Winter carrot salad

I've had some full on feasting the past few days with salmon and brussel sprouts, tenderloin and asparagus, all kinds of salads, and a ham. Woah. And all I wanted after the feasting was over was to eat apples and nuts, and maybe some dried fruit.

This salad was a random creation from My Charming Companion, who incidentally does not keep track of amounts very well, so this is my best attempt at recipe dictation. But oh! This was so good as a refreshing, but filling salad: fresh, raw veggies, apple, and nuts. And much use was made of my julienne slicer - my latest fave kitchen gadget that I also use to make "zucchini noodles". The nuts really are the star of this salad though - sweet and spicy, they are totally delicious.

Makes 4 small salads or 2 big ones:
3 carrots, julienned
1/4 lb of red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 1/2 c.)
1 apple, diced (there are still local Haralson's at the Seward)
small handful of currents (any dried fruit would probably do)
2 T. diced onions
1/3 c. nuts (a mix of pecans and almonds was good)
1 T. butter

cayenne (pinch)
2 t. honey

dressing:
2 T. olive oil
1 T. sesame oil
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 t. yellow mustard
salt to taste

Prepare the nuts:
Melt butter in a heavy pan (cast iron), and stir in nuts over low heat. Toast slowly. When they are mostly toasted, add the honey and stir. Turn off the heat, and let the nuts "set" - they will look almost caramelized. Sprinkle on a pinch or two of cayenne. (Oh jeez, these are just SO good.)

Mix carrots, cabbage, apple, onion and currents with nuts. Pour dressing over the top, and serve.

Blueberry pancakes (gf)

Okay, I know I posted a pancake recipe already this month, but this one is better. I really think any gluten eaters would not even know that it was gluten free, and instead would wonder if it was whole wheat flour or some other really nice grain something. These are delicious!

And, they use some more of that dry curd cheese that I posted about last time, so this is another way to make use of that tasty substance (I have also been eating mine with some applesauce - yum).

This recipe is from Breaking the Vicious Cycle (that I referenced a couple of weeks ago). I have made it four times in the past few weeks because I thought I would never again have pancakes so amazing.

Makes 8 pancakes:
1/2 c. dry curd farmer cheese
4 eggs
1 banana
1 c. almond flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
2 T. honey
3/4 c. frozen blueberries (optional)

Mix all ingredients up in a food processor. Stir in blueberries if using. Pour on a griddle or frying pan and cook on medium heat until edges are looking done and bubbles are popping in the middle. Flip. Serve! These are great with walnuts and apple sauce on top.

Almond Bread x 2 (GF)

I've become a big fan of almond flour lately - it has really good flavor, lots of protein and good fat, and low sugar/carbs for anyone watching their glycemic index. Also I actually like it better than any of the GF flours out there (of which there are a TON, and you need to mix a bunch of them to get a good texture that binds, meaning you have to have anywhere from 3-8 flours around. sheesh).

Almond flour can be pricey, but the Wedge just started carrying it in bulk for a better deal. Be aware that almond flour is pretty filling - this bread is more dense than other loaf bread counterparts.

There are two recipes below: one with dry curd cottage cheese (which is so good, it is pro-biotic, tastes like yogurt, and is the texture of ricotta - see photo of empty container), which makes my fave version of this bread; and another that is totally dairy free. Both are great toasted, with soup, for French Toast, and apparently for grilled cheese sandwiches (though I have not tried that yet).

Loaf 1 (which is available at this link):
2-1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 to 1/3 cup melted butter (or ghee or coconut oil)
1 cup dry curd cottage cheese
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350F. Place eggs, melted butter, cottage cheese, baking soda, and salt in food processor using metal blade. Process until the mixture is thick and resembles butter in texture. Add almond flour and process until mixed thoroughly.

Grease a loaf pan and spread mixture in pan. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, until a knife comes out clean.

Loaf 2:
4 eggs
1 T cider vinegar
1/2 c. lightly melted butter or coconut oil
2 c. almond flour
1/4 c. flax seed meal (replace flax with almond flour if preferred, but then use a little extra almond flour)
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat eggs, vinegar, butter/oil together.
Mix dry stuff together.
Combine.
Put in greased loaf pan and bake for 30-35 minutes (when a toothpick comes out clean and all that jazz). Done!!

Store bread wrapped in a dish towel or cloth, and then in a plastic baggie if there is any left after a few days.

