Turkey Tortilla Soup

I adapted this from a couple different recipes and what I have on hand. Tortilla soup is an outstanding way to use up leftover turkey - especially that weird meat from the bottom of the bird that is never quite cooked enough. Its nice to have such different, bright flavors with t-day leftovers.

Ingredients
1/2 Bunch Cilantro
3+ Garlic cloves
1/2 onion, chopped
2-4 Chipolte Peppers in Adobo sauce*
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock - you could easily make the stock with the turkey carcass, but I didn't bother.
1 Large can tomatoes
1 tbl cumin (best if freshly ground)

Turkey (or chicken) pulled from carcass and coarsely chopped. It doesn't matter how much you have, really, just enough for how ever many people are eating
1 bell pepper (I think this would be awesome with roasted pablano peppers).


Corn tortillas
Oil for frying
Cheese, avocado, cilantro and lime for topping and garnish
Cooked Rice

The To-Do Part
Puree first seven ingredients in large stock pot with immersion blender. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour. If you have some large bones, you can add those to the simmer.

Meanwhile, cook remaining half onion in some oil until tender. Add Turkey and bell pepper and some garlic. Saute for a few minutes until turkey is warmed through or finished cooking.

Cut 20 or so tortillas into strips. Fry in a large frying pan in 1/2 inch hot oil in small batches. You can use chips, but freshly fried tortillas are a very special and yummy treat. Drain twice on paper towels or brown paper bags (I find it works quite well, after the initial draining, to put strips inside a brown bag with some salt for a second draining.)

Assembly
Ladle hot soup over brown rice and turkey/chicken. Top with avocado, a little grated cheese or (even better) crumbled queso fresca, cilantro and lime. Put tortilla strips on top or on the side.

YUM!

Notes: The chipolte peppers give an unroasted tortilla soup a roasted flavor and add heat. These are available st Shnuks now, or, of course Jays or the mexican grocery stores. Buy a tiny can (Herdez is one brand) and freeze what is leftover. Tonight I used 2 chilis with some of the extra sauce and it was fairly mild. I wish I'd used 4. I also added some of our leftover gravy and additional water. This thickened the soup and added even more flavor.

This is my favorite winter soup, and I actually like it better with turkey than chicken.

Easy-Peasy Stove-top Mac n Cheese

If you're like me, you tend to prefer the mac n cheese from the box cause it tastes better than the weird stove-top recipes out there and the texture is usually better. But, I'd also rather not have it with all those little extras and in theory it's a simple recipe. So after a little fiddling around I realized that mac n cheese is really just a cheesy white sauce. And so it's now simpler and cheaper for me to make it from scratch. And it truly takes no more or less time than boiling the water for the noodles. So, here is my mac cheese from scratch recipe, sorry if you already know how to do this! It was a revelation to me :)

This is very adaptable to different sized portions. The following sauce recipe covered about a pound of pasta. For a single portion I would start the white sauce with just 2tsp or maybe 1Tbs of fat & flour. The trick with a white sauce is to keep your proportions of fat:flour equal, everything else is just added from there.

(White Sauce:)
3Tbs butter/oil
3Tbs flour
1/2- 1c milk (more for a thinner sauce, less makes a thicker sauce)

1c shredded cheddar. The better the cheese, the yummier the sauce.
salt & pepper to taste
~1lb noodles

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add flour and whisk all the lumps out. Cook for a minute or two til flour has whitened. Gradually add milk while whisking until you've got the consistency of sauce you want. The longer & hotter the sauce cooks, the thicker it gets so a little runny is not a problem. Once you've got the right consistency, remove pot from heat and stir in cheese, stirring til it's all melted. Mix with hot noodles and enjoy!

Speedy No-Knead Bread

Yet another one of Bittman's versions. This tastes almost just like the 2-day version but takes much less planning!

Time: about 1 hour, plus 4 and 1/2 hours' resting

3 c. bread flour

1 packet (1/4 ounce) instant yeast

1 and 1/2 tsp. salt

oil as needed

1. Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 and 1/2 c. water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl  with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Lightly oil a work surface and place dough on it; fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes more.

3. At least a half hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450. Put a 6-to-8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex, or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under dough and put it into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.

4. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15-30 minutes, unitl loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Fast No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread

Bittman came up with a whole wheat version that can be done in less than a day! We really like it.

