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.

Jennifer's Week Twenty-Three Recipe: Enchilada Lasagna

While I was going through Alton Brown recipes for last week's entry, I ran across this one and made the mistake of saying aloud, "'Enchilada Lasagna'?" to which Chad replied with "Make it!" So, I did.


Enchilada Lasagna


For Sauce:

2 dried chipotle chiles, stems and seeds removed, diced

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds, freshly ground (I used already ground cumin.)

2 cups chicken broth (I used a low sodium variety)

3 cups tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper


For Filling:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed

1 1/2 cups onion, diced

Pinch kosher salt

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

12 (6 inch) corn torillas (I may have used 1 or 2 more than this - I didn't count them out)

3 cups shredded queso fresco* or Monterey Jack cheese

Nonstick cooking spray

Combine the chiles, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the chiles are soft. Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken until cooked through, approximately 7 to 9 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and place in a medium bowl. Add the onions to the same pan along with a generous pinch of salt, decrease the heat to medium-low and sweat for 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and cook until the onions are tender, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the chicken back to the pan and remove from the heat.

Spray a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Place 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of the dish. Dip 4 tortillas into the remaining sauce and lay them into the bottom of the dish. Cut 1 of the tortillas in half to evenly cover the bottom of the dish. Top this with half of the chicken mixture and 1 cup of the cheese. Starting with 4 more tortillas, repeat the layers, ending with the last 4 tortillas on top. Pour remaining sauce over the dish and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese on top is bubbly.

* it should be noted that fresh queso fresco (redundant?) does not shred, it crumbles.


Would I make it again? Erik's reaction: "Mommy, this is awesome!" So, yes. Chad and I have come to the conclusion that Erik really likes Mexican/Tex-Mex food. He seems to always eat it with mucho gusto.

Karin's Bonus Week Twenty-Two Recipe: Blueberry Pie

Fresh blueberries were on sale this last week at the grocery store, and I haven't had the fresh kind in a very long time. After asking Nate what type of dessert he'd like, pie was the winner. I used my trusty Betty Crocker 40th Anniversary Edition Cookbook as I wanted to try and make a fruit pie not using my standard tapioca method.

Blueberry Pie

Pastry for 9-inch Two Crust Pie
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I used Penzey's, of course)
6 c of fresh blueberries, or so
1 T lemon juice
1 T butter, cut into small pieces

Heat oven to 425 deg. Prepare pastry and line bottom of pie plate (I used a Pyrex pie plate). Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon in large bowl. Stir in blueberries. Turn into pastry-lined pie plate. Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter. Cover with top crust and slit to let steam and juices escape; seal and flute edge. Cover edge with strip of foil, or pie crust cover. Remove during last 15 min of baking to allow edge to brown.  Bake 35-45 min or until crust in brown and pie is bubbly.

This tasted wonderful. I forget how nice fresh fruit tastes compared to frozen until spring/summer comes around again. The blueberries stayed nice and plump and didn't get mushy. The only issue was with the dry ingredients. When turning the blueberry mixture into the pie crust, the flour/sugar mixture ended up dumping in all in one spot, and although I tried to spread it out a bit, we ended up with clumps of cooked 'crust' in the middle of the pie. Next time I would maybe try and sift the berries out and then pour the dry mixture evenly over the crust.

Karin's Week Twenty-Two Recipe: Sesame Green Bean Salad

As often happens, I find out late in the evening that Nate has been assigned a dish to pass at the weekly work potluck. Usually these things are not decided until rather late in his shift, at which point all groceries are closed. He got assigned 'salad' this time around, and for some reason I recalled a green bean salad with sesame seeds on it that I have had at some point long ago. After some searching on Allrecipes.com. I found a few sesame green bean salad dishes that could be combined to make what I was looking for, and took only 20 minutes to make.

Sesame Green Bean Salad

1 lb fresh green bean, washed and trimmed
1 T soy sauce (I used reduced sodium variety)
2 T olive oil
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
2 T white sesame seeds

Fill a large pot halfway with water, and bring to a boil. Whilst waiting for the water to boil, and to avoid the watched pot syndrome, make the dressing. Whisk together all other ingredients except the sesame seeds in a small bowl. Place the green beans in the boiling water and blanch for about 3-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a small pan on medium heat. Place the sesame seeds in the pan, and shaking every minute or so, toast seeds until nutty brown.

Remove green beans from heat, and drain. Wash with cold water to stop cooking process, and to chill slightly.

Place green beans in large serving bowl, or Tupperware bowl (if sending off to work), and drizzle with dressing. Toss until coated. Sprinkle with 1/2 of sesame seeds, toss. Sprinkle with remaining seeds, toss again. Chill in refrigerator until serving time. Toss again right before serving, or if using Tupperware, shake with top on (and sealed!) to coat again with dressing.

