Spinach Moong Masoor Dal

Here's a nice vegetarian dish enjoyed by omnivores as well:

SPINACH MOONG MASOOR DAL
Serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a side
Adapted from a recipe from Spice of India in Kitchener, Ontario

Ingredients:
· 1/2 cup red lentils (masoor dal)
· 2 Tablespoons split hulled green mung lentils (moong dal)
· 1 3/4 cups water
· 2 Tablespoons ghee or oil ( I used regular butter - use oil for vegan version)
· 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
· 1 medium tomato, diced (I used a 14 ounce can rather than fresh as it is winter)
· 1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seed
· 3/4 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
· 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
· 1/2 teaspoon teaspoon ground chili pepper or to taste
· 1/2 teaspoon amchur (dried green mango) or 1 teaspoon lemon juice (I used lemon juice as I lacked the mango powder, but next time will use the mango powder b/c Nirupma is bringing me some)
· 6 ounces baby spinach (more or less is fine) (I used a 12 ounce package of frozen spinach)

1) Pick over the lentils and remove shriveled bits and pebbles. Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear. Drain.

2) Place lentils in a medium pot with the water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and keep lentils at a gentle simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add some hot water if the mixture seems too thick. Keep in mind that lentils thicken a bit after cooling, so keeping the pot just a bit on the watery side is best.

3) While the lentils cook, place a medium pan on medium heat. Heat the ghee until it shimmers, then add the cumin seeds. They should sizzle immediately. After about 15 seconds, add the onion slices and fry, stirring frequently, until they turn sticky and brown.

4) Add the diced tomato to the onions and cook until the tomato disintegrates. Add the remaining spices and cook until the mixture becomes pasty and thick, several more minutes. (with the canned tomatoes, they didn't really ever disintegrate, or I am not patient enough)

5) When the lentils are tender (this takes 20-30 minutes), add the spinach to the lentils and stir, working in batches if necessary so that the spinach wilts and makes room for additional spinach.  (Frozen spinach is already wilted, of course) Pour the onion/tomato mixture into the lentils and spinach, stir well, then cover and let sit for a few minutes to cook the spinach and develop flavors. Taste and adjust for salt before serving.

-----

We thought that this dish was pretty mild and benefited a lot from some added spice at the table in the form of pickled jalapenos, hot sauce, or jalapeno-cilantro chutney.  Also, it was even better with the addition of some feta in place of paneer.

For the rice - cook it in the rice cooker, and when the rice is done dump in some frozen mixed peas and carrots or just peas and let the heat of the rice heat up the veg.  Simple.

We also had pita to stand in for chapati or naan which I didn't have time to make.

recipe adapted from: http://www.bonappegeek.com/2007/01/16/one-percent-of-india-dal/

Pleasant Dinner

Got home last night and didn't know what to make for dinner. Z had been sick and only wanted brown beans (her word for baked beans). Q was sleeping. I had no energy but was pretty hungry, and the fridge was uninspiring but did include a carton of eggs.

Fortunately I turned to the freezer in which I discovered a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and a bag of sweet potato fries.

Into the oven went the fries while I cooked the veg in the microwave and sauteed some onion. Then veggies into the pan with the onions and a few dashes of "Italian seasoning". Beaten eggs atop the mess of vegetables cooked first on the stovetop and then finished in the oven and topped with a leftover bit of smoked blue cheese and some crumbled goat cheese.

Fries drizzled with honey and sprinkled with snipped rosemary and salt.

I can't get away with fritatta every day, but a couple of times a month, it's going into the rotation.

30 minutes. No leftovers, except for Z's brown beans.

Asian Slaw (by Alton Brown and modified by me)

This is a great side dish or base for grilled meat or veggies to toss with noodles. You can adjust the heat level to your liking!

As listed, this is vegan, but not allergy-free thanks to the peanut butter!

