Apple Muffins and other fine flavors too

I've been shamelessly posting recipes from Moosewood on this blog for a long time, so why stop now? They have THE most amazing muffin recipe. They're super easy, and scrumptious.

Apple Muffins - makes 12
from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home
(my favorite cookbook ever, if you hadn't noticed)
Ingredients
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups grated Granny Smith or other tart apples
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large bowl mix together eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla and apple. In a separate bowl sift together dry ingredients. Stir dry into wet until just combined.

3. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Variations
* Banana - sub 1 1/2 c. mashed ripe banana for the apple; omit cinnamon. Optional - add in 1 c. chopped nuts and/or 1/2 c. chocolate chips
* Blueberry - sub 1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries for the apple; omit cinnamon
* Zucchini - sub 2 c. grated zucchini for the apple; increase cinnamon to 1 tsp. and add 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom. Optional - add in 1/2 c. raisins and/or 3/4 c. chopped nuts

(The only one of the variations I've tried is the zucchini and it is fabulous too)

Marzipan Bars

Nicole thinks this recipe is from the depression or something because obviously there is no real "marzipan" in here.. the only remotely almond part is in the frosting.

Next time I make these I might put a little almond in the red & green part too, because that's the part that has the texture of marzipan, what with the rice flour and all... although the original way is pretty good too.

1 c. + 2 Tbsp. butter (2 sticks and some change)
1 c. flour
1/4 + 2/3 c. sugar
raspberry jam
2 eggs
2/3 c. rice flour
1/2 tsp. salt
red & green food coloring
1 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. warm milk

1. Cream together 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, flour and 1/4 c. sugar. Press into bottom of ungreased 8x8 pan, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool, spread with a layer of raspberry jam.

2. Beat together 1/2 c. butter, 2/3 c. sugar, and eggs until fluffy. Add in rice flour and salt. Beat well and separate into 2 bowls. Color one red and the other green. Drop small spoonfuls of each color alternately on shortbread base (like a checkerboard pattern?) Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Cool completely.

3. Frosting: 2 T. butter, almond flavoring, powdered sugar and milk. Beat together and spread over the top of cooled bars.

Seeds in Your Teeth Dressing

1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1 T. soy sauce

Shake these together in a screw-top jar until mixed. Then add:

2 T. sesame seeds
1 T. poppy seeds
2 T. minced red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c. vegetable oil

Shake all ingredients together. This is really good on a salad of spinach, oranges and feta.

Chicken Enchiladas

OK, I can't find this brilliant recipe I saw in Taste of Home mag on Taste of Home's website, because they have a million chicken enchilada recipes... of course, right? So even though I haven't tried it yet, here it is. It stuck out to me because it has few ingredients, and it doesn't have anything gross in it like canned soup or "enchilada sauce" from a can. Why do enchilada recipes have those nasty ingredients? And then also the process always seems time-consuming, whereas this one sounds quick & easy.

I am planning to use corn tortillas for this recipe so I hope they won't get too weird and crunchy and torn, like corn tortillas are wont to do.

"Easy" Enchiladas

Ingredients
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 8-oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
8 flour tortillas (8") (Again, I'm thinking of using 6" corn tortillas, so I'll do 10-12)
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (I'm straining some plain yogurt for this very purpose)
1 cup salsa (I'll use the salsa I made today out of my last-hurrah tomatoes and peppers)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 2 1/4 oz. can sliced black olives, drained

Directions
In a small bowl, combine chicken and cream cheese. Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up tightly. Place seam side down in a greased 9x13 baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine yogurt and salsa. Spread over tortillas. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and olives. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serves 8.

OR.......

Try this green chile enchilada recipe. I would use TJ's salsa verde instead of doing that whole tomatillo process, which would make it a whole lot easier, and still probably taste awesome. I love this blog!

Frugal Gourmet

So I've been on this frugality kick.

My friend loaned me The Tightwad Gazette and it has been Most inspiring. I highly recommend getting it from the library or at a garage sale, in the true spirit of tightwaddery. But in any case, read it. There are some good ideas [and recipes] in there.

In honor of my new kick, I'm going to put some budget (but still yummy and healthy) recipes up here. Stay tuned.....

Baked Tomato-Garlic "Sauce"

from Better Homes & Gardens, August 2010 (maybe?)
This is really delicious and super easy.

Ingredients
Enough beautiful similarly-sized tomatoes to cover the bottom of your 9x13 in a single layer
1/4 - 1/2 c. EVOO
7 garlic cloves, peeled, split lengthwise, and that little green shoot part removed
Coarse salt (1 - 2 tsp.) and freshly ground black pepper
Goat cheese or feta cheese

Method
1. Preheat oven to 325.

2. Arrange tomatoes in a single layer in 9x13 baking dish (make sure it's glass or earthenware, not metal, which is reactive, whatever the heck that means). Stick the garlic halves in between the tomatoes. Pour EVOO on evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until skins split and soften, but tomatoes still retain their shape.

4. Serve hot, warm or at room temp. We smashed ours up and made it into kind of a sauce, just stirring the smashed tomatoes and garlic up with the olive oil that was floating around in the bottom of the dish. Then we tossed the baked "sauce" with some pasta (radiatore, I do believe it was) and feta cheese.

The recipe suggests spooning or mashing the tomatoes over slices of toasted bread and serving with goat cheese. Either way... yum. Roasting the tomatoes gives them this awesome sweetness that even Ken liked. And you know he hates tomatoes usually.

Mexican Chicken Soup

from Cook's Country Feb/March 2006
This makes kind of a lot - it says it serves 6-8 and I think that's really true. It tastes amazing though, so you won't be sorry if you have leftovers.

Ingredients
6 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken - breasts or thighs
1 onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled
10 sprigs cilantro
salt
tomatoes
tomato juice (I used a quart of juice that was leftover from straining homemade salsa)
1 chipotle in adobo sauce, plus 1 T. adobo sauce
1 T. vegetable oil
2 c. frozen corn kernels
2 T. lime juice
Toppings: avocado, cilantro, shredded cheddar or jack, sour cream, crunched up tortilla chips

1. Make broth and cook chicken: Bring 4 c. of the chicken broth, chicken, 2 onion quarters, 2 garlic cloves, cilantro and 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil in large skillet. Cover and reduce heat to low until chicken is cooked through (8-10 minutes). Transfer chicken to a plate.

2. Do the tomato part of broth: In a blender, puree tomatoes, remaining 2 onion quarters and 2 garlic cloves, chipotle and adobo sauce until smooth.

3. Get out your huge soup pot: Heat oil in large pot over high heat until shimmering. Add tomato mixture and 1/8 tsp. salt; cook until darkened in color (8-10 minutes). Strain broth directly into pot with tomato puree (discard solids). Add remaining 2 c. broth, tomato (or salsa) juice, and corn. Simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Shred chicken into bite-size pieces and add to soup. Stir in lime juice and adjust S&P to taste. Serve with toppings available in small bowls.

How to Do a Roast

Here is the best way to do roast beef that I've found.

This discovery was made when I tried a recipe from good ol' Betty Crocker, and was wowed by the meat (but not by the carrots and potatoes... so now I leave those out). Side note: I am not usually wowed by meat. I usually could not really care less about meat. I'm like, give me mango salsa over roast beef any day. But we live in the Midwest and we're trying to be all things to all men OK? So we do meat and potatoes on Sunday.

Then I asked my friend at church who is an amazing cook: Um, I did a chuck roast in the crockpot, why did it turn out so good? And she said: Chuck roasts are like made for the crockpot. It is a perfect way to cook chuck roast. No more bottom rounds for us. I seriously never buy them anymore. Chuck is just awesome in the slow cooker! Why did no one tell me this before now?

Anyway, without further ado...

Beef with Rosemary
adapted from Betty Crocker's Slow Cooker Cookbook

3 lb. boneless beef chuck roast
3 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 Tbsp fresh or 1 1/2 tsp. dried chopped/crunched up rosemary leaves
1 tsp. fresh or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. finely chopped onion

Put the roast in the crock pot. In a small bowl mix mustard, rosemary, thyme, S&P. Spread over beef. Sprinkle onions over the top.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Guacamole

I don't think you can call this a recipe, but sometimes people ask me how I make guacamole. Maybe they think that I'm an expert, having lived in an avocado grove. Well, I never compliment myself, but my Friends say that my guacamole is simply divine. So, I will divulge my ingredients. I do wish I could tell you amounts, but, darling, I simply throw it all together. There is no measuring here.

Ingredients

some nice ripe avocados (like 2?)

finely chopped onion (maybe 1/4 of a medium onion)

fresh lime juice (go easy or the lime will be all you taste)

cilantro, finely chopped (a Tbsp?)

cumin

kosher salt

dash of cayenne pepper

Method

Smash up the avocados in a bowl. Then mix in the onion, lime juice, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust for seasoning, using a chip. Try not to taste and adjust for seasoning until the whole bowl is gone. Share!! or don't :)

What do you put in your guac?

Potatoes Romanoff

I haven't actually made these yet, so we shall see how they turn out.

