Spinach Quiche

Spinach Quiche

Pie Crust
makes two 9" pie crusts or one double crust

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tsp sugar
7 Tbsp butter
5 Tbsp ice water
(2 tsp vodka)

Put flour, salt, sugar and butter in a food processor with the S-blade
Process until the butter is in small pieces
Add the ice water
Process until the dough looks like course crumbs
Divide the dough in half and roll to desired size
Trim and shape the edges
Freeze until ready to use.

Filling
1 10oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
2 med onions coarsely chopped
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
Cottage cheese

(Milk, Cheddar cheese, Feta, parmesan cheese, Mushrooms, chopped ham, crumbled bacon, Bac-Os, bell peppers, sausage)

Preheat the over to 375
Defrost the spinach
Saute the onions
Put the onions, spinach, eggs, salt and pepper in the blender and puree
Add enough milk and/or cheese to make 5 cups of filling.
Puree again
Stir in additional ingredients
Pour into frozen pie shells
Bake for 40 min
Let rest for 15 min
Serve

Theory of the Dish
Basically this is a custard tart. Pureeing the spinach gives it a light fluffy texture almost like a soufflé. The first time I tried this I used milk instead of cottage cheese and sprinkled the top of one pie with parmesan and the other with Bac-Os. That worked out well although the milk did separate a little. The cottage cheese version is richer. With feta instead of cottage cheese it is almost a Greek spinach pie.

Rocky Road Cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup mini marshmallows

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350
Cream the butter and sugars together
Mix in the egg and vanilla
Mix in the flour, salt, and baking soda
Mix in chips, walnuts, and marshmallows
Drop onto cookie trays (I use a #40 disher and parchment paper)
Bake for 15 minutes or until they begin to brown at the edges.
Makes 18 cookies

Theory of the Dish
I need to find recipes to use a bunch of mini marshmallow. So I experimented with making Rocky Road Cookies using a Chocolate Chip recipe as a base. The first batch came out too thin so I added more flour. These came out very nice.

The last November post

Now that we're really into late fall here, that is , it is gray and the days are short, we are thinking a lot about new interesting recipes. Liam and I discovered this recipe from Bon Appetit and it was a hit . I have also included a recipe for white sandwich bread.

Roasted Yam and Apple Salad
Combine:
3 pounds of peeled, cubed yams
2T oil
1T sesame oil
1T cumin seeds(I used ground cumin)
1t salt
Roast this at 375 until tender and lightly browned~ 45-60 minutes then cool
Combine with:
3 large Fuji/Gala apples cubed
2 c green grapes
1 c dried cranberries
1/2 c sliced almonds
Include juices from yams scraping the baking sheet.
Add vinaigrette:( and toss)
21/2 T apple cider vinegar
1T curry powder
21/2t honey
3/4t Dijon mustard
1/2 c oil

White Sandwich Bread
1c warm water
1 1/2c buttermilk(you can use milk instead, the buttermilk keeps it moist)
2T yeast
1/4c sugar
1/4c oil
1t salt
5-6 c flour
Dissolve yeast in water, add next 5 ingredients and 2 cups of flour and let proof for 15 minutes. Gradually add enough flour to make soft/firm dough. Knead about 5-10 minutes until smooth. Let rise until double. Punch down, form into 2 loaves(I roll out an oval and roll it up ,tucking the seam side down) and put in 2 8x4 1/2 greased pans , let rise until slightly above pan. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes until golden and hollow sounding when rapped.

Gypsy Soup...this is the name given by the Spokesman Review in the recipe section. I was in the mood to try something new and it was well received. I did make a substitution of carrots and cubed Yukon golds for the yams as I didn't want to go to the store. The flavor combination was very nice and the cinnamon gave no overt flavor but enhanced the other spices.
2 T. olive oil
3 c. Diced onions
1T. garlic chopped
3 c. yam-diced
2 ribs celery chopped
Saute in stock pot 5 minutes
Add:
1 green bell pepper diced
1 T paprika
1 1/2 t tumeric
1 1/2 t basil
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
dash cayenne or dried chilies
saute 3 more minutes
Add and simmer until vegetables are tender- 20-30 minutes
1 1/2 c diced tomatoes
2 c. garbanzo beans (2 15 oz cans)
4 c vegetable broth(I actually used left0ver turkey broth)

Flax Meal Cookies

Flax Meal Cookies (gluten free)

Ingredients
1 cup flax meal
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 or 2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F
Mix the ingredients
Line a cookie tray with parchment paper
Drop batter onto lined tray with a #40 disher (makes 1 doz)
Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges begin to brown
Allow to cool before removing from tray

Theory of the Dish
I was trying to find some use for Flax Meal. Most sources say it can substituted for oil 3 to 1. That is not very helpful. Flax meal may be the nutritional equivalent of oil but it is not the culinary equivalent of oil. In thinking of something to compare it to I thought about peanuts and of my simple peanut butter cookies. This was my attempt to substitute flax meal for the peanut butter in that recipe.
With just one egg the batter is very stiff and the cookies need to be flattened. The result is like oatmeal cookies. With two eggs the cookies really spread out and are very thin and chewy, like caramal with nuts.

