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.

-----------------------------
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.