We're Eating What?

Best. Waffles. Ever.

2012-01-30T19:11:00.000-08:00

Adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything

Sift:

2 cups flour

1 TBS sugar

3 TBS malt powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon yeast

Whisk:

1 stick butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or bean paste

2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons whole yogurt

Add wet to dry and mix well. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight or at least 6 hours. Use a large bowl...the batter will rise significantly.

Whisk in 2 egg yolks. Gently fold in 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten.

Custard-Filled Cornbread

2012-01-30T18:55:00.000-08:00

Recipe credit to Molly Wizenberg - A Homemade Life

Preheat to 350. Grease a 9" round pan.

Sift together:

1 cup flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk together and add to the dry, mixing well:

2 TBS melted butter

2 eggs

3 TBS sugar

1 1/2 TBS vinegar

2 cups whole milk

Pour into prepared pan. Pour 1 cup heavy cream gently into the middle. Do not stir. Transfer carefully to the oven taking care not to slosh. Bake for 1 hour until golden brown.

Delicious served with maple syrup.

Potato Soup to Swoon Over

2011-12-13T15:57:00.000-08:00

In a crockpot, toss:

1 quart chicken stock

1 TBS dried onion

hefty dash red pepper flakes

heftier grind black pepper

liberal dash Lawry's

2 minced garlic cloves

2.5 pounds red potatoes, quartered, skin-on

Cook on high for 2-ish hours. Add half a head worth of broccoli florets. Cook 2 more hours. Add 4 ounces cream cheese. Let it simmer 30 minutes. Add 2 green onions, sliced. Stick your beaters into the crock and beat it till semi-smooth. Or a stick blender would be swell as well. Stir in 1.5 cups minced fresh-outta-the-oven ham. Top with shredded extra-sharp cheddar and sour cream. Win over your friends and family. Compliment yourself with every bite.

Corn and Quinoa Salad with Chicken Sausage

2011-07-12T06:23:00.001-07:00

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons olive oil

12 oz red pepper asiago chicken sausages, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 small zucchini, diced

2 1/2 cups corn kernels (about 4 ears)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

salt & pepper

6 oz feta, crumbled

parsley, chopped

Bring quinoa and chicken broth to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Fluff it. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet and brown the sausages. Set them aside and add another drizzle of oil along with the onion and bell pepper. Saute until softened. Add the zucchini and corn and fry 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and mix in the sausages and quinoa to the veggies. Whisk together a tablespoon olive oil, the lemon juice, cumin and salt & pepper. Drizzle over the top and stir well. Pop into the fridge to chill. Before serving, stir in the feta and a handful of parsley.

Adapted from Fitness Magazine July/August 2011

Kimchi Fried Rice

2011-06-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

The Rice:

5 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced into bite sized chunks

1 16-ounce jar kimchi

5 cups cooked rice - a day or two old*

butter

sesame oil

toasted sesame seeds

scallions

fresh eggs

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until most of the fat is rendered. Add a knob of butter, a drizzle or two of sesame oil, kimchi and fry until it's nicely browned in a few spots. Dump in the rice and stir and scrape your heart out until it's all heated through. Fry up some eggs. Spoon the rice onto a plate, top with some sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Plop the egg on top. Mmmmmmm.

*Or, if you're like me and too impatient to wait, cook it and spread it out on a piece of parchment and let sit at room temp a few hours.

Larb - Thai Chicken Salad

2011-01-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

3 teaspoons grated lime peel

1.5 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1.5 tablespoons fish sauce

3 teaspoons brown sugar

1 -2 teaspoons finely chopped serrano

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

coconut oil

16 oz ground chicken

1 chopped shalllot

handful chopped mint

Toppings:

lettuce leaves

chopped peanuts

cilantro

dried shrimp

toasted coconut

chopped ginger

thinly sliced and diced lime

Whisk together first 8. Set aside. Brown the ground chicken and shallot in a bit of coconut oil. Dump on the sauce and mint. Stir it up and let it meld while preparing the toppings.

Spoon the chicken mixture onto a lettuce leaf and pile high with fixin's. Shove in mouth. Lick the juice that runs down your arm. Sigh with contentment. My kids couldn't get enough of these. I even videoed it. Except, I didn't. There was a mishap and I ended up with an eight minute audio of our dinner conversation. I talk insanely fast. If I hadn't known what I'd said...I'd never have understood. Please make these. With all the fixin's. Especially the shrimp. My kid eats them for snack...plain. Honest. Oh, and use bottled lemon/lime juice and I'll hunt you down and slap your face.

Cardammmmm!

2010-12-21T10:31:00.000-08:00

*very slightly adapted from Gesine at Confections of a (Closet) Master Baker

3 cups flour
2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

powdered sugar and cardamom for dusting

Cream together the butter and the sugar. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add vanilla extract and honey and beat until well combined.
Sift together dry ingredients and slowly add to the butter/sugar mixture. Don't overbeat.
Chill while preheating oven to 350*.

Bake 10-12 minutes.

Cool completely and coat with powered sugar/cardamom. I used maybe 1/2 teaspoon for 1 cup of powdered sugar. Whisk well.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas

2010-11-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

The Uptown Farmer's Market has an amazing taco cart. And a falafel cart. And a hippie bus with fantastic hotdogs. And the best chai tea this side of India. Anyway, back to the taco cart. This fall they had a black bean and sweet potato soft taco that was out of this world. I bring you a semi-copycat. I'm always a bit hesitant to give out favorite recipes because I'm afraid you'll make a substitution that's not okay and then not like the recipe...follow? You need to a)make homemade tortillas or b)buy fresh that you cook at home. The ones that come prepackaged with an ingredient list longer than your arm...not okay.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

tortillas

1 1/2 cups mashed, cooked sweet potatoes

1 cup shredded monterey jack

1 1/2 cups tightly packed spinach leaves

*cook onion and garlic in oil. stir in beans, lime juice, oregano and cumin. heat through. cook tortillas. fill with onions/beans, potatoes, cheese, spinach. wrap in foil and toss in a hot oven until cheese is melted. or, grill 'em.

Baked Oatmeal

2010-11-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is a favorite in our house. I assemble it the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning. The additions are endless...a recent favorite was blueberry/banana/walnut.

3.5 cups oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup applesauce OR mashed banana

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

chopped nuts and dried fruits as desired

*combine all and pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

Overnight Oatmeal Pancakes

2010-11-16T07:53:00.000-08:00

Molly Wizenberg's Oatmeal Pancakes *slightly adapted*

2 cups oats

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup flour

*mix well and soak overnight. add the following:

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4-8 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs

*mix well and griddle away!

Quinoa Porridge - 5 Stars!

2010-10-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

Adapted from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce

spiced milk:

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

8 cardamom pods, crushed

2 tsps dark brown sugar

1/8 tsp sea salt

quinoa:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 cup apple cider

1 cup water

Finish:

Jam or fruit compote

Plain yogurt

In a small pot whisk together the cream, milk, spices, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil. Turn off and let sit 20 minutes.

Put quinoa ingredients into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Pour the spiced milk through a fine mesh strainer into the quinoa. Boil for 5 minutes, turn off the heat and let sit a few minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with a dollop of plain yogurt and jam or compote.

Original recipe said 6 servings. This fed 2 adults and 2 children.

Thai Fried Rice

2010-08-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

2 shallots, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 pork chops, thinly sliced and dusted in dried ginger

1 egg

2 small carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 cup frozen peas

3 green onions, sliced

3 cups cooked rice, 2-3 days old - mixed with 1 TBS coconut oil

heaping cup of fresh diced pineapple (or use an 8 oz can of tidbits)

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup cashews

2 TBS fish sauce

2 tsps curry powder

juice of 1 small lime

big handful of cilantro leaves

***Drizzle a couple tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Add the shallots, garlic, serrano and pork strips and saute until soft and cooked. Scoot it to the side and scramble the egg. Add the carrots, peas and green onions. Stir-fry a couple minutes. Add the rice, pineapple, raisins and cashews. Stir-fry until hot.