Time: About 1 hour plus 5 hours' resting time

2 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. whole rye flour (we didn't have this so we added more w.w. flour)

1/2 c. coarse cornmeal

1 tsp. instant yeast

1 and 1/2 tsp. salt

oil as needed

1. Combine flours, cornmeal, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 and 1/2 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Oil a standard loaf pan (8 or 9 inches by 4 inches; nonstick works well). Lightly oil your hands and shape dough into a rough rectangle. Put it in pan, pressing it out to the edges. Brush top with a little more oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 1 hour more. 

3. Preheat oven to 350. Bake bread about 45 minutes, or until loaf reaches an internal temperature of 210. Remove bread from pan and cool on a rack.

Yield: 1 loaf

Smoked Salmon Pasta

Around the house, we actually refer to this as "Salmon Stuff." It is one of the only things that my husband can cook and he has his technique down! Especially if you have plenty of tasty smoked salmon, it is really hard to screw this recipe up.

4-8 ounces of smoked salmon (not the pink lox that you put on bagels, the more solid stuff with a meaty texture... we like the Whole Foods smoked salmon the best but it is horribly expensive)
2 servings of penne noodles
2-3 green onions
1 small shallot
A little bit of olive oil
A few big spoonfuls of sour cream (maybe 3 heaping tablespoons)
A few squirts of dijon mustard

While noodles are boiling, dice green onions and shallot. Cut salmon into large chunks. Fry the diced shallot in olive oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add sour cream and dijon mustard and mix around. Mix the sauce and the salmon with the cooked noodles. Then add the green onions and serve.

I also like to add diced tomatoes and even chunks of avocado but Jason almost always prevents me from doing so. I like a lot of vegetables and color in my food. Jason says that creamy sauce and tomatoes don't go together. I pointed out that Applebee's does it with their fettucine alfredo but he was unswayed.

100% Whole Wheat Bread

I found this recipe online this weekend (can't find the link now). It is so yummy and soft! It's making a good sandwich bread, too (a little dense and chewy, but not so thick you'll choke).

2c milk
1/4c light brown sugar (I used sucanat and I'm sure you could use honey, too)
1 tsp salt
1/4 c butter
1 c warm water (between 105' & 115')
2 pckg dry active yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
8c whole wheat flour (NOT pastry flour)

1) Heat milk til hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and add sugar, salt & butter. Stir til blended. Set aside and allow to cool til lukewarm.

2) Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve yeast. Add lukewarm milk mixture & mix together.

3) Add 4c. of flour. Beat vigorously until smooth. Gradually add remaining flour. Mix last bit with hands until dough is stiff. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes until smooth & slightly elastic. Place dough in a large, lightly greased bowl. Turn dough so greased portion is up. Cover & allow to rise til doubled in size (roughly 1 hour at 85').

4) Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Divide into two equal balls. Cover & let rest for 10 minutes.

5) Take one ball & cut in half, forming 2 pieces. Roll each piece into 12" long strips. Twist strips together, making a rope. Roll rope into a ball and mold ball into a loaf pan. Repeat with other half of dough. Cover both pans and let rise for an hour or til dough reaches sides of pan.

6) Bake in a preheated 400' oven for 35-40 minutes. Cool on cooling rack. **Optional: brush tops of loaves with melted butter when fresh from oven.

----------------
My notes:
I found I only used maybe 7 cups of flour. I also had to knead this for closer to 10 minutes before I felt like it was smooth enough and had enough elasticity. This may have to do with strength, counter height, etc. Just keep kneading til it feels right (helpful, I know, but kneading time has more to do with how the dough feels than with the actual time on the clock). I put my baking stone on the bottom rack of the oven when I preheated the oven. This helps the oven to maintain an even cooking temperature after I open the oven to put the loaves in. It also shortened the cooking time by at least 8 minutes. And it's super yummy. I'll be (hopefully) making this a lot this winter!

Veggie Burgers

I used to make these a lot when I was in college. It's a good way to make a whole lot of really cheap healthy food. I also used this stuff to make "meatballs" for pasta or "meat" to put in lasagna. This recipe will make a whole lot. I would probably do about a fourth of it if making for the first time just to see if you like it.

