Lacto-fermented turnips

Sywinn and I were talking about this today. If ou find yourself with a few extra turnips, you can make a quart of this. Far and away the best way to eat turnips, IMO. So, so good and good for you. Also, incidentally, the only ferment that Hugo would happily eat besides pickles.

This will seem very easy, and it is.

5 pounds turnips
3 tablespoons salt
Wide mouthed glass or lead-free vessel. If you are making a lot you can use a fod grade bucket.

1) Chop the turnips. We made them this year in like steak and shake fry thickness and about an inch long. Perfect. You can also grate them witha food processor, but they will not be as crunchy that way.

2) Place one layer of turnips in your jar. Sprinkle with salt. You ca pound them down a little.

3) add another layer of turnips and salt.

When you are done using your salt and turnips, you will need to weigh down the turnips. A plate that covers them with a jar filled with water over it is fine. You can cover the whole thing loosely with a cloth. Do not seal it to air.

Within a couple hours, the weight should have pushed all the turnips under water - the turnips will release quite a bit of water.

After a few days, wipe away any mold and check the taste. The most important thing is to make sure the turnips are under the brine. After 2-4 weeks, refrigerate. It will keep for several months in the fridge.

Thats it!

This is also, incidentally, how you make saurkraut, old-fashioned pickles, kim-chi and any number of other sour vegetables. Beets and kale are really great this way too.

Fermentation is a very healthy way to preserve the harvest - each bite of raw femented veggies will be full of the same kind of healthy bacteria that you get in yogurt, in addition to other healthy stuff. A fermented veggie is pretty salty, but less so than, say a vinegar pickle.

Enjoy!

Kids-can-make pancakes

I haven't posted much here lately, mostly because I really don;t follow recipes. However, Hugo and I have been having such great success and fun with these pancakes, I wanted to share. The "recipe" is flexible enough that Hugo can almost make them with just verbal direction. Awesome! Not measuring things carefully really cuts down on prep time and makes these pancakes something that we make at least once a week before adam and hugo leave for the day.

All measurements are approximate and *heaping*. We usually use a single dry measuring cup and a tea-spoon or small cereal spoon.

1 cup whole wheat flour (right now we have whole wheat white which works really well)
1 cup fine-ground corn meal
1 tsp baking powder
half of that of baking soda and also salt

2 eggs
1-3 cups liquid (milk, soymilk, yogurt, etc) (everyone likes a different thickness. You will have to add water if you use thick yogurt)

Apple cider vinegar (you will need a couple cap-fuls if you are not using a sour liquid like yogurt or buttermilk
Dollop of oil
smaller dollop of honey

Banana slices, nut, chocolate chips, berries (we usually use frozen blueberries) or whatever, however much you want.


Mix dry
Add wet
Add fruit

Cook like a normal pancake, although since they are whole grain, a slower, slightly cooler pan works better, I think.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos

Christina posted a version of these burritos a year ago but this version involves no slow cooker. Besides, I always like to see variations on recipes, so I thought I'd share my version here, too. I calculated the cost of this meal while we were eating it and I was so pleased to discover that (excepting spices, which I always have on hand) I fed the four of us with plenty of leftovers (2 lunches worth) for $5.50 and that's including good cheddar and canned beans. Plus it's fast... you can't beat that!

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & diced (about 3 cups)
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2c black beans cooked (or one can, rinsed)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt to taste

8 flour tortillas, warmed
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar

Directions:
In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt butter and saute onions til clear. Add sweet potatoes, garlic, cumin, oregano and chili powder. Cook til sweet potatoes are soft, using apple juice or water to keep them from sticking to pan. When sweet potatoes are done, add beans and salt to taste. Cook til beans are heated through. Serve with warmed tortillas and cheese. You can add sour cream, salsa, avocado and/or cilantro as garnish if you wish! Enjoy!

Thanksgiving

Thought I'd start a Thanksgiving post, it will be good for future reference. What are you making? What do you make? And will Sonya post her spinach casserole please? ;)
This is the first year we're having it with just our immediate family so I'm keeping it small. Debating about whether to do roasted root vegetables or mashed potatoes.
Also, Jason wants to ditch the turkey concpet and have steak. Maxine wants turkey though.
I'm thinking, if you post a T-day recipe, put a "Thanksgiving" label on it.

Pasta with a Creamy Mushroom Sauce

I made this tonight for supper and oh.my.goodness was it good. The recipe is one I made up, but I'm sure there are a million like it. I'll get as close as I can to actual measurements. The directions look kinda complicated but basically this is a white sauce with mushrooms braised in white wine. Pretty simple. The sauce took 1/3 the time of the pasta to cook!

Boil your favorite pasta al dente.

Sauce:
slice 16 oz mushrooms (we used baby bella's)
saute in 2 or 3 cloves crushed garlic and olive oil for 2 or 3 minutes

add:
1/3 c dry white wine (you could add water if you don't have any wine but you'd be missing out!)
1 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
cook for 5 -7 minutes on med-high til mushrooms are soft.

