Chevre and Apricots: a recipe blog

Easy Pot Roast

2012-01-03T17:51:00.000-08:00

I've had this recipe for quite a while but could never find the ingredients (maybe they don't make cream of mushroom with roasted garlic anymore?). I just used regular cream of mushroom soup, only had 1 packet of onion soup mix (couldn't find the beefy onion soup mix), and forgot to get parsnips and dill. So, um, I guess this isn't really the original recipe at all. Still, easy and quite tasty.

The Best Roast Ever
adapted from Pimp My Dinner

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet onion soup mix
1/3 c apple cider vinegar
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 lb beef chuck roast
2 handfuls of baby carrots
1 onion, quartered

Whisk soup, soup mix, vinegar, rosemary, and garlic in a large crock pot. Add beef, turn to coat. Add carrots and onion. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove meat and slice. Serve with vegetables and gravy.

Spinach Stuffed Shells

2012-01-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

I've been looking for a good stuffed shell recipe for a while. I adjusted this one from Real Mom Kitchen a bit so that the ingredients didn't require measuring, and I added a little salt. I made this without the egg and it held up fine. Better yet, I made the whole match in 2 9x9 baking dishes and froze one, which we ate a week later because we all loved it.

Spinach Stuffed Shells
adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

1 (12 oz) box of jumbo pasta shells there will be left over shells
1 (16 oz) package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 lb mozzarella, shredded the usual mozzarella ball you buy in the grocery store
1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb ricotta cheese we used whole milk
1 egg optional
1/2 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
1 and 1/2 medium sized glass jars of Ragu spaghetti sauce

1. Place spinach in a clean dish towel and squeeze any excess liquid.
2. Cook shells according to package directions, drain, and cool shells for a few minutes.
3. In a large bowl, mix spinach, mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, ricotta and egg with salt and pepper.
4. Scoop approximately 1 1/2 T of cheese mixture into each shell. I think I probably did more than this...all I know is I stuffed as much of that cheesy goodness into each shell as I could and still had a bit leftover.
5. In 2 9x9 baking dishes, spread a couple spoonfuls of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of each dish.
6. Place half of the shells in each of the baking dishes. Pour half of the remaining sauce over one dish of shells and pour the rest over the other dish. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese.
7. Cover dishes with foil and bake one and freeze the other. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until hot and bubbly.

To prepare the frozen dish, bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Lemongrass Soup

2011-11-13T20:04:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from my Aunt Katie, which means it's pretty much guaranteed to be awesome. Lately, I've been thinking about adding a can of coconut milk to it but I already know it's so good without the coconut milk. When I lived in Boston, I was determined to find a recipe to make that slightly sweet coconut lemongrass soup that one could get at pretty much any Thai food restruant. I tried 5 different recipes before giving up. This is a great substitute; it's spicy instead of sweet.

It's also delicious as a side dish with pad thai.

Lemongrass Soup

3-4 stalks of lemongrass
8 cups chicken broth
1 tomato, diced
1 can straw mushrooms
1 small can bamboo shoots (I added this)
1/2 pound shelled shrimp or tofu diced
2 T instant sour shrimp paste (Tom Yum)
1/2 lime
fish sauce Aunt Katie suggests a few shakes; I think I did about 1/2 t
green onions, sliced thinly
fresh cilantro
basil (I happened to have some Thai basil)

Trim ends of lemongrass, using meaty portion only. Pound lemongrass with mallet. Add lemongrass to chicken broth in sauce pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove lemongrass from broth using a strainer.

To broth, stir in shrimp and cook until pink (only takes a few minutes). Drain liquid from mushrooms and bamboo and add to broth and shrimp. In a serving bowl, combine Tom Yum paste, juice from 1/2 lime and a few shakes of fish sauce. Stir until blended. Stir hot broth into mixture.

Garnish with diced tomato, green onion, cilantro, and basil.
Serves 8

Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good

2011-10-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

My only regret about this recipe is that I found it at the end of pumpkin season last year (courtesy of this awesome blog).

I can't wait to make it a few times this year. As a side note, I found it easier to serve and eat as a main course rather than an appetizer.

Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good from Epicurious

Massaged Kale and Craisin Salad with Feta Cheese

2011-10-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

I'm always trying to get my family (and me) to eat kale. I love kale chips, but no one else does. I like them in a soup, but I don't have a recipe for a good soup that uses kale. So, I was excited to find this recipe. It's quick, it's easy, and my kids totally ate it.

Massaged Kale and Craisin Salad with Feta Cheese from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad

2011-10-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

I've had this recipe in my pile of "to try" recipes since 2007 (August 29, 2007 to be exact). Every time I went to clean out my folder, I would almost throw this recipe away because well, it'd been so long and I still hadn't made it.

I think the problem is that it needs 10 minutes to 1 hour to marinate. I was worried that longer might make the cucumbers mushy, and well, my vegetable dish of a meal never requires marinating time, so I just couldn't wrap my mind around how to do that, which in retrospect makes me look pretty rigid in my dinner-making routine (totally true).

Anyway, I'm so glad I did get around to making this this summer. The sesame oil adds a nuttiness not usually found in a cucumber salad, and the cucumbers don't get mushy and are perfectly delightful for lunch the next day if they make it that long.

Spice Asian Cucumber Salad
Cooks Country

Serves 4
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T minced fresh ginger
1 hot red child (minced 1 1/2 T) we left this out
1 T toasted sesame oil mine wasn't toasted
3 cucumbers, peeled seeded and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices I used an hothouse English cucumber to cut out those steps
4 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced thin
1/4 c packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

Bring vinegar and sugar to boil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture reduces by half, 5-6 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl and cool to room temperature.

Whisk in lime juice, ginger, chile, and sesame oil. Toss in cucumbers, scallions, and basil; season with salt and pepper, and let sit for 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. Serve

Vegan Salad

2011-08-29T22:19:00.003-07:00

Usually, I have a few things to say about a recipe. All I can say here is, "Make it. Make it now." It's simply delicious...

http://ageoldtree.blogspot.com/2011/04/food-for-vegetarians-portobello-salad.html

Vegan Refried Beans (THE Refried Beans)

2011-08-29T22:19:00.001-07:00

Do you know how many years I've been looking for THE refried beans? I've tried them on the stove, in the crockpot, with bacon or garlic or cumin, or something to make my kids not say, "I just want the red lady beans."

So, I could hardly contain myself when my brother-in-law and his wife made these delicious vegan refried beans. My kids love these, and I learned this week that they'll eat more if I don't mash them.

These beans plus Sour Cream Enchiladas makes a meal where no one missed the meat.

El Cucui's Awesome Refried Beans
Christian and Sarah Schumann-Curtis

1 pound dry beans (pinto or black) or 4 14-15oz cans of cooks beans makes this dish so much easier)
1/2 cup oil we used canola, Christian and Sarah use olive
6-7 garlic cloves
1 T water
1/2 c veggie broth we use chicken broth
1 t salt
1 t coriander (heaping)
1 t cumin (heaping)
1-2 T lemon or lime juice
1 tomato I used 1 can of diced tomatoes and drain them

If using dry beans, rinse beans and soak overnight. Rinse again and with fresh beans, bring to boil, then simmer until beans are soft, even falling apart (about 1 hour).

If using cooked beans, open cans, drain, and rinse.

Preheat oven to 350.

Peel garlic and put cloves in the oil in a cast-iron skillet. Place in oven while getting the rest of the ingredients together.

Put beans, tomato, cumin, coriander, broth, and salt in a large pot. Then, add garlic and oil (I take the garlic out of the oil and mince it before adding it to the beans) to the pot. Bring to a boil. (I then simmer the beans, with the pot lid on, while I make the rest of dinner. Sometimes, I mash with a fork a bit, but my family seems to like this recipe better with whole beans.) When you're ready to serve, stir in the citrus juice (I like lemon for pinto, lime for black beans) and add a chopped banana for a Cuban flair.

THE Chocolate Cake

2011-08-29T22:18:00.002-07:00

Now, if only I could find THE chocolate frosting!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 1/4 c boiling water
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 c Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 t instant coffee
10 T (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 c sour cream, room temperature
1 t vanilla extract

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, then dust with cocoa powder and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the boiling water, chocolate, cocoa powder, and instant coffee together until smooth.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla until incorporated.

Reduce speed to low and beat in one-third of flour mixture, followed by half of the chocolate mixture. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture, and remaining chocolate mixture. Beat in remaining flour mixture until just incorporated.

Give batter a final stir with rubber spatula to make sure it si thoroughly combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, smooth the tops, and gently tap the pans on the counter to settle the batter. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 15-20 minutes, rotating and switching the pans halfway through baking.

Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the edge of cakes, then flip out onto wire racks. Peel off parchment paper, flip cakes right side up, and let cool completely before frosting, about 2 hours.

Pecorino and Bean Salad

2011-08-29T22:18:00.001-07:00

I got this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis' most recent cookbook and I've enjoyed it all summer as a vegetarian main dish.

12 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (2 cups)--I did 1 pound green beans
3 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 t finely chopped rosemary leaves (or oregano for the Greek version)
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or Garbanzo beans)
8 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, cut into 1/4-inch chunks (1 cup)(or feta cheese)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
+2-3 T fresh lemon juice

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook for 3 minutes, or until vibrant green but still crisp. Drain and set aside.

In a small nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, but not brown, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the rosemary and let cool slightly.

Combine the green beans, cannellini beans, Pecorino Romano cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper in a serving bowl. Add the garlic-rosemary oil and toss well, until all the ingredients are coated.

After making this a couple times, I switched it up a little making a pseudo-Greek style version of this dish by doing the following: switch rosemary for oregano, cannellini beans with garbanzo beans, Pecorino Romano with feta cheese, and I added about 2-3 T of fresh lemon juice.

Crock Pot Tepary Beans

2011-06-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law first introduced me to tepary beans, a small bean native to Arizona and last year, I got a few 1 lb bags of them at a gardening demonstration. I kept meaning to cook them, but I never remember to soak my beans overnight and tend to rely on canned beans because of this.

One night, I remembered and decided to try them. For some reason, I thought they were sweet--maybe I was thinking of mesquite beans. They're not. They taste a lot like pinto beans, but because they're so small, they cook really well in a crock pot (whenever I try to cook pinto beans in the crock pot, they still taste raw to me).

These were delicious with a little rice mixed in to make them look more "refried." I get mine at the Town and Country Farmers' Market.

Crock Pot Tepary Beans
I modified the recipe I got from the gardening fair and added the cumin, chili powder and salt.

1 lb tepary benas
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t salt

Clean, sort, and soak beans overnight.

Place soaked beans in a crock pot along with bacon, onion, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Add enough water to cover the beans by about 1 inch. Cook on high for about 8 hours. I removed as much liquid as I could and then, added 1/2 cup of leftover cooked rice about an hour before serving to absorb the excess liquid. This helped the beans to look more like the refried beans my kids prefer.

Delicious with some homemade corn taco shells.

Cook's Illustrated Classic Brownies

2011-06-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

Since Emmeline has been born, I've had some extra calories to spare, so I've been looking for a favorite brownie recipe. I think I've found one, but I ruined a whole batch trying to use egg replacer so Asher could eat them. Sigh, eggs are necessary.

Chocolately with just the right consistency and that delicious crunchy, chewy edge of the pan. I'm not quite sure if this is my THE brownie recipe. I'm afraid more recipes will have to be attempted to know for sure.

Classic Brownies
Cook's Illustrated

1 c (4 oz) pecans or walnuts, chopped I didn't use these
1 1/4 c (5 oz) cake flour
1/2 t salt
3/4 t baking powder
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 6 1-inch pieces
2 1/4 c (15 3/4 oz) sugar
4 large eggs
1 T vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325. Line 9x13 pan with tin foil (make sure there's extra over the lip of the pan) and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Toast nuts if using.

Whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside.

Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. When chocolate mixtureis completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs one at time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, folding with rubber spatula until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous.

Transfer batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Sprinkle nuts evenly over better and bake until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 30-35 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan by lifting foil.

Keeps in airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, but I've never had them around for 3 days to know if this is true.

Shakshuka (Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce)

2011-06-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

I've had a pile of recipes that I've been wanting to post, but whew! 3 kids is a little tricky.

This is delicious and vegetarian (and low in Weight Watcher points--around 5 points per serving). I keep the heat pretty low around here, so I substituted 3 of the Anahaim chiles with sweet red and yellow bell peppers. If Asher wasn't allergic to eggs, we'd have this almost every week.

Smitten Kitchen's Shakshuka

Savory Compound Butters

2011-04-11T11:45:00.001-07:00

I was watching Food Network the other day and watched a woman whip up a Cobb Salad butter, which sounds gross. I think Savory Compound Butter sounds better. I've always loved orange butter and honey butter, but never thought to do this. Best of all, I just watched her whip it up, and then, made my own with approximations. This is delicious on baked potatoes! I think it would also be good on French bread. 4 strips of bacon, fried, cooled and chopped handful of chives (I probably ended up with about 1/4 c once these were minced) 4 oz crumbled blue cheese 1 stick of softened butter Mash all ingredients together with a fork.

Southwest Pasta Salad

2011-03-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Um... I'm in love with a salad. This one comes from Our Best Bites: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/01/southwest-pasta-salad/ If your trying to lose some extra weight and need calorie count here it is: I halved the dressing because it was more than enough. 8 servings. 1 serving=246. And that is why I had 2 servings at dinner tonight:)

Sour Cream Enchiladas

2011-02-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

With refried beans on the side, this is a delicious and easy vegetarian meal.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/sour-cream-enchiladas/

My only additions were to add 1 t of cumin and 1 t of chili powder instead of the 1/4 t's that PW recommends.

Classic Bread Pudding

2011-02-02T09:49:00.000-08:00

This recipe was torn out of a Martha Stewart magazine before I had children, but for some reason, I never made it before. It's delicious and made in individual ramekins, looks like a far fancier dessert than it is.

Classic Bread Pudding
Serves 8

2 T unsalted butter, softened for baking dish
12 ounces brioche or challah, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups milk trust me, whole milk
3 cups heavy cream
4 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 c sugar I think this dish could benefit from an additional flavor, so I'm thinking of trying maple syrup in place of the sugar next time--what say ye, natural sweet expert, Kendahl? Would that work?
1/2 t salt
1 T pure vanilla extract
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/2 c raisins um, I used chocolate chips because I don't like raisins, but I'm thinking maybe next time craisins with some orange zest
1 c boiling water

Butter a 9 by 12 inch baking dish or 8 individual ramekins and set asid. Put bread in a large bowl; set aside. Heat milk and cream in a medium saucepan over med-high heat until just about to simmer; remove from heat.

Whisk eggs, yok, sugar, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in a med bowl. Whisking constantly, pour cream mixture in a slow steady stream into egg mixture. Pour over bread; fold to combine. Let stand 30 minutes, tossing and pressing occasionally to submerge bread.

Meanwhile, soak raisins in 1 c boiling water for 30 minutes. I skipped this.

Drain; stire raisins into bread mixture. Preheat oven to 350. With a slotted spoon, transfer bread to buttered dish; pour liquid in bowl over top. Using spoon, turn top layer of bread crust side up.

Set dish in a roasting pan; transfer to oven. Pour boiling water into pan to reach about halfway up sides of dish. Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. Let dish cool on a rack 10 to 20 minutes.

Classic Pot Roast

2011-01-25T07:27:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for THE pot roast recipe, and I think I may have found it.

