Chris's Week Thirty-Four Recipe: Boiled Maize Pudding

I discovered a neat website last night: Feeding America. It's a digitized collection of old American cookbooks from the 18th to the early 20th century. I decided to try a recipe from The Complete Cook, published in 1864:

Boiled Maize Pudding

Stir Indian meal and warm milk together "pretty stiff;" a little salt and two or three "great spoonfuls" of molasses added; also a spoonful of ginger, or any other spice that may be preferred. Boil it in a tightly-covered pan, or in a very thick cloth; if the water gets in, it will ruin it. Leave plenty of room for Indian meal swells very much. The milk with which it is mixed should be merely warmed; if it be scalding hot, the pudding will break to pieces. Some chop suet very fine and warm in the milk; others warm thin slices of apple to be stirred into the pudding. Water will answer instead of milk.

This I translated to:

Mix together:

generous 1/2 c medium grind cornmeal

pinch salt

1/4 t ginger

6 T milk

generous tablespoon of dark molasses

Boil in a double boiler about 10 minutes or until the pudding is set.

Would I try this recipe again? I think I'll have to, just so I can see if I can get it to work right. The pudding was very 'dry' at the end of 10 minutes although the corn meal had softened to what I consider an acceptable level (sort of a cornmeal al dente). I think I needed to add more liquid content to begin with.

Guest Recipe from Judy: Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

Today I mentioned to my much-esteemed coworker Judy that I had some tomatoes I needed to render into sauce, and she gave me her method of oven-roasting tomatoes. I'm going to give you her guidelines and my own variation.

Judy's Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

Clean tomatoes and slice vertically into quarters. Put on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, minced garlic, and salt. Lay fresh thyme on top and put into a 180F oven overnight. Pop into a zip-lock bag and freeze for the long, cold winter.

Chris's Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

I'm sure Judy's roasting method generates fabulous flavor, but my oven's 25 years old and I'm not risking leaving it on all night! And since I'm a messy drizzler, I just mixed everything in a large bowl.

Clean tomatoes and slice vertically into quarters or eighths. Mix in a large bowl with olive oil, minced garlic, and salt. Put everything onto a jelly-roll pan lined with foil and lay fresh thyme on top. Roast at 400F for 45 min or until the tomatoes are starting to char a bit.

If you're making sauce, remove most of the peels. Pop into a zip-lock bag and freeze for the long, cold winter.

Would I make this recipe again? I think you can count on it! I sampled some tomatoes once they'd cooled and I think I wound up eating a whole tomato's worth of sections.

Chris's Week Thirty-Three Recipe: Stewed Squash and Tomato

Last week's farmers market zucchini came with a nice little yellow pattypan squash. I've never cooked with one of those before! While noodling around on the Net, I spotted this recipe and after Tricia gave me a few tomatoes from her garden, I decided it was time for....

Stewed Squash and Tomatoes

2 T olive oil

1-2 bell peppers of any color, chopped

1 pattypan squash, chopped

pinch kosher salt

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 cup water

3 cloves garlic, minced

basil leaves, chopped or chiffonaded

chopped green onions

black pepper

brown basmati rice

Cook the basmati rice per package instructions.

Saute the peppers and squash in the olive oil until just tender. Add salt, tomatoes, water, and garlic and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half (about 20 minutes). Serve over brown basmati rice garnished with basil leaves, chopped green onion, and black pepper.

Would I make this recipe again? Probably not. The flavor was great, but I think I could have gotten there just sauteeing the vegetables and saved a lot of cooking time!

Chris's BONUS Week Thirty-Two Recipe: Roasted Zucchini and Chickpea Soup

This recipe caught my eye and since there's always too much zucchini at this time of year, I decided to give it a try.

Roasted Zucchini and Chickpea Soup

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

2 medium zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces

1-15 oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed

4-5 cloves garlic, unpeeled

approx 2 T olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

2 c vegetable broth

fresh parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet or jellyroll pan with aluminum foil.

Toss all ingredients with olive oil, salt and pepper. (Yes, the garlic cloves are still unpeeled at this point!) Spread out the mix on the baking sheet and bake for 35-40 min.

Peel and mince (or smoosh, if your garlic's really done!) the garlic. Toss all the ingredients into the vegetable broth and warm back up if necessary.

Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!

Would I make this recipe again? It was delicious! The original recipe suggested it would be good chilled and I was skeptical, but I tasted the leftovers right out of the fridge and promptly ate it all up chilled.

Jennifer's Week Thirty-Two BONUS Recipe: Savory Chicken Breasts

Last night, while scrounging for ingredients for my dinner, I came across several freezer bags containing chicken breasts. So today I was determined to either find a recipe or make one up without having to purchase anything from the store - and I was successful! Thanks to allrecipes.com

Savory Chicken Breasts

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• ground black pepper to taste
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 pan. Season with black pepper to taste and top each breast to a slice of cheese.

3. Mix together the soup and the milk and pour it over the chicken. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top and drizzle with the melted butter. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Would I make this again? I think I have to. Chad's comment "Where did you get this recipe? Meatcheeseandbread.com? My three favorite things in one dish!" Very comfort food-like. I think I may wait until the weather cools before I make it again

Update: Experimental Cornbread

As previously stated in this post, I'm always fiddling around with a particular recipe for cornbread. Last weekend when I made Renaissance Meatloaf for Linda & Bruce, I also made a pan of experimental cornbread. I was running short on butter, so I substituted 1/4 c of Oilerie lemon olive oil for 1/4 c butter. The flavor was great, but the cornbread was underdone in the middle.

What I didn't know at the time was that the proper substitution for 1/4 c butter was 3 T of olive oil. So this weekend I tried a batch with 3T olive oil.

Have you caught my mistake?

Yeah, the recipe calls for 1/2 c butter! But you know, the darned cornbread turned out great anyway. I'm definitely going to have to keep experimenting.

Jennifer's Week Thirty-Two Recipe: Mango Rum Sauce

And now for dessert from my Bachelorette Night!

Mango Rum Sauce

1 mango, peeled and mashed

2 teaspoons of sugar, plus some to taste if needed

a healthy splash of rum

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it bubbles. Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Pour over a nicely sized serving of vanilla ice cream.

Would I make it again? Indeed!

Jennifer's Week Thirty-One Recipe: Ranch Cucumber Salad

Tonight I found myself left to my own devices for dinner. Normally when this happens I am a very bad girl and get takeout. Tonight I was determined to not do so and I daresay I succeeded. I made up two recipes tonight and this is the first.

Ranch Cucumber Salad

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thin

1 shallot, diced

About 2 tablespoons Ranch dressing (I did not measure)

2 teaspoons sugar

a splash white vinegar

a healthy sprinkling of dill weed (Again, I did not measure)

salt

Peel and thinly slice the cucumber and place in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let them think about themselves for a bit before rinsing and draining well. Place the cucumbers, shallot, dressing, vinegar and dill in a bowl and mix well. Place the bowl in the fridge and let the mix ponder for at least a half hour (the longer, the better).

Would I make this again? Well, maybe. The cucumber salad my step-dad used to make is far superior, but this did in a pinch with what I had in the house.

Chris's Week Thirty-Two Recipe: Farmer's Market Roasted Vegetables

The Woodbury Farmer's Market was chock full 'o delicious fruits and vegetables today, and as I carried home my string bags (yes, the carrots stick out a bit!) I thought it would be nice to make some vegetable casserole. But as I was searching around, this recipe caught my eye. A couple of notes:

1. True confession: the red pepper came from Kowalski's. There weren't many peppers today at the farmer's market. But everything else is fresh from the market this morning!
2. The original recipe calls for 1 T olive oil. When I added the herbs & spices to 1 T and shook to mix, the herbs just schlurped up the oil, so I wound up adding another tablespoon of oil. I think you could get away with 1 T if you drizzled the oil over the vegetables, then shook on the herbs & spices and tossed everything together.
3. I substituted 2 t Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle for 1 t each dried basil & oregano. Yes, there's garlic in the Penzey's mix and yes, I added more minced garlic. I'm a bit like Linda and nutmeg when it comes to garlic.