(OK, I made them, and they were raved about... best part of the meal hands-down)

10 c. chopped potatoes (cut into about 1" chunks; 10-12 medium potatoes)

1 tsp. salt

3 c. cottage cheese (I might change this to 2 c. next time... there is a lot of sauce)

2 c. sour cream (and this to 1 1/2 c.? see note above)

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/2 c. chopped green onions (having none, I subbed a ton of Sunny Paris seasoning)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook the potatoes in water (cover potatoes by about an inch) and the 1 tsp. salt until tender (simmer about 15 minutes).

2. Mix the cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic and green onions. Mix in the potatoes. Top with shredded cheese and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Keep It Simple: Tomato Basil Pasta

Martha Stewart had this great recipe in the August issue of Living that you must try. I love Martha when she doesn't get all crazy. This recipe has no mention of parchment paper* or shallots, so I tried it, and it was good.
*Amendment: Susan told me to buy some parchment paper, so I did, and it really is cool stuff.

Tomato & Basil pasta
1/4 c. evoo
3 garlic cloves, pressed/minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 lb. short pasta (penne or something)
tomatoes - she says 4 medium but just however many you have - cut up into bite-size
1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese - cut up into bite-size
basil leaves

1. Cook and drain pasta.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine evoo, garlic, salt & pepper. Toss in the warm pasta. Throw the tomatoes and cheese on top, then top that with the basil leaves and some more salt & pepper.

That's it!

Coffee Punch

I can't take credit for this lovely recipe, I was instructed how to do it. But I am writing it down so I will remember for next time :)

Coffee Punch
a lovely brunch beverage for a hot nasty day from Hades (like today)
1 pot decaf coffee (12 cups, brew it strong)
Between 1/2 and 1 c. sugar, to taste
1/2 gallon milk
1 quart vanilla ice cream (I used a little more than half of a 1.5 qt container)
whipped cream (unsweetened)

Dissolve the sugar in the hot coffee. Let cool. Refrigerate. Before serving, combine coffee with milk and ice cream. There will be globs, that's OK, they will melt. They are serving as the ice cubes, dontcha know :) Top with whipped cream and prepare to amaze your friends and family. This makes a huge amount - I put it in my punch bowl.

Leftover Watermelon: 2 ideas

Blending and straining watermelon to make juice is sort of messy and a pain, but it's well worth it :)

First Idea:
Watermelon Sorbet

3 c. watermelon juice (blend and strain about 3 lbs. seeded cubed watermelon)
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 tbsp lemon juice

Whisk sugar and watermelon juice together until sugar is dissolved. Stir in salt and lemon juice. Pour into ice cream maker and let it do the rest of the work :) Let it finish freezing in a different container in the freezer. Just make sure you pull it out of the freezer for a while (10 minutes?) before you want to eat some.

------------------------------

After I made the sorbet, I had extra watermelon juice which I used to make:
Watermelon Lemonade
Juice of 3-4 lemons
1/2 c. sugar
2 c. watermelon juice
add water to make 1/2 gallon

Shake all ingredients together in a container with a tightly screwed-on lid. Soo good over ice on a hot day!

-----------------------------

OK, I lied: I actually had 3 ideas. The last one is just almost too simple to mention, which is:
Pour some of that watermelon juice into your popsicle molds and stick in in your freezer.

There you go.

Berry Tart

I want to try this but it looks kind of fussy. Anybody know a really simple cheater way to make something that looks similar?

New Look and New Take on Bean Pot

I love this new blog design! The background makes me think of a nice cool Washington day. :)

For dinner tonight, we had a new spin on an old favorite: Jamaican Black Beans. This time I threw it all in the crockpot -
1 15 oz. can black beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
2 Tbsp (?) molasses
some browned italian sausage that I had in my freezer... so it's no longer vegetarian

I had this going on low heat for about 2 1/2 hours. Then I thought, I should put a sweet potato in there. I don't know about sweet potatoes in the crockpot, and anyway I didn't have much time, so I poked a sweet potato with a fork and put it in the microwave for 7 minutes. Then I let it cool, peeled it, cut it into chunks, and put it in the crockpot for another 30-45 minutes... until dinner time.

Served this goodness with rice and it was awesome! I don't think I'll do it the old way again... and not just because I'm an ENFP. :)

Thai Beef Salad

Here is a recipe from the coolest restaurant in Dayton, Thai Nine.

Dressing:
4 T. lime juice
3 T. fish sauce
1 T. sugar

Salad:
Bed of lettuce or cabbage
5 cherry/grape tomatoes, halved
2 T. thinly sliced red onion
1 T. sliced green onion
1/2 cucumber, halved and sliced
1 T. cilantro, chopped
1 T. basil, chopped
1/2 lb. steak, thinly sliced and pan fried -OR- grilled and then thinly sliced (I did option #1)

Toss to combine salad and dressing! Yummm. We ate this salad for dinner with a side of rice, which nicely soaked up the extra dressing.

Polenta Pie Revival

I updated this recipe. I've been making it forever (never the same way twice... of course :) ) and finally hit upon the brilliance that was tonight's dinner. Even Ken said so..... and it was vegetarian. Now that's saying something.

I think it was the perfect combo of salty cheese plus sweet corn plus tangy tomatoes and tomatillos plus oniony onions plus mildly spicy chipotle pepper. That was just what I had on hand, but we struck gold!! Plus it's easy, and cheap. Check it out.

Dinner Tonight: Fish Tacos

If you live in San Diego like Tami, just get yourself to your nearest Rubio's. However - if you live far, far away from San Diego and you need a fish taco, here is what you do:

Ingredients
White Sauce:
1/4 c. mayo
1/4 c. plain yogurt or sour cream
1 clove garlic, minced
lime juice
salt
chipotle chili powder

Tacos:
olive oil
chili powder
lime juice
salt and pepper
12 - 16 oz. bag of frozen tilapia, preferably farm-raised (just kidding - but that is what was on sale), thawed
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage or lettuce
8 tortillas - corn to be authentic, but I like flour better

Fresh Salsa:
1/4 c. finely chopped onions (I like red)
1/4 c. cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 c. chopped tomato

Other stuff:
chopped avocado
lime wedges for squeezing

Method
1. To make the sauce: mix mayo, yogurt, lime juice, garlic, chipotle chili powder and some salt. Taste for seasoning.

2. Marinade for the fish: Combine 2 T. olive oil, 1 tsp. chili powder, juice from 1/2 a lime and some S&P in a shallow dish. Taste to make sure it is yummy. Then place the thawed fish pieces in the marinade and let them hang out for a few minutes. (The marinade recipe is courtesy of Rachael Ray... mostly.)

3. Heat up 2 T. olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook 4-5 minutes per side or until flaky. OR: grill for 3-4 minutes per side (make sure your grill is clean and well-oiled first).

4. Warm the tortillas in a pan (I put them directly on my ceramic stovetop on a burner on low). Layer cabbage/lettuce, fish, fresh salsa, some avocado, and drizzle with the sauce. Roll it up and oh-so-good. If you want to be really authentically Rubio's, serve with a wedge of lime, and a Corona... and another wedge of lime, I guess. :)

Serves 2 starving people and one picky toddler.

Salmon with Sake and Ginger

We made this salmon last night using the baking method: it was amazing. All you need with it is some rice (to soak up the sauce).

Chili for 20

This is one of those meals that someone served to me on a Sunday afternoon after church, and it was so good I had to have the recipe...

Chili for 20 (but really more like 15-16... think: chili for a lot of people) :)
Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 lb. ground turkey
2 sweet onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
6 16-oz cans chopped tomatoes
1 20-oz can chilies
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Method
Brown meat with onions and garlic. Drain off fat. Add to crockpot. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook on low setting for 3-4 hours.

Note: Above is the recipe as it was given to me. When I halved this last night for a smaller group, I used 1.5 lbs ground beef and 1/2 lb. italian sausage. Instead of the tomatoes and chilies, I used 6 cups (48 oz) salsa (I still browned the meat with 1 onion and 3 cloves garlic). I served it with shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

Maple-Pecan Granola

Thanks to this chick for inspiration on how to make crunchy pecan granola. That's the kind I always want from Trader Joe's ya know.

Maple-Pecan Granola
4 c. rolled oats
1 1/2 c. chopped pecans (almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds...)
1/4 c. Butter (half a stick)
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. real maple syrup
1/4 tsp (a couple dashes?) each cinnamon and nutmeg
1/4 tsp. vanilla

1. Stir up the oats and nuts in big mixing bowl.

2. Melt butter in microwave in glass measuring cup. Add honey and syrup and microwave for 30 seconds more. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Pour butter-honey mixture over oat mixture and stir up the whole thing really well.

3. Spread evenly on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes at 300. Don't stir. Turn oven off and leave granola in there for another 20 minutes (or even longer. If you forget about it, it's fine). Remove, let cool completely, and transfer to storage container.