CuisineAtHome.com

3 T vegetable oil
1 boneless chuck roast, trimmed and seasoned with salt and pepper (3-4 lb)
1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 T tomato paste
1/2 c dry white wine I used red
1 1/2 c low-sodium beef broth
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 c sliced onions I used one big onion
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces I used 2 handfuls of baby carrots
3 large celery ribs, cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme I used 1 t dried thyme
2 bay leaves

1. Heat oil in a saute pan over med-high. Sear roast on all sides, 10 minutes total. Transfer roast to 4 to 6 qt slow cooker.

2. Stir flour into saute pan; cook 1 minute.

3. Add tomatoe paste and cook 1 minutes more.

4. deglaze pan with wine, cooking until liquid evaporates and a paste has formed. Stir in broth and Worcestershire sauce; bring mixture to a simmer, scraping up brown bits.

5. Transfer broth mixture to the slow cooker and add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves.

6. Cover and cook meat until fork-tender on high-heat setting for 4-5 hours. I did 6 hours on high.

7. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves before serving.

Coconut Chicken Fingers

2011-01-17T20:11:00.000-08:00

This was delicious and it seems to be pretty healthy. And I would think they would be kid friendly...but I don't have any kids yet to try them out on. We tried it with the salad. I liked the vinaigrette, but it had a very strong onion taste, so I would probably use about half of what it suggests, or just leave it out. Thanks to Rachel for posting about Our Best Bites. I have several recipes that I want to try from their website.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/11/crispy-coconut-chicken-fingers.html

Asian Lettuce Wraps

2011-01-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

A new year= a new diet... at least for me it does. I found this gem at Our Best Bites.
http://www.ourbestbitets.com/2009/01/asian-lettuce-wraps.html
I omitted the water chestnuts & mushrooms (in an effort to make it more attractive to my children... which didn't work CURSE picky eaters) and the flavor was still great.

Hello Dollys

2011-01-05T21:41:00.000-08:00

These cookie bars have a million names: magic cookie bars, 7-layer bars, etc. For some reason, my family calls them Hello Dollys. I told my sister to check this blog to get the recipe and then, got a text from her saying it wasn't on here...

...probably because I have it memorized because it's easy and delicious!

Hello Dollys

1 stick of butter
14 graham cracker sheets (you know, 4 little crackers still stuck together), crushed
1 cup coconut
1 cup chocolate chips
1 can of sweetened condensed milk

(Other people add butterscotch chips and pecans--1 cup of each)

Melt butter, mix with crushed graham crackers and form the crust in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Spread evenly coconut and chocolate chips. Pour milk over the top.

Bake at 350 until golden--I think this takes about 20 minutes.

Homemade Eggnog

2010-12-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

As a child, I never liked eggnog. We would buy eggnog in a carton from the grocery store, but it was too thick and sweet for my liking. Now I know, from reading eggnog labels the last couple of years, that I probably didn't like the flavors of high fructose corn syrup and thickeners in store-bought eggnog.

A few years ago I tried Silknog, an eggnog-flavored soy milk. It's thinner but still has that nice holiday flavor. We drank it for a couple of years during the holidays, but in the last year I have learned about many problems surrounding soy. Soy has a very high phytic acid content, and should only be consumed in moderation and properly fermented. Good sources of fermented soy include natto, naturally fermented soy sauce, and fermented miso.

This year I have been missing my thinner, eggnog drink. So I started looking around for a real food version of eggnog using raw milk and cream, raw egg yolks (but no raw egg whites, they have enzyme inhibitors!), wholesome sweeteners like maple syrup and raw honey, and as my friend likes to call them "Christmas spices". Using this recipe as inspiration, I upped the cream and yolks and made delicious eggnog in my blender! How easy was it? VERY.

You place all the ingredients in a blender, blend them up, and then pour and serve. If you have seen the way classic eggnog is made, then you'll be impressed with this method. In the original recipes you are supposed to separate eggs, whip the whites, whip the cream, fold them in at different times, and so on. I don't have time to mess with that! And I don't want to eat the raw white anyway.

So enjoy this quick recipe. It makes delicious, healthy, homemade eggnog that has that not-too-thick texture. Even R liked it! And as R would say: "You can really taste the nog."

Homemade Eggnog

1 cup whole milk (preferably raw and grass-fed)

3/4 cup cream (preferably raw and grass-fed)

4 egg yolks (preferably pastured)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of cloves

pinch of allspice

2-3 tablespoons maple syrup or raw honey (I used syrup)

dash sea salt

Bourbon, rum, cognac, to taste (optional)

1. Place everything in a blender and blend for a minute or so. Pour into glasses and garnish with another grating of nutmeg, or a stirring stick of cinnamon.

Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good

2010-12-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from here and we had it for dinner a few weeks ago. Delicious (even though I'm not a huge savory pumpkin fan), but I think next time, I'll top the dish off with some crumbled goat cheese and pomegranates.

Also, it's categorized as an appetizer, but it's more like a casserole, so I think I prefer it for dinner.

Chicken and Dumplings

2010-12-22T09:07:00.000-08:00

I have been looking for a good chicken and dumpling recipe for years, and this one hits the spot (though, I have to admit, I don't consider this recipe easy to quick like the website says). Nate was very excited about it, and my kids loved it. I've put some changes I'll do next time below in italics.

The Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings
Tyler Florence
Food Network website

Chicken and Stock:
1 (3 to 31/2 pound) whole organic chicken
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs thyme
4 to 5 black peppercorns
1 head garlic, split through the equator
2 tablespoons salt

Buttermilk-Chive Dumplings: I think I'll halve this part next time; I had a lot of leftover batter.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped chives
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen pearl onions I think I'll chop a regular onion and saute it with the carrots, celery and garlic. Nate and I didn't like the pearl onions, though I suspect it's more traditional this way
1/4 cup heavy cream Forgot to put this in but didn't miss it.
Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish
Chopped chives, for garnish

For the stock:
Place the chicken and all stock ingredients in a large Dutch oven and cover with water. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour until the chicken is tender. Skim the surface of fat and scum as it cooks. I cooked my chicken in the crock pot using the same ingredients all day until I was ready to make dinner.

When done remove the chicken to a cutting board. Strain the stock and shred the meat into big pieces - the stock will be used for the sauce and the chicken will be folded into it.

For the dumplings:
Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, using a whisk, lightly beat the eggs, chives and buttermilk together; pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold. Mix just until the dough comes together; the batter should be thick and cake-like.

To prepare sauce:
In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the butter and oil. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, and bay leaves and saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste. Slowly pour in the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add frozen peas and pearl onions.

Let sauce simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Stir in heavy cream.

Fold the reserved shredded chicken into the sauce and bring up to a simmer. Using 2 spoons, carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the hot mixture. The dumplings should cover the top of the sauce, but should not be touching or crowded. Let the dumplings poach for 10 to 15 minutes until they are firm and puffy. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and garnish with chopped chives before serving.

Joyous Almond Cups

2010-12-19T12:30:00.000-08:00

Whenever I make these peanut butter cups I always end up making these Almond Joy-esque cups as well. I use the same mini cupcake pan, the same spot in the freezer to freeze the two layers, and we end up with two flavors of cups to choose from for a sweet, but nourishing treat. This recipe is my version after being inspired, as usual, by a recipe from Kimi over at The Nourishing Gourmet.

Even more so than the peanut butter cups, these joyous almond cups have a lot of coconut oil incorporated into the recipe. Coconut oil has many benefits. Coconut oil has a lot saturated fat. But don't fear. This saturated fat is good for you. Yes you read that right. The saturated fat in coconut oil is comprised of medium chain fatty acids, 50% of which are the fatty acid lauric acid. Medium chain fatty acids are more easily digested, reducing strain on the liver, pancreas, and digestive system. Coconut oil benefits a sluggish thyroid by this same logic: it takes less energy to digest coconut oil, freeing up your thyroid to heal and function better. Coconut oil helps with energy levels and weight loss. Coconut oil heals you from the inside out.

So when you wonder why I go through all the trouble of researching coconut oil, finding different kinds of coconut oil, and then incorporating it into my diet despite my lack of love for it's flavor, this is why. I feel better when I have it in my daily diet. I know the science behind it and am more than happy to have it's help healing my body.

Now let's get back to the treat part. I make these either with or without chopped almonds. Sort in the vein of sometimes feeling like a nut...But when I do add the nuts I make sure they are from my soaked and dehydrated stash. Soaking nuts overnight in salt water helps neutralize the naturally-occuring enzyme inhibitors present in most nuts. Then dehydrating them returns them back to their crispy state. The almonds I used in this recipe were soaked, dehydrated, and then toasted for 20 minutes at 300 degrees just to bring out their flavor a little before I chopped them and added them in.

Joyous Almond Cups

coconut base:

1/2 cup gently melted coconut oil

1/4 cup gently melted raw honey

1 1/4 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1/2 cup chopped almonds, preferably soaked and dehydrated, then toasted for 20 min. at 300 degrees

chocolate topping:

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3 tablespoons raw honey

3/4 cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon coffee liqueur

1. Make coconut base: Combine melted coconut oil and raw honey. Whisk well to combine. Add shredded coconut and almond extract.

2. Using a small ice cream scoop, divide among 24 mini cupcake molds. Sprinkle each one with a little of the chopped almonds, dividing evenly. Place in the freezer on a level surface for 30 minutes to harden.

3. In the meantime, make chocolate topping: combine cocoa powder, honey, and coconut oil in a glass bowl set over simmering water. Whisk until coconut oil is almost completely smooth. Remove from heat and continue whisking, adding vanilla and coffee liqueur.

4. Remove frozen coconut bases, and spoon a little of the chocolate topping on each cup. Place back in the freezer for another 30 minutes until frozen and set.

5. To remove, pop out with a spoon or butter knife immediately after removing from the freezer. Store in the freezer, or else they will melt. To eat, I like to remove from the freezer and let sit for a few minutes to soften. Enjoy with cold, whole raw milk, yum!

(cross-posted at k-land)

Peanut Butter Cups

2010-12-17T21:51:00.000-08:00

I love these peanut butter cups. I made them last February for R for Valentine's Day. I wrote the other day about looking for candy for Christmas at the store, but coming up empty. Even in my compromising mindset I couldn't find anything that would work. So I am making a few different candies and confections to help satisfy M's and E's sweet teeth on that magical morning.

But back to the peanut butter cups. I have tweaked the recipe just a bit. I watch Ina Garten on the Food Network quite a bit, and on her show Barefoot Contessa she occasionally shows how she tests recipes. Ever since she explained how chocolate is enhanced by a little bit of coffee I have been paying attention to how she pairs them in different recipes. She says that you do not end up tasting the coffee, but the chocolate tastes better.

Sometimes she uses leftover brewed coffee, sometimes it's instant coffee or espresso granules, and sometimes it's coffee liqueur. I have Kahlua, so I have used that recently in any chocolate recipe I make. I just eyeball between a teaspoon and a tablespoon. I don't know enough about how they make instant coffee crystals to use them confidently, and I don't brew coffee at home. (The caffeine affects my adrenals and such.)

Oh, and one last thing: after I use up the natural peanut butter in the jars in my fridge I want to make my own peanut butter. It's very handy to have peanut butter around, so I think it's worth the trouble to soak peanuts in salt water, dehydrate them and then put them through the food processor. The point of doing all of that is to avoid the enzyme inhibitors present in peanuts and nuts in general. The soaking process neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors, helping you to not only digest them better but absorb more nutrients from the nuts.

Peanut Butter Cups

peanut butter base:

3/4 cup natural peanut butter, preferably from soaked and dehydrated peanuts

1/4 cup gently melted coconut oil*

2 tablespoons raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup chopped nuts, preferably soaked/dehydrated/roasted at a low temperature (300), optional**

chocolate topping:

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon coffee liqueur

1. Mix peanut butter and coconut oil together until smooth, using a rubber spatula. Add honey and vanilla and stir until smooth. Using a small ice cream scoop, divide among the 24 mini cupcake molds in a mini cupcake pan. Put into the freezer for 20 minutes or so while you make the chocolate topping.

2. In a glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stir chocolate, honey, vanilla and coffee liqueur with a wooden spoon until almost smooth. Remove from the pot and set onto a hot pot holder while you continue to stir until completely smooth.

3. Remove mini cupcake pan from freezer and spoon chocolate mixture onto each peanut butter cup, smoothing a little with the back of a spoon. Place back into the freezer until solid, about 20 minutes or more.

4. Remove with a spoon or butter knife. They should pop out with a little elbow grease, as long as they are completely solid. If they mush together at all, put them back into the freezer for a few minutes and try again. Store in the freezer until you want to eat them.

5. To eat, I like to take a few out and let them rest on a plate for a few minutes to soften. And, of course, my favorite way to eat them is with a cold glass of whole, raw milk. Enjoy.

*You can use virgin coconut oil (which will taste like coconut), or expeller-pressed coconut oil (which will have neutral taste). I prefer the expeller-pressed, but I have tried it both ways and the coconut flavor does work in this recipe.

**(I didn't add these, E can't chew them very well; he choked on a swiped cashew yesterday when I wasn't looking, scary!)

(cross-posted at k-land)

Apple Crepes

2010-11-17T10:48:00.001-08:00

Jaxon found Professor Fizzy on PBS kids.org. He makes healthy food and explains nutrition to the kids in a fun way. (They have lots of cute recipe ideas that kids can help with. Don't try the chickpea cakes, they're terrible)

Our new favorite recipe is for Apple Crepes. Jaxon asks for it every morning.

Crepes (this is my SiL's recipe)

1 C Whole wheat flour (I like white wheat but red works, too)

1 egg

Raw Sugar (I use 1/4 cup but you can use less or none at all)

Milk (we've been off dairy so we used coconut milk or almond milk, but soy and rice would work too)

Orange Zest (if you have it, we haven't used it)

Add milk to mixture until it's a really thin pancake batter. You can make crepes in a frying pan or use a crepe maker like ours (you can borrow it! We got ours for $20 at Tuesday Morning).

Apple Filling (this is also good as a pancake topping)

2 peeled and chopped apples

1/4 C honey

1/2 C juice (we like cherry, but grape or orange work as well)

1 t cinnamon

Cook on med-high heat until apples are soft.

Put on one quarter of an open crepe, fold in half then half again and top with whipped cream!

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

2010-11-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have wanted to make chocolate hazelnut spread for a long time. I don't like that Nutella has sugar in it, nor milk powder and soy lecithin. Plus, I like soaking my nuts before I eat them, that way the enzyme inhibitors are neutralized and they are much easier to digest.

Soaked, Dehydrated, and Roasted Hazelnuts

4 cups raw, organic hazelnuts

sea salt

filtered water

1. Get out a large glass jar and fill halfway with filtered water. Add 2 tablespoons sea salt and stir with a wooden spoon. Add hazelnuts and cover with a cloth or coffee filter. Let sit at room temperature overnight.

2. The next day, pour out water and put hazelnuts onto a baking sheet or dehydrator sheet. If using a dehydrator, dry at low heat, less than 150 degrees. You can do this in the oven if you oven will set a temperature that low. Or you can set it as low as possible and open the oven every now and then to let the temperature drop. Dehydrate either way for 12 hours or more, until the nuts are nice and dry and crisp. How do you know they're done? Taste one!

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

2 cups (soaked, dehydrated, and roasted) hazelnuts, cooled

1/2 cup raw honey

1/3 cup organic cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon Homemade vanilla

1 teaspoon coffee liqueur (I used Kahlua)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup coconut oil, gently melted (I used expeller-pressed so there is no coconut flavor)

1. Place hazelnuts, honey, cocoa powder, vanilla, coffee liqueur, and sea salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Then turn on the processor and add melted coconut oil in a slow, steady stream. Add more or less coconut oil depending on the consistency you want. Serve.