The Chilly Spider

Hi, WFDM!

Sorry to be so absent from this blog--I haven't been cooking that much "new" stuff, and I've been focused on my dog blog. (Shameless plug!) Also, I'm pretty sure that I started my last WFDM post like this. Ah well.

Anyway, "The Chilly Spider" is the name that my pal Caitlin and I gave a drink we (well, mostly Caitlin) concocted the other night. I rarely--if ever--deviate from a recipe, much less create my own, but Caitlin went for it and this is the result!

Some sort of fizzy water (we used a lemon La Croix, but I'm sure seltzer or tonic would be good, too)
Whiskey! (We used Jameson)
Ginger (we used powder, but fresh would undoubtedly be better/more flavorful)
Cointreau
Star anise (the spider!)
Agave nectar

Measure how you like (er, to taste) and mix it all up! Add ice!

Banana Pancakes (GF)

Okay, this recipe is so totally easy, AND it is gluten and dairy free, and it is a tasty item when you don't have a lot of time but maybe still want a pancake like breakfast-y something. And there are only two ingredients!

one egg + one banana + blending up in a food processor = one delicious large pancake

It was fluffy and light, and I just needed to be patient while it cooked on low heat...

Roast Chicken

I am not a frequent poultry cooker, but chickens were on sale at the Wedge last weekend and I couldn't pass up the deal! Several years ago I spent many an evening watching "America's Test Kitchen" videos from the library, where they very persuasively urge that chickens be brined before cooking. This recipe comes from them, and I have to say, it is DELICIOUS. seriously.

One 3.5-4 lb chicken:

Brine = 1/2 c. salt in 1/2 gallon water. They suggest also adding 1/2 c. sugar, but I left that out. I would maybe try some apple cider in place of sugar and part of the water though.

Put chicken in brine for one hour, then pat dry. I brined mine for 2-3 hours, then took it out to dry on a tray in the fridge overnight.

Mix up compound butter (by hand in a bowl):
3-4 T butter (room temp)
1 clove garlic, mashed
1 T dijon mustard
1 t minced fresh thyme
ground black pepper

Cut out backbone so that chicken can be butterflied for cooking. I had no idea how to do this, but this very helpful Youtube video made it appear super easy. My only problem was getting the breastbone out - I got it, but only after breaking it in the middle and using a knife a bit.

With your fingers, loosen skin across breast and as far down drumsticks as you can, do not tear skin. Spoon butter under skin and work across as much of the chicken as possible. (This was easy, you can move it around under the skin and sort of see it. weird!) Rub 1.5 T olive oil over chicken.

The chicken cooks on top of potatoes (or sweet potatoes and onions in my case):
2.5 pounds roasting potatoes, russets or Yukon Golds
3/4 ts salt
ground black pepper
1 Tb olive oil

Slice potatoes 1/8" to 1/4" inch thickness. Salt and pepper lightly, toss with 1 Tb oil. Line bottom of grilling pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spread potato slices across pan evenly.

Place grilling rack over potatoes. Arrange butterflied chicken on top, folding drumsticks inward so they cover part of the breast. (I did not get how to do this - so just left it as it was.) Roast at 500 degrees for 20 minutes, turn pan around, roast for another 20 minutes or until internal temperature in breast is 160. *Be sure to put your chicken towards the top of the oven. I had it lower, and it seemed to not get brown enough. I also didn't fully allow the oven to preheat before putting the chicken in, and would wait next time for the full high heat.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Cut chicken up and serve with potatoes, and make sure to spoon any delicious buttery broth over the top too.

Pizza (GF)

I happened upon this recipe for a gluten/grain free pizza crust in a book called "Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet." I was curious about the book because I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, and this diet is one of the lesser known "cures" of sorts. There are lots of recipes involving almond flour or nut flours, which I was excited about.

So - pizza! This crust was delicious and did not get soggy - I could eat a slice by holding it in my hand, which in my experience is near impossible for gluten-free crusts. And it stayed crispy/solid in leftover form too. woah!
It's also super simple - just a few minutes, and fast baking time. Be aware it is more filling because of the almond flour.