Artisan Bread

I don't know what artisan bread really is; all I know is that if I make Grandma Dingler's bread recipe and then put it on a cookie sheet instead of in a loaf pan and make some slashes in the top, it looks a lot cooler than when I put it in a loaf pan :)


Now that I got your attention, here is my favorite recipe for...

straight-up white bread
1 pkg yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
1 c. warm water (120 degrees?)
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 c. flour (you can do 2 c. white flour and 1 c. wheat flour)

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl. Add sugar, let it hang out a few minutes. Add salt, let it hang out a few minutes more.

2. Mix in flour with a spoon. Add more if necessary. Knead until smooth. Cover and let rise for about 1 1/2 hrs.

3. Punch down and get air bubbles out. Shape into a loaf and place on a cookie sheet (or in a loaf pan if you want a nice conventional loaf of bread). Make some slashes in the top with a good sharp knife and let it rise again for about an hour.

4. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes (optional: before baking, brush with milk). Remove from pan and cool on rack. Eat warm slices with butter and jam.

Balsamic Mushrooms

This is our favorite way to fix mushrooms...

Balsamic Mushrooms from Martha Stewart
1/4 c. evoo
12 oz. mushrooms, washed, dried and quartered
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms in oil 5 minutes, turning to prevent sticking. Add vinegar, salt and pepper flakes; cook 1 minute longer.

Today I put these mushrooms straight from the pan onto a bed of spinach leaves. The heat wilted the spinach a little bit which I love, and the mushrooms just tasted like a really substantial dressing. SO GOOD.

Spaghetti Squash

I made this Spaghetti Squash Gratin last night but used kale instead of chard, omitted the green onions and used plain yogurt instead of sour cream.

It was so good that Ken said, can you please make this again, often? :)

Warm Applesauce....

OK guys, I think I am just slow, but did you know that if you just take like 3 Granny Smith apples, peel/core/roughly chop them, and put them in a pan on the stove on medium-low for like half an hour, with some brown sugar (hardly any, like 1/4 cup) and cinnamon, that it tastes like heaven?

And that you can use it as bribery to get your picky 20-month-old to eat crazy things that she would never usually eat?

Such as salad.

Bacon Tomato Cheese Pasta

This is a bit of a rip-off from Rachael Ray, but it is so good I had to share. We've had this dish twice in the past month and it just doesn't get old!

Also... if you have a soft spot in your heart for the Pan-Geos line in the Great Hall, try this and tell me if it evokes fond memories. If you detested Pan-Geos... Marie, don't judge this recipe before you try it :)

Ingredients
1 lb. short-cut pasta (whole wheat pasta was good)
1 Tbsp. evoo
4 bacon slices, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
salt & pepper
1 c. chicken stock (or 1/2 c. stock, 1/2 c. white wine if you have some lying around)
1 pint grape tomatoes (I used sundried tomatoes once which was delicious)
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded or diced
Fresh herbs: some chopped chives or parsley or basil or all 3
1/2 c. grated parmesan

Method
1. Chop everything up... onion, garlic, herbs, bacon.

2. Make the pasta, reserving 1/2 c. of the pasta water before you drain it

3. Heat the evoo in a large skillet over med-hi heat. Now pay attention to all these minutes:

• Cook bacon until crispy - 2-3 minutes.
• Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes.
• Add chicken stock and pasta liquid; bring to a boil and simmer 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes; cook for 1 minute.
• Add the pasta to the skillet and stir it all up for 1 more minute.
  

4. Remove from heat. Stir in the mozzarella, fresh herbs and parmesan. Taste to see if it needs any extra S&P (probably not) :) Serve with a simple salad dressed with vinaigrette.

Early Thanksgiving: Roasted Squash and Cornbread Stuffing

Last night we had an early Thanksgiving since my mom and dad are in town for Ken's ordination service (which is tonight!). Ken's dad flew in last night and ate up the leftovers. I should have taken a picture before that happened because it was so beautiful.

Or as I would say if I was a real blogger:

It.
Was.
So.
Beautiful.

We had every color... brilliant red cranberry sauce, bright orange butternut squash, green salad... perfectly lovely.

I have two recipes to share with you... Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Cornbread Stuffing.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped (1" dice)
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. (more or less) maple syrup
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
pinch thyme
pinch rosemary

Method
1. Preheat oven to 375.* Chop squash and onion; place in 8x8 baking dish.

2. In a small bowl, mix syrup, oil, salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary. Pour over veggies; toss and stir to coat. Bake for 45 minutes or until squash is tender.*

*We just threw ours in with the turkey at 325 for a little over an hour.

Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients
bay leaf
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. butter
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
1 granny smith apple, chopped
some fresh parsley, chopped
GF cornbread, preferably stale, ripped up into smallish pieces
sage
thyme
salt
pepper
1 c. broth

Method
1. Heat butter and olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add bay leaf, celery, onion and apple and saute for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the parsley and cornbread. Sprinkle S&P, sage and thyme over top and stir to combine. Pour enough broth in to moisten the bread.

Serve hot straight from the stove, or put it in a baking dish and place in the oven with the turkey, ideally for no more than 20-30 minutes.

Granola Bars

Deana over at the Scratch and Sniff shared these granola bars while we were in Nashville a couple weeks ago, and they were AMAZING. I haven't tried to make them yet, but I will shortly...

Marinated Zucchini

This is a brilliant Moosewood recipe to use up any zucchini you have hanging around! I remembered to take a picture before devouring the last two bites.

Ingredients
1 zucchini (or peeled eggplant), sliced about 1/3" thick
2-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
olive oil
1 Tbsp. vinegar (I like balsamic - especially the white balsamic from Trader Joe's)
dash salt
chopped fresh herbs (mint, parsley, basil, oregano, or thyme)

Method
In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add zucchini and fry until golden on both sides (work in batches if necessary). Transfer zucchini to a bowl. In a little more olive oil, saute the garlic until golden but not brown. Transfer garlic to bowl, and top with vinegar, salt and herbs. Stir to combine. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

If you want to make the zucchini or eggplant into a sandwich, toast the sandwich bread in the skillet in the leftover garlic-infused olive oil. You can melt some cheese on there while you're at it. YUM.

Tea Peas

I just found out that someone actually reads my blog. So I am going to post a recipe. Or it's more of a suggestion really. Next time you make peas to go with your traditional English roast beef dinner, after they're finished cooking, stir in some crunched up dried mint leaves and some honey. It makes them taste kind of like tea, but really good. Tea peas.

Oh yeah - ALWAYS use petite peas. Never those nasty big ones.

Pumpkin Pudding

In an attempt to create gluten- and dairy-free pumpkin pie, I came up with this pumpkin dessert which is really more like pudding, but still really good (even Ken said so). The only disappointment we had was that it is really nothing like a pie. So bear that in mind and don't try to carve this up - approach it with a spoon.

Ingredients
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 15 oz. can coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 eggs
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ginger and a dash of cloves)
1/4 tsp. salt

Method
Mix all ingredients together. Pour into greased baking dish and bake 45-50 minutes at 375. Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely.

Potato Soup

I tried the Potato soup from Claire's Corner Copia, and it was not that good. I felt like it had way too much butter in it for it to be so boring.

So, next time I am going to try this potato soup from Simply Recipes... the website where the eggplant parmesan and potato-spinach-sausage casserole (which I tampered with here) came from. It looks really good, and I like the fact that it could quite easily be dairy free.

I think I might do regular old onions instead of leeks though... and bacon instead of ham??

Butternut Squash Soup

from Better Homes & Gardens Vegetarian Cookbook

Ingredients
1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ginger powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
3 c. vegetable broth
3 c. chopped peeled butternut squash
1 c. chopped peeled papaya, peach, nectarine, plum....??
Salt to taste

Method
In a large soup pot, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add spices, saute about 1 minute more. Add broth, squash and fruit. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes or until squash is soft.

2. Transfer soup to blender or food processor, working in batches if necessary. Puree soup until smooth. Reheat gently and salt to taste.

Crisp

It's not quite apple season, so today I made peach-blueberry crisp. It was lovely.

I assume you know how to do crisp, and if you don't you could very easily ask Betty Crocker. But... since I'm here I'll just jot it down, in case someone out there isn't aware that a brilliant fruit dessert is well within the grasp of the most novice cook.

Ingredients
about 3 c. of fruit - sliced apples (4-5 Granny Smith), peaches, blueberries, rhubarb, to name a few
1/2 c. each of rolled oats, flour and brown sugar
1 T. (?) cinnamon
nutmeg (go easy)
1/3 c. butter (softened)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Arrange fruit in 8x8 or pie dish (no need to grease, I should think)
3. In medium bowl, mix oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles crumbs. Pour/sprinkle mixture over fruit. Bake for 30 minutes.
4. Please try eating this for breakfast topped with yogurt. You will not be sorry.

Eggplant Parmesan

While I'm on the topic of eggplant... I made this eggplant parmesan and it turned out quite deliciously if I do say so.

It's kind of a pain to make and takes a while, but if you want to simultaneously feed and impress about 10 people, this is the ticket. It makes ahead very well (kind of like a lasagna) so you can do all the slaving away the day before if you want.

I had some people over for lunch after church today who deemed it quite yummy, and then the clincher... "and I don't even like eggplant."

Score.

