (reserve juice)
Mole sauce (homemade, or I used Doña María® Mole Sauce diluted it 3 broth to 1 paste)
Black & Red beans, soaked and boiled
Cornmeal flour (Maize Flour)
Fresh Cilantro
Ground Chipotle Pepper
Ground cumin
Red chili pepper, flaked
Salt
Grated Monterey Jack Cheese (small amount)
Eggs (optional)

You notice I didn't specify amounts. That's because you should always make pizza to your own taste!

Preheat your oven and pizza stone (if you have one) to 525ºF. I'm sorry if you don't have a stone. You can use a cookie sheet but it's just not the same. I suggest if you are going to cook pizzas at home, buy a stone! It's so worth it.

Spread the maize (corn) flour onto a smooth surface. Roll out finished whole wheat dough over flour and coat both sides with maize.

I used grape tomatoes and canned tomatoes because it's winter and there aren't any fresh garden veggies in my area to be found. Drain the canned tomatoes with green chilies completely. Save the spicy juice! Slice up the grape tomatoes and onions.

Beautiful blend of red and black beans that I soaked and cooked yesterday:

Pre-cooked the dough coated in maize for a few minutes first, just until it starts to bubble (not until it's done!) Spread the dough with mole sauce and sprinkle with tomatoes, onions, beans, and cilantro. Sprinkle with salt and other seasonings to taste. Break some eggs over the top in the center of the pizza (optional). Cook at 525ºF for about 12 minutes or until crust is done. Remove pizza with pizza peel. Sprinkle lightly with cheese and allow to melt. Slice and eat.

I've never been very successful yet with making eggs look good on pizza. But I love the added flavor!

And here is what you do with your reserved tomato juice. Make a cocktail! Either drink the juice plain with a sprig of cilantro, or add a splash of vodka. Drink it with your Chichen Itza Pizza. Lunch!

Mmmmmm. Wonderful texture with a kick of hot spice!

Isaac's White Chili with Cinnamon & Jalapeño Pepper

2010-01-06T11:02:00.005-07:00

My son is as interested in cooking as I am, and he follows foodwishes.com. He wanted this dish for dinner, so he shopped for the ingredients and oversaw the cooking of this meal which included the cornbread that I included with this other chili recipe (only I used whole wheat this time in the cornbread and less than 1/2 the sugar). The white chili tasted fabulous! The herb measurements are left up to the chef, so I don't have exact measurements on the seasonings for you, but I'll list the ingredients.

2 lbs chicken thighs, skinned & de-boned then chopped
1 onion, chopped
garlic
cumin
cinnamon
chipotle pepper
cayenne
salt
black pepper
oregano
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 red sweet pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & choped
1 can tomatoes with green chilies

You can watch the video of how to make this chili here.

Whole Wheat English Muffins

2010-01-06T10:45:00.003-07:00

Hot, toasted English muffins with tea. Uh-huh. Perfect on these endless winter days. I love making English muffins on a lazy day. I enjoy cooking a large batch on the stove top and then freezing the leftovers for later. It's easy to grab one from the freezer any time and pop it into the toaster after thawing. These are usually made with white flour, but I substituted mostly 100% stone ground whole wheat this time, and they taste delicious.

1 cup milk, scalded
2 1/2 tsp dry yeast, dissolved in 1 cup warm water
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 cups whole wheat stone-ground flour
2+ cups unbleached bread flour

Prepare the milk, yeast and butter and combine (after allowing to cool). Add flour 1 cup at a time and knead into dough until soft. Add more flour if necessary. Form dough into a ball, place in a large bowl, spray lightly with oil, then allow to rise double. Roll out dough to 1/2" thick. Cut into rounds, dip each round in cornmeal and allow to rise for another 1/2 hour to 45 minutes on a cookie sheet.

Cook each round on a lightly greased griddle over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes on each side until brown and cooked through. Cool. Split muffins and toast before eating.

Hint: If you want a more convoluted spongy center, try not to handle the dough too much as you roll it out and cut the muffins.

Layered Burritos

2010-01-02T13:08:00.007-07:00

The difference between the typical Protestant casserole and a really great casserole is time and quality. If you make your tortillas from scratch, and grind your own poultry, and use high quality cheeses and fresh herbs, then it's no longer "just" a casserole, it's comfort food full of fabulousness.

