Food For Thought

Some time ago I had a blog page where I listed recipes I wanted to save. This entry is copied from that file.

Popovers

Preheat oven to 375^

1 cup flour

1-1/4 cup of milk

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp melted (salted) butter

Mix these ingredients well

3 eggs well beaten Mix into flour batter and mix well- let rest 10 min then beat it up again fill well buttered muffin tins 3/4 full and place in oven for 50 min DO NOT OPEN OVEN WHILE BAKING

Oatmeal Bread (no rise time)

1-1/2 cups rolled oats

2 tbsp yeast

4 cups warm water

2 tbsp honey

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup flax meal

10 cups flour

Heat oven to 300 degrees and place dry oats, flax meal, wheat germ in bowl in oven to warm while yeast is softening. Soften yeast in the water and honey. When yeast is soft and foamy mix into oatmeal and let stand for about 5 minutes. Mix in flour one cup at a time until you have a workable dough. Turn out onto board, kneed until elastic (10 minutes). Form into loaves or place in loaf pans and put into 300 degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes and increase oven temp to 350. Bake for 45min to an hour more. 2-3 loaves

Granola

2 Cups Rolled Oats1 1/2 cups nuts- peanuts, pecans, almonds2 tbsp sesame seeds 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut1/4 cup flax meal1/2 cup wheat germ3 tablespoons canola oil 2 Tablespoons hickory syrup, honey or agave3/4 cup Maple Syrup1 cup dried fruit- I use raisins and figs1 tsp cinnamon Toast rolled oats in a 13x9 pan about 15 minutes in a 300 degree oven In a large bowl, mix meal, germ, nuts, coconut and seeds. In a small bowl, whisk maple syrup, hickory syryp and 2 Tablespoons of the oil. when oats are done combine all the ingredients EXCEPT the fruit and spread them out on a greased baking sheet (use the extra oil) and bake for another 20-25 minutes stirring once. After baking, immediately add dry the dried fruit and mix. It will still be sticky. Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.

BBQ sauce another way (great for sloppy joes)