Whisk together the fish sauce and curry powder. Add to the rice and mix well. Toss with lime juice and cilantro.

Eat.***

Got Goat?

2010-04-06T18:22:00.001-07:00

A little mistake resulted in a delicious supper. The following recipe was intended for ground chicken, turkey or lamb. We used goat. Amazing.

From A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg - Doron's Meatballs with Pine Nuts, Cilantro and Golden Raisins

Yogurt Sauce

1 cup plain yogurt, whole milk

3 TBS lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

*Whisk and set aside to mingle at room temperature while making the meatballs.

Meatballs

1/2 cup minced yellow onion

1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves

1/2 cup chopped pine nuts

1/2 cup golden raisins, roughly chopped

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs (whir a torn slice in the processor)

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

fresh ground black pepper

1 pound ground goat tenderloin

Mix onion - black pepper well. Add goat. Lightly mix with hands. Form into meatballs and fry in a skillet with olive oil until cooked through. I browned mine good and finished them in the oven. Serve with yogurt sauce. Drink the leftover sauce with a straw. Kidding. But you'll want to. Am I not the worst recipe writer ever?!

Ketchup or Catsup. Take your pick.

2010-04-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

I strongly dislike bottled ketchup. It's sickeningly sweet and smooth and hits my gag reflex all wrong. There is an amazing place downtown (and Duluth) called Hell's Kitchen. It's on my top five favorite restaurant list. They make wicked awesome ketchup. They also happen to have recently published a cookbook in which they share the recipe. I tweaked it slightly and I'll share that version with you:

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup minced onion

3 canned pear halves, drained

3 TBS juice from canned pears

1 can tomato paste

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 TBS apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dry mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp white pepper

1 TBS whole peppercorns

1 whole bay leaf

1 tsp whole allspice

1tsp ground mace

1 tsp whole cloves

Put the first group of ingredients (tomatoes - white pepper) into a food processor and whir it good until smooth-ish but don't overdo. Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Put the remaining group of ingredients in some cheesecloth and tie it up. Plop it in and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least an hour and up to 3. Squeeze the spice bag good, discard, let it cool and put it in a pretty jar.

Mock Ice Cream

2010-02-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

I've recently started a pretty restrictive diet due to digestion issues. Among the many things I can't eat...milk and sugar. Boo. Because those are major ingredients in ice cream. My most favorite indulgence ever. Double Boo. BUT. I came upon this FANTASTIC little disguise today! It. Is. Amazing.

1 frozen banana
a titch of honey
a spoonful of nut butter

Whir in the food processor. I'd recommend doubling it for the processor to be most effective. Eat. Make satisfied noises. Mmmmmmmmmmm. Life is good.

Belly Warming Lentil Andoullie Soup

2010-01-25T17:34:00.000-08:00

Olive oil
1 onion, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 bay leaves
fresh ground black pepper
dash of Lawry's
*In pot, saute until onions start to brown. Add the following:

1 red bell pepper, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 potatoes, diced
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked (I always think I can skip this but always find at least two pebbles)
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
*Simmer 30 minutes and then add:

4 Andoullie sausages, sliced lengthwise into fours and then cut into bite sized pieces
3/4 cup frozen peas
3 handfuls fresh spinach
*Simmer 5-10 minutes and ladle into bowls and top with:

freshly ground Parmesan cheese

ENJOY!

My Ultimate Comfort Food - Dried Beef Gravy on Toast

2010-01-12T07:29:00.000-08:00

This is the meal that brings me back home. My ultimate fuzzy feel good food. My Dad always poached eggs to go with it. And my Mom always finished the little bit left in the pan with oyster crackers. I don't use a recipe and I'm not sure of amounts. The key is the best dried beef you can find. Lucky for me, my Mom brought me some this past weekend.

Toast
Eggs done your way

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a pan. Add about the same amount of flour and stir until browned and bubbly. Dump in a few cups of milk. Whisk and whisk until the lumps are gone and continue to stir frequently. Add a bunch of fresh ground black pepper. Add desired amount of chopped or shredded dried beef. Eat in PJ's for best results.

Triple Decker of Goodness - Chicken Chipotle

2009-10-09T07:28:00.000-07:00

Chicken Chipotle Triple Decker -- from R.Ray's people.

Bacon, fried

1 1/4 cups mayo

5 cloves garlic, minced *if you don't really, really love garlic, I'd cut this to 1-2*

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

1 canned chipotle chile chopped, plus 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce

1/3 cup cilantro leaves,

1/2 roasted chicken, shredded

toast

lettuce

avocado, sliced

Mix together the mayo, garlic and lemon juice. Reserve 1/2 cup. Mix the chipotle pepper, adobo sauce and cilantro into the remaining mayo. Add chicken. Spread mayo on a slice of toast, add a scoop of chicken salad, another piece of mayo-ed toast, top with bacon, avocado and lettuce and top with another piece of mayo-ed toast. I didn't say it was low calorie. It's deeeelicious.

Sriracha Apricot Wings

2009-06-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

I've been having a love affair with sriracha. Just last night I had it on popcorn with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. But these wings. Wow. They linger in the back of my mind.

3 tablespoons tamari
1 generous cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
5 large cloves garlic, minced
4 pounds chicken wings, rinsed

Marinate for two days. If you can stand it that long. It's worth it. I oven roasted mine on cooling racks inside a foil-lined sheet pan for approximately 90 minutes at 325. You could grill them on low-low-low heat. Baste a few times with the marinade and turn often. I won't even tell you how many I ate.

Rajmah

2009-04-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

I would never be a good recipe writer....but maybe you can make sense of this and give it a whirl! We all loved it...a great fridge-is-empty meal.

a few tablespoons olive oil
2-3 inches of fresh ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

Throw all the but the garlic in a pot and saute until slightly softened. Stir in the garlic. Add:

8 oz can tomato sauce
about a teaspoon of sea salt
curry powder to taste (i used about 2-3 teaspoons)

Saute for 5-ish minutes. Add:

2 cans kidney beans, UNdrained
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 can coconut milk

Bring to a boil. Simmer until the onions are soft or as long as you'd like. I think I simmered about 30 minutes.

While it's simmering, make rice. I used brown jasmine and cooked it in chicken broth and the other half can of coconut milk.

I stuck an immersion blender in the pot and gave it a few whirls to puree things up a bit. You can certainly leave it entirely chunky. Serve over rice and top with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro.

Beyond Yum.

2009-02-04T10:58:00.000-08:00

bun bottom

mayo

sriracha (smidgen for mild heat, heavy for fire breathing dragon)

sliced chicken breast

tomato slice

cucumber slices

mixed greens

Thai sweet chili sauce on top of it all

bun top

Messy. Insanely delish. The kids both ate an entire sandwich this size.

Quinoa Turkey Burgers

2009-02-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

I recently did a meal swap with a friend and this is what she made us.

The Burgers:

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 pound ground turkey

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup green onions, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

fresh ground black pepper

In a medium sized pan with a tight fitting lid, boil water and salt. Add the rinsed quinoa and cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and let rest for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, place all ingredients and mix well to combine. Place in the fridge to cool for 10 minutes before shaping into patties.

The Rice:

1 1/2 cups brown rice

3 1/3 cups water

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup minced dried apricots

1/2 cup chopped cashews

Cook rice with saffron and salt. I always use a rice cooker. Perfect every single time. Stir in the apricots and cashews. So simple and yummy.

Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup

2009-02-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

The kids slurped up big bowls of this for lunch today. It got a thumbs up from Nolan.

3 cups chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup snow peas, halved lengthwise
1 # raw shrimp, peeled
green onions
cilantro
1 lime, juiced

Combine broth, milk, curry, fish sauce, ginger and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Add green beans, cook 2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until opaque, about 5 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Top with green onions and cilantro.