Votes on this from the Men-in-Tan were positive. Even with this dish containing all veggies and no mayo. I liked it, and the leftovers kept well for my lunch the next day. The dressing does make quite a bit, and I would venture to guess I could use the same amount of dressing with twice as many green beans, and half as many sesame seeds.

Chris's Week Twenty-Three Recipe: Green Beans with Mint

It's good to have a summertime goal and my goal is to NOT let the peppermint I planted this spring take over my deck. Oh, yes... it's in a pot by itself well away from other planters, but you know what mint is like: turn your back for a moment and there's mint everywhere!

To this end, I've been looking at recipes that combine green beans and mint. Not seeing any exactly to my taste, I came up with the following.

Green Beans with Mint

Sautee together:

1 T olive oil

1/4 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, roughly minced

Just when the onions and garlic are getting tender, add:

2 springs of mint, chopped - I just used a pair of kitchen shears to chiffonade the mint directly into the pan.

Saute for a another minute or so. Add mixture to:

2 c green beans cooked to your favorite level of tenderness (I like mine slightly crunchy)

Serve hot.

Would I make this recipe again? Yes! The mint adds a hint of sweetness to the veg. If you're not a genus allium fan, try adding the onion mixture to 4 c green beans.

Jennifer's Week Twenty-Two BONUS Recipe: No Crust Coconut Pie

So, the other day I ventured to Penzeys to stock up on rosemary and parsley. I decided that instead of just dashing in, grabbing what I need, and leaving (which is how I normally shop) that I would browse and see if they had anything else I would like to have in my kitchen. No other spices or anything like that, but I spied a recipe for No Crust Coconut Pie and was intrigued. So I ripped off one of the little sheets of paper and stuffed in my pocket before checking out and going home. I had originally planned on making it as dessert to consume after the Curry Chicken Pot Pie, but I couldn't find the little piece of paper! Stupid Jennifer forgot that when she got home that she changed shorts and the recipe was still happily tucked away in the pocket. So, this afternoon, I took a shower and donned the shorts from my Penzeys trip, put my hands in my pockets et voila! there was the recipe! So I made it today instead.



No Crust Coconut Pie

1 stick butter (1/2 cup) melted (I used unsalted butter)

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup flour

2 cups milk

3 cups shredded coconut


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a roomy bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Pour into an ungreased 9-inch pie plate and bake at 350 until browned, about 35-45 minutes. Do not put in a pie crust - this dessert makes its own. Let cool before slicing, and run a thin knife around the rim of the pie plate before cutting.


I also whipped up a meringue for the top. It just felt needed for some reason.

Would I make it again? If some event called for a coconut pie, yes. I'm a person who loves the flavor of coconut, but sometimes the texture can be bothersome. I will eat this pie again. The meringue addition could really go either way, it really didn't make a huge difference to the pie as far as I was concerned.


I really feel that it should be noted that the contributors of this recipe for Penzeys are apparently named Edna and Bud Wiser.

Jennifer's Week Twenty-Two Recipe: Curry Chicken Pot Pie

So, after posting last week's recipe from Rachael Ray and lamenting that it was not an Alton Brown recipe, I figured that this week I would make a recipe from AB! So, I did! This is from the Good Eats episode "Casserole Over".


Curry Chicken Pot Pie

4 cups frozen vegetable mix (I used peas and carrots)

1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth/stock

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 tablespoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 package puff pastry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss frozen vegetables with canola oil and spread evenly onto a sheet pan. Place into oven and cook until golden brown.

In a saute pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter and sweat the onion and celery. In another saucepan, heat the broth and milk. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the celery mix and cook out the water. Add the flour and curry and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk mixture and cook until thickened. Add the parsley, salt and pepper. Toss the browned vegetables and the chicken. Pour into a shallow baking pan, or a large terra cotta pot base, lined with foil, and top with 6 to 8 circles of puff pastry. Place into the oven and cook until puff pastry has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Would I make this again? Yes, I would! However, it seems that we have come to the conclusion in the Wagner Household that Chad just does not like curry. (I know, I know...) He blames it on the fact that growing up he ate mostly 3 different meals: spaghetti, burgers and Hamburger Helper. Erik will not have a similar problem - he likes curry! And I refuse to make Hamburger Helper.

Update: Olive Oil Cake

Purely in the interest of culinary research, I made another Olive Oil Cake, this time making it (nearly) true to the original recipe from Good to the Grain and using chopped rosemary and bittersweet chocolate. (I did drop the chocolate from 5 to 3 oz, feeling that there really can be too much of a good thing.)

Tricia was kind enough to help me evaluate the cake and pronounced it "good". I don't know.... I almost think the whole wheat flour gave it a little more texture than the spelt flour. Clearly this means I'll have to make another batch to compare.

