The Kitchen

Welcome to the 75 Challenge 2018 Kitchen! It is new and empty now. I hope you all will gather here and fill it with food, conversation, recipes. cookbook suggestions, and fun.

I made a very tasty and easy vegetarian soup when I visited my parents earlier this month, Mediterranean Spicy Spinach Lentil Soup:



Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp sumac
1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
2 tsp dried mint flakes
Pinch of sugar
1 tbsp flour
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 cups water, more if needed
12 oz frozen cut leaf spinach (no need to thaw)
1 1/2 cups small brown lentils, rinsed
1 lime, juice of
2 cups chopped flat leaf parsley

Instructions:

In a large ceramic or cast iron pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the chopped onions and sautee until golden brown. Add the garlic, all the spices, dried mint, sugar and flour. Cook for about 2 minutes on medium-high heat stirring regularly.

Now add the broth and water. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a rolling boil; add the frozen spinach and the lentils. Cook for 5 minutes on high heat then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the lentils are fully cooked to tender. (Partway through cooking, check the liquid levels, and if you need to add a little bit of hot water.)

Once the lentils are fully cooked, stir in the lime juice and chopped parsley. Remove from the heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes or so. Serve hot with pita bread or your favorite rustic Italian bread.
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My parents didn't have sumac, so I used lemon zest as a substitute. I used a Vidalia sweet onion in place of a yellow onion, and I served it with naan instead of rustic Italian bread. Otherwise I followed the recipe to the letter. It was certainly spicy, too much so for my mother, although it was perfect for me. I stored leftovers in individual Tupperware containers in the freezer and had a serving earlier this week, which tasted great. I'll add this soup to my rotation of favorite soups and stews.

Cauliflower Mash

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons light sour cream
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
freshly ground black pepper
snipped chives

Instructions

1. Separate the cauliflower into florets and chop the core finely.
2. Bring about 1 cup of water to a simmer in a pot, then add the cauliflower. Cover and turn the heat to medium. Cook the cauliflower for 12-15 minutes or until very tender.
3. Drain and discard all of the water (the drier the cauliflower is, the better) and add the milk, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper and mash with a masher until it looks like "mashed potatoes" or use a blender if you want a finer texture. Top with chives.

>3 Berly: Sounds good! I may try this tomorrow if I can't find a fennel bulb (to make roasted fennel and cauliflower soup) locally.

>4 kidzdoc: Your soup sound delicious! Recipe....?

>2 kidzdoc: Looks delicious. I tend not to like cooked spinach, but I think you could leave it out without harming the flavor too much?

>3 Berly: Ooh! Cauliflower is the bomb. I'd like to make a cauliflower steak someday. Not because I think it would taste like meat, but because I like the idea of roasted cauliflower with breadcrumbs and spices.

Hope the Vegetarian trend continues!

Recipes look GREAT.

>5 Berly: Here you go:

http://www.fortheloveoffoodblog.com/roasted-fennel-and-cauliflower-soup/

>6 libraryperilous: Yes, I think you could leave out the spinach. I love leafy green vegetables, though!

ETA: I just set up a batch of white chicken chili in my parents' slow cooker, which will be ready in time for dinner. I haven't made this in a couple of years, probably because I made it repeatedly in the first two years that I started cooking it, so I'll post a photo and the recipe here later this afternoon.

I made a pot of carrot ginger coconut shrimp soup for dinner yesterday. I posted a link to that recipe last year, I think, but I'm happy to do so again if anyone is interested in seeing it.

How telling is it that I haven't even started my 2018 thread yet in the group, but I glommed immediately to star The Kitchen?

I have to star this, as I really have to do more actual cooking...

The white chicken chili is ready!



This recipe came from Heather, my group's former administrative assistant, who also shared her crawfish étouffée and chicken & Andouille sausage Creole jambalaya recipes with me:

Heather's White Chicken Chili

A take on the Mayo Clinic's recipe so it is healthy (until you add the sour cream and cheese...ha!)

Ingredients:
• 2 lbs raw chicken breasts (seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper)
• 3 cups canned white beans (northern, pinto, garbanzo, etc)
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with jalapenos
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• 1 medium orange or yellow pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• 6 tbsp shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 oz low-fat baked tortilla chips (about 65 chips)

Directions:
• In a crockpot add the first 12 ingredients. Adjust crockpot to medium heat for 4-6 hours. Check around 4 hours and pull chicken apart to shred it. Continue cooking another 30 minutes-1 hour.
• Ladle into warmed bowls. Sprinkle each serving with cheese, cilantro and sour cream (if desired). Serve with baked chips on the side (about 6 to 8 chips with each serving of chili).
____________________________________

I use three cans, not cups, of mixed white beans (cannellini, garbanzo and Great Northern), and only one or two cups of chicken broth, as the ingredients provide enough liquid during the cooking process. My slow cooker only has "high" and "low" settings, so I cooked it on high for 3-1/2 hours. I had forgotten how good this tastes, and I'll make it far more often from now on.

If it's ready, where is my bowl?? Just asking...

>11 kidzdoc: Well, you can leave off the last 3 ingredients, and I'm sure it would still be yummy!

Sweet, not even January yet and we already have recipes and pics! Hit the ground running.
I'm hoping to remember to take more pics of my creations this year.

>8 kidzdoc: Yum! I copied that one to my onetsp.com account. Thanks.

My kitchen last night was out doors! We had:
Pork sausages, lamb chops, bacon, coleslaw, new potatoes, bread rolls, chill sauce, gin and tonic (adults only) and truffles for dessert. No recipes needed :)

>16 LovingLit: Outstanding!

>16 LovingLit: Chef hat for you!!