One 15-ounce can tomato sauce

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

4 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

1 tablespoon Sambal oelek

1/4 cup mango chutney

if using on sloppy joes garnish with shredded napa cabbage, snow peas, and shredded carrot Mashed Potatoes the heart attack way! 3 slices of bacon cut into pieces and sauteed 1 onion chopped finely 3 cloves of garlic 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 tsp celery powder 1 tbsp parsley chopped 1 tsp sugar 1/4 cup mayo 3 tbsp wine vinegar 2-1/12 cups mashed potatoes (Still hot)- I mash them with butter/milk OK- so while the potatoes are cooking - cook the bacon take out of the pan and drain the fat until you have only a few tsp left then put in the onions and garlic and cook slow until caramelized. Toss the bacon back in to heat. Mix the dressing- (mayo, salt, pepper, celery seed, parsley, vinegar) Mash the potatoes and then mix in all the other ingredients Clay Pot Chicken 1 lb of boneless chicken cubed 1 tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp oil (peanut is best) Marinate chicken in fish sauce and oil for 1 hour and prepare the sauce. Start a pot of rice (I like brown jasmine). 1 whole shallot chopped 2-3 cloves garlic chopped 2 inches ginger chopped chilies (I use 1/2 pablano and 1 jalapeno) 2 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp coconut oil (or peanut) 1 tbsp fish sauce 2 cups chicken broth Heat coconut oil until melted, add garlic, shallots and ginger in a pan and start to caramelize on low heat, add in sugar when transparent, and continue to cook until sugar melts and start to really look caramelized. Add in chilies, fish sauce, and broth and bring to a boil. Add in chicken and reduce heat to medium low for as long as it takes the rice to cook (or longer). (You can nix some of the fat by omitting the oil in the marinade and cut down on some of the oil in the sauce) _______________________________________________________________________ Pimento cheese My aunt (Texas born and raised) gave me this recipe shortly after I was married when I asked her about to explain what it was. 1 lb of extra sharp cheddar shredded 1 red roasted pepper 2 tbsp chopped roasted pablano, chipolte or jalapeno pepper 1 cup mayo put all ingredients in a food processor and blend to a smooth consistency enjoy as a dip or spread __________________________________________________________________________ Pretzels 2 tsp yeast 1 ½ c warm water ¾ tsp salt 1 ½ tsp sugar 4 c flour 1 egg beaten kosher salt In a large bowl soften yeas in water Add salt, sugar and flour and knead into a soft dough. DON’T LET IT RISE. Cut into small pieces and roll into rope. Shape into pretzel shapes and place on greased and floured cookie sheet brush with egg wash and salt. Bake at 400 degrees until brown (about 15 min) ___________________________________________________ Tortillas: I have made my own tortillas since I can remember. These are far superior to the store bought variety and worth the effort. Tools: Tapered tortilla pin (or clean an empty wine bottle) Towels (2 dish towels) Plastic wrap Ziplock bag (2 gallon) or a tortilla warmer Heavy skillet or griddle 4-5 cups of flour 1 tbsp baking powder ½ cup of lard, shortening, or butter (do not use oil) cold water (about 1 cup) to make a dough mix flour and baking powder together and cut in shortening pour in enough water to make a soft dough (not too wet and not too dry) form 12 balls about the size of a lemon and cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 min. heat DRY skillet to medium heat and fold dish towels to fit inside plastic bag roll each piece of dough out to a thin round place on skillet and cook first side until you see bubbles – flip and cook other side about same amount of time (should be lightly brown not burnt- so watch and adjust heat) Place tortilla into plastic bag between the towels – continue to stack them on top of each other between the towels and close bag to let them steam (you can also place them in a tortilla warmer instead if you have one) ____________________________________________ Chocolate cranberry pie Graham Cracker Crust Cranberries ½ cup of brown sugar ½ cup sugar 1 cup orange juice ½ stick of butter 1 tsp orange zest ½ tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger 1 cup pecans chopped 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Wash and drain cranberries and pick through to make sure there are no sticks, rocks, other field debris Place in sauce pan with sugar, OJ, spices and zest and cook over medium heat until the cranberries create a thick sauce Remove from heat and put butter and chocolate chips into cranberry mixture Stir until melted Pour mixture into crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until filling bubbles up and crust is brown. _________________________________________ Peach Crumble Pie I used to make this pie ALL the time and when my daughter was looking thought my books for recipes to copy for herself I realized I hadn’t made this one in forever. Crumble: ½ cup flour 1/4 cup almond meal 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup of cold butter pie: crust