Makes one small/individual pizza
1/2 c. almond flour (add more as needed for a workable dough)
1 egg
1 t. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 t. salt
Italian spices such as oregano and basil to taste

In a bowl mix the above ingredients together and add more flour as needed to form a ball (I needed to add about another 1/4 cup of flour). Oil a pan with olive oil. Add the dough ball pressing down with hands to form the shape of a small pizza crust. The mixture will be pretty wet, and I pressed mine out to get an 8-10" pizza, which resulted in 1/4" crust or so. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put the crust in the oven while preheating. After 5-10 minutes, the crust should be crisp and ready for toppings. Put your toppings on, and then bake another 10 minutes.

This one was bacon, sweet potato, and carmelized onions. So good!

Pumpkin pie (GF)

I've been eating a little more paleo-like these days, sort of as an experiment in sugar-free, grain-free, low lactose eating. I am not strict about it, but so far it feels really good. Also, it seems that more folks around me are eating this way - or some variation, which makes blog posting about it a little more fun.

So - I brought pumpkin pie to my family feast, making no promises that it would taste good (just in case). Pumpkin pie is just so quintessential. I mean, I have yet to have a vegan version that actually tastes good, and I was worried this could go down the same (dairy-free) route. But, no! This filling actually tops my list of pumpkin pies: honey = delish. It was thicker than other recipes, which I loved. The more non-traditional aspect of the pie was the crust: it was a nut crust (no flour), which was more like a cheesecake graham cracker crust consistency. The nuttiness was really good - and though not the flaky (glutinous) crust of pumpkin pie norms, it was super tasty.

I got the recipe from the website linked above. I used my own pumpkin (it was actually butternut squash, which I roasted for an hour, then cooled and pureed). I liked the fresh ginger a lot, and would maybe use a little more next time. I am also curious how this would turn out with a mix of almonds and pecans...

Crust:
* 1 cup pecans;
* 1/2 cup hazelnuts;
* 4 tbsp butter, ghee or coconut oil (room temperature);
* A pinch of sea salt;

Filling:
* 1 can fresh or canned pumpkin puree (about 1 3/4 cups);
* 2 eggs;
* 1/2 cup local raw honey;
* 1/2 cup coconut milk;
* 2 tsp cinnamon;
* 1/4 tsp ground cloves;
* 1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger;

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Process the nuts in a food processor to almost a flour consistency. Be careful not to process too much and get a butter instead.
3. In a bowl, mix the ground nuts with the butter or coconut oil and then spread the crust mixture in a pie pan and bake for 10 minutes. (See photo of crust after pre-baking.)
4. While the crust bakes, mix all the filling ingredients together in a bowl.
5. Add the filling evenly on the baked crust and bake for an additional 45 minutes.

Kolaches

Kolaches were a staple at my grandma's holiday table when I was a kid. Though she made them at one time, I mostly remember her buying them from the Czech bakery, thus I never witnessed the actual dough rising and forming of the kolache. I've tried a few recipes over time, and have settled on the one from the Schumacher cookbook. I have been working on perfecting this recipe for several holidays now: the right thickness to roll out the dough, the right pan and best amount of filling. I am getting closer!

Kolaches are a Czech roll - generally an egg-y yeast bread, filled with prune, poppy seed, or apricot filling (they vary depending on region, some are rolls, some are more open-faced). My family's filling of choice is prune - yum.

Makes 3-4 dozen
1 1/2 c. warm milk
3/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. shortening (butter works too)
7 T. sugar
3 egg yolks
2 T. yeast
5+ c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1/2 c. butter

Heat milk, water and shortening in a saucepan until shortening is melted. (I've tried both grass-fed lard and butter, and I think the lard version is best. Also, I just learned that grass-fed lard has super high contents of vitamin D!) Cool until slightly warm. Add sugar, yolks, and yeast, stirring well. Place in a large bowl. Add salt, 2 c. flour, and stir well. Work in the rest of the flour to make a soft, but not sticky dough. Place on a lightly dusted board and let rest 5-10 minutes.

Knead well, until smooth and satiny (about 10 minutes). Work on a lightly floured surface (I end up adding in plenty of extra flour). Shape dough in a ball and place in a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours). Punch down and let rise again.


Grease muffin tins (or cookie sheet, but muffin tin gives a nicer shape). After dough's second rising, roll out dough to 1/4" thickness. (*I find this part tricky and hedge on the side of a little thicker rather than thinner. I also split the dough in two so that I can work with smaller quantities.) Cut the rolled dough into 3" squares and drop a teaspoon of your fave filling in the middle of each. (I use two spoons to do this, a la cookie making.) See prune filling recipe below.