In a separate saucepan on med high, melt:
2 Tbs butter, when melted add
2 Tbs flour

Whisk together til smooth. Cook for 2 minutes on high, stirring constantly.

while whisking, add:
1 1/2 -2 c milk or cream (this measurement is a guess, basically you are thinning the sauce to the consistency you like)

When smooth, add:
braised mushrooms
1/4 c parmesan cheese (optional but yummers!)
adjust seasoning and sauce consistency. If sauce is too thick add a touch more cream/milk/wine/water. If it's too thin, cook it a little longer or add a teaspoon of flour to thicken.

Serve sauce over pasta!

Pumpkin biscuits

I love anything pumpkin, especially in Fall, so I was excited to try these. They are very yummy! Like any biscuit, just remember to not overwork the dough. I did because the dough was stickier than I would have liked, maybe because I was out of butter and had to use margarine? Anyway, still tasty-I served mine with a roast chicken dinner.

1 and 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 c. plus 1 and 1/2 tsp cold butter, divided

3/4 c. canned pumpkin

1/3 c. buttermilk

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut in 1/2 c. butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine pumpkin and buttermilk; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened.

2. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times. Pat or roll out to 1-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. (I used a drinking glass.) Place 1 in. apart on a greased baking sheet.

3. Bake at 425 for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Melt remaining butter; brush over the biscuits. (I skipped this step.) Serve warm.

*We've been enjoying the leftovers toasted in the morning for breakfast.

Yield: 6 biscuits

Curried Squash with Winter Greens

This soup smells amazing when it cooks and is packed with nutrition. My whole family loves it! A great way to use up the last of the harvest from the garden.

1 T. canola oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 large tomatoes, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger root

1 T. curry powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

4 c. peeled, diced butternut squash (I didn't measure, just used a whole one.)

5 c. water (You could use veg or chick broth for more flavor.)

2-3 c. coarsely chopped spinach, chard, or kale (I didn't measure this either, just used 1 bunch of kale.)

2 carrots, shredded (optional-this was my addition for more nutrition and a little sweetness.)

In a large saucepan (I used my cast iron dutch oven), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute over low heat. Add the squash and water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. (While simmering, I shredded the carrots directly into the pot.)

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the squash is tender, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the greens and cook for 10 minutes.

Transfer to a food processor fitted with a steel blade (or to a blender) and process until smooth, about 10 seconds. (I used my immersion blender.)

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve at once.

Zucchini Crisp

We had a crazy amount of zucchini from our garden and you can only make so much zucchini bread. I found this recipe online and it worked out more like a crisp than a cobbler (as it was advertised as such). Still super tasty and I didn't tell anyone it was zucchini until they ate it and loved it.

8 c. peeled and chopped zucchini
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 c. sugar (I used less)
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg

In a large skillet over medium heat cook zucchini and lemon juice until tender, about 15 minutes. Add sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; simmer one minute. Remove from heat and add ½ cup of the crust mixture.

Crust:
4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 ½ c. cold butter (NOT margarine)

Combine flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. (I began with my pastry blender but found that my fingers worked so much better with this amount of butter) Set aside ½ cup for the filling. Take ½ of the remaining mixture and pat into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread zucchini mixture over crust. Crumble remaining crust over the filling. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 375• for 35-40 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Apple Cobbler

Just made this apple cobbler. The recipe is so good! It's as simple as a crisp to put together but is a little more satisfying to eat, like pie.

Hit me with your best lunch (or snack)!

Things have been a little quiet around here, so let's mix it up! A while ago I remember someone posting favorite breakfast recipes and the rest of us sharing in the comments section. Breakfasts are pretty easy and standard around here, but I find we have a hard time sticking to healthy but quick & easy lunches and snacks. So, let's share! What's your favorite lunch or snack with the kids?

I'll start things off. For lunches, beyond the old standard of PB & J we also really like Dutch pancakes (or oven pancakes). These can be made with fruit for a sweeter version or with veggies for a savory version.

Preheat oven to 400F
Melt 1 Tbs butter into cast iron pan or 9" pie pan

In bottom of pan spread evenly:
(sweet) 2 apples, peeled and sliced thinly. Bake til soft, about 10 min. Sprinkle 2 tsp sugar and dash of ground cinnamon across.
OR
(savory) 3/4c steamed asparagus or wilted greens with garlic.

Mix til smooth:
3/4c milk
2/3c flour (I use whole wheat)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
(for sweet version add: 2 tsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp vanilla)

Pour over ingredients at bottom of pan. Bake til puffed and golden brown, 20-25 min. For savory version, sprinkle shredded cheese over top and serve. For sweet version, dust with powdered sugar and serve (or serve with warm honey or maple syrup).

Candied Nuts

I did these with walnuts but I imagine they would work just as well as pecans or almonds for that matter. These are amazing, just ask the lucky ladies that got to try them.