Ingredients

• 1 (3-inch) piece ginger, grated fine ** I use chopped gari (pickled ginger like you get with sushi) which is available at Asian markets in the refrigerated section. Read the ingredients, some have NutraSweet!**
  
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar **Rice wine vinegar has a more delicate taste than regular or cider vinegar. If you substitute, be careful, this might be too much and you might need to add some water**
  
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 head Napa cabbage, sliced thin
• 1 red bell pepper, julienne fine
• 1 yellow bell pepper, julienne fine
• 2 serrano chiles, minced fine ** I generally use a generous squirt of sriracha, available at Asian markets and also at my local grocery **
  
• 1 large carrot, grated fine with a peeler ** or just matchsticked**
  
• 3 green onions, cut on the bias, all of white part and half of the green
• 2 tablespoons chiffonade cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chiffonade mint ** I leave this out entirely - not a fan of mint in food**
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

In a small bowl, or food processor combine ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, oil, and peanut butter. In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients and then toss with dressing. You can save some of the dressing to dress noodles that can be added to this dish along with stir fried pork to make an entire meal.

I learned this watching an episode of Good Eats. Here's a link to the Food Network recipe.

Fresh/Dried Pesto

I still have a lot of dried until crispy grape tomatoes from last year's garden. Juicy new ones will appear soon.

In an effort to use what I preserved last year, I created a pesto to spread on bread. It included a couple of handfuls of fresh basil, about a cup of dried tomatoes, some olive oil, generous amounts of garlic, a little salt, and red pepper flakes all whirred up in the food processor.

Much to my surprise the kids ate it too.

Cauliflower Pizza

I was a doubter. Read the recipe many times but never took the plunge until Alton Brown did an episode of Good Eats about cauliflower a couple of weeks ago. Shouldn't have waited. None of the other recipes in My Bread have disappointed. I really do think that the book is worth buying if you are into bread and baking, but here is the recipe anyway, (with my annotations).

Cauliflower Pizza

1 medium cauliflower, outer green leaves removed -- 700g
about 1/2 cup finely chopped pitted giant green olives -- 60g (I will probably double this next time)
about 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-type cheese -- 60g
2 large cloves garlic, finely grated or minced -- 15 g (I will likely double this next time, too)
3/4 t table salt -- 4g (with the cheese and olives this is already pretty salty, if you don't like salt you could reduce this)
1/2t crushed red pepper flakes -- 1 g
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil -- 60g
1/2 recipe Basic Pizza Dough -- 400g
1-2T bread crumbs -- 10-15g

1. Preheat the oven to 500F
2. Quarter the cauliflower and then shave it into very thin slices using a mandoline. Your goal is 1/16 of an inch thick. Toss together cauliflower, olives, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, cheese, and oil in a bowl.
3. Spread the mixture all over the dough, putting a bit extra at the edges. Sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the topping is starting to turn golden brown and the crust is pulling away from the sides of the pan. Serve hot or room temperature. (Pizza can be more easily removed from the pan if you let it rest for a few minutes after taking it from the oven.)

So - the only olives I had the other day were stuffed with jalapenos and garlic cloves. Therefore, I skipped the garlic and red pepper flakes and just used the double-stuffed olives. It worked just fine.

I actually make 2 pies at a time, one for the grownups and one that is more traditionally topped with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella. For the tomato/cheese pie, I spread the sauce pretty generously and bake for about 15 minutes then spread more sauce and sprinkle with about 8 ounces of grated mozzarella and return to the oven for 10-12 min. If you put the cheese on at the beginning it gets too brown. Double application of sauce allows for development of the sweet baked flavor and still some saucy-ness.