Fold kolaches by bringing one corner to the center, than overlapping the opposite corner, then add the 3rd corner, and finally the 4th so that all 4 corners overlap in the middle. I like to leave tiny little gaps where you can see there might be something inside, but some people fold the dough with a lot of overlap so it is totally enclosed. Place each kolache in the muffin tin as you go. Brush with melted butter and let rise another 45 minutes.

Bake in a 350 degree over for 15-20 minutes until browned. Brush tops while still warm with a mixture of 1/4 c. powdered sugar and 1/4 c. whipping cream. (Sometimes I skip that step - but it does make a nice glaze when dry.) Cool on rack. (*Schumacher's original recipe says to bake at 375 for 25 minutes, but I have burned mine twice this way...which could be that my oven runs hot, but I don't think so.)

Prune filling:
2 c. pitted prunes
1 c. orange juice
1 c. water
2 T. sugar
3 t. grated orange rind

Chop the fruit up and mix with the OJ, water, and sugar in a saucepan over medium low heat until it becomes thick and the fruit has become more like a thick paste. Stir in the rind. *I have also had good results by replacing the sugar and rind with a teaspoon of cinnamon instead.

Creamy Tomato Soup

This recipe is the creamiest, sweetest tomato soup I have ever had. It is also super easy. The sweet taste might be due in part to my primary use of cherry tomatoes, which have been ripening on the counter for the past month. Do you have any left? I can't believe how late I am still eating fresh tomatoes. As winter sets in, I am guessing canned tomatoes will work just as well, though the seeds might be bigger.

*Based on the recipe from Fanny Farmer. The original uses 4 cups milk instead of stock and cream, 1/2 a bay leaf and a cup less tomatoes.

5 T butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
4 T. flour (GF works fine)
2 c. stock (homemade?!)
1 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t baking soda
4 c. tomatoes - blended

Melt butter in pot and add onions - cook until soft (not browned).
Sprinkle flour over butter mix, stir and cook 1-2 minutes.
Add stock and salt and continue to cook and stir until slightly thickened.
Add blended tomatoes and baking soda. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Blend it all one more time to make smooth.
Add the cream to the whole batch, or pour it in each bowl for some pretty plating.

Lemongrass tea

I love lemongrass, but had never grown it before, or quite figured out how to use it fresh (I bought a package of frozen stuff from United Noodle that lasted over a year). It turns out that the whole plant, leaves included, makes really delicious tea. The stem, which is thicker, can be used for curries or soups by separating off the dry outer layer and just using the super fragrant inside (minced up since it is kind of rough).

The plant grew pretty tall (a couple of feet), and the green and purple leaves are really rough. It also seems to be doing fine in this cool/frost weather, at least for a little longer. It seems that some people bring their plants inside to winter over in the basement or some such. I imagine you could try it as a big house plant too. (!)

There were several recipes I checked out online, and some of them recommended that you use ONLY the leaves for tea because the stem is too bitter. I did not find this at all. I just plucked some stems at the very base of the plant, removed any really dry or withered parts, and then chopped up the whole thing in 2-3" pieces.


I found that the amount of lemongrass can be pretty flexible, but I tend to go with 10 leaves (roughly three stalks) to 6 cups of water (enough for 4 cups of tea). Just put the leaves and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain out the leaves and drink!


I have to say, I LOVE this tea. I'd have it every day if I had a bigger plant. The tea is nice and lemony, but with a full flavor that is way beyond the citrus lemon. It is delicious with cream and honey, and also nice plain.

Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup

Carrots, carrots, and more carrots. I have this tendency to hoard my garden carrots over the summer, only to then not eat them at all because it snows and I never pull them up. Determined to actually consume their tastiness, I tried this recipe from the Seward Co-op. It involves roasting the carrots for a couple of hours, which made the kitchen smell amazing. The soup did not disappoint - I give it a 10!

2 lbs carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise (I only peeled some)
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
6 T olive oil
6 cups veggie broth, preferably homemade (I used chicken broth)
1 c. cream
salt to taste
1 t ground coriander
1/2 t ground cumin
pinch of cayenne (adjust to taste)
To garnish: creme fraiche, handful chopped cilantro, 2 T toasted caraway seeds.

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the carrots, garlic and ginger in a shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with 4 T olive oil. Pour 2 c. broth into pan, cover tightly with foil and bake until the vegetables are very tender (about 2 hours).