Soak and boil 2 cups of dried beans until done (makes about 5 cups cooked beans)

Make 20 homemade tortillas using this recipe. You can experiment with whole wheat to make these more healthy.

Grind or finely chop 10 organic chicken thighs (bones removed)

Cook the ground chicken in a Tbsp of canola or olive oil with:
4 cloves garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 T ground dried sweet chili pepper, seeds removed
2 T finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/2 bunch chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste

Smash about half of the beans and add all the beans to the cooked chicken. Cook for a few minutes more. Adjust seasonings.

Layer 15 of the tortillas in a 9 x 13" casserole dish with:
The chicken-bean mixture
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup jack cheese
5 chopped tomatoes including juice and seeds
A bit of your favorite picante sauce (optional)

Cook at 350ºF for about 45 minutes to an hour. Cut and serve with salsa, fresh sour cream, guacamole, olives, lettuce, hot pepper sauce, etc.

PS: my teenagers ate this before I had a chance to take a photo of the finished product. I guess that means it was a success!

My Favorite Fine Fettle Kettle Recipes of 2009

2010-01-01T11:48:00.007-07:00

Pumpkin Black-Bean Chili with chicken

Dave's Indian Rogan Josh

Adara's Pad Thai

Potage Saint-Germain

Portobello-Onion Lasagne with Chianti-Gorgonzola Sauce

Homemade Tortillas With Chili-Lime Chicken, Rice & Black Beans

Lebanese Muhammara

Irish Parsnip & Apple Soup

Ukrainian Borscht

Chicken Soup with with Salsa

African Bean & Squash Soup

Dave's Beef Chili

Root Stew with chicken

Root Stew with chicken

2009-12-29T10:36:00.004-07:00

A hearty, healthy chicken stew made of various roots and seasoned with fresh rosemary, oregano, and tarragon. Wonderful on a cold winter evening.

6 chicken thighs, cut in bite-sized pieces (with bones and skin removed)
2T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 yam, peeled and chopped in bite-sized pieces
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped in bite-sized pieces
1 baking potato, peeled and chopped in bite-sized pieces
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped in bite-sized pieces
1 turnip, peeled and chopped in bite-sized pieces
1T fresh, diced rosemary
1T fresh, diced oregano
1T fresh, diced tarragon
Salt & Pepper to taste
16 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups chicken broth

In a large pot, cook the chicken, onion and garlic in the olive oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add the roots and fresh seasoning. Cook until just nearly tender. Add the tomatoes and broth and simmer until roots are done.

2009-12-29T10:36:00.001-07:00

New Orleans Gumbo

2009-12-21T08:48:00.008-07:00

The word "gumbo" comes from the Central Bantu dialect term for "okra" which is ngombo. Okra is indigenous to Africa but is popular in the southern United States. The great thing about making gumbo is that you can be creative. The only stipulations are that you use okra and you begin the dish with a brown roux. Gumbo usually has some shellfish, but not always. Most people add andouille sausage and a fair amount of cayenne pepper and hot sauce. A lot of times gumbo is made to use up leftover meat or poultry or fish.

Veggies:
2 Tbsp butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 lb chopped okra (you can use frozen okra if fresh can't be found)

Brown Roux:
4 Tbsp butter, divided
1/4 cup flour

Poultry & Fish:
1/2 lb boneless chicken thighs cut in bite-sized chunks
1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled
1 lb lump crab meat
1 1/2 lb andouille sausage

Liquids:
8 cups chicken broth
16 oz can of chopped tomatoes in juice

Seasoning:
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp fresh parsley
3 bay leaves
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper , or to taste
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco), or to taste
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Juice from 1/2 lemon
filé powder

Prepare all your veggies and sauté them in the butter until tender. Set aside. Make a roux in the bottom of a large sauce pan or small gumbo pot with the butter and flour. Cook over medium low, stirring constantly, until it looks like color of milk chocolate. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Prepare your meats. To prepare andouille sausage, cook for ten minutes in a small amount of water in a covered sauce pan until done. Then slice in 1/2 inch pieces. Add chicken to the sautéd veggies and cook until chicken is done. Add the sausage and chicken and veggies to your roux, then add the liquids. Add all the seasonings except the hot sauce, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and filé powder. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

In the last ten minutes, add the raw shrimp, lump crab, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and lemon juice to the pot. Cook until shrimp is done. Never over cook shrimp or it will be rubbery! Remove the bay leaves and serve, sprinkling the filé powder over the top of each serving.