2 cups TVP
1 1/2 cup boiling water
2 Tbl Ketchup
2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp marjoram
2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine the ingredients above and let sit for 10 minutes

1/2 cup carrot
1/2 cup celery
1/4 cup scallion (can substitute something else that's oniony or omit and use more of the carrot/celery)
1/4 cup parsley

Mince ingredients above by hand or in food processor. Add to TVP

1/2 cup gluten
1/4 cup flour

Mix gluten and flour. Add this to the TVP veggie mix. Form patties and fry in oil.

Uncooked Cranberry, Orange, and Ginger Relish

Easy and tasty. I'll make this for Thanksgiving.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Gourmet 1991

Yield: Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients
2 teaspoons chopped peeled fresh ginger root
1 large navel orange, including the rind, chopped
a 12-ounce bag of cranberries, picked over
3/4 cup sugar, or to taste

Preparation
In a food processor chop fine the ginger root and the orange, add the cranberries, and pulse the motor until the berries are chopped fine. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the sugar. Chill the relish, covered, for at least 30 minutes. The relish keeps, covered and chilled, for 2 weeks.

Cranberry-Pineapple Relish

This is one of 2 recipes I really like for Cranberry relish. This one uses the least amount of sugar. I believe this was listed under an article of immune boosting recipes.

Martha Stewart Living
November 2007

Ingredients

Makes about 4 1/2 cups.

* 1 navel orange
* 12 ounces (3 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries
* 1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3 cups)
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 1 tablespoon packed light-brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
* Freshly ground pepper, to taste


Directions

1. Grate 2 teaspoons zest from orange. Remove remaining peel and pith from orange, and discard. Holding orange over a bowl, cut between membranes, allowing segments and juice to fall into bowl. Squeeze juice from membranes into bowl, and discard membranes. Slice segments crosswise. Add zest.
2. Pulse half the cranberries in a food processor until finely chopped. Add remaining cranberries, and pulse just until the second addition is coarsely chopped. Add to orange segments and zest, along with pineapple, honey, sugar, salt, and pepper, and gently combine. Cover, and refrigerate overnight (or up to 3 days). Serve chilled or at room temperature.

My notes:
1/2 tsp of salt seemed a touch too much.

Vegan Melty White Sauce

This is kind of like alfredo sauce and is great on fetuccine with broccoli, diced tomatoes, carrots, and things like that. I love it because it's really rich tasting but so much healthier than alfredo sauce.

1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup oats
2 Tbl tahini
1 1/2 Tbl corn starch
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Blend all ingredients. Pour into pan and cook while continually stirring, until very thick. Pour over pasta and steamed vegetables.

Overnight Yeast Waffles

1pk dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup melted butter
2 t sugar
1 t salt
2 cups flour
2 eggs, separated
1/4 t baking soda

*Combine 1t sugar, the warm water and yeast. Allow to foam
*Add milk, butter, 1 t sugar, and salt
*Add flour, and mix until smooth.
*Cover, and let rest overnight.

*Separate eggs, and add yolks to batter
*Add baking soda
*Whisk egg whites and fold into batter
*Bake in pre-heated waffle iron until brown and crispy

Nine-grain Bread

This comes from More Breaking Bread with Father Dominic (PBS pledge premium!). It calls for "nine-grain cereal mix", but I don't keep such things on hand, so I use oats.

Sponge:
1 cup lukemarm water
2 pks yeast
1 cup bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 t brown sugar

Dough:
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 T veg oil
2 T brown sugar
2 t salt
1 cup nine grain cereal mix (or oats)
1/4 cup millet
1/4 flaxseed
4 1/4-5 cups bread flour, divided

For Sponge: Combine water, yeast, bread flour, whole wheat flour and brown sugar in medium bowl; beat until smooth. Let stand 20 mins or until foamy and doubled in volume.

For Dough: Add water, oil, brown sugar and salt to sponge; beat until smooth. Add cereal, millet and flax seed, stir until incorporated. Add 2 cups bread flour; beat until flour incorporated. Repeat with 2 cup bread flour. Add enough of the remaining bread flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, to form a dough. Dough will be sticky but resist the temptation to add too much more flour.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface, Knead 10-12 mins. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place in bowl. Cover w/ a clean, dry cloth and let rise about 1 hour or until doubled.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Diivde dough in half, the form each half into a loaf. Place loaves in lightly greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pans. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise about 45 mins or until doubled.