Another Sullivan Street Bakery Pizza Success

Previous entries about Sullivan Street Bakery pizzas include: Zucchini and Pomodoro (picture)

For New Year's Eve I tried the Onion Pizza. It begins with the same dough

Basic Pizza Dough - from My Bread by Jim Lahey, p. 117

enough for 2 13x18 inch pies

500 g bread flour (3.75 c)
10 g instant or other active dry yeast (2.5 t)
5 g table salt (0.75t)
~3g sugar (0.75t + a pinch)
300 g room temperature water (1 1/3 c)

Stir together dry ingredients in a medium bowl
Add water and mix until blended, at least 30 seconds
Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until more than doubled, about 2 hours

Oil 2 13 by 18 inch rimmed baking sheets with olive oil
Use a scraper to remove the dough from the bowl in a single chunk for each pan
Gently pull and stretch the dough across the pan all the way to the edges
makes 1 13 x 18 inch pie, 8 slices

Onion Pizza
650g thinly (like 1/8 inch) sliced yellow onion - you want about 6 cups of slices.
It takes about 2 good-sized onions
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 t table salt
2t fresh thyme (or less of dry)
1/2 recipe basic pizza dough


1. Preheat oven to 500F with a rack in the center
2. Slice the onions very thin. Using a mandoline or food processor makes it easier. 3. In a medium bowl, mix together onions cream and thyme. ** it may not be so authentic, but we thought that this needed a bit more kick -- added generous grinds of black pepper. **
4. Spread onion mixture all over the dough, all the way to the edges. Put a bit extra on the edges as the outside tends to cook and brown more quickly. Sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the topping is starting to turn golden brown and the crust is pulling away from the sides of the pan. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Dips! Part 3 - Creamy Spinach Dip

Previous entries in this series include Tomato Pesto; Roasted Garlic and Olive; and Creamy Smoked Salmon

I have mentioned before how we like dips, especially for dinner with fresh bread.

On New Year's Eve we had an appetizer dinner, and it included Creamy Spinach Dip.

Here's how to do it:

Fresh spinach method:
Clean and rough chop about 1 pound of fresh spinach
In a largeish (needs to be big enough for cooking the spinach) pan, heat up about 1-2T of olive oil. When it is hot, add about 2-3 cloves minced garlic and 1t-1T red pepper flakes depending on how hot you like it. At this point you can also cook up some minced onion in the oil, but that is not required. Turn the heat down a bit so that the garlic doesn't burn. Cook the spinach until wilted and most of the water has boiled off. Add a good pinch of salt when you add the spinach to counter the bitterness of the greens and help get out the water. When the spinach is cooked, turn off the heat. Now proceed to *

Frozen spinach method:
Defrost and dewater a package of frozen chopped spinach. In a skillet or saucepan, cook the garlic, optional onion, and red pepper flakes in olive oil.

* Next step for either method: In a microwave safe bowl, unwrap two 8 ounce bricks of cream cheese (1/3 less fat=ok, but fat free freaks me out). Microwave gently to soften. Add the spinach and garlic oil mixtures. Microwave to heat and stir to combine.

Serve warm. Leftovers are GREAT on bagels or toast for breakfast, too.

What to do with zucchini - part 5

What to do with zucchini parts 1-4 were in 2008!
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Basic Pizza Dough - from My Bread by Jim Lahey, p. 117

enough for 2 13x18 inch pies

500 g bread flour (3.75 c)
10 g instant or other active dry yeast (2.5 t)
5 g table salt (0.75t)
~3g sugar (0.75t + a pinch)
300 g room temperature water (1 1/3 c)

Stir together dry ingredients in a medium bowl
Add water and mix until blended, at least 30 seconds
Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until more than doubled, about 2 hours

Oil 2 13 by 18 inch rimmed baking sheets with olive oil
Use a scraper to remove the dough from the bowl in a single chunk for each pan
Gently pull and stretch the dough across the pan all the way to the edges