I made thyme and parmesan focaccia and an eggplant gratin for lunch today. I forgot about taking a photo of the focaccia before I cut it up, but here's my eggplant gratin just out of the oven:



And after it'd had been dug into:


ETA : Forgot to share the recipe:

Heat oven to 380F

3 large eggplants, sliced into 1" thick slices and lightly grilled.
Tomato, basil and roasted garlic pasta sauce (i used homemade, but 2 large jars of pasta sauce is an option)
Half cup buttermilk
1 large egg
Half cup ricotta cheese
Grated parmesan

Whisk the buttermilk, egg and ricotta cheese in a bowl and set aside.

In a casserole dish, line the bottom with a layer of eggplant slices.
Add pasta sauce all over, follow with some of the buttermilk mixture.

Repeat the layers until you end up with a top layer of the buttermilk mixture. Generously add the grated parmesan over the top.

Place casserole dish in the oven and heat until the parmesan is golden and everything is bubbling underneath.

My sister brought whiskey balls for Christmas and they were so good I had to get the recipe. She used the Bourbon Balls recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Cookie Book. When you first bite, it's a mild chocolate flavor, then the mild alcohol flavor comes as an after taste with the sugar they've been rolled in. I've only had rum balls before and they were always so strong they burned as they were eaten, so this was very different as the chocolate and other flavors weren't overpowered by the liquor.


pic grabbed from the internet, but yep, this is exactly what they look like.

Bourbon Balls

1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 c. sugar
3 tbs. light corn syrup
1/3 c. bourbon (or whiskey or Bailey's)
2 & 1/2 c. finely crushed vanilla wafers
1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts

In a heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate until melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and corn syrup. Stir in liquor till well mixed.
Add wafers and nuts to the chocolate mixture and mix well. Let stand for about 30 minutes.
Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Store in a tightly covered container for one week to mellow the flavor. Makes about 50.

>19 cameling: That looks as pretty as any restaurant would serve.

Even though it's summer here, I made this Immunity soup as my daughter wasn't feeling that great. I make my own chicken stock but don't add any chicken meat to the actual soup. This is one of our favourite go-to soups during colder months.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/recipes/10202837/Immunity-boosting-c...

NB: photo is from the recipe page - ARABELLA FORGE'S COLD-BUSTING CHICKEN SOUP

For the soup
2 litres of chicken stock (extracted from stock-making recipe)
2 cups shredded chicken meat (extracted from stock making recipe) - I leave this out
1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
1 1/2 cups finely chopped carrots
2-5 cloves garlic minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh turmeric
1 cup (loosely packed) finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup (loosely packed) finely chopped fresh coriander
1 can green lentils, drained and rinsed (optional) - I leave this out
generous seasoning of sea salt

Add the finely chopped celery, carrots and a dash of olive oil to the bottom of a cooking pot on a medium heat. Let it simmer for 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables soften.

Add your stock to the cooking pot, together with the chicken meat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes or until vegetables soften further.

Add the garlic, ginger & turmeric and simmer for another minute or so. Season generously with sea salt. Remove the pot from the heat and stir through the coriander and parsley. Serve immediately.

Ooh thanks for sharing the recipe, Kerry. That sounds delicious. It's freezing here and I think I'm coming down with a cold. I just made a big batch of turkey stock the other day, so I think I'll try making your immunity soup, with the turkey stock instead.

>21 avatiakh: I'd probably substitute what we call English peas for the lentils. My sister-in-law made something similar to this when I visited her during Christmas. She also added curry and finely chopped potatoes to hers. It was really tasty and hit the spot.

Made it (>2 kidzdoc:) for New Year's Eve dinner; accidentally did not get a couple of ingredients (mint flakes, sumac) but intend to make it again when I get those. Nonetheless, it was delish! And very warming on a cold day (red pepper flakes, garlic!). Thanks for a great recipe.

I made sausage patties from a recipe in The Unofficial Hobbit Cookbook. It was surprisingly tasty ... but when I make them again, I'll probably reduce the sugar because I don't really like sweet sausages and up the salt (which is not in the recipe but which I added just before frying the patties)



Here's the recipe: Home Made Country Sausage Patties

2 1/4 lbs (1kg) finely ground, somewhat fatty pork (or meat of your choice)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsps sage leaves
2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tbsp dark brown sugar

Mix all but the meat into a paste, the knead it into the meat. Pack the spiced infused meat into a ball, cover and let it rest in the fridge for up to an hour, preferably at least 6. (I left it to rest overnight)

Heat a skillet to medium-high. Rip off golf ball sized wedges of meat and squish them into discs. Let meat cook until browned on the exterior and flip. Before serving check that it's cooked through.

Looks good! Lots of nice herbs and spices in there!

Karen O.

>25 cameling: Interesting recipe. I think I'd leave the sugar out completely.

I tried a new recipe on Sunday, Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup, based on its ingredients and not because it was "detox":



INGREDIENTS:

for the crockpot:

2 cups butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
2 cups carrots (peeled and sliced)
2 cups potatoes (chopped)
2 cups celery (chopped)
1 cup green lentils
3/4 cup yellow split peas (or just use more lentils)
1 onion (chopped)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
8-10 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 teaspoons herbes de Provençe
1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

add at the end:

2-3 cups kale (stems removed, chopped)
1 cup parsley (chopped)
1/2 cup olive oil – rosemary olive oil or other herb infused oil is delicious
a swish of sherry, red wine vinegar, or lemon juice to add a nice tangy bite

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place all ingredients in the crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours.

Place about 4 cups of soup in a blender with the olive oil. Pulse gently until semi-smooth and creamy-looking (the oil will form a creamy emulsion with the soup). Add back to the pot and stir to combine. Stir in the kale and parsley. Turn the heat off and just let everything chill out for a bit before serving. The taste gets better with time and so does the texture, IMO!