Jennifer's Week Twenty-One Recipe: Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers

It has been well established here that I live with two carnivores. Beef loving carnivores. Now, while I enjoy beef too, we really have a love/hate relationship: I love to eat it, but my body hates it. So I have been trying to find news ways of taking things that usually involve beef (like burgers) and finding alternatives. Hence, this recipe from Food Network. (Rachael Ray, not Alton Brown unfortunately)


Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers

2 tsp vegetable or olive oil

4 slices Canadian bacon (Note: these should be thick, otherwise double or triple up)

2 pounds ground chicken (2 pounds for 4 burgers... did not do the math until I started making them)

2 tsp sweet paprika

2 tsp poultry seasoning (I halved this after reading some reviews of the recipe)

2 tsp grill seasoning blend (Montreal Steak Seasoning recommended)

1 shallot, finely chopped

4 deli slices of Swiss cheese

2/3 cup mayonnaise

3 rounded Tbs Dijon mustard

2 Tbs freshly chopped taragon

4 kaiser rolls

8 leaves leaf lettuce

1 tomato, sliced

Preheat grill pan, nonstick griddle, large nonstick skillet or table top electric grill to medium high heat.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil and Canadian bacon. Warm bacon and caramelize it at edges, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a piece of foil. Fold foil over loosely to keep warm.

Combine chicken, paprika, poultry seasoning, grill seasoning, shallot. Score meat with the side of your hand to separate into 4 equal amounts. Make 4 large patties, 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Drizzle patties with oil and place on hot grill pan, griddle or in skillet. Cook 5 minutes on each side, until chicken is cooked through.

Top patties with reserved cooked Canadian bacon and Swiss cheese. Fold each slice of cheese in half to fit the burger. Cover loosely with tin foil. Turn off pan and let cheese melt, 2 minutes.

Combine mayonnaise, mustard, tarragon. Slather bun tops or English tops with sauce. Place Cordon Bleu burgers on bun bottoms and top with lettuce and tomato. Put bun or muffin tops in place. Serve with oven fries.

Would I make this again? Probably, but the burgers will be a much more reasonable size next time!

Chris's Week Twenty-Two Recipe: Mediterranean Bean Salad

Summertime dishes are calling to me! I distinctly heard three-bean salad whispering my name last weekend, but I had no green beans or wax beans. Are we going to let a little thing like that stop us? No! Besides, this is the opportunity for a new blog recipe....

The following mixture is based very loosely on this recipe and would have had benefited from fresh parsley, but since my parsley's in the growing-up stage I used Penzey's Mural of Flavor spice blend. I'll add the parsley next time, but I'll definitely keep the Mural of Flavor!

Mediterranean Bean Salad

1-15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed

1-15 oz can kidney beans, drained & rinsed

juice of one lemon

2 tomatoes - chopped

1/4 cup thinly sliced onion

1 t Penzey's Mural of Flavor

2 T balsamic vinegar

Mix all ingredients, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, stirring occasionally. (Wait until the next day and it's even better!)

Would I make this recipe again? I have a feeling it's going to become a summertime staple!

Tricia's week 22 recipe: Spicy Tuna quesadillas

No, I do not mean the spicy tuna that you can find in a sushi roll that is most delicious, this is the kind that comes from a can and has spices added to it.  Sad, I know...  However, this recipe is what happens when I look at the cupboards, which I find quite bare, and say to self, "what do you want for lunch", when I am the only one home.

Spicy Tuna Quesadillas
1 can tuna in water
enough mayo to hold tuna together
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon Essence (see what happens when you make a spice mix and have a LOT of it!)

Mix the above together in a bowl until happy w/ mix and add:
2 stalks celery, cleaned and chopped

Then:
two softshell tortillas, I used Cruz Soft Taco Size.

place one on plate and spoon above mix onto it, leaving enough room around the edges so that you don't make a mess in frying pan...add to top of this mixture:

enough Essence seasoning to color the top
Penzey's Red Pepper flakes, as much as you like to achieve your spice level
1 handful shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 handful shredded mozerella cheese
second tortilla

Tips for cooking quesadilla:
use pan bigger than tortilla, and plate that fits in pan, so you can place plate on top, flip over, and slide back into pan when flipping (less mess)
use non-fat vegetable cooking oil, like Pam, rather than butter

spray large frying pan w/ cooking oil.  Place quesadilla in pan on mediaum heat.  cook 3-4 minutes or until warm but not fully browned.  Flip.  Cook on other side 5-8 minutes or until browned.  Flip one last time to original side.  Brown up original side (you may wish to use a larger pot lid to cover to keep all warm.  Remove to plate, cut into fourths or sixths, and devour!

would I make this agian?  Yes!  The recipe is quite tasty, a variation on tuna salad and quesadillas I have never tried before.  The spices were very good in it, so much that I didn't need sour cream or salsa with it.  I devoured the whole thing...which looking back is quite a lot of food and now I'm very full! 

Karin's Week Twenty-One Recipe: Cajun Chicken

This week ended up being a busy week with both of us working for a number days. I needed a recipe that was quick and tasty. We haven't had chicken in a while, so this fit the bill. It's a combination of a few recipes from my appropriately titled, Busy Woman's Cookbook, where everything seems to have less than 5 ingredients.