Zucchini Pizza
makes 1 13 x 18 inch pie, 8 slices

1.2 kg trimmed zucchini (2.5 pounds, about 3 large)
10 g table salt (1.5 t)
150 g grated Gruyere or high quality swiss cheese (2 c) ** I used a mix of 2/3 swiss and 1/3 a hard, parmesan-type cheese - it could have handled a 1:1 mix for a bit more saltiness **
1/2 recipe basic pizza dough
20-25 g bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 500F with a rack in the center
2. Grate the zucchini. Toss zucchini and salt together in a medium bowl. Let stand for 15-20 minutes until zucchini is wilted and has released its water.
3. Drain zucchini in a colander and squeeze out as much water as you can. The pat dry. In a medium bowl, mix together zucchini and grated cheese. Break up any clumps.
4. Spread zucchini-cheese mixture all over the dough, all the way to the edges. Put a bit extra on the edges as the outside tends to cook and brown more quickly. Sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. ** it may not be so authentic, but we thought that this needed a bit more kick -- added sprinkling of red pepper flakes or generous grinds of black pepper for example. **
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the topping is starting to turn golden brown and the crust is pulling away from the sides of the pan. Serve hot or at room temperature.

What I made for the 24th of July

It's a variation on the Sullivan Street Bakery Pizza Bianca. I haven't been to this particular bakery, but the recipe is included in the excellent book, My Bread which is the book version of the no-knead bread I have raved about for a while now.

My variation includes chopped rosemary in the dough. Upon removal from the oven I drizzled it with honey, and sprinkled with more rosemary and coarse salt.

For those not in the know, the 24th of July is the biggest holiday of the summer in Utah. It commemorates the entry of the Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.

Wacky Cake

I didn't make up the name, I promise. This Depression-era cake takes advantage of ingredients that were readily available at the time. I suspect it is enjoying a new era of fame because it is also vegan. That means it is ok for people with dairy and egg sensitivities, too. That's why I bring it to potluck affairs.

After one recent affair, I was asked for the recipe. Nothing special about it, except that it is easy to make, always a hit, friendly to all but the gluten-intolerant, and tasty to boot.

Here's one version for Wacky Cake from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup white sugar
* 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
* 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together into an 8x8 inch ungreased cake pan. Make three depressions. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour water over all, and stir well with fork.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Frost with your favorite icing.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Wacky-Cake-VIII/Detail.aspx

The differences in my execution are as follows: I only use 2/3 cup of sugar; I use white vinegar instead of cider vinegar; I used 5T of oil instead of 6. Also, I don't bother to sift anything. I mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk. Then put your 1c of water (I used 1 cup of cold brewed coffee with an additional scoop of instant coffee powder last time - I couldn't taste the coffee, so if I did that again I would use more instant coffee powder or use espresso powder which has a stronger taste) into a measuring cup and add the other liquid ingredients to the water (vinegar, vanilla, oil). Dump the liquid into the dry and mix it up. If you do it the way the recipe says it is hard to get the corners properly mixed. I appreciate that mixing in the baking pan results in fewer pans to wash, but washing a mixing bowl is not such a big deal that I am willing to accept unmixed dry ingredients in the corners! I do not think that this needs frosting. I have dusted with powdered sugar for a special effect.

My other tip for maximum efficiency and reduced chance of cross-contamination -- measure the soda, then salt, and last the cocoa of the dry ingredients (so that you don't contaminate your salt or soda with cocoa powder). Then measure wet ingredients with the measuring spoons - oil then vanilla then vinegar.

Bearing, this is for you

Or, google helps me make dinner (searched 'frozen green beans recipe")

Indian Style Green Beans

TIME/SERVINGS

Total: 30-40 minutes

Active: 10 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

By fallingup

"This is my family’s traditional preparation of french cut green beans. You can apply this recipe to other vegetables, too. We use the same method for frozen cut okra, corn, and diced potatoes. It’s by far my favorite way to prepare vegetables, especially ones that I buy frozen as opposed to fresh.

You need to cook these green beans for as long as directed in the recipe, or else they won’t taste right. The beans will look and taste different than if they had been quickly sauteed, steamed, or stir-fried. With this method it’ll seem like you’re overcooking the vegetables, but this is the authentic Indian way, and it tastes amazing despite the minimal ingredients involved."