Taco Seasoning

2010-10-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite healthy, inexpensive ingredients to use: ground beef. I buy it in bulk from U.S. Wellness Meats here. If I could fit 50 lb. into my freezer, I would. Lucky for me, I have a friend who likes to order with me and we each put 25 lb. in our freezers.

I found a recipe for homemade taco seasoning over at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, and she is right, it does taste just right. I made a few changes, but it's essentially the same. I can't tell the difference between this seasoning and the packets I used to buy at the grocery store. (Except after I eat this real food version, I don't get that sick feeling from the MSG in the commercial kind. Remember that MSG isn't just in monosodium glutamate. It is also in hydrolyzed food starch, autolyzed yeast, and citric acid among others.)

I either make tacos out of this recipe or taco bowls. By using sprouted corn tortillas, shredded raw cheddar cheese, salsa, and cubed avocado, you have great classic tacos with the real food spin. Or skip the tortillas and layer meat, cheese, salsa, and avocado in a bowl. You could also add lettuce and diced tomato.

Taco Seasoning

1/2 cup onion powder

1/4 cup chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (this gives medium heat, adjust to your preference)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/4 cup sea salt

1/8 cup garlic powder

1/8 cup ground cumin

1. Place all spices in a glass jar, then cap and shake to combine. Use two heaping tablespoons per one pound of ground beef.

Taco-Seasoned Ground Beef

1 pound ground beef, thawed

2 heaping tablespoons taco seasoning

1. Brown entire pound of ground beef over medium-high heat until lightly browned on each side, then break up and cook until no pink remains. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and optional 1/2 cup water (I don't use it), cover and simmer 5-10 minutes. Serve.

Mushroom Lasagna

2010-10-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

These days, it takes a lot to get me to try a new recipe. Back in August, I made a recipe from a trusted blog that turned out so bad that we threw the whole thing away and went to MacDonald's. And, with my energy level so low with pregnancy, it feels easier to stick with tried and true recipes.

But, I couldn't resist trying this one from a trusted (and different) blog and the Barefoot Contessa. These two ladies have never steered me wrong, and I think I now have a new favorite vegetarian lasagna: http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/mushroom-lasagna/

I halved the recipe, making this dish in an 8x8 pan, and followed all of Smitten Kitchen's suggestion, except for the garlic. I doubled it and cooked it with the mushrooms instead of the white sauce.

I just wish I had doubled it and frozen an extra pan!

Real Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-10-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

M has been begging me for chocolate chip cookies. I had not found a good real food recipe yet, so I didn't have one on hand when he asked. I spent some time perusing Teh Interwebz for a good recipe to modify, but nothing really spoke to me. Then I remembered that my sister T has a good recipe in the Martha Stewart Cookies book that I had made before. So I tracked that one down, modified it with real food and it turned out beautifully!

I haven't been making much food in the past several days, since developing a nasty cold given to me lovingly by my boys. It was nice to mix up some cookie dough and make the house smell warm and homey while knowing that the next morning my little M would wake up to cookies for breakfast. I didn't worry about the fact that they were eating cookies for breakfast, and here's why:

grass-fed butter is good for you

palm shortening is good for you

sprouted whole grain flour is good for you

sea salt is good for you

pastured eggs are good for you

rapadura is good for you (in small amounts, not at every meal)

cacao nibs are good for you

I made these cookies, and they were not only good for my kids, but tasted pretty good too. The recipe yields a flatter, chewy cookie. The rapadura and homemade vanilla give a nice earthy, carmel flavor. The cacao nibs give a nice chocolatey crunch. Enjoy it with glass of crisp, clean raw milk and afternoon snacktime is a big hit.

This recipe makes quite a bit of dough. Feel free to freeze half the dough in logs wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed in a freezer bag. That's what I did.

Real Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks (1 cup) grass-fed butter (I used Kerrygold)

1 cup palm shortening* (I used Tropical Traditions, it's made by non-exploited workers)

3 cups rapadura, or other whole sweetener* (I used Rapunzel I bought from Azure Standard)

4 large eggs (I used duck eggs. Yes, duck eggs!)

2 teaspoons Homemade Vanilla Extract

3 1/2 cups sprouted whole grain flour (I used soft white wheat berries)

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (I used Celtic Sea Salt)

2 teaspoons baking soda (I used aluminum-free from Food Wise)

1 1/2 cups cacao nibs (I bought these in bulk at Whole Foods)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a stand mixer, cream butter and palm shortening until creamy. Add rapadura and cream together until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

2. Into a large bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda. Whisk with a wire whisk to remove lumps and sift ingredients together. Add to wet ingredients in stand mixer slowly. Mix until combined. Fold in cacao nibs.

3. Drop by large spoonfuls (2-3 tablespoons) either with a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop. Space at least 2 inches apart to give them room to spread. Bake two cookie sheets at a time with racks placed in the upper and lower thirds of your oven.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden. Remove from cookie sheets and let cool on cooling racks.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

2010-10-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

A special thanks to Jones family friend Debbie for this classic recipe.
Cookie:
1 box devil's food cake mix
1 egg
1 cube of butter melted
Mix and roll into quarter size balls.
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Look for the tops of cookies to start cracking.
Let the cookies sit on sheet for a minute and then place on wire rack to cool.
Frosting/Filling:
2 C powder sugar
1/4 C shortening
1/2 tsp vanilla
splash of milk
Mix and leave filling a little stiff.

Tahini Cookies

2010-10-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

We've started a multiple food elimination diet at our house (for 7 days only, thank heavens) but I found this recipe that is actually adequately good for a cookie. And my kids loved helping me make it. With no eggs, the dough can be eaten raw.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons tahini
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used sliced almonds)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, stir together the tahini, honey and cinnamon. Mix in walnuts and oats until well blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are slightly brown. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

(Courtesy of Allrecipes)

Chocolate Toffee Shortbread Bars

2010-09-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

I've had the ingredients for this recipe for about a month, but finally, made them last night. They're really easy (especially if you freeze semisweet chocolate chips and then, finely chop them in a food processor). The cinnamon is an especially delightful addition.

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/07/chocolate-toffee-shortbread-bars.html

Watermelon Feta Salad

2010-08-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

I've heard of this recipe, but always thought, "Hmm, that sounds weird." When I saw it on a trusted recipe site, I figured I would take the plunge, but still, I was nervous. I just didn't see how the flavors go together, and truthfully, I still don't see how they do, but they do! A lovely light (mostly) savory side salad.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/07/fresh-herb-and-watermelon-feta-salad.html

Chicken Tetrazini

2010-08-19T14:09:00.001-07:00

This is a recipe from my SIL Kristen. I have modified it to include pasta I made by soaking the dough overnight to reduce phytic acid. I also added some herbaceous goodness to the sauce with basil and marjoram at the suggestion of my friend G. It came together very nicely when I made it for lunch yesterday.

I also see that this recipe is nothing like the "Chicken Tetrazini" in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Who knows what that is all about? So, full disclaimer: I don't know if this is really Chicken Tetrazini, but that's what I call it. Enjoy!

Chicken Tetrazini

8 oz. soaked or sprouted pasta (I used durum wheat berries ground up for my pasta)
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
3 cups homemade chicken broth/stock
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup Cheddar cheese, grated (I used raw, grass-fed)
1 cup milk or cream
5 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons sprouted flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta until tender and drain. In a large saucepan, melt butter and gradually whisk in flour to make a roux. Gradually stir in broth, whisking continuously. Add milk and parmesan cheese, stirring with a wooden spoon until all cheese is melted. Cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles and thickens.
Season with salt and pepper, basil and marjoram. Add chicken and pasta into saucepan and combine. Pour into buttered 9x13 pan. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over top. Bake for about 30 minutes, until cheese has melted and begins to brown.

Basic Brownies

2010-08-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

These brownies have such a nice flavor. I can't really describe it, but it reminds me of Cadbury chocolate or something. At any rate, they are easy and yummy. I just sprouted some wheat berries a few days ago and yesterday dehydrated them and ground them up to use for flour. Soooo worth it to make treats :)

Basic Brownies
from my friends Taryn and Corey

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
8 T. (1 stick) unsalted grass-fed butter (I used Kerrygold)
1 cup rapadura/sucanat/palm sugar
2 pastured eggs
½ cup sprouted flour (I used soft white wheat)
pinch sea salt
½ tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and line with buttered parchment paper an 8-inch square pan. Set aside.
Combine chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very low heat, stirring occasionally. When just melted, remove from heat and continue stirring until smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in sugar. Beat in eggs on at a time. Gently fold in flour, salt and vanilla.
Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 20-25, or until barely set in the middle. Cool on a rack completely before refrigerating for at least 4 hours, wrapped. Then remove and cut into even squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Greek Style Pita Sandwiches

2010-07-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

This is one of those summer meals that makes me want to smack my head and say, "Why didn't I think of that?!" I followed the recipe for everything except, I doubled the marinade and let it sit on the meat for most of the afternoon and then grilled instead of sauteed (leave out the meat and it's a vegetarian meal). I also added a bit of lemon juice to my yogurt dressing to thin it out a bit.

Cool and refreshing...a perfect summer dinner staple!

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/07/greek-style-pita-sandwiches.html

Basic Rich Crackers

2010-07-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

These are the basic crackers I make on a pretty regular basis for our family. They are made with four simple ingredients: butter, yogurt, flour, and salt. You combine, cover and soak overnight, then roll them out in the morning, cut and bake them. Simple as that, and you get all the benefit of whole foods, properly prepared.

To start with, freshly ground flour that has been soaked to rid it of phytic acid is very healthy. Not to mention the vitamin K2 from the butter if it is grass-fed, and the probiotics found in good quality whole milk yogurt. Even the salt is beneficial if you choose a high quality salt full of trace minerals, such as Celtic sea salt.

I like to use Kerrygold Irish Butter from Trader Joe's because it is the best price I have found. I also get my yogurt from Trader Joe's, or I make my own from whole raw milk. I haven't tried it yet, but since I have milk kefir around, I wonder if I could use that in place of the yogurt in this recipe.

They are delicious with raw cheese and organ meat sausage (like Braunschweiger, yum!). But enjoyed all by themselves they are still lovely. They are very similar to Cheez-its I think.

Basic Rich Crackers

1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3 1/2 cups freshly ground whole grain flour (I have used spelt and whole red winter wheat, both with good success)
2 teaspoons sea salt

1. Cream yogurt and butter together. Add flour and salt and stir to combine.
2. Cover with a towel and a plate, find a warm place to soak 12-24 hours (or overnight).
3. After the soaking period, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. At this point you can add any herbs, cheeses, or spices to your dough you might like to try. I have only attempted cracked pepper and parmesan cheese, but it was delicious! The possibilities are endless, but the crackers are truly delicious all on their own. Don't feel you need this step, it is optional.
5. Use white flour, sprouted flour, or arrowroot powder (because each of these options have no phytic acid) to roll your dough out very thin. Use a pastry or pizza cutter to cut dough into small squares or rectangles.
6. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. You can put the crackers fairly close to each other, they do not spread. You can prick with a fork, but I have not seen much of a need for it.
7. Bake 8-12 minutes, checking every minute or so after 8 minutes have gone by to make sure they do not overbrown. You know the crackers are done when they are slightly brown on the edges and the middles of the crackers look drier.
8. Remove from baking sheet to cooling racks immediately, but be gentle so they do not break. Enjoy!

Red, White and Blue (Coconut) Cupcakes

2010-07-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

I have had some coconut flour ready to be used for a while now, so I made these cupcakes over the holiday weekend. The cupcakes were moist and full of berries. I am going grain-free for a little while, so the fact that they are grain- (and dairy-) free was nice so I could have some. I had to have them with a glass of (raw) milk, and they were delicious!
Red, White and Blue Cupcakes (from The Nourishing Gourmet)

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs, gently beaten with a fork
1/3 cup of honey
1/3 cup of coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. In a medium size bowl, place the coconut flour, sea salt, and baking powder. Whisk to remove any lumps.

2. Melt honey and coconut oil in a small saucepan, just until melted. (If you have over-heated it, let cool before combining it with the eggs.) Combine wet ingredients (eggs, honey, coconut oil, vanilla), and combine thoroughly into dry ingredients.

3. Fold in fresh or frozen berries. In papered or lightly greased muffin tins, put about 1/4 cup of batter in each muffin tin. Make sure to have some of the blueberries and some of the raspberries in each muffin indentation.

4. Bake for 375 degrees until the muffins are lightly browned on the top and a toothpick comes out clean when poked into the middle of the muffin (20-28 minutes).

Delicious Green Smoothie

2010-06-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

When I buy the tub of organic baby spinach from Costco about half of it goes bad before I use it.
I'm really the only person that likes salads in my house.

But, everyone likes smoothies. So, I found and modified a smoothie recipe with spinach and aside from the color, my family loved it. If it wasn't green, you'd never know there was spinach in it!

Ingredients:

2 cups spinach (packed down a little)
1 ripe banana (I peel my brown bananas then freeze them for easy use)
1/4 to 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/4 to 1/2 cup water (depending on how thick you want it!)

Use whatever fruit you have on hand: cantaloupe and grapes, and strawberries are great for freezing and make good smoothies. The banana and pineapple keep the color a pretty green. When I added strawberries and a few blackberries it turned darker, pea-soupish.

Blend and serve!

Mint Berry Salad

2010-06-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

At a feminist retreat I attended in March, my friend, Brooke, made this lovely fruit salad with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Then, she topped it off with a minty syrup. It looked stunning and was helpful for a queasy, morning sick stomach.

For Father's Day, I tried to recreate the syrup. Recipe sites like allrecipes.com and epicurious.com have suggestions for other fruit that would go well with the mint syrup. I followed Brooke's excellent example for mine, though.

Mint Berry Salad

1/2 flat of strawberries
3 pints of raspberries
3 pints of blueberries
3 pints of blackberries

Mint Syrup

1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water
1 plastic container of fresh mint leaves (mine said .66 oz)

Take 10-12 mint leaves and set aside. Put the rest of the mint (stems and all) with sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil until sugar dissolves.

Allow mint/sugar mixture to seep for 10 minutes. Strain and let cool.

Add 10-12 mint leaves and cooled syrup to blender. Pour to taste over mixed berries and serve within 10 to 20 minutes of adding syrup.

Eggplant Torta

2010-06-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

I bought this cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison years ago when we were living in Boston. I have to confess I don't use it often because the recipes require a certain level of knowledge about seasonality of vegetables and access to high quality ingredients. The recipes are very minimalist, designed to bring out the flavors of each ingredient, which is great if one knows how to pick the best foodstuffs in the store (a skill I'm still working on). It's one of two cookbooks that sits on my shelf and doesn't get much use, not because it's not excellent, but because I'm still trying to figure out how to balance vegetarian meals.

Anyway, this is a recipe that I had in mind when I first started this blog, but I've never posted it because it's so long, which is why it's scanned. It's beautiful, delicious, and will satisfy both vegetarian and meat-eaters. But, it's time consuming (as you can see by the length of the recipe).

I made it last night for dinner when the swiss chard I planted in October decided to finally grow in May and was getting close to bolting (ok, it kind of did bolt--a little bitter than I cared for). And, I realized that I had about 1/2 of all the primary ingredients: 1/2 a large bunch of chard, and 1 eggplant (this recipe needs about 2 big ones). So, I halved those, but everything else I kept the same (except the saffron, I've never used it) and just made one layer of each mixture. Still tasty and much easier.