for single crust pie ¼ c sugar 1 tbsp flour 10-12 peaches (peeled and sliced- 5 cups) (optional – replace two peaches with a peeled sliced mango- make sure its really ripe) ½ cup sugar Cut butter into flour, almond meal and brown sugar put aside Mix ¼ cup sugar with tbsp. flour and sprinkle over crust Place fruit into crust and put ½ cup of sugar on top Sprinkle crumble evenly over top Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes Variation: dollop crust lightly with sweetened sour cream or cream cheese before putting peaches into the crust. _______________________________________________________ Pickled Beets I lb of beets 1 small onion - sliced ¼ cup cider vinegar ¼ c water 1 tablespoon honey ½ salt 4 cloves ½ bay leaf rinse beets then steam them and cool- peel beets mix together the rest of the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil cook for 5 minutes slice beets and place in glass or other suitable non-reactive container with a cover pour vinegar mixture over the beets and refrigerate let sit in pickling mixture for 3-4 hours before serving (will last for 3 weeks in fridge). _______________________________________________________ Thunder and Lightning pickles (DILL FREE) 6 – 7 lbs of cucumbers (4-5 large) 3 pts ice water 2/3 cups of salt (kosher or pickling) 1 tbsp mustard seed 2 tbsp fresh grated horseradish 2 hot peppers (I use Serrano peppers) 2-1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar 2/3 cup water ¾ c sugar wash and quarter cukes (scrape out seeds) place in glass bowl and cover with salt and ice- water brine let stand over night divide mustard, horseradish, peppers between 4 sterilized jars add cucumbers heat vinegar, sugar and water to boiling and pour into each jar ¼ inch from top seal and process in hot water bath for 5 minutes cool and tighten lids label with date– allow to pickle for at least 1 month. A slightly less powerful version of this is to make refrigerator pickles with have to be used within 3 weeks – prepare as above but place in covered container in fridge instead – let pickle at least 24 hours before eating. This is a much crisper pickle but not as spicy. _________________________________________________ Grapefruit and avocado salad Salad: 2 grapefruits peeled and sectioned (no membrane) avocado sliced thin 1 head of romaine leaves or green salad mix of choice (washed and torn) French dressing: 1 tsp mustard ¼ tsp celery powder pepper to taste ½ tsp smoked paprika ¼ tsp salt 1 ½ tsp sugar pinch of tyme ¼ tsp crushed caraway 1/3 cup vinegar 3 tbsp water Mix all ingredients for dressing in bowl and blend – place in container and pour desired amount over the lettuce, avocado and grapefruit. Try this sandwich idea (tuna melt on steroids) Rye toast with butter (and sprinkled with a very small bit of old bay or similar seafood mix) *Slices of really good ham (black forest, Smithfield baked, etc) 1 for each sandwich *Tuna fish salad – tuna, chopped veggies (celery, carrots, radishes, cucumbers) mayo, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, herbs of choice- I like fresh thyme, chives, parsley, and savory chopped fine *RIPE Tomato slices (one for each sandwich) * swiss cheese Construct sandwiches on bottom piece of toast with tuna, slice of ham, tomato and cheese- place under broiler until cheese melts- top with another slice of toast, cut and serve _______________________________________________________ clam fritters 1 cup flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 1/3 cup buttermilk 1 tbsp melted butter 1 cup chopped clams salt, pepper, paprika, thyme (or other seafood seasoning) mix all ingredients then fold in clams fry in oil that is about 350 degrees drain and serve hot with lemon wedges and sauce of choice. Tartar sauce: 2/3 cup mayo add the following chopped: 1 tsp each of onion, chives, parsley, pickles, celery, capers hot sauce to taste or try a Remoulade Sauce: Chop fine: 3 scallions, 1 tsp capers, 1-2 sour pickles and a hard cooked egg stir in 1 cup of French dressing, 2 tsp sweet hot mustard and l tbsp. of lemon juice French dressing: 1 tsp mustard ¼ tsp celery powder pepper to taste ½ tsp smoked paprika ¼ tsp salt 1 ½ tsp sugar pinch of tyme ¼ tsp crushed caraway 1/3 cup vinegar 3 tbsp water _______________________________________________________ Potato Kugel (potato pudding) 1 onion 6 potatoes ½ cup matzoh meal or bread crumbs 7 tsbp oil 2 eggs ¾ tbsp salt Grate onion and potato and add to other ingredients mix well. Place in greased baking pan and bake for 2 hours in 350 degree oven (until golden brown) Latkes 5 potatoes 1 onion 4 eggs ¼ matzoh meal salt and pepper to taste oil grate potatoes and let sit in colander to drain grate onion into a bowl and add potato, eggs, salt, pepper, matzoh meal mix well Heat a small amount of oil in heavy pan (cover bottom) until water drop dances Drop potato mixture by the spoonful onto pan (or make patties) fry until brown on one side and flip to cook other serve hot with applesauce variation- replace 2 potatoes with grated zucchini _____________________________________________________________________________ Knishes Pie crust for 2 pies 2 onions diced 8 potatoes peeled