Sicilian Eggplant Sauce

Thank you Claire's Corner Copia cookbook for this awesome sauce recipe. It's perfect for a summer garden that includes eggplant, tomatoes, parsley and basil!!

Corner Copia Claire's grandma from Sicily serves this over fresh fettucine.

Ingredients
1/2 c. + 2 T. olive oil
6 large cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
2 medium eggplants, peeled & chopped (about 1" dice?)
1/4 c. water
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 28-oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes (TJs is good), or 6-8 fresh peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt to taste
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

Method
1. Heat oil in heavy pot over low heat. Add garlic and eggplant. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The oil might get all soaked up by the eggplant; you can add a little bit more if it starts to get scorchy.
2. Add water, red pepper flakes and oregano. Cover, bring to a low boil and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper and basil. Simmer uncovered about 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the eggplant is tender and the sauce is thick. Taste for seasoning.

Mama Hitchman's Pasta Salad

Dressing:
1/2 c. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. red wine vinegar (white wine vinegar or white balsamic are acceptable substitutes)
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well to combine.

Salad:
In a large bowl, mix any or all of the following:
8 oz. pasta, cooked according to package directions (rainbow rotini or bow ties are good)
chopped red or green pepper
chopped salami
fresh mozzarella balls
olives... I like kalamata
sun dried tomatoes
cherry tomatoes
fresh basil

This tastes better after the flavors have melded for a while........

Polenta Pie

Here is another hit from Cheryl Hufnagel... it is so versatile and so economical!!

Ingredients
1 c. cornmeal
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 c. cold water
---------
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. chopped red onion
3 tomatillos, chopped
1/2 c. frozen corn kernals
12-15 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 chipotle pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 c. salsa verde
chopped cilantro
chopped green onions


Method
1. Mix cornmeal, sage, salt and pepper and cold water in a 2 qt. saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly (over medium heat) until very thick. Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish. You can let it hang out at this point for a while, to get a little dried out. I like the crust a little chewy and this is the way to do it. When you're ready, bake at 425 until firm - 20-25 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, mix cheese, red onion, tomatillos, corn, tomatoes, chipotle and salsa. Spread on crust and return to 425 oven for 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

3. Let cool for a few minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions.

Variations
* Italian: substitute oregano for sage in crust. Use marinara sauce instead of salsa, mozzarella instead of cheddar, and mix in some pizza toppings like black olives, green pepper, sausage, etc.
* Greek: same as above but use feta cheese and cherry tomatoes... and extra garlic!

Corn Tomato Salad

This salad of Rachael Ray's is my new favorite thing. I am planning to keep some in my fridge at all times this summer. YUM!

(I followed the recipe, except I didn't have any peppers and I used some red onion instead of scallions)

She says you could use this as a salsa and I think that would be a great idea... it is super tasty.

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

It sounds weird, but you must try it. This is a recipe from Moosewood with a little tweaking (did you ever doubt it?) by me.

3 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 sweet potato, peeled and grated (about 2 c. grated sweet potato)
1 tsp. cumin
dash cayenne
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. oregano
grated mozzarella cheese*
tortillas

1. In a skillet over medium heat, saute onion in oil about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and saute a little more. Add sweet potato and spices; cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until sweet potato is tender, stirring frequently to make sure it doesn't stick (you can add more olive oil if necessary).

2. In a clean skillet, heat up another tablespoon or so olive oil, and place tortilla in skillet. Spread spoonful of sweet potato filling over half the tortilla, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Fold in half and flip after a few minutes so that it's golden brown on both sides.

* I think Moosewood recommended cheddar cheese, which I tried and it was good... but the first time I made these, I only had mozzarella cheese and I think it's better. It lets the sweet potato flavor come through more, which is SO GOOD.

Lemon Slice

2 c. flour
1 c. butter
1/2 c. powdered sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 c. sugar
6 T. lemon juice
4 T. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3 c. powdered sugar
4 T. butter
2 T. milk
2 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan.

2. Mix 2 c. flour, 1 c. butter and 1/2 c. powdered sugar. Spread in bottom of pan and bake for 20 minutes.

3. Beat together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, 4 T. flour and baking powder. Pour over the baked bottom layer and bake for 25 more minutes. Cool completely.

4. For frosting, combine 3 c. powdered sugar, 4 T. butter, milk and vanilla. Cut into 48 bars.

Chickpea Potato Curry

rrreeeeaaalllyyy easy.

I thought this was going to be a gross dinner - just using up what was in my cupboard, so maybe my expectations were low and that helped... but I must say, it was delicious, if a tad too spicy. Here it is - another winner from Simply Recipes.

OK, now... here's what I did differently (you had to know this was coming):

• halved it
• used apple juice instead of broth
• used regular canned diced tomatoes instead of fire-roasted, then added some red pepper flakes (too many, according to Ken, but I think it was awesome)
• used small regular potatoes and cut them up smaller than a baby potato quartered would be, I think
• used powdered ginger instead of fresh
• used garam masala instead of the various spices (I think you could also sub curry powder, they're very similar)
• served it with regular rice instead of jasmine
• served it with toppings (because this was going to be a yucky/boring dinner so I was trying to make it interesting): fresh mango, avocado, dried figs, peanuts, green onions, coconut.

It was so good, it tasted like take-out. Let me know what you think if you try it!

Tomato-Potato Soup

Here is a delicious soup recipe from Claire's Corner Copia cookbook. I know soup season is coming to an end, but we had a cold snap last week that warranted a warm cozy meal... this was perfect.

6 c. water
1 can whole tomatoes (28 oz.)
1 large onion, sliced
1 T. dried parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
1/4 c. olive oil
pinch dried basil
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced (1/2"?)
1/2 c. frozen peas
4 oz. tortellini or cut pasta such as shells, fusilli, whatever you have - cooked according to pkg directions
salt to taste
1/2 tsp. black pepper

1. Bring water to boil in large soup pot. Snip the tomatoes in the can with kitchen scissors. Dump tomatoes & sauce/juice, onion, parsley, garlic, olive oil and basil into the boiling water. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 1 hour, stirring often.

2. Add potatoes and cook uncovered for 45 more minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add peas and cook for 15 more minutes (this is the time to cook the pasta if you haven't already). Stir in pasta, salt & pepper, taste for seasoning.

Serves 3 - but probably 4 if you used tortellini :)

Baked-Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

OK, I am totally stealing this idea from Elise at Simply Recipes, but I adapted it to be just potatoes, instead of with spinach and sausage. Spinach and sausage are great, but I didn't have any... I just had a lot of potatoes :) Here is the 4 person side-dish serving size version, but I tripled this to bring to a potluck today. It worked well for a make-ahead potato dish, which I can't say about too many other potato dishes...

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/4 c. milk
1 1/2 T. butter (+ additional butter for dish)
2 T. chicken broth
1 T. cider vinegar
dash nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper (just "eyeball it" as Rachael Ray says and grind some over the top)
1 c. shredded mozzarella, parmesan, swiss, cheddar, or ??? cheese

1. Butter a 4x6 or 8x8 baking dish. Preheat oven to 400. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan or soup pot. Cover with water 1" above the surface of the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until golden, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer or until fragrant. Remove from heat.

3. Drain potatoes. Wipe pot dry, return potatoes to pot and mash with milk, butter, broth, vinegar, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in half the cheese. Spread potatoes in prepared baking dish. Top with caramelized onion-garlic mixture and remaining cheese. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes to melt cheese and heat through.

Jody's Cucumber Sauce

This makes an amazing salad dressing, gyro sauce, or dip for pita bread/tortilla chips/veggies.

2 c. plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled & seeded
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. white vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Strain yogurt through cheesecloth for about 2 hours.*
2. Grate cucumber into colander. Sprinkle with salt and let sit and drain for 15 minutes.*
3. Combine olive oil, vinegar and garlic. Stir in cucumber and strained yogurt.

*These first 2 steps are really optional, but it makes the sauce a lot thicker.

Gabe's Granola

Here you go, Joe Gay!

8 c. rolled oats
4 c. nuts or seeds (I like pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, or a combination thereof)
3/4 c. honey
1/4 c. oil
cinnamon and vanilla

Mix above ingredients in a large bowl (warm the honey and oil in the microwave first). Spread evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes at 325, checking/stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven when golden brown. While still warm, stir in:

1 c. dried fruit (I do raisins, cranberries, or apricots)

Inspiration: Salmon Artichoke Pizza

I bought some salmon in a can, and then I said, what the heck do I do with this? ...this is nasty! So I turned it into pizza, and it was delicious, at least according to Ken.

Next time I would make sure I had some red onion on hand instead of green onion. The green onion was tasty, but I wanted another color on there. The recipe that inspired me called for red pepper, so that would have been good too.

pizza dough
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. yogurt
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1 3-oz can salmon
1/2 c. chopped artichoke hearts
4 green onions, chopped
1-2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Prepare the pizza dough recipe as directed (up to spreading dough out on the pan; do not pre-bake).

2. In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, yogurt and dill. Spread on pizza crust.

3. Top with salmon, artichoke and green onions. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes.

Best Black Bean Soup

Here is another Moosewood recipe that I have tweaked a little due to poverty. I feel a little lame posting recipes from Moosewood, but you need to try this one. There is no salt in it, even though it seems like soup is always so salty. It is really good! ... like everything else Moosewood does.