Season to taste (add the sherry, vinegar, and/or lemon juice at this point) and to really go next level, serve with crusty wheat bread and a little Parmesan cheese.
________________________________________

I mentioned this recipe on my Facebook timeline on Saturday, and Beth, one of my favorite nurse friends and fellow foodie, also made it on Sunday. We were both concerned that there wasn't enough seasoning in this recipe, and both independently thought that we should add cumin to the stew; we had a good laugh about that when we saw each other in the hospital on Monday. However, we each decided to try the recipe as is, and we were pleased that we did. I cooked it on high for 5-1/2 hours, and the aroma while it was cooking was heavenly. I used 8 cups (2 quarts) of vegetable broth, which was a good idea, as my 6 quart slow cooker was so full that I'm not sure that an additional two cups of broth would have fit in it. I had it for dinner Sunday night and lunch the following day, and loved it both times. It makes at least eight full sized servings, and I'll make this on a regular basis from now on.

On Saturday I made another Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Gruyere Quiche with Oat Crust, a fantastic recipe that Erin, another good friend from work, shared with me two or three years ago. I inexplicably hadn't made it in a long time, and although I probably mentioned this recipe after I first made it I think it's worth posting again:



Ingredients:

For the crust:
Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons cold, low-fat buttermilk

For the filling:
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thinly into half moons
8 ounces sliced mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, oyster, shiitake
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dry)
3 large eggs
3 egg whites
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk (not condensed milk)
2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese (about 1-ounce)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.

To prepare the crust, put the oats, flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3 times to combine. Add the butter and pulse about 12 times, until you get a pebbly course texture. Add the buttermilk and pulse 3 to 5 times more to combine. Form the mixture into a ball and place it between 2 large pieces of waxed paper. Roll out into a circle about 10 inches in diameter.

Remove the top sheet of waxed paper. Transfer the crust, still on the other piece of waxed paper to the pie dish, then remove the waxed paper from the top. Press the crust gently into the dish. Bake for 9 minutes, then let cool.

To prepare the filling, heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Transfer the onions to a bowl. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan and heat over a medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have released their water and begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the onions back to the pan, stir in the salt, pepper, mustard and thyme.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, egg whites and evaporated milk.

Sprinkle the cheese into the pie crust. Top with the mushroom-onion mixture and pour the egg mixture on top. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for 35 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into 6 wedges and serving.
____________________________________

Even though this recipe has far less fat and fewer calories than a typical quiche it is bursting with flavor. The oat crust recipe is brilliant, and I've used it in the two other quiches I've made in the past.

Ooh, I like the mushroom, gruyere, onion quiche on an oat crust, Darryl. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I'm going to try it out this weekend .. but replace the mushrooms with something else because Edd doesn't like mushrooms.

>29 kidzdoc: That does look good. I'd never thought of using oats for a crust but I'm sure it adds a nice flavor. Can I admit that I've always used the Pillsbury crusts for my quiches?

>30 cameling: Sounds good, Caroline. Do let me know what you use as a substitute for mushrooms, and how the quiche turns out.

>31 mstrust: You certainly may admit that. I'll also admit that I've never baked a pie or a cake, and my dessert making skills are limited to Pillsbury products:

Glad I'm not alone with thinking that Pillsbury is sometimes a great shortcut, ha!
The weird thing is, I've taken a pie crust class, three hours of learning pie crust techniques, so you'd think I would be a little pickier about it, but when I look at a pie recipe I usually skip the crust recipe and think, "ready made". It's probably because I really don't like traditional pie crust and just eat around it.

>33 mstrust: I don't like most pie crusts, which I find bland at best, and tasteless at worst. I love this oat crust recipe, which is both easy and flavorful, and it will be my go to crust for quiches and similar baked goods from now on.

On that note...

On Friday I bought a bag of produce from Eat Right Atlanta, a food co-op that visits the hospital I work in twice a week, which included baby spinach and white mushrooms. I used them in a new recipe, Cheesy Spinach and Mushroom Quiche, which I made yesterday afternoon:



Ingredients:
1 pie crust, homemade or store bought
4 Eggs
1½ cups Heavy Cream
8 oz. White Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
½ teaspoon Coarse Kosher Salt
¼ teaspoon Pepper
1 tablespoon Butter
½ tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pint (8 oz.) Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
6 oz. Baby Spinach

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Unroll pie dough into a deep dish pie pan, prick all over with fork.
3. Prebake pie dough for 12 minutes, remove and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350.
4. Whisk together eggs, salt, pepper and heavy cream; stir in cheese set aside
5. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter, add olive oil.
6. Add mushrooms, cook until golden, about 8-10 minutes.
7. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
8. Toss in spinach and cook until just wilted. Allow mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.
9. Stir the vegetable mixture into the egg mixture and pour into pre baked pie crust.
10. Place onto a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes or until set.
11. Lightly cover with foil if crust is getting dark.
_____________________________________

I made an oat crust for this quiche, using the instructions in the Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Gruyere Cheese Quiche that I cooked earlier this month, so I skipped steps 1-3 in the instructions. I used roughly 8 oz of leftover mozzarella and Gruyere cheese instead of white sharp cheddar cheese. I didn't weigh the spinach and mushrooms I used, and compared to the photo in the recipe I probably used less of each than it called for. Otherwise I followed the recipe to the letter, and cooked the quiche for 50 minutes. It tasted great after it came out of the oven, although it was a bit runny, and I anticipate that it will taste even better and be less runny when I have a slice for lunch today. Highly recommended!

I decided to make biscuits for breakfast this morning, after I read and replied to Amber's question on her thread yesterday and realized that I had nearly a full quart of buttermilk in my refrigerator that I had no idea what to do with. I had never made biscuits before, not counting Pillsbury Grands biscuits that come already mixed in a refrigerated can, so I found the following recipe for Southern Buttermilk Biscuits online and gave it a try:





INGREDIENTS:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board (if you can get White Lily flour, your biscuits will be even better)
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder (use one without aluminum)
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
1 cup buttermilk (approx)

DIRECTIONS:
*Preheat your oven to 450°F.
*Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
*Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal.
*If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.
*Add the buttermilk and mix JUST until combined. If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.
*Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
*Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it's about 1/2" thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick.
*Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
*You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
*Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
*If you like"crusty" sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.
*Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom. Do not overbake.