Fall Food - Ratatouille

Ratatouille

Ingredients
2 Tbls olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 med eggplant, chopped
2 med zucchini, chopped
1 can (15oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
3-4 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 bayleaf
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Saute the onions in the olive oil.
2. Add the eggplant and zucchini and continue to cook stirring occasionally.
3. When the eggplant begins to soften add the rest of the ingredients.
4. Cover and allow to simmer until all of the eggplant and zucchini is soft, 1-2 hours.
5. Serve hot or cold. Good with cheese.

Theory of the Dish

To me Ratatouille is a mixture of eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes, flavored with onions, garlic, and Italian spices. Quantities and details may vary.

This dish keeps well, it is even better the second day.

Braised Lamb with Apricots

Now that the fall is arriving, I'm thinking of stocking my freezer with some of the lamb available at our local farmer's market. I like recipes that use a slow cooking method, particularly for odd cuts of lamb (like the neck bones I've gotten on a few occasions). What I like most about it is the way the fruit complements the lamb. If you do use neck bones instead of filet, this ceases to be a dish for company, though -- unless you enjoy making strangers pick little pieces of bone out of the sauce. This is also a mild version of a Moroccan-style dish. You could certainly increase the amount of spice if you liked (this may also depend on the flavor of the lamb you can get) and add more cinnamon or cumin.

The recipe is adapted from my Mediterranean Food of the Sun cookbook"

2 T. oil
1 1/2 lbs. cubed lamb
2 med. onions (or 12 oz. pearl onions)
2 cloves garlic
3-4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped
[optional: 3 c. mushrooms ]
1/4 to 1/3 c. dried apricots
1 c. lamb or beef stock
1 c. red wine
1 T. tomato paste
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 325º
On the stovetop, heat the oil in a large casserole, add the lamb, and brown. Remove the meat and set aside.
Add the onions, parsley, garlic, and mushrooms (if you're including them). Sauté for about 5 minutes.
Return the meat to the casserole, add the dried apricots, stock, wine, cinnamon, pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cover. Place the casserole in the oven and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the lamb is tender. Stir once or twice during this time and add additional stock if necessary.

The original recipe recommends making dumplings, but I only do this rarely:
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. butter
2-3 T. cold water
salt
1/2 T. fresh herbs (parsley, chives)

Mix the ingredients as you would mix biscuit dough (cut shortening and salt into the flour until it resembles coarse meal; then sprinkle in the water until the dough forms a ball; add in herbs).
Make dough into balls the size of walnuts. Take the lid off the casserole and place the dumplings on top and re-cover.
Increase the oven temperature to 375º and cook the casserole in the oven for another 20-25 minutes, until dumplings are cooked.

Quick Spinach Soup

Quick Spinach Soup

Ingredients
*1 10oz pkg of frozen chopped spinach
*2-3 onions coarsely chopped
*milk
*salt and pepper
*butter or oil

Instructions

1. Defrost the spinach
2. Saute the onions in the butter or oil until tender
3. combine the spinach, onions, salt, and pepper in a blender
4. add some milk
5. blend until the consistency you want, add milk as necessary.

Theory of the dish

This is easy it is just spinach onions and milk. Frozen spinach is better than fresh because fresh tends to be gritty. make sure to thoroughly cook the onions. raw onions are not a good flavor. Remember that spinach really soaks up the salt.

Making Do

Vegetable Soup with Dumplings

Vegetable Soup

• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 3 ribs celery
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion
• parsley
• chives
• water

Chop up the vegges and throw them in a pot with the spices and water.
While that is heating make the dumplings

Dumplings

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
  
• 3/4 -1 cup milk

Add enough milk to to make a batter that is not runny.
When the soup is simmering drop the batter in, in spoonfuls.
Cover and simmer for 10 min.
Serve immediately.

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Curried Cauliflower

• cauliflower
  
• cornmeal
• curry powder
• salt
• egg
• milk
• oil

Break the cauliflower into florets.
Mix the cornmeal, curry, salt, egg, and milk until it coats the spoon.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
Coat the cauliflower with the batter
Fry until crispy and browning on the edges.
Serve immediately.
(Leftover batter makes great hush puppies.)