Farmer's Market Roast Vegetables

about 20 fingerling potatoes, cut in half

5 medium-small carrots, cut in 1/2" slices

2 medium zucchini, cut in 1/2" slices

1 red pepper, cut into 1" chunks

1 banana pepper, cut into 1" chunks

2 T olive oil

2 t Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle

generous pinch of kosher salt

several grinds of black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl. Mix together the olive oil, herbs & spices, then drizzle over the vegetables and toss to coat (or drizzle the oil over the vegetables, toss on the herbs & spices & toss to coat). Spread the vegetables in a 9x13" pan and cook 30-40 min at 375F or to the desired tenderness.

Would I make this recipe again? The real question is, why haven't I done so before?!?

Tricia's Week 31 Recipe: Garden-veggie Pasta Bake

It begins....the garden is beginning to share its wealth.  In my fridge I had two halves zucchini (the other halves were lost to smooshiness), two jalepenos, one green pepper, one red tomato and one yellow tomato.  In my cupboard, I had a container of Barilla Italian baking sause.  I thought to myself, hrmmm...I bet I could make something like a baked ziti, but with penne since that is what I have!  So, onto the internet I went to find a recipe to try.  I looked, and I looked and I looked, but nothing I found was what I wanted.  So, I did what I always do, I made it up!

Tricia's garden-veggie pasta bake.
Ingredients:
1 lb penne noodles
1 jar Barilla Italian baking sause
1 garden zucchini (actually, two halves, each about 1 1/2 inch in diameter)
1 garden yellow tomato (lemon boy variety)
1 garden red tomato (better boy variety)
2 garden jalapeños
1 garden green pepper
2 giant handfuls of mozzarella cheese (maybe about 2 cups?  I should measure)
1/2-1 teaspoon granulated onion
1/2 - 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1-3 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• Preheat oven to 350 (because everything is cooked at that temperature, it seems)
• Start by boiling the water for the noodles.  Before you add the noodles, stick tomatoes in water for about 20 seconds and remove, so that their skins peal off easily.  Now, add pasta and cook al dente, about 9 minutes, drain and set aside
• Cut up both tomatoes and zucchini (one inch cubes).  Add to pan and add all seasonings above along with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking.  Cook until most of the water from the tomatoes is gone.
• Find a large bowl (large enough for all the above).  Cut up jalapeños, and green pepper into bite sized pieces. Add those to large bowl.  Open baking sauce and add that to large bowl, mix.  When tomatoes and zucchini are done, cool for a bit, then add to bowl and mix.  Add cheese and noodles and mix until all combined.
• Take out a 3 qt casserole pan (I used a Pyrex 13x9in baking pan).  Add a bit of olive oil to this, and smear about to coat all surfaces.  Pour noodles, sauce, and veg into baking dish.  Put in oven.  I started baking this uncovered for 10 minutes, then changed my mind and covered for the remainder of the baking time.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbly, and cheese is melted.

This was delicious!  I will definitely make it again.  Trevor says it can be made w/out the zucchini next time.  I like it that way, but think it would be good w/ other garden veg as well.

Tricia's Week 30 Recipe: Fruit Smoothies

Lately my neighborhood grocer has been offering fruits at buy one, get one free.  This is great, until you can't eat them all and they start to become smooshy!  The solution, a fruit smoothie. This may be cheating slightly, since I have made smoothies in the past, but never have they included raspberries or frozen yogurt.

Cut up and place in blender:
1 banana
10-15 strawberries (add as many as you have left in your container)
Add:
1/2 pint raspberries
1-4 to 1-2 cup lemonade
Blend.  Total blended fruit content should be about 2 cups.

Add to this enough fat free frozen yogurt (vanilla in this case) to make 4 cups blended smoothie.  Blend until smooth.

Pour into two glasses and share with a friend!

Would I make this again, yup!  And I did.  I ran out of banana but had strawberries and raspberries left.  (Update: Plain cantaloupe and frozen yogurt is good too!) If I decide to try smoothie with a cantaloupe and lime I will let you know. It sounds refreshing in my mind....

Erik's Guest Recipe: Pasta Salad Noodles with Red Sauce and Meat

When we were at the grocery store, Erik asked if he could pick out stuff for dinner so I said sure. He also claimed to have a recipe. I told him that I would post it on the blog for him, too. So, here you go. Don't expect anything too complicated - he is only six after all. I have tried to keep the recipe as it was told to me unless I felt the need to alter it for clarification.


Pasta Salad Noodles with Red Sauce and Meat

One box of tri-color rigatoni noodles (The tri-color aspect is very important! Monochromatic noodles would not be pasta salad noodles!)

One jar traditional tomato pasta sauce (Think Ragu)

A container of meat (In this case, a pound of lean ground beef)

Some seasonings and spices (salt, pepper and Italian Seasoning)


* Put the meat and seasonings in a pan. When the meat turns brown, pour in the sauce and mix it up really good.

*Boil some water in a big pot. When it starts boiling like crazy, dump in the box of noodles. Not the whole box, just the noodle part. When the noodles are cooked, dump them out into the draining thing (colander).

*Put some noodles in a bowl, then some sauce and meat on top and then some Parmesan cheese. And then you eat it!


Well, kiddo did hit on the mark with this one. Simple dish for me to prepare under his guidance and he ate it!

Jennifer's Week Thirty Recipe: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

My brother-in-law was kind enough to watch Loki while Chad and I ventured to the North Shore for a few days and I decided to thank him by making him some cookies that he could munch on while he played his video games and talked to his girlfriend. I figured it was also a good time to try out a new recipe. My pantry had someone acquired many bags of chocolate chips, so in an effort to use some of them, I made these.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) (I used macadamia nuts)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

These cookies were Joe, Chad and Erik approved. Also, it has been 5 days since I made them and they are still soft. Very yummy and will be made again sometime in the future.

Karin's Updates to Previous Posts

After getting everything posted for the last few weeks, Chris very gently pointed out that I am actually a week ahead of what I had posted. Wonderful! I have now updated my weeks to the appropriate numbers. So, there will be a single Week 29, a single Week 30, and two recipes for Week 31.

I have also updated the response to the cookies from Week 31 - Mor Monsen. You can review it again, by clicking here.

Now, it's off to New York City, where I'll hopefully get ideas on what to make for Week 32!

Update: Spiced Red Wine JELLY!

Upon examining my jars of spiced red wine syrup this morning, it appears that lemon peel has enough natural pectin to produce jelly! I've now got what I consider a 'soft jelly', not stiff, but if you turn the jar sideways you don't get any flow.

What do you think? Serve with crackers and a strong cheese? Other ideas?

Chris's Week Thirty-One Recipe: Spiced Red Wine Syrup

The cognoscenti amongst you have already been wondering, "What is Chris going to do with the rest of that red wine she has leftover from last week's meatloaf recipe?" A very good question, considering that I'm not a fan of Cabernet Sauvignon... especially the $2.99 variety you get at Trader Joe's.

Linda suggested making bolognese sauce or using it to marinate meat, but doing a little creative searching online, I found this recipe from The Splendid Table. I've always enjoyed this radio show whenever I've caught it on NPR, so I thought I'd give the recipe a try. The only change I had to make was using 2 T Penzey's dried lemon peel instead of the zest of an orange (no oranges in the house!).

Spiced Red Wine Syrup

3 c red wine

1.5 c sugar

2 T Penzey's lemon peel (or the zest of one large orange)

pinch salt

1 heaping teaspoon black peppercorns, bruised with a mortar & pestle

1.5 t whole anise seed, bruised with a mortar and pestle

8 bay leaves, broken

6 whole cloves

4" cinnamon stick, broken

pinch ground nutmeg

Combine ingredients in a large skillet and simmer uncovered until syrupy. Stir often. The recipe calls for about 10 minutes in a 12" skillet, but it took 30 minutes in my 10" skillet. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes.

Strain the syrup and return it to the pan to let boil for a few more minutes or until a spatula drawn across the bottom of the pan leaves a trail. Cool and refrigerate.

Would I make this recipe again? It's great for leftover wine! I tried a little over honey yogurt and it's quite good - slightly sweet and very spicy.