About 15 mins before end of risingtime, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaves 40-45 mins or until golden brown, slide easily from the pan and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on wire racks.

Easy Dill Pickles

I used regular large cucumbers from the farm to make these last summer and they turned out great! I cut them into 1/4 inch slices instead of the spears the recipe calls for.

1 tsp. yellow mustard seeds

1 tsp. fennel seeds

1 and 1/4 c. water

1 and 3/4 c. white vinegar

1/4 c. sugar

5 garlic cloves, smashed

1 T. salt

8 kirby cucumbers, quartered lengthwise into spears

1 c. chopped fresh dill

1. Toast the mustard and fennel seeds in a large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and salt and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Combine the hot brine, cucumbers, and dill in a large bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

3. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and flavorful, about 10 hours. Drain well before serving.

To make ahead: The pickles can be refrigerated in their liquid, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks. A canning method would preserve them longer.

Easy Bread-and-Butter Pickles

The recipe calls for Kirby cucumbers, but I used the giant ones we got from the farm this year and they were a big hit! I doubled the recipe with no problem.

1/4 tsp. yellow mustard seeds

1/4 tsp. fennel seeds

2 and 1/4 c. water

1 and 3/4 c. white vinegar

1 and 3/4 c. sugar

1 T. salt

3 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

8 kirby cucumbers, sliced into  1/4-inch-thick rounds

1/2 onion, sliced thin

1. Toast the mustard and fennel seeds in a large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Combine the hot brine, cucumbers, and onion in a large bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

3. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and flavorful, at least 10 hours. Drain well and discard the bay leaves before serving.

To make ahead: The pickles can be refrigerated in their liquid, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks. (You could also preserve them using a canning method.)

Bean & Yam Burritos

I came across this when looking for this week's menu. We made them once before and they were fantastic! Most of it is done in the  slow-cooker.

2 med. yams or sweet potatoes

1 large yellow onion

1 green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large green chile

1 T. olive oil

1 T. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 c. frozen corn kernels

1 can kidney beans, drained

4 10-inch flour tortillas

1 c. cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

1. Cut the yams into 1/2 inch cubes. Thinly slice the onion. Stem, seed, and finely chop the bell pepper. Stem, seed, and dice the greed chile. Set aside with the garlic.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and green chile and saute for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for 1 minute more.

3. In a slow cooker, layer half the yams, and then top with half each of the onion mixture, corn, and beans. Repeat the layers. Cover and cook on the Low setting until the yams are tender, 5-6 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 350. Divide the mixture evenly among the tortillas and scatter with the cheese. Fold to enclose the filling and place in a greased baking pan. Cover with foil and bake the burritos for 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I made hamburger and mushroom pizza on Friday and the crust was so amazingly good. Here is how I made it:

1 teaspoon honey (I let Alex be in charge of this and sometimes she squeezes more in)
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
(This is enough for two pizzas. I typically cook one half of it and save the other half in the fridge for sometime in the next couple of days.)

Preheat oven to 425. Put the water, yeast, and honey in a bowl. Cover and let it sit for about 10 minutes--this should make it foamy. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, separate the dough into two pieces, coat each piece in oil and put in separate covered bowls. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Spread out dough on greased cookie sheets. Bake for about 5 minutes. Take out of oven and spread on sauce, cheese, and toppings. Bake for another 15 minutes or so (until cheese looks golden brown).

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Another  slow-cooker recipe I haven't tried, but will soon. It looks perfect for this time of year!

6 scallions

2 ribs celery

1 zucchini

1 carrot

2 medium potatoes

1 large tomato

2 chicken thigh fillets

2 T. butter

8 c. chicken broth

salt and pepper

2 oz. green beans

1/2 c. fresh or frozen peas

2 T. chopped parsley

1/4 c. uncooked rice

1. Finely chop the scallions and celery. Finely dice the zucchini, carrot, and potatoes> Core, halve, seed, and chop the tomato. Skin the chicken thigh fillets, trim away any fat, and finely dice the meat.

2. Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, celery, zucchini, and carrot; cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 mintues.

3. Transfer the vegetables to a slow cooker and pour in the broth. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, and chicken meat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Close and cook on Low for 8-10 hours. About 4 hours before serving, dice the green beans and stir them in along with the peas, parsley, and rice.

5. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped chives. Serve with lots of good crusty bread.