Crabcakes

1# crab meat

2 eggs

2 T sour cream

1 c. soft bread crumbs

1 t lemon juice

salt

pepper

1/2 to 1 c. chopped green onion

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

Form into 12-13 patties 1" thick

Chill in frig

Bread with Panko

Fry in butter until golden

Summer Squash

When I was watching "Weeds" with Buddha and Kaaren Tuesday Buddha made a squash dish from a recipe his mother sent. It was very good.

Summer Squash Au Gratin

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced yellow squash
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 35 buttery round crackers, crushed
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place squash and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in a small mount of water. Cover, and cook until squash is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, and place in a large bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together cracker crumbs and cheese. Stir half of the cracker mixture into the cooked squash and onions.
4. In a small bowl, mix together eggs and milk, then add to squash mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cracker mixture, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Theory of the Dish
Summer Squash, eggs, milk, cheese. What could be simpler? Kaaren can't have anything green so Bu used yellow squash, but it would work just as well with zucchini.

Put me in mind of another summer squash recipe I like.

Cheesy Zucchini Casserole

Ingredients

• 5-8 small zucchini, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped fine
• 1 egg
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup grated cheese
• 2 Tbsp parsley
• paprika
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix everything but the paprika and Parmesan. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Sprinkle with the paprika and Parmesan.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Theory of the Dish
Pretty much the same as the previous recipe but with more cheese, less grain and a few more herbs.

Since zucchini is in season I picked up a few and made Mom's recipe for:

Sauteed Zucchini

Ingredients

• 1 med Zucchini, chopped
• 1 med onion, thinly sliced
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oil in frying pan
2. Add zucchini, onion, salt & pepper
3. Saute until the zucchini is soft

Theory of the Dish
This works with most vegetables. You could add garlic, and leave out the onions, or add basil and oregano if you want to get fancy. You could even sprinkle it with Parmesan if you want.

Sandwich festival

Continuing the theme of summer food and easy cooking, I thought I'd describe a recent sandwich dinner. It needs no particular accompaniment. If you find a vegetable sandwich insufficiently filling, have another.

Summer sandwiches (serves 2-4)

Filling:
6-8 small tomatoes, cut in half
2-4 medium onions, cut in half or in quarters
2-4 medium zucchini, cut into sticks (the size of sticks of gum)
10 oz. button mushrooms, cleaned, dried and halved
[other options: fennel, eggplant slices, sweet potatoes, peppers, whole garlic cloves]
toss the vegetables with olive oil to coat
sprinkle with salt and pepper
spread on 2 baking sheets or roasting pans
Roast in 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

Sandwich composition:
Take a slice of hearty bread of your choice. Arrange on it your choice of roasted vegetables.
Top with fresh basil or cilantro sprigs.
Other toppings: muffaletta mix (chopped green olives & peppers in oil and vinegar), wasabi paste or horseradish, roasted red pepper strips or spread, pitted black olives, hot sauce

For hot sandwiches:
Top your roasted vegetables and herbs with slices of mozzarella, havarti or another mild cheese. Place under the broiler until the cheese is melted and the sandwich is toasted.

To cook or not to cook, that is one question.

Now that summer is nearly here, we're changing our menu a little bit each week. This item you see here is an end-of-winter fruit salad, so it relies less on fresh fruit from local farmers and more on decoration. The key: star fruit may not always taste great (this one tasted like tough, watery grapefruit), but it puts on a good show.

The past few weeks, we've done a better job of trying out new restaurants in the area than we have of trying out lots of new dishes. Just last night, we took a healthful walk over to the nearest frozen custard stand (the chef recommends: la glace à la vanille avec du fudge chaud et d'ananas).

However, I am planning to buy lots of nice things from the farmers market very soon. Do you hear that, vegetables? I'm coming for you. Soon. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But someday. And then we'll see who gets wrapped in a crepe and covered with cheese sauce!

Omelets and Pizza

I started off the day with a nice omelet. I learned how to make omelets from Martha Stewart. Back when I was living with Lynn I would occasionally catch Martha's TV show. I don't remember why. But she gave a very simple explanation on how to make:

A Good Omelet.

Ingredients

• 4 oz sliced Baby Bellas
• 1/2 small onion diced
• 3 slices of deli ham, diced
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese
• 3 eggs
• Salt and Pepper
• butter

Instructions

1. Saute the onion and Baby Bellas (I don't know why Baby Bellas are cheaper than regular mushrooms).
2. Briefly beat the three eggs with the salt & pepper
3. Melt the butter in your best omelet pan
4. Pour in the beaten eggs. Use a spatula to move the edges of the cooked eggs in toward the center, while you tip the pan to spread the raw egg out around the edges.
5. When most of the egg is cooked sprinkle on the toppings.
6. Fold the omelet in half and slide it onto a plate.

Theory of the dish
It should be fine even without fillings, and omelet is just a fancy scrambled egg. And to be honest I used 2 slices of American Cheese, and onion powder instead of an onion.