Karin's Bonus Week 31 Recipe: Poached Fish in White Wine

I think I've been watching too much Top Chef lately, as I seem to want to try out recipes and cooking techniques that seem complicated. We had some tilapia steaks that needed to be cooked before our trip to New York City later this week, so I was on a hunt for a fish recipe. This recipe also finished up the rest of the white wine from last week's bonus recipe. The recipe is from the Joy of Cooking, and once again, I had all the ingredients on hand, so I went ahead and tried out a new fish cooking method.

Poached Fish in White Wine

2 c dry white wine (I used Wollersheim Winery's Dry Riesling)
2 c water
2 T rice, sherry, or white wine vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
1 tsp salt
10 whole black peppercorns, Penzey's Tellicherry Black Peppercorns
10 coriander seeds (didn't have this, but used a scant 1/2 tsp of ground)
2 whole cloves (same situation as the coriander)
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove
several sprigs parsley, thyme, or tarragon, or 1/2 tsp dried (I used Penzey's French Thyme)
1.5-2lb fish steaks, rinsed

Find a pan big enough to hold the fish steaks in a single layer, and deep enough to hold the liquid. Place all ingredients other than the fish into the pan. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 min. Gently place fish into poaching liquid, cover the pan, and simmer for 8 min. Check for doneness. Remove fish when flesh is slightly translucent. Serve hot, at room temp, or chilled. Sauce is optional.

This recipe went together quickly and easily, and did not make the kitchen too hot. This was a bonus, as it was 85deg outside by 11am today. It also smelled really good while it was cooking. The poaching was much easier than I had thought, and I didn't even need a special fish poaching pan. This method of cooking kept the fish nice and moist, and gave it a nice light flavor. Nate voted to have it served with a sauce next time, due to the fact that he thought it was too boring in texture. I might try this again, now that I know how easy it is. I'll just have to find a sauce to go with it.

Karin's Week Thirty-one Recipe: Mor Monsen (Mother Monsen)

This week's recipe is a result of once again getting about 3.5 hr notice that my wonderful husband needed to bring something to work for the weekly potluck. Luckily, his assignment was dessert. That is something that I can generally make with out a trip to the store, and without it taking a lot of time. I've had a cookie recipe that I've wanted to try for awhile now, out of my Norwegian Recipes cookbook. The total number of ingredients in this recipe is 6, which makes it fairly simple. And Tricia, you'll like it because it necessitates the use of a kitchen scale.

Mor Monsen

8oz butter, softened
8oz sugar
5 eggs
8 oz plain flour
Chopped almonds
Chopped stoned raisins or currants (I used dried cranberries, as the other member of my household will not eat raisins, and I generally don't have dried currants on hand.)

Beat butter and sugar until white and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat thoroughly. Add the flour gradually. Grease a large shallow oven tin such as is used for roasting meat and sprinkle with flour. (I used a non stick 9x13, greased but not floured.) Pour in the mixture and smooth out with a spatula to a depth of 1/2". Strew thickly with chopped almonds and chopped stoned raisins or currants. (I think I used about 1 c of each, before chopping.) Bake in slow oven about 300deg for 30-40 minutes. Leave in the tin and while still warm, cut into small diamonds with a sharp pointed knife. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight tin.

Preliminary tasting of the batter said that this would be good. Additional tasting after baking, said the same. Now I am waiting for the feedback from the work crew. The only thing I'd do differently with this recipe is to just cut it into squares, as I am apparently not good at cutting diamonds - mine looked mostly like squares, and took way too long to cut. I'd also try and press the topping into the batter a bit, as I expected it to sink during the baking, and it didn't, causing a slight mess whilst eating. I think this could be good with other types of nuts or dried fruits, and may try that in the future. 


After hearing back from the work crew, I was informed that all tasting results were positive. Even considering there ended up being a picnic along the side of the road due to unfortunate timing of the meal. Apparently, both 2nd and 3rd shifts gave a thumbs up to this recipe. However, I also learned that my wonderful husband has not told the boys at work why he has to get feedback on everything he brings in as a dish to share. :)

Karin's Week Thirty Recipe: Liguine ai Gamberi (Liguine with Shrimp)

After looking at my posts, I am apparently off a week in our endeavor for new recipes, as I have another new recipe, apparently for Week Twenty-Nine. This one is from a brand-new cookbook I recently got, Cucina Rustica. It is recipes that are simple & Italian, which sounded right up my alley. I've also read about this cookbook previously, and it had gotten good reviews. Whilst reading through the pasta section, I came upon this recipe that allowed me to use the frozen shrimp I always have on hand.

Liguine ai Gamberi (Liguine with Shrimp)

1/4 EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
4 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
1/2 tsp red chile pepper flakes (or to taste)
3 lb red tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, approx. 4.5c*
1 c dry white wine
15 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 c chopped Italian parsley, leaves only
1lb medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 lb linguine (we did not have this, so I used spaghetti)

*Due to miscommunication, Nate only purchased 1.5lb of tomatoes at the store, but we did not peel & seed the tomatoes, so ended up with approximately the right amount.

Heat EVOO in a 10-12 inch skillet over low heat. Add the garlic & red chili pepper flakes to the oil and stir. Lightly saute the garlic until it smells rather garlicky, approx 1 min. Add the tomatoes and white wine to the skillet. Cover and cook the tomatoes over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to break down and release their juice. Add the basil and parsley. Stir frequently and continue cooking over moderate heat, cover removed, until the tomatoes and wine form a sauce (this is still very runny consistency for a sauce), approx 10-15 min.

Add the shrimp to the sauce and cook over high heat just until the shrimp are tender, or just until pink. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain the pasta, and add it into the pan with the sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce over high heat so that the pasta starts to absorb the sauce. Serve immediately.

Note: We used a normal frying pan approx 10 in in diameter. This is not the right size pan! We ended up adding the sauce to the pasta, instead of the other way around. Use a large DEEP pan if you are going to follow the directions.

This recipe, contrary to my last one, turned out delicious! It was very flavorful, and had just a hint of spice. The shrimp absorbed the flavors really well. We also had it as cold leftovers, and it still tasted great. Nate's response was that I can definitely make this one again. It was super easy and smelled great while cooking. I'm now wondering how it would taste using chicken. This one will get marked in the book for future use.

Karin's Week Twenty-Nine Recipe: Chicken in Peanut Sauce

I had some chicken breasts that were needing to be used up, and thought, why not try a new Indian recipe? I had all the ingredients for this recipe from Six Spices: A simple concept of Indian cooking, and it looked pretty tasty and quick to make.

Chicken in Peanut Sauce

2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
3/4 c water, divided
4 T oil
1 large onion, chopped very fine
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tsp salt
1 T lemon juice
2 tsp brown sugar
4 T crushed peanuts

In a small bowl, mix coriander, turmeric, and chili powders with 1/4 c of the water to make a paste. Set aside. In a nonstick frying pan, heat oil. When oil is hot, add chopped onions and saute until onions become soft and translucent.

Add spice paste. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, adding a tablespoon of 1/4 c of water at a time until you reach a 1/4 cup added.  Add chicken; stir to coat pieces with the spices. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add salt and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 cup of water. Add brown sugar and peanuts. Cook for another 5-10 minutes. Serve with boiled rice.

Although this recipe had ingredients that looked good, the recipe itself was really bland. Even for me. It really didn't taste like much of anything. I thought it might get better if I let it sit in the fridge overnight, but nope, still bland. Both Nate and I were rather disappointed, and agreed to continue the quest for a better, more flavorful recipe for Peanut Sauce.

Chris's Week Thirty Recipe: Renaissance Meatloaf

I've been reading Renaissance Magazine since the very first issue. Ever so often they have period recipes and one in the most recent issue caught my eye. Linda and Bruce were over for lunch before we went to see the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Science Museum of Minnesota and they graciously volunteered to be my taste testers.

Renaissance Meatloaf

2 lb ground beef

1 c oatmeal

1/3 c red wine

4 eggs

1/4 t black pepper

1/4 t cinnamon

1/8 t ground nutmeg (original recipe calls for mace)

1/8 t ground cloves

Mix all ingredients together, shape into a loaf or put into an 8x8" pan, and back at 350F for 50-60 minutes.

Would I make this recipe again? I might. We all liked it, but it is a much different taste than modern meatloaf. Bruce said it was 'fun' and I think that captures it best!