Rosemary Veggie Soup with Turkey

2009-12-08T14:09:00.006-07:00

This is a hearty, healthy soup for a cold winter day. Rosemary and garlic are king and queen, and the courtiers are spinach, tomatoes, and onions. The turkey is... if I continue this metaphor... the entertainment: court jester. Simple to make!

1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 T olive oil
2 lbs chopped turkey (or other poultry)
6 cups loose baby spinach leaves, rinsed
4 cups chopped organic tomatoes in juice (canned is fine)
4 cups vegetable or poultry broth
1 1/2 Tblsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 16oz cans of your favorite cooked beans

In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add the other ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook until flavors are blended (at least 15 minutes).

The wintery scene from my kitchen window today.

Winter Squash & Yam Soup

2009-11-10T19:44:00.004-07:00

This is my own recipe, which I whipped up from various ingredients I had on hand. The bold, creamy flavor makes this naturally sweet soup the perfect side dish or first course. I love the taste of the goodness of the Earth in the cold autumn and winter months.

2 small winter squash (about 6 cups of flesh)
2 yams (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 cups fresh carrot juice
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups milk
Vegetable stock (add as needed for liquid)
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2T olive oil
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
1 T ginger, crushed
1/2 tsp coriander, ground
Dash of ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 crushed dry red pepper

Bake the yams and halved squash (seeds removed) on a cookie sheet for about an hour. While they cook, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot until the onion is clear. Add all of the seasonings to the onions. Slowly add the carrot juice, coconut milk, and milk, stirring constantly until hot. Remove from heat.

Scoop out squash and yam from skins and add to the large pot with other ingredients. Puree the soup a little at a time in a blender until smooth. Reheat in the pot until hot. Adjust seasonings, salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot in small portions.

Dave's Beef Chili

2009-11-03T21:19:00.005-07:00

Loaded with veggies, tender melt-in-your mouth beef, and rich flavors, Dave's traditional Halloween chili always gets applause. Dave has been making his chili annually on Halloween for at least 20 years now. He quadruples this recipe, because people love it so much.

1 1/2 lbs boneless beef top round
1 T canola oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves minced garlic
32 oz canned tomatoes, cut up
3/4 cup sliced black olives
1 cup beef broth
1 T brown sugar
2 T chili powder
1/2 cup chopped green chilies
2 tsp crushed dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups cooked pinto beans
Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded for garnish

Soak beans over night and cook them in a large pot the next day until tender. Brown, then cover and cook chopped (1/2-inch cubed) boneless round in another large pot over low heat with oil, onion, and garlic until almost tender. Add other ingredients (except beans), cover and cook for at least an hour until meat is ultra-tender, stirring occasionally. Add beans and heat thoroughly. Serve, topped with sharp cheddar (if desired).

Stuffed Baby Sugar Pumpkins

2009-10-17T09:54:00.003-06:00

This is another of my own recipes inspired from a more "protestant casserole" recipe from my past which included food items I no longer use, like canned soups. This recipe uses natural flavors and my absolute favorite type of nutty, rich rice: brown basmati rice.

2 cups brown basmati rice
4 cups broth (your favorite: veggie, chicken, beef, etc.)

Bring rice and broth to boil in a sauce pan, cover and reduce to simmer for 50 minutes.

1 lb Raw, boneless turkey, minced or ground
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped (or to taste)
1/2 tsp savory
1/2 tsp thyme
2 cloves minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
Olive oil
2 cups mushrooms, sliced (your favorite)
3 eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste
Soy Sauce to taste
2 T brown sugar
3 small sugar pumpkins (enough to fee 6 people)

Cook onion, and garlic in olive oil until veggies are tender. Add minced turkey, mushrooms, and sage, savory, thyme and cook until turkey is browned and mushrooms are done. Add previously cooked rice, eggs and salt and pepper, soy sauce and brown sugar to turkey mixture.

Cut the tops off the sugar pumpkins and clean out seed and strings. Sprinkle the interior with salt, fill with rice & turkey mixture and replace tops. Place on a cookie sheet and cook at 375ºF for at least an hour until pumpkin flesh is tender. Serve by allowing people to scoop out rice and pumpkin flesh onto plates. The pumpkin may need a little more salt after it is dished out.