1 lb walnuts whole, shelled

1 c sugar

2t ground cinnamon

1/4 t ground nutmeg

1/4 t salt

6T milk

1t vanilla extract

heat oven to 350, toast the nuts for about 10 minutes or so. (as soon as you can smell them, remove them from the oven)

heat sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and milk in a saucepan until soft ball stage, 236 degrees (I really did use a candy thermometer for this because I was afraid of the sugar not melting all the way and being grainy on the finished nut).

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Stir in nuts and spread them on waxed paper being sure to seperate well.

Serve when cool.

Fried Green Tomatoes

We had these for supper tonight with quesadillas and beet greens (I know, kinda mixing our cultures here). Daniel *loved* them which is good since the only reason we're making these at the beginning of tomato season is he keeps picking green tomatoes! It's quick & simple and everyone can grow tomatoes for their own little crop of green tomatoes.

Ingredients

3 medium, firm green tomatoes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
1/4 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Method

1 Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.

2 Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until brown. As you cook the rest of the tomatoes, add olive oil as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Replenishing drink...

So, I've had a couple random conversations in the past week re: dehydration and I've mentioned this replenishing drink recipe (for restoring electrolytes, like PediaLyte or Gatorade). Linsey has a slightly different recipe that maybe she can pipe in with too. We use this in the summer as well as when we've got a bad round of a stomach virus.

1 quart water
1-2 Tbs honey
2 Tbs lemon juice (or juice of 1 lemon)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Mix and drink. I prefer mine super cold in the summer. Also, you can replace the water & lemon juice with 1/2 quart water & 1/2 quart of orange juice if preferred.

Chilled Beet Soup

1 16-ounce can diced beets (I use about 4 beets, boiled 'til fork tender and pealed and diced)
1 slice onion (I use about 1/2 a medium onion)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (I've had good luck with just water)
1 t sugar
1/2 salt
1/4 pepper
1T lemon juice
dash ground cloves
lemon slices (optional)
sliced green onions (optional)

Put it all in a blender and blend until very smooth. Chill. Use lemon slices and green onions as garnish.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

These were so good with maple syrup and chopped nuts on top! The kids ate them, too! I put some cinnamon in mine, too, and didn't sift anything.

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
* 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 1/4 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1/4 cup butter, melted

Preparation:
Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop by tablespoons onto hot greased griddle or skillet and fry, turning once, until browned on both sides.
Makes about 24 pancakes.

Bread Machine Jam

This is SO quick and easy and makes the house smell amazing! I had a ton of organic raspberries from the sale this week and made one regular and 3 double batches of this today! Our freezer is stocked!

Strawberry Jam

1 c. sugar

1 T. powdered low-sugar fruit pectin (I bought the regular kind by mistake but it turned out fine.)

1 and 1/2 c. fresh strawberries, sliced OR same amount of raspberries or other fruit mashed with potato masher)

2 tsp. lemon juice

1. Combine all ingredients into bread pan.

2. Select Basic setting.

3. Let machine run 5-6 minutes, scraping sides of the pan with rubber spatula. Stop machine to cancel.

4. Select Bake setting and re-start machine.

5. When machine is done (mine is a 1 hour cycle), turn it off. Use oven mitts to remove the pan. Pour jam into containers; cover. Refrigerate to set. Makes about 3 cups. Can be doubled. Can be frozen.

Strawberry water

This is what I'm doing with some of the berries we picked at the farm today.

--a little more than 1 cup whole strawberries, hulled and damaged sections removed
--about 1 1/2 c sugar
--about 6 cups water

Dissolve sugar in water over low heat. Once dissolved, bring to boiling, and add the berries. Cover and turn off heat. Let sit for at least one hour.

Strain though cheese cloth until all liquid has been drained. Do not press the pulp; just let it drip.
The recipe says that the pulp is tasty to eat. I might mix it with yogurt.

Chill the water and enjoy!

Linsey's Green Pasta Sauce

OK, so I've sorta worked out a loose recipe for this (which Linsey had at playgroup last week). We've eaten it twice in the past week with different greens and it's a big hit even with Jim who is honestly the least likely to eat spinach of all of us!

(note: all measurements are loose so feel free to fiddle with it)
combine in blender (or my new favorite toy: Magic Bullet):
1 Tbs Tahini
2 Tbs. water
2-3 cloves fresh garlic
2 Tbs parmesan
blend til smooth

Add 2-3 c. of fresh soft greens (chard w/out the spines, spinach arugula or a combo thereof) and blend til it's a smooth sauce. You might need to add a bit more water so your blender works. This makes about 3/4 c. sauce which I toss with noodles and serve.

This makes more than enough to cover a pound of spaghetti.

Teff Peanut Butter Cookies

This is from the package of Bob's Red Mill Teff flour and I think the recipe is by Leslie Cerier. Joe has made these a handful of times for us at the farm and they are super yummy! I haven;t yet but plan to try them with buckwheat since I tend to have that on hand vs teff.