Slow-cooker Minestrone

I haven't made this yet, but it looks yummy! It says prep time is only 20 minutes and it serves 6-8. The quantities are a little strange, surely you could fudge it with what you have, if you don't have a kitchen scale. (Nerd that I am, I do have one!)

1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 slices bacon, finely diced bacon (discard rinds)

2 ribs celery, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

1/4 c. olive oil

8 c. chicken broth

1 c. canned chopped tomatoes

2 T. tomato paste

5 oz. cabbage

4 oz. green beans

2 oz. macaroni

salt and pepper

10 oz. canned kidney beans, drained

1. Heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, bacon, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Transfer to a slow cooker and add the broth. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Put on the lid and cook on the Low setting for 4-5 hours. About 2 and 1/2 hours before the soup is done, thinly shred the cabbage and cut the green beans into 1-inch pieces, and add along with the macaroni.

3. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans and cook a few more minutes until they are heated through. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with shredded basil leaves and grated Parmesan.

Migas

In the breakfast thread I totally forgot my favorite breakfast ever. Migas. Oh, how I love thee. I figured Migas were deserving of their own post.

So, if you go out for breakfast anywhere in Texas, south New Mexico or Northern Mexico, you will encounter Migas. From taco stands to IHOP, Migas are everywhere. Basically, Migas are scrambles eggs with left over tortillas. So good. And I'm thinking about Migas because Adam is in Austin eating Migas and breakfast tacos everyday.... sigh. Here is my basic recipe.

5-6 Corn tortillas (no flour, gringas!)
5 Eggs
1 Jalepeno diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
Oil for frying
Handful of cooked black beans, veggies, chorizo, or other savory something
Large handful of cheddar cheese

Heat a couple Tbl of oil in heavy bottomed pan. Tear tortillas into bite sized pieces. Cook in oil with onion until browning around the edges and otherwise soft. Add garlic. Add Jalepenos and other ingredients. Finally add eggs, either scrambled or you can scramble in pan. When eggs are mostly set, add cheese and cover or cook until melted.

Serve with refritos, tortillas, salsa and maybe some potatos. Migas con papas y refritos! Yum!

The word Migas comes from the spanish for crumbs and basically means leftovers. Like omelets, migas are a great way to use up the leftovers from dinner the night before.

Peanut Butter Cookies

The easiest cookies I've ever made! Zoe was able to help a lot and it was only a few minutes of prep. The whole batch fit on one big cookie sheet so the oven didn't have to be on long and I didn't have dozens of cookies sitting around to tempt me, just enough to satisfy my craving.

1 c. peanut butter (chunky or creamy, we use all-natural)

1 c. sugar, plus more for rolling

1 egg

(Seriously, those are the only ingredients! I was skeptical too, but it really works!)

1. Heat oven to 375. Stir together all ingredients.

2. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Press each ball down with a fork in 2 directions to make a criss-cross pattern. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges just start to brown. Cool on wire racks.

From Parents magazine, Oct. 2008

Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers

This is an all time favorite in my house. In fact, maybe I'll make it this weekend. It's good old fashioned Italian soul food :) The recipe calls for serving with crusty rolls (which is our favorite, but an expensive option) or buttered egg noodles. We've also had it over just about every grain: quinoa, brown rice, couscous, etc. From Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker a favorite slow cooker cook book :)

3 large bell peppers, assorted colors, cut into chunks
1 large onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic
salt & freshly ground pepper
1 Tablespoon thyme
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds assorted sausages
1/2 cup dry red wine

1. Put the peppers in the slow cooker. Add onion and garlic and toss to combine. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt & pepper and all of the thyme.
2. IN a large skillet, heat oil. Brown all of the sausages on all sides, pricking with a fork. Place on top of vegetables in cooker. Add wine to skillet & deglaze pan. Pour into cooker. Cover & cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. Serve hot.

My notes:
This can be made with double the amount of peppers. The onion is nice sliced in long chunks, just cook a couple minutes first to take the weird onion-slow-cooker-taste away. Beer works fine instead of red wine (and I'm much more likely to have beer in the fridge). Can be cooked on HIGH for 3-4 hours instead, which is good since I almost never have thought about dinner 8 hours in advance!!