and cooked salt/pepper to taste 3 eggs egg for wash mash potatoes with onions, eggs, salt and pepper roll crust to 9” squares and place on greased baking sheet place potatoes in center and fold crust over (envelope) baste with egg wash and cut knish into 3” slices and baste seperately bake at 350 degrees until golden and crisp _______________________________________________________________________ Pierogies Dough: 4-5 cups of flour 1 tbsp baking powder 2-3 eggs 1-2 cups sour cream filling: 6 potatoes 1 onion 8 oz of pot cheese stick of butter and 2 onions sliced Why the discrepancy of ingredient measurements? Well this is a recipe that was passed down to my by my Cioci Mary when I was very young. My dad and I used to spend a few days before the holidays making pierogies and kielbasa a practice that my kids have continued until this day (they haven’t made sausages in a very long time but the pierogies are a given) . The recipe above never really had amounts assigned it was a by feel thing so my Cioci and I tried to assign amounts but learned that humidity and altitude have a lot to do with how much of each ingredient is needed. Peel and boil potatoes with a peeled onion in a LARGE pot and save water Mash potatoes with cheese (salt and pepper is optional) slice onion and save for later. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in center Put eggs and sour cream in the well. Mix into a soft dough – if you need an extra egg or more sour cream add it- if you need a bit more flour add it – this dough should be soft enough to roll out on a board Bring pot of water to a boil again. Grease a 9X13 pan Flour a board and roll out dough to ½ inch thick. Cut into 3” rounds, fill with tbsp. of filling, fold over and seal into a crescent shaped pocket. Place in boiling water and cook until it floats (about 3-5 min). Fetch out of pot with slotted spoon and place in 9x13 pan and dot with butter and onion (I usually boil about 7 at a time). Continue until all pierogies are boiled and placed in pan with butter and onion then place in oven at 350 degrees until browned. NOTE: if you want cook only a few and freeze some for later skip the baking pan- after boiling take the ones you plan on serving and sauté in a pan with butter and onion until browned and serve. Freeze the others in plastic bags when they have cooled down from the boiling process- just keep them in a single layer as they cool so they don’t stick. Filling variations? – just use potatoes with salt and pepper, or mix in mushrooms – reconstituted dried mushrooms are great for this, or try pork and sauerkraut, or even a desert version- blueberries and sprinkle with sugar after frying (no onions of course). ________________________________________________________________________ Hot Mustard Potato salad 2 strips of bacon 2 tbsp of flour ¾ tsp salt 1 ½ tbsp. mustard (I like a sweet hot or stone ground) 1 ½ tsp sugar pepper to taste (¼ tsp) 2/3 cup water 2 tbsp vinegar 1 ½ - 2 lbs of new or red potatoes (boiled, peeled, sliced) 6-8 medium ½ c chopped celery small red or sweet onion sliced ½ cup grated carrot Cook bacon and drain (crumble) Into drippings put flour, salt, mustard, sugar, and pepper slowly add water and vinegar and simmer until mixture is thickened. Place potatoes, celery, onion and carrot in bowl pour dressing over top and mix Top with bacon crumbles – serve warm _______________________________________________________ Rice pudding ½ cup rice 3 eggs ½ c sugar ¼ cup raisins 1 tsp vanilla orange zest 3 c milk butter to grease baking dish cinnamon for dusting mix ingredients well and pour into baking dish bake 350 degrees for 1 hour dust with cinnamon variation: replace rice with 2 cups of cooked corn and omit raisins bake for up to 2 hours (indian pudding) ___________________________________________________________________________ Matzoh ball Soup For broth: 1 large chicken 2-3 carrots 1-2 stalks celery 1 onion 1 bunch parsley 6 cloves garlic 1 tbsp salt 1 tsp pepper pinch of saffron boil all ingredients for a few hours (2-3) strain for Matzoh balls: 1 cup matzoh 4 eggs ½ cup oil 1 tsp vinegar 1 tsp salt beat eggs add to all ingredients except matzoh and mix add matzoh and mix well let sit in FRIDGE for 20-30 min use IC scoop to drop balls into boiling water (LARGE POT SO THEY CAN SPReAD) cook 30 min bring strained broth to a boil add a few carrots and celery pieces and matzoh balls heat and serve __________________________________________________________________________ Bloody Mary on a stick Blanch and peel cherry tomatoes Place toothpick in each one Soak in vodka Herbed salt to dip _____________________________________________________________________________ Boilo (better than eggnog) 1 handle of whiskey 4 oranges 4 lemons ¼ cup raisins 2 tbsp sugar 2 cups honey 2 cinnamon sticks 2 liters of gingerale peel and quarter fruit, sqeeze juice into a pot then put in remaining fruit pulp with raisins, spices, honey and ginger- ale and simmer for 20 min until flavors are well blended put into crockpot and add whiskey – heat through serve hot in shot glasses (or saki cups) ______________________________________________________________ Bronx Cocktail 2 