1 1/2 c. teff flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c maple syrup
1/2 c canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter

preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside an ungreased cookie sheet. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients, set aside. In a food prcessor, blend syrup, oil, vanilla & peanut butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and blend well. Shape dough into walnut sized balls. Place on cookie sheet and flatten gently with the tines of a fork. Bake 13-15 mintes. Cool on a wire rack. Yields 24 cookies.

Buckwheat Crepes aka Galettes

We've been enjoying these as a way of eating whatever is available for harvest that night. Tonight I made a filling of fresh asparagus, lamb's quarters, arugula, potato & onion and sprinkled some Mozarella cheese on the crepe as it was frying. It's a super quick fairly nutritious supper! There is some specific equipment involved: a griddle is awesome but a plain old frying pan will work; a long cake/icing spatula is pretty good for folding the crepe but if you have a heat resistant silicone spatula that will work too! Oh and I don't have time to rest the batter overnight so I throw in an extra egg and whick together just before serving.


2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs (or 4 if you won't be resting the batter for a long while)


In a blender, or with a whisk, mix together all the ingredients until smooth. Cover and chill overnight.

To fry the crêpes, remove the batter from the refrigerator about an hour before frying. Stir it briskly; it should be the consistency of heavy cream. (If not, you can add a tablespoon of milk.)

Pour a 1/4- 1/3 cup onto the pan, lift and roll the pan to spread the batter thinly & evenly. Allow to cook til the top is no longer visibly wet. Spoon your topping into the center. Carefully scraping the spatula under the crepe, fold the crepe in half, then into a quarter. Slide off the pan and onto a plate. Make another one :)

Some toppings ideas:
traditionally, ham & mozarella or tomato & mozarella are good simple savory crepes. Also Nutella or some lemon juice and some white sugar are traditional sweet crepes. But really, the sky is the limit, use what you've got. The kids (& Jim's) current favorite is cherry jam.

Macaroni & Cheese

This is my friend Jill's recipe. It's handy for playdates and potlucks.


Macaroni and Cheese

3 C. cooked macaroni
1 T. butter or margarine
2 C. Evaporated Milk
3 C. shredded Cheese
1/4 C. finely chopped green pepper (optional)
1/4 C. chopped onion (optional)
1 t. salt
1/4 t. Pepper

Toss macaroni with butter. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased crockpot. Cover and cook for 2 -3 hour, stirring once or twice.


Her notes:
Use any kind of noodles you want. Use whatever cheese you want as long as in melts well. I don't add the green pepper and onion because most people don't care for it.
2 C. of evaporated milk is annoying as it is sold in 12 oz. cans. I make up the difference from one cab with half and half instead of having leftover evaporated milk.

My note:
Watch it on high in the crockpot. I had to turn it down to low after 1.5 - 2 hours because it was cooking too much.

Lebanese Lentil-and-Rice Pilaf with Blackened Onions

Source: Bon Appétit | November 2003

Serve with: Warmed flatbread. Dessert: Vanilla pudding with sliced mango.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth
3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed, picked over
3/4 cup long-grain white rice

2 large onions, sliced

3 tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
1 cucumber, peeled, cut into rounds
Plain yogurt
Chopped fresh mint


Preparation

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions; sauté until soft and beginning to blacken, about 20 minutes.

Season pilaf to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates; top with blackened onions. Place tomatoes and cucumber alongside. Top pilaf with dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle with mint.

I love this and it doesn't take too long. I usually skip the mint because I never have it on hand.

Let's get some links...

if anyone has a cool food blog that you've discovered, add it over there ---->

:-)

Hearty (& fast) Lentil Sausage Soup

This has become our go-to Lentil Soup around here. I highly recommend pairing it with the beer bread she links to as well. My note on the beer bread is to make it with 100% fresh whole wheat, dropping the measurement to 2 1/2 c ww flour and adding 1/2 wheat germ.

Enjoy!

coconut toast

This is a Moll family favorite. It's perfect for overly indulgent brunches.

3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 stick butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups coconut

mix sugar, egg, butter. Spread on bread, sprinkle with coconut
bake 15 min. at 350.
This enough for about 12 slices of bread. We usually use bakery white bread.

Apple Lentil Salad

I've had this in the back of my mind to post for a while. This is also from Simply in Season and is yummy! Perfect for potlucks or light winter dinners!

1c. lentil
2Tbs curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4c.olive oil
2c. water/broth
2 tart apples
1/4 lemon juice/cider vinegar
2 potatoes, cooked, chopped & chilled
1/2-1 small onion, thinly sliced (red looks very pretty in salad)
handful fresh parsley, coarsely chopped.

Soak lentils 15 minutes in hot water.

In large saucepan heat 1/4 c. olive oil and cook curry powder & salt til bubbly. Drain lentils, add to saucepan and fry briefly, maybe 2 min.

Add water. Cook til absorbed, adding more water if needed to cook lentils until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain excess water and allow to cool.