*Note: The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough. The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits. I have found that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of overmixing. You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly. Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit.

*Note 2: You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze them for up to a month. When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.
____________________________________

I didn't have, nor had I heard of, White Lily flour; I used Publix's all-purpose flour. I have no idea if it is bleached or not. Who knew that baking powder had aluminum in it?! My can didn't indicate whether it did or not.

I was very pleased that these biscuits turned out as well as they did, considering that this was my first time making homemade biscuits. The tops weren't as brown as I would have liked, even though I cooked them for 12 minutes, probably because I put them on the lowest rack in my oven, just above the heating element, as the bottoms were nicely browned. The biscuits were moist and flaky, and weren't tough at all. The three misshapen biscuits in the last row were made from scraps, which is why they aren't as pretty as the others, and I haven't tried any of them yet. I wasn't going to post this recipe, as I mistakenly assumed that everyone except me knew how to make homemade biscuits, but after I read comments from my Facebook post, received an earful from my barber for not bringing him some when I got my hair cut this morning (ha!), and realized that my European friends didn't know how to make our biscuits, I thought it would be a good idea to do so.

Hi, everyone!

I posted this recipe over on my thread today and Darryl asked me to post it here, too, so...



Snickerdoodles
Ingredients:
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup shortening
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 400⁰F.
2. Mix together 1½ cups sugar, butter, shortening and eggs.
3. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
4. In a separate, small bowl, mix ¼ cup sugar and the cinnamon.
5. Using small cookie scoop, shape dough into balls and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
6. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set.
8. Cool on wire rack.

>36 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>37 kidzdoc: Welcome!!

Products of my weekend baking:

Parmesan Herb Bread



This recipe comes from Taste of Home Baking:
Ingredients:
• 1 ¼ cups flour
• 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
• 1 ¼ teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons milk
• 1 ½ tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In small bowl, combine flour, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, sugar, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk sour cream, milk and butter.
4. Stir flour mixture into cream mixture just until moistened.
5. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 1 minute.
6. Shape into round loaf; place on baking sheet covered with foil and coated with cooking spray.
7. Cut a ¼ in –deep cross in top of loaf.
8. Lightly spray loaf with cooking spray and sprinkle with remaining cheese and seasoning.
9. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

And Jam Cake with Chocolate Ganache Frosting:



This one comes from Vintage Cakes:

Ingredients:
Ganache
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cake
• 2 ¾ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups (17 ¼ oz.) jam, preferably blackberry or raspberry
• ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 4 eggs, at room temperature

1. Make ganache frosting at least two or three hours before you’ll need it, as it takes time to reach a spreading consistency.
2. To make ganache, measure chocolate into a small heat-resistant bowl.
3. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
4. When the cream begins to simmer, quickly remove the pot from the heat and pour it over the chocolate.
5. Swirl the bowl to ensure that all the chocolate is coated with the cream.
6. Cover bowl with a lid to trap the heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
7. Remove lid and being slowly to whisk mixture, starting with small swirls in the middle and working outward until you have a smooth, glossy frosting.
8. Leave ganache to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it reaches spreading consistency.
9. Preheat oven to 325F.
10. To make cake, in a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt, then whisk the mixture to ensure that the ingredients are well distributed.
11. In a small bowl, stir together jam and buttermilk.
12. In mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
13. As you make the batter, stop mixer frequently and scrape paddle and sides of bowl with a spatula.
14. Blend in eggs one at a time, adding the next one as soon as the previous one has disappeared into batter.
15. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with buttermilk mixture in two parts, beginning and ending with flour.
16. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop to scrape bowl. Stop mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete blending by hand to ensure you don’t overbeat batter.
17. Divide batter evenly into three 8-inch round cake pans that have been coated with baking spray (there will be approximately 1lb 4oz per pan) and smooth the tops.
18. Bake in the middle of the oven until centers are just barely firm when lightly touched, 32-34 minutes.
19. Cool cakes on wire rack for 30 minutes before removing them from their pans, then cool completely before frosting.

>39 scaifea: - The bread looks scrumptious! No yeast? Also, Amber, do you think it would still taste ok if I cut down on the sugar a bit? And, could almond milk work, instead of regular milk, do you think?

>40 jessibud2: Nope, no yeast; it relies on the baking soda instead. It's essentially a giant biscuit. I don't know about the sugar, but I don't know why not, and I'm certain the milk would be fine.

Those both look amazing. I'll definitely try those biscuits out.
It had been so long long since I've baked that I made a blueberry apple crumble last night. No recipe, just oats, cinnamon, butter, brown sugar and a little flour, 3 apples, 3/4 c. blueberries and a little vanilla.

>42 mstrust: Oh, that sounds amazing!

>39 scaifea: Wow! Well done, Amber.

I made a pot of Red Cabbage and Sausage Soup for lunch, which is one of my favorite soups and stews. I think I've posted this recipe before, but I'll do so again here:



INGREDIENTS:
1 cup black eyed peas, dry (or 2 cups cooked)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 leeks, chopped
2 tablespoons corn starch
6 cups vegetable stock
1 lb red potatoes, washed and cut into ½ inch pieces
½ lb pork sausages, cooked and then sliced into ½ inch pieces
½ lb red cabbage, shredded
½ cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
smoked paprika as garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

If starting from dry black eyed peas:
Soak peas overnight in a large bowl of water. Drain water and transfer peas to a pot. Cover with at least 1 inch of water. Add bayleaf and a healthy dose of salt and cook for 30-40 minutes, until peas are tender and soft. Drain and set aside.