2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 c. finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1/3 c. water
1 28 oz. can tomatoes in juice, undrained
2 15 oz cans black beans, undrained
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil on medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.

2. Add cumin and water. Add tomatoes, mashing the tomatoes up in the soup pot with your spoon (it doesn't have to be very good because you're going to put the whole thing in the blender in a minute). Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Add the black beans, continue to simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. Stir in the cilantro and remove from heat.

4. Pour half of the soup (carefully) into your blender and blend until smooth. Then pour the blended half into your 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Pour the remainder in the pot into the blender and repeat. Reheat the whole thing by simmering for a while, but gently. Serve with sour cream, additional cilantro leaves, avocado, tortilla chips, corn bread, grated cheddar cheese, or whatever you fancy. I do a bit of plain whole-milk yogurt, some avocado slices, and tortilla chips.

World's Best Fudge Brownies

One bowl, one spoon, super easy.

I would like to thank King Arthur Flour for this awesome brownie recipe. I simplified the butter-sugar process a bit and I always halve it, so here's what I do:

1 stick salted butter
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa (it could be a heaping half-cup)
1/4 tsp. salt (use more if you use unsalted butter)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 T. vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 c. flour
6 oz. chocolate chips (1 cup or approximately 1/2 of a 12 oz. bag)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish.

2. In a medium-largeish microwave safe mixing bowl, melt the butter in the microwave (30 seconds on high, check; 30 seconds more). Stir in the sugar and return to the microwave for another 30 seconds on high. Stir again and do 30 more seconds on high. This sounds redonkulus but it's important for the nice shiny brownie crust.

3. Mix in the cocoa, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Stir in the eggs until well blended. Stir in flour and chips until the whole thing is well blended and you don't see any more flour specks.

4. Pour into prepared dish (it should level itself out; if not, give it a little shake or two until it's level and spread out). Bake for 30 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean-ish (some clinging crumbs are OK but you don't want it totally wet).

5. About 5 minutes after you take it out, go around the edges with a knife. Apparently this helps it not to fall in the middle. But don't be tempted to cut the brownies up yet... wait until they're totally cool to cut. I cut it into 16 which makes them sort of small... but they're awfully rich so it works.

Pita Chips!

Have you ever noticed how cheap a bag of pita breads is? I get them at Trader Joe's and they are like a dollar. Ridiculous. Pita chips, on the other hand, can be expensive. You won't believe how easy it is to make your own pita chips from pita bread.

6 pita rounds, cut in half around the edges so they are a single thickness (i.e.: no longer a pocket)
about 1/4 c. olive oil
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400. Arrange pita rounds on a cookie sheet, smooth side up. Mix the olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl using a pastry brush. Brush oil mixture onto pitas, covering as much surface as you can but not leaving puddles of oil. Bake for 7-8 minutes, watching to make sure they don't burn. Let cool slightly, then break each round into pieces... 5-6 pieces is good, I think.

These are great with hummus! Try TJ's Roasted Red Pepper Hummus or Martha's mint-parsley hummus.

*Note - I've tried just drizzling each pita with olive oil, thinking I could save on dishes, but I think brushing the oil on allows for a more even coating and you don't have to use more oil than you need.

Fish in a Packet

Here is a Ken-approved meal that is easy, tasty, healthy AND no dishes!!!! We have a winner.

It's from my favorite cookbook, Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. I feel like I'm cheating posting it, since I didn't change a single thing. Basically, just order this cookbook right now. There are some used ones on Amazon for like $4, although I can't imagine ever wanting to get rid of this one. It's vegetarian except they also eat fish. So, here is this amazing fish recipe.

French Fish in a Packet - serves 2
2 sheets aluminum foil, 12x24"
2 5- or 6- oz. fish fillets (I used frozen tilapia fillets, thawed)
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
2 T. olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c. dry white wine
dash of salt and black pepper
1 tsp. dried basil (I used a spice blend... Mural of Spices from Penzey's)
6 black olives, halved and pitted (I used kalamata)

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Fold each sheet of foil in half to make double-thick square. Brush a little oil in the center. Rinse fish. Prepare all ingredients.

3. Layer half of ingredients in the middle of each square in this order: zucchini, mushrooms, fish, onion slices. Sprinkle with olive oil, lemon juice, wine, S&P and basil. Top with olive halves. Fold foil into airtight packets and bake for 20 minutes. Avoiding steam that will be released, open a packet to check that fish is done (you can put a fork in the middle and twist - if it's flaky, it's done).

4. To serve, lift fish & veggies with spatula onto plates. Pour liquid left in foil over each serving.

I served ours with rice. I also made wilted spinach, but you really don't need extra veggies... all the veggies you need are in the packet with the fish! Brilliant.

Moosewood has several variations on this theme including Greek, Caribbean and Asian fish in a packet. I think next time I'll try Caribbean. Yum.

Japanese Curry

This is Ken's mom's recipe for Japanese curry. We had it last night and it is soooo good that we can't wait to have the leftovers again tonight. Now that is saying something :)

2 medium onions, sliced
1-2 lbs. raw chicken or beef, cut into about 1" pieces
2 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
1 ripe banana, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 apple, grated
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
2 T. good quality curry powder
1 T. garam masala
ketchup
soy sauce
tonkatsu sauce
salt & pepper
1 T. brown sugar
2 T. sour cream

1. In a large pot, saute onion slices in butter or olive oil over medium-low heat until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Add meat to pot and brown (add additional oil if needed). Add carrots and potatoes and sauteed onions. Add banana, garlic and apple. Cover with water and cook for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat and cook until brown. Add flour and mix constantly for 5 minutes. Add curry powder, remove from heat and continue to stir for another 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water slowly, mixing constantly until smooth. If there are too many lumps, put mixture in jar and shake well until mixed.

3. Add the curry sauce to the meat & veggies. Add more water if it is too thick (mine didn't need this). Continue to cook.

4. Add garam masala and a dash/squirt each of ketchup, soy sauce, tonkatsu sauce, salt and pepper. Stir in brown sugar; taste and adjust seasonings.

5. Right before serving, stir in sour cream. Serve over or alongside rice. Serves 4 starving people.

Iowa Butterhorn Rolls

I haven't tried making these rolls yet so I don't know how easy they are. They kind of sound like they might be a pain to make, but they taste amazing. I am pretty sure they will be in heaven.

1 pkg. yeast
1 T. sugar
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. milk
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/4 t. salt
3 eggs. slightly beaten
4 1/2 c. flour
Additional melted butter

1. Combine yeast, sugar and warm water in a small bowl.

2. Scald milk (heat on the stove until it bubbles). Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, butter and salt. Cool milk mixture completely.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the yeast mixture, the cooled milk mixture and the eggs and flour. Mix well; put in greased bowl. Brush with melted butter. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

4. Put 1/4 of dough at a time on lightly floured board and roll into 8 inch circle. Brush with melted butter. Cut like a pie into 8 triangle pieces. Roll up wide end to point.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Makes 32 rolls.

Japanese Carrot Dressing

for Tami.....

1/2 c. grated carrot
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. orange juice
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. grated ginger
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Mix all ingredients together and serve over crunchy greens.

This is from a Moosewood Restaurant cookbook but I substituted OJ for mirin (Japanese rice wine?) and added brown death.

Honey Mustard Dressing

If you are addicted to all things honey-mustard, like me, you Must try this salad dressing.

6 T. olive oil
2 T. honey
2 T. dijon mustard
2 T. white wine vinegar (I like to use TJ's white balsamic vinegar)
1 tsp. black pepper
dash of salt
dash of garlic
sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional)

Mix all ingredients in medium bowl and whisk until emulsified. Chill until ready to serve. This is really good on a spinach salad with mushrooms, bacon and hardboiled eggs.

Spanikopita Bake

I know that practically every recipe on here uses spinach and cheese, but I just can't help myself.

So here you go... no phyllo dough to mess with and so, so, so easy.

-----------------
a little olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped (about a cup?)
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
10 oz. fresh spinach, roughly chopped
6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1 egg
1 c. milk
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt (use less if you decide to go overboard on the feta)
dash of dill (optional)

1. Saute onions in large non-stick skillet in a teeny bit of olive oil over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, saute 5-7 minutes more, or until onions are starting to look a little caramelized. Add spinach and cook until just wilted. Transfer mixture to 8x8 pan. Cover with crumbled feta cheese.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat egg and add milk, flour, salt and dill if desired. Pour this mixture over spinach/cheese.

3. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 or until set.

Polenta Veggie Carne Asada Rachel Ray Knock Off Casserole

for Marie...

*by the way, this is gluten free, and one of my favorites. I kind of make it a lot - I'm so surprised it's not already on this blog that I actually just went and double-checked and wouldyabelieve, nope, it's not. So here you go!


1) Mix together in 2 qt. saucepan:
1 c. cornmeal
1/2 tsp. each salt & sage
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Stir in:
3 cups cold water


Cook, stirring constantly, until very thick. Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.