Jennifer's Week Twenty-Nine Recipe: Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

Chad and I were left to our own devices for dinner one night and, in an effort to eat out less, I wanted to make a relatively easy dinner for us to share and this was what I discovered thanks to the wonder of the internet.



Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina


1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta) Made a bit more than this and increased the other ingredients that I felt were necessary to increase.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes) - I added more chicken. 1/2 cup just isn't very much!
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish


Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.


Over all, it was quite yummy. Next time I may be more generous with the mozzerella, per Chad's request.

Jennifer's Week Twenty-Eight Recipe: Pasta Shells with Spicy Tomato Sauce

A recipe for my continuing quest to introduce more vegetarian meals to my carnivores. This comes from The Occasional Vegetarian.


Pasta Shells with Spicy Tomato Sauce

4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped fine
8 plum tomatoes, each cut into sixths
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 pound shells or other short pasta
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

In a medium skillet, saute garlic over low heat in the olive oil until it begins to turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the jalapeno pepper and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper and cook, partially covered, until the tomatoes soften and begin to fall apart, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir every few minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt and the pasta. Cover until the water returns to a boil. Cook until the pasta is tender but firm, 7 to 9 minutes.

Drain the pasta and add it to the simmering sauce. Toss to combine. Add the coriander and toss lightly again. Serve hot.


Will I make it again? Signs point to no. Chad and Erik did not like it and I was indifferent. The "spicy" sauce was not spicy and Chad did not like the chunks of tomato in the sauce. I'll have to try again!

Tricia's Week 29 Recipe: Blueberry Struessel Banana Bread

This week I had 4 bananas that had seen better days and a pint of blueberries crying to be baked, but what to do with them?  Bread?  Cake?  Muffins?  Torte?  Tart?

After consulting my taste testers (coworkers), I have decided on bread.  I decided to use a tried and true family banana bread recipe, leave out the walnuts and try adding blueberries instead, and then use 1/2 the struessel topping from my rhubarb bread recipe on the banana bread.  'Will it turn out?' I ask myself.

Blueberry Struessel Banana Bread
Preheat oven to 250
Mix:
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup ripe smashed bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk (I get out the liquid measuring cup, put in 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, and fill to 1/2 cup with skim milk and let sit for 5 minutes, this is quite a good substitute, since I NEVER have buttermilk on hand when I want nana bread)
1 tsp vanilla

Add:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt (I add a little less, since I use salted butter)
1 cup (heaping) blueberries

Pour into two greased, 8 inch bread pans.  Top with a breadcrumb consistency made of:
1/4 cup flour
1/2 Tbsp butter

Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center is clean.

This bread turned out SOOO moist!  I don't know what I did, but I will have to try to repeat for my next batch of banana bread!  It is different, having blueberries in banana bread instead of in a 'white cake' type background, but I think I like it.  The struessel topping pretty much baked right into the top of the bread forming a crust, so I think I would do a bit more of that next time so you have some crumbles on top.  Overall, I like it, but will have to find a second opinion.

Karin's Week Twenty-Eight Recipe: Chicken Stir Fry

Generally speaking, I do like to eat stir fry, but generally let others make it. Mainly because I never seem to get the oil temperature right, and it makes such a mess of my stove.  However, Nate had a hankering for chicken stir fry, so attempt it I did. I started with a recipe from the Joy of Cooking (I know, the true authority on stir frying :P) to at least get the cooking times right.  Here's what came out of the pan.

Chicken Stir Fry

2 T canola oil
2 heaping tsp chopped garlic
2 large chicken breasts, patted dry & cut into bite-sized chunks
2 stalks celery, cut into same size as chicken
3 carrots, ditto as celery
1 large onion, again chunked
1 lb pea pods, picked over, washed & drained

2 T Chinese Five Spice powder (Lunds brand? I can't read the label)
2 tsp powdered ginger, Penzey's brand
1 T powdered mustard, Penzey's brand
1 tsp red pepper flakes, Penzey's Medium Hot
2-3 T stir fry sauce
1 T fish sauce

Get everything ready before starting to cook, and have at the ready next to the stove.

Heat a heavy-bottom pan until almost smoking - I recommend non-stick if you're like me and make things stick. Add the oil and swirl around until pan is coated. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the chicken and sear until cooked most of the way through. Remove chicken to a plate.

Add in all veggies, and a bit more oil if needed. Cook for about 5 minutes until veggies are starting to wilt a bit. Add in all spices and stir thoroughly. Add partially cooked chicken, and saute for another 5-7 minutes until veggies and chicken are done.  Serve over rice.

This sounds good, but true to previous attempts, two pans were needed, as I burnt the garlic most spectacularly in the first. Once Nate got the garlic going and the chicken in, I could take over. This was tasty, but we both agreed that it turned out a bit spicier than we wanted, and really all you could taste was the Chinese Five Spice powder. The veggies were nice and crisp though. Would I make this again? Probably not in this form. I think I'd change up the spices and try something completely different. Maybe next time I'll look in my Chinese cookbook, rather than JoC.

Update #3: Olive Oil Cake

Miss Tricia was kind enough to get me some lemon and garlic olive oils from Oilerie in Door County. I wanted the lemon so I could try it in the Olive Oil Cake recipe from Good to the Grain. This latest cake was made to the recipe, using spelt flour, lemon olive oil, and omitting the rosemary and chocolate. I must say, the lemon really pops out of this cake!

Thanks, Tricia!

Update - Now posted: Tricia's Week 25 Recipes: Gingerbread Cake, Carrot Cake, and Homemade Brownies

Go here to read

Tricia's Week 28 Recipe: Salsa con Queso

I keep feeling like this is cheating!  I'm posting something so easy, but it's so delicious!

I love melted cheese dip for chips, and I have finally hit upon a winning dip that I will be making for a long time to come.  A warning to those of Minnesota Taste Buds....this is not for you!

Spicy Queso Salsa Dip

Ingredients:
4 &1/2 inches of the larger Velveta cheese block (I have no idea what this translates too, sorry!)
1/2 jar Tostitos Hot salsa
1 tablespoon hot pepper flakes
1-2 teaspoons Penzy's Northwoods Fire seasoning

I put this into a mini crock pot ot keep it hot for the entire time I want to eat it.  I plug my mini in as I start prep so it's a bit warm by the time I'm ready to put the dip into it.  Cut the cheese into little 1/2 inch cubes and place in a largish microwave bowl.  Pour salsa over the top.  Add spices to top of salsa Shake a bit to integrate and microwave in 1 minute intervals , stirring after each minute until fully melted.  I cover my bowl w/ a plate to help the melting process.

I will definitely be making this again!  The Northwoods Fire spice added a smokey flavor that I've not experienced in a cheese dip before.  As mentioned in the intro, this is NOT for those who don't like spicy foods.  I'm sure you could use mild or medium salsa, if you needed to take it down a notch, but the other seasonings will still give a kick.  I think this would be a great way to make nachos, too.  As I also like a good cheese dip w/ meat in it, i may try this again and add ground hamburger to it....As it was, I had chips and this dip for dinner (twice!).

Chris's Week Twenty-Nine Recipe: Radish Slaw

What do you do when you have too many radishes for your own good? Make radish slaw! This simple recipe is excellent without any marination. You can safely leave it sit for a couple hours in the fridge, but there's no need to do so.

Radish Slaw

Grate equal parts radish and carrot using a coarse grater

For each 2c of grated vegetables, add

2T apple cider vinegar

1T agave nectar (I assume sugar would work as well)

Mix and serve.

Would I make this recipe again? Yes, it's the perfect solution for when you're tired of eating plain radishes.

Karin's Week Twenty-Seven Recipe: Smoked Chicken

A few weekends ago we ventured 'Up North' to visit my Farm Grandpa and aunts/uncles/cousins and their various offspring. My aunt and uncle have a nice cottage on a lake which provides a wonderful gathering place for all ages and species (i.e. our dog, who was introduced to the fun that a 2.5yr old boy can be). As is always occurring in these family gatherings, the women sat in the backyard watching over the wee ones, and the men sat around the grill and smoker attending to the meat preparation. One of my cousins had brought a brisket to be smoked for lunch the following day, and all the men felt the need to give their input on how it should be cooked. Apparently this was much easier than either Nate or I had thought.