oz gin 1 oz OJ ½ oz sweet vermouth ½ oz dry vermouth 2 drops orange bitters strip orange zest _______________________________________________________ Cranberry Cupcakes: This is the first recipe I ever made (when I was like 8) I made it for Thanksgiving dinner at my uncle's house. My grandmother coached me over the phone at one point (which when you think about the pre-cellphone, pre- good phone prices days. She must of done this when we had called to say hello and happy TG? Cream together: 1/2 c shortening 1 c brown sugar 2 eggs - add into sugar mixture sift together: 1 1/2 c flour 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda fold in: 1/2 c sour cream 1/2c cranberry sauce 1/2 cup nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts all work well) Place in muffin tins and bake in 350deg oven for 20-25 min ____________________________________________________________ Blueberry Picnic Cake 2 cups of blueberries 3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1 cup butter ind of a lemon - grted 1/2 tsp allspice 1/2 tsp cinnamon tbsp crystalized ginger finely chopped 1 tbsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 3 egg yolks 1 1/2 c milk 3 egg whites combine flour and sugar and cut in butter with pastry blender set aside one cup add rest of dry ingredients , ginger and lemon rind to flour sugar mixture beat egg yolks and milk and add to mixture Beat egg whites until stiff (not dry) fold into mixture Pour into greased and floured baking pan and scatter blueberries and crumble topping (the rest of the flour), sugar mixture over top- sprinkle with extra cinnamon if desired. Bake 350 for 55 min. _______________________________________________________________________ B'stilla from Chef Reinvented -I include this in my list because I have tried it and it was a HUGE hit with my friends! There is nothing more likely to impress your friends than something made with phyllo dough. Truth is it's really easy to work with if you remember a few simple rules. Thaw it completely (in the fridge the night before) Unroll it on your counter and lay some plastic wrap over the top and then a dampened cloth over that. This will keep the phyllo protected from drying out as you work with it. A dried out piece of phyllo will crumble in your hands like an ancient scroll - poof, gone. If you remember these two things, you'll see that working with phyllo is really simple. And really, you should tell your friends to save their compliments for the industrious folks that make phyllo or warka (phyllo's thinner - thinner! - cousin) from scratch. Now that is impressive. This, feh, a monkey could make. B'Stilla Ingredients Filling 2 tbsps vegetable oil 2 pounds chicken -- about 1/2 of a small chicken (I prefer dark meat), bone-in, skin-on or use squab (flightless, baby pigeon) to be real authentic-like 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 1 tbsp, ginger, freshly grated ½ tsp, turmeric ½ tsp black pepper, ground 1 cinnamon stick pinch saffron 1 tsp sea salt 1 cup cilantro, chopped 1 tsp orange flower water, optional 6 eggs salt and pepper to taste Almond Mixture ½ pound almonds, whole, toasted ½ cup sugar (if you don't like things so sweet, 1/4 cup is perfectly fine) 2 tbsp cinnamon, ground 4 each phyllo dough, large sheets 2 tbsp butter, melted, or olive oil Garnish Powdered sugar Cinnamon, Ground Instructions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil and brown the chicken and onions well, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken and onions to a large pot with the carrot, celery, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon stick, saffron and salt. Add just enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the chicken is tender (about 30 minutes). Pull the chicken out to cool. Meanwhile, bring the stock to a slow boil and reduce the liquid down to 1 cup. Strain the stock. Discard the solids, pressing on them to extract every last drop of liquid. Reduce the stock further to 1/3 cup of liquid. Set aside. Remove the bones and skin from the cooled chicken, shred the meat and then mix with the cilantro. Set aside. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat. Mix the eggs with a fork and season well with salt and pepper. Cook the eggs along with the reserved liquid from above, until soft scrambled. Do not let them dry out, lean on the side of under cooking the eggs (they will continue cooking in the oven) Mix together with the meat and optional orange flower water until well combined. Put the almond mixture into a food processor and grind until the almonds are crushed to a slightly chunky powder. Get an oven-proof skillet (cast iron works perfectly). Brush the skillet with melted butter. Unfold a layer of the phyllo a bit more than halfway across the skillet, and then lay the other layer/sheet of dough over the other half, so they overlap in the middle and stick out beyond the edges of the pan. Brush with butter. Repeat with another layer. Spread 1/2 of the almond mixture over the dough, then the chicken and egg mixture, then the rest of the almond mixture. Fold the phyllo dough in and over the filling from all sides, making sure to cover all the