Cajun Chicken

2-4 chicken breasts, or enough parts to feed 2-4 people
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 T Penzey's Cajun Seasoning
black pepper, to taste
1 egg, slightly beaten

Bring the chicken to room temperature, while you mix the Cajun Seasoning and pepper with the bread crumbs in a medium flat-bottom bowl. Beat the egg in another small bowl. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray(I used a 9x13 pyrex). Set up an assembly line with items in the following order: chicken, crumb mixture, egg, baking dish. Using one piece of chicken at a time, roll in crumb mixture, then in egg, and again in crumb mixture. Place gently in baking dish so that breading does not fall off.

Bake for 20-30 min in 400 deg oven until chicken is done.

Would I make this again, probably, although possibly with more Cajun seasoning depending on who is eating it. I liked the current amount, while Nate thought there could be more. Double-dipping the pieces makes a nice crust on the chicken that stayed on even through baking.

Tricia's Week 21 Recipe: Rhubarb Bread

Three years ago I planted a rhubarb plant.  It was a nice plant, but a bit small - brand new to the world.  Three years later, it has broad leaves and thick stems.  It was time to harvest it to make something delectible.  So, out of (many) stalks of my rhubarb plant, the initial harvest of the plant, came this weeks recipe.

Rhubarb Bread

Ingredients:

1.5 C brown sugar

2/3 C veg. oil

1 egg

1 C sour milk ***I read this wrong and used one cup sour cream....see below

1 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

1 tsp vanilla

2.5 C flour

1.5 C Rhubarb Diced

Stir together in the order given, pour into loaf pans, 2 smaller or 1 large (I used 2 smaller, and think this is a better choice)

Topping:
1/2 C sugar
1 Tbs butter

mix will  (cut sugar into butter) and put on top of batter

Bake 350 for 55 min or until set.

Would I make this again?  YES!  Suprisingly, or maybe not, the sour cream was a good substitution for the sour milk.  The bread turned out moist and well set, and I think I'll try that w/ another recipe, like banana bread!    Perhaps it is the lovely sugar crumble on top, but whoa, this is a tasty treat!

Karin's Week Twenty Recipe: Shrimp & Peppers Pasta

I have been greatly remiss in posting my last few weeks of recipes, so you're getting them all in a bunch. I'm going to try and be better in the coming weeks.

This recipe is one I pretty much made up for a light quick lunch on a workday. The ingredients are simple, and to make it only takes the time needed for pasta to cook al dente. I have since made a slightly different version again, with great success.

Shrimp & Peppers Pasta

1/2 box rotini pasta
1 lb raw frozen shrimp, thawed and peeled
2 bell peppers, not green (I used 1 orange and 1 red)
1 medium size sweet onion
2-3 T olive oil
1 T chopped garlic
Shredded Asagio cheese, for sprinkling
Black pepper to taste

Place water for pasta on to boil. Meanwhile, peel shrimp and chop peppers & onion into bite-size chunks. Heat 1 T of olive oil in non-stick pan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for about 2 min. Add onion and peppers and saute for a few more minutes. At this point, you may need to add a bit more olive oil to the pan to keep things from sticking. Place pasta into boiling water, and place shrimp into pepper/onion mixture. Cook until shrimp are pink. Drain pasta and return to shrimp/pepper mixture. Toss to combine. Serve with shredded cheese and black pepper sprinkled on top.

Would I make this again? Yep, already have. It is nice and light, yet filling enough for my carnivore. It also tastes great cold, or reheated. It helps greatly if the peppers are nice and ripe and sweet. I didn't cook things until they were mush, rather let them sweat a bit to give up some juices and keep their crunch.

Karin's Week Nineteen Recipe: Ramps 'n' Taters

Last year we had discovered ramps at our local Farmer's Market, and loved the way they tasted. What are ramps, you ask? They are sort of like a combination of leeks and green onions.  They can be called Wild Leeks, and are only available in the early spring. This year, we saw them again, and I decided to look for a recipe to use them with. I found several, but this seemed the easiest and I had all ingredients on hand.

Ramps 'n' Taters

4 or 5 large potatoes, diced
1 lb bacon
1.5 lb ramps, cleaned and cut up (we used about 13, and only the white bits)
6 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper

Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside. Fry diced potatoes in bacon grease for 3-4 minutes, then add ramps, and cook until potatoes are done. Add eggs and scramble with potato mixture. Place bacon on top, and simmer for 2 minutes until heated through.

This was excellent. And easy. And tasty. Although, we did take out about 1/2 the bacon fat before putting the eggs in, as otherwise I think we'd have had bacon grease soup. And we crumbled the bacon into the pan at the end. We had this for a weekend breakfast, and would definitely make it again. It also reheats well in the microwave, if you can't finish it all in one sitting. There was also discussion that this would make a great camping breakfast, using green onions instead of the ramps. I think the camping version may be trialled later this summer...