It was tasty, and on the way home, there was a discussion in our car concerning the smoker that has resided in our garage since who knows when. It had never been used by Nate in its smoker capacity, only as a grill, and he's had it since college. We decided that the smoked brisket was tasty enough that we could try and smoke a whole chicken in ours.

Smoked Chicken

1 whole chicken, about 3lb, with all innards removed
3 T Penzey's Tuscan Sunset seasoning
1 T kosher salt
3 twists of pepper grinder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 hunk of wood, soaked overnight - we used a piece of maple

1. Prepare smoker by lighting coals, or preheating if gas, and drip-drying wood.
2. Mix all seasonings together in small bowl. Loosen the skin on the chicken breast, thighs and legs. Rub spice mixture on chicken meat under skin. If you have leftover spices, rub inside chicken cavity.
3. Place wet wood piece into smoker, and then place chicken on rack just above.
4. Smoke chicken for about 2-2.5 hours until done, adding coals as needed to maintain even temp.
5. Serve either hot or cold.

This was a big hit, and made enough for dinner and several lunches. The chicken flavor tasted good both right out of the smoker, and straight from the fridge as leftovers. I think we'll be trying this again, and possibly with other meats now that we know how easy it is.

Chris's Week Twenty-Eight Recipe: French Potato Salad

"What recipe is madame perusing? Why, it is French Potato Salad! If madame cannot make some-zing with us lentils this week, why zen, zis is the next best zing!"

French Potato Salad

2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes

1/3 c olive oil

1/4 c red wine vinegar

1 t dried oregano

1.5 T Dijon mustard

1/2 t salt

1/4 t ground black pepper (or just grind until it looks like enough!)

1/4 t hot pepper sauce

1/2 red onion, sliced

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water about 10 min or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and spices. Pour over the sliced onion and potatoes and mix gently.

Would I make this recipe again? Yes! It's a nice alternative to mayonnaise-based potato salad and has a little zip. It's good when the potatoes are still warm, but even better after the salad has had a chance to chill and think about life a little.

Jennifer's Week Twenty-Seven Recipe: Fruit Salsa

So, Tricia had a bonfire last night and I offered to supply some sort of food item to the cause. Hey, I could experiment on more than just my poor husband and son! I did not feel like baking, mainly because of the cookies I made earlier in the week and the fact that later today I will be making a German Chocolate Bundt Cake from scratch for Chad's birthday. Also, I was looking for something that would be refreshing - outside, heat, fire (more heat). Well, fruit is refreshing AND it's good for you! So I found a recipe for a fruit salsa on AllRecipes.com, altered it a bit and then I unnecessarily doubled it. Ah well.



Fruit Salsa (this is the recipe I doubled)

3 kiwis, peeled and diced

2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced

8 ounces raspberries

1 pound strawberries, hulled and diced

1/2 pint blueberries

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons fruit preserves (I used strawberry because that's what we had on hand)


Throw all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix them together. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve with cinnamon sugar chips. (The recipe from allrecipes.com came with a recipe for these chips, however I ran out of time and just bought some cinnamon sugar pita chips which worked out just fine.)


Would I make this again? Yes! Very tasty, although I discovered that I don't have a lot of patience for chopping many, many things into tiny, tiny pieces. Considering that I made so much of it, I have leftovers that will go on waffles or pancakes (per Erin's suggestion) and ice cream.

Tricia's Week 27 Recipe: Spicey Chicken, Rice, and Bean Quesadillas

This recipe was inspired by a type of pot pie I saw on the internet, that I will likely try in a few weeks and post.  And also by rice and beans - one of my favorite meals and posted this week in her version by Chris.  And also by the fact that I was too hungry to make this into a casserole and bake it - as was the original plan...

Quesadilla filling, Mix together in a bowl the following:
1 chicken breast spiced w/ Northwoods Fire and garlic and cumin (about 1/2 teaspoon each) (mine was .67 lbs) pounded flat, cooked in oil (chili) or grilled, and cubed.
1/2 to 1 cup corn, cooked and drained
1/4 to 1/2 cup black beans
1/4 cup salsa (we used hot)
1 cup (ish) cooked rice
1 solid handful of shredded mozzarella cheese

Place above mixture between two tortillas (we used taco sized ones that are about 8 inches in diameter), and top with one small handful of cheddar cheese.   I heat a frying pan to medium heat, spray with pam and place tortilla on to brown, then I use a plate to flip it off on to, and slide back into regreased frying pan to minimize mess of flipping w/ spatula.  Heat til browned, cut, and top w/ sour cream and enjoy!

I would definately make this again!  In fact, the chicken breast above was delicious by itself and could make an excellent blackened chicken breast for a salad or sandwich!  All spices measurements are approximate because when I'm making up recipes, I never measure (bad self!)  Mixture above made two very hearty quesadillas with a bit left over for lunch for me (and we couldn't finish said quesadillas so I'll make the less hearty next time). It would probably make two burrito sized or greater shelled quesadillas or three of this size quite nicely.  next time I make it, i may leave out the rice, or I would increase the beans and corn and lower the rice content a bit - all up to the person making them!  I think I will also try a casserole version of this with those flat tater tot things on top!

Tricia's Week 26 Recipe: Spicey Chicken Tortellini Parmesan

I like Chicken Parmesan when I go to restaurants.  So I decided to make it at home, with a few twists.  Twist one - I had tortellini I needed to use.  Twist two, I like a lot of spice in my food.  So, this recipe was born.


Ingredients
Two chicken breasts - pounded flat (this part was fun!)
One package each (or a combo pack) spinich and regular cheese tortellinis (any brand will do)
One bottle marinara sauce (because I was lazy and didn't want to make my own) - I used bertolli
Penzey's Spices:  Northwoods Fire, Granulated Garlic, Red Chili Flakes (as you would put on pizza), Italian Seasoning, Pasta Sprinkle
Franks Hot Sauce
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Pound chicken breasts flat, and place in pan with olive oil to cook through (I used Chili Olive Oil).  Coat one side with Northwoods Fire, and when you flip, the other with Garlic.  Use as much or as little seasoning as suits your spiceyness needs.
Place marinara sauce in a saucepan and add about 1 tablespoon hot sauce, a few shakes chili flakes, and about 2 tsp italian seasoning and one teaspoon pasta sprinkle.  Let simmer while chicken and noodles are cooking.
Cook tortellini according to directions, drain.
Place in a bowl or plate w/ edges your tortellini, top with a chicken breast, top this with marinara and finally add Parmesan cheese. 

I would definitely make this again!  I would even try it with spaghetti or fettuccine noodles.  I made more tortellini than I needed, and more marinara, so I had lovely leftovers for lunch for two more. days!

Tricia's Week 25 Recipes: Gingerbread Cake, Carrot Cake, and Homemade Brownies

 The two cakes are from my new Joy of Cooking 75th Anniversary Edition cookbook.  The brownie recipe I found online in grams because I purchased a new kitchen scale and needed to try it out (and also a sifter).

Carrot Cake
Whisk together:
1&1/3 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt

In another bowl, whisk together
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 lg eggs

Combine eggs mixture into above, and add 1 &1/2 cup shredded carrots, 1 cup chopped walnuts.  Pour batter into greased 13x9 in pan, bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  Frost with favorite frosting, I made a basic cream cheese frosting w 1 stick  butter, 8 oz cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla, and as much powdered sugar as it took to make it taste right :)

Gingerbread cake
Makes one 9x9 cake.  I had no 9x9 cake pan, so I used a 10 in springform pan.  It worked.
mix together:
2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together in a small bowl
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup light molasses (I only had dark, and it worked)

In a large bowl, combine 1 stick butter, melted; 1 large egg; and 1/2 cup sugar.  Then add alternating dry and wet mixtures above until batter is thoroughly mixed and iff desired add 3 tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger (I had none).  Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until done.  Frost, if desired, with basic milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar icing.