INGREDIENTS

1 16-ounce package french cut green beans (frozen, not canned)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt * I cut this back a bit
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 large white onion, diced (optional)
1/4 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place a large, wide non-stick pan on medium to high heat. Add olive oil.
2. When hot, add onions (if using) and cook until golden. Add green beans. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
3. Uncover and season with turmeric powder, salt, red chili powder, and shredded coconut (if using).
4. Continue to cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently so that the beans don’t burn. When done, the beans will be dark green and will have reduced considerably.
5. Remove from heat and serve over rice.

http://www.chow.com/recipes/12249-addictive-indian-style-green-beans

* I served with additional coconut sprinkled on top and a curry (lentils, tomatoes, carrots, onions, and broccoli stems - madras curry powder + cilantro at the table)

I would take this to a potluck.

Eating the sub-continent: part 3

Paneer

It's cheese.

This was actually the first Indian food item I attempted. So. Very. Simple. Which really shouldn't surprise you because literally millions of people do it every day.

Heat 500mL of milk (2% is good) in a pan on the stove to just before boiling then add about 1T of vinegar. Watch the separation of white curd from greenish whey. Strain through a cheesecloth and set something heavy on the curd to press the curds together for a few hours. You are done.

The whey can be discarded or used like buttermilk.

You can buy paneer at the Indian grocery, but it is about $4.99 for about 8 ounces and is not nearly as fresh as making your own.

Thanks to Nirupma for teaching me how to do this via a Facebook message.

Eating the sub-continent: part 1

Historically, I have not been fond of Indian food. A bad bout of salmonellosis turned me off of an entire sub-continent.

But, thanks to the great cooking of two of the MPH students at the U of U I have expanded my culinary options.

Last night I made a feast at home: vegetarian madras curry, raita, basmati rice with peas, and chapati(s? - I am not sure what the correct plural is). All homemade.

Here is the recipe for the flat breads - way easier than you think.
Taken from 1000 Vegetarian Recipes From Around the World, p.747.

Chapati
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
0.5 t salt
0.75 c water

1. Mix flour and salt in a big bowl.
2. Make a well in the center and dump in the water and mix the dough.
3. Knead the dough for about 7-10 minutes (I let Z do this).
4. Let the dough rest, ideally for 15-20 minutes, but if time is tight then roll out straightaway. (The resting time allows the flour to become hydrated. Longer rest will not hurt anything.)
5. Divide the dough into 10-12 equal portions.
6. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. When it starts to steam, turn it down to medium.
7. Roll each dough portion into a round. They will be thin.
8. Cook in the skillet. When it starts to bubble, turn it over and press down to flatten. Turn it over again.

Best eaten straight from the skillet, but in a real world, you can keep them warm for serving. I put a jelly roll pan onto a trivet and placed a heating pad into the pan and covered it with a dish towel. Hot chapati went onto the dishtowel to be covered with another towel and then a glass lid for a skillet. They stayed warm, pliable and yummy.

As requested...hope it works for you!

"I need a new really good pasta recipe for a recipe group...got any ideas??? "

This is unusual but very pleasing, vegetarian (even vegan) friendly and is a good 'pantry' recipe because all but one of the ingredients are non-perishable and able to be kept on hand.

Pasta, Lentils, and Artichoke Hearts

from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites Cookbook (p. 209)
serves 4-6 in about 40 minutes

1 c red lentils (3 cups cooked)
1 bay leaf
3 c water
1 t olive oil
2 c diced onions
2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
2 T fresh lemon juice (worth it to use fresh here)
2 cups canned tomatoes (18-ounce can) chopped and liquid reserved
1 1/2 cups quartered artichoke hearts (15 ounce can or 9 ounce frozen package)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound pasta such as farfalle, rotini, or spirali

1. Bring lentils, bay leaf, and water to boil in a saucepan. Lower heat, cover and simmer 15-20 min until lentils are tender.
2. While the lentils cook, heat the olive oil in another (pretty large) pan. Add the onion and cook on medium heat about 5 minutes until they are golden.
3. Add the garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook for about another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
3 1/2. Start the pasta water heating.
4. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, artichoke hearts, and crushed red pepper and simmer about another 10 minutes.
5. Drain the lentils, reserving the cooking liquid so that you can add some back if the sauce seems too dry.
6. Add the lentils and simmer for about another 10 minutes -- adding lentil liquid if it seems too dry.
7. Cook the pasta and drain it. Serve lentil mixture atop the pasta.