To make the soup:

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add garlic and leeks and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.

In a small bowl, combine corn starch and ¼ cup stock. Whisk until corn starch dissolves. Pour corn starch mixture into dutch oven and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining broth, potatoes, and sausage. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add red cabbage and black eyed peas to pot and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Lastly stir in cream and cook for 4-5 minutes more. Remove from heat, ladle into bowls, and top with smoked paprika.
_____________________________________

I used one 15.5 oz can of cooked black eyed peas to cook the soup; however, I decided to add a second can of microwaved cowpeas after it was already fnished, as I used a bit more sausage and, I think, red cabbage than the recipe calls for.

>44 kidzdoc: This one's a keeper!

Mardi Gras party in French IV tomorrow!

It's Spring, so I've begun receiving bags of backyard lemons. Some of the things I've made so far include lemon bars, blueberry lemon smoothies and blueberry lemon loaves:



1 1/4 c. flour
1 c. cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. oil
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. milk
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tbs. lemon juice
3/4 c. blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Sift and measure the flour, then mix with the baking powder and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk. Stir in the zest, juice and berries. Blend and spoon into a greased loaf pan. Bake about an hour for a 5x8 pan, about 40 minutes for smaller pans. Store in the fridge or freezer.

This can be glazed with:
Lemon Glaze
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/3 c. powdered sugar
Mix and brush on with a pastry brush.

Another lemon recipe. This one came from Totally Lemons Cookbook.



Lemon Tart

1 prepared tart crust (I used a Pillsbury pie crust. )
6 tbs, butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
3 eggs
1/4 c. heavy cream
grated zest and juice of one large lemon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll dough and line a 10 inch tart pan. Chill 15 minutes. Line the crust with foil and prick all over with a fork. Bake 10-15 minutes, until very lightly golden. Remove from oven.
Reduce heat to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light. Beat in the eggs and cream, then beat in the zest and juice. Don't worry about curdling. Pour into the tart shell. Bake about 45 minutes (my bake took 40 minutes), until top begins to brown. Can be served warm or chilled, with whipped cream or powdered sugar. Store in fridge.
The texture of the filling is very light, yet with the crust and powdered sugar, it reminds me a lot of a delicate lemon bar.

I forgot all about The Kitchen. I don't have time now, but I have to go back later this week to read this entire thread. In the meantime, I'll offer you some Tahini and Honey Cake I made for our Sabbath dinner this evening. If anyone likes it, I can point you to its recipe. Let me know! I've never made it before so I'll tell you how I like it. The ingredients are sort of weird. More later! Gotta run! Shabbat Shalom! (translation...a peaceful Sabbath!)

>49 SqueakyChu: Hmmm? The cake was so-so. It is not a recipe that I would share because it wasn't a cake that I was crazy about. I'll keep looking for other recipes to share, though. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Okay, here are my 4 fave recipes from the past few months. I’ve made all of these multiple times. Sorry no photos:/

This is a main that’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner or nice enough for a dinner party:

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/11/smitten-kitchens-harvest-roast-chick...

This strawberry cake is fab and not too sweet. It also makes me think of summer!

https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/05/strawberry-summer-cake/

These turkey burgers are actually really good, not just pretty good! I made a second batch as soon as we finished the first.

http://brokeassgourmet.com/articles/basil-feta-turkey-burgers-with-avocado

These baked steel cut oats are so easy, and can be adapted to be low cal, or vegan, or whatever. I like that it can be made the night before then reheated in the microwave for quick breakfast. I think the liquid should be increased a tad.

https://alexandracooks.com/2013/08/09/baked-steel-cut-oatmeal/#cookbook-recipe-4...

The weekend before last I made Chickpea, Tofu & Spinach Curry, one of the few new recipes I've tried so far this year:



INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 fairly large garlic cloves, center germ removed and crushed with a garlic crusher
2 tbsp (or more!) fresh ginger, grated
8 dried unsulfured apricots, diced
3 heaped tbsp curry powder
2 400 ml cans coconut milk
1 can 520 ml + 1 can 400 ml chickpeas, drained and rinsed
500 g firm tofu, patted dry and cut into cubes
3 cups packed baby spinach
2 tsp coarse sea salt

TO SERVE
a few sprigs of coriander
a squeeze of lime juice
basmati rice

STEP BY STEP

1. Heat up the coconut oil in a wide pot on medium heat.

2. Add onion, garlic, ginger and apricots and sautée for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent and soft.

3. Add curry powder and mix it in well with the rest of the ingredients. Allow the spices to toast for a minute without letting them stick to the bottom of the pan.

4. Add the coconut milk and season with sea salt, mixing well.

5. Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the spinach), let it come to a boil and reduce heat to a low simmer. These are all ingredients that need only 5 to 8 minutes to heat up and absorb the flavours. By then, the coconut milk will also have reduced and become a creamy and velvety sauce.

6. Add the spinach leaves one cup at a time and mix them in right before turning off the heat. They will wilt down in a matter of seconds, and your curry will be ready to serve!
________________________________

This is a perfect recipe for me, as it is quick & easy, it freezes well, and it makes 6-8 full servings, so this is a good meal prep on weekends and days off. I'll definitely make this on a regular basis from now on.

>52 kidzdoc: - Darryl, what could I use to substitute for coconut oil?