While lentils are cooking peel, cube & cook potatoes. Drain & set aside to cool.

Core & dice apples. Mix with lemon juice or cider vinegar. Add cooled lentils.

Thinly slice onion and coarsely chop handful of fresh parsley. Toss along with chilled potatoes into lentil apple mix. Serve warm or room temperature.

Strawberry Bread

From Simply In Season. Yay, spring!

Strawberry Bread

Spring Greens dip

Everyone really liked this at BG so I thought I'd post it while procrastinating other things. I'd be interested to read other wild/spring green recipes. Since I am determined to start incorporating food from the backyard right now, I am basically limited to weeds and herbs : Wilted, early spring dandelion greens are not very bitter at all. Eat them while you can!

1 Large handful dandelion greens or any other spring or wild green. I think Lamb's Quarters would be fantastic, but they aren't up for another few weeks.
1 Small handful chives or wild onion tops (the green onions in everyone's lawn)
1/3-1/2 box cream cheese
1 cup or to taste of plain wholemilk yogurt.
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop and wilt greens in small amount of water. Drain.
Chop chives
Combine greens and onions/chives with yogurt and cream cheese. A handblender, of course, makes this easy and chops the greens up so fine no little ones will complain.

Couscous and other quick foods.

I'm loving couscous lately because it takes 5 minutes, I just throw some mixed frozen or fresh vegetables in the same pot it cooks in. Top with parmesan, olive oil, salt and pepper. Yum. Other quick foods that are whole foods:

- same as above, only with pasta.

- grilled cheese made with pineapple salsa. I made this up yesterday to make grilled cheese more exciting, and it was good!

- omelets with whatever leftovers thrown in.

- I often have leftover beans and rice b/c we eat that a lot. the quick food version is throwing in the leftover bean/rice mixture w/ cheese in the oven to make burritos.

So what do you make that fits this category?

Palak Paneer (Spinach in Cottage Cheese)

Slightly westernized Indian from Extending the Table. Like everything else I make regularly, it's easy - I like it b/c when I plan on making it, I just have to grab some frozen spinach and a carton of cottage cheese at the store. (You know those grocery trips where you didn't feel like planning meals, so you plan as you go when you are in the store?)

Heat in saucepan:
2 T. oil

Add:
1 large onion, chopped
1-inch piece of ginger, grated, or 1/2 t ground ginger
Fry until golden brown.
Add:
1 lb spinach, chopped
1/8 t red pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt to taste
1-inch piece cinnamon stick
Cook about 10 minutes.
Add:
1 tomato (chopped)(I use canned diced)
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 c. water

Cook about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. When serving, sprinkle w/:
1/2 t ground cumin. Serve over rice.

Sesame Noodles and Tofu

I found this on mothering. It has a nice Thai taste to it. I use it with chicken, any veggies, and rice, also. I do think it tastes best with yummy fried tofu, especially the packaged already fried tofu from Jay International. I ALWAYS use less peanut butter than this. I think peanut butter can be really variable in texture so it's hard to give exact amounts. I start with about 1/2 cup and add more if I think it needs it. Also, I use garlic/ginger paste instead of them separately. It just takes too long to mince those things, I think. The dressing is the important part and could probably be used in countless creative ways.

Serves 3-4
Dressing
Smooth Peanut Butter (organic, without sugar); 1 Cups
Soy Sauce; 1/2 Cups
Water; 2/3 Cups
Fresh Ginger; 4 Tablespoon, peeled and grated
Medium Cloves Garlic; 4, minced
Red Wine Vinegar; 4 Tablespoon
Asian Sesame Oil; 3 Tablespoon
Honey; 4 Teaspoon
Red Pepper Flakes; 2 Teaspoon
Noodles
Dried Thin Linguine; 1/2 Pounds
Scallion; 8, chopped
Red Bell Peppers; 1, thin sliced
Yellow Bell Peppers; 1, thin sliced
Sesame Seeds; 6 Tablespoon
Tofu
Block of tofu, cut into 3 slices horizontally and then cut into triangles
2 tbsp peanut oil

Make the dressing: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Make the noodles: Cook pasta in a 6 to 8 quart pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cool water.

Pan fry the tofu with the 2 tbsp peanut oil over medium high heat.

*Add pasta, scallions, bell peppers, and sesame seeds to dressing, tossing with tofu to combine. Serve immediately.

Roasted Cauliflower

OMG. This is so amazing, it never actually makes it to the plate, ever. Al and I look like vultures over a carcass fighting over pieces. I came across this online and thought "Really? Roast cauliflower?" But, I promise, this is the very best way I've ever eaten cauliflower. And is sooooo easy.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

In a large bowl combine:
1/4 C olive oil
juice 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, mashed
salt and pepper to taste

Chop 1 head of cauliflower into florets, toss into lemon oil mixture.
Dump all into a large baking dish to make one even layer, drizzle leftover lemon oil mix on top.
Roast 12-15 minutes or so. You want slightly burnt pieces, not too burnt though.