Brownies
I decided I needed to use my new kitchen scale and found the follwoing recipe from cooking with chocolate (www.cacaoweb.net)
170 grams butter, melted
330 grams sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
85 grams flour
50 grams cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt (I didn't use b/c I had salted butter)
100 gram chopped walnuts

Beat together eggs with sugar, add vanilla, flour, cocoa, baking powder, and melted butter.  If you would like to make this vegan, sub 3/4 cup med firm drained tofu.  Place in greased 13 x 9 in pan and bake at 350 for 200-30 min, until toothpick in center comes out clean.  Top with sifted powdered sugar.  Devour.

All three were great fun to make, but I really loved making the brownies because I could use a scale and be all geeky and nerdy in my kitchen.  I will enjoy making more dessert recipes from all my cookbooks, and bringing in the spoils to work.  Like right now, I'm going to go get on that!  PS - all three were delicious!

Jennifer's Week Twenty-Six Recipe: White Chip Chocolate Cookies

I have wanted to make a reverse chocolate chip cookie for a long time and finally got around to doing it when I offered to bring dessert to Chez Olson for a play date.

And, yes, I know that some people think white chocolate is "unnatural"!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 2/3 cups white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Fold in the white chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are set. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies are very tasty. Dangerously tasty. And Cheyenne mentioned a way to make them even tastier! Macadamia nuts. I think next time I will reduce the amount of white chocolate chips and add some of those tasty Hawaiian nuts.

Chris's Week Twenty-Seven Recipe: Spicy Rice & Black Beans

It all started with a casual remark by Tricia that she had made rice & beans this week. Mmmm, quoth I, I love rice & beans! But I don't think I've ever made 'Spanish' style rice with tomatoes, not to mention adding beans to it. So I dug up this recipe and Tricia found this one, and I combined and tweaked to get the following:

Spicy Rice & Black Beans

1 c brown rice

2 c vegetable broth (I used Rapunzel bouillon)

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced roughly

1 T olive oil

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained

1/2 t dried oregano

1/2 t cumin

Cook the rice & vegetable broth in your favorite fashion - I use a cheap rice steamer. In a large saucepan, saute the onion & garlic in olive oil. When the onions are tender, add the diced tomatoes w/ green chilies, beans, oregano and cumin. Simmer while the rice finishes cooking. When the rice is ready, stir into the saucepan and let simmer another five minutes.

Would I make this recipe again? Mmmm... spicy! I used Muir Glen tomatoes and they had a nice bite. This will probably taste even better tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration & collaboration, Tricia!

Karin's Week Twenty-Six Recipe: Plum Tart

Yay! I've made it half-way through the year, and am still cooking strongly. Appropriately enough, this week's recipe is not one out of a cookbook or off a website, but one that I pretty much made up out of things that sounded like they might go well together. I had 4 plums that were past ripe, and needed to be used in some fashion. We were also having company over for dinner, and they like experimenting with food just as much as we do.  So, without further ado, I give you Karin's Plum Tart.

Karin's Plum Tart

Crust for 9in pie
3 T raspberry jam
4 very ripe plums
5 oz cream cheese, softened
6-7 T sugar, divided

Preheat oven to 400 deg. Place crust into 9 or 10 in tart pan (the one with the very short sides). Melt raspberry jam in microwave until consistency of syrup. Using a spoon, cover the bottom of the crust with the raspberry jam, making sure to cover evenly. In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese and 3 T of the sugar until cheese is of a spreadable consistency, rather like frosting. Spread cream cheese mixture into tart pan - this will take a bit of doing, as it does not like to stick to the jam. Slice plums into thin slices, and arrange over the cream cheese in a fan-like pattern, making sure to cover all of the cream cheese with the slices of plum. Sprinkle the tart with the remaining sugar, using enough so that it looks good, I think about 3-4 T was what was used..

Bake at 400 deg until crust is lightly browned, about 35 minutes. Let tart stand for about 4-5 minutes before serving.

This was something that I wasn't sure was going to turn out as well as it sounded in my head. However, I was pleasantly surprised. It smelled good, looked gorgeous (we even took a picture), and tasted so good, that my dinner guests wanted to know if we could just eat it all right then. I said why not, we're all grown ups, and so we did. A tart that lasted all of 20 minutes from the time I took it out of the oven to the time it was completely eaten is a good thing to have in my cooking repertoire. I may have to try this out with other fruits as I come across them. If you do, let me know how it tastes.

Karin's Week Twenty-Five Recipe: Marinated Chicken (& Grape Skewers)

This week ended up being a bit of a rush. We were both working quite a bit, which meant that lunch needed to be done quickly. I picked up this recipe at my local Piggly Wiggly while picking up some milk and veggies and cookies. (I know, I should've baked the cookies.) They have weekly recipes at the registers to give people ideas on how to cook in a healthier fashion. Anyways, the recipe is actually for chicken and grape skewers, but even though we had grapes, somehow grilled grapes didn't sound that great. The marinade looked pretty good, so that's what I used for my recipe.

Chicken (& Grape Skewers)

Marinated Chicken:
2 T olive oil
1/2 tsp lemon zest (I used more lemon juice, rather than the zest)
1 T lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb chicken (whichever parts you like), cut into cubes if you want skewers

For skewers:
8 - 10in skewers, soaked in water
1 1/2 c seedless grapes of any variety
cooking spray
2 T chopped fresh mint leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Combine all ingredients for marinated chicken, except the chicken, in a bowl, and whisk until combined. Add the chicken and marinate for about 20 min. If making skewers, soak in water while marinating chicken.

If making skewers: Thread 4 pieces of chicken and 4 grapes onto each skewer, alternating them. Spray a grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-heat, or heat an outdoor grill. Grill the chicken until cooked through. Sprinkle with mint and serve with lemon wedges.

We only used the marinade part, as grapes and chicken just sounded off to us. I also ended up pan-frying the chicken due to time limitations. I used some rather largish chicken breasts, and left them whole. The overall verdict was this marinade was really good, and 20 minutes of marinating time fit our schedules just about perfectly. I think I'll make this again, as it was a bit different than some of the other marinades I used, and with the Penzey's spices had a great flavor.

An Idea Involving Radishes

Last Sunday Linda, her gentleman friend Bruce, and I made an appearance at the Woodbury Farmer's Market near Central Park. I bought some green onions and radishes and Bruce mentioned that scrambled eggs were good with radishes.

Radishes?

He said to slice them up and add them to the scrambled eggs just before taking them off the heat. There were still a few radishes left this evening, so I scrambled up some eggs with the last of the green onions, and added sliced radish just as I took them off the stove.

It was delicious! Thanks to Bruce for the idea!

Jennifer's Week Twenty-Five Recipe: Pasta with Tomato and Peas

Yes, I am a week behind currently. Such things happen.

One thing I have been trying to do thanks to this blog is make dinner when I get home from work. Too often we take the easy route of just picking something up for dinner. If I can find quick recipes, why not make them? Would an extra 20-30 minutes on my feet really kill me? No. This recipe comes from foodnetwork.com and Giada de Laurentiis.


Pasta with Tomato and Peas

• 1 pound linguine
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup grated Romano

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, carrots, salt, and pepper. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water. Stir to melt the tomato paste and create a sauce, adding more pasta water if necessary. Stir in the oregano, thyme, and parsley. Gently fold in the cooked pasta, peas, and the cheeses, adding more reserved pasta water if necessary. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

Would I make this again? Yep. The carnivores ate it! And liked it! Erik made a sandwich out of it. Whatever gets him to eat it. Chad did gripe a little about the peas, but he doesn't like them. I just told him to deal with them. He liked the sauce, but I think next time I will be a little more generous with the tomato paste. Overall a success!

Chris's Week Twenty-Six Recipe: Tangy Slow Cooker Country-Style Ribs

In the spirit of culinary adventure, Erica came to dinner last night. Oh, we may have watched a couple episodes of Doctor Who as well.... I've never tried ribs in the slow cooker, so when I saw this recipe I made a few minor changes and served it up with brown basmati rice and green beans.

Tangy Slow Cooker Country-Style Ribs

1 large onion, sliced

2 lb boneless country style pork loin ribs

1 c hot water

1/4 c sugar

3 T red wine vinegar

2 T soy sauce

1 T tomato paste (recipe calls for ketchup, but I don't have any!)

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t salt

1/2 t garlic powder

Arrange the onion slices in the bottom of the slow cooker. Put the ribs on top. Mix together the rest of the ingredients and pour over the ribs. Cover and cook while you're at work (6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high).