Gourmet Lemonade Party

2010-05-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

I'm so having one of these next year when we Arizonans have lemons coming out of our ears...

http://www.cheekykitchen.com/2010/05/make-your-gourmet-lemonade-party.html

Asher and Luke's Favorite Dishes

2010-05-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

I'm going to Europe on Friday and usually, I freeze lots of meals for Nate when I go out of town. But, Nate never thaws out one, which used to hurt my feelings, but then, I realized that I was forgetting that he is a more than capable cook and was completely buying into the stereotype that a wife who is so selfish as to leave her husband with his own children must leave him meals. I'm learning, I'm learning...

It also helps that I don't have the energy to make dinner every night right now (much less extra meals) and really, dinner for 10 days? That just wasn't going to happen.

Of coures, even as I say all this, I still feel a little guilty leaving him and I figured this would be an excellent time to put together a link list of my kids' favorite foods that I make and probably won't remember in 10 years. These are the "almost as good as McDonald's burger and fries" for my kids:

Pancakes: http://chevrefennel.blogspot.com/2010/05/asher-and-lukes-favorite-pancakes.html
Spaghetti sauce: http://chevrefennel.blogspot.com/2008/02/pasta-add-ins.html
Hummus: http://chevrefennel.blogspot.com/2010/03/hummus.html
Salsa: http://chevrefennel.blogspot.com/2009/08/easy-salsa.html
Meat loaf: http://chevrefennel.blogspot.com/2009/11/cooks-country-meat-loaf.html
Cracker Chicken: http://chevrefennel.blogspot.com/2009/10/cracker-chicken.html
Taco Soup: http://chevrefennel.blogspot.com/2009/10/taco-soup.html
Sugar Cookies: http://chevrefennel.blogspot.com/2009/07/kirstins-sugar-cookies.html
Wild Rice Chicken Salad: http://chevrefennel.blogspot.com/2009/05/wild-rice-chicken-salad.html
Banana Bread: http://chevrefennel.blogspot.com/2009/02/coconut-and-macadamia-nut-banana-bread.html
Homemade bread: http://www.the-exponent.com/2006/06/02/one-of-lifes-simple-pleasures-homemade-bread/

What dishes do your kids love?

Asher and Luke's Favorite Pancakes

2010-05-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

I don't love these, but maybe it's because the boys (and often I) have had them for breakfast every morning for the past two years. I've learned that one can add 1/2 cup of applesauce or 1 mashed banana for a delicious change, but don't try blueberries or chocolate chips--my kids like they're pancakes without any colored additions to the mix.

Asher's and Luke's Favorite Pancakes
based on Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

2 c all-purpose flour
2 T sugar
4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 beaten eggs, we use egg replacer
2 c soy milk
1 c vanilla soy yogurt
4 T cooking oil

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and slat. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture; set aside.

In another bowl, combine eggs, soy milk, soy yogurt, and cooking oil. Add soy milk mixture to dry mixture. Stir until just moistened (batter will be lumpy).

For standard-size pancakes, pour about 1/4 c batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or until panckaes are golden brown, turning to second side when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry.

This recipe will feed my kids pancakes every morning for the school week.

Stir-Fried Portobellos with Ginger-Oyster Sauce

2010-05-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

I've been sorely neglecting this blog (like so many other things). But, I'm coming through the first trimester and feeling a little more adventurous in my cooking. I have to admit, I was sad to not have enough energy to cook (we used all our freezer meals) and not feeling up to make anything that I didn't already know (delicate stomach and all). I didn't realize how much I use cooking to relax.

I'm still not that adventurous, but this is a recipe I tried pre-pregnancy and loved. The sauce is so rich, the portobellos and tofu such excellent meat substitutions that my kids totally ate it up, and even my husband said it was a satisfying meat substitute.

It has tons of steps, but after making it a few times, I suspect it will be rather intuitive and easy.

Stir-fried Portobellos with Ginger Sauce
Cook's Illustrated

Glaze
2 T soy sauce
2 T sugar
1/4 c chicken or vegetable broth

Sauce
1 T soy sauce
1 c chicken broth
3 T oyster-flavored sauce
2 t roasted sesame oil I used regular sesame oil
1 T cornstarch

Vegetables
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 t fresh ginger, minced
4 T vegetable oil
6-8 portobellos, stems discarded, gills removed I left the gills on mine, did 3 portobellos and 1/2 pound tofu, I also sliced the portobellos into strips
2 c sliced carrots or other longer cooking vegetable like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans
1/2 c chicken broth
1 c snow peas or other quick cooking vegetable like bell pepper, celery, zucchini
1 pound leafy greens like bok choy or napa cabbage I left this out and added extra of the other 2 vegetable types

1. Whisk glaze ingredients in small bowl; whisk sauce ingredients in separate small bowl. In third small bowl, mix garlic and ginger with 1 t vegetable oil
1a. Drain tofu by wrapping a firm block in a dish towel and put an even weight on top of it (I use a couple cans on top of a cutting board) for 20 minutes. Cube tofu into bite-size pieces and toss with 1 T cornstarch until covered.
2. Heat 3 T vegetable oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Put tofu in pan for 3-5 minutes (don't touch for first 3 minutes to get a nice golden crust).

Add mushrooms to cook, without stirring, until browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. This is the tricky part, the tofu needs about 5 minutes longer than the portobellos, so act like you're cooking two separate dishes in the same pan while timing. The tofu will be golden when it's time to turn; the portobellos require watching the clock. It's not as intuitive for me, at least, to tell when they're done.

Using tongs, turn mushrooms and reduce heat to medium; cook until second sides are browned and mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high; add glaze mixture and cook, stirring, until glaze is thick and mushrooms and tofu are coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to plate; rinse skillet clean and dry with paper towels.

3. Heat 1 t oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup broth and cover skillet; cook until carrots are just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates, about 30 seconds. Transfer carrots to plate with mushrooms.

This felt like a lot of extra steps. I transferred the mushrooms and tofu to a plate but cooked all the vegetables slightly spaced apart but in the same skillet.

4. Heat remaining t vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium high heat until beginning to smoke. Add snow peas and bok choy stems or napa cabbage cores and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown and soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add leafy greens and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 1 minute.

Push vegetables to the side of skillet to clear center; add garlic-ginger mixture to clearing and cook, smashing mixture with spoon or spatula, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds, then stir into vegetables.

5. Return everything to skillet with sauce. Toss to combine and cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened and vegetables are coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to serving platter, top with sesame seeds, if using, and serve immediately.

Chewy Granola Bars

2010-04-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

In honor of the 200th post on this blog, I wanted to publish this delicious, healthy snack that I just made for my family. I've been tired of sending my first grader with PB & J, a cup of water, and a small tub of applesauce for lunch. He needed an extra snack so tonight I tried this.

1 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup corn syrup or honey

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups quick-cooking oats (I used whole oats)

1/2 cup sunflower kernels

1/2 cup raisins

6 tablespoons toasted wheat germ (or raw)

2 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or raisins)

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Stir in the oats, sunflower kernels, raisins, wheat germ and sesame seeds. Fold in chocolate chips. (I thought they would have been just as delicious w/o the chocolate chips, and I am a HUGE chocolate fan).

Press into an jelly roll pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until set and edges are browned. Cool completely on a wire rack (overnight, if possible). Cut into bars.

Other options include adding 1/4 C egg whites for more protein, adding nuts instead of seeds, and replacing the chocolate chips with other dried fruit, like craisins. You could also use flax seed instead of wheat germ. Some have used light olive oil instead of butter. There are a lot of combinations, but this recipe is so good I couldn't stop eating the mix raw as I was making it. Delicious!

Credits, although I doubled the recipe. Who only wants an 8 x 8 pan? Crazy, I say!

Vanilla Oatmeal with Pan-Fried Cinnamon Apples

2010-04-20T10:27:00.001-07:00

Finally, I have made a delicious soaked oatmeal. I have to give a major H/T to my friend G for it though. My problem with soaked oatmeal has been how much honey and maple syrup it took to make the oatmeal good. It never occurred to me that pan-fried apples would sweeten it up without massive amounts of sweetener. Now I can add this to the breakfast staples. The ratio is all you need to know to soak oatmeal: for each cup of oatmeal use one cup of water, one Tablespoon of acidic medium, and one or two dashes of salt. The next morning, cook in another one cup of water for each cup of oatmeal you started with.

Vanilla Oatmeal with Pan-Fried Cinnamon Apples

The night before, in a glass bowl:
3 cups of oatmeal
3 cups of filtered water
3 T. whey, lemon juice, whole yogurt, buttermilk, apple cider vinegar, or other acid (I use whey, but Kimi Harris over at The Nourishing Gourmet says lemon juice gives the best flavor)
1 teaspoon sea salt

Cover with a towel and let soak between 12-24 hours.

In the morning, in a cast iron skillet:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or coconut oil (I do a little of both!)
3-4 peeled apples, cut into bite-sized pieces
sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg

Saute over medium heat until apples are browned and softened, stirring occasionally, and the sauce reduces down to a glaze. In the meantime, start oatmeal:

In a saucepan:
3 cups of water
all the contents of your glass bowl from overnight soaking

Bring oatmeal to a gentle bubble and stir constantly. It should only take 3-5 minutes to cook your oatmeal because of the soaking process.

Towards the end of cooking, add:
2 tsp. vanilla
sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg (yes, in addition to the sprinkles on the apples)
up to 1/4 C. honey

Your apples and oatmeal should finish close to each other. Add the apples from the skillet to the saucepan. Stir all together and serve hot. If you like, add some yogurt on top of each bowl of oatmeal, perhaps with a sprinkling of nuts or dried fruit.

Cinnamon Vanilla Ice Cream

2010-04-14T17:40:00.001-07:00

This is very similar to my other recipe for Vanilla-Maple Ice Cream, but in this one I used rapadura for sweetener and added cinnamon. Lovely spicy ice cream, the boys have enjoyed it today.

Cinnamon Vanilla Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups cream (I used raw)
1 1/2 cups milk (I used raw, whole)
3/4 cup rapadura
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1. Whisk together and set in fridge for 2 hours or so to let flavors mingle and sugar dissolve.
2. Whisk once more, turn on ice cream maker, and pour in. After ice cream sets up, put into a container and freeze overnight to get firm ice cream. Otherwise it will be like soft-serve.

Grilled Turkey and Cheddar

2010-04-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

I made this sandwich today and it was so simple and herbaceous that I had to share.

Grilled Turkey and Cheddar
(Wednesday April 14th version :D)

sliced spelt sourdough bread
butter (I used grass-fed)
sea salt
pepper
dried rosemary
sliced turkey (I used organic)
mild cheddar (I used raw, and wish I would have had sharp)
yellow mustard
mayonnaise (I used lacto-fermented)
dried thyme

1. Butter two slices of bread, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
2. Build sandwich by placing one piece of bread butter side down in a cast iron skillet and layering on turkey, cheese and then the other piece of bread with the side spread with mustard and mayonnaise and rosemary face down and the buttered/salted/peppered/roasemaryed side up. After it browns on one side, flip and brown the other. Cut in half and chomp. Perhaps with soup? I didn't have soup, but that sounds amaaaazingggg.

Mini-egg Brownies (Sophia Gathering Version)

2010-04-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

Mini-egg Brownies

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into ¼-inch pieces
4 large eggs
2 cups rapadura
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sprouted flour
one bag Cadbury mini-eggs

Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes, and then whisk smooth. If all the chocolate has not melted, return to very low heat and stir constantly until the chocolate melts.
In a large bowl, use a rubber spatula to stir one egg into one cup of the rapadura. Make sure any lumps in the sugar are dissolved. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, stirring each in with the rubber spatula in the same way. Stir in the other cup of rapadura, then the vanilla and salt. Stir in the chocolate mixture.
Finally, fold in the flour, then 2 cups of the mini-eggs.
Prepare a 9x13x2 pan by buttering it and then lining it with parchment paper and buttering the parchment paper at the very last. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Scatter the remaining mini-eggs over the top of the batter.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick or a small knife inserted into the center emerges clean. Cool completely on a rack.
Wrap and refrigerate the pan so that the cake solidifies completely, at least 4 hours but overnight is best. This also makes the cake easier to cut.
Transfer the whole cake to a cutting board and slide a long knife or spatula under it to loosen the paper, and then pull it away. Use a ruler to mark, and then cut the cake into 2-inch squares.
For up to several days, store the brownies between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover. Freeze for longer storage. If you plan to keep the brownies for any length of time, it is better to wrap them individually.

Breakfast Strata with Spinach and Gruyere

2010-04-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

Lots of steps, but well-worth it!

Breakfast Strata with Spinach and Gruyère
from Cook’s Illustrated via Kate H.
Makes one 8 by 8-inch strata, serving 6

To weigh down the assembled strata, use two 1-pound boxes of brown or powdered sugar, laid side by side over the plastic-covered surface. To double this recipe or those that follow, use a 9 by 13-inch baking dish greased with only 11/2 tablespoons butter and increase baking times as suggested in each recipe.

8–10 (1/2-inch thick) slices supermarket French or Italian bread (6–7 ounces)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 medium shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup medium-dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 large eggs
1 3/4 cups half-and-half

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Arrange bread in single layer on large baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes, turning slices over halfway through drying time. (Alternatively, leave slices out overnight to dry.) When cooled, butter slices on one side with 2 tablespoons butter; set aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallots until fragrant and translucent, about 3 minutes; add spinach and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until combined, about 2 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl; set aside. Add wine to skillet, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup, 2 to 3 minutes; set aside.
3. Butter 8-inch square baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter; arrange half of buttered bread slices, buttered-side up, in single layer in dish. Sprinkle half of spinach mixture, then 1/2 cup grated cheese evenly over bread slices. Arrange remaining bread slices in single layer over cheese; sprinkle remaining spinach mixture and another 1/2 cup cheese evenly over bread. Whisk eggs in medium bowl until combined; whisk in reduced wine, half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers; cover surface flush with plastic wrap, weigh down (see note, above), and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
4. Remove dish from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Uncover strata and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over surface; bake until both edges and center are puffed and edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 50 to 55 minutes (or about 60 minutes for doubled recipe). Cool on wire rack 5 minutes; serve.

Italian Rice Salad

2010-03-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

I finally made this for dinner last night and it was way more delicious than it sounded. And I already thought it sounded good! A good summery recipe, too.

Everyday Italian Rice Salad
from The Nourishing Gourmet

2 cups of brown long grain rice (soaked 7 hrs before hand in water and 2 T. of whey/lemon juice/buttermilk is preferable)
4 carrots, washed, peeled and shredded
4 celery, thinly sliced
1 cup of frozen peas
4 eggs
Dressing
1/3 cup of raw apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced or put through a garlic press
1 teaspoon sea salt
plenty of freshly ground pepper

1-Make rice according to the package’s instructions. I use 4 cups of homemade chicken stock to 2 cups of rice. After the soaking period add a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil, cover and turn down heat to the lowest setting. Cook for about 50 minutes.
2-Meanwhile, put together the dressing. Simply pour and toss everything into a mason jar and put on a lid and shake, or whisk it in a small bowl. Then prepare the vegetables.
3-When the rice is done, take off of the heat and remove the lid. You will want to combine the rice and dressing while the rice is still warm so that the flavor permeates it, but I don’t like to do it when the rice is too hot, otherwise it starts to cook the vegetables, which you want nice and crisp. If you don’t have time to let it cool a bit, I will sometimes dump it onto a large plate or jellyroll pan and flip the rice mixture every few minutes to let it cool faster.
4-When the rice is still warm, but not hot. Scramble your eggs. In a small saucepan, add a little olive oil and place over medium heat. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl, and pour in the pan. I like to stir my eggs with a fork as it prevents the eggs from clumping into large pieces. Cook until the eggs are still moist, but cooked through and remove from heat.
5-Put it all together! Add the rice, peas, and eggs to a large bowl. For the frozen peas, simply rinse with hot water in a sieve until they are room temperature and add to the warm rice, which will heat them slightly. Pour in about 3/4’s of your dressing and gently stir. Then stir in the carrots and celery. Taste test, you may need to add the rest of the dressing now, or some more salt and pepper. As the salad sits, it will absorb more of the dressing, so you may need to refresh it with a bit of vinegar and olive oil.
Enjoy this salad, warm, room temperature, or cold.