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry

2009-02-04T10:36:00.000-08:00

4 chicken breasts, cubed
1 onion, diced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 tsp curry powder
1 clove garlic, minced

Throw it all in the crockpot, cook 5-6 hours. Serve with coconut rice.

Bacon and Eggs

2008-12-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

These are one of the holiday "cookies" we always made growing up.

You'll need:

Pretzel sticks

White chocolate (the only brands I've found that don't have hydrogenated oil are Sunspire and Trader Joes)

Yellow M & M's (you could use yellow Sunspire Sundrops but I think they taste disgusting)

Melt the chocolate on LOW, LOW heat. It burns easily.

Lay out the pretzel sticks, spoon on some melted chocolate and top with the "yolk". Use wax paper underneath...no stickage.

Hand Rolls!

2008-12-01T13:05:00.001-08:00

I tried my hand at hand rolls for lunch today. I'm watching my carbs so I left out the rice, which is a crucial sushi roll ingredient I found. They were still great...just a bit hard to bite through the nori. I used blue swimming crab claw meat, avocado, carrots, cucumbers, sno peas and tamari. I have salmon in the fridge for tomorrow. They're pretty, huh?!

Caramel Cupcakes with Browned Butter & Caramel Frosting

2008-12-01T12:51:00.000-08:00

This cake was the Daring Baker's challenge for November. DELISH.

The Cake:

10 TBS softened butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup caramel syrup (see recipe below)

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup milk

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, caramel syrup and vanilla and beat well. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Alternate the flour and milk and beat well after each addition until all combined. I did muffin cups 3/4 full for about 13-14 minutes at 350. A round cake pan would take a few minutes more.

The Frosting:

12 TBS butter

1 pound powdered sugar

4-6 tablespoons heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup

sea salt to taste

Melt the butter until browned. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Thin with cream and caramel syrup to desired consistency. Sprinkle in a bit of salt.

The Caramel Syrup:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup additional water

Melt the sugar and 1/4 cup water over high heat and cook until dark amber. CAREFULLY pour in the additional water to stop the caramelization. Whisk, whisk, whisk until smooth. Reduce a bit until the syrup is a bit sticky. Cool.

Sweet Potato Waffles with Sorghum Syrup and Sour Cream

2008-09-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

I modified this recipe from A Real American Breakfast. The perfect breakfast, lunch or supper for fall. Serve with apple cider.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (about 2 small)
1 cup plain yogurt (I used TJ's Greek) OR sour cream
3 large eggs, separated
1 stick butter, melted
3 tablespoons sorghum syrup

SAUCE:

1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons sorghum syrup

Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet, minus the egg whites. Combine the two. Just before preparing, beat the egg whites until stiff and then fold into the batter. Make according to your waffle iron.

Over LOW heat, heat the sour cream and syrup together.... serve atop the waffles.

Yummy Veggie Burgers (Seriously)

2008-07-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

I made these twice within 5 days. They are awesome. The kids and the husband chowed them down. I really think the English muffin is a crucial component. I used sourdough with extra crevices for the sauce to soak into.

The Sauce

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon mustard

Whisk together and set aside.

The Burgers

15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

4 scallions, roughly chopped

2 slices whole wheat bread

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 large egg

olive oil

4 English muffins, split and toasted

lettuce leaves

Preheat grill.

In a food processor, add chickpeas, scallions, bread, almonds, ginger, garlic and cumin - season with salt and pepper. Pulse until roughly chopped - remove about half of the mixture to a medium bowl. Add egg to the food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add to the mixture in the medium bowl and mix well. Evenly divide the mixture into 4 parts and shape each into a 3/4" thick patty.Brush each side generously with oil - grill until heated through and marks appear, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove and serve the burgers on English muffins with lettuce and the sauce.

Danish Braids

2008-07-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

I recently found the Daring Baker's group. I haven't joined yet, but think it's something I'd be interested in. I enjoy cooking much more than baking, but this sure was fun. Danish braids were the June challenge. I decided to give it a whirl. I made things easier and threw all the dough ingredients in the bread machine and set it to dough cycle. I took it out after it was done kneading. Saved myself some muscle work! The cream cheese with apricots was fantastic. The chocolate pastry cream with fresh raspberries was very, very rich. I'm anxious to try it with vanilla pastry cream instead. I topped each braid with almonds and a sprinkle of sugar. I did have to cover the braids with foil after the first 10 minutes of baking...they were already golden brown. I think they would have been burned if left uncovered for the remaining 15-20 minutes.

This was the cream cheese and apricot filled braid.

This is the prepared dough before it was all rolled out. Look at those beautiful layers! Worth all the work!!

All filled and ready to braid.

Fresh out of the oven. You can see a glimmer of a juicy raspberry!

DANISH DOUGH
(Makes enough for two braids)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Toss all the ingredients into the bread machine on the dough cycle. Remove after it's been kneaded. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a bread machine: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK
Combine butter and flour in a bowl and mix at medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.

After the dough has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour.

Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the dough to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Keep track of your turns on a post-it.

Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

CREAM CHEESE AND APRICOT FILLING

8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz mascarpone cheese (or use more cream cheese)
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 cup apricot preserves, reserved for filling the braid

Combine cream cheese, mascarpone and sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.
Add egg yolks, vanilla and lemon zest and continue to beat until incorporated.

Chill until ready to use.

Chocolate Pastry Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
200 g bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature

Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Set aside a smaller bowl that will fit inside the ice bath and hold the pastry cream. Also set aside a fine meshed strainer.

In a small saucepan bring the milk to the boil. In the meantime, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in another medium sized saucepan.

Once the milk is hot you will need to temper the egg mixture by adding tablespoonfuls of the milk to the egg mixture, whisking all the while. Still whisking, once the egg mixture starts to warm up, slowly pour in the rest of the milk.

Strain the mixture into the saucepan and heat over a medium heat. Whisking vigorously, without stopping, bring the mixture to a boil. Keep the mixture at a boil - whisking with all your might - for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened.

Still over the heat, whisk in the melted chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and scrape the pastry cream into the small bowl.

The pastry cream should be thick, smooth and without any lumps.

Set the bowl holding the pastry cream in the ice bath, stirring frequently to keep the mixture smooth. Cool the pastry cream.

Storing: Covered tightly with plastic wrap and pressing the plastic against the cream's surface to create and airtight seal, the pastry cream will remain fresh in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Preparing the Braids

Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. If using the chocolate pastry cream scatter the raspberries over the pastry cream. If using the cream cheese spread the apricot preserves over the top.

Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends. Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking

Spray cooking oil onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature.

Storing: The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

**The cream cheese and apricot recipe came from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy. The chocolate pastry cream from What's For Lunch Honey.

Today's Lunch

2008-07-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like a salad made with fresh-from-the-garden greens and herbs to nourish the body. Various lettuces, purple basil, cilantro, apple, cranberries, snap peas, walnuts, parmesan, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt & pepper.

Pretty Darn Good Meatloaf

2008-06-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

Throw in your food processor (or chop in small pieces by hand if you're so inclined):

2 garlic cloves
3 stalks fresh celery (the shorter kind...not the super-huge chemically altered kind)
1/2 large-ish onion
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 small carrots
a nice sized chunk of red and/or yellow bell pepper (you want about 1/2 cup minced)
1/4 cup of minced herbs: basil, oregano, thyme, sage (or you can use a dried Italian blend (1 heaping tablespoon)

Whirrrr until uniformly chopped to bits. Dump into a bowl along with:

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup ketchup or barbecue sauce (whichever is your meatloaf preference)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red or black pepper
2 eggs
1/2-1 tsp dried cumin
2 pounds ground beef, buffalo, venison, etc

Squish it all up with your hands until combined. Form into a loaf in a 9 x 13 pan and top with more ketchup or barbecue sauce. Bake at 350 for an hour or until you're sure it's done.

How is that for a haphazard recipe?! Meatloaf is one of those things that is much better the second time around. This freezes awesome.