When veggies are about done, heat the last 2 T oil in a large soup pot and add onions. Cook until translucent, then add the coriander and cumin. Cook over low heat for about 6 minutes to allow slices to bloom (I have no idea what this means). Add the roasted veggies with broth to the onion and spices along with last 4 c. broth. Season to taste with salt and cayenne and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes (oops, i didn't simmer long enough).

Allow soup to cool, then puree until smooth, in blender or food processor or if you have one of those fancy burr whip hand blender things. Return soup to pot, adjust seasonings if needed, and add the cream. Serve each portion with creme fraiche (i didn't have any), sprinkled with cilantro and toasted caraway.

Peanut Noodles

Now, in my days of eating in a vegan/vegetarian coop in college, I've had some pretty horrible peanut sauce. An almost impossible to swallow mixture of what seemed to be crunchy peanut butter with a dash of water and Braggs. This, my friends, is an entirely different beast. I found this recipe by Bogart Loves, local blogger and baker of delicious donuts. It's spicy and comforting and all-around delicious.

for the sauce:1 Tbsp canola oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
1/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp agave syrup
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sriracha chili sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dark sesame oil
juice of one lime

In a large saute pan, heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chopped shallot and garlic. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until smooth. Allow shallot and garlic to cook until they turn slightly golden and then add the sauce. Bring sauce to a simmer and allow to cook for no more than 3-5 minutes, stirring often. If the sauce becomes thick, add a bit of water to thin it out.

I used coconut oil instead of canola oil and onion instead of shallot. You could also omit the fish sauce to make it vegetarian. I steamed what veggies I had (cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage), boiled up some udon noodles and smothered the whole thing with the peanut sauce and topped it with fresh tomatoes and green onions.

Curried Squash Soup

2 medium acorn or butternut squash

(or others of your choice: sugarloaf/dumpling etc to make that amount)

Cut in half, spray/coat lightly with oil and roast in oven for about an hour or until nice and soft. Scoop out and remove seeds. Set aside.

Next :

chop one medium onion

2 cloves garlic

peel and chop one apple

sauté the above in olive oil in a large pot (which will allow you to later add the squash and water) with the following spices:

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger (fresh or jar)

1/4 tsp dry mustard

a few dashes cayenne

about 10 mins on medium heat.

Finally, scoop out the squash insides and add to the mixture in the large pot, along with:

1 cup orange juice, (fresh squeezed or not)

2 1/2 cups water

Cook until heated through, let cool before placing in food processor or blender for nice smooth texture.

These things can be added to taste:

Salt

Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar if soup is too sweet for you.

I enjoy serving it with bread.

apple carrot kraut

Nothing revolutionary here. Just follow the basic steps in Megan's earlier post about sauerkraut and add whatever other tasty (or colorful) things you want. I chose apples and carrots for their hint of sweetness and for the colors they add, but you could try just about anything.

Being as it's a bit colder these days, this batch will probably take a few weeks to ferment to my liking ... just in time for Thanksgiving, come to think of it.

frozen herbs

So the frost probably already got your basil, but there's still time to save your thyme and rosemary for the long winter ahead. I know, it's hard to think about how soon your garden will be buried under a mound of dirty, crusty snow, but IT WILL HAPPEN. And if you don't get those little herbs out of there soon, your soups and stews and pizza crusts will suffer a terrible blandness all winter long. Don't let that happen! Do this instead! And listen to some good (albeit slightly depressing) music while you're doing it, dangit.

Chop up your herbs as fine as you like them. Put the choplets in ice cube trays and fill until the water is just barely covering them. Freeze for a few hours and then top them off with enough water so that none of the herbs are exposed. Take a deep breath and tell yourself everything will be ok.

Abgusht

I found this recipe in a novel I read a few years ago called Pomegrante Soup. I modified this recipe from one with Lamb in it that they made in the book.

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1-2 onions, chopped

boneless chicken of your choice ( I like to use some breast meat and some thighs)

1tsp Tumeric

sauté the above, then add:

1 tsp Paprika

1 c. yellow split peas, rinsed well

8c water (about)

chopped carrots

3-6 average size potatoes chopped, Yukon gold is nice

2tsp salt (I am not usually a salt person, but this recipe really benefits from it)

1tsp black pepper

1-2 tomatoes chopped or some tomato paste/sauce

1-2 dried limes (you can get them at Bill’s on West Lake Street)

a pinch of saffron threads dissolved in a few TBLSP hot water

1tsp ground cardamom

1tsp ground cinnamon

1tsp ground cumin

Then cook in a big pot for 1-2hours.