Roasted Vegetable Torte

2010-03-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

Is the Barefoot Contessa going to need to sue me because I keep retyping all of the recipes from her book on this blog?

This is such a fun recipe because so much of the recipe is just approximations and there are so many things you could layer into the torte (pesto, goat cheese, fresh mozzerella, oh my!), but it's just as good on its own.

I halved the recipe because we had a small group for lunch today, and it involves much less layering :)

Roasted Vegetable Torte
Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

2 zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices I grated mine
1 red onion, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 t minced garlic
Good olive oil I ended up using about 1/4 cup total
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 red bell peppers, halved, cored, and seeded
2 yellow bell peppers, halved, cored, and seeded
1 eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/4 inch slices (1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook the zucchini, onions, garlic, and 2 T olive oil in large saute pan over medium heat for 10 minutes until the zucchini is tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Brush the red and yellow peppers and eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet for 30 to 40 minutes, until soft but not browned.

In a 6 inch round cake pan, place each vegetable in a single overlapping layer, sprinkling Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste between each of the layers of vegetables I didn't do this, I figured I had salted and peppered enough while I cooked the vegetables.

Begin with half of the eggplant, then layer half of the zucchini and onions, then all of the red peppers, then all of the yellow peppers, then the rest of the zucchini and onions, and finally the rest of the eggplant.

Cover the top of the vegetables with a 6 inch round of parchment paper or waxed paper. Place a 6 inch flat disk (another cake pan or the bottom of the false bottom tart pan) on top and weight it with a heavy jar. Place on a plate or baking sheet (it will leak) and chill completely. Drain the liquids, place on a platter, and serve at room temperature.

Ann Arbor's Finest Molasses Crinkles

2010-03-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

I made these tonight, and even though they are more likely enjoyed in the fall I am sure they will disappear quickly from the cookie jar.

Quick notes: grass-fed butter gives you vitamin k2, sprouted flour reduces phytic acid, rapadura is whole cane sugar with all the vitamins and minerals found in the plant.

Ann Arbor’s Finest Molasses Crinkles

from The M Den in Ann Arbor

¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened (I used Kerrygold, it is grass-fed)
1 cup packed brown sugar (I used rapadura)
¼ cup molasses (I used unsulphured)
1 egg
2¼ cup sifted flour (I used sprouted flour)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup granulated sugar, for dipping (I used rapadura)

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg; combine. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to the mixing bowl and blend well. Remove bowl and chill for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. (I skipped the chilling, and just scooped directly onto the cookie sheet with a small ice cream scoop.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove dough from fridge and roll into 1-inch balls. Put sugar into a shallow bowl and dips the tops of the balls in. (I just sprinkled the rapadura on top.) Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Enjoy! Go Blue!

Simple Kid-Friendly Spaghetti Squash

2010-03-30T17:59:00.001-07:00

In our quest to reduce our meat intake and include more vegetables in our diet, I found a delicious recipe that is really kid friendly.

First, you start by taking your kids to the produce market. "I heard there is a squash that looks like a watermelon, but it's yellow, and when it's cooked, the inside is like spaghetti!" Then they can help you find it. Pick the most yellow squash without any soft spots or bruises.

I didn't know how easy it is to cook a spaghetti squash. Just prick it with a fork and bake it at 350 for an hour. (You're supposed to put it in a baking dish, I guess to catch any drips, but I forgot this step)

1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4-1/2 Cup Butter or Olive Oil (I used olive oil)
Salt and Pepper to taste

After you bake the squash for 1 hr, let it cool until you can touch it. Cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Use a fork to shred the rest of it into a bowl. Add the other ingredients.

Tonight I served this with Caesar salad, and a marinara sauce (a little pasta noodles for the kids in case they didn't like it). I used the Cherry Tomato sauce from Fresh and Easy.

I liked the sauce on top of the squash. It's way better than I expected.

I will definately be using this recipe again. It's one of the few that's, delicious, easy, and cheap. (It's also low prep.)

Curried Couscous

2010-03-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not usually a huge fan of couscous, but I love this recipe and was so excited to have a new summer recipe. This with the Indonesian Ginger chicken grilled will be a mainstay for us this summer.

1 1/2 cups couscous
1 T unsalted butter I used olive oil
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup plain yogurt I think full fat Greek yogurt made this dish
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 t white wine vinegar
1 t curry powder
1/4 t ground turmeric I left this out
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated carrots I was missing this, so I used 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup dried currents I used craisins
1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup small-diced red onion I dropped this and used a bunch of scallions instead

Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly I used Saran Wrap and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onion. Mix well and tase for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Indonesian Ginger Chicken/Tofu

2010-03-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

I kept putting off trying this recipe because it asks for 1 cup of honey (expensive!) and 1/2 cup of peeled and grated ginger (time intensive!), but really, it's worth it, especially if you half the recipe. The recipe has the chicken baked, which I did, but I think it'll be equally tasty grilled (I'd reserve the marinade and boil it for 5-10 minutes and serve over the chicken). I also can't wait to try this with tofu!

Indonesian Ginger Chicken
Barefoot Contessa

1 cup honey
3/4 c soy sauce
1/4 cup minced garlic (8-12 cloves)
1/2 cup peeled and grated fresh ginger root
2 chickens (3 1/2 pounds each), quartered with backs removed

Cook the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger root in a small saucepan over low heat until honey is melted. Arrange the chicken in a large, shallow baking pan, skin side down, and pour on the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 1/2 hour. Uncover the pan, turn the chicken skin side up, and raise the temperature to 375 degrees (oops, I forgot to do this, but it turned out fine). Continue baking for 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh and the sauce is a rich dark brown.

Try this with Curried Couscous.

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

2010-03-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

So, we Arizonans are living up the last days of soup weather (because, you know, it's only in the low 80's). Nate isn't a soup fan, but he loved this one. I'm sure a big part of this recipe is because it's a tried and true one from my lovely friend, Kate, but I think homemade chicken stock played a big part in its success.

BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
Kate Holbrook

1/2 lb fresh broccoli
3 Tbs butter
1/4 c onion (1/2 small)
3 Tbs flour
1 (14-oz) can chicken broth (or vegetable broth, Swansons either way)
2 c milk or half and half
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 c cheddar cheese, grated

Cook broccoli in microwave. Meanwhile, melt butter in saucepan and sauté onion until just translucent. Add flour and stir for 2-3 minutes.

Slowly add broth. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Add salt and broccoli. Remove from heat, add nutmeg, garnish with cheese.

Hummus

2010-03-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Goodness Gracious! How have I not posted this recipe yet? We make this at least once a month. When Asher was on his very limited allergen-free diet, we made it once or twice a week.

This hummus looks lovely if you take the time to toast the pine nuts and cumin seeds and make the parsley oil, but I never do. This hummus is delightful on its own with pita bread or tortilla chips.

Hummus with Toasted Pine Nuts, Cumin Seeds, and Parsley Oil
Gourmet Cookbook

1/4 c packed fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
3/4 C extra virgin olive oil
3 T pine nuts
1 t cumin seeds
2 (19 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 garlic cloves
2/3 C well-stirred tahini
2/3 C water
5 T fresh lemon juice or to taste
1 t salt

Put rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Puree 1/4 C parsley with 1/4 C oil in a blender or small food processor. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids; discard solids.

Toast pine nuts and cumin seeds in small baking pan in oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 min. Let cool.

Combine 1/2 c chickpeas with garlic in a food processor and process until garlic is finely minced. Add tahini, water, lemon juice, salt, remaining chickpeas, and remaining 1/2 c olive oil and puree until smooth.

Strip leaves from remaining parsley sprigs. Divide hummus between two shallow dishes and smooth opts. Drizzle with parsley oil and scatter parsley, pine nuts, and cumin seeds. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Chicken Sausage, Broccoli, Parmesan, and Brown Rice dinner

2010-03-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

A wonderfully easy dinner (especially if you already have the rice cooked) from Picky Palate. I added a red onion when I sauteed the bell pepper just because and added a little chicken stock I had left over (like 1/2 cup) with the water when I cooked the rice. With dairy-free chicken sausage and leaving off the cheese, this makes a handy Top-8 allergy free dinner.

Leslie's Cornbread

2010-03-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

1 C flour
1 C cornmeal
1/2 C sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t salt

Mix together then combine with the next ingredients (mixed together as well).

1 egg
1 C milk
3 T oil

Pour into an 8 x 8 pan. Bake at 375 for 20-25 min.

I'm serving this with pinto beans this week.

Rhubarb Roulade

2010-02-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

I made this for our monthly cousin dinner. It was really yummy. I was really nervous because I have never made a roll before and I have never cooked rhubarb before. But it turned out great so I thought I'd share.

Rhubarb Roulade

Gourmet Cookbook (Thanks Emily! I love this cookbook!)

For cake

4 large eggs, separated

8 T granulated sugar

1 t vanilla extract

1/8 t salt

3/4 c all-purpose flour

For filling

1 lb rhubarb stalks, trimmed and finely chopped

1/2 c granulated sugar

Garnish: Powdered sugar for dusting

Accompaniment: Lightly sweetened whipped cream

Special equipment: A 15-by-10-by-1 inch baking sheet

Make the Cake: Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350F. Butter baking sheet and line with wax paper. Butter paper and dust with flour, knocking out excess. (I used Pam, and it didn't work too well. When I do it next time, I'll either use butter or A LOT of pam).

Beat together yolks, 5T of sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes.

Beat whites and salt in another large bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks. Add remaining 3 T sugar a little at a time, beating until whites just hold stiff peaks.

Gently fold one third of flour and one third of whites into yolk mixture, then gently fold in remaining flour and whites in 2 more batches, making sure flour is throughly incorporated.

Spread batter evenly on lined sheet and bake until top is pale and dry to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer sheet with cake to a rack, cover cake with a kitchen towel, and cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine rhubarb and sugar in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until rhubarb is reduced to a thick puree, about 8 minutes. . Spread filling on a plate and refrigerate for 5 minutes.

Assemble the roulade: Remove towel and position cake with a short end nearest you. Spread rhubarb filling evenly over cake, leaving a 1-inch border on each short end. Put a platter next to far end of cake. Beginning with short side near you and using wax paper as an aid, roll up cake jelly-roll style. Carefully transfer roll seam side down to platter, using wax paper as an aid. cool cake for 45 minutes.

Dust cake generously with confectioners' sugar. Slice with a serrated knife and serve with whipped cream.

Cook's Note:

The rhubarb filling can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated, covered.

Mine is far from perfect, but for my first time I don't think it was too bad. Anyway, it still tasted delicious!

Another New Category

2010-02-28T13:44:00.000-08:00

I just added dairy-free as a new category to the side bar. I have a lovely friend who has just found out that her newborn is allergic to milk, so well, that means something very unfortunate for a breastfeeding mother.

Laura has the added difficulty of being a vegetarian who can't eat dairy. Yikes!

One time, I had to go off dairy for 9 months because of a certain someone I was breastfeeding. (Actually, I should have gone off dairy for the other certain someone, but I didn't know better. Poor Baby Asher and his eczema, diarrhea, and vomitting!)

Then, I realized if we do have another baby, I'll probably be going off dairy again. (Seriously, I love Luke a little bit more for deciding he was done with that whole dairy problems at 9 months--just in time for buttery holiday goodness.)

Anyway, surely, Laura and I can't be the only ones in this camp. So, hopefully, this new category will be helpful to others.

This Italian's First Time Making Pasta

2010-02-26T20:13:00.000-08:00

I love pasta, but I know that most of the pasta available at stores is not whole grain, nor soaked to reduce phytic acid. So I had reconciled myself to never having it except once in a while. But alas! The Nourishing Gourmet has a very simple recipe, either cut into strips, or large squares for "handkerchief" pasta.

Yesterday I made the handkerchief ones, and they are delicious! Probably due to the soaking process they do not taste as "wheaty" as some of the whole grain pasta I have bought. R even liked them, and he does NOT like it when I make whole wheat versions of things (like pasta and pizza).

I have not tried it yet, but since I bought some organic durum wheat berries at Foodwise a few days ago, I want to try them for my next pasta attempt. Durum wheat is the traditional grain used for pasta. I will be using the whole grain version by grinding up whole durum wheat berries, not semolina which I believe is not considered whole grain.

Handkerchief Pasta

3-3 1/2 cups of freshly ground whole wheat/spelt/durum wheat flour (I used hard red winter wheat)
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (I used apple cider vinegar)

1. You can use a Bosch to knead this dough, but I did it by hand since I have a Kitchen Aid and do not find it to be too great at kneading. (I want a Bosch! I am saving my pennies...) Combine water and vinegar in a glass or plastic bowl and then add 2 cups of the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon. Keep adding flour until you cannot stir it with the spoon anymore. Turn out on a floured surface and knead in more flour until the dough is feeling nice and stiff. You should have to knead 10 minutes or so, until the gluten really develops and the dough doesn't stick as much.

2. Oil a bowl with olive oil, placing your dough ball inside, and then flipping until coated with oil. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and then set a heavy plate on top to firmly press the towel down. Find a warm place and leave on the counter overnight to soak. (I use my dehydrator set on 85 degrees.)

3. The next day, uncover your dough and do not worry if the top of the mound is darkened, it will not affect the flavor of your pasta. Cut dough into four pieces so you can work easily with each piece as you roll it out. Using arrowroot powder or white flour (white flour doesn't contain phytic acid, so it needs no soaking; I used arrowroot powder I got from Azure Standard), roll your dough very thin, to about 1/16 an inch thick or less. Then using a pizza cutter, cut into rectangular shapes, few inches per side.

4. Lay your cut pasta out on cooling racks, or just on the table or counter provided you flip them once in a while to ensure even drying. It should take about 12 hours to dry completely*, when they break crisply in half when you bend them.

*Store in a jar or bag for a few days/weeks? I am not sure how long they will keep, but I would guess about 2 weeks for optimal nutrition. You can also skip the drying and just make the dough the night before you want to serve it, and then use the freshly cut pasta for dinner the day you roll them out. They cook in about 2-3 minutes that way. We ate them last night over beef stroganoff, which was amazing. I need to post that recipe next!

Chicken Taquitos

2010-02-18T20:09:00.000-08:00

Delicious, easy, and not fried, so I can eat 6 topped with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa, right?

Chicken Taquitos from Our Best Bites

Now that I know this handy method, I need to think of some other fillings for taquitos. Any suggestions?

Skillet Carbonara Casserole

2010-02-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

I love Carbonara pasta, but it always feels heavy, and I get nervous about making eggs into a velvety smooth sauce. I always think I'll scramble them! I like the ease of this dish with all the flavor of carbonara pasta. We skipped the bacon because I didn't have any, and the boys who could eat this still quite liked it.