Wheel Soup

2009-10-17T09:40:00.003-06:00

This simple soup has a surprising flavor which combines cocoa powder with tomato, paprika and beef. Delicious!

12 ounces beef sirloin, cubed
Olive oil
2 sweet onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
28oz beef or veggie broth
29oz stewed, chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 cups green cabbage
1 1/2 cups mini-wheel pasta
2 Tbsp paprika powder

Cook beef in olive oil in a covered, large sauce pan with onions and garlic on low heat for 2 hours or until tender. Add remaining ingedients (except pasta) and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Add pasta and cook until tender. Serve hot with sour cream (optional)

Pumpkin Black-Bean Chili with chicken

2009-10-09T10:42:00.006-06:00

I love the addition of pumpkin to this chicken chili. I've used this recipe with the exceptions noted below:

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped (I used a green bell pepper)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey (I used chicken and sauted it with the veggies)
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained (I used fresh tomatoes)
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a large skillet, saute the onion, yellow pepper and garlic in oil until tender (I sauteed the chicken with these veggies). Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients. (I cooked over low on the stove for about half the time)
Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

Excellent served with this:

Sweet Cornbread

1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour

Combine in a bowl and blend. Pour into buttered 8 inch square pan. Bake at 375ºF for 35 minutes or until done.

Posh Joes

2009-10-06T12:55:00.004-06:00

Sloppy joes charged up a notch and made more healthy with red wine and veggies, sandwiched in whole wheat toasted pita bread.

1 3/4 cup hand-pureed fresh tomatoes
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 -2 carrots, finely chopped
1 rib of celery chopped
1 1/2 lb mixture of your choice: ground beef, lamb, chicken, pork, etc.
1 T chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp mustard powder
3/4 cup red wine
2 T Worcestershire sauce (made from tamarind)
1 1/2 T brown sugar
Salt, to taste
Whole Wheat Pita Bread, lightly toasted

Cook onion, garlic, carrot, and celery in olive oil until done. Add ground meat/poultry and cook until brown. Add seasoning and salt. Add tomatoes, wine, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Boil until thickened (about 8 minutes). Fold toasted pita bread around meat filling.

Crustless Spinach-Cheese Quiche

2009-09-28T21:25:00.006-06:00

My confession is that I love pie crust and I love quiche WITH a crust. However, I'm trying to cut back a bit on lard and butter, so I've developed this quiche that has so much flavor, it hardly needs a crust.

Recipe makes 2 quiches. Hint: cut each quiche into 8 pieces and freeze them for quick breakfasts.

8 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
Black pepper to taste
12 oz cottage cheese
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled (you can use seasoned feta if you wish)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp chopped fresh dillweed
1 bunch of spinach, chopped. Stems mostly removed
1 cup lower-fat shredded cheddar (or favorite brick cheese)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease two quiche pans (or pie pans). Combine ingredients and divide between pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until set.

Simple Greek-Style Pizza

2009-09-18T11:41:00.006-06:00

This is for those with a taste for the strong and beautiful flavors of Greece. I really like this pizza dough recipe. It's one I haven't tried before and the texture turned out perfectly. It comes from these gal's website right here. My one complaint is that it only makes one pizza, which in a family with teenage boys is never enough! Next time I'll try doubling the recipe. I've also made a few alterations to the instructions, including baking at a higher temperature which creates a more authentic Italian crust texture.

Dough:
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 cups unbleached flour (I used 2 1/2 cups of unbleached bread flour)

Toppings:
Olive oil
Dried & ground herbs (your choice)
Feta cheese with tomato and basil
Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
Fresh Tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Preheat the oven with pizza stone to 525ºF
Add yeast to warm water with a pinch of sugar until it bubbles. Add remaining ingredients with the first cup of flour and mix for at least a minute. Add more flour until the dough forms a smooth, soft ball, not too sticky, but not firm. Allow dough to rise until double. Stretch or roll dough to form a medium size pizza. Place on a pizza peel (or baking sheet) and brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with your favorite dried and ground herbs. Top with remaining ingredients. Slide onto stone (or keep on baking sheet). Bake, watching closely, until pizza dough it done.

Tangy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2009-09-06T11:35:00.004-06:00

The flavors in this heart-healthy chicken salad are addicting. This recipe is adapted from several other similar recipes I've seen on the internet, and similar to one from the Sonoma Diet.