Remove from oven and devour!

I imagine you could roast nearly any veggie this way, but this is hands down our favorite.

A taste of Spring to come... Balsamic Strawberries

There were boxes and boxes of dark red strawberries at Costco today and I just couldn't resist. So we had Balsamic Strawberries for Dessert and I thought I'd share the recipe cause it's kinda interesting.

Balsamic Strawberries with Marscapone

1 lb fresh, hulled strawberries ( I quartered mine but if they'rre small you could serve them whole)
2 Tbs good Balsamic vinegar
black pepper
1 tsp of sugar (only if your strawberries aren't quite sweet enough)
1 c marscapone cheese (can be subbed with cream cheese beaten with a touch of honey & thinned with a 1-2 tsp water)

Wash & strain strawberries. Drizzle vinegar over them. Crack a little black pepper over them, stir and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes, but a couple hours is even better. Serve over a spoonful of cheese.

Lentil-Tomato Stew

I have this cooking now and it smells amazing! I put it together in 5 minutes or so when I first got up. Looks like it will make a lot of yummy, healthy food. (One serving has 16 g. of fiber!) It also happens to be vegan. I'm thinking I'll make cornbread to go with it.

3 c. water

28-oz can low-sodium peeled Italian tomatoes, undrained (I couldn't find these so used 2-14 1/2-oz cans of Italian diced tomatoes.)

6-oz. can low-sodium tomato paste

1/2 c. dry red wine

3/4 tsp. dried basil

3/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 lb. dried lentils, rinsed and drained with any stones removed

1 large onion, chopped

4 carrots, cut in 1/2" rounds

4 celery ribs, cut into 1/2" slices

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt (I used less)

fresh basil or parsley, chopped, for garnish

1. Combine water, tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, red wine, basil, thyme, and crushed red pepper in slow cooker.

2. (If using whole canned tomatoes) Break-up tomatoes with a wooden spoon and stir to blend them and the paste into the mixture.

3. Add lentils, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.

4. Cover. Cook on low 10-12 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

5. Stir in the salt. (Oops! I put this in this morning!)

6. Serve in bowls, sprinkled with chopped basil or parsley.

German Pot Roast

We had this Sunday and it quickly became Ava's favorite food! I've never seen her eat like that before! The tender meat and small chunks of potatoes make it very baby-friendly. This is from "Fix-It and Forget It Lightly", which I've been relying on a lot lately. This makes a hearty, satisfying meal that's also pretty healthy. 

Makes 12 servings/Ideal slow-cooker size: 5 quart

2 lbs boneless, lean pork roast (I used a smaller one)

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 medium-sized onions, sliced

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

14 1/2-oz. can low-sodium tomatoes

1. Place pork roast in slow cooker. (I did not trim the fat off mine. It made the meat juicier and more flavorful. Some larger pieces of fat came off during cooking and I discarded them.)

2. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.

3. Add remaining ingredients.

4. Cover. Cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 7-8 hours.

Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies

I remembered Jenny making these so I googled them and changed them a little and they're delicious. I put my changes in ()

1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar brown sugar (a little less)
¾ cup trans fat free soft tub margarine spread (used butter)
2 large egg whites (used one egg)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (aka garbanzo beans)
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
¾ cup raisins (optional) (didn't use, gross)
2 cups all purpose flour (used a little more due to butter melting a little)
½ cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 t salt

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and margarine with a wooden spoon or on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, then the chickpeas and chocolate chips (put chips in after everything else). Add the flour, oats, baking soda and salt, and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms. (In retrospect, I should have mashed the chickpeas with a fork before putting them in the bowl, but it didn't matter that much. It was hard to taste even the intact chickpeas in the cookies.)

Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Press gently with a fork to flatten. Bake until the cookies are golden brown and just set, 11 to 13 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Sweet potato corn muffins

The whole vegetables in disguise thing. Which I have to do not only for Maxine, but for Jason. Someone tell me why they won't eat a cooked sweet potato, but they'll gobble up like 4 of these muffins. Anyway! I made these with sweet potato puree, and they turned out great. I've had the same bag of dried dulse for this recipe for 4 years, good thing it never goes bad.
squash and corn muffins - FTWF

Cooking Questions

Why is it that every time I try to make enchiladas, they end up a big lumpy formless mess? I seriously want to make my own enchiladas so I'm not tempted to go to places like Chevy's but whenever I follow recipes, the tortillas won't stay together. I always use corn tortillas. Maybe this is the problem. And sometimes I think that maybe I should not bake with the sauce (add it afterwards) but then they'd dry out, right?
Why is it that every time I try to add things to pancake batter (sliced bananas, frozen blueberries, etc.), the pancakes stay wet in the middle? I tend to just top the pancakes after they're cooked, but I really want the stuff embedded within the pancakes.
TIA to any knowledgable people!