Squeeze and remove dried limes, then mash or food process the stew when cooled for best texture and flavor dispersal.

Gluten Free and Vegan Fruit Crisp

I made this Gluten Free and Vegan Crisp recently and I really enjoyed it!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In mixing bowl, toss together:

5-6 cups your favorite fruit

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup granulated sugar

in another bowl:

1 cup masa harina corn flour

1 cup gluten free oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/3 cup margarine

2 level teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pour fruit mixture into prepared pan then spread/sprinkle on the topping. Cook for 30 minutes or until topping is lightly browned, and fruit filling is bubbling around edges and slightly thickened.

Coconut Kale

This recipe comes courtesy of Jamie, who created these totally amazing greens to share at a Shabbat gathering at Occupy MN last week. A handful of us stayed to talk in the plaza and eat kale with our fingers while the general assembly got going on the other side of the government center.

I sort of marvel at this complex movement that is Occupy Wall Street. One of my conversation highlights that night was to note that those of us at Occupy (wherever) are representative of people (wherever), only rather than existing in a smaller sphere within our houses or communities, we are interacting with one another: sharing ideas, having conflicts, and trying to find consensus on all sorts of massive topics. Something about it makes me feel quite in love with us all.

So. These greens. I have made them twice since eating them less than a week ago - not only because they remind me of feeling love-full, but also because they are damn good.

Serves 4-ish
2 T coconut oil
2 banana peppers (or sweet peppers), diced
2 jalepeno, diced very small
1/2 onion, diced
2 small tomatoes, diced
large bunch kale, chopped
1 T tamari
splash sriracha or hot sauce* (*optional!)
1/3 c. dried coconut

Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and peppers and saute 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and saute 2 more minutes. Add kale in small handfuls; stir to coat with oil. Add tamari and cover pan with lid to steam for 5-6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until greens are dark green and tender. Stir in coconut and hot sauce. Taste...add salt or more hot sauce if needed.

Breakfast Smoothie

I was leary of using raw eggs in drinks...I remember seeing movies where health-nutty people would drink raw eggs before going for their run or something, and it always seemed weird.

But, eggnog is made with raw eggs, and I love that - and yesterday when I was not in the mood for any breakfast prep, but needed something substantial, I took the dive and blended up some raw eggs. My Charming Companion blends up eggs for smoothies all the time, so I think that helped ease any nerves I had about salmonella. And now I am sort of hooked - the addition of eggs makes this drink more filling and super creamy. Well, that and the heavy cream. I have officially switched over to the full fat side of life (more so when I am eating not a lot of carb stuff, which I sometimes do). This drink turns out to be a cross between eggnog, orange julius, and mango lassi.

Breakfast Smoothie
1/2 c. frozen mango (banana or any other frozen fruit)
2 eggs
3 T. apple cider (or juice, OJ would work too)
splash of vanilla
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 c. cream or coconut milk

Blend up the frozen fruit in the blender first, then add everything else but the cream (just to make sure the cream doesn't whip into a frenzy) and blend some more. Add cream and blend for 10 seconds. Drink!

Roasted fall veggies

I went to the farmer's market tonight (only 5 markets left at Midtown!) to bulk up on some squash and try out the brussel sprouts. Things are quieting down at the market - they did have tomatillos at one stand, lots of peppers and tomatoes, some cabbage, onions, broccoli, potatoes...but it is definitely a smaller crowd. Oh winter, here you come.


I got home late and was tired - and opted to go for simple. I made a rice pilaf - which I am calling pilaf only because I used chicken broth instead of water. This made the rice seem much more exciting and flavorful with no extra work on my part.

And then I made a pan of roasted veggies: aforementioned brussel sprouts, sweet potato and onion. The final result was filling (pilaf is more filling than rice) and delicious. The sprouts were thumbs up, btw. Get your stalk and cook some up soon! (I hear the stalk is good roasted whole in a grill - have not tried that yet, but it sounds enticing, if also higher maintenance.)