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I was recently gifted with a bag of "Tuscan Gourmet" Pizza Mix. It consisted of a bag of spiced flour and smaller bag of sauce spices. I decided to make it tonight for dinner.

"Tuscan Gourmet" Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 bag "Tuscan Gourmet" Pizza Dough Mix
• 1 bag "Tuscan Gourmet" Pizza Sauce Mix
• 2 (10.75oz) cans tomato Puree
• 3 Tbsp Olive oil
• 3/4 cup water
• topping of your choice: sausage, onion, sliced Baby Bella mushrooms, red bell pepper, pepperoni, shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan.

Instructions

1. The pizza dough was very easy to make, just add water and 1 Tbsp olive oil and mix. I oiled my round pizza pans and sprinkled the with corn flour. The dough didn't quite make two 13" pizza crusts the way it claimed. They were a little bit smaller. But I put them in the 425°F oven for 20 minutes as instructed.
2. And the sauce was much the same, just add 2 cans of tomato puree (I didn't have tomato puree, so I used a can of tomato sauce and a can of crushed tomatoes) and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. I had purchased some bulk mild italian sausage, so i fried up a couple of links and chopped them up. Then I sauted the onions, mushrooms, and bell pepper in the sausage fat.
4. When the crusts were brown I ladled on the sauce (thinly, there was a lot left over) then the sausage, mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers. Then I put on the cheese layer, shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan. Then I topped it with a layer of pepperoni. and put them back in the oven for 15 minutes to melt the cheese.

Theory of the dish
This kit was a bit heavy on the spices for me. I prefer simpler flavors. But I had learned from past mistakes and was sparing with the sauce and cheese so the end result wasn't too soggy.
The only difference from this and my made from scratch version was the special spicing. And lack of leavening in the crust.

Peanut Sauce

This is a version of peanut sauce that I found in a pan-Asian cookbook for the dish "Swimming Rama" (chicken breasts in peanut sauce over steamed spinach). It's a sauce that's good warm or room temperature. It was a big hit at a music party I had when I made a batch of it, added chicken breast chunks, and put it out in a crock pot accompanied by a bowl of brown rice. My first voice teacher told me that singers tend to have oral fixations -- boy, do they love to eat! I've also used this sauce at room temperature for dipping homemade Vietnamese Spring Rolls. I love the sweet-salty peanut sauce from our local "Saigon Noodle" place, but this sauce has a great peanut flavor. I usually douple the recipe; the sauce freezes very well.

2 t. vegetable oil
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. chunky or creamy peanut butter
3 T. packed brown sugar (or more if you want it sweeter)
2 T. fish sauce (or less to taste)
1 t. paprika
1/4 t. ground red pepper (or less if you want it mildly hot)
1 c. canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. water
2 T. lime juice

1. Heat oil in saucepan; saute onion and garlic until tender
2. Reduce heat, add peanut butter, brown sugar, fish sauce, paprika and red pepper; stir until smooth. Slowly stir in coconut milk until well blended.
(At this point, sauce may be cooled, covered and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance.)
3. Stir sauce constantly over medium heat until bubbling gently. Reduce heat. Combine cornstarch and water; stir into sauce. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Stir in lime juice.

Sauce can be thinned easily with water to use for dipping. If I put it out in little bowls for dipping, I top it with a sprinkle of crushed roasted peanuts.

Spanish Rice

A Puerto Rican friend of mine taught me this recipe for
Spanish Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup Brown Basmati rice (cooked in 2 cups of water)
• olive oil
• 2 med onions
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 ribs celery
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes w/ green chilies
• 1 (15oz) can beans ( I used Navy this time)
• 1 lb diced cooked ham
• 3 pkg Sazon Goya con cilantro y achiote
• Salt and pepper
• optional: corn, carrots, zucchini, black olives, shrimp, or chicken

Instructions

1. Cook the rice with 2 cups water, salt and olive oil
2. While the rice is cooking saute the onions, red pepper, celery, and garlic.
3. Add the tomatoes, beans, and ham
   
4. When the rice is cooked mix it in, add the Sazon Goya and heat through.

Theory of the dish

Basically Spanish Rice is rice with tomatoes, onions, and garlic, everything after that is just embellishment. My friend recommended adding whatever canned beans you had on hand and ham. She also used a whole container of onion flakes instead of fresh onion.

Leek Soup and Peanut Butter Muffins

Zahdé's Vichyssoise (Leek and Potato Soup)

Ingredients

• 1-2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 2 onions
• 1 bunch leeks (usually 3 leeks)
• 3-4 potatoes
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp mace
• Water or broth to cover.