Would I make this recipe again? Yes, I think so. It was a bit sweet for my tastes, so I'd cut or eliminate the sugar. The recipe also called for a dash of Tabasco, but I didn't see what that would for the taste in that volume of food. Leaving out the pepper and adding 1 t of Penzey's Black & Red might be more like it.

Tricia's Week 24 recipe: Brandy Slush

A recipe blog wouldn't be complete without a beverage concoction!  Mine happens to be alcoholic, so those of you less than 21 - please make without the brandy - I'm sure it's just as tasty!

Brandy Slush
Boil 5 cups water and add 3 green tea bags and 2 cinnamon tea bags.  Brew 5-10 minutes, discard bags.
Add 1 12 oz frozen lemonade concentrate, one 16 oz frozen orange juice concentrate, one cup sugar, and 2.5-3 cups brandy.  Freeze.  I make mine in a large ice cream bucket.

Once frozen, fill cup 1/3 to 2/3 full , and add sprite/seven up/ginger ale/tonic (diet of any of these) until cup is full.

Enjoy in moderation, and do not drive while under the influence of brandy slush!  (Yes, I am an industrial hygienist)

Will I make this again?  You bet!  I will be enjoying these delicious drinks all summer long!

Chris's Week Twenty-Five Recipe: Lentil Soup

Part 1 of this culinary encounter....

"What is ze page that Madame is reading so intently?"

"It's a recipe for lentil soup that I plan to make for dinner."

"How charming! How provincial! How.... Madame is not planning to use expensive, imported French lentilles vertes in SOUP?"

"Madame certainly is."

"But that is so bourgeoisie!"

"A moment ago it was 'charming' and 'provincial'."

"There are so many more sophisticated dishes Madame could be making! Lentil souffle, lentil Bolognese, lentil-encrusted escargot...."

And thus, the lovely green lentils that Sue brought back for me from Paris (they didn't really appear one stormy evening in my kitchen) achieve their first incarnation in:

Lentil Soup

1 c French green lentils

2 c chopped vegetables

- I used about 1/2 c each of onion, carrot, frozen (French) green beans, and frozen peas

4 c vegetable broth

- I used 4 c water and 2 cubes Rapunzel vegetable bouillon w/ sea salt & herbs

Put all the ingredients together in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 20-30 min at a slow boil or until the ingredients are tender.

NB: The lentils really absorbed the water, so before putting the leftovers into the fridge, I made up another 2 c of vegetable bouillon and added it to the pot.

Would I make this recipe again? Mais oui! Honestly, this simple recipe was some of the best soup I've ever made.

Chris's Week Twenty-Four Recipe: Chocolate Sour Cream Cookies

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there! My own dear father chose the following menu for Father's Day: pizza and Mom's chocolate cookies. The pizza came from Papa Murphy's and I made the cookies. Specifically, the cookies Dad requested are an iced chocolate sour cream cookie from mother's late-50s era Betty Crocker cookbook that Mom has made for years. They're a special favorite with all the men in my family.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cookies

Mix:

1/2 c shortening (I used butter, Mom usually uses margarine)

1 c brown sugar

1 c sugar

2 eggs

2 squares melted unsweetened chocolate*

Mix in:

1 c sour cream (or evaporated milk)

1 t vanilla

Add:

2-3/4 c flour

1/2 t soda

1/2 t salt (the original recipe calls for 1 t, but I cut it in half)

Chill dough. Drop by teaspoonsful onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 10 min at 375F

* I used semi-sweet chocolate squares because I wasn't paying attention! The cookies turned out fine, but were lighter in color than they would have been with unsweetened chocolate!

Icing

Please note that powdered sugar icing is an art, not a science. Mix together about

1 c powdered sugar

1/2 t vanilla

3 T cocoa (I used Penzey's Dutch cocoa... yum!)

Add milk very cautiously until you get a really 'stiff' icing. Ice the cookies when they're completely cool.

Would I make this recipe again? Let's put it this way... now that my mother knows I can make these cookies, I bet I'm the family's new designated chocolate cookie baker!

Update: Rhubarb Coffee Cake

I was up in Duluth last weekend to visit Linda and she very kindly made a pan of the rhubarb coffee cake recipe that she sent in some time ago. It reminded me very strongly of fruit cake because there was just enough batter to hold the rhubarb and pecans together.

Lest anyone think I'm kidding about Linda and her use of nutmeg, here is a short sample of the conversation from making the coffee cake.

Linda: Do you think I ought to put in some nutmeg.

Me (laughing): Sure!

Linda: How much?

Me: Maybe....

Linda dumps the rest of the container of nutmeg into the batter.

Linda: Never mind!

Linda swears there was only about a quarter of a teaspoon nutmeg left in that particular container. I'm not so sure....

Jennifer's Week Twenty-Four Recipe: Good Eats Meatloaf

So, last week Friday I spent the night at Chez Velander (along with Katie) to assist Erin with her small ones. (At one point, I was carrying both children up the stairs: Amber is too young to get much out of it but Lily thought it was great fun!) Erin made this meatloaf for dinner and I thought it was tasty and I live with carnivores. (A loaf? Made of meat?! Perfect!) It also has a slightly spicy/Mexican flavor to it and I thought I would test our theory that Erik loves Mexican food. Yes, it is yet another Alton Brown recipe and I promise I will get a recipe from someone/somewhere else next week!


Good Eats Meatloaf

6oz garlic-flavored croutons (At Super Target, all brands of croutons come in 5 oz bags!)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried thyme (Penzeys FTW!)

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

1 carrot, peeled and broken (or use baby carrots like Erin and I)

3 whole garlic cloves

1/2 red bell pepper

18 oz ground chuck

18 oz ground sirloin

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 egg


For the glaze:

1/2 cup catsup/ketchup

1 tsp ground cumin (Am I the only one that thinks cumin smells like body odor?)

Dash Worcestershire sauce (I know I used more than a dash)

Dash hot pepper sauce, i.e. Tabasco (see above)

1 Tbs honey

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a food processor bowl, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Place this mixture into a large bowl. Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Combine the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin, and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture. Season the meat mixture with the kosher salt. Add the egg and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.

Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf. Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.

Combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey. Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.

This was a HUGE hit with Erik. "Mommy you need to make this for dinner EVERY night!" Really, what better praise is there. Thanks Erin!

A Culinary Encounter

The scene: Chris's kitchen on a stormy night

"Bon jour, madame!"

"What? Who? Who... who said that?"

"It is us, cher madame. Here, on ze cheap linoleum."

"That is not cheap... well, ok, it's not expensive linoleum, but it's not cheap! What's this bag of lentilles vertes doing here?"

"We have come all ze way from France to your aid, madame!"

"Why do I need a bag of French peas?"

"We are not ze peas! Peas are chubby and round, much like madame. We are sleek and nutritious."

"I don't suppose you sing silly songs, either."

"Clearly madame has been watching too much 'Veggie Tales'. No, in our far-away home we have heard of the ze great Chana Dal Disaster and have rushed to be at your side. Together, we shall achieve heights of culinary magnificence as never seen before!"

... to be continued.

Karin's Week Twenty-Four Recipe: Creamy Pasta with Chard and Tomatoes

This past Saturday, we once again ventured out to our local Farmer's Market. One of my goals this summer is to eat more veggies of types that I am not used to. This week the Swiss Chard looked very tasty and colorful, along with some of the early-ripening tomatoes - chard is not on my usual veggies list, tomatoes are.  Once we got home, I needed to find something to do with the Swiss Chard. Lucky for me, this recipe used ingredients that were on hand, and fresh. Once again, Joy of Cooking comes up with a recipe for a random ingredient.

Creamy Pasta with Chard and Tomatoes

1 T olive oil (a bit more if your pan is nonstick)
1/4 c chopped onion (I used shallots, about 1/2 c, as they needed to be used up)
2 cloves garlic, minced (we ended up using twice this, as we like garlic)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 cup chopped drained canned tomatoes
1 lb chard, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch strips (including green leaves)
3/ 4 c heavy cream
Black pepper to taste

Cooked fettuccine or egg noodles in amount you need to feed a family.