Roasted fall veggies (not really modified from this blog post)
1 sweet potato, diced in large bites
1 stalk brussel sprouts
2 small onions, quartered
2 T balsamic
1 T olive oil
honey
salt and pepper

Remove sprouts from the stalk, wash to get any loose dirt off.
Make sure veggies are all dry before putting them in a roasting pan.
Mix up the balsamic, oil, and honey (1-2 tsps) and pour over the top.
Cook on 425 for 30-40 minutes, stirring a couple of times in the middle.
Generously salt and pepper (extra salt was really good).
Serve!

Almond Butter Flourless Cookies

These tasty gems are a mystery to me - mostly just almond butter, an egg, and honey. They aren't very sweet, which makes them a good snack mid-day. I added both chopped almonds and chocolate to mine (I didn't have choc. chips, so I chopped up part of a dark chocolate bar). I baked mine just until brown, and they turned out really soft. Next time I'll keep them in a bit longer to get a little crispy. But really - these are super good and nutritious.


Almond Butter Flourless Cookies (she says it makes 21, but I had 15) *Thanks to Shawn for posting the original recipe!

Deconstructed sweet potato hash with fried eggs

I have a cookbook from the library right now called "Five Ingredient Fix: Easy, Elegant, and Irresistable Recipes" and I had a little extra morning time this week, so I tried this breakfast. It is really simple - sorta seems like you don't need a recipe...but I don't tend to make caramelized onions for breakfast and I never use sage, even though it is growing in my garden. So, I found it inspiring and tasty enough to share. Note, there is a lot of butter in this recipe! I modified this for just me, but here is a recipe for 4:

1/4 pound butter
12 fresh sage leaves
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes (I did not peel!)
1 c. water plus more as needed
2 vidalia or sweet onions, sliced
8 large eggs

Melt 4 T butter in a large skillet on med-high heat. Add 4 sage leafs and fry until crisp (about 30 seconds). Transfer to a plate for later.

Add the sweet potatoes to the skillet and toss until coated in butter, then add remaining sage leaves and water. Simmer and cook the potatoes uncovered, until water is evaporated and potatoes are fork tender (about 10 min). If any excess water, spoon/pour off and reserve. Continue cooking potatoes another 10 minutes or so, scraping frequently until crusty brown. Add 1 T or so of reserved liquid if potatoes stick or scorch.

Meanwhile melt 2 T butter in a med skillet on med heat. Add onions and cook until deep golden brown, about 20 min. Transfer to a serving bowl. Wipe out the pan, add the last 2 T butter and fry the eggs, 2 at a time to your preference.

Plate the potatoes with the caramelized onions beside them, and top with 2 fried eggs and a fried sage leaf.

Cheesy grits with hominy

I have a habit of tasting something from the hot bar every time I go to the Seward for groceries...it's like the treat before I check out. A few weeks ago they had some cheesy grits with hominy that was SO good, I have been thinking about making it ever since. I have never made grits before, and it turns out there are quite a few different methods.

I primarily was in search of something that would satisfy my yearning for mac and cheese but without gluten, and I also really liked the hominy in the grits I had from the seward, so I wanted that too. I created a recipe based on a few different searches - and ended up cooking my own hominy too. The grits turned out really good independently, and stuffed in green peppers.

2 c. milk
2 c. water
1 c. grits/polenta
1 T. butter
2 c. cooked or canned hominy*
1 1/2 c. cheese (I used a raw cheddar)
salt and pepper

*The only raw hominy I found was actually from Native Harvest and the White Earth land Recovery Project, which is not cheap. It feels really good to support that project and the work there though, and I was excited to cook my own hominy. I did mine just like I would cook beans - in the slow cooker, after soaking overnight, with lots of water. I am hoping to make posole ometime soon with the rest because this hominy is totally gorgeous and huge. Yum.

Put the water, milk, and grits in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Stir frequently as it comes to a boil and starts to thicken. Once it starts boiling, let simmer (while stirring) for another 5-10 minutes until thick but still mildly soupy. Add sat and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and stir in the hominy and the shredded cheese. I also stirred in two red banana peppers because they were fresh out of the garden.

From here you can fill bell pepper halves if you want to go that route, or pour the grits into a buttered casserole dish. Put either/both in the oven for about 40 minutes (until browned) at 350.