As described this is vegan, but it is even better with some feta cheese or goat cheese. In lieu of actual salt, I tend to add saltiness with the feta and some kalamata olives and then cracked pepper and/or more red pepper to taste at the table.

As I typed I realized that I have never added in the lentil liquid. I think that most canned tomatoes are only 15 ounces, and so I get extra liquid and tomatoey goodness by perhaps using 2 cans.

Seriously, it is worth squeezing a lemon. It "Brightons" up the flavor of the whole dish. You can use the other half to make a Greek-style salad dressing or hummus. As a pantry dinner I have used bottled juice and while adequate it is just not as good.

Rhubarb Bread

Well, I made the rhubarb bread (with a few modifications) and bravely served it, untasted, to a party of about 25 people at my house last night. It was a resounding success, and I now proudly share the recipe with my modifications in [brackets].

Rhubarb Bread (K. Kramer, Bettendorf, IA, circa 1982)

2.5 c all purpose flour [I can report that I used 1.5 c whole-wheat flour and 1 c AP to no ill effect]
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
3/4 c granulated sugar
3/4 c brown sugar [as usual, I cut back on the sugar by about 1/3 and used only 1/2 c of each]
2/3 c oil
1 c buttermilk
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1.5 c finely diced rhubarb

separately, for the topping:
1T melted butter [I doubled this :-) for the yum factor]
1/2 cup sugar [I used brown sugar instead of white, again for the yum factor]
1/2 t cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 325F and grease 2 9x5 loaf pans.
2. Combine flour, soda, and salt. [Original recipe says to sift together, yeah right, I put them all in to a bowl and then combined with a wire whisk, again no ill effect]
3. Combine sugars, oil, buttermilk, and egg in another bowl or large measuring cup and whisk together. [The sugars will start to dissolve but won't likely dissolve all the way unless you really whisk, and you don't need to.]
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix sparingly. [Note, this is the muffin method (take note Alton Brown fans) and you don't want to overmix at this stage. The batter can become tough.]
5. Stir in the vanilla and rhubarb just to combine.
6. Pour into prepared pans.
7. Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the batter.
8. Bake 40-45 min. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: This is a moist bread, and the centers of the loaves will likely fall upon cooling. This is not a failure. Those of us living at altitude, probably want to increase the flour by up to 1/4 cup so that it isn't too moist. Second note: I haven't made any experiments with flour soaking etc with this recipe but am interested to learn if anyone else tries...bearing?

Sharing meal prep among friends

A couple of days ago a friend emailed me to ask if we wanted some extra felafel. They had purchased a pack at Costco and feared spoilage before they ate it all. I happily accepted and planned a meal.

This morning I made tatziki sauce (so many possible spellings!) - from 1 c plain yogurt, 1 peeled seeded and chopped cucumber, 1 t red wine vinegar, 1 T olive oil, and about 2 cloves of chopped garlic. It got to rest in the fridge all day. When I got home I put the pre-made felafel into a 350F oven for about 25 minutes to crisp and washed some romaine lettuce. I then assembled entree salads with the romaine, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, felafel, and some roasted beets (discovered in our garden on Saturday - they had grown late in the season and overwintered!) that I tossed into a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water last night in an effort to recreate the yummy Armenian pickles that they serve at Mazza. We used the tatziki as dressing. I had mixed up a loaf of bread yesterday that J baked, and we rounded out the meal with fresh bread spread with the leftover baba ghanouj that I made on Sunday.

Nice!

We call it "special bread"

I have mentioned The Flying Biscuit Cafe Cookbook before. I have the original edition which is now out of print and used copies are selling for shocking amounts of $$ on Amazon.com. Recently I found the new edition at the library, and now this version is saved in my Amazon cart for the next time I decide to spend money. In the meantime, I shamelessly admit to scanning some of the recipes.