Instructions

1. Chop the onion.
2. Clean the leeks- trim off roots and any dead or wilted leaves, slice in half length ways and rinse out sand. Then slice thinly across the grain.
3. Saute the leeks and onions in the butter or oil in a 4 quart pot.
4. Chop the potatoes into bite sized pieces. Add to the pot.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add the mace (mace is a vital ingredient in this dish.)
7. Add enough water of broth to cover.
8. Simmer until the potatoes are cooked through.
9. For a smoother soup process in a blender.
10. Serve warm or cold.
    

Theory of the dish.
Basically this is just leeks, onions, and potatoes, flavored with mace. Traditionally it also has cream in it but I don't think it needs it. The potatoes act as a thickener and make it creamy.

Most recipes for leeks specify "white part only" I have never understood the point of throwing away so much of the leek. The dark green parts add flavor, color, and texture. But make sure to slice them thin to avoid strings in the soup.

This dish can be vegan if you want.
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Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
  

• 1/2 cup your favorite Jam

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F
2. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar.
3. In a microwave safe bowl combine the butter, peanut butter, and honey. heat in the microwave until the butter is melted. Mix thoroughly. Add the milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and stir until blended.
5. Spoon into buttered muffin cups, or cupcake cups.
6. Make an indentation in the center of each muffin and spoon in a 1/2 tsp of jam
7. Bake at 375°F for 18-20 minutes. Cool before serving.

Should make about 1 doz muffins or 2 doz cupcakes.

Pasta e Fagioli

I recently tried this recipe from an old M*rtha St*wart magazine I grabbed from the library discard pile. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but winter food boredom was setting in and we needed something new. I have written out the recipe the way I did it and included the original instructions parenthetically where I made changes. Some modifications where practical – I used dried rosemary in a tea ball instead of a sprig of fresh rosemary because I can’t stand to pay $2 for a whole carton that I won’t use, and I went with navy beans because the fancy Italian ones are not available here. Other mods where made to taste – Mr. M was hesitant about the Swiss chard, so I limited it.

This is a surprisingly hearty soup, and the slight spiciness of the chili, rosemary and garlic adds extra warmth. May I suggest serving with a lovely rustic bread? Beware though: the amount of garlic in this soup may limit its usefulness in the “take to work leftover” category. At least if your job involves talking to people.

3 cups dried navy beans (risina beans)
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, cut into ¼ in. dice
1 celery stalk, cut into ¼ in. dice
4 garlic cloves (two minced, two crushed)
1 teaspoon chili flakes (1 small dried chili, crumbled)
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, contained in tea seeping ball (1 spring fresh rosemary)
1 dry bay leaf (fresh bay leaf)
8 or 9 cups chicken stock, made at half strength (low sodium or homemade chicken stock)
¼ cup shredded peeled carrot
¼ cup fresh parsley (flat leaf)
1 cup Swiss Chard, stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise (1/2 bunch or 3 cups)
1 cup small pasta shells (2 cups)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Soak beans overnight.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Add onion, celery, and crushed garlic; cook stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in beans, chile, rosemary and bay leaf.
3. Gradually stir in 8 cups of stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer soup until beans are tender 1.5-2.5 hours.
4. Process carrot, minced garlic, parsley and remaining ¼ cup olive oil in a food processor until vegetables are herbs are finely chopped.
5.Stir the Swiss chard and pasta into the soup. Cook until pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. If the soup seems too thick, thin with remaining cup of stock to desired consistency. Discard bay leaf and rosemary. Season soup with salt and pepper. Stir in carrot mixture, garnish as desired.

Next time: I will reduce the amount of beans to 2 cups – I want more of a soup than a stew. I will then use the full amount of noodles and a bit more chard. Yummy.

Zuppa Tuscana and Banana Bread

Alex has been talking about this soup that he really likes. It turns out to be a specialty of the Olive Garden restaurants. But easy enough to make at home.

[Because I can't follow any recipe without making changes my version is slightly different from what you get at Olive Garden. Mostly mine has a lot more kale.]

Zuppa Tuscana

1 (16-ounce) package mild or spicy Italian sausage links
6 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 quart water
2 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
salt & pepper to taste
1 bunch shredded kale (cut out the stems and chop the leaves)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook sausage links over medium-high heat until done, about 12 to 15 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Remove from pan; bias-slice sausages into 1/2-inch slices; set aside. Drain fat.
2. In the same cooking pot, fry bacon until crisp; remove; drain on paper towels; crumble and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from pot.
3. Add the onion to the same cooking pot and cook over medium heat until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the water and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. Add salt and pepper and taste.
5. Return the cooked sausage and crumbled bacon to the pot. Add the kale (and crushed red pepper, if using), and simmer for 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook until heated through, without boiling. Serve hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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I also made:

Easy One-Bowl Banana Bread

Pre-heat the oven to 350°
Butter and flour one bread pan

Blend, in the mixer, until creamy:

1/3 cup shortening (butter)
2/3 cup sugar (white or brown) (white gives more of the "candied" effect on the crust)

Add, and beat until homogeneous:

1 to 2 eggs
2-3 overripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla

Mix in until smooth (don't over mix, we aren't going for gluten here):

2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cups flour (any kind, white or whole wheat. Let me know if you do it with gluten free.)