Karin's Week Eighteen Recipe: Oatmeal-Walnut Cookies

I had an urge to make cookies, now that my kitchen is fully functional once again. And, I figure if I don't like the way that they turn out, I can always send them to work with Nate. I also am a big fan of finding recipes for things that I have already on hand, rather than having to go out and buy them. This recipe came from a baking cookbook I have called, The Road to Blue Ribbon Baking with Marjorie, by Marjorie Johnson.

Oatmeal Walnut Cookies

1 c butter
1 c brown sugar, fimrly packed
1 c granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 c quick-cooking oatmeal (I just used plain oatmeal)
1 c chopped walnuts

In a large electric mixing bowl, place butter, sugars, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until creamy. Sift flour, soda and salt together, and add on low speed to butter mixture. Add oatmeal and walnuts and combine well. Refrigerate dough for about 1/2 hour. Form into balls the size of walnuts. Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

These cookies were very tasty, and quick to make. The only issue I had was not paying close attention to the recipe - I only used 1 c of flour, rather than the entire amount. I only realized this once the cookies were baked, when I was trying to figure out why they were so flat and crispy. They were still very edible, and when taken to work by Nate disappeared in under 10 minutes. There have been requests for these to show up with him again. Next time I think I'll try using the entire amount of flour and compare the results.

Chris's BONUS Week Twenty-One Recipe: Not a Tame Cookie

For some reason, the phrase "He's not a tame lion" has been rolling through my head today, and when I started tweaking a recipe from my beloved 1950 Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook the name for these cookies was evident.

Not a Tame Cookie

Mix thoroughly:

1/2 c vegetable shortening

1-1/4 c turbinado sugar

2 eggs

6 T dark molasses

Sift together:

1 c whole wheat flour

3/4 c spelt flout

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 t cinnamon

and add to the molasses mixture. Stir in:

2 c rolled oats

1/2 c chopped walnuts

1/2 c raisins (make it a generous 1/2 cup!)

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 400F for about 10 minutes.

Would I make this recipe again? Er... no! It's terrible! You don't want any of these cookies. These are not the droids you're looking for....

Seriously, if I say so myself, these are pretty darned good cookies.

Jennifer's Week Twenty Recipe - Portobello Mushroom Burgers

I am always trying to find ways for my carnivores to enjoy vegetarian meals. It really is hit or miss with them.


Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Ingredients

• 4 portobello mushroom caps
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 (1 ounce) slices provolone cheese

Directions

1. Place the mushroom caps, smooth side up, in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, basil, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour over the mushrooms. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or so, turning twice.
2. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
3. Brush grate with oil. Place mushrooms on the grill, reserving marinade for basting. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until tender. Brush with marinade frequently. Top with cheese during the last 2 minutes of grilling.

Would I make this again? Well, if it were up to only me, yes. I thought they were quite tasty. Chad and Erik did not approve. Sigh. I will have to continue my hunt for Carnivore Friendly Vegetarian Meals. Hmm... sounds like the title of a quirky cookbook.

Jennifer's Week Nineteen Recipe: Irish Soda Bread

I have been a bad blogger and I have neglected to post my last two recipes. Let's remedy that, shall we?


Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 30 to 50 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

Would I make this again? Perhaps. It did turn out a bit dry, but that could have been over-baking or being distracted by my son and not brushing the butter mixture on as often as I should have... or both. Or it could be my oven. I do believe I have mentioned my dislike for that appliance. I would probably give this recipe another go before I look for another one. Next time I will just have to send the boyo outside!

Chris's Week Twenty-One Recipe, aka the Great Chana Dal Disaster

I think I've done pretty well in getting through nearly half this year with a complete culinary meltdown, but today was obviously the day. It all began when I scored some St. Paul Flatbread on sale at Kowalski's. "Hmmm..." quoth I. "I think I have some lentils up on the top shelf of the cupboard. I could make dal!" As it turned out the item in question was not lentils, but chana dal. A little research and I had a new recipe to try. I even had to hunt down a recipe for garam masala since I didn't have any in the spice cupboard.

It was a disaster from start to finish.

The chana dal had obviously been sitting around since the last time the Twins were in the World Series because no matter how long I simmered them, they never got tender. I blackened rather than carmelized the onions and the garam masala mix just wasn't very exciting. I even managed to erase most of this blog entry and am now writing it all over again.

But, I put a fair amount of effort into this meal and the recipe should have worked, so I'm posting it today. Maybe one of my more legume-oriented friends (Hi, Jo!) will give it a try and report back.

Chana Dal

3 c water

1 c chana dal

1/2 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil for sauteeing

1/2 t garam masala

Simmer the chana dal until tender (about 35-45 min... I think). Meanwhile, sautee the onion and garlic in a splash of olive oil until carmelized. Add the garam masala and cook a little longer. Add the onion mixture to the chana dal and serve.