filling. Brush the top with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until light brown. Turn over skillet (gently!) onto a plate to remove the B’stilla. Sift a heavy layer of powdered sugar over the pastry. Then shake lines of cinnamon in a cross-cross pattern over the top of the sugar. Serve immediately. __________________________________ Black Bean and Mango Roti 1 -2 tsp of olive oil 1 large onion chopped 1 fresh chili pepper chopped (I like poblanos, but jalapenos will work in a pinch) 2 carrots chopped 1 rib of celery chopped 2 cloves of garlic 1 tsp of ginger peeled and chopped 2 cans of black beans 1/2 tsp chili powder (I use a mix of chipolte and ancho) 1/2 tsp thyme 1 cup of water or vegetable broth 1 mango peeled and chopped 2 cups of spinach or other greens whole wheat Pitas mustard (optional) 1. sauté first six ingredients until translucent (about 5-10 minutes) 2. add beans, chili powder, thyme, mango and spinach along with water and broth and cook for 10- 15 minutes 3. spoon onto unopened pitas and fold (top with mustard if desired) Serve with a large mixed green salad _____________________________________________ Bean and Greens Soup 2 onions chopped 2 stalks celery chopped 2 carrots chopped 1 small sweet potato coarsely chopped 2 inches of fresh ginger peeled and chopped 2 -4 cloves of garlic chopped ½ green pepper, chopped 1 jalapeno or poblano chopped 3 or 4 mushrooms chopped ¼ cup cilantro chopped ¼ cup chives chopped 2 tbsp olive oil ½ lb of dried beans- soaked (I like great northern or small white beans) ½ tsp cardamom ½ tsp tumeric ¼ tsp paprika ¼ tsp mustard 1/8 tsp cayenne ½ tsp salt 1 lb of greens (kale, beet, mustard, spinach, chard or a mix) 1 cup of chopped fresh tomato salt, pepper and grated cheese of choice to taste Sauté everything for 5-10 minutes then add 6 cups of water and continue to cook until beans are soft. Add: Handful of greens Cook until wilted. Throw in chopped tomato and serve. (salt, pepper, cheese to taste) Serve. _________________________________________________________________________ BBQ Sauce Bourbon BBQ Sauce 1c Ketchup 1/3c Bourbon 1/4c Molasses 2tbs Vinegar 1tbs Worcestershire Sauce 2tsp Soy Sauce 1/2tsp Dry Mustard 1/4tsp Pepper 2 cloves Garlic 1tbs Lemon Juice 1 cup of peach or apricot preserves Mix all the ingredients together and let them stand at room temperature for several hours. 2 Cups BBQ Sauce __________________________ BBQ Sauce another way 1 onion 6 cloves of garlic 2 inches of ginger root (peeled) 1 tbsp cumin 1 tbsp coriander 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp nutmeg can of tomatoes 1/2 c molasses 1 pablano 1/4 c cilantro salt and pepper salt and pepper Place all ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth then cook over low heat for 30 minutes until the flavors meld. Great on chicken wings! __________________________________________________________________________ Apricot Almond Nutella pancakes 2 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp Baking powder 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup yogurt 2 apricots chopped in food processor 12-14 almonds chopped in food processor 2 tbs nutella (use oil if you are allergic to chocolate) milk to make a batter (about a 1/2 cup) mix dry ingredients add in the everything except milk and stir add in milk to make a semi- pourable batter cook on griddle (remember to wait for the bubbles and the batter to dry a bit before flipping) _______________________________________________________________________ Seafood in Spicy Marinara (quick recipe) 1 lb frozen mixed seafood 1 lb of scallops 2 tbsp fresh herbs (oregano, thyme and basil) onion 4 cloves garlic pepper juice from 1/2 lemon olive oil and butter mix (1 tbsp) Marinara of your choice with 1 chili pepper of your choice added (or a jar of Barilla Spicy Marinara) saute seafood, garlic, and onion in butter and olive oil until onions are transparent then add in sauce and simmer until seafood is cooked put sauce over a thick pasta (linguine or perciatelli) or rice or even scrambled eggs folded into a tortilla for an interesting take on huevos rancheros or fish taco _______________________________________________________________________ Ice Box Cake (my interpretation) Chocolate graham crackers (1 - 2 package so 1/3-1/2 a box) whipped cream lightly sweetened jam (I used traffic jam- which is a Mennonite jam of cranberries, strawberries, sour cherries and rhubarb) mini chocolate chips Place jam on crackers and make a layer on the bottom of a loaf pan lined with parchment top with whipped cream Place a new layer on top top with whipped cream spread a layer of chips continue to layer jellied crackers and cream until pan is full top with chips cover and place in freezer over night Move this cake to the fridge about 2 hours prior to serving remove from pan and place on cake plate, slice on the diagonal _______________________________________________________________________ Strawberry shortcake (the way my NaNa made it) Preheat oven to 425 so its hot when dough it ready!!! *Take your favorite biscuit recipe and add 1/2 cup of sugar in with the flour (in a pinch you can use the pop and fresh ones- just