Skillet Carbonara Casserole
Cook's Country

8 slices bacon, chopped fine
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces we used whole wheat bread
1 1/4 c grated Pecorino Romano
salt and pepper
2 large eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
5 1/4 c water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c white wine
1 pound penne

Fry bacon in large nonstick skillet (I used my cast iron skillet) over medium high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate. Pour off fat from pan, reserving 3 tablespoons (I used butter since I didn't have bacon).

Make topping: Pulse bread, 1/4 c cheese, 1/2 t pepper, 1/4 of cooked bacon and 2 T of reserved bacon fat in food processor until coarsely ground. Whisk eggs, milk, remaining cheese and 3/4 c water in medium bowl.

Simmer pasta: Heat remaining bacon fat in empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and 1 t pepper and cook until grafrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and cook until reduced to 1/4 c, about 3 minutes.

Stir in remaining water, pene, and 3/4 t salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente, 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler.

Add sauce: Off heat, add egg mixture and remianing crisp bacon to pan and toss to combine. Top with bread-crumb mixture and broil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve.

Real Food Links

2010-02-17T20:21:00.000-08:00

First I read Nourishing Traditions, which I talked about in my previous post, and then:

I found the Bountiful Baskets co-op
I found the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 (full list) to help with produce shopping
I found information about raw milk that eased my mind
I found raw milk in my area (and you can too here)
I found The Nourishing Gourmet, and subsequently Cheeseslave
I found Real Food Media which is a network of real food bloggers
I found a budget breakdown of how to afford raw milk/dairy, pastured eggs/chicken, grass-fed beef
I found an Arizona Local Food website with tons of links and information
I found local ranchers and farmers for grass-fed beef
I found a farmer's market (Phoenix Public Market) on Saturday in Phoenix for pastured eggs from Chile Acres, produce from Maya's Farm and grass-fed beef from Doublecheck Ranch (not the best price, but they carry suet and broth bones)
I found a Sunday farmer's market in Ahwatukee for grass-fed beef (best price I have found)
I found a list of good cod liver oils, various brands; also, a CLO explanation here
I picked the Green Pastures brand, and found their website had the cheapest price for bulk buying
And finally, the crowning glory: I found Azure Standard: they carry the cheapest organic grains, wholesome sweeteners, pastured eggs, raw cheese, natural parchment paper, canning supplies, pastured meat, cod liver oil, spices, and stainless steel baking supplies that I have found in all my local and internet searching. I cannot recommend them enough.

(cross-posted)

THE Chocolate Sheet Cake

2010-02-16T13:42:00.000-08:00

So easy, so delicious. THE chocolate sheet cake I'll be making from now on.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread--SUCCESS!!

2010-02-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

I have always loved sourdough bread, having grown up near San Francisco and eaten it happily for years. I remember my mom buying extra sour sourdough bread from the grocery store in a crackly waxed paper bag. But now I have learned about white flour and phytic acid and wish someone made 100% whole grain sourdough SOMEWHERE. I have never found a whole wheat sourdough loaf at any store, but I did finally find some recipes like this one at The Nourishing Gourmet.

First I ordered a whole wheat sourdough starter culture from Cultures for Health. Following the directions I got my starter bubbly and active. Then I was finally ready to try the recipe from TNG last week...and it was so-so. I noticed the dough did not rise as much as it should have, during both the first and second rises. It was also too dry, and when I baked it the bottom burned. I think TNG's recipe works in her area, but for the dry air of AZ the recipe needs adjustments.

Finally, I got out some more starter and gave it another try. I used less flour so the dough would be more moist. I covered my overnight rising dough much more thoroughly. I baked the dough at a lower temperature. I got a squirt bottle of filtered water to occasionally spray the loaves throughout the baking time. Voila!

I tripled this recipe, and when preparing my starter I fed it twice a day for two days to get it nice and sour.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
1 cup of sourdough starter
1/2 cup of filtered water
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
2 Tablespoons-1/4 cup of honey, depending on how sweet you want it (I used 2 T.)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3-4 1/2 cups whole grain flour (I used 3 cups of freshly ground hard red winter wheat)

In a large plastic bowl (NOT metal) combine starter, water, honey and olive oil. Mix well with a whisk.
Start stirring in the flour, mixing with a wooden spoon until the dough becomes too stiff. Turn out onto a floured board with floured hands and knead in any remaining flour if you have any left. To knead, fold the top half of the dough onto the bottom half and then push the mound of dough together and up towards the top of your surface with the heels of one or both of your hands. Then turn the whole piece of dough 1/4 of a turn and repeat.
Knead for about 10 minutes. The feel of the dough should change as time goes on. Your dough should feel less sticky and more firm by the time you are done. When you pinch the dough it should spring back a little bit.
You are ready for The First Rise. Lightly oil a bowl, place dough inside and cover very well. Find a warm place to let rise. Depending on how warm and moist your house is this can take anywhere from 3-24 hours. Generally it takes 12 hours. The dough should double in size by the time it is ready. I covered my oiled bowl with a towel and a dinner plate pressing it down, then placed it in my dehydrator on 85 degrees overnight. This seems to be the best timing.
Once your dough has doubled you are ready to shape it into a loaf. Press into a rectangle, then fold the long sides over to the middle to make a long skinny rectangle. Starting at the top, roll the dough down, sealing the edge as you go until your dough is formed into an oblong loaf. Pictures here are very helpful (look at "Step Three: The Shaping and Second Rising"). Place into well greased bread pans, or onto parchment for a free-formed loaf.
You are now ready for The Second Rise. I put my loaves onto parchment, covered well with towels and into the dehydrator on 85 degrees. I put a ceramic bowl with boiling water in next to it to keep the air moist. You can recreate the moist air in your oven as well, by covering your loaves, setting a bowl with boiling water in with them and shutting the oven door. Either method should allow your loaves to rise more quickly, around 2-3 hours.
I baked my loaves on parchment-lined cookie sheets at 350 for 35-50 minutes. (The original recipe calls for 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes, but that burned the bottom of my loaves the first time I made this bread. It could be because they were not in bread pans, that the air is dryer in AZ, that my dough was too dry, or some combination of those factors.) You will know your bread is done when you tap on the bottom and it sounds hollow.
Cool on cooling racks and enjoy with grass-fed butter. And maybe some raw honey. Or some jam. Or maybe as a vehicle for your fried or scrambled eggs in the morning. Mmmmm.

Root Beer Cookies

2010-02-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

Asher and Luke are loving these, and I love that they are not tempting to me at all...not because they aren't good. But, I've got a 12 pack of diet root beer that tastes the same without any of the calories.

http://realmomkitchen.com/319/root-beer-cookies/

Lentil Vegetable Soup

2010-02-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

I should note first that I'm not a huge fan of vegetable soups or most lentil dishes, but when Ina writes up a recipe that uses these ingredients, well, I trust her, so I tried it. Then, there's Asher who is not as loyal to the Contessa as I am. I packed this soup in his lunch not even hoping he'd eat it because we were out of anything else to send him off with. He came home and said, "MOM, I ate all of my carrot and bean soup. Can I have some more now?"

With that in mind: Run, don't walk to make this soup! (And, if you have a bowl with these muffins for lunch, you'll be a happy camper.)

Lentil Vegetable Soup
Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Serves 8 to 10 I halved this recipe and felt like it made plenty!

1 pound French green lentils I used regular brown ones
4 c chopped yellow onions (3 large onions)
4 c chopped leeks, white parts only (2 leeks)
1 T minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/4 c good olive oil
1 T kosher salt
1 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 T minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 t dried
1 t cumin
3 c medium-diced celery (8 stalks)
3 c medium-diced carrots (4 to 6)
3 quarts chicken stock
1/4 c tomato paste
2 T red wine or red wine vinegar I thought this was delicious already and left this out
freshly grated Parmesan cheese I never leave out cheese when a soup calls for it, but again, I just didn't feel like it was necessary

In a large bowl, cover lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender.

Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes.

Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for one hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings.

Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese. I skipped this last part.

Super Bean Burritos

2010-02-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

These are super because they're delicious and you can freeze them. I snuck some cheese in Asher's, and he ate his (the kid hasn't gotten the memo that he can eat small amounts of dairy). But, I think these would be excellent substituting the cheese for a diary-free guacamole.

http://mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/2010/01/super-bean-burritos.html

(You may remember this blog from before--Melanie has already blessed my life with THE cornbread recipe)

Tangerine Tofu

2010-02-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks, I've been doing a real push to eat more like the books I read this past year (Omnivore's Dilemma and The End of Overeating). Less meat, more grass-feed dairy, local eggs, and less processed food overall. Fortunately, I've had k feeding me excellent recipes as I embark on this dietary change.

It's been an interesting learning experience. Some weeks, I totally rock it and have lots of good recipes to share (like this past week: Tangerine Tofu, Super Bean Burritos, Skillet Carbonara, and Vegetable Lentil Soup). Other weeks are painful, like the week before when we had bean dishes every. single. night. So, Friday, we went to McDonald's because I was going to throw up if I had to eat one more bean dish. I wish I could complain more about it, but um, I'm the person who does all the menu planning and the cooking.

After the disastrous Bean Week, I'm trying to do a pasta dish, an egg dish (with leftover pasta for Asher), a bean dish, and a meat dish each week. Nate has been a good sport about my experiments thus far. Wish I could say the same about the smaller boys.

Anyway...I made this dish last week, and the sauce tastes quite a bit like Panda Express' Orange Chicken. Unfortunately, Nate was working late most of the week, and he can't confirm that this is true. You'd want his opinion though because he is a connoisseur when it comes to Panda Express' Orange Chicken (note: the best is apparently at Fashion Square mall).

This is another Guy Fieri recipe. He makes it with flank steak, I used tofu. Drain the tofu first, but then, it's an easy substitute for the meat. Also, I've taken a picture of the chili sauce I used; it's sweet and not too spicy. I find there is a WIDE variation in chili sauces. This one added a bit of warmth to the dish but no heat.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/spicy-tangerine-beef-recipe/index.html

Incidentally, I serve my kids tofu every so often. The extra oil (3 T in the recipe) fried this tofu up beautifully, and my kids loved it. In fact, Luke picked the tofu out and left the rice.

My Favorite Italian Salad Dressing

2010-02-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

It used to be the Newman's Own light Italian dressing, but as I got more wary of canola oil I started going through the trouble of making my own. I made the version that came printed on my Pampered Chef salad dressing shaker, and it was okay, but not great. Not a satisfying alternative. But then, as most of my food adventures go, I discovered The Nourishing Gourmet and her recipe was delicious!

Our Everyday Salad Dressing
by The Nourishing Gourmet

1 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of Apple cider vinegar (I used Bragg's Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar--which I buy by the gallon from Azure Standard and it's CHEAP!)
1 teaspoon of onion powder
2 tablespoon of whole grain mustard or djion type mustard (I used whole grain)
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon salt

Mix together.

Pumpkin Soup

2010-01-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

Rachel and I both remember the Thanksgiving our mom made this soup; I was 12, she was 7. It was delicious, but my mom insisted she didn't have the recipe anymore. After digging through her recipe folder (a treasure!), I found this along with menus of elegant parties and lunches she had given in the late 1970's and early 1980's.

Pumpkin Soup
Mary Clyde

1/2 c butter
1 large onion sliced
3/4 c green onion
1 16 oz can pumpkin
4 c chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 t sugar
1/4-1/2 t curry
1/8-1/4 t nutmeg
parsley
2 c milk
half and half or cream
salt and pepper

Melt butter in 6 quart sauce pan over medium high heat. Saute onions until soft and golden. Stir in pumpkin, stock, bay, sugar, spices. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Stirr occasionally. Take out bay leaf. Transfer soup in batches and puree. Return to sauce pan. Add milk, cream (to equal 2 cups) and salt and pepper. Simmer 5-10 minutes, but don't boil.

Nut Butter Cookies

2010-01-25T18:17:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by these cookies and decided that I had to modify it and make my own. They looked so simple and delicious. Only five ingredients! Four if you just use one kind of nut/seed butter.

Nut Butter Cookies

2 cups nut butter (roasted and salted)
1 cup rapadura (or maple sugar or palm sugar)
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
6 T. cacao nibs (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until dough comes together.
2. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop into balls, then roll into balls and place on cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie with the back of a fork.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or so.

Roasted Eggplant Spread

2010-01-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

I've been looking for an alternative dairy-free dip to our family's favorite hummus, and I think I've found one. Sweet and buttery with a dash of pepper.

Roasted Eggplant Spread
Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

1 medium eggplant, peeled
2 red bell peppers, seeded
1 red onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, minced I used 3
3 T good olive oil
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 T tomato paste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, until vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking. Cool slightly.

Place vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste, and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper.

I've been enjoying this on pita bread chips, but I think this would be excellent over pasta with a bit of crumbled goat cheese.

Buttermilk Waffles

2010-01-19T11:46:00.000-08:00

I can usually take or leave waffles. They're ok, but usually, the recipes I've tried taste too much like baking powder. I made a batch of these for Asher's preschool class last week with egg replacer ("W" is for "waffle"--my kind of preschool thinking, matching letters with foods!), and wasn't sure how they'd turn out. These are delicious, though. Really, my new THE waffle recipe.

Buttermilk Waffles
Gourmet Cookbook

3 c all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1 t salt
3 1/4 c well-shaken buttermilk
1 1/2 sticks (12 T) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat waffle iron. Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, butter, and eggs. Stir until smooth (batter will be thick).

Brush waffle iron lightly with vegetable oil, if necessary, and spoon batter into waffle iron, using 1/2 c batter for each 4-inch Belgian waffle or 1/4 c batter for each 4-inch standard waffle iron and spreading batter evenly (I used about 1/2 c for my waffle iron). Cook according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer waffle to a baking sheet and keep warm, uncovered, in oven. Make more waffles with remaining batter in same manner.

Serve with butter and maple syrup. Actually, I think these would be fabulous with some savory waffle toppings, like ricotta cheese and spinach.

Vanilla-Maple Ice Cream

2010-01-15T09:36:00.000-08:00

I have a really basic ice cream recipe that I use: 1 cup milk, 1 cup cream, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla. I like it because you can just change the vanilla for whatever flavor you like and it works. If I am being fancy I love to do mint leaves, crush them into the sweetener to infuse, add the milk and cream and let sit in the fridge for a few hours. Then strain and freeze in an ice cream maker. Plus, this recipe is easy to remember and makes the ratio clear for basic ice cream.

But now that I am taking refined sugar out of the family diet and using organic raw dairy, I need to tweak it a little. As far as natural sweeteners go, I think sorghum, molasses and maple syrup will work well since they are already liquid and will blend easily. I may try rapadura and letting it dissolve into the cream and milk before freezing. I cannot think of which sweetener to try with my mint ice cream though. I will experiment and let you know what works best. A list of nourishing sweeteners is here.

I ordered some raw cream along with my raw milk this week, both are full of vitamin k2. And I have a lovely grade B maple syrup I buy from Amazon in my fridge for pancakes. The combination of maple and vanilla seemed like a good place to start for my first nourishing ice cream venture. Let me tell you, this vanilla-maple ice cream is soooo good!

Oh, and I found that both of my ice cream makers (yes, I got two for Christmas one year: this one and this one) can hold a larger size than this recipe, so a recipe and a half is the perfect size. Enjoy!