>52 kidzdoc: What Shelley asked....! ^^

>53 jessibud2:, >54 Berly: I'm not sure, as I hadn't used coconut oil before I made this curry (I know this because I bought a jar of it when I decided to make this recipe). I'll defer that question to someone who is familiar with coconut oil for the moment, and I can ask my one Indian partner who is working tomorrow, or another of my Indian colleagues, to see what they would recommend.
______________________________

The other new recipe I tried was Crispy-Skinned Fish with Herb Sauce, courtesy of Bon Appétit, using a striped bass fillet that I purchased from my local Whole Foods Market:



INGREDIENTS

2 oil-packed anchovy fillets (optional)
1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped tender herbs (such as parsley, dill, and/or basil)
1 Tbsp. chopped pickles (capers, cornichons, or chile)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice or white wine vinegar
6 Tbsp. (or more) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
4 5–6-oz. skin-on black bass, striped bass, snapper, or salmon fillets
Flaky sea salt

RECIPE PREPARATION

Using the side of a chef’s knife, mash anchovies (if using) and garlic on a cutting board until a coarse paste forms. Mix in a medium bowl with herbs, pickles, lemon juice, and 5 Tbsp. oil. Season green sauce with kosher salt and pepper.

Swirl remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet to coat. Season fish generously on both sides with salt and lay, skin side down, in cold skillet. Place skillet over medium heat and let it gradually heat up until fat starts to cook out of fish, about 4 minutes. At this point you may press gently on fish so that the skin is flat against the pan. Continue to cook until skin is super-crisp and flesh is mostly opaque (you can increase or decrease heat slightly if needed, but don’t try to rush it), 8–12 minutes longer, depending on the thickness of the fish. Less fatty fish won’t release as much fat on their own, so you may need to add a splash more oil to the skillet if the skin isn’t getting crisp enough. Turn fish and cook just until opaque all the way through, about 1 minute.

Spoon green sauce onto a platter and carefully set fish, skin side up, on top. Sprinkle with sea salt.
_________________________

Instead of using the herb sauce called for in the recipe I substituted an Italian Salsa Verde that Paola, a ?formerly active LTer, posted on my Facebook timeline last month:

INGREDIENTS

2 heaped tablespoons salt-packed capers
1 salt-packed anchovy fillet (or 2 anchovies preserved in oil)
1 garlic clove
3 1/2 ounces (100 grams or 1 bunch) flat-leaf parsley
10 basil leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup (60 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

RECIPE PREPARATION

1. If using salt-packed capers and anchovies (which is highly recommended), first rinse the excess salt off them, then place in a bowl of fresh water to soak for about 15 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. The anchovy will need to have the spine removed: Starting from the tail end, split the anchovy in two lengthways and pull out the spine. You will now have two fillets.
2. Blend the anchovies, garlic, herbs, capers, and lemon juice together thoroughly with a food processor or immersion blender (or chop together with a large kitchen knife or mezzaluna). Add enough olive oil until you have a smooth, paste-like consistency. Taste for seasoning (important, as the salt-packed capers and anchovies will already be quite salty) and add any salt and freshly cracked pepper as needed. Store in a jar in the fridge if not using right away. It will keep well for a week.
_____________________________________

I had fish four times that week, using half of a striped bass and half of a red snapper each time, cooking the fillets skin side down for 12 minutes each time. The skin was very crispy and flavorful, and the fish was perfectly cooked through and moist. The one thing I did different after the first time was to put the salsa verde underneath the fish, away from the skin, as the sauce added on top made the fish less crispy. This will be my go to way to cook fish from now on, with or without the salsa verde.

>53 jessibud2: & >54 Berly: I'd say that you can probably substitute most any oil in this case, although I'd go for a neutral flavored one. My guess is that coconut oil is specified simply because it's a common ingredient in many parts of Asia.

>56 amanda4242: - Thanks, Amanda. I'll wait to see what Darryl finds out, too, before trying this, then.

>57 jessibud2: I talked to one of my Indian partners on Friday, who suggested ghee or olive oil as potential substitutes for coconut oil.

>58 kidzdoc: - Thanks, Darryl. I hope to try it this week

I made Baked Avocado Eggs for the first time this morning, using two halves of a large avocado and two large eggs. The one on the left is tomato basil, and the other one is cheddar cheese with chives:



The recipe comes from a video which I posted on my Facebook timeline yesterday. I didn't see a written recipe for it, but watching the video is all you need. Here's how you make it:

1. Slice one large avocado in half.
2. Scoop out a sufficient amount of the avocado fruit, so that one egg (medium or large) will fit into the center
3. Place one whole uncooked egg in the center.
4. Add salt and pepper, then whatever toppings you prefer.
5. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 15 minutes.
6. Add any additional toppings.
7. Done!

The video showed four types of baked avocado eggs: no toppings; bacon (precooked, and added before baking); tomato basil (add the tomato before cooking, and the basil afterward); and cheddar cheese with chives (sprinkle grated cheddar cheese before cooking, and chives afterward).

The cheddar cheese with chives baked avocado egg was perfectly cooked after 15 minutes. However, the tomato basil one was larger, and it took 25 minutes for the egg to cook thoroughly, as I didn't cut the avocado evenly and I scooped out too much of the fruit of the avocado. Both avocado eggs tasted great, and I'll make this on a regular basis from now on.

Today for lunch I tried a recipe that Jane (@janemarieprice) posted in La Cucina in Club Read earlier this year, Almond, Dill and Sardine Bucatini, which was created by Fabio Tabocchi of the Washington, DC restaurant Fiola:



INGREDIENTS:

One 4½-ounce tin sardines in tomato sauce
⅓ cup good olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 teaspoons Espelette, divided
3 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
½ pound bucatini
½ cup roasted and salted Marcona almonds, roughly chopped
¼ cup finely chopped dill, plus more to garnish
1 lemon, finely zested and juiced
Flaky salt, to finish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Lay the sardines on a paper towel and, working one at a time, use a sharp paring knife to fillet each fish from head to tail (see the video). Remove and discard the fish bones and reserve the sardine fillets and tomato sauce.

3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and garlic, and cook, stirring often until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of the Espelette and continue to cook until the garlic is soft and translucent (without browning), 2 minutes more. Stir in the chives, half of the sardines and the remaining 1 teaspoon of Espelette; remove from heat and season with a pinch of salt.