Here's the first one I made. They call it a cross between a scone and a cookie.

Organic Oatmeal Biscuits (Flying Biscuit Cafe Cookbook by Delia Champion, p. 22)

2 cups organic rolled oats (no reason to use organic if you don't want to)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces (I'll admit to using salted butter)
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar (I used light)
1 3/4 t double-acting baking powder
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 cup whole milk (I used 2% with no apparent harm, and actually I used more than 1/2 cup - it was probably 2/3 to almost 3/4 of a cup instead. Start with the 1/2 and add more as needed until the dough comes together. Out here in the desert I often use more liquid than baking recipes suggest. This recipe was created for Atlanta - I'm pretty sure that my flour and oats are drier than theirs!)

1. In a food processor, coarsely chop oats and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Pulse flour, butter, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor (no need to rinse the bowl) until mixture becomes a coarse meal.
3. Add milk and blend until mixture just forms a sticky dough. Add oat mixture and knead 3-4 times until just barely mixed. Do not over mix (this makes for a tough final product).
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (my note - haven't you already done that so that you could knead in step 3? I think yes...) Halve dough and pat each into a 6x3 inch rectangle. ** Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (2-12 hours).
5. Preheat oven to 375F. Cut loaves into 24 1/2 inch thick slices. Bake on a large, un-greased sheet pan in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes.

** May I suggest that before allowing the dough to firm up, you press some chopped pecans into one surface or sprinkle the surface with cinnamon sugar? I tried both with yummy results.

Would also be nice with blueberry sauce or possibly even whipped cream, but then it is looking more like dessert.

These are surprisingly filling, and you will likely find yourself with leftovers. I froze the leftovers wrapped tightly in plastic and then placed in an air-tight container, and they survived the freezing very well.

Cook once, eat twice

Platitude, platitude, platitude.

I know that you have all heard the suggestion about cooking once and eating twice to improve your kitchen efficiency. It sounds great, but here's the thing - we don't like leftovers in our house. That's why I try to transform leftovers into something else. It's a whole new challenge.

Yesterday, however, I had a small helper for scrubbing potatoes, so I decided to boil 9 potatoes instead of the 3-4 that we actually needed. We'd eat some for dinner and keep the rest for inclusion in a fritatta or something later in the week. But then I thought, wait a minute, one needs boiled potatoes for potato salad, too, and we always like that, and it is better if it sits for a day.

So that's what I did - served a smaller amount of the boiled potatoes tossed with butter, parsley and thyme for dinner, and used the rest to make a dilly potato salad for tonight.

Hence I also boiled some eggs. I have a small helper who likes to help peel them, too. We had some deviled for dinner last night, and some went into today's potato salad. The gut munchkin in me really likes deviled eggs, and we are eating them frequently this winter.

The Best Waffles

One upside to these waffles could also be construed as a downside - you have to decide the night before that you are going to make them and then prep the batter after dinner. That's the hard part. OK, that and the fact that they take longer to cook than regular waffles.

I follow the recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham, 13th Edition (1990).

Raised Waffles

1/2 cup warm water - works better if you remove the chlorine by using Brita (or similar) pitcher water warmed in the microwave.
1 package dry yeast (those of us who use yeast frequently are more likely to have it in a jar. 2 1/4 teaspoons is the same as a package, but if you use de-chlorinated water then 2 t is plenty.)

2 cups warm milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup melted butter (can use only 1/4 cup with no ill results)
1 t salt
1 t sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 eggs
1/4 t baking soda

1) Get a large mixing bowl and add the yeast. Stir in the water and let it stand while you prepare the rest.
2) Put the milk in a saucepan on the stove and add the butter and sugar and salt. Warm slowly so that the milk doesn't scald and the butter melts. Make sure that you can stick your finger in the milk before you add it to the yeast-y water or you will kill the yeast.
3) Add the flour to the water and yeast mixture that has been waiting for you.
4) Carefully add the milk mixture and whisk away to get rid of lumps.
5) Cover your bowl with a dinner plate and let stand on the counter overnight. It is a good idea to check for bubbles in the batter before you go to bed to make sure that you didn't kill the yeast. If there aren't bubbles, add another 1 t of yeast and consider a backup plan for breakfast.