Vanilla-Maple Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups raw cream
1 1/2 cups raw whole milk
3/4 cup organic maple syrup (grade A will be lighter, grade B more robust/vitamin-rich)
1-2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Mix ingredients together well and pour into an ice cream maker to freeze. It should take about 20 minutes if your bowl is properly frozen. It will look like soft serve ice cream. Immediately transfer to a container and place in freezer to ripen for the next day or so. Serve with a piece of vitamin k2-rich shortbread cookie!

Healthy Shortbread (not kidding!)

2010-01-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

I found two shortbread recipes over the holidays that I wanted to try, but since they used alternative sweeteners and sprouted wheat flour I chickened out when baking for family and friends. Now that I am making it for me and the boyz (R, M, and E) at home, I feel more confident to try it out. Plus, that jumbleberry pie from a few days ago turned out wonderfully.

First I tried The Nourishing Gourmet's Scottish Shortbread Cookies recipe. Then I tried Cheeseslave's Sprouted Flour Shortbread Cookies with Grass-fed Butter recipe. Below are my versions of each.

Scottish Shortbread Cookies

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Set out an 8 by 8 pan.

In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, arrowroot powder, sugar, and salt. Whisk a little to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and then “cut” into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter. Do this until the dough resembles small crumbs.

Using your hands gently start forming this mixture into a ball. At first it will be really crumbly, but keep gathering it together and gently kneading it together. It should form a ball within a minute or two. If it absolutely will not stick together, you can sprinkle a little water over it.

Press evenly into the ungreased pan.

Then cut the shortbread into desired amount of squares.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the dough is set and the sides browning just very slightly. Remove from the oven. Recut lines in warm pan. Let cool completely in the pan, then remove.

Classic Round Shortbread

1 3/4 cups sprouted wheat flour
1/4 cup rice flour
2/3 cup palm sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
8 ounces unsalted grass-fed butter, unsalted, cold

1. Set oven rack to middle. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Add flour and arrowroot powder, all but 1 tablespoon sugar (reserve for sprinkling), and salt to mixing bowl. Mix at low speed until combined.
3. Cut very cold butter into 1/2-inch cubes.
4. Add butter cubes to flour mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough looks like wet crumbs. All the butter should be mixed in thoroughly.
5. Press crumbly dough into glass pie pan. Use your fingers, and then the bottom of a glass to press down on the surface and make it smooth and level.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and place shortbread in oven.
7. Bake 20 minutes.
8. Remove pan from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes.
9. Set a 2-inch biscuit cutter in the center of the shortbread. Press down hard. Pull up, leaving the center circular piece intact.
10. Using a sharp knife, cut the outer ring into 16 equally sized wedges.
11. Using a skewer or other pointy-tipped implement, poke holes in the top in a decorative pattern.
12. Return shortbread to oven and continue to bake until golden, about 40 minutes longer. You may want to put an extra cookie sheet underneath to catch the butter dripping.
13. Remove from oven and sprinkle shortbread evenly with reserved 1 tablespoon sugar. Let cool for at least 15 minutes.
14. Cut at scored marks into wedges. Let cool for at least an hour.

Store shortbread cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Homemade Jumbleberry Pie

2010-01-12T10:43:00.000-08:00

I finally bit the bullet and committed to make a completely nourishing pie. In honor of R's birthday yesterday, complete with rapadura for sugar and sprouted wheat flour for white flour, the pie was a hit among the entire family, even those not avoiding sugar or white flour. I also used grass-fed butter and organic frozen berries from Trader Joe's.

I say this is a nourishing pie because if you buy grass-fed butter it is full of vitamin K2. You can google vitamin K2 and get a lot of information about it, but I like these two links here (basic K2 info) and here (list of vitamin K2-rich foods).

The rapadura is full of nutrients because it is the only form of sugar processed without ever being separated from the molasses. It is considered a whole food.

Sprouted flour is neutralized of it's phytic acid, so you can absorb all the good trace elements in the grain like calcium, magnesium, etc. You can buy sprouted flour, make your own, or ask me to show you and we will have a sprouting party. You do need a dehydrator and a grain mill if you want to make your own. (Basically you soak wheat berries overnight in mason jars with sprouting lids or screens, then drain and rinse a few times a day until the sprouts are showing in the wheat berries. Then you dehydrate at a low setting (95 degrees or so) for 8-12 hours. Then grind in a wheat grinder.)

Berries, being full of antioxidants and also pesticide-free and GMO-free if bought organic, are just plain delicious.

Double Pie Crust
adapted from Cheeseslave's recipe

3 cups sprouted wheat flour
3 and 1/4 sticks (26 Tablespoons) of grass-fed butter, cut into small pieces, very cold, preferably straight from the fridge
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons rapadura (or Sucanat, maple sugar, palm sugar)
3/4 cup ice water

1. Make pie dough: Mix flour, salt and sugar with a whisk in a bowl to sift.
2. Take butter out of the fridge and sprinkle small pieces over flour mixture. Using a combination of a pastry cutter and your hands (or just your hands), cut in the butter until the crumbs are between the size of peas and olives. Add ice water a little at a time, blending with your hands, until the dough comes together.
3. Lay out two pieces of plastic wrap and put half of your pie dough on each. Using your hands under the plastic wrap, form each pile into a ball, then flatten and wrap up in the plastic wrap. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes. You can also make this ahead of time and store in the freezer for a few days, moving it into the fridge for a few hours when you are ready to use it.
4. Make pie filling:

Jumbleberry Pie Filling

Mix together:
5 cups of berries--I eyeballed equal amounts of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries
3/4 cup rapadura (or Sucanat, maple sugar, palm sugar)
1/3 cup sprouted wheat flour
2 tsp. lemon zest (optional) (I forgot this)

Continue with pie assembly:
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. When ready to roll out, pull ONE flattened ball out of fridge and roll on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Have your pie dish ready so you can properly estimate how large to roll your dough. When dough round is the right size, use your rolling pin to move it by rolling your dough around the rolling pin like a scroll and gently transferring it to unroll over the dish. Ease it into the dish and press down flush.
6. Pour filling into pie. Set aside.
7. Take out remaining ball of pie dough from fridge. Roll out on a floured surface, not as big as the last round since it only needs to be on top of the pie. Transfer over to filled pie. Press edges together with fingers. Cut excess off of edges of pie with a sharp knife. Press edges again with a fork, dipped in a little flour if sticking to pie dough edge. Poke decorative holes into top of pie with sharp knife. Brush entire top of pie with whole milk. Sprinkle with coarse sugar (I used a little turbinado sugar I am trying to get rid of; you could use rapadura, but it would look darker). Cover edges with foil to prevent over-browning.
8. Bake for 25-50 minutes, longer for frozen berries. Then remove foil and let bake completely uncovered for another 20-30 minutes or so until the pie looks perfectly brown. Cool on a wire rack.
(Serve with real whipped cream sweetened with rapadura, or homemade vanilla ice cream made with raw milk and raw cream. Yum!!!)

Pan-Fried Onion Dip

2010-01-10T19:06:00.000-08:00

I love store-bought onion dip, but it's one of those dishes that I've always wondered if I could make at home. When I saw the Barefoot Contessa's version, I knew it would be delicious. I think this is THE onion dip for me.

Pan-Fried Onion Dip
Barefoot Contessa
makes about 2 cups I had about 1 cup and 1/2

2 large yellow onions
4 T unsalted butter
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 t ground cayenne pepper
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c good mayonnaise

Cut the onions in half, and then slice them into 1/8-inch-thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.)

Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan on medium heat. ADd the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. REduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes, until onions are browned and caramelized. I did this for 30+ minutes more on the "medium" end than the "low" setting, which was enough to soften and caramelize, but next time, I'll wait a little longer. The onions weren't brown enough, so people didn't know that it was an onion dip. Allow the onions to cool.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. The onions didn't break down quite as much as I hoped, so I did a couple quick pulses in my food processor.

Serve at room temperature.

Spinach Blueberry Salad

2010-01-06T18:22:00.001-08:00

Lukey and I love to go to Trader Joe's and try their samples. Yesterday, they had this blueberry salad. It's just so pretty with the blueberries and the gorgonzola. Really, there's not enough blue food in the world. We had it for dinner tonight, and even Asher tried the spinach once I told him about the blueberry dressing.

Spinach Blueberry Salad
1 bag of baby spinach
1 cup fresh blueberries I was too cheap to buy these
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c crumbled Gorgonzola
1/2 c candied walnuts we did candied almonds

Dressing
1 cup red wine olive oil dressing I was at TJ's, but I think any red wine dressing would do
1/2 c blueberry preserves again, you could get these anywhere, but I like that TJ's had all the blueberries well-blended, so I didn't have a chunky salad dressing.

Whisk together preserves and dressing and toss over salad.

Clay Pot Pork

2010-01-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

So, a little disclaimer here...Asher and I loved this dish. Nate did not. Nate who NEVER says he doesn't like a dish I make, even when they're disasters took one bite and said, "Ohh, this is not good."

Asher and I were like, "Are you crazy?!" I think the problem is that this dish uses a lot of fish sauce. If you don't like seafood (like Nate), you probably won't like this.

Oh, and fish sauce? It's hard to find a good kind. So, I've put a picture here of the bottle my Aunt Katie showed me is good and is pretty common in most Asian supermarkets.

Oh, and the thing about fish sauce? It STINKS! I love it mixed with other things, but every time I use it, I think, "Oh heavens, how can something that smells this bad taste good in the end?!" But, it does.

Clay Pot Pork** (but you don't actually need to have a clay pot)
Gourmet Cookbook

1/3 c sugar

1/4 c chicken stock
1/3 c Asian fish sauce, preferably Vietnamese
3 shallots, thinly sliced I did 1/2 a red onion instead
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced I minced them
3 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally, white and green parts kept separate
1 pound trimmed boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes this is a very cheap, but very fatty cut of meat. It took me a solid half hour to trim off enough fat for my liking.
1 t freshly ground black pepper I found this a little too spicy; next time, I'll do 1/2 t

Cook sugar in a dry 3 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, without stirring, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork (a fork, really? I just used a spatula, so I didn't scrape the heck out of the bottom of my pan), until sugar has melted into a deep golden caramel. Carefully add stock and fish sauce (caramel will harden and steam vigorously) and cook, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Add shallots, garlic, and white part of scallions and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.

Toss pork with pepper in a bowl and stir into sauce. Bring to a simmer, then cover pan, reduce heat to low, and braise pork, stirring once or twice, until very tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

Stir in scallion greens and serve with rice. I thought the sauce was a little runny, so I made a slurry with 1 T cornstarch and 4 T water, added it to the sauce and pork, simmering it all for about 10 extra minutes. Then, I poured it over rice noodles.

Eli's Birthday Cake

2010-01-04T19:11:00.000-08:00

Nourishing Cake (adapted from this recipe)

1 cup butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled I used half butter, half coconut oil
3/4 cup buttermilk I didn't have any so I did half whole milk and half whole milk yogurt, then added a splash of raw apple cider vinegar
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups whole rolled oats
¾ cup honey I did half honey, half rapadura*
2 eggs
1 t. sea salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla
1 cup raisins, chocolate chips or other dried fruit I doubled the recipe and made three small cakes: 1. Eli's Cake: candy-coated chocolate pieces and finely chopped almonds, 2. cinnamon raisin, and 3. chopped dates and chopped almonds)

*(but 1 c. rapadura equals 3/4 c. honey, so I did 1/2 c. rapadura and then eyeballed the honey somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 c.)

Stir together butter/coconut oil, buttermilk, flour and oats in a glass bowl. Cover with a cloth and allow the grains to soak on your counter overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Stir in honey, eggs, salt, baking soda and vanilla. Fold in raisins, chocolate chips or dried fruit. Pour into a buttered 9×9 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Chicken Chile

2010-01-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

3 tsp cumin
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can white corn
1 can green chiles
1 can great northern beans
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 C water
chile powder to taste
garnishes

Saute chicken, onion, and garlic. Add all other ingredients (just dump it all into the pot, no draining needed!). Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and/or diced tomatoes.
A Clyde family favorite!

Split Pea and Brown Rice Soup

2010-01-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

I was supposed to soak lentils and rice, but did not realize my mistake until the next day when I had already soaked all my peas and rice together. So I made split pea soup with rice. Yum!

Accidental Split Pea and Brown Rice Soup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 cup dried split green peas, picked over and soaked overnight
1 cup brown rice, soaked overnight
3 cups water
3 cups chicken stock
juice of 1/2 lemon (reserve the zest)
a few pinches of smoked paprika
olive oil to drizzle

Soak peas and rice together in a bowl with plenty of clean water, covered, overnight, or at least 8 hours.
When ready to cook: Add butter to a big pot over med-high heat. Stir in onions and salt and cook until the onions soften, just a minute or two. Add the split peas, brown rice, water and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, dial down the heat, and simmer for 30-60 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through (but still a touch al dente). Using a large cup or mug ladle half of the soup into a bowl and set aside. Using a hand blender (or regular blender) puree the soup that is still remaining in the pot. Stir the reserved (still chunky) soup back into the puree - you should have a soup that is nicely textured. If you need to thin the soup out with more water (or stock) do so a bit at a time. Stir in the lemon juice and taste. If the soup needs more salt, add more a bit at a time until the flavor of the soup really pops. Serve garnished with paprika and olive oil. I like to eat it with whole grain crackers scattered across the top.

Whole Grain Crackers (soaked)

2010-01-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

I have made these crackers twice in the last week, since the first batch got chomped in one day! These crackers taste like Cheez-its to me, but in a good healthy way. ;)

Plus if you soak the dough overnight you get not only a tasty whole grain cracker but the added bonus of being able to properly digest the grains as explained here in depth, and here in short.

Rich, Whole Grain Crackers (made with Yogurt Dough)

The night before cream in a large bowl:

1 cup of plain whole milk yogurt (I used Trader Joe's organic)
1 cup of grass-fed butter, softened (I used Organic Valley's cultured butter, on sale from Sprouts for $4.99/lb.)

Mix in:

3 1/2 cups of freshly ground wheat flour (I want to try other whole grain flours and see how they do--I will let you know)
2 teaspoons of salt (I used pink Himalayan)

Cover and leave in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours (this is the “soaking” part).

The next day, when ready to bake:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using white flour to dust your surface and dough, roll your dough out thin. Cut into strips and then cut into squares.

Place your squares on an ungreased cookie sheet and prick with a fork. Bake for about 8 minutes and check, keep checking every two minutes until done. They should be browning slightly on the edges, when done. Take off of sheet and place on a cooling rack. Serve plain, with cheese, or with a hearty soup. Yum!!!

Chicken Noodle Soup (or Dumpling, if you like)

2009-12-30T13:48:00.001-08:00

Here is my chicken soup recipe, a truly nourishing meal for keeping your health up. As before, read this broth information if you are interested. The stock recipe immediately below is from that link.

When I make soup, I start in the morning with the chicken stock and then by 5pm or so, the chicken is cooked, the broth is dark golden, and I am ready to assemble a soup. The soup recipe follows the stock recipe. As soon as you do it once, it is much easier to remember and make.

Chicken Stock:

1 whole free-range chicken or 2 to 3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones and wings*
gizzards from one chicken (optional)
2-4 chicken feet (optional) I cannot find these anywhere, so I omit
4 quarts cold filtered water
2 tablespoons vinegar I use raw apple cider vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley

*Note: Farm-raised, free-range chickens give the best results. Many battery-raised chickens will not produce stock that gels.

If you are using a whole chicken, cut off the wings and remove the neck, fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity. Cut chicken parts into several pieces. (If you are using a whole chicken, remove the neck and wings and cut them into several pieces.) Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.