Whole Wheat chocolate cake

I really wanted to make a cake today with Hugo, but alas, we were without a car and lacking lots of staple cake ingredients. I scoured the internet until I found this recipe whcih was close enough to what I had to make. I made some substitutions - the original called for sour cream, but thats just not something I would ever have. So I subbed whole fat yogurt. If you have more time and some cheese cloth I think the recipe would be even better if you drained the yogurt for about 30 minutes. Or, if its a new container use the creamy stuff on the top or use labneh.

Anyway, this cake is wonderful!! I really like eating whole-grain treats - it helps me avoid sugar triggered migraines and helps avoid those crazy blood sugar swings you get with all white-carb treats. I like the taste of whole wheat too. But this is definitely decadent treat food. No applesauce instead of butter here. I imagine it would be good with sucanat or maple syrup too.

Decadent Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

* 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
* 1 1/4cups sifted organic whole wheat pastry flour
* 2 tsp baking soda (1 tsp if you are using sourcream)
* 1/4 tsp sea salt
* 1/4 cup butter, softened at room temperature
* 1 1/4 cup natural brown sugar, lightly packed
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
* 1/2 plain whole milk yogurt
* 1/2 cup boiling water

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Grease and flour a 9” cake pan.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.
3. Melt the chocolate and then allow it to cool slightly. Be careful to not allow it to harden.
4. Beat the butter and sugar for two minutes. Add the eggs and beat for an additional two minutes. Beat in the vanilla and cooled chocolate.
5. Gradually stir in the sifted flour mixture in approximate thirds, alternating each time with 1/4 cup of the yogurt.
6. Stir in the boiling water. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
7. Bake for 25 minutes. Do not overbake this cake! Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

I frosted this with an almond butter frosting. Its great. Mix powdered sugar, almond butter and butter to taste. Add milk to get the consistency you want. You can also beat in a spoon-full of coco-powder of an ounce or so of melted bittersweet chocolate. I think I used about 1/2 cup almond butter 1/2 c butter 1c powdered sugar. Not really sure though. I ended up adding more butter at the end.

Snow Ice Cream

Tonight will be the first time I've tried this, so I'm not sure how it tastes but it sounds like a fun and easy project regardless!

Clean snow or crushed ice (approx. 4-5 cups)

1/2 cup powdered sugar (regular sugar works, too)

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Flavored syrup (optional)

1 c. milk or cream

1. Collect some freshly fallen clean snow and put it in a bowl.

2. Sprinkle the sugar in and add some vanilla extract. If you have bottles of flavored syrup like raspberry use a dash instead of the vanilla.

3. Mix the ingredients together until the sugar is dissolved. Add just enough milk to make a nice slushy texture.

Balti Butter Chicken with Pullao Rice

I made this last night and oh my goodness, is it amazing! Al said it was the best he's had. I hope that you like it too! I made the rice first because the chicken didn't take that long to assemble.

Pullao Rice:
1C Basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear
2T butter
4 cloves
4 cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
1t salt
2C water

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add spices. After 2 minutes add rice and fry for 1 minute. Add water, bring it to boil, cover pan and reduce heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with fork.


Balti Butter Chicken:

2/3C plain yogurt
1/2C ground almonds
1.5 t of cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves
1/4t ground cloves
1/4t ground cinnamon
1 t garam masala
4 cardamom pods
1t grated ginger
1t grated garlic
1.25t salt
2 C canned crushed tomatoes
2 lbs (roughly 6.5C) boneless chicken breast, cubed
3T butter
2T olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2T chopped cilantro
3T heavy cream

Mix yogurt, almonds, spices, tomatoes, add chicken, set aside.
Melt butter and oil in a deep skillet, saute onions until they are transparent, about 3 min.
Add the chicken mixture and saute for about 10-12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
Add cilantro, cook for 2 minutes. Add cream, stir and bring to a boil for only 1 minute.
Serve with pullao rice. Enjoy!

Minestrone Soup

I found this online and it makes the most yummy, hearty soup. Really good with the no knead bread.

4 C vegetable broth/stock
4C tomato juice
1t salt
1T basil
1 red pepper, chopped
2 carrots. chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2t garlic powder
1C sliced mushrooms
28oz can whole tomatoes (slice the tomatoes and reserve the juice)
can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed (if you like them)
1.5 cups of pasta (rotini worked great)

Combine all ingredients except pasta in a crock pot on low for 6 hours or until veggies are cooked. Add pasta, cook for 20-30 minutes, depending on your pasta.

Pan-fried tofu with greens and peanut sauce

Variation from a recipe in Feeding the Whole Family. I've been making it for years. It turned out so well tonight with a few modifications, thought i'd post it.
Here's the recipe as found on MDC:

1 pound firm tofu
1-2 tablespoons sesame oil
1-2 large bunches collard greens

Marinade
3 cloves garlic, sliced
4-5 slices (1/8 inch thick) fresh gingerroot
1 cup water
1 tablespoon brown-rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup tamari or shoyu

Sauce
1/4 cup creamy cashew butter
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons tamari or shoyu
1 tablespoon brown-rice vinegar
1 teaspoon grated gingerroot
1-2 teaspoons hot pepper oil
1/3 cup water

In the morning, combine all ingredients for marinade. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch slabs, then cut slabs into triangles. Put marinade and tofu in a glass storage container with a tight-fitting lid.