4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken
15 oz roast peppers (either roasted at home or from a jar)
6 oz marinaded artichoke hearts
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped almonds
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine all the above ingredients, chill in the refrigerator for several hours, wrap in dark green lettuce leaves and eat!

Roast Green Beans with Goat Cheese, Olives & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

2009-09-04T16:46:00.004-06:00

This is a heavenly side-dish. It comes from the Sonoma Diet. The roasted green beans taste so sweet in contrast to the tart feta cheese, kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes.

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place beans on prepared baking sheet.

2. Drizzle the beans with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper; toss gently to coat. Spread the beans in an even layer. Roast for 10 minutes.

3. Stir beans. Roast about 15 - 20 minutes more or until beans are dark golden brown in spots and have started to shrivel.

4. In a large bowl combine dried tomatoes, pitted kalamata olives, fresh oregano and lemon juice. Add roasted green beans; toss gently to coat. To serve, sprinkle with 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese.

Adara's Pad Thai

2009-08-21T17:14:00.012-06:00

My Daughter worked for the summer in Thailand in a refugee orphanage for ISV. While she was there she took a cooking class with Asian Scenic Thai Cooking School in Chiang Mai. I am the one who was privileged to eat the dish in the photo... and it was fabulous! Absolutely delicious.

For each serving:
2 tbs cooking oil
5 chunky pieces chopped garlic
several pieces tofu
several pieces sliced chicken breast
1 egg
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
dry rice noodles
1 cup chicken broth
chopped chives (1 inch)
bean sprouts
chopped roasted peanuts
chili powder

You want to prepare and lay out the ingredients in the portions you are going to use. Working quickly, add oil to the wok, then add garlic, chicken & tofu, and cook, stirring, for a few seconds until chicken is almost cooked through. Pour in the egg and scramble. Sprinkle in the sugar. Add the sauces and then the noodles, covering with the chicken broth. Allow the broth to be absorbed by the noodles until noodles are tender. Finally add the bean sprouts and chives, cooking for only a few more seconds. Serve immediately, topped with peanuts and chili powder to taste.

Adara at the Asian Scenic Thai Cooking School in Chiang Mai:

Whole Wheat Crackers

2009-08-15T13:02:00.008-06:00

I'm convinced that I should have been baking crackers all my life. These are so delicious with cheese or alone, and made of all natural ingredients without the additives in store-bought crackers. If you want, you can sprinkle them with course salt before baking, but they taste just fine the way they are.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 Tblsp Molasses
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg

Mix the salt with the flour. In a another bowl, combine the milk, molasses and oil. Combine wet and dry ingredients until the dough forms a ball. Kneads the dough on a floured surface until it feels soft, but not sticky. Don't overwork the dough.

Line two baking pans with baking parchment or a silicone baking pad. Divide the dough into three pieces and form each into a ball. Roll out each ball separately, using a rolling pin to about 1/8 inch thick. If the dough has not been overworked, this is very easy. If the dough is too elastic, allow it to sit for 15 minutes and come back and try again. (An old bread dough trick)

Make an egg wash with egg. Brush the top of the dough with egg wash. Cut the dough into squares and place on prepared pans. Bake at 350ºF for about 20 - 25 minutes until browned. Allow them to cool (they will become more crispy as they cool).

Dave's Indian Rogan Josh

2009-08-09T12:17:00.009-06:00

Dave does a bang-up job adapting Indian dishes and playing with Indian spices. This is a traditional Indian lamb dish with a bit of added flare by Dave. In other words, it's Dave's own recipe and my vote is: delicious.

2 cups plain yogurt
2 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup cashews
-----------------------
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 Tblsp olive oil
-----------------------
2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
3 tsp garam masala
2 tsp ground cumin seeds
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Kashmiri pepper
-----------------------
1 lb of cut up chunks of leg of lamb
20 oz tomatoes, diced
chopped cilantro

Blend yogurt, cornstarch and cashews in food processor and set aside. (Cashews are not traditionally in Rogan Josh, but Dave had a hankering for them anyway!)

In food processor, blend the onions, garlic and ginger. Add this mixture to olive oil in a frying pan and brown over medium-high heat. Add the next six ingredients (spices & salt) and continue frying for 3 -5 minutes. Add lamb and cook until browned. Add tomatoes. Quickly add the yogurt mixture before the tomatoes get too hot! This will keep the yogurt from curdling. Once it is mixed and smooth, bring it to a boil. Cover with a lid, turn heat to low and allow to simmer for 2 hours or until lamb is tender. You may want to uncover for the last 15 minutes to thicken sauce.