Granola Bars

2008-05-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

I've tried quite a few homemade granola bar recipes. This one is awesome.

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cups crispy rice cereal (I used Barbara's)
1 cup chocolate chips or other addition

In a large bowl, cream sugars and butter until fluffy. Add honey,vanilla and egg. Mix well. Blend in flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir in remaining ingredients. Press firmly into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Do NOT overbake! I recommend cutting them before they are completely cooled. They firm up when cooled.

Bourbon Bread Pudding

2008-05-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

This bread pudding will knock your socks off. I cut the bourbon in half from the original recipe and it's still very bourbon-y.

12 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
9 cups of cubed bread, slightly dried (I used a ciabatta loaf)
4 cups milk
5 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vanilla
1 cup raisins
2 tablespoons bourbon
bourbon icing (recipe follows)

Preheat to 350 degrees.
Brush a 9 x 13 pan with 4 tablespoons of the melted butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan and set aside.
Cut bread into 1-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Pour the milk over the bread and let stand a few minutes until the bread is soft.
Combine the eggs, sugar, remaining butter and vanilla in a separate bowl and whisk together until blended.
Pour the egg mixture over the bread & milk mixture; add the raisins and stir to mix.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, cover, bake 50-60 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the pudding is puffy and golden brown.
Remove from the oven, pour the bourbon over the top of the pudding and set aside to cool 15 minutes before serving. Top with the icing while the pudding is still warm:

8 tablespoons butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons bourbon

Place the butter in a pan and melt over medium heat.
Whisk in the sugar and stir until all the sugar is blended.
Stir in the cream and bourbon and whisk to blend thoroughly, until the icing is thick and creamy. Pour onto the top of the pudding.

Steak Marinade

2008-05-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup Bragg's Amino's (or tamari)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced onion (I used 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

We used this on a giant rib-eye and it was fantastic.

Sourdough Pretzels

2008-04-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

I've been giving homemade sourdough a shot the last month. I used this basic starter recipe and have had lots of fun from there! I've made two different loaves of bread, a batch of cinnamon rolls and these pretzels. The starter just keeps getting better and better the longer it sours. I've read that some sourdough aficionados have used the same starter for years and years.

I used this recipe with a few tweaks. They have a thin, crispy outside and a soft, chewy inside. Perfect with some sharp cheddar cheese or melted butter. I did get some caramel sauce but I like them much better with cheese.

Mandarin Orange Ice Cream

2008-04-15T17:19:00.001-07:00

My very own creation!! This is amazing. Creamy and refreshing...yummy, yummy, yummy.

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 can of orange juice concentrate, thawed

1/2 cup mandarin oranges

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups milk

4 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat eggs and sugar until thick. Add oj concentrate, oranges, vanilla and salt and combine. Add milk and cream. Mix well. Freeze in ice cream maker. Devour. Don't hold back the audible YUM.

Brazilian Stew

2008-04-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

This stew is awesome. Make it. Soon. It actually tastes better the second day after the flavors have melded together. But wonderful the first time too.

Brazilian Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 pound ground chorizo sausage*
1/3 pound cooked ham, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (1 pound) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 small hot green chile pepper, diced**
1 1/2 cups water
2 (16 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 mangoes - peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the chorizo and ham 2 to 3 minutes. Place the onion in the pot, and cook until tender. Stir in garlic, and cook until tender, then mix in the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, tomatoes with juice, chile pepper, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender.
Stir the beans into the pot, and cook uncovered until heated through. Mix in the mango and cilantro, and season with salt. Serve over rice.

*The original recipe called for link chorizo but our butcher only carried ground and it was wonderful.

**I used a pretty large jalapeno and it wasn't very spicy. I'll use a serrano next time.

I served it with a spinach salad: fresh pineapple, red onion, walnuts and a honey orange vinaigrette.

Zucchini Sweet Potato Bread

2008-04-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

Zucchini Sweet Potato Bread from Hogwash

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups grated sweet potato

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan.

Whisk the flours, cornmeal, soda, salt and cinnamon together.

Whip the sugar and eggs for 2 minutes on medium-high speed, until light. Add the oil and vanilla and mix to blend. Add the dry ingredients a bit at a time, mixing until the flour is just incorporated. Stir in the zucchini and sweet potato.

Bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pan, then transfer to rack to cool to room temperature. Store wrapped in foil.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2008-03-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup butter, melted or softened

1/4 cup oil

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4-1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

2 cups zucchini, finely shredded

chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together except for chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. And then try not to eat the entire pan in one sitting.

Supper

2008-03-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

Parsnip Rosemary Risotto from Brad via Epicurious. It is amazing. You MUST use fresh rosemary. Use the absolute best vegetable broth you can find. I used Pacific and it was fabulous. Avrie practically licked her plate clean. This will convert any parsnip-hater.

Annie's Bunnies Chicken Fingers: beat an egg with a few shakes of hot sauce. Dip chicken strips in the egg and then coat with crushed Annie's Bunnies. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Asparagus sauteed in olive oil with fresh ground pepper, Lawry's and cayenne pepper.

Butterscotch Pudding

2008-03-04T08:37:00.001-08:00

David's Butterscotch Pudding. Double batch. Yumm. I have never made anything of David's that wasn't fantastic.

Ice Cream

2008-02-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

1. The ice cream pictured is Breyer's, not the following recipe.

2. The picture was just too good not to share.

3. Humble blueberry coffee cake...hot out of the oven.

Country Vanilla Ice Cream

4 eggs

2 1/4 cups sugar

5 cups milk

4 cups heavy cream

4 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

Add sugar gradually to beaten eggs. Continue to beat until mixture is very stiff. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour into freezer as directed. Makes 4 quarts. Unless you are lucky enough to have a big gallon freezer, you'll have to half or quarter the recipe. Always use the absolute best, freshest ingredients you can. I always make it the same day I pick up my raw milk and eggs. My dairy source doesn't sell cream so I have to purchase it from the store. Never use ultra-pasteurized cream. It's terrible for you and has no flavor. Seek out the best cream you can. I use Cedar Summit.

Wild Rice Soup

2008-02-12T10:14:00.000-08:00

I whipped up a double batch of this for lunch today and the kids and I inhaled it. I can't stand wild rice soup recipes that call for canned condensed soups. It's not hard to make real food, people.

Wild Rice Soup

6 T butter

1/2 T dried, minced onion

1/2 cup flour

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups cooked wild rice

1/2 cup finely grated carrots

1/3 cup minced ham

3 T slivered almonds

1 cup cream or half-and-half

2 T dry sherry

dash salt

fresh ground pepper

Melt the butter, add the onion, stir in the flour, slowly add the chicken broth. Stir until thick. Add rice, carrots, ham and almonds and cook until the carrots have lost their rawness (I'm terrible with descriptions). Stir in the cream, sherry, salt and pepper and heat through. Yummy.

Supper Tonight

2008-02-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

We made some mighty fine southern fried chicken legs tonight for supper using the wonderful lard I scored. It was delish. Accompanied by homemade hot-outta-the-oven whole grain bread with homemade seville marmalade, buttered peas and raw milk ice cream for dessert. Yum. Have I posted my ice cream recipe here? Anyone want it?

I Need New Standbys

2008-02-06T11:51:00.001-08:00

Ours are:

Pad Thai

Meat, veggie, rice

Pancakes

Eggs many ways

Popcorn, apples, cheese

Chicken soup

Some variation of spaghetti, lasagna, red sauce/meat/pasta

These are things constantly on our table. I'm getting so, so sick of them! I need new ideas! What are your standby meals?