Optional Additions (fold in):

1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1 cup chocolate chips

Scrape into greased loaf pan. The batter is stiff. I spread it out and make a depression in the middle.
Bake at 350° for one hour, until the crust is brown and the loaf has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan.

The recipes always say "cool before slicing" I don't know why. It is really crumbly when it is hot but also really good.

Bread and Hungarian Goulash

I have a lot of time right now so I decided to make that No-Knead Bread Maria introduced us to last winter.

No-Knead Bread
New York Times, Published: November 8, 2006
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1 1/2 hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 5/8 cups water
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1 1/2-pound loaf.

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Tonight I made:

Dad's Hungarian Goulash

(Although he always made it with home made Spaetzle (Spätzle) instead of store bought egg noodles.)

Ingredients

• 2 lb. beef, cubed (The beef can be fairly low quality because it will be slow cooked in moist heat.)
• 4 med. onion, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons paprika (regular paprika will do but hot paprika is more authentically Hungarian)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• oil

• 1lb bag extra wide egg noodles

Instructions

Spread a little oil on the bottom of a heavy stew pot. Coarsely chop the onions and cover the bottom of the pot. Put the cubed beef on top of the onions. Sprinkle on the spices. Cover and cook on low (If you cook it too hot the meat will harden.). Stir occasionally. Don't take the lid off very often, all the sauce comes from the onions dissolving.

While the meat is cooking, cook the 1lb bag of extra wide egg noodles according to the package directions.

When the meat is cooked stir in the noodles and let sit for 5 min, then serve.

Spaetzle Dumplings or Knopfli

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 4 eggs (beaten)
• 1 cup water (more of less)
• Ground pepper
• Paprika (optional)
• Nutmeg (optional)

Additional (optional) Dumpling ideas

• Scallions
• Grated Cheese

Instructions

Mix the dry ingredients and form a well in the middle. Add the eggs and begin to stir, drawing in the dry ingredients. Gradually add the water and continue stirring until the dry ingredients are completely mixed in but the batter is still thick.

For noodles: put the batter in a ricer and push through over a pot of simmering salted water or soup. The noodles will float to the top when done, about 4 minutes.

For dumplings: drop dollops of batter off a spoon into simmering salted water or soup. Cover the pot and let simmer (not boil) for about 10-12 minutes.

Winter is really here

As I sit here it is one degree above zero. Just opening the door to let out the dog brings a blast of arctic air. This afternoon however, when it was a balmy 18 degrees I went cross-country skiing in the wheat fields. The sky was clear winter blue, the sun bright and the snow sparkling. All I can think about cooking is soup. I will digress for a moment to say I had a nice Greek meal on Friday: Spanakopita, Hummus, Greek salad, Roast lamb and potatoes, Greek green beans, Ouzo, Greek brandy (and non-Greek wines...), and Galaktoboureko rolla for dessert. The beans were nicely flavored and the Phyllo rolls with custard make for an elegant dessert(easily found on about.com)

An old favorite of mine, served to family and many guests is Lentil-barley stew, which actually reflects our local produce.

Lentil Barley Stew

Saute: 1/4 c oil or butter
3/4 c chopped celery or mushrooms or both
3/4 c chopped onion
3 cloves garlic minced
Add: 6 c water
3/4 c lentils- try Persian if you can find them
Cook for 20 minutes. Add:
28 oz. can tomatoes
3/4 c barley
2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
(dried chili flakes-to taste-optional)
Simmer 45-60 minutes, the longer the thicker.
Optional: add 1/2 c shredded carrots-cook 5 minutes

Another winter favorite....Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Saute: 1 med chopped onion
2 diced celery ribs
2 diced carrots
1/4-1/2 c butter
Add: 1/2 c flour-mix in
4 c broth-boil 1 minute-use turkey or chicken
2 c cooked wild rice
2 c light cream or milk
2 c chopped turkey
1 t parsley
salt and pepper


Greek Green Beans
Saute: 1 large onion-until translucent
4-5 cloves garlic-add later
EVOO-generous amount
Add: 1 1/2-2 # green beans(host used french cut frozen)
2-3 c water
salt and pepper generously
Bring to a boil, then turn down to med simmer and cook until tender
Add: 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/4 c chopped fresh oregano
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley
Place in oven proof dish and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes
(to make a more substantial side dish cut up potatoes can be added to the baking dish)

Around the oven

This weekend the weather has turned cold, though it isn't snowy. Yesterday we went up to a nature preserve near the confluence of the Missouri and the Mississippi rivers so that we could watch the bald eagles nesting there. We arrived at a partially frozen pond near one of the locks and saw, out on an island, about seventeen eagles perched in a single tree. Trumpeter swans had made themselves comfortable in a a free patch of water, and I couldn't count the number of ducks we saw (merganser, bufflehead, eider). We eventually retreated to the ranger station to watch the birds in comfort, but I came home with an urge to make something that would warm me and the house.