Turn off heat and add cilantro to taste. Serve with rice. Use more cilantro as garnish.

Whole Wheat Walnut Bread

2009-08-02T15:10:00.007-06:00

A common event in the evenings at our house is the fabulous olfactory pleasure of Dave's bread baking. He makes all types of bread from sweet breads to multi-grain yeast breads. He highly recommends using King Arthur Flour... and frequently tries the various recipes from their website.

This beautiful Whole Wheat Walnut Bread came from this link.

Here is another loaf that Dave made the other night of Cinnamon Swirl Bread :

Dave making bread at my Dad's cabin while we were camping in the mountains a couple weeks ago:

Navajo Fry Bread with Ground Lamb

2009-07-28T09:37:00.008-06:00

For a short time as a kid, I had a foster sister who grew up on the Navajo reservation in Utah. She taught us to make fry bread. When she made it, she grabbed the ingredients with her hands and didn't measure precisely, so I've had to make guesses at the measurements for this blog. The Navajo raise sheep and eat a lot of lamb in their dishes.

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tblsp powdered milk
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup water

Sift the dry ingredients and combine with the water until they form a sticky dough. You don't need to knead the dough. Dump onto a floured surface and divide into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece and fry in hot canola oil until bubbly and brown.

For the filling (and I apologize that this is even more imprecise than the dough):

1 lb chipped or ground lamb
5 cloves crushed garlic
1 chopped onion
1 cup pre-cooked black beans
2 tsp cumin
1 T chili powder
Salt & Pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro
(All seasonings can be added to taste. Traditional Navajo cooking generally uses just the onion and garlic with salt and pepper.)

Top with lettuce, more fresh cilantro, tomatoes, cheese, etc.

If you are a vegetarian, you can try fry bread with smashed, cooked beans seasoned with your favorite herbs and spices.

Potage Saint-Germain

2009-07-14T13:12:00.003-06:00

Potage Saint-Germain is French pea soup made from fresh peas, scallions, sherry, and a tiny bit of cream. I love this soup! It's so refreshing and delicate. It's nothing like the heavy split pea soup with potatoes and the overwhelming flavor of salty ham that many people serve. Why is it that people throw bacon or ham into everything and consume the natural flavor of the dish with salt, fat and nitrates? I've never quite understood why someone would take a perfectly wonderful cut of beef and wrap it in cheaply-flavored bacon, for example. Or why would anyone infuse a delicious seafood chowder with bacon, overwhelming the flavor of the fish?

I'm glad to say that Potage Saint-Germain allows you to taste the natural sweetness of the peas. It really is a wonderful early course in a meal, or as a light meal.

This recipe makes 2 bowl-size portions, or 4 small portions and is taken from a combination of several pea soup recipes I found during some research.

2 shallots, diced
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups vegetable broth
3 cups fresh green peas, shelled (frozen can be used when peas aren't in season)
2 Tbsp dry sherry
1 clove garlic, crushed
Fresh basil & rosemary (to taste)
1/4 bay leaf
1/2 cup half & half
Cream for garnish (optional)
Baked flavored croutons for garnish (optional)

Saute the shallots and garlic in butter until soft. Add vegetable broth, peas and remaining ingredients (except cream) and allow to simmer for 12 minutes.

Add Half & Half and blend until smooth

Reheat and serve hot. Swirl in cream and top with croutons, if desired.

Chipotle Pepper Beans

2009-07-13T21:19:00.006-06:00

I'm not really a fan of the type of beans served at a barbecue that for some reason have syrupy sugary stuff poured all over them... or maybe a bit of pork fat mixed in along with some sickly sweet barbecue sauce from a bottle. I like sweets. I like them a lot. I even know of some desserts that combine sugar and beans. But serving beans drenched in sugar as a side dish to artificially flavored weeners should be left for special occasions... like maybe a White Trash costume party.

These beans get their flavor from fresh herbs, garlic, onions and various peppers. You can control the heat. If you like spicy, lay it on. If not, go easy on the spice.