Comfort Food

2008-02-04T17:18:00.000-08:00

What's lovely about raw milk is that it doesn't go bad. "Dead" milk will rot, raw milk will just turn pleasantly sour. And it makes the BEST scalloped potatoes. Absolute best. Simple, but oh-so-yummy recipe:

3 medium russets, sliced thin
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TBS butter
2TBS flour
dash salt
fresh ground pepper
1 1/4 cups raw milk, slightly soured (about a week old)
3/4 cup shredded or diced sharp cheddar (or whatever you have on hand)
2 cups diced ham

Preheat oven to 350. Grease casserole. Saute onion and garlic in butter. Add flour. Add milk all at once and stir until thickened. Stir in cheese. Layer 1/2 potatoes in casserole. Top with diced ham and 1/2 the sauce. Add the rest of the potatoes and top with remaining sauce. Cover and bake 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake 30 minutes more.

Amazing Salmon Marinade

2008-02-02T17:02:00.000-08:00

1/3 cup apple juice

1/3 cup maple syrup

3 tablespoons tamari (or Bragg's Aminos)

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

salmon fillets

I baked the salmon right in the marinade. The kids both loved it. Avrie ate it like it was chocolate!

The Best Cheesecake Ever.

2008-01-31T08:07:00.001-08:00

Marble Swirl Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I use Annie's Bunnies)

3 TBS melted butter

2 pounds cream cheese, softened

1 1/3 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups heavy cream

7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup water

Preheat the oven to 325. Grease a 9" springform pan.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter and mix well. Press into the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is just set and slightly firm. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Lower the oven temp to 300.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Add the vanilla and cream, beat well, and scrape the sides of the bowl. Remove 1 cup of the batter and set aside while you melt the chocolate.

Combine the water and chocolate and melt over low heat. Mix in the reserved batter.

Pour the vanilla batter into the pan. Pour or spoon the chocolate batter over the top of the vanilla batter in a circle. Run a small knife through the chocolate and vanilla batters to create a marbelized effect. Don't overdo it or the two will just mix together.

Put the cheesecake in a larger pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another hour (or all night if you forget)!

Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.

As American as Apple Pie

2008-01-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

I scored two free pounds of organic, free-range lard. What could a girl do but make REAL pie? My project for this spring is going to be making my own lard...outside on the grill. The pie was wonderful hot out of the oven. It must have been wonderful cold too because there isn't any left!

Apple Pie with Gruyère

3 lbs. tart red apples

1/2 c. sugar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

5 tsp. cornstarch

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Gruyère Pie Crust–recipe below

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Take dough out of fridge.

Peel, core and slice apples into quarters. Slice each quarter thinly. Mix with other ingredients.

Roll the larger piece of dough into a disk about fourteen inches in diameter. Ease dough into plate. Roll smaller piece of dough into circle twelve inches in diameter. Pile apples into pie plate, scraping any juice on top of the apples. Place smaller round of dough on top of the apples. Seal two crusts together, brush with the beaten egg, and make three parallel slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Wrap the edges in foil to prevent burning.

Place pie on a cookie sheet to catch any drips, put in oven, and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake 50 minutes to an hour, or until you can see the filling bubbling up between the slits in the crust. Cool on a wire rack at least 20 minutes before serving.

Gruyère Pie Crust

Makes one double-crusted 9-10 inch pie.

2 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp. sugar

13 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1" pieces

7 tbsp. lard (or more butter, if you don't have access to REAL lard)

2 oz. Gruyère, grated with a microplane rasp grater

6-7 tbsp. ice water

Mix flour, salt, sugar and Gruyère in a large mixing bowl or bowl of a food processor. Using a food processor, pastry blender, or your fingers, cut in the lard until no large pieces remain. Add the butter, and cut into flour until the largest pieces of butter are the size of large peas.
Remove flour-butter mixture from food processor, if using, and place in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle ice water over flour in increments of one tablespoon, toss with fork after each addition. When dough clumps together when squeezed in your palm, gather dough together into two disks. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Who Wants Fresh Buns??

2008-01-10T09:37:00.000-08:00

My Mom's Buns (heeheehaaha)

1 C Lukewarm Water

2 T butter

1 Egg

2 C Flour

1 1/4 C Whole Wheat Flour (you can use all white)

1/4 C Sugar or Honey

1 t Salt

3 t Yeast

Place in bread machine in order listed and run dough cycle. Shape into buns, let rise. 375 for 8-12 minutes, depending on size.

What's this down here? Is that a bun in my oven?

Tuna Melts

2008-01-08T10:24:00.000-08:00

You'll Need:

Bread, toasted
Tuna salad to your liking
Freshly ground pepper
Crushed pineapple, drained
tomato, sliced
Mozzarella cheese slices

Layer in the order listed and toast open-faced in the oven until hot and the cheese is lightly browned. For maximum enjoyment eat with Kettle™ Salt & Vinegar chips.

Tator Tot Hotdish GASP

2008-01-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

Imagine my surprise when I found out my sister-in-law thought Tator Tot Hotdish was a joke and not real at all!!!

Tator Tot Hotdish My Way:

1 pound hamburger, browned with Lawry's, fresh pepper and dried onion to taste

1 can organic green beans

1 can Health Valley Cream of Mushroom

1 can Health Valley Cream of Celery

1 bag of Cascadian Farms Spud Puppies

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a casserole and top with Spud Puppies. Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly and the Puppies are toasted. It will be pretty runny since the soup isn't a condensed blob like Campbell's, but 1 can isn't enough and 2 cans makes perfect leftovers. Just use a bowl the first time around.

New Year's Eve Dinner

2007-12-31T17:40:00.000-08:00

I made pork chops with stuffing, sweet potato/apricot bake and peas for our supper tonight. Avrie had to have the bone. Needless to say she needed a bath.

Martini Blu

2007-12-31T14:06:00.000-08:00

We went out for Sushi Sunday at Martini Blu with Harold & Anna, Roxy and Kodi last night. It was Evan's first REAL sushi experience and he loved it!! YES! The sushi was all wonderful with the exception of some fishy tuna that they replaced and were grateful we pointed it out. Here's what we had:

Nigiri: All was tasty!
Shrimp
Red Snapper
Yellow Tail
Salmon
Octopus Good!! It was topped with thinly sliced lemon.
Tuna (a rare red variety) Melted in your mouth like butter. Mmmm.

Rolls:
#9 1/2 Roll: Shrimp Tempura on the Inside, Wrapped in Salmon, Avocado and Unagi (Eel) with Unagi Sauce, Spicy Mayo and Sesame Seeds This was very good but we only ate one roll between the 6 of us.

Strawberry Roll: Unagi Wrapped in Strawberries and Unagi Sauce Strange and delicious. Would have been better during peak strawberry season. They were pretty pale and tasteless. We had two of these.

Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll: Spicy Tuna, Avocado and Kaiware on the Inside, Wrapped in Tuna and Avocado and Topped with Tempura Flakes Oh my. Delicious. We had many!

Dynamite: Yellow Tail, Thai Chilis, Spicy Bean Paste, Scallions, Leaf Lettuce, Kaiware and Cucumber Only had one of these between us. I didn't try it...it looked boring!

Salmon Skin: Grilled Salmon Skin, Kaiware and Cucumber Very interesting. Smoky salmon flavor really comes through.

Tempura: Tempura Shrimp, Kaiware and Cucumber Meh. Bland.

Mojo Roll: Tuna, Salmon, Unagi, Cream Cheese and Asparagus, Tempura Battered and Lightly Fried Bring it on!! We will go back solely for this roll! It was out of this world! Like a party in your mouth!

Pudding Fever

2007-12-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

Since we've been sick I've gotten the pudding fever. Last night I made traditional Indian pudding with raisins. Evan won't touch it....he says it looks scary. I love it topped with a little bit of cream or ice cream. This morning I made the chocolate pudding that Andrea mentioned on her site. Ohhh my. And I hate chocolate pudding. I had chocolate pudding for lunch. It's so good. Both recipes below...enjoy!

Indian Pudding (from Simply Recipes)

6 cups of milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup molasses
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 cup golden raisins (optional)
Whipped cream, cream or vanilla ice cream

1 Heat the milk and butter in a heavy saucepan until hot and the butter is melted.

2 Preheat oven to 250°F.

3 In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, and salt; stir in molasses. Thin the mixture with about 1/2 cup of scalded milk, a few tablespoons at a time, then gradually add the mixture back to the large pot of scalded milk. Cook, stirring until thickened.