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over med-high heat. Add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring occasionally until soft & golden, about 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes (which I did not peel only chopped, as who has time to peel tomatoes?) and cook stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 5 min. Add the chard and cook while stirring until chard has wilted, about 2 min. Add the cream and black pepper, then cook for 2 min or until bubbly. Remove from heat and serve over pasta.

This took less time to make than I thought it would. Once everything was chopped, it went together in the time it took to boil the water for the pasta. I was worried that this would have the texture of cooked spinach, which I abhor, but the chard ribs stayed crunchy in the sauce. Flavor-wise, the sauce was nice and light, but both Nate and I agreed we would add more red pepper next time, as you really couldn't taste it. This was a tasty recipe that got a thumbs-up and I will probably make it again if I need a quick pasta dish.

Tricia's Week 23 Recipe: Rhubarb Crisp

I love rhubarb.  It is deliciously tart, and scrumptious.  So, I decided to make a crisp out of it, which I've never done before.  I searched high and low for a recipe, and decided to modify my Aunt Joan's Door County Cherry Crisp recipe, which I love.


Rhubarb Crisp

Cut together with two forks or pastry cutter thing (I do not recall the name of this wonderful tool):
1 stick butter
1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup brown sugar

Cut up 6 cups rhubarb, macerate in 1/2 cup granulated white sugar for 30 minutes to an hour. 

Reserve some of the above crisp for topping, and make a crust for your pan. You can use a 9X9 or 8X8 or 13X9 depending on how thick you want your crisp.  I used a 13x9 pan.  Grease pan and place layer of crips on bottom.  Pour in rhubarb and place remainder of crisp on top.  Bake at 350 until done. 

I would definitely make the recipe again, but I think I would 1.5 the crisp with that much rhubarb, and use a metal pan rather than a glass pan.  Still, it's a yummy recipe to experiment with!

Karin's Week Twenty-Three Recipe: Chicken Curry

After reading Jenni's post last week about the Curried Chicken Pot Pie, I got the idea of making curry stuck in my head. Again with the rather quick lunch at my house, I looked through my Thai and my Indian cookbooks for something for which I had the ingredients. I had no coconut milk, so that cut out most of the Thai curries. This one I found in my Indian cookbook, Six Spices: A simple concept of Indian cooking, and it didn't call for coconut milk. Also, this cookbook has been a fun one to read, as the author is local to my area, and really seems to have made complicated recipes simple. There are lots of ingredients, but it goes together in less time than needed to cook the rice. Just make sure you have things lined up on the counter before you turn on the heat.

Chicken Curry (Rase wali Murgi)

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lb skinned chicken parts (we used breast meat)
• 2 1/2 tsp salt, divided (I omitted this)
• 6 T cooking oil, divided (olive oil worked fine)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 tsp garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped (I used Penzey's ground, about 1.5 tsp)
• 1 tsp cumin, roasted and ground (again Penzey's)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder (I used Penzey's Medium)
• 1/4 c water, divided
• 1/2 lb fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 2 T fresh cilantro, chopped (again with the Penzey's)
• 6 T plain yogurt (this I didn't have, but had Vanilla flavor, so used that)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Wash chicken pieces and dry. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp of salt and set aside.
2. In nonstick frying pan, heat 2 T of oil on high heat. When hot, add chicken and fry for 3-4 min, turning once. Transfer to a plate. (Chicken will be fully cooked later in recipe.)
3. Add remaining 4 T of oil to the pan. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until onions are soft and golden brown. (I added my ginger with the other dry spices instead.)
4. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cumin, turmeric, coriander, red chili powder, and 2 T of the water. Cook for 1-2 min, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes, 1 T of cilantro, yogurt, and remaining salt.
5. Increase heat to medium, add chicken pieces with juices from plate. Pour in remaining water. Bring to a boil, turning chicken in sauce to evenly coat.
6. Sprinkle curry with garam masala. Reduce heat to low. Cover and let curry simmer for about 20 min or until chicken is tender.
7. Add lemon juice and remaining cilantro. Simmer another 5 min.
8. Serve hot over rice.

Note: All spices used came from Penzey's, of course. They had the garam masala in the catalog, and I liked the story so much, that I bought it when I bought this cookbook, as then I didn't have to mix it myself.

This curry was simple to make, and the vanilla yogurt didn't affect the taste or smell at all. Both of us agreed it was tasty and worth making again, maybe with a slightly different meat. We ate it with brown rice (not my favorite, but Nate's choice), and it wasn't as spicy as you would think looking at the ingredients list. This could be made with root veggies for a vegetarian version, as almost the same ingredients are on the facing page for Mixed-Vegetables Curry. It does make a lot, and tastes great as left-overs.

Chris's EXTRA BONUS Week Twenty-Three Recipe: Summer Rice Salad

The latest issue of Penzey's catalog has a really good-looking recipe for Basmati Rice and Chicken Salad. I made my own variation this week, but I'll include the original recipe for those who have to feed their local carnivores!

NB: I used sun-dried tomatoes which I reconstituted by simmering a bit on the back of the stove. Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil would be tasty, too. Just be sure to drain off most of the oil.

Summer Rice Salad

Salad:

1 c uncooked brown rice

3/4 t minced garlic

1/2 c thinly sliced green onions

1/4 c sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 t Penzey's lemon peel (reconstituted)

1-15 oz can garbanzo beans

1-14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped

Dressing

1/4 c water

3 T lemon juice

3 T olive oil

1 t Dijon mustard

1/2 t salt

1/2 t ground pepper

1/2 t oregano

Cook the rice with the garlic. Set aside and let cool. Mix all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Mix up the dressing (I put it into a canning jar and shake!) and drizzle over the salad.

Would I make this recipe again? Yes, and I would probably put in twice as many sun-dried tomatoes and some red or yellow peppers, too! I only used about 2/3 of the dressing, but if you had chicken in the recipe, you'd probably use it all.

Basmati Rice and Chicken Salad

Salad:

1 c uncooked white or brown basmati rice

3/4 t minced garlic

2-3 c cooked chicken, chopped

1/2 c thinly sliced green onions

1/4 c sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 t Penzey's lemon peel (reconstituted)

1-16 oz can garbanzo beans

1-8 oz can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped

Dressing

1/4 c chicken broth

3 T lemon juice

3 T olive oil

1 t Dijon mustard

1/2 t salt

1/2 t ground pepper

1/2 t oregano

Cook the rice with the garlic. Set aside and let cool. Mix all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Mix up the dressing (I put it into a canning jar and shake!) and drizzle over the salad.

Chris's BONUS Week Twenty-Three Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Pie

As indicated in my previous post, we have a birthday club in the library and it was my turn to make treats for Carol who requested 'strawberries'. I found this recipe and used it almost verbatim:

Fresh Strawberry Pie

1 cup plus 3 pints fresh strawberries, divided

1 pastry shell

2/3 c sugar

1/2 c water

2 T cornstarch

2 T cold water

Mash 1 cup of the strawberries and arrange the rest in the pie shell. Bring the water and sugar to a boil. Mix up the cornstarch and cold water (I put them into a small sealed container and shake!) and slowly whisk into the sugar-water. Stir in the mashed strawberries. Cook & stir for another two minutes or until thickened. Pour the mixture over the strawberries in the pastry shell. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Would I make this recipe again? Yep! I think most strawberry pies are overly-sweet, but this wasn't bad. And it did taste very fresh!

Update #2: Olive Oil Cake

I made another olive oil cake last night. It was my turn to bring birthday treats and Carol, the birthday librarian, had requested strawberry pie. I knew of at least one person in the group who was allergic to berries, so I thought this was a good opportunity to try the whole spelt flour I'd picked up earlier in the week at Mississippi Market in St. Paul. The texture was good, but not as moist as with the white spelt flour. Jury's still out on the best flour to use. I guess I'll have to replicate!

This cake had 1 t of Penzey's lemon peel in it and I do not think I'll be doing that again. The taste was good, but the texture of the little lemon chunks was too recognizable for this recipe.