Potato casserole:

5-6 medium sized potatoes, sliced thin
4 T. melted butter
salt and pepper
1/2 c. chicken broth

Slice the potatoes and toss with the melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread in a wide casserole pan and add the broth. Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes, until top is golden and crisp. (from Edna Lewis's recipes in Gourmet magazine)

Chocolate Bread Pudding
(since you've already turned on the oven . . . )

4-5 slices firm sandwich bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 eggs
1/3 c. sugar
1 c. milk
1 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 T. instant coffee or espresso powder
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Beat eggs with sugar, add milk, cream, vanilla and espresso powder.
Put half the bread cubes on the bottom of an 8 in square casserole.
Place half the chocolate on top of the bread.
Add another layer of bread.
Finish with the remaining chocolate.
Pour the liquid over the whole.
Let stand 20 minutes.
Place in a 325 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the pudding puffs up and is semi-solid.
Let cool and set for about 30 minutes.
[from Cook's Country magazine]

Spinach Gnocchi, and Minestrone Soup

Spinach Gnocchi, and Minestrone Soup

I have an Italian friend, who lives in Bologna Italy, who sent me his mother's recipe for Gnocchi

-------------------------
Gnocco Fritto Normale Ricetta
500 gr di farina
oglio extra vergine oliva 2/3 cuchiai
2 cuchiai aceto
sale quanto basta
impastare con un po di acqua gasata appena aperta 1
bicchiere.
e lievito di birra

queste dosi sono per circa 2/3 persone le dosi sono a
occhio perche mia madre non sa le dosi reali le le fa
a occhio......
impastare il tutto e titare la sfoglia tagliare i
pezzi in rombi e friggere in oglio da frigere molto
caldo messo in precedenza in una padella da friggere
con bordi alti ..........

-------------------------
Here is my best Translation.

Regular Fried Gnocchi Recipe
500 gr of flour
2 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
Salt, a sufficient quantity
less than 1 cup water (enough to make a paste)
And a little bit of beer

This makes enough for roughly 2-3 people (my mother does not remember the the real numbers, so this is a rough estimate)

Make a paste.
Cut it into small pieces.
Fry it in hot oil in a frying pan with high sides.

[I have found that it is best to add the oil last. Otherwise it clumps up with the flour and doesn't mix in.]
-------------------------

Wikipedia tells me that "spinach-and-ricotta-flavored gnocchi are called strozzapreti, or priest-stranglers. According to popular local legend, a priest choked and died after eating too quickly, because the gnocchi were so delicious."

I couldn't resist making my own
Priest-Stranglers
500 gr of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Salt
1 small tub (15oz) Ricotta cheese
1 (10oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach (defrosted)
less than 1 cup water (enough to make a paste)
2 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Put on a large pot of salted water to boil.
Make a batter of the flour, baking powder, salt, cheese, spinach, water, and oil.
Use a teaspoon to drop small dollops of batter into the boiling water.
Cook until the gnocchi float (and a bit longer actually). Scoop them out and serve with onions sautéed in butter.
-------------------------

Quick Minestrone Soup
1lb ground beef (or tortellini if you want to go vegetarian)
1 med onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans w/ liquid
2 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
oregano, basil, and 1 bay leaf

(If you have them handy you can add zucchini, sliced mushrooms, shredded carrots, celery, kidney beans, and parsley.)

Brown the ground beef.
Add the onions and cook until translucent
Then add the garlic, tomatoes, garbanzos, and frozen spinach (you can defrost the spinach in the microwave to speed things up)
Bring to a simmer, add more water as needed.

(Add the uncooked pasta and continue to simmer till the pasta is cooked.)

Serve hot with Parmesan cheese.

Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Wheat-Free Peanut Butter cookies at that.
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400deg
Mix ingredients and form into walnut sized balls. (I actually bought the #40 serving scoop for proper portioning. and this recipe makes 14 cookies.) Smoosh the balls flat with the characteristic crossed fork tine pattern.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges begin to brown.

Makes 15.

Salmon Patties?

Salmon Patties?