4 Temper the eggs by slowly adding a half cup of the hot milk cornmeal mixture to the beaten eggs, whisking constantly. Add the egg mixture back in with the hot milk cornmeal mixture, stir to combine. Stir in the sugar and spices, until smooth. At this point, if the mixture is clumpy, you can run it through a blender to smooth it out. Stir in the raisins (optional). Pour into a 2 1/2 quart shallow casserole dish. Bake for 2 hours at 250°F.

Chocolate Pudding (from Joy of Baking, although I'm not sure how pudding is "baking")

3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

In a large stainless steel (heatproof) bowl whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt. Then whisk in 1/2 cup of the milk until you have a thick paste. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking to blend into the cocoa paste mixture. Set aside while you heat the milk and cream. Have a fine medium-sized strainer and bowl ready near the stove as you will need to strain the pudding after it is cooked.

First, rinse a medium-sized heavy saucepan with cold water and then shake out the excess water. Doing this step prevents the milk from scorching. Then pour in the remaining 2 cups milk with the cream. Bring this mixture just to a boil and then remove from heat. Gradually pour the milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the pudding mixture to a clean large, heavy bottomed saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise (about 3 - 5 minutes). Remove from heat and pour through the strainer to remove any lumps that may have formed during cooking.

Add the finely chopped chocolate, vanilla extract, and butter, stirring gently with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth. Can serve warm or chilled.

Potential Cooking Disaster

2007-12-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

Maintaining two blogs and having a life are a bit challenging for me! I have eaten since my last post, believe me. I went to the co-op this morning to fill up on all my bulk ingredients. I bought barley, split peas and dried marjoram for a pea soup I'm making for tomorrow in the crockpot. I pulled the crockpot out and plugged it in (I have no idea why because I wasn't planning on cooking it today). Then I unloaded my stuff and just tossed the plastic baggies with the barley, split peas, marjoram and a fresh onion into the pot to keep it all in one place until tomorrow morning. Well, I'm vacuuming about an hour later and just happen to glance at the crockpot and see that it's turned on HIGH. With my plastic baggies in it. I pulled out the pot and stuck it outside. Miraculously, the plastic was only melted in one spot. Good thing crockpots take ages to heat up.

2007-12-01T12:22:00.000-08:00

1 banana muffin

a few green olives

a few peanuts

leftover split pea soup

a little TJ's mac&cheese with TJ's hotdogs

1 PeeWee cookie with a spoonful of ice cream

chili with sour cream and cheese

buttered cornbread

1 grapefruit

1 cookie

2007-11-30T20:28:00.000-08:00

1/2 cheese stick

1/2 banana muffin

wrap: tortilla, avocado spread, ham, lettuce, tomato, cheese

1 piece fresh lemon pie

supper out (DATE!!): shrimp and spinach artichoke dip with baguette, lettuce salad with creamy pesto dressing, sampler platter of spaghetti (Old Spaghetti Factory), spumoni

2007-11-29T06:10:00.000-08:00

2-ish scrambled eggs with cheese

1/2 PeeWee cookie (toast, ya know!)

a bite of Klara's cereal bar

a bite of Avrie's cookie

a few giant green olives

2 oven-roasted chicken legs

some leftover rice

1 PeeWee cookie with a spoonful of ice cream on top

1 banana bread muffin

(I'm starting to see some carb issues here!!)

hamburger patty with swiss

sauteed mushrooms

a few slurps of strawberry malt

a few Alexia onion rings

PeeWee Cookies

2007-11-29T06:02:00.000-08:00

1 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar (I've used all brown before)

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1 cup rolled oats

2 cups cornflakes (I use Nature's Path: no HFCS or hydrogenated oils (Kellog's) and sweetened with fruit juice)

3/4 bag chocolate chips

1/2 cups walnuts or pecans (or just add the entire bag of chips and omit the nuts)

350 for 12 minutes

2007-11-28T06:20:00.001-08:00

what was left of the kids pancakes

1/2 pinto bean muffin (I guess they weren't that bad)

a few giant green olives

maki roll (eel)

few bites of cookie dough

1 hot out of the oven PeeWee cookie*

buffalo chicken wings (my favorite food)

cheesy hashbrown potatoes

1 PeeWee split in half and stuffed with a spoonful of ice cream

*I made these for Evan's family the first time they came to meet my family when we were dating. Someone asked what they were called and I said "PeeWee cookies". Elliot (12 years) said "you mean, the PeeWee Scouts"? I crawled under the table until my face cooled off.

2007-11-27T10:04:00.000-08:00

1 pinto bean muffin (yeah, yuck) with butter

a few colossal green olives

giant bowl of lobster bisque (TJ's)

sourdough bread with butter

an entire pack of BeeGee's gum

a few peanuts

chicken masala

cilantro rice cooked in chicken broth

buttered peas

Daily Food Log

2007-11-26T16:48:00.000-08:00

In an effort to post more and eat better I'm going to attempt to post what I ate each day. No fancy pictures. I'll try my best to be honest, but ice cream eaten out of the container with the freezer door open doesn't count...we all know that. Oh, I drink massive amounts of water and tea and I will not list it.

2 bites of Avrie's pancake

tiny apple

handful of pecans

a little bowl of authentic flan (snack at preschool)

1 spinach and ricotta calzone (frozen 'healthier' junk)

a bowl of frozen strawberries with a bit of ice cream

a little bowl of chicken pad thai with extra peanuts

Buuurrrrp.

2007-11-23T13:44:00.000-08:00

Clockwise from the 9: Waldorf Salad, Sweet Potatoes with cranberries and homemade marshmallows, Jellied Cranberries, Onion and Herb Dressing, Green Bean casserole from scratch, Mashed Potatoes with Turkey Gravy, Brined Turkey.

Nolan's favorite part of the bird!

Brad's Pumpkin Pie. Which was an edible flop, but only because I didn't follow the directions. Which tends to help it seems! It was still delicious.

Duck Confit

2007-11-16T06:02:00.001-08:00

I'm giving a shout out for Biaggi's duck confit (yes, I have chain shame). Wow. Amazing. Braised duck confit with wild mushrooms, sun-dried cherries and a veal demi sauce served over herb - parmesan polenta. Seriously, this stuff makes me swoon. And it was only $9. And I had to leave one bite of polenta behind...to save a bit of room for the creme brulee. My tummy loves me.

Paprika Chicken

2007-11-14T06:45:00.001-08:00

During...it was so pretty.

I had half my plate gone before I realized I hadn't taken a picture.

Paprika Chicken

4 chicken breast, sliced into thirds
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 stalks green onion, sliced (I didn't use these)
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sliced peppers (I used 1 green/1 red)
2 tbsp paprika
1.5 cups sour cream
salt and pepper, for seasoning

Preheat oven to 350.

I prepared and cooked this in my dutch oven. Only one pan to wash.

Saute the onion in some olive oil until translucent. Toss in the garlic towards the end and remove onions from the pan. Put in a bit more olive oil and fry the chicken breasts (salt and pepper them) on high heat just until browned, not fully cooked (few minutes per side). Put the onions back in the pan along with the green onions, peppers and 1 TBS of the paprika. Add a drizzle more of olive oil and stir it all up. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and add the other TBS of paprika and stir well. Bake uncovered for another 20 minutes. Take out the chicken pieces and add the sour cream to the pan. Using a stick blender, puree. (Or dump it all in your food processor). Throw the chicken back in and stir it all up. We served it over whole wheat couscous. It would be great on rice, mashed potatoes, possibly even noodles.

Round #2

2007-11-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

Salt, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (a form of msg), corn syrup solids, sugar, beef fat, monosodium glutamate, dextrose, onion powder, water, garlic powder, caramel color, natural flavorings, disodium guanylate & disodium inosinate, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, artificial color.