Sauerkraut

A couple of years ago my mom got me a really fancy German sauerkraut crock. It is extra fancy in that there are weights to hold the kraut down under the liquid, and there is a lip around the whole thing that you pour water into to keep an air seal for the fermenting kraut inside. And it is big enough to make 7 quarts of sauerkraut! This last batch is the largest I have ever made, and with the help of friends, it went very quickly.

The recipe we used is based on the one in Wild Fermentation, but really it is just salt and cabbage. We added caraway too.

1) Chop or grate cabbage, with or without hearts, however you like.

We used a blend of green and red cabbages, and tried three different shredding techniques:
1) My food processor (which has a grater blade and shreds very small)
2) My hand-me down mandoline (an orange plastic job that you might remember from the pay per view commercials circa 1980)
3) A sharp knife

My personal fave was the mandoline because it made long thin strips, and because it was even FASTER than the food processor?! woah. who needs these new-fangled electronic gadgets when you can do better without?

2) Sprinkle salt on cabbage as you go. This is because the salt pulls water out of the cabbage, which creates the brine for the fermentation process. It also keeps it crunchy.

Katz's recipe calls for 5 pounds of cabbage to 3 T sea salt

Through some scientific hand weighing, we determined that each head of cabbage approximated about 1 T of salt (the small ones a little less, the big ones a bit more). And we just poured in the caraway seeds in between in quantities less than the salt.

3) Add other veggies if you like, or herbs and spices.

4) Mix ingredients together and pack into crock (or jar or whatever food grade bucket you use).

We established a fancy system to get the most liquid out of the cabbage: using the butt end of a wine bottle, we pounded the cabbage in a bowl before transferring it to the crock, where it was pounded some more with a fat rolling pin. This got lots of liquid out of the cabbage and allowed for a jam packed crock.

5) Cover kraut with a plate or some other lid that fits snugly. Place a clean weight (glass jug filled with water) on the cover. This will keep the cabbage submerged under the brine. Cover the whole thing with cloth to keep dust off.
*This is where the fancy German crock comes in handy...no dust via the water seal.

6) Leave the crock to ferment for 1-4 weeks. It was getting cool the last several weeks already, and ours sat out about 3 weeks. The warmer it is, the faster the fermentation goes.

7) Check the kraut every so often. Sometimes a white film (aka mold) appears on the top of the liquid. This is normal and you can just scrape it off (any remaining bits will break up and be unnoticeable). It is due to air hitting the surface, but the kraut itself is under the "anaerobic protection of the brine" (I particularly like that line).

8) Enjoy! (Taste along the way til its the tang you like)

We packed up the many quarts of kraut and stuck them in the fridge. They need to be chilled at this point or they will continue to ferment. Some people can their kraut, but heating the kraut kills all of the really really good stuff (drink the liquid as a "rare delicacy and digestive tonic" says Katz).

Saag Paneer

This recipe is from my friend Ixchel, cook and roommate extraordinaire. Sadly, she no longer lives in Minneapolis so Mary and I were on our own this time. Thanks to Angelica for organic spinach fresh off the farm and to my mom for a never-ending supply of tomatoes. Delicious and nutritious. Especially good if you listen to Erasure while you make it.

Paneer:

1/2 gallon whole milk

2-3 tbsp white vinegar

Saag:

2 pounds fresh spinach, trimmed, washed and coarsely chopped

1 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek

1 jalapeno, minced

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated

1 cup finely chopped tomatoes

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cornmeal

2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp cinnamon

-To make the paneer, heat the milk in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat.

-Meanwhile, place a colander in the sink and line it with 3-4 layers of cheesecloth.

-When the milk begins to boil, turn the heat to low. Quickly add the vinegar and stir. The mixture will curdle at this point, the whey separating from the curds.

-Empty the mixture into the colander and drain out the whey (which you can save for other uses). Twist the cheesecloth tightly to form a ball. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can.

-Place the ball, still in the cloth, on a cookie sheet, top it with another cookie sheet and put some giant books on top of it. Let sit for about 45 minutes.

-Meanwhile, make the saag.

-Bring one cup of water to a boil in a large pan. Add the spinach, fenugreek, and jalapeno and cook covered for 15-20 minutes.

-In a separate pan, saute the onion, ginger, tomatoes and remaining ingredients until thickened.

-Blend or mash the spinach, depending on what consistency you like.

-Combine the onion/tomato/spice mixture with the spinach.

-Slice the paneer into rectangular chunks and add to the saag.

-Heat and serve with rice or naan.