I remember when Dad used to make mackerel patties. He mentioned once that when he was young they were Salmon Patties because salmon was cheap back then. He used a 15oz can of mackerel, it had bones and skin, totally disgusting. But I loved to crunch on the bones back then. I remember the whole breaded smelt too, with bones and tails. It was fun to eat whole tiny fish back then. I can't bring myself to do it now-a-days. I use tuna now.

I love seafood but it is expensive so it is nice to have a cheap fish dish.

Fish Cakes
1 med onion finely diced
1 rib celery finely diced
2 (6oz) cans Tuna in water, drained
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 egg
oil (for cooking)

Mix everything together.
Form into patties.
Fry until crispy.

I usually use the ends of bread loafs for bread crumbs, a couple of slices is enough for this recipe. But I happen to have a couple of boxes of Wheat Flakes cereal right now that I'm using for bread crumbs in all my recipes.

I tried putting everything in the food processor so the onion bits wouldn't float loose during frying, but the finished product was too mushy. I might switch to onion powder.

Pickled Eggs and Swiss Chard

I really feel the need for some protein and healthy vegetables lately.

Dad's Pickled Eggs are an easy quick protein pick me up.
1 Doz large eggs, hard boiled
1 (15oz) can whole beets
1 tsp salt
Cider vinegar

I have a pickle jar that hold 1 doz hard boiled eggs easily. I peel the eggs and pop them into the jar. Then I add the can of whole beets (I prefer the whole beets because they are the same size and shape as the eggs :-D), the salt and enough vinegar to fill the jar.

I can usually only wait 24 hours before I start eating them.

Fresh Red Swiss Chard.
1 bunch red swiss chard
salt & pepper
Butter
balsamic vinegar

I cut the stems out of the leaves and cook them separately, they take longer to cook and have a totally different flavor.

Rinse the chard.

Cut the stems into bite sized pieces and put in a small sauce pan to simmer until tender.

Rip the leaves into medium sized pieces and put in a large pot with a little bit of water to steam.

Serve the stems with butter, salt, and pepper.

Serve the leaves with balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and a chopped pickled egg :-D

Simple Winter Food

Winter is a good time for soups. I made Beef and Barley soup last night. I also made mashed Rutabaga. Did you know Rutabaga is a cross between turnip and cabbage. (I didn't. Thanks Wikipedia!)

Mashed Rutabaga is easy. Just peal off the outer layer of the Rutabaga (and all that wax they dip it in). Chop it into chunks and simmer it in salt water until it is tender. Then throw it in the food processor with some butter, salt, and pepper (and a little milk if it doesn't move easily). It has the consistency of mashed potatoes but more flavor.

Beef and Barley Soup is an old stand by. I just brown a pound of beef in my heavy soup cauldron. Throw in one coarsely chopped onion, a few ribs of diced celery, one large carrot cut into rounds, one (15oz) can of diced tomatoes, and 1/2 cup pearl barley. 6 cans of water, salt and pepper to taste and let it simmer for a couple of hours.

Warming up in January

I set up this page so that we could share recipes and get a peek into each other's kitchens.
Now I suppose I'd better set things rolling with my own recipe. I just came back from a visit with friends in Germany. They invited us over for dinner a few times, the first time for cheese fondue and the second time for squash soup. However, since they have two small children, dinner doesn't always go as planned, so the squash soup was cut from the menu (we had a wonderful dinner of Greek appetizers instead). Still, it had started me thinking about squash soup, so when I got home, I decided to make some of my own.

Usually squash soups are creamy, and often they're a little monotonous, so I was very pleased to find a diffferent recipe that called for wild rice and mushrooms. Since it called for chanterelles and shiitakes, and I didn't have any, I made do with dried mushrooms. The results were very nice, I think:

Mushroom & Wild Rice Butternut Squash Soup

1/2 c. wild rice
2 T. butter
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1-2 stalks celery
2 tsp. fresh sage
2-3 stalks fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 T. dry vermouth or brandy
1 T. flour
1 c. chicken stock or water
1/4 c. half and half
salt & pepper to taste
juice of one lemon

Boil 3 cups of water and add wild rice. Cook 35-40 minutes or until rice is tender. Drain and set aside.

Pour boiling water over the dried porcinis. Let stand 30 minutes & then remove from water and squeeze dry. Pour the mushroom liquid through a sieve lined with a paper towel & reserve the liquid.

Put cubed squash into a steamer basket and steam for 10 minutes or until tender.

Melt butter & saute onions. Add chopped garlic and chopped celery and saute until transparent. Add sage, thyme, and chopped porcinis. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and saute until flour is lightly browned. Add vermouth or brandy to the mushroom water and deglaze pan with this liquid. Add chicken stock. Let simmer until mixture is thickened.

Add cooked squash, rice, and half-and-half. Adjust salt and pepper. Add lemon juice to taste.