Round #1

2007-11-05T06:24:00.000-08:00

I list the ingredients, you name the product.

Hint: Hospitals often serve this as "health" food.

Skim milk, water, sugar, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, modified food starch, salt, sodium stearoyl lactylate, artificial flavor, color added (including FD&C yellow #5)

Breakfast for Lunch

2007-10-26T15:49:00.001-07:00

I didn't really eat anything that qualified as "lunch"...just a few bites of things all afternoon. So I'll post my delicious breakfast. Sprouted English muffin (Ezekiel 4:9), nitrate free ham, free-range organic egg, extra-sharp cheddar cheese. My "McMuffin" can kick McDonald's rear.

Hot Dog, Biryani, Pooh Carrots

2007-10-25T13:00:00.001-07:00

Trader Joe's was all out of my favorite hot dogs so I got Wellshire and was NOT happy with them. The Biryani is also from Joe's and we LOVE, LOVE it. The carrots are "Pooh" with honey and butter. Pretty lackluster lunch but I decided after one bite of hot dog that it was pretty enough for a picture.

Lasagna

2007-10-24T12:03:00.000-07:00

Today's lunch was leftover lasagna from supper last night. Whole wheat noodles (why would you use white noodles ever?...someone answer please!), tomato sauce, ground beef, mushrooms, seasonings, cottage cheese, provolone and mozzarella/cheddar. Too lazy to cook a veggie. Dessert was calimyrna figs.

Chicken Chimichangas

2007-10-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

Lunch today was shredded chicken, salsa, green onions, cumin, oregano and shredded cheese stuffed into Alvarado St. Sprouted Tortillas (these things rock!) and then baked with more cheese and salsa on top. Easy. Yummy. Nutritious.

Sorry, pictures of casseroles just aren't that appealing.

Today's Nourishment

2007-10-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying that I hate it when people cook separate for their kids because they don't think they'll like whatever Mom/Dad are eating. Now ignore that as I tell you what I ate and what my kids ate. I've tried, tried and tried again to get my kids to eat sardines.

My Lunch:

Sardine, veggies, walnuts, kalamata olives. Notice all the good fat I'm eating. And notice how I'm not fat. I have such a feeling of well-being after a lunch like this.

The Kids:

Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted fettuccine tossed with peas, diced ham and cheese. My version of "macaroni and cheese".

Righteous Texan Chili

2007-10-15T05:26:00.000-07:00

No beans, no tomatoes. Just meat. What's not to love about this? Chili:

5 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1-2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 large yellow onions, diced

10 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil

3/4 cup chili powder

2 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoons dried oregano (optional)

5 cups beef broth

Put a little olive oil into a big dutch oven or heavy pot. Add the diced meat and cayenne and cook until just done; do not brown. Let the meat sit and saute the onions and garlic until softened. Add to the meat along with the chili powder, cumin and oregano and cook for 10 minutes. Pour in the beef broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours. If it's too thin, add a tablespoon of cornmeal to thicken it up. Or simmer it longer.

Toppings:

sour cream

cilantro

chopped jalapeno peppers (I used canned)

shredded cheese

Serve with your favorite cornbread. We put our cornbread in the bottom of a bowl and spooned our chili over it. Yummy. The first time I made this I halved the recipe and forgot to half the cayenne. We used lots of sour cream!

Recipe credit: Linda Ellerbee

How Do You Eat A Chipotle?

2007-10-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

We are all over Chipotle. It's burrito perfection. Naturally raised, hormone and antibiotic free meat. Local produce and dairy when possible. I've spent the past few years perfecting my burrito. How do you eat yours?

Steak Burrito

1/4 rice

No Beans

Tomato and Corn Salsa

Double Cheese

Sour Cream

Lettuce

MMMmmm. Burp. Oh, and it's like an ice cream cone...the last bite is the best. If you can make it that far.

My Breakfast

2007-09-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite breakfast. Naan dipped in Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt and my homemade organic Seville orange marmalade. Yummy. Yum.

Harvest Cookies

2007-09-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

3 sticks butter

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 15oz can pumpkin

1/4 cup molasses

2 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

1tsp cinnamon

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

5 1/4 cups oatmeal

2 1/3 cups dried cranberries and/or raisins

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (Where is the little degree thingee on the keyboard)?

Cream wet ingredients together and add dry. Drop onto cookie sheet and flatten a little. Bake for 15 minutes.

**
These would be great with some white chocolate chips. Do yourself a favor and buy a good brand that doesn't use hydrogenated oil. Sunspire makes a good one.

Pure Evil in a Pint

2007-09-13T05:40:00.001-07:00

Haagen Daz Sticky English Toffee

This stuff is insane.

At 1,200 calories per pint I figure you could ration it out for three meals a day and live on it without gaining weight. You'd have a serious case of scurvy though.

Steak Marinade

2007-09-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

1 cup oil*
1/2 cup tamari
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced

*I always use Bertolli Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil when vegetable oil is called for. It's still refined but it's not GMO and it's a better-for-you oil.

Correction!!

2007-09-10T11:08:00.001-07:00

The muffin recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups chopped fruit. That should be DRIED fruit! My favorite combination so far is pears, peaches, apples, prunes and apricots. Sorry if there were any flops!

Hobo

2007-09-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

On our recent camping (cabin-ing) trip we discovered that our dear friends had never had hobo. This is a staple of our summer fare and I was quite shocked. Could it be there are others out there who have no idea?? There are many ways you can do this wonderful meal. If Evan didn't have an aversion to mushrooms I think a mushroom and Swiss packet would be fabulous. I do something like this:

1 pound ground beef

1 sweet yellow onion, sliced
few sliced potatoes

lots of sliced carrots (or baby ones if you're lazy)

fresh garlic, minced

Lawry's

fresh ground pepper

sharp cheddar cheese

tinfoil

Lay out two big sheets of tinfoil overlapping horizontally a few inches. Crumble the ground beef in the center. Top with a generous sprinkle of Lawry's and then add a little more. Add garlic, onions, potatoes, carrots and fresh ground pepper. Wrap up into a packet and throw on the grill for 45 minutes or so. Open the foil and dump on lots of cheese and wrap up again so the heat can melt it. Eat.

Butter Tarts

2007-09-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's For Better or for Worse comic mentioned butter tarts. I immediately googled it and decided I must make them. Amazing. These should be cut in half to let the calories out. Probably even quarters. I dare you to eat just one.

Crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup butter, chilled, and cut into pieces
1/4 cup cold water

Butter Tart Filling:
2 large eggs
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins and/or
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts (toasted and chopped)

Crust: In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/4 cup water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk, cover, and refrigerate for about one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour. After the dough has chilled sufficiently, place on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough and cut into 12 - 4 inch (10 cm) rounds. Gently place the rounds into greased muffin tins. Cover and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up the dough. Next, make the filling.

Butter Tart Filling: In a medium sized saucepan lightly whisk the eggs. Whisk in the butter, sugar, and cream. Place on medium heat and, stirring constantly, bring this mixture just to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. If using nuts and/or raisins, place about a teaspoon into the bottom of each tart shell and then fill the unbaked tart shells with the filling. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the pastry has nicely browned and the filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 12 - 4 inch tarts.

Hidden Gem

2007-08-30T18:53:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night we went to Don Yang's Oriental Food and Deli with Harold, Anna, Roxi and Myrtle. It is a 5 minute walk from our house and FABULOUS. I can't believe it's been there the whole time we've lived here. We've really missed out. We had quite the assortment:

Fried Pork Dumplings
Beef
Spicy Pork with Vegetables
Mackerel
Noodles and ???? (seemed to be assorted sea vegetables and bits of beef)

It is a little hole-in-the-wall type place and it's family owned. The menu is all Korean with a word or two of English below. Not enough description to know what you're getting. All the entrees come with little dishes of:

Radishes in Red Pepper Sauce
Sesame Greens (either spinach or seaweed)
Cucumbers in Red Pepper Sauce
KimChee
Bean Curd Salad
Mung Bean Sprouts

Nolan gobbled up the mackerel and kimchee like it was going out of style. Avrie ate EVERYTHING. Definitely worth a trip to our place to eat with us!