roll them in sugar before patting them into the pan) *2 cups of white lily flour (or 1/2 all purpose 1/2 cake if you live outside the south) 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 5 tbsp of butter CHILLED Combine in a bowl and using a pastry blender until butter is pea sized add 3/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk or 1/2 cup milk/1/4 cup yogurt plus extra if needed to get dough to form a ball- do not over mix! Grease a square pan and pat biscuit dough into the bottom of the pan sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with syrup (optional) Bake at 425 for 20 min or until browned take 1 quart or more of fresh strawberries, cut and spread over biscuit while its cooling refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with fresh whipped cream that has been lightly sweetened. ________________________________________________________________________ Pancakes 20 10 flour 2C 1C sugar 1/4c 2tbs baking powder 2tbs 1tbs ground spice 1tsp 1/2tsp baking soda 1/2tsp 1/4tsp salt 1/2tsp 1/4tsp eggs 2 1 milk 1 1/2c 3/4c yogurt 8oz carton 1/2c oil 2tbs 1tbs fruit or addition of choice Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, spice, baking soda and salt, mix well and set aside. In another bowl, whisk egg until well beaten. Whisk in milk, yogurt and oil until smooth. Make a well in dry ingredients, pour egg mixture into well. Quickly stir with a spoon just until flour mixture is moistened, batter will be lumpy. ¼ cup spoon into hot griddle _________________________________________________________________________ FROG Jam dressing saute 1/2 an onion or 1 shallot in about 1 tbs of olive oil when the onions are transparent and slightly caramelized add the following: 2 TBS Vinegar 2TBS FROG jam 2 tsp soy sauce black pepper stir until well combined and remove from heat serving suggestions: -Pour warm over a salad (I like it over a green salad that has tuna on it) -or wilt greens (spinach, escarole, chard, beet, kale, mixed) in the dressing before serving -or wilt the greens in the dressing and top with eggs scrambled with yogurt and goat cheese *FROG jam is a Southern Virginia thing- FIG, RASPBERRY, ORANGE, GINGER jam __________________________________________________________________________ Lima Bean Egg Salad (its a hot day in early April as I write this) I pulled this out from my past, one of those recipes I had loved but forgotten about. It originated in Nikki and David Goldbeck's Wholefoods Cuisine. I have altered it to my taste 1 cup of baby lima beans - (cooked and cooled) 2 eggs soft boiled - cooked through but runny (mixed with the olive oil, mustard and yogurt you will never miss the mayo) 2 carrots - chopped finely 1 tsp mustard 2 tbsp yogurt 1/2 tsp herbed salt (I use one that I make with provincial herbs) pepper to taste 1 tsp olive oil Mix above together in a bowl then add: 2 hard cooked eggs (cooled) Serve on a bed of greens - tonight its wilted dandelion cooked with lots of sauteed garlic. ___________________________ Fish Chowder Two of my kids are very allergic to shellfish and muscles so despite loving RI chowder I can hardly ever make it as a family meal. Well tonight, I decided to change my thinking and some ingredients. 4 stalks of celery- chopped 1 onion chopped 1/2 stick of butter 1 ham hock potatoes (IDK a lot of them - like a bag of fingerlings) 2 carrots- chopped handful of chives 2 scallions 4 cloves of garlic tyme (TBSP) herbed salt (i made one a while ago with provincial herbs) (tsp) pepper (tsp) louisiana hot sauce (tbsp) FISH - 2 lbs greens (what ever you have- I used beet) water and a bit of anchovy paste or fish broth to cover it all (Qt) lemon juice (2 tbsp) saute veggies, garlic, chives, and hock in butter until transparent add potatoes, herbs, S/P, hot sauce add water, fish, and greens cook about 40 minutes add lemon juice Variation: you can use this recipe for a good corn chowder if you don't have fish. ___________________________________________________ A fabulously easy Roast Chicken 1 Roaster 3 Tbsp prepared mustard 1 tbsp honey 1 Tbsp herbes de provence 1. Place chicken in roasting pan 2. spread the mustard onto the chicken and drizzle with honey 3. sprinkle herbs on it 4. roast at 350 degrees until done. ____________________________________________________ Broiled Smelts with Brown Rice 1 lb smelts - cleaned herbed salt lime juice olive oil For the rice- 1 cup of Brown Rice 1/4 -1/2 cup of olives (mixed and chopped) 1 tomato chopped 1/2 onion chopped 2 cloves garlic 1/2 pepper chopped 1 tsp olive oil pinch saffron 1 tsp smoked paprika Place rice in the cooker and get it started. In a pan saute the rest of the ingredients until translucent. Remove from heat, open the rice cooker and stir the mixture in and allow it to finish its cooking cycle. For the smelts: Line a baking pan with foil and preheat broiler about 10 minutes prior to rice being done. Place smelts on the pan and sprinkle with olive oil and herb salt. Broil until brown on both sides (about 10 min). I served this with sauteed greens and a bottle of Portuguese Red. Serves 4. ___________________________________________________ Spicy Spaghetti Squash Casserole