2)
While polenta is baking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (no need to get your mis-en-place beforehand, just chop as you go). Add to skillet in this order:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups frozen corn kernals, defrosted (I like the roasted kind from TJ's) or a can of corn, drained
4 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped
1 green chile pepper or 2 jalapenos (how do you do an N with a ~ on a laptop??), seeded and chopped. Saute about 3 minutes.

Then add:

2 small zucchini, diced
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. chili powder

Cook 7-8 minutes.

Add:

1 14-oz. can stewed tomatoes or salsa,

and heat through.

3)
When polenta comes out of oven, let it hang out for a while - 10 minutes? Then spread skillet mixture over polenta in baking dish. Top with:

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Bake for 10 minutes at 425. Optional but pretty: sprinkle finished dish with chopped green onions (about 1 T.) and cilantro (about 1 T.).

SO --> that is how you do the vegetarian version. To add carne asada, I think I just got a package of it from TJ's, not sure of the size, and sauteed it until brown in another skillet or maybe in the same skillet before I did the olive oil/corn/garlic/chile part, then set it aside and stirred it back in when I stirred in the tomatoes/salsa.

Have fun and let me know how it turns out if you try it!
By the way, this is a good one to bring to church potlucks. :)

Ruth Enas's Pesto Green Beans

For Lindsay :)

1 c. (8 oz. container) heavy cream
1 7 oz. container pesto
3 cans green beans
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 c. toasted pine nuts

1. Mix cream and pesto in saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 min.

2. Stir in green beans, cheese and nuts. Heat through and serve. Serves 8.

Napa Cabbage Salad

This is soooooooo yummy, one of my faves. If you're going to make a huge main-dish salad for several people, double the dressing recipe.

Dressing
---------
1/2 c. oil (olive is good)
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. white vinegar (I like to use rice vinegar)
1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. salt

Shake all ingredients together in a screw-top jar.


Salad
-------
Napa cabbage (or regular cabbage, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce - whatever is crunchy)
toasted almonds
toasted sesame seeds (I do these two together on the tray in my toaster oven)
uncooked ramen noodles, crunched up
dried cranberries
mandarin orange segments (from a can or fresh, although that's more work)
cilantro
green or red onion
avocado
feta cheese (I know it sounds weird, but it is good)

Add some chicken and crumbled bacon and it's not vegetarian anymore, but it's sooo good.

Blackstrap Molasses

I learned something new, from experience. Blackstrap molasses is Really Strong! I made the Joy of Cooking gingerbread recipe, but used blackstrap, and all you can taste is... Blackstrap.

Yep, even with that tablespoon of ginger in there.

Nice.


this blogging style has been brought to you by Brad Lenzner.

Justin's Favorite Elegant Chicken

I am guessing Justin likes this dish because it is not one, not two, but Three kinds of meat. If you are wondering what beef chips are, I have no idea and neither does Moi. Ha! But this sounds DE-licious!

4 whole boneless chicken breasts
4 oz. dried chipped beef, cut into about 1 inch pieces
1/2 pint sour cream
8 slices bacon
paprika
1 can cream of chicken, mushroom, or celery soup

Cut the breasts in half and wrap them in bacon. Rinse chipped beef
to remove some of the salt. Place 1/2 of the chipped beef in bottom
of 9x13 inch baking pan. Lay chicken breast halves on top. Layer
rest of chipped beef over chicken. Blend sour cream and soup and
pour over layers. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover with foil. Bake at
275 degrees for 3 hours or at 350 for 1 hour. It's best when slow-cooked,
but can be baked in 1 hour. You can also put it together ahead of time
and store in refrigerator until baking.

Gluten-Free Cornbread

For Mom and whoever else.....

2 Tbsp. shortening
2 c. corn meal
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. honey (optional)
1 egg
1 3/4 c. buttermilk (I used soy milk and a little lemon juice for a dairy-free version)

1. Put shortening in cast iron skillet in 400 oven.

2. Mix corn meal, baking powder, soda, salt, & honey (if using). Add egg and buttermilk (or soy milk). Add heated shortening to batter and put batter into heated skillet. Bake at 400 for 25-35 minutes or until brown.

Apple Puff Pancake

I find myself with an abundance of apples of all different varieties. Of course, this forces one to get creative in finding uses for them all! Here is a recipe that absolutely must be shared with the world... it is amazing. This is the small recipe which Ken and I can easily polish off by ourselves. You can also triple this and bake it in a 9x13.

2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. flour
1 Tbsp. white sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. butter
2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. brown sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. In blender, mix eggs, milk, flour, white sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon (it may be a little lumpy).

3. Melt butter in 8x8x2 baking dish in oven. Add apple slices to butter and return to oven until you hear sizzling (do not brown apples). Remove from oven and pour batter over apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar (optional). Bake in middle of oven 20 minutes until puffy and brown.

All you need to serve this with is a tiny drizzle of real maple syrup. It's sooooooo good.

Potato-Spinach-Sausage-Cheese Casserole

Before I forget, here's the link to the potato, spinach, sausage and cheese casserole that Christa brought us when Claire was brand-new. It was SUPER good and I even ate some for breakfast (that's how good it was!). I highly recommend this one next time you have to take a meal to somebody or to a church potluck, or whatever. I think it's my new favorite casserole.

Indian Pizza

I still don't have my own kitchen... but I am dying to try this soon. I love that it's all basically stuff you would have on hand anyway, except goat cheese and maybe potatoes. Go Midwest Living!

Once A Month Cooking Report and Punch

I promised a report on how it works to do "Once A Month Cooking" when you're 9 months pregnant. Yeah, I wouldn't recommend it. Even if you're seriously nesting, it is exhausting. I had to sit down while kneading dough and other stupid stuff like that. So, probably won't do it again... at least not while I'm in that state.

We're in Ohio now, staying at a fabulous farm, waiting to move into our new digs (our house is almost ready). I'm looking forward to throwing an open house style party with all the best appetizers and... some punch. I have never made punch before. Not sure why... probably because I don't have a punch bowl. But I am going to go out and buy one because it just sounds so fun. I was actually inspired by Mom at a party she threw while we were up there last month. In her typical style she said, "Oh yeah, it's easy to just whip* some up. You just throw* some cranberry juice in and then toss* some ginger ale in, and, voilá."

* Please note the violent character of all these verbs.

ANYWAY - if anybody has a good punch recipe or idea, please pass it on. Not that anybody reads my blog anymore, and not that I blame them, since I haven't posted since baby.

Once A Month Cooking

Now that I am a housewife, I'm going to try "once a month cooking" ... to stock up for when the baby comes. Instead of cooking for a whole month, I'm going to make 14 meals, and see how long that lasts us. They're nothing too exciting, just a bunch of chicken dishes and soups, but hopefully they will sound good to tired parents and mean that we (I) don't have to cook.

If it works well, I'll describe the whole process in detail right here. Stay tuned. :)

Sukiyaki

1 lb. good quality beef such as rib-eye steak, raw and sliced as thinly as possible
1 head Napa cabbage, washed and sliced in 1" pieces
5-6 green onions, sliced into 2" pieces
1 pkg. firm tofu, cut into 1" cubes
Shiitake or other variety of mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch spinach, washed thoroughly and cut into 1-2" pieces (or baby spinach)
vegetable oil
brown sugar
soy sauce
sake wine
hot cooked white rice, for serving

1. Heat 2 T. oil in a large skillet (*note: an electric skillet or griddle works best so the sukiyaki can cook right on the table). Sizzle about one-third or half the beef in the oil. Sprinkle with 1 T. brown sugar. Add a splash each of soy sauce and sake. When the meat is brown, remove from the skillet (leave the juice/sauce in the skillet).

2. Place some of the chopped cabbage in the skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes or until slightly wilted. Gather the cabbage to one side of the skillet and add some green onion, tofu, mushrooms. Place the cooked beef on top of the cooking vegetables.

3. Add some spinach last and cook until barely wilted (30 seconds?). Provide empty bowls and a couple large spoons to let folks get what they want out of the skillet. Serve alongside bowls of hot cooked rice.

4. When you are ready for seconds, add more raw beef and give it a minute to cook before adding remaining veggies. When you add more beef you can also add more "sauce" (brown sugar, soy sauce and sake) if you want.

Homemade Dried Apples

All I did was peel and core a Granny Smith apple, slice it thinly (1/4"), place on top of waxed paper on a cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake at 200 for 2 or 3 hours, stirring every hour or so (just lift them off the wax paper so they don't stick)

What came out was some apples like dried apples, and some more like apple chips. Both tasted amazing. Totally awesome snack!

Bringing Back an Old Favorite: A Variation on Mediterranean Strata

This weekend I had an awesome combination of ingredients hanging about in my fridge, so I adapted this old favorite into a spinach and mushroom variation. This was yummy for dinner but even better for breakfast the next day:

3 c. bread cubes/torn pieces (stale is better)
2 T. olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 c. sliced mushrooms
2-3 c. washed chopped spinach
3/4 c. crumbled feta or grated parmesan cheese
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. chicken broth or water (if using water add 1 tsp. salt)
black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 10" pie dish with olive oil; place bread pieces in dish.

2. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onions 5-10 minutes or until golden. Add garlic and mushrooms; saute 2-5 minutes more. Add spinach and saute until wilted. Place onion mixture on top of bread pieces; spread out if necessary. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top.

3. In a large-ish bowl, beat eggs. Add broth or water, black pepper and salt if using; stir to combine. Pour egg mixture slowly over top, pressing with the back of a spoon to moisten bread so egg mixture will soak in.

4. Bake 35-45 minutes at 350. Test for doneness with a knife. It will be big and puffy but will deflate after a few minutes.

Valentine's Day Salmon

We got our Valentine's Day Dinner recipe from an awesome food blog, which Christa kindly pointed out to me a couple weeks ago. The salmon was expensive, but amazing. I am about to go eat the leftovers for lunch.

Here's the recipe.

The only thing we did differently was substitute extra sake for the mirin (Japanese rice wine), so instead of 1/2 c. of each, we used 1 full cup sake.

Sides were sweet potato "fries" (in the oven), wilted spinach, french bread and roasted broccoli (using the roasted asparagus recipe).

Reason #11

The Winds Cafe. Now I am *really* excited.

Top 10 things about Dayton

Maybe you didn't know this, but Dayton, Ohio, is actually exceedingly cool. I cannot wait to live there, for the following reasons:

1. They have seasons... for real... probably complete with beautiful fall colors.
2. They have the Eckardts
3. They have tornadoes (oh wait that's not cool)
4. It is probably weird in a cool way, like Chattanooga
5. It's only a 7 hour drive from Chattanooga.. read: frequent visits to Sus and Marie!
6. No matter how weird it is, it's where little Baby Mo will spend the first year of her life, so the memories are guaranteed to be sweet!
7. I will have my own refrigerator again! (It is yet to be decided if that small perk is worth giving up the fabulous ambiance of the avocado house along with one housemate who acts on every whim to bake something amazing and then share, and the other one who does my dishes all the time... and did I mention they both have fabulously loud laughs)
8. We will get to be real Americans for the first time ever. Living on the west coast you don't really feel like one, and living in Chattanooga you just feel like a $%&* Yankee, but I bet people in Ohio are real Americans. Like the kind that fly flags outside their homes.
9. I just cannot wait to check out Carillon Park. What the heck is a Carillon, anyway?
10. It is a wicked-cheap place to live!

We are hoping to get some sort of a three-bedroom place. This means that you're welcome to visit :)

Hot Artichoke Dip

I am posting Erin N's artichoke dip recipe so the next time Katie asks me for it (usually about every 6 months), I can just send her a link instead of typing it out again :)

1 15-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
(sometimes I also throw in some chopped spinach)
1 c. mayonnaise
4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 package)
3/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced or pressed
a dash of dill

Mix all ingredients in 8x8 dish. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Serve warm with those stellar organic tortilla chips from Trader Joe's.

Red Snapper with Ginger Sauce

This recipe is from Better Homes & Gardens Healthy Family Cookbook, a wedding gift from Moi-Moi. It's one of Ken's faves!

cooking spray or olive oil
1 lb. red snapper or other firm white fish
red pepper, cut into strips
zucchini, sliced diagonally, about 1/4" thick (I have substituted a green pepper and/or sliced onions for the zucchini)
1/4 c. soy sauce
3 T. white wine or water (I use sake if I have it)
1 T. grated ginger (I just mince - grating is a pain)
1 garlic clove, quartered
2 green onions, sliced
more green onions cut into long thin strips for garnish if desired
hot cooked rice for serving

1. Preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan with cooking spray (or brush w/ olive oil). Lay fish and veggies on broiler pan.

2. In a blender, mix soy sauce, wine, ginger, garlic and green onions until blended well. Brush fish with sauce and place remaining sauce in saucepan. Broil fish 6-9 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork and the veggies are roasted.

3. Bring sauce to just boiling. Serve alongside fish (garnished with green onions), veggies and hot cooked rice.

Sauerbraten Meatballs

Have you ever purchased some ground beef and then wondered what the heck to do with it? Here is one interesting idea. My mom has a brilliant meatball recipe that Tami and I improved upon last evening. We then tossed it with some sauerbraten sauce (German sweet and sour?) - another brilliant recipe of Mom's.

Meatballs
1 lb. lean ground beef
chopped onions (Mom says 1/4 c., I say more)
1/3 c. oats (or crushed corn chips if you want gluten-free)
1 egg
salt
pepper
dash of red wine
some fresh parsley or dried parsley flakes
garlic powder
a generous dash or two or three of Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix by hand. Form into meatballs, place on cookie sheet or broiler pan and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. It might help to stir them partway through the cooking to ensure a rounder shape.

Sauerbraten Sauce
1 c. water
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar (or whatever vinegar you have lying around)
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. cloves
6 ginger snaps, crumbled*
1 T. brown sugar
Salt
Pepper

*If you don't have gingersnaps--> sub some powdered ginger, a little more brown sugar, and some flour.

1. Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan. Bring to a boil to reduce a little bit. Simmer for 10-20 minutes over low heat.

2. Remove bay leaf and pour sauce over meatballs.

Best Asparagus Ever

This is Heather Gideon's roasted asparagus method. It is brilliant and I am never going back.

Asparagus, washed and ends snapped off
olive oil
kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 500.

2. Arrange asparagus in single layer on cookie sheet.

3. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with salt (and pepper if you want). Bake for 10-12 minutes.

YUM. I did this with just a bit of asparagus for Ken and me, in the toaster oven. Love it.

Gingerbread Stuffing

I don't know if I should post this, since it is still in the oven - 3 minutes to go - and hasn't even been tasted yet. The idea of gingerbread + bacon in stuffing came from my new food hero, Nigella Lawson, but I didn't really follow her recipe - just used it as a springboard. Another disclaimer: it's not really stuffing, it's technically dressing. I don't stuff turkeys. Just people.

1 recipe gingerbread (Joy of Cooking's is awesome - but I used half the amount of sugar, butter, and molasses)
5 apples - Granny Smith or eating apples (I used a variety)
2 onions
8-10 stalks celery
1-2 cups chicken broth
6 strips bacon

1. Dry out and crumble up gingerbread. Chop apples, celery and onions.

2. In a large frying pan or griddle, fry the bacon. Crumble and set aside. Drain *most* of the fat out of the pan. Add onions to the pan and saute in a little bacon fat until translucent. Add apples and celery; saute 5-10 minutes longer. Add gingerbread crumbs and bacon; stir to combine. Moisten with chicken broth.

3. Transfer stuffing to 9x13 pan, bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

OK I just tasted some... it is amazing. Try this at home.

Mint Hummus Dip - from Martha

1/2 c. olive oil, divided
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 c. fresh mint, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
3 T. fresh lemon juice
coarse salt
black or cayenne pepper

1. Heat 1/4 c. of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions for 8 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes more. Add garbanzo beans and cook for 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool 10-15 minutes.

2. Place mint, parsley, lemon juice, salt and garbanzo bean mixture in food processor or blender (on my blender, the "chop" mode works well) and begin to mix. While the machine is going, pour in the remaining 1/4 c. (more or less) olive oil in a slow steady stream. Remove from blender, add pepper and taste to adjust seasonings.

3. Serve warm, drizzle some olive oil on top and more cayenne pepper, or if you used black pepper, sprinkle paprika on top... something red. :)

Link to some So Cal wildfire pics

You are probably sick of seeing pictures of these fires, but WSC has posted just a few interesting ones on their website.

The top left one is what we woke up to around 7 AM on Monday morning: half the sky bright blue like a typical San Diego day, and the other half a blackish orangish cloud completely covering the horizon to the south and creeping eastward.

When the whole sky turned pinkish orange, we were like, Peace, and hightailed it to SF.

Annoying

http://www.greenlakepc.org/

A link to good old Greenlake PCA you might suppose? Nope. Click on it. This is a whole new Greenlake.

Greenlake is trying to be Mars Hill... and I find that highly annoying. Mars Hill is an intriguing phenomenon... but is it compatible with the PCA? Apparently. Can someone please explain to me why this bothers me?

Roasted Fall Vegetables

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into pieces 1/2" or smaller
2-3 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into pieces 1/2" or smaller
1 large onion, cut into 1/2" pieces
olive oil
pure maple syrup
dash of sage
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450. Place squash, potatoes and onion in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, syrup, sage, salt and pepper.

2. Turn into a glass baking dish (9x13). Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, stirring occasionally.

- merged recipes from Claire's Corner Copia, Better Homes and Gardens and Betty Crocker.

-------
This is Mary's and my favorite dish to make in the fall. Last fall we made it like 10 times. The best part was when Esther came along and was like, "yuk," and then had some and wanted seconds. It is really good served along with cranberries. YUMMM

English Scones

for Christa - hope you enjoy!

2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. shortening
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. currants or raisins (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Sift dry ingredients together into mixing bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles crumbs. Make a hollow in the center; add egg, milk and currants/raisins. Mix into a stiff dough, kneading well.