4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until almost al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

5. Add the reserved tomato sauce to the sauté pan and return to medium-high heat. Add the pasta, almonds and dill, and thin out the sauce with ½ cup of pasta water, cooking 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in ¾ of the lemon zest and the remaining sardines. Cook until the sauce is mostly reduced, another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the sauce consistency and season with pasta water, salt and lemon juice.

6. Divide the pasta between 2 bowls and sprinkle the remaining lemon zest over top. Garnish with a pinch of flaky salt and dill, and serve.
_______________________________

Publix, my preferred supermarket in Atlanta, didn't have tinned sardines in tomato sauce, so I added 1 tbsp of tomato sauce at the beginning of step 5. I didn't have and couldn't find Espelette, so I used hot paprika instead. I'm not a fan of dill, so I used less than half of the recommended amount. My one quibble with this recipe is that the garlic shouldn't be cooked on medium high heat, as it turned brown in less than a minute, and made the pasta a little bit bitter. Other than that this tastes fabulous, with a spicy and rich complexity that is unlike any pasta that I've ever tasted. As I mentioned on my Facebook timeline this should not be served to children, the elderly, and those with delicate palates, but I would highly recommend it to everyone else. Thanks, Jane!

>60 kidzdoc: What a great idea! I love avocados, and an avocado covered in melted cheese sounds awesome.

>62 mstrust: I hope that you like it!

I tried another new recipe for lunch yesterday, Tomato Spinach Shrimp Pasta:



Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz (220g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika or more, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
6 oz fresh spinach
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz (220g) penne or spaghetti
2 tablespoons high quality olive oil, optional

Directions:

1. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet, on medium-low heat. Add shrimp, red pepper flakes, paprika, Italian seasoning and salt in the skillet and cook on medium heat until shrimp is grilled cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from the skillet and set aside.

2. In the same skillet, add chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh basil leaves, fresh spinach, and chopped garlic. Cook on medium heat about 3- 5 minutes until spinach wilts just a little and tomatoes release some of their juice. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning, if needed. Cover with a lid and keep off heat.

3. Cook pasta according to package instructions, until al dente. Drain pasta and add to the skillet with the tomatoes and spinach. Reheat on low heat, mix everything well, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

4. Once pasta and veggies are off heat, add grilled shrimp back and drizzle with good quality olive oil just before serving, for an extra taste. Serve the shrimp pasta immediately, enjoy!

Notes: Keep pasta al dente because they will soak up a bit of the sauce. Also don’t overcook shrimp at the beginning, otherwise they will dry up.
__________________________________________________________

I made a double batch of this pasta, so that I could use up the spinach, tomatoes and shrimp I had on hand. The pasta tasted a bit bland overall, so I added two tbsp of lemon juice and more black pepper, which helped somewhat. Although this isn't a bad recipe the use of fresh tomatoes made the pasta very watery, and as a result the penne didn't blend well with the other ingredients. I would suggest using canned diced tomatoes that have been fully drained, and adding perhaps a small amount of leftover pasta water if needed when cooking the tomatoes and spinach. I'll probably add tomato paste to the penne next time as well. This is an easy and quick recipe, though, which serves four people and is suitable to make for dinner during the work week.

I tried several new recipes on my parents when I visited them over the past week, mainly summery dishes that are healthy and relatively easy to make. The first new recipe I tried was Pasta with Marinated Tomatoes and Summer Herbs, also known as pasta con salsa crudo:



Ingredients:

About 1-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, halved or quartered if small, diced if large
Salt
2 cans olive oil-packed tuna or 1 pound mozzarella cheese, diced (optional)
2/3 cup pitted oil-cured black olives, halved, or 1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped, or 3 tablespoons capers (optional)
2/3 cup chopped fresh herbs (basil, parsley, mint, chives, cilantro, scallion tops, or a combination), more for garnish
Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)
About 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds short pasta, like fusilli, farfalle or penne
Hot red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

Preparation:

Up to 4 hours before serving, put tomatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle all over with salt. Set aside for 30 minutes, then drain off liquid.

Add tuna and its oil, olives or capers, if using. Add herbs and zest. Add olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and stir gently, flaking tuna into pieces. Cover and set aside at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Cook pasta in plenty of boiling salted water. Drain very well. Combine tomatoes and pasta well, then taste and add more oil, salt and pepper to taste. Add red pepper flakes if desired. Sprinkle with pine nuts, if using, and chopped herbs. Serve immediately.
______________________________________________________________

I love this pasta, with its bright mixture of fresh herbs and tuna; I didn't use mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes or toasted pine nuts, but I'll add the latter two ingredients the next time I make it. I enjoy summer pastas, and I'll make this on a regular basis from now on.

>64 kidzdoc: That looks like a perfect summer dish. I'd probably use less tuna than it suggests because I usually don't want a lot of "meat" in summer. I'd probably also make a smaller portion than this. 2 pounds of pasta is a lot for a single person.

>65 thornton37814: I agree, Lori. This was too much pasta for one person, as it made 6-8 servings. I may make it again tomorrow, but I'll cut the recipe in half.

ETA: You can substitute mozzarella cheese for tuna, which makes it perfect for vegetarians as well. Vegans can use a non-dairy cheese, of course.

>64 kidzdoc: I'm making this recipe now. Well, I'm making half the recipe. Thanks for posting it. It looks delicious, and it makes me hungry! :D

>67 SqueakyChu: I'm glad that you decided to try this recipe, Madeline!

On Wednesday, the last full day with my parents, I cooked crispy skinned salmon, using the simple recipe I posted in April on my thread and in The Kitchen, along with Spring Time Risotto (Gennaro's Risotto with Asparagus, Courgette and Peas), using a recipe by Gennaro Contaldo that I saw on Jamie Oliver's Food Tube channel. A link with written instructions is available here, but I just followed Gennaro's straightforward instructions in the video.