1 Spaghetti squash

1 onion chopped

1 pepper chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 carrot chopped

2 tsp olive oil

½ can chipotle chilis chopped

1 can black beans

1 can red beans

1 can hominy

1 can tomato paste

tsp chili powder

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp oregano

¼ cup cilantro

¼ cup parsley

cut squash in half, seed, and cook until tender in microwave (10 min) or oven at 350 (45 min)

while squash is cooking sauté all other ingredients except beans and hominy until tender

add beans and hominy and squash and cook for a few minutes longer to blend flavors and heat through

Pour into greased casserole and top with corn meal, water, and honey crust (vegan) or spoon bread crust

Spoon bread

1 cup of corn meal

2 tbsp corn starch

4 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

2 cups of milk

1 tbsp oil

mix together and pour on hot vegetables and bake at 350 until golden top with shredded jack cheese (optional)

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Pea Soup

2 onions chopped

2 stalks celery chopped

2 carrots chopped

2 inches of fresh ginger peeled and chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

½ green pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno chopped

3 or 4 mushrooms chopped

¼ cup cilantro chopped

¼ cup chives chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

½ lb of split green peas

½ tsp cardamom

½ tsp tumeric

¼ tsp paprika

¼ tsp mustard

1/8 tsp cayenne

½ tsp salt

pepper to taste

Sauté everything for 5-10 minutes then add 6 cups of water and continue to cook until peas are soft. Add:

Handful of greens

Cook until wilted. Serve.