Bring to a boil, then simmer until beans are about half done:
3 cups dried beans (your choice)
2 1/2 quarts water
4-6 fresh sage leaves
3 bay leaves

Saute until done:
3 T olive oil
2 diced onions
6 cloves crushed garlic
2 -3 diced peppers (jalapeño, bell, Anaheim... depends on how spicy you like it)

Chipotle pepper paste (or powder) to taste
1 Tblsp Cumin seeds, crushed

Combine onion mixture with beans and cook for another hour or until beans are done. Right before serving add:
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

Ever wondered what "chipotle" is exactly? Well... it is a smoked jalapeño pepper. The idea came from Mexico sometime before the Aztecs.

Oven-Fried Parmesan Chicken

2009-06-30T13:47:00.004-06:00

Quicker, cleaner, and more healthy than deep fried chicken... this is a recipe that I used frequently when I was a young newly-married girl. By girl, I really mean girl. I was only 19 years old when Dave and I were married. Although I would never recommend marrying so extremely young, so far our marriage has been a 22 year success. Funny thing, I haven't made this chicken for years and I guess I should have because last night my kids all raved about it during dinner.

Fill three pie plates:
1) 3/4 cup flour, salt, pepper
2) 3 eggs and 2 T milk
3) 2 cups of either seasoned crumbs, crushed croutons, or dried bread stuffing (such as Pepperidge Farms) and 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Rinse and dry full chicken cut up. Take the skin off the chicken (optional). Dip the chicken pieces in the pans in order: 1, 2, 3. Place on an oiled cookie sheet.

Cover with foil and bake in a 400ºF oven for 1 1/4 hours. Remove foil, top with 1/4 cup melted butter (or olive oil) and bake another 15 minutes.

Portobello-Onion Lasagne with Chianti-Gorgonzola Sauce

2009-06-28T17:44:00.008-06:00

Portobello mushrooms are in a class all by themselves. They are rich and "meaty" and the texture is fabulous. I'm not much of a "casserole" person, but the Chianti and fresh basil in this dish blend perfectly with the mushrooms, onions, Gorgonzola and crunchy walnuts.

Cook 1 package of dried whole wheat lasagna pasta.

Chop 3 large sweet onions and saute for 25 minutes in 3 T of olive oil. In the meantime, remove the stems from 4 large portobello mushrooms and cut them into small chunks. Add about 3/4 cup of Chianti to the onions along with salt and pepper to taste, then add the mushrooms. Cook a few more minutes until mushrooms are tender.

Chop about 4 cups of fresh spinach and mix with 2 cups of ricotta cheese, salt and 1/3 cup of fresh basil (or to taste).

In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, make a roux of 2T of flour and 3T of olive oil. Whisk in 2 cups of whole milk (or half & half), 3-4T crumbled gorgonzola, and 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, and fresh chopped basil and salt & pepper to taste.

In a 9 X 13" baking pan, pour 1/2 cup of white sauce into bottom and top with lasagna noodles.

Top with 1/2 spinach mixture and 1/3 mushroom mixture.

Repeat layers, ending with last 1/3 of onion mix, sauce and a sprinkle of walnuts. Bake at 375ºF for about 35 minutes or until bubbly and hot.

Homemade Tortillas With Chili-Lime Chicken, Rice & Black Beans

2009-06-22T19:16:00.008-06:00

The problem with making homemade tortillas is that once you've tasted them, you'll never want to go back to the conveniently packaged ones from the store. They are somewhat time-consuming, but the flavor and texture make up for the effort.

Tortillas:
4 cups of flour (I use a mixture of brown flour and white bread flour)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 T olive oil (or lard)
1 1/2 cups water

Whisk together dry ingredients, add oil with hands until crumbly, add water and knead until blended. Divide into 20 pieces:

Roll each piece as thin as you can

Fry each tortilla in canola oil until bubbly and brown on both sides

I used brown basmati rice. The nutty flavor and texture are fabulous, but you should use your favorite type of rice. Cook a couple of cups of rice according to directions.

The portions on the following are "to taste":

Cook a small chopped onion in olive oil with two cloves of crushed garlic. Add three chopped tomatoes, one can of drained black beans, chili powder, cumin, chopped fresh cilantro, oregano, and enough cooked rice to create a good texture.

Slice two large chicken breasts and stir-fry them in olive oil with chili powder, crushed garlic, cilantro, and fresh lime juice.

Top each tortilla with rice & bean mixture and chicken.