Basic crock-pot roasts

In response to a couple requests for favorite crock-pot recipes, here goes. First, though, a couple tips to make your crock-pot recipes a little more succesful:

• onions always taste better if they've had a few minutes in the frying pan on the stove before getting put into the crock.
• veggies take longer to cook than meat so put them into the bottom of the pot.
• fresh herbs break down so this is one area where dried is better.
• If you want cooked but not stewed, don't add a lot/any liquid. You will get sufficient liquid from the stuff you're cooking.
• don't think of it as easier or faster, it's just prepared earlier in the day.
• add no or minimal salt. Salt intensifies as it cooks so it's best added at the very end.
  

A basic crock-pot roast:

1 roast of your preferred meat (I like chuck or rump or sometimes pork).
some root vegetables (favorites: turnips, potatoes, carrots)
herbs to suit (bay leaf, thyme, oregano, pepper, but not all at once!)
1 onion
2-3 garlic cloves (or more, if you love it)
1/2 c. (or so) beer/ red wine

1. chop onions and toss with a bit of oil into a frying pan (try to find a pan you can fit your roast into as well). After they've started to turn clear (sweat) put them in the bottom of your warmed crock.
2. chop all of your root veggies and garlic. Place on top of onions in the crock pot. Add whatever herbs you're using.
   
3. turn the heat all the way up on your roast and sear all sides of the roast. When meat is browned on all sides, place in crock pot.
   
4. Keeping heat on high in pan, add the beer. Allow this to cook down getting all of the tasty bits left in the pan from the meat & the onions. Once this has been reduced to a thick syrup-like stuff, pour/scrape it on top of the roast in the crock-pot. Put on the lid and cook on HIGH for 3 1/2-4 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours.

New Mexican Style Green Chile Sauce

For those of us who like flavors of the southwest. Linsey asked what I meant by green chiles, though and I'm sorry to tell you I don't know. I've only gotten these kinds of chiles in the southwest and they've always been labeled simply "green chiles". I have a friend who sends me some from Texas every year and I've tried using the long green chile peppers from the grocery store (that look like dark green "banana" peppers) but I've never used only those ones. At any rate, chiles are kind of flexible and you could experiment with what you can find. I'm out of my green chile stash for the year so if/when I get around to experimenting, I'll post results.


4c broth or water
2c chopped roasted green chiles, 1/2” squares (it's nice if these are half hot half mild)
2 med tomatoes/ 1c canned crushed tomatoes
2 tsp minced/grated onion (or more!!)
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 tbs cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbs water


Combine all ingredients (except cornstarch) in a saucepan and bring to boil over med-high heat. Simmer with lid off til reduced by about 1/2, about 15 minutes. Add cornstarch and simmer another 5-10 minutes, reducing further. Puree if you want a smooth sauce.

I like to add some cubed beef and maybe potatoes &/or black beans to make green chile stew. Serve with Linsey's yummy tortillas.

"Chardakopita" aka Swiss Chard Spanakopita

I made this tonight. I think it's from Cooking Light originally. It was super yummy (good enough that you forget why phyllo is such a PITA) and a great way to use up A LOT of chard at once! See my notes at the bottom for the streamlined version of dealing with the phyllo (the directions are absurdly complicated).

Ingredients:
olive oil
2 1/4 cups minced white onion
3/4 cup minced green onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
9 cups chopped trimmed Swiss chard (about 1 1/2 pounds)
6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced fresh mint
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese (I used 8 oz. It was better)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 large eggs
10 (18 x 14-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add white onion; sauté 7 minutes or until golden. Add green onions and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in chard; cook 2 minutes or until chard wilts. Stir in parsley and mint, and cook 1 minute. Place in a large bowl; cool slightly. Stir in cheeses, salt, pepper, and egg whites.

Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board (cover remaining phyllo to prevent drying), and coat with cooking spray. Top with 1 phyllo sheet, and coat with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with 3 additional sheets.

Cut phyllo stack into a 14-inch square. Place square in center of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, allowing phyllo to extend up long sides of dish. Cut 14 x 4-inch piece into 2 (7 x 4-inch) rectangles. Fold each rectangle in half lengthwise. Place a rectangle against each short side of dish. Spread the chard mixture evenly over phyllo.

Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board (cover remaining phyllo to prevent drying), and coat with cooking spray. Top with 1 phyllo sheet, and coat with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining phyllo sheets. Place 18 x 14-inch phyllo stack over chard mixture. Fold phyllo edges into center. Coat with cooking spray. Score phyllo by making 2 lengthwise cuts and 3 crosswise cuts to form 12 rectangles.

Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until golden.

My notes:
I added more feta cheese cause the amount called for seemed too small versus all of that chard. It was good! I think another 4 oz could even be added, but then I really like cheese :) And the instructions are so detailed on how to lay out the phyllo. Basically, try desperately to get the phyllo sheets separated and brush olive oil on each side of each sheet. Layer about 4 layers (or enough pieces to make up 4 layers) on the bottom of the pan. Then put the stuffing in. Then put another several layers, brushed with olive oil (or enough pieces to make several layers!!) and cook :) It does make it prettier if you can manage to get the top couple of layers as one solid piece.

Beef Chili with Bacon and Black Beans

My favorite chili is Chili Can Carne, but it takes much work and time. This is a chili we all love that is easier and includes beans. It is more like the chili of my childhood (but even better).

Makes about 3 quarts, serving 8 to 10.
Cook's Illustrated Published March 1, 2003.

Good choices for condiments include diced fresh tomatoes, diced avocado, sliced scallions, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro leaves, sour cream, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese.
If you are a fan of spicy food, consider using a little more of the red pepper flakes or cayenne--or both.
The flavor of the chili improves with age; if possible, make it a day or up to five days in advance and reheat before serving. Leftovers can be frozen for up to a month.

Ingredients

8 ounces Bacon (about 8 strips) into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper , cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans , drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes , with juice
1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
table salt
2 limes cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Fry bacon in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 8 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat, leaving bacon in pot. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with additional salt. Serve with lime wedges and condiments if desired.

Notes:
I usually use whatever peppers I have on hand, recently I used an Italian frying pepper and that was good too. We love chili with cornbread.

Whole Wheat tortillas

I admit that I usually don't measure this, but here is an approximation. You can also use this basic recipe to make chapatis for Indian food - in that case its yummy to mix in some cardomon (sp?) seeds or I guess you could do cumin and black mustard.

2 cups whole wheat flour (white-wheat from king arthur works great)
.5-1 tsp salt I like them saltier.
2 T oil. You can use olive oil, plain oil or lard.
apx. 1/2 cup warm tap water
*optional* 1 tsp baking powder

Combine dry. Add oil. Add water a bit at a time until its like bread dough. Knead for a couple minutes. Let it rest for 15 minutes to half an hour. Roll out on floured surface. This makes a huge number or tortillas actually. like 25 or something, taco sized.

Cook on hot, heavy bottomed pan. They should puff up. Excess flour will scorch and burn tortillas, so its a good idea to brush the pan out after every batch. Flip and cook a few more seconds until done. I usually the put them in a covered dish until I've cooked all the dough. Kid friendly activity/recipe.

Puffed Apple Pancake

I made this this morning as my fridge is bursting with apples and eggs. It is delicious and not a bit healthy. Perfect for the weekend. It was pretty easy and fast too.

Puffed Apple Pancake Bon Appétit | September 2002


This breakfast treat rises like Yorkshire pudding and has the texture of a classic baked pancake. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the pancake after it's baked, if you like.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup all purpose flour
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
12 ounces Golden Delicious apples (about 2), peeled, cored, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
Powdered sugar (optional)


Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl until well blended. Add flour and whisk until batter is smooth. Place butter in 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Place dish in oven until butter melts, about 5 minutes. Remove dish from oven. Place apple slices in overlapping rows atop melted butter in baking dish. Return to oven and bake until apples begin to soften slightly and butter is bubbling and beginning to brown around edges of dish, about 10 minutes.

Pour batter over apples in dish and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake pancake until puffed and brown, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve warm.


Note: I used whatever apples I had on hand (Jonathan I think).

Oatmeal

Can we share our favorite breakfasts? I love breakfast. I look forward to getting up every morning and having it. It's almost as satisfying as dessert. Here is how I make oatmeal. I am curious as to how other people make oatmeal and other simple breakfast meals.
Take one cup of old fashioned oats and one cup of light soymilk and put it in a Pyrex bowl. Add a small handful of raisins. Cook in microwave for 6 minutes. Top with ground flaxseed and organic cinnamon applesauce. I give Alex about a third of this and eat two thirds of it myself.