Would I make this recipe again? Not without extensive therapy!

Chris's BONUS Week Twenty Recipe: Olive Oil Cake

Feeling a little guilty about a two-ingredient recipe for this week, I decided to experiment on my parents again when they came over today to help me wash my windows. (This is by way of being an early birthday present, and it is much appreciated!)

And I knew just what I wanted to make: an olive oil cake. Jo and I had a very lovely dinner at Good Earth last night (thanks again for the potholders, Jo!) and decided to try the very intriguing dessert listed on their sampler dinner. But where would I find a recipe. Enter... a new cookbook!

Tricia had recently recommended a cookbook to me called Good to the Grain, Baking with Whole-Grain Flours. That girl understands my cooking predilecations! I bought a copy and have had a good time looking at all the recipes. And lo and behold... there was the recipe I wanted.

The original Olive Oil Cake recipe calls for 1.5 T chopped fresh rosemary and 5 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate. Knowing my parents' taste buds, I opted for lemon zest instead. I also had to substitute whole wheat flour for spelt flour. The recipe calls for baking in a 9.5" fluted tart pan, which I do not possess, so I opted for an 8" square baking pan. (Do the math... the areas of the pans are pretty close.)

Olive Oil Cake

Mix together dry ingredients:

3/4 c whole wheat flour

1.5 c all-purpose flour

3/4 c sugar

1.5 t baking powder

1/2 t kosher salt

Beat together

3 eggs

1 c olive oil

3/4 c milk

1/2 T lemon zest

and fold into the dry mixture until just combined. Pour into an 8" square baking pan greased with olive oil. Bake for 35-50 min or until golden brown on top and start to brown at the edges.

Would I make this recipe again? Count on it, gentle readers! This made a very moist, delicately flavored cake that received high marks from the parents and myself. And yes, they were grateful I had decided against rosemary & bittersweet chocolate. :P

Chris's Week Twenty Recipe: Banana-Yogurt Fruit Salad Dressing

I've been experimenting on my parents a lot this week.... Culinarily! What do you readers think of me?!?

Mom & Dad were over on Sunday for a belated Mother's Day brunch. I served spicy Italian sausage & mushroom quiche, banana-nut muffins, and a fruit salad. Somewhere... and I'm sorry, I don't remember where... I saw a recipe for a yogurt fruit salad dressing made with lemon juice and a ripe banana. I simplified the recipe and wound up making two batches to go over a mix of red grapes, Granny Smith apples, and canteloupe. One batch used strawberry yogurt and the other lemon yogurt. My parents very willingly sampled both to give their feedback to the blog!

Banana-Yogurt Fruit Salad Dressing

1 ripe banana

1/2 cup flavored yogurt

Chunk up the banana and whir the ingredients in your blender until smooth & creamy. Chill and pour over your favorite blend of fruit!

Would I make this recipe again? Yes! Tasty and easy.... Mom & Dad both like the strawberry better, but I thought that the lemon was just as good.

Tricia's Week 20 recipe(s): brought to you by the Morel Mushroom

I have made two 'new' recipes this week.   The first really is new to me, but the technique of breading something I have done before.  The second is not new to me - I made scrambled eggs.  The 'new' part of this week's recipes was the ingredient.

This weekend I went morel mushroom hunting.  My family and I started doing this a few years ago when we learned what they looked like and that they were delicious.  This recipe begins with "find or purchase morel mushrooms...  I suggest using www.morel.com as a jumping off point if you wish to catch your own!

Recipe 1: fried mushrooms
Find or purchase morel mushrooms...as many as you like. Soak to remove bugs and spores.  note: urban myth says to pour out the water by an elm tree and maybe you can grow your own.  I'm not so sure Cut mushrooms in half lengthwise.  Meanwhile, in a ziplock bag mix some flour (enough to coat all your mushrooms) and a few shakes of salt and pepper.  Place damp mushrooms in zippy bag, shake to coat.  In a frying pan, heat up enough butter to fry mushrooms. I had four reasonably sized mushrooms and I heated about 1/3 to 1/2 stick (I had a lot remaining after I was done).  Place mushrooms in pan and fry til crisp on both sides.

Recipe 2:  mushroom and pepper scrambled eggs.

5 smallish morels cut up
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
4 eggs
1-3 Tablespoons milk
1/4 to 1/2 T Essence seasoning

In butter remaining from recipe one, fry up morels until fragrant then add pepper cook til hot but still cripsy.  beat eggs and milk together and pour in pan.  Add cheese on top.  Scramble until desired doneness (in our house, this is more done). 

Would I make these recipes again?  In a heart beat!  Sadly, I am out of Morels and will not be back to my Hunting Grounds until the season is over! Perhaps I love them so much because I only eat them once a year.  Still, delicious, delicious mushrooms!