Gorgonzola, Pear, Onion & Leek Bread

2009-06-15T17:48:00.014-06:00

This loaded bread was really popular with my family... or at least I assume it was, because it disappeared when I wasn't looking for a few minutes. The pears look like they might overwhelm it, but actually they add just a touch of sweetness to the beautiful aromatic combination of sage, onions, leeks and gorgonzola. The walnuts add fullness and texture and the whole wheat bread is hearty and nutty.

This topings for this recipe are adapted from one I found online at EatingWell. The flatbread recipe is from a collection of recipes a relative of mine gave me years ago.

Bread:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 T sugar
1 T dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 T olive oil
4 cups flour

Heat oven to 450ºF
In a large bowl combine water, sugar, and yeast. Allow to sit until yeast starts to bubble. Add salt, oil and slowly add flour until dough feels thick, but workable. Kneed for about 5 to 8 minutes. Place in bowl, cover with thin coat of olive oil and allow to rise for an hour. Punch down, and measure about 20 oz of dough to use for this recipe.

Roll out dough and using a peel covered in cornmeal, place dough on baking stone (or baking sheet) and cook for about 8 minutes until it bubbles up as in the photo below.

Topping:
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion
1 large leek
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tblsp chopped sage
Pepper
2 pears
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola

Thinly slice onions and leeks. Toast walnuts in a skillet, remove and set aside. Add olive oil and onions & leeks. Cook until starting to brown, set heat on low, cover and allow to cook 8 minutes more.

Chop and add sage to onions. Add vinegar and pepper.

spread onion mixture over bread. Top with pears, walnuts and gorgonzola.

Bake on stone (or sheet) for 11 - 13 minutes

Dave's Rosemary Salmon

2009-06-14T21:12:00.006-06:00

Dave Latour is my guest chef for this post. He is a great cook, which is one of the many reasons I married him. He specializes in baking bread, but can cook just about anything. Last night he made salmon and I followed him around shooting photos.

He took a salmon filet and cooked it in olive oil for about 6 minutes on each side. While cooking he topped the salmon with 1 glove garlic, a bit of chopped fresh sage, chopped fresh rosemary, and covered it with a few tablespoons of white wine.

Dave says the key to good salmon (aside from buying it fresh), is to make sure it's not overcooked.

Hopefully Dave will be my guest again and bake some of his fabulous bread. He tries a new recipe almost every evening, so it shouldn't be too hard to catch him cooking. Dave recommends using King Arthur Flour and adjusting the amount according to look and feel, as the temperature of the room, humidity, and other factors change the bread recipe daily.

Aruba Fruit Salad With Honey-Lime Blueberry Dressing

2009-06-08T18:59:00.007-06:00

The dressing on this salad doesn't add flavor so much as enhance the flavor of the fruit and act as a preservative to keep it bright and fresh longer. I like it, because I think fruit is best served au natural.

12 - 15 cups of cut up fruit (I used watermelon, cantaloupe, kiwi, pineapple, apples, oranges, grapefruit, bananas, mango and strawberries.)

Blend the following and pour over fruit:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup lime juice
a few drops of aromatic bitters
2-3 Tblsp Rum
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 tsp salt

Lebanese Muhammara

2009-05-05T17:41:00.012-06:00

Muhammara is a wonderful, rich, spicy dip usually served with lettuce leaves or pita wedges. You can buy pomegranate molasses in Middle Eastern markets, but you can easily make it yourself. It is used often in Lebanese cooking. Just simmer 1 cup pomegranate juice, 1/8 cup sugar, and 1 Tblsp lemon juice in a saucepan until reduced and syrupy.

Muhammara Ingredients:

2 cups sliced roast red peppers
2/3 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup walnuts
4 cloves garlic
1 Tblsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Lettuce leaves or pita wedges

Fire roast peppers before cutting into strips. Peppers should be cooked until tender and peeled. If you don't want to roast your own peppers, you can use a jar of roast peppers (drained).

Place walnuts in a food processor and chop until fine. Add peppers, bread crumbs, garlic, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, cumin, red pepper flakes and salt.

Blend until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil until blended. Place in a bowl and serve with lettuce leaves or pita wedges.

Julie & Julia

2009-05-03T07:12:00.003-06:00

I apologize for not keeping up on this blog lately. I've been busy with research papers and final exams. I'll be updating with a new post for Cinco de Mayo, but for now take a look at the new Julie & Julia film trailer. Who couldn't love Julia Child? And played by Meryl Streep. Fabulous.