3. Place dough on ungreased baking sheet. Shape into a flat circle about 1" thick. Using a sharp knife, score the circle with 4 cuts making 8 triangle-shaped scones. Do not cut all the way through.

4. Bake 15-18 minutes. Serve with butter and jam or clotted cream if you are feeling really British. Makes 8 scones.

Chilies Rellenos

one of the best recipes ever - from Cheryl Hufnagel

1 7 oz. can green chilies - whole or diced
3/4 lb. shredded cheddar or jack (or both) cheese (I never measure)
2 eggs
2 c. milk
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Split chilies if using whole. Lay chilies in a 7x11 baking dish and cover with cheese.

2. In a bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, flour and salt; whisk/stir well to combine. (OK if you can't get all the lumps of flour out.)

3. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until set. Let cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with salsa if desired.

Black Bean Burgers

Inspired by Betty Crocker. Loved by Tami Montgomery.

1 can black beans, drained
1 egg
1 c. crushed corn tortilla chips
1/4 c. TJ's salsa verde
1 tsp. chili powder
dash cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
1/4 c. corn meal
2 T. olive oil
buns, condiments etc.

1. Place drained black beans in blender. Blend (may need to add egg if it's too dry). Pour mixture into bowl. Stir in crushed chips, salsa, chili powder and pepper. Mix well. (If it's not holding together well, add more crushed chips.)

2. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Put corn meal in a pie plate or shallow dish. Form black bean mixture into 6 patties. Dip each side into corn meal. Fry in olive oil until crispy. Serve on hamburger bun with lettuce, tomato, salsa, avocado, or whatever you want.

Fallen Tree

A tree fell down at work... actually part of a tree. It wasn't windy or anything; it was just a big rotten eucalyptus whose time had come. It very nearly caused damage but just brushed the side of the library. Imagine the librarian's surprise to find this out his window on Monday morning!

Anyway this is Ryan demonstrating what would have happened if it fell during lunch time.

Photo courtesy of Sunny Chung.

Fruit Salad Dressing

This is a recipe I made up... not stolen from anyone. :) Therefore the measurements are totally arbitrary. This is an fabulous dessert for a hot summer's day.

1/2 c. Plain Yogurt (French Style creamline yogurt from TJ's is the best)
1 T. Brown sugar

Mix together and toss with fresh fruit.

Variation: use 1 T. real maple syrup (not Aunt Jemima) instead of brown sugar. Mm, mm, mm. Tastes extra good in the fall drizzled over apples and persimmons.

Jamaican Black Bean Pot with White Rice

from One Pot Meals Cookbook

2 14.5 oz cans black beans, drained
1 bay leaf
2 T. oil
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 T. molasses
2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. cayenne pepper or dried chili flakes
Salt & pepper
1 2/3 c. broth
1 red pepper diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 ½ lb. butternut squash, seeded/peeled and diced (1/2 inch dice)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place beans and bay leaf in casserole dish with lid.

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium low heat. Sauté onion and garlic about 5 min or until soft. Stir in molasses, sugar, thyme, cayenne/chili flakes and S&P. Cook about 1 minute. Pour into casserole dish. Add broth to casserole dish, mix all well. Bake uncovered 25 minutes.

3. Remove dish from oven, add peppers and squash, mix well. Cover dish, bake for 45 minutes more. Serve with hot rice.

Mediterranean Strata

Mediterranean Strata
- from Better Homes & Gardens Vegetarian Cookbook

3 c. bread cubes/torn pieces (stale is better)
1 medium red bell pepper
2 T. olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 c. sliced mushrooms (optional, unless you are Jaclyn, then - essential) :)
OR 1/2 c. sliced olives (I've used green and kalamata)
3/4 c. crumbled feta or grated parmesan cheese (or grated swiss = Fake Quiche Lorraine)
6 eggs
2 c. chicken broth (or 1 3/4 c. broth and 1/4 c. white wine)
black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450. Slice red pepper in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place on foil-lined baking sheet skin side up and bake for 15 minutes or until skin bubbles. Let cool; peel skin off and coarsely chop.

2. Reduce oven heat to 350. Grease a 10" pie dish with olive oil; place bread pieces in dish.

3. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onions 5-10 minutes or until golden. Add garlic and mushrooms (if using); saute 2-5 minutes more. Add red pepper, heat through. Place onion mixture on top of bread pieces; spread out if necessary. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top.

4. In a large-ish bowl, beat eggs. Add chicken broth (and wine if using) and black pepper; stir to combine. Pour egg mixture slowly over top, pressing with the back of a spoon to moisten bread so egg mixture will soak in.

5. Bake 35-45 minutes at 350. Test for doneness with a toothpick. It will be big and puffy but will deflate after a few minutes.

Time and Money

You know how you never have time and money at the same time? It's either one or the other? Well right now I have neither one. I am busy AND poor. :) But.. as I have been recently reminded, it is all a matter of perspective.

And anyway, guess what I do have right now...

1. Great Friends
2. Free Avocados.

Life is good.

(OK this was a total Brad Lenzner post.)

How Washington State are You?

http://www.gotoquiz.com/how_washington_state_are_you

I am 93% Washington State... whatever that means. It was fun though. The only thing that would have made this quiz better is if it showed which ones you got wrong.

Spanakopita

It is easier than it sounds. The only weird thing you have to buy is phyllo dough, in the freezer section by the puff pastry (next to the frozen waffles).

This unbelievably quick and easy recipe for this is stolen from none other than Martha herself. I tried to link to it on her website but it isn't there. So here it is from my memory:

SPANAKOPITA**
3 T. Olive Oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 lb. baby spinach
1 egg
6 oz. feta cheese
3 T. dried dill
3 T. dried parsley (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley)
9 sheets phyllo dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute about 8 minutes or until soft. Add garlic, saute one minute longer. Gradually add spinach; saute about 5 minutes or until wilted.

2. In large bowl, beat egg and add dill, parsley and feta cheese. Add spinach mixture to bowl and mix well.

3. Butter a cookie sheet. Place one sheet of phyllo on cookie sheet and brush with melted butter. Repeat twice. (Keep damp towel on top of phyllo while you aren't using it - this keeps it from drying out and breaking.) Spread spinach-cheese mixture over phyllo. Top with 3 more sheets of buttered phyllo and roll in the edges to seal. Butter remaining 3 sheets and crumple over the top.

4. Bake for 40 minutes - spanakopita should be a deep golden-brown.

**Upon tasting this, Ken Montgomery almost died and went to heaven.

Vegetable Broth from Scratch

... because you asked.

some carrots, peeled and cut in 2 inch chunks
some celery, cut in 2-3 inch pieces
onion, cut in 1/8s
16 cups water (Use asparagus or artichoke leftover cooking water if you have it handy)
salt and pepper to taste

Throw all ingredients in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple hours. Then, freeze 1 cup amounts in plastic bowls/cups so it keeps for longer!

The best way to do this is: if you happen to be cooking asparagus or artichokes or something else that makes green water, pour the water into a big pot and add the cut-up veggies. That was how I did it last time and it worked out great.

Perks:
- yummy broth that's lower in sodium and has no MSG
- good use for ugly veggies from your garden
- you can feel really resourceful and productive and Martha-esque

Award-Winning Texan White Chili

Dear Friends, I apologize for my long silence but I blame it on Facebook. It is just way more addicting and fun than blogging. :( Nevertheless, another recipe has come up in recent weeks that needs to be posted here.

History:
Abigail Lundelius, a Covenant College friend who hails from Texas, gave me this recipe. Her parents created it and it won awards because it is so ridiculously good.

Here it is as I received it from Abigail and I will let you in on my substitutions afterward:

WHITE CHILI
1/2 stick butter
2 lg. onions - chopped
2 T. chopped garlic
2 T. cumin seed
2 c. water
4 cans navy beans
3 cans white hominy (one blended to puree)
2 cans white shoepeg corn
1 can chopped green chilis (opt.)
2 or more jalapenos - minced
5-7 chicken breasts, diced
1/2 c. lime juice
2-3 T. ground cumin
salt to taste*

In a large pot, saute onion in butter until translucent. Add garlic and cumin seed and continue to saute 2 minutes or so, but do not allow to burn. Add water, beans, hominy, shoepeg corn, green chilis, jalapeno peppers and chicken to the pot. Simmer awhile. Add lime juice, ground cumin and any additional water to desired consistency. Salt to taste.*

*You will want to add a LOT of salt if you are having Santosh over for dinner.

OK - my subsitutions:
1) Instead of the 2 c. water, I use 2 c. homemade vegetable broth. It makes it more flavorful and you don't have to add as much salt at the end.

2) If I don't have navy beans, I use white kidney beans or great northern beans.

3) I am pretty sure we don't have white hominy in California, so I just use 5 cans of white corn - and if I can't find white corn, I just use yellow. Who cares?

4) This one is obvious but it must be stated for the record: lemon juice can be used instead of lime. :)

5) Not a substitution, but I just leave the cumin seed out at the beginning. I don't have cumin seed - just ground cumin, so I add a little extra at the end when it calls for ground cumin.

Let me know if you make this and how it turns out. Enjoy!

Ben is a Dad

Congratulations!