Remove whole chicken or pieces with a slotted spoon. If you are using a whole chicken, let cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass. Reserve for other uses, such as chicken salads, enchiladas, sandwiches or curries. Strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.

Chicken Noodle Soup:

chicken meat from 1/2 whole chicken, reserved from making chicken stock, shredded
reserved broth from making chicken stock
2-4 T. unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly crosswise into rounds
4 celery stalks, sliced thinly crosswise
4 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

dumplings (or noodles, if you want to roll them out):
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 eggs
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Melt 2-4 T. butter in a stock pot. Add onion and saute until soft. Add all chicken stock and bring to a simmer. While heating up, add carrot, celery, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer over low heat for 30-60 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.
2. Start making noodles/dumplings: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with your hands in a large mixing bowl, measure out flour and salt. Add eggs and oil and combine until dough forms. If making dumplings, stop here and spoon directly into soup (about 1/2 tsp. each--I use a small ice cream scoop). If making noodles, continue: On a lightly floured surface, knead for 10-12 minutes until dough is elastic. Roll out and cut into 2 inch strips. Add to soup pot.
3. Cook for about 30 minutes, until noodles/dumplings are cooked through. Serve with whole grain bread, sourdough if you can find or make it, toasted with butter. Can also sprinkle additional parsley on top.

Potato-Fennel Gratin

2009-12-27T18:56:00.000-08:00

My mom's ward (the congregation I grew up in) is full of the most fabulous cooks. I had inklings of what people typically thought of Mormon cooking (think Garrison Keillor's descriptions of meals done by the Lutheran congregation at Lake Wobegon) when I heard disparaging remarks made about lime jello salads and funeral potatoes. But, I never tasted such cooking until I went away to college; the ladies I grew up around just didn't do things that way. As an adult, I always thought funeral potatoes were pretty tasty until I got this recipe that my mom's ward used in the last two Christmas parties they put on. This is my THE potato gratin/funeral potatoes dish.

Seriously, you'll never want funeral potatoes again...

Potato-Fennel Gratin
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

2 small fennel bulbs
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 T good olive oil
1 T unsalted butter
2 pounds russet potatoes (4 large potatoes)
2 C plus 2 T heavy cream
2 1/2 C grated Gruyere cheese (1/2 pound)
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter inside of a 10x5x2 (10 cup) baking dish. I just used a 9x13 pyrex.

Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. REmove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. SAute the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender.

Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyere, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed fennel and onion and mix well.

Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remiaining 2 T of cream and 1/2 c of Gruyere and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Check on this; I've had to cover the pan with foil with 15 minutes to a half hour to go to prevent the top from getting burned. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls

2009-12-26T22:07:00.001-08:00

It just seems more like Christmas if you eat a delicious cinnamon roll, even if you have been eating cookies all week. I can say from recent personal experience that if you even try to eat more than one of these, you may risk heartburn!

I sneakily stole this recipe from someone two years ago, so it somehow makes them taste even better. The extra ingredient would seem to be Sneakiness. Oh wait, it is actually all that cinnamon. Or maybe that it takes one pound of butter to make a batch? You tell me.

Cinnamon Rolls

DOUGH:
2.5 teaspoons yeast (1 pkg.)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons wheat gluten
4 cups flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Mix 1 cup flour with yeast and wheat gluten in a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan and then add milk. Add sugar and salt until just dissolved. Heat through until warm and add to mixing bowl (the flour mixture).
3. Mix on high for 3 minutes. Add eggs and mix until blended. Add vanilla. Add flour gradually until dough is pliable and can be kneaded (you may need to add another cup or so of flour).
4. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 6-8 minutes, or until dough is elastic. Put into a large, greased plastic bowl and let rise until double, about 1 1/2-2 hours. Once dough has risen, roll out to the size (about) of a cookie sheet and about 1/8-1/4 inch thick (aim for 1/8 inch thickness).

MIDDLE STUFF:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 Tablespoons cinnamon

1. Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl and set aside. Spread butter evenly on dough and then sprinkle with sugar mixture. (You can leave one end plain--about 1/2 inch edge--to make the log stick together.) Roll dough into a log and cut every 2-3 inches. You can use a serrated knife or dental floss to avoid smashing the log.
2. Place on cookie sheets 1-2 inches apart (they will grow a lot in the oven!) Let rise on cookie sheets for about 1 hour. Bake at 335 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove when tops begin to brown (to avoid dryness).

FROSTING:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon lemon flavor

1. Cream butter and cream cheese together at low speed for 6 minutes. Switch to whisk attachment and whisk on high for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup sugar on low speed, and then go back to high speed for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla, lemon, and remaining sugar on low and then return to high speed for another 3 minutes, or until creamy.
2. Keep leftover frosting in fridge. Store extra rolls at room temperature, covered. Don't ice the rolls until just before serving.

(*note: when I made these, I kept my oven at a low temperature (around 150 degrees) while the dough was rising. Then I put the bowls (when the dough ball was rising) and the cookie sheets (when the rolls were rising) on top of the oven to make sure they were warm enough to rise properly. It worked like a charm!)

(If it is really cold in your house, heat up the oven and then turn it off, putting the dough to rise inside the warm oven. Put a ceramic bowl of boiling or very hot water in the oven as well, to keep the air moist.)

Cookie Baking Extravaganza 2009: Classic Sugar Cookies

2009-12-22T13:39:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe from my MIL, who makes excellent sugar cookies. They have lemon extract in the dough and icing, which is probably why I am so partial to this particular recipe. I have not made a different recipe than this for a few years now. I love it! It also works well with whole wheat pastry flour.

(Later next week I am going to try it with sprouted flour, whole cane sugar, coconut oil, etc. for a healthy version. I will post my results!)

Classic Sugar Cookies
from k's MIL, modified

4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. lemon extract
3/4 cup milk (I use whole)

Icing:
powdered sugar
milk
lemon extract

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar together in a stand mixer on medium with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy. Add egg and lemon extract. Gradually add flour and milk, alternating by switching 3 times or so. Mix until just combined.
Divide in thirds, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on lightly floured board. Cut out shapes and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness. Transfer to cooking rack and let cool completely before decorating.
Make icing. Use a few cups of sugar, add about 1 tsp. of lemon extract, and then stir in milk until desired consistency is reached. You can also add food coloring to the icing at this point. Decorate cookies and let dry until icing is hardened.

Cookie Baking Extravaganza 2009: Gingerbread Cookies

2009-12-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

Today I made a classic, and I love this version with pepper in addition to the usual gingerbready spices. I made mine into different shapes, and also am not going to make the royal icing. I made sugar cookies today as well, so I will just use that icing for both recipes. Look at the sugar cookie post for the recipe. Enjoy! (I got the recipe for these cookies from M*rtha Stewart.)

Gingerbread Cookies

6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon finely ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 large eggs
1 cup unsulfured molasses
Royal Icing
Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a large bowl. Set aside.
Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Divide dough into thirds; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 1/4-inch thick. Cut into snowflakes with a 7- inch snowflake-shape cookie cutter. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
Bake cookies until crisp but not dark, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
Put icing in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #7). Pipe designs on snowflakes; immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar. Let stand 5 minutes; tap off excess sugar. Let icing set completely at room temperature, about 1 hour. Store cookies between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Cookie Baking Extravaganza 2009: Chocolate Lump Cookies

2009-12-21T19:55:00.000-08:00

I love these simple almond-milk chocolate ball cookies, since I was a little k.

Chocolate Lump Cookies

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 ½ cups sifted flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 bars (5 oz. each) Cadbury “Dairy Milk” chocolate bars, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and blend completely. Add flour, salt, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Combine. Add chopped chocolate bars and mix by hand with a wooden spoon.
Scoop out by the tablespoon and roll into 1 inch balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely brown on the bottom. Do not over bake.

Cookie Baking Extravaganza 2009: Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

2009-12-21T19:47:00.000-08:00

These cookies are a satisfying blend of chocolate and peanut butter, even better than those peanut butter cookies with kisses in my opinion! Here is the original recipe, exactly the same as below but linked to give credit where credit is due.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

from Martha Stewart

½ cup creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling out the dough
36 mini peanut butter cups, unwrapped and chilled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, cream peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add brown sugar; beat until combined, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture in two batches.
Scoop off the dough in tablespoons; roll into balls. Place granulated sugar on a plate; roll balls in sugar, coating completely. Place two inches apart on a parchment-lined nonstick insulated baking sheet.
Bake until cookies begin to puff up slightly, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Press one peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie. Return to the oven; continue baking until cookies are golden brown and chocolate has begun to melt, about 6 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Cookie Baking Extravaganza 2009: Shortbread (with variations)

2009-12-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

I love shortbread: it tastes amazing, always impresses a crowd, and turns out to be very versatile if you try different mix-ins like the ones below. For Christmas this year I have settled on these four flavors to take to neighbors and family:

Shortbread with variations:

Classic Shortbread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp. coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with rack in upper third. Sift flour and salt into a bowl; set aside. Put butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl. Gradually add sugar; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture all at once; mix until just combined.
Butter a 10-inch round springform pan or cake pan. Using plastic wrap, press dough evenly into pan. With plastic on dough, refrigerate 20 minutes.
Cut dough into 8 wedges with a paring knife. Using a wooden skewer (not a fork, it’s tines with pull at the dough), prick all over at ¼-inch intervals.
Bake until golden brown and firm in the center, about 1 hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Recut shortbread into wedges; let cool completely in pan. Can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Coconut-Macadamia Fingers Variation:
Follow classic shortbread recipe, mixing in 1 tsp. vanilla at end of step 1. Add ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut and ½ cup finely chopped toasted macadamia nuts; mix to combine. Proceed with step 2. Butter an 11½-by-8½-inch rimmed baking sheet, and line with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang on long sides; butter parchment. Using plastic wrap, press dough into prepared pan. Leave plastic on dough, and refrigerate 20 minutes. Cut into 32 rectangles (about 3 by 1 inch each); prick top all over with a wooden skewer. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown and firm in center, about 40 minutes. Lift out by overhang; transfer to a wire rack to cool. Recut into rectangles.

Lemon Shortbread Variation:
Follow classic shortbread recipe, mixing in 5 tsp. finely grated lemon zest and 1 T. fresh lemon juice at end of step 1. Proceed with step 2, then halve dough, and shape into disks. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thick. Cut out rounds with a 2-inch fluted cutter. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Bake until pale golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Walnut-Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Variation:
Follow classic shortbread recipe, mixing in 1 tsp. pure vanilla at end of step 1. Proceed with step 2, and then stir in 5 oz. (1 cup) finely chopped semisweet chocolate. Halve dough. Transfer each half to a piece of parchment paper, and shape into a log. Roll in parchment to 2 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow the log and force out air. Unwrap, and roll each log in 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Cut logs into ¼-inch-thick slices. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Cookie Baking Extravaganza 2009: Cadbury Christmas Mini-Egg Brownies

2009-12-19T20:03:00.000-08:00

You know how Cadbury Mini-Eggs are amazing? Well, they have started putting out a Christmas version only the candies are round and colored with green, red, and white. I made Mini-Egg brownies a few Easter's ago, and thought, why not Christmas brownies?

The reason any version of these brownies are good is due to the original recipe by Nick Malgieri. He makes a Pecan Brownie recipe to die for. These candy versions are the same recipe but with pecans omitted, and candy pieces replacing them. I put half the bag in the dough, and then sprinkle the other half on top so you can see the colors.

Cadbury Christmas Candy Brownies

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into ¼-inch pieces
4 large eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
one bag (10 0z.)Cadbury Mini-Eggs, or Cadbury Christmas candies, divided in half

Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes, and then whisk smooth. If all the chocolate has not melted, return to very low heat and stir constantly until the chocolate melts.
In a large bowl, use a rubber spatula to stir one egg into the brown sugar. Make sure any lumps in the sugar are dissolved. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, stirring each in with the rubber spatula in the same way. Stir in the granulated sugar, then the vanilla and salt. Stir in the chocolate mixture.
Finally, fold in the flour, then half of the candy.
Prepare a 9x13x2 pan by buttering it and then lining it with parchment paper and buttering the parchment paper at the very last. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Scatter the remaining candies over the top of the batter.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick or a small knife inserted into the center emerges clean. Cool completely on a rack.
Wrap and refrigerate the pan so that the cake solidifies completely, at least 4 hours but overnight is best. This also makes the cake easier to cut.*
Transfer the whole cake to a cutting board and slide a long knife or spatula under it to loosen the paper, and then pull it away. Use a ruler to mark, and then cut the cake into 2-inch squares.
For up to several days, store the brownies between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover. Freeze for longer storage. If you plan to keep the brownies for any length of time, it is better to wrap them individually.

*I really do this step, and it makes a BIG difference in how they taste.

Cookie Baking Extravaganza 2009: Checkerboard Cookies

2009-12-19T19:10:00.000-08:00

Checkerboard Cookies
by Nick Malgieri

French Vanilla Sables

12 Tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1½ cups all-purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, until well mixed, light colored, and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and egg yolk. Continue beating until very smooth, about 2 more minutes. Scrape the bowl and beater well and beat in the flour.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a 1 inch thick square and chill for several hours and up to several days.

Dark Chocolate Sables

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup alkalized (Dutch process) cocoa powder, sifted after measuring
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

In bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until well mixed and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes, then beat in vanilla and egg. Continue beating until very smooth, about 2 minutes more. Scrape bowl and beater very well and beat in flour mixture.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a 1 inch thick square the same size as the vanilla dough, and chill for several hours.

Checkerboard Cookies

1 batch French Vanilla Sables
1 batch Dark Chocolate Sables
1 egg white for adhering the dough

Remove vanilla dough from refrigerator and roll out to an 8x12 inch rectangle on a floured surface. Slide onto a cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill again until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat with chocolate dough.
Remove vanilla and chocolate doughs and uncover. Paint entire top of vanilla dough with egg white and then place chocolate dough on top, pressing with cookie sheet, gently, to adhere completely. Immediately cut dough in half and paint one half with more egg white, then stacking other half on top and pressing gently again with a cookie sheet to adhere completely. Wrap completely in plastic wrap and chill again for several hours. At this point you may double wrap and freeze, only to be defrosted in the refrigerator when you are ready to continue.
Remove the dough and unwrap. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough across the 6 inch side into sixteen 3/8-inch-thick slices. Place one slice cut side down and paint with egg white. Stack a second slice on top making sure that the vanilla and chocolate doughs are lined up oppositely. For example, if the first slice was vanilla, chocolate, vanilla, chocolate, then the second slice should go chocolate, vanilla, chocolate, vanilla. Continue painting the second slice with egg white, adding a third slice, painting the third slice and topping off with a fourth slice. This stack is finished once there are 4 slices adhered together. Start a new stack exactly the same way, ending with 4 slices adhered together. You should end up with 4 stacks of 4 slices adhered together, since you started with 16 individual slices. Wrap the individual stacks tightly in plastic wrap, taking care to gently press them together. Return to refrigerator to chill for another several hours. At this point they may be double wrapped and frozen, only to be defrosted in the refrigerator in order to continue when you are ready.
When you are ready to bake, get your parchment-lined baking sheets ready and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make sure the racks in the oven are placed in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
Remove dough from fridge and unwrap. Cut with a sharp knife into ¼ inch thick slices and place immediately onto sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until puffed somewhat and dull and firm to the touch. Slide the papers from the pans onto cooling racks and let cool completely. Store between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container.