In the morning...
1) Preheat your waffle iron.
2) Mix the eggs and baking soda into your batter which will have increased considerably overnight. Whisk it well.
3) The batter is very thin - be careful not to use too much for your waffle iron or it will make a mess.
4) These take a pretty long time to cook, so rather than relying on a timer or a beeper on your waffle iron, watch for the steam to cease. Then they are done.

Macaroni and Cheese

A long time ago I promised to blog this, and I never did.

Now it can be off my to-do list.

Reliable Macaroni and Cheese, adapted from the Flying Biscuit Cookbook and Alton Brown

What you need, in order:

~3/4 pound of cooked pasta -- FB suggests 8 ounces of penne, but I don't think that is enough. AB reminds us that for a sauce like this, a noodle with a hole is optimal for holding sauce, but this can also be done successfully with rotini. I wouldn't use spaghetti, fettucine, or farfalle though. I generally cook the whole box and then set aside a couple handfuls of plain noodles because they are a great snack for Z.

4 ounces butter - recipes specify unsalted butter and then add salt. I use whatever butter I have and then adjust seasonings accordingly

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1T dry mustard powder

2 cups milk - 2% or higher fat. If you use skim it won't work properly, I promise.
1/4 t of cayenne pepper
1.5 t worcestershire sauce

small onion, chopped
(1-2 cups steamed, chopped broccoli or another veg that you have on hand) You don't have to use the veg, but it is nice, and a good way to have a 1 dish meal.

variety of cheese:
always about 6 ounces extra sharp cheddar, grated
2-4 ounces crumbled blue cheese adds nice flavor if your family likes it
4-6 ounces goat cheese adds a lot of creamy goodness if you have some
* FB suggests 1/4 cup of asiago or parmesan - I think that this can get too salty fast so use with care

dry bread crumbs

1. Cook the pasta and set aside. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Find your appropriate casserole dish -you don't need one with a lid. Round ones minimize dry corners. If you like dry corners, then use a rectangle.
3. Make a roux. Melt the butter in a relatively large saucepan and whisk in the flour and mustard powder. Keep it moving for 2-5 minutes to cook out the floury taste and get the starch working.
4. Slowly whisk in the milk, be careful not to scald it.
5. Add the cayenne and worcestershire. (AB adds a bay leaf here, too.)
6. Add the onions.
7. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes.
8. Remove from heat. (Remove the bay leaf if you added one.)
9. Stir in the blue cheese, about 2/3 of the cheddar, the veg, and the cooked noodles. This is why you need a pretty big saucepan! Get it nice and mixed.
10. Put the noodle mixture into your casserole dish.
11. Sprinkle remaining cheddar and the goat cheese atop the casserole and top with bread crumbs.
12. Bake about 30 minutes.
13. Let stand for a few minutes before serving so that the cheese can set a bit and it isn't so collapse-y.

Total time = about 45 minutes (once you get efficient at multitasking). Bonus: you can clean most of it while the casserole bakes, so this minimizes the post-dinner cleanup.
We generally get about 12 adult servings from this and a few toddler-sized ones depending on what other dishes I serve with it.

Also excellent with leftover cut up ham or even chicken stirred in for a meatier version, but not necessary.

Alton Brown fans will recall that his mac and cheese recipe, the one that used to be my standard, includes an egg that one must temper in so that it doesn't scramble. After doing it both ways many times, I don't feel that the added benefit of the egg is worth the effort. YMMV.

Also, the Flying Biscuit cookbook that I have is now out of print, and there is a new edition. I can't comment on the new edition. Must see if they have it at the library!!