Heat sesame oil in a skillet. Place marinated and drained tofu pieces in oil and brown on both sides. Set aside. Prepare greens by stripping leaves from stems before washing. Wash greens carefully. (An easy way is to fill your sink with cold water and submerge the leaves.) Bring 2 quarts of water and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt to boil. Submerge greens and boil for 5-8 minutes. Pour cooked greens into a colander in the sink. Let cool. Squeeze out excess water with your hands. Chop into bite-size pieces and set aside.

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small pan over low heat. Using a whisk, mix ingredients until smooth and warm. Add extra water for desired consistency. Serve cooked greens and browned tofu on top of noodles or grains. Drizzle sauce over all.

Makes 4 servings, 1 cup sauce

Preparation time: Overnight for marinade, 30 minutes to make dish

For Babies 10 Months & Older: Reserve some unmarinated tofu, cut into cubes, and serve with bite-size pieces of cooked noodles.

Variation for Children: Separate foods. Serve plain noodles, fried tofu, small pile of greens, and a little bowl of sauce for dipping.

DAWN'S NOTES:
Today I made this with these modifications, which made this easy recipe even easier -
1. subbed powdered ginger for fresh. still good.
2. subbed peanut butter for cashew.
3. subbed frozen broccoli florets for fresh greens. Just boiled them with the soba noodles. Super easy.
4. No hot pepper oil - didn't have any, didn't need it.

Baked Oatmeal

Found this on MDC. This is good stuff, especially for lazy winter mornings or as part of a festive brunch. It's kind of a breakfast dessert--like an oatmeal cake. It's nice to prepare it all the night before and then all you have to do in the morning is put it in the oven and wait 35 minutes. I especially like baked oatmeal with cooked apples on top. You can just peel and slice a bunch of apples and put them in the crockpot with some sugar, cinnamon, and butter (or just by themselves) and put it on high for an hour and the apples are done. But I wouldn't do that in the morning--I would have the apples made ahead of time. Anyway, the baked oatmeal:

1/2 cup applesauce or vegetable oil (I use organic cinnamon applesauce)
3/4 cup sweetener (I use a little less and use a combination of honey and sugar)
2 eggs
1 cup milk (I use light plain soymilk)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 cups regular oats
1/2 cup raisins (or other dried fruit, I like cherries)
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions: Beat together applesauce and sweetener. Mix in eggs, milk, salt, baking powder, oatmeal. Beat well and then stir in raisins. Pour into a lightly greased pie pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Refrigerate overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 350. Bake in preheated oven until firm, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Super Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Icing

Ok, I know folks around here aren't so into the baked goods. But. It's January and we've got a few months of cold, hard, gloomy weather and what's better than chocolate for getting through that, right? So I thought I'd share the recipe for this cake my friend made for me when Grace was born. It's really good (she always makes it for new babies- as an excuse to eat some herself, lol!)

Cake:
Mix together:
1 3/4 c. flour
2 c sugar
3/4 c. cocoa powder
2 t. baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt

Add to dry ingredients:
2 eggs
1 c. strong coffee
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla

Mix for 2 minutes. Pour batter into 2 round cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350'. Cool completely then frost with buttercream frosting.

Frosting:
6 T butter, softened
2 2/3 c powedered sugar
1/2 t. + 3/4 c. cocoa powder
1 t. vanilla
4-5 T milk

Beat sugar, butter, & cocoa powder together until smooth and creamy. Add milk & vanilla and mix til smooth. If too thick, thin with a little more milk.

Cheddar & Bacon Potato Soup

I made this tonight and it was so yummy I have to share! I like potato soups and this was one I pulled together in honor of this super cheddar cheese my aunt got us for Christmas (raw artisan cheddar from a small farm in Vermont!). Anyway, if you're not afraid of fat, give it whirl!

Ingredients:
8 slices of bacon chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 onion finely diced
3 Tbs flour
4 medium potatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
3-4 cups chicken stock or water
1 1/2- 2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded (the better the cheese, the better the soup!!)

1) Cook chopped potatoes in a separate pot until they are just cooked through (still nice and firm). If you want a smooth soup, puree the potatoes now. If you like it chunkier, then leave them be. Set aside.

2) Put the bacon into a hot pot and turn heat to medium-low. Render the fat out of the bacon by cooking it on med-low til the bacon is crispy and there's a lot of fat in the pan (about 10-15 minutes). Add chopped onion and cook til onion is soft & clear. Add flour and cook for another minute, stirring often.

3) Add broth and bay leaf and cooked potatoes, bringing soup to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add shredded cheese, stirring until smooth and completely melted. Remove bay leaf and enjoy!