Chicken Parmesan

2007-08-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

Chicken Parmesan, Buttered Carrots, Sprouted Fettuccine with Olive Oil, Basil, Cherry Tomatoes and Parmesan The Chicken

1 14-oz can fire roasted, crushed tomatoes

1 6-oz can tomato paste

2 TBS fresh basil (2 tsp dried)

2 TBS fresh oregano (2 tsp dried)

1 tsp garlic powder

4-6 chicken breasts

flour

salt & pepper

beaten egg(s)

Italian seasoned dry breadcrumbs (I used BlueFin Bay, Ian's also has a good one)

Olive oil

1 cup shredded Mozzarella
4 tsp shredded Parmesan

Preheat to 400 degrees. Grease roasting pan.

In saucepan, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano and garlic powder, set over medium heat, bring to a simmer until ready to use (1o minutes).

Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Beat egg(s) in a shallow dish. Place bread crumbs in, yes, a shallow dish. Coat the chicken in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Heat olive oil in heavy skillet and fry chicken until nicely browned on both sides (2-3 minutes). Place chicken in roasting pan and top each with tomato sauce and shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes. Eat.

Polenta with Sausage, Olive and Tomato Ragout

2007-08-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

6 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)

1 yellow onion, peeled

4 garlic cloves

salt and pepper

1-2 pounds Italian pork sausage, sweet or hot

8 1/2 cups water

2 cups polenta

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

3 TBS butter

3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives

Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 1/2 TBS chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a heavy pot over high heat, combine the tomatoes, onion (whole) and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about an hour. Remove from the heat and discard the onion. Puree with an immersion blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper.

Prick the sausages with a fork. In a large pan, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil. Add sausages and cook over medium-high heat until golden on all sides and half cooked, 10-12 minutes. Drain and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces.

In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the remaining 8 cups water to a boil over high heat. Slowly add the polenta in a steady stream while whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring constantly, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan, 20-25 minutes. Stir in the rosemary and butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the pureed sauce over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the sausage pieces and olives and simmer, uncovered, until the sausage pieces are cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Top the polenta with the sauce, shaved cheese and parsley.

Awesome Muffins

2007-08-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

I've made these twice this week. They are wonderful and full of goodness. Thanks for the recipe Amy!

Morning Glory Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1 cup oats

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

2 mashed bananas

1 egg

1 1/2 cups chopped dried fruits

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

350 degrees. Blend the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients, fruit and nuts and mix just until blended. Sprinkle the flaxseed on top and bake for 20 minutes.

Beet Pickles

2007-08-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

Nolan came upstairs yesterday and said "Mommy, make beet pickles right NOW". We bought these canning jars at a garage sale this morning and the lady was shocked that a person as young as me would be canning. And with two kids. She had no idea it was so easy. Beet Pickles

2 cups cider vinegar (I use Bragg's Organic Raw Apple Cider)

2 cups sugar

1 TBS mixed canning spices

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

cooked, sliced beets

Bring everything but the beets to a boil. Pour through a strainer onto the beets. You could tie the canning spices into a bag but I didn't have one on hand. Let cool and jar. Ta-da. My mom adds sliced onions.

Burgers

2007-08-15T18:03:00.002-07:00

We demolished our supper before I realized I hadn't taken a picture. Tonight's menu:

Grilled burgers stuffed with dilled Havarti. I seasoned the beef with dried onion flakes, Lawry's, fresh ground pepper and fresh minced garlic. Served on fresh homemade buns.

Caramelized onions that were out of this world. I learned in a cooking class to add about 1 TBS of brown sugar to the onions just as they are about done. Wow. Amazing.

Kale sauteed in olive oil and fresh garlic. Seasoned with fresh ground pepper and sea salt. My kale tip: cook, cook, cook. Undercooked kale is bitter, bitter, bitter.

Pinto beans with butter and pure maple syrup.

Mmmmmm, yummmy.

Tex-Mex Lasagna

2007-08-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

Baby romaine and arugula with cucumbers, walnuts, apricots and feta. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing. Topped with cracked tri-color peppercorns.

Tex-Mex Lasagna

1 pound ground beef

3 scallions, sliced

1 1/2 TBS chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2 cups corn (fresh, frozen, canned)

3-4 cups diced tomatoes (you can use a big can, drained)

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz container ricotta or cottage cheese

2 eggs

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preheat to 375.

Brown beef and scallions. Add spices. Add corn, tomatoes, beans. Mix ricotta, eggs and 1 cup cheese in a bowl. Grease dish and layer 6 of the tortillas on the bottom and up the sides. Spread 2/3 of the meat mixture on the tortillas followed by all of the ricotta mixture. Cover with the remaining tortillas and top with the rest of the meat. Bake for 35 minutes. Top with remaining cup of cheese and bake until melted.

Top with sour cream.

Welcome!

2007-08-14T15:47:00.001-07:00

I'll admit it. I'm a blog addict. I may need a 12-step program. Food blogs are my weakness so here I am starting my own. The layout is a bit rough on the edges but hopefully it will get smoothed out in the near future and I'll start posting regularly.

I am a cook. Not a baker. Baking is too much of a science for me. I like to be able to alter recipes and add or take away. You can't do that with baking or you'll have a sunken cake or runny cookies.

Foodtography isn't really my strong point but hopefully I'll get better with practice and the pictures will be decent. This blog is really just about sharing my cooking experiences, meals and recipes with you.

Bon Appetit!

We're Eating What?

Best. Waffles. Ever.

Custard-Filled Cornbread

Potato Soup to Swoon Over

Corn and Quinoa Salad with Chicken Sausage

Kimchi Fried Rice

Larb - Thai Chicken Salad

Cardammmmm!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Baked Oatmeal

Overnight Oatmeal Pancakes

Quinoa Porridge - 5 Stars!

Thai Fried Rice

Got Goat?

Ketchup or Catsup. Take your pick.

Mock Ice Cream

Belly Warming Lentil Andoullie Soup

My Ultimate Comfort Food - Dried Beef Gravy on Toast

Triple Decker of Goodness - Chicken Chipotle

Sriracha Apricot Wings

Rajmah

Beyond Yum.

Quinoa Turkey Burgers

Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry

Bacon and Eggs

Hand Rolls!

Caramel Cupcakes with Browned Butter & Caramel Frosting

Sweet Potato Waffles with Sorghum Syrup and Sour Cream

Yummy Veggie Burgers (Seriously)

Danish Braids

Today's Lunch

Pretty Darn Good Meatloaf

Granola Bars

Bourbon Bread Pudding

Steak Marinade

Sourdough Pretzels

Mandarin Orange Ice Cream

Brazilian Stew

Zucchini Sweet Potato Bread

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Supper

Butterscotch Pudding

Ice Cream

Wild Rice Soup

Supper Tonight

I Need New Standbys

Comfort Food

Amazing Salmon Marinade

The Best Cheesecake Ever.

As American as Apple Pie

Who Wants Fresh Buns??

Tuna Melts

Tator Tot Hotdish *GASP*

New Year's Eve Dinner

Martini Blu

Pudding Fever

Potential Cooking Disaster

PeeWee Cookies

Daily Food Log

Buuurrrrp.

Duck Confit

Paprika Chicken

Round #2

Round #1

Breakfast for Lunch

Hot Dog, Biryani, Pooh Carrots

Lasagna

Chicken Chimichangas

Today's Nourishment

Righteous Texan Chili

How Do You Eat A Chipotle?

My Breakfast

Harvest Cookies

Pure Evil in a Pint

Steak Marinade

Correction!!

Hobo

Butter Tarts

Hidden Gem

Tator Tot Hotdish GASP