Tricia's Week 19 Recipe: Nachos

I have never made nachos in the oven before, but I love nachos.  I made tacos earlier, and had ingredients remaining, so while this is not a hard recipe, I did learn a few things and will share them:

Ingredients  
Nacho chips of whatever variety you like
Pepperjack cheese, 1/2 cup ish
cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup
refried beans (leftover, about 1/2 cup)
taco meat (leftover, about 1/2 cup)
lettuce shredded
tomato, chopped
salsa
sour cream

Take out a large oven safe dish, I used a pyrex baking dish.  Note: I put aluminum foil in the bottom to make taking the nachos out easier.  While this was easier, the cheese stuck to the Al foil.  Either grease pan or foil to make removal easier. Mix together beans and meat, preheat a bit. Put layer of nacho chips in dish.  Cover w/ pepper jack cheese.  Put second, much smaller layer of chips down and put cheddar cheese on top.  put this in oven until cheese is mostly melted.  Pull out, add meat, sprinkle cheese garnish, put back in oven.  (meat was hot already).  Pull back out, garnish with remainting ingredients, and eat!

I will make nachos again. I found some lovely multigrain w/ flax chips at the store I would like to try this with.  I will also try different cheeses.  I highly recommend beans or the bean/meat combo - a great way to use up taco leftovers!

Chai Oatmeal Update!

I did indeed make chai oatmeal again this morning, but changed a few things:

1. I used Good Earth's signature brand tea instead of chai from a local tea shop, which is delicious, but quite potent. I brewed the Good Earth tea 'medium' but definitely not 'strong'.
2. I let the tea cool in the fridge a bit. No microwave mess to clean up!
3. I left out the pumpkin pie spice. The chai taste in the oatmeal is subtle this way, but I rather liked it better.

Happy Oatmeal to All!

Chris's Week Nineteen Recipe: Chai Oatmeal

I got thinking about cooking with tea this week and spotted this recipe at the Happy Herbivore. Here's my own variation. Be sure to read the added notes in italics before you cook!

Chai Oatmeal

Brew 1.5 cups chai tea and let cool.

I would recommend brewing the tea on the light side if you want to avoid a 'sharp' taste to your oatmeal. And trust me... let the tea cool, otherwise you'll wind up with an explosion in your microwave!

In a large, microwave-friendly container, combine

pinch salt

3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup raisins

Add the tea and nuke for 3.5 min or as appropriate for your own microwave. Mix in

1/2 t pumpkin pie spice*

Would I make this recipe again? Yes! I may even try it tomorrow.

*My spice cupboard didn't run to pumpkin pie spice, so I mixed up a batch using this recipe:

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Mix together

1 t ground cinammon

1/4 t ground ginger

1/4 t ground nutmeg

1/4 t ground cloves

NB: I used Penzey's spices and they are potent! The original Chai Oatmeal recipe called for 1-1/4 t of spices for a smaller quantity of oatmeal, but I only used 1/2 t of this mix and it was plenty.

Week Nineteen Guest Recipe from Linda: Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Linda has kindly provided us with a recipe from Bruce's aunt, Elaine Yost. Who is Bruce? Oh, I think you should ask Linda.... :P

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

– from Elaine Yost

Cake:

4 cups rhubarb chopped

2 eggs beaten

2 cups sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup walnuts broken into quarters or smaller

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp soda

Topping:

3 T brown sugar

1.5 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 13 cake pan.

Mix flour, salt, soda in a medium bowl.

Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, stirring as ingredients are added. Add dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle topping over the batter.

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes.

This is a very moist coffee cake, but the flavor was really good. I would have added ¼ tsp of nutmeg. [Editor's note: Linda always thinks recipes are better with a little nutmeg!]

Tricia's Week 18 recipe: Hummus!

An exclaimation mark is needed on Hummus!   I have been considering making my own hummus for ages now. I went to the store to buy Tahini, but couldn't find it, then forgot, so I made this recipe up after looking at 5 different recipes for hummus all over the place.  I'll likely try adding tahini when I find some.

Ingredients
1 can chickpeas, researve at least 1/2 of the liquid 
a few shakes sesame seeds
a few shakes Essence (1-2 tsp likely) see way back to stroganof recipe for Essence recipe
a few turns of the salt and pepper grinders
3 T lemon juice
2 T chili olive oil

Directions
Unfortunately for me, when I made this recipe I didn't measure what i was doing, I went by feel.  So the above is as close as I can come to accurate.  I put the top 5 ingredients in a flat bottomed bowl and blended them until smooth smooth smooth.  Then I added the 2 T oil and continued to blend (with my immersion blender).  You could also put them in the regular blender.  Add oil last.

Would I make this again?  Heck Yes!  Delish!! Pleasantly spicy with the Essence and the chili olive oil, the sesame flavor from the seeds I added is nice, but some good tahini would really add to the recipe, I think.  I will post an update next time I make it to tell how it is w/ tahini.  I think I'll try a black bean variation next.

Jennifer's Week Eighteen Recipe: Crazy Cantina Chili

So I cracked open the Star Wars cookbook again. I was trying to avoid using allrecipes.com for, what?, the fifth week in a row. It was an easy recipe (it is for kids after all) and I did doctor it somewhat.


Crazy Cantina Chili

Ingredients

1-16oz can kidney beans
1-16oz can black beans
1-16oz can garbanzo beans
1 onion
2 Tbs vegetable or olive oil
2 Tbs chili powder (I used way more than this)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (again, used much more than that)
1-28oz can crushed tomatoes with juice
1 cup tomato juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Sour cream

1. Open the cans of beans and drain off any liquid. Set aside.

2. Chop the onion. (This was much longer in the book)

3. Heat the oil in a pot and add the onion. Cook the onion until tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the chili powder and cayenne pepper. Stir for 30 seconds

5. Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, and tomato juice. Stir well and let simmer for 15 minutes.

6. Serve chili with cheese and sour cream


I added: basil, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and thyme to this... maybe some other things, too. (I was just rummaging in my cupboards and adding willy-nilly) I first made the recipe as directed and tasted it. It was like drinking tomato juice with chunks - it needed more flavor. I doubt I'll make it again since I am certain there are better vegetarian chilies out there!

Tricia's Week 17 recipe: Waffles

Yup, waffles!  I've made waffles before, mostly from Bisquick, and sometimes from scratch, but never like these.  These involved cinnamon and separating eggs!  My apologies for the lateness of this recipe, but a new floor went into our kitchen and dining room this past week and left my cooking out of commission for the better part of the week. I'm happy to report that my kitchen is now back in (mostly) order and cooking can be had by all!  The following recipe is from the Penzey's Spices catalog, which if you do not have delivered to your door, you really should! 


Waffles with Strawberries
I didn't have any strawberries, but I'll leave them in the recipe below in case you wish to try this with the strawberries.  All spices in caps are from Penzey's Spices. 

Ingredients
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 Tb. regular or VANILLA SUGAR 
2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. PENZEYS CINNAMON
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1/4-1/2 cup powdered sugar or maple syrup (or both) if desired


Heat waffle iron.  Toss sliced strawberries with sugar or VANILLA SUGAR and set aside.  In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and CINNAMON.  Stir to blend.  In another bowl, combine egg yolks, milk and VANILLA.  Add to the dry ingredients and mix.  Stir in vegatable oil.  Carefully fold in the egg whites, careful to not over mix.  Pour batter into waffle iron and cook to desired doneness.


Would I make these again?  Yup!  I have never made waffles where I had to fold in the egg whites at the end.  Always instead I have simply mixed ingredients and poured into iron.  Mixing in this fashion made very light fluffy waffles.  They were even good without the vegetable oil, which I realized while writing this recipe that I forgot to add when I made them.  I'll have to try them again with the oil to see if there is a noticeable difference.
 

Jennifer's Week Seventeen Recipe: Quick and Easy Chicken Spaghetti

Found on allrecipes.com. Again.

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package angel hair pasta (I used an entire 16 ounce package)
  
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 3/4 (8 ounce) package processed cheese, cubed (i.e. Velveeta)
  
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (I used 3 breasts)
  
• 1/2 (4 ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained (I doubled this)
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and return to pot.
2. To the pasta add the diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, cream of chicken soup, processed cheese, chopped chicken, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through.

Would I make this again? Sure. It was much heavier than I thought it would be and Chad remarked that it was probably the heaviest dish I made in a very long time. Erik liked the "cheesy chicken".

Chris's Week Eighteen Recipe: Quick Carrot Dip

Too many carrots? Try this recipe!

Quick Carrot Dip

2 c chopped carrots

2 T Greek yogurt

1/4 t nutmeg

Microwave the carrots until tender (or mushy, if you want a really creamy dip). Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and whir to the desired consistency. Serve with pita chips.

Would I make this recipe again? A successful experiment! The dip is tasty warm, but even better cold.

Chris's BONUS Week Seventeen Recipe: Garlic Chicken

My brother Pete is in town and came over for dinner this evening. Since I can never get him to eat tofu, I decided to make garlic chicken based on this recipe.

Garlic Chicken

Crush

2 cloves of garlic

and add in a small saucepan to

1/4 c olive oil.

Heat gently to infuse the garlic into the oil.

Mix:

1/4 c cracker crumbs

1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Dip

3 large boneless chicken breasts

into the garlic-infused oil, then coat with the cracker-Parmesan mixture. Place in an ovenproof pan and bake at 425F for 30-40 min or until the chicken is no longer pink & the juices run clear.

If you like, put the crushed garlic cloves on top of the chicken before baking. Garlicky!

Would I make this recipe again? Peter says it was "delicious!" but could have had even more garlic in it as far as he was concerned. I wonder if adding garlic powder to the cracker-Parmesan mixture would be good?