Ingredients:

1.2 vegetable stock (from powder or home-made)
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
350 g arborio rice
125 ml dry white wine
1 courgette, cut into small cubes
8 asparagus stems, finely chopped
100 g podded fresh or frozen peas
30 g butter
40 g parmesan, grated

Method:

1. Pour the stock into a saucepan, bring it to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and leave it gently simmering.

2. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the onion and sweat on a medium heat until softened. Stir in the rice with a wooden spoon and coat each grain with the oil.

3. Add the wine and allow to evaporate, stirring all the time. Stir in the courgette, asparagus and peas. Add a couple of ladles of hot stock and, stirring continuously, cook until the stock is absorbed.

4. Add more stock and repeat. Continue adding stock, cooking and stirring in this way for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. It should be soft on the outside but al dente on the inside.

5. Remove from the heat and beat in the butter and parmesan with a wooden spoon. Leave to rest for one minute, then serve.
___________________________________________________________________

This was my first time making risotto, and it wasn't hard at all, although you do have to stir the risotto nearly constantly; I cooked the fish after the risotto was done. My risotto is darker than the ones pictured in the video and the link, as the vegetable stock I used was dark brown in color. I used Pinot Grigio wine in the recipe. There are some differences between the written instructions and the one in his video; I would strongly suggest watching the video, which is quite entertaining. My mother and I liked this recipe, and I'll make it, and other types of risotto, in the near future.

I love risotto, and this looks like a really easy recipes, plus I've had a lot of luck with Jamie Oliver recipes. Thanks for posting!

You're welcome, Jennifer! I don't think I've ever had risotto before, but the Food Tube video was both appealing and entertaining, so I decided to give it a try. As you said, I've also had good luck with Jamie Oliver's recipes, probably because his (and Gennaro's) instructions are clear and concise.

>68 kidzdoc:

That looks interesting, Darryl - what is the unit of measurement for the stock? It just says '1.2'.

>71 lyzard: in the video, Gennaro Contaldo recommends using 1-1/2 liters (roughly 1-1/2 quarts) of vegetable or chicken stock. That was about right, as I used all but roughly one cup of vegetable stock.

I copied and pasted the recipe from the web page, which is even more reason to watch the video, rather than read the written instructions.

Thanks!

I was in Seattle last week and went to World Spice Merchants, where they grind spices, teas and herbs fresh to order. I came away with African Cayenne, Vietnamese Cassia, Korean Chile, Amchoor (dried ground mango for Indian and Middle Eastern dishes), and Dukkah, an Egyptian blend of ground hazelnuts and spices to sprinkle over vegetables, salads or grain salads.
https://www.worldspice.com/

Oof, your spice finds sound great!

Thanks, Doc, it was a very interesting store full of things I'd never heard of before.

>74 mstrust: That sounds great! The 2019 Pediatric Hospital Medicine conference will be held in Seattle next year, and I'm planning to attend. If I do I'll certainly visit World Spice Merchants.

Glad to point you in their direction, I think you'll like it!

>64 kidzdoc:

This looks great! I think I’ll make it tomorrow.

I made Mac & cheese this week, a slight variation on the recipe in The best cook in the world: tales from my momma’s table by Rick Bragg. I loved it and Mac & cheese is not usually my favorite dish.

This book is one of the best l’ve read this year - part Southern mountain cookbook and part family lore and memoir. Read it; you’ll love it!
Rick Bragg wrote the wonderful book All over but the shoutin’ some years ago.

Here's the recipe for one of my entries in the Arizona State Fair this year. It makes for a very fluffy yet flavorful cake.



Applesauce Spice Cake- 2nd place at Arizona State Fair. My own tweaks included.

1/2 stick of butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 & 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce- I use Tree Top No Sugar Added
2 c. flour- I use one cup regular, one cup cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice- originally called for one tsp of cinnamon, but I wanted a stronger flavor.
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg

Preheat oven to 325. Butter an 8 inch square pan, or bundt pan.
In a saucepan, melt butter and sugar over medium heat, stirring until butter has melted and sugar dissolved. Remove from heat. Whisk in applesauce.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, powder, soda, salt and spice. Add the applesauce mixture and stir until just combined.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 32-35 minutes. Let cool in the pan about ten minutes before turning out.
You can dust with powdered sugar or brush with maple syrup.

>80 mstrust: Thank you for sharing the recipe for that beautiful cake with us!

You're welcome, and I hope someone can use this! It's a great fall cake.

I just tried a fantastic and simple recipe and just to to share -

Quinoa Avocado Spinach Salad (from The Garden Grazer)

1 cup dry quinoa
2 medium avocados
3 oz. baby spinach, more as desired
8 oz. cherry tomatoes
3 green onions (or finely diced red onion)
1-2 cloves garlic (I use 2)
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt

Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Roughly chop spinach and put it in a bowl. Mince garlic and add it to the spinach. Halve the cherry tomatoes, chop the green onions (I used red), and dice the avocadoes. Set aside.

After quinoa is finished, drain if necessary, and add to spinach. The warmth will wilt the spinach some and mellow the garlic. Add the onions, tomatoes, red wine vinegar and salt (I skipped the salt) and stir. Add the avocadoes and lightly toss. Can be served right away or refrigerated and left to let the flavors blend.

It's a very light but tasty salad, and I'm looking forward to having it tomorrow to see if the flavors come out even more. When I try it next, I think I'm going to try substituting lime juice for the red wine vinegar and adding cilantro.

Darryl, here is a link to an interview this morning on our local radio with Yotam Ottolenghi, about his newest cookbook, Ottolenghi: Simple.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/metro-morning/segment/15625838

>80 mstrust: >83 bell7: Yum and Yum! Thanks.

>80 mstrust: Oh my...that cake looks and sounds so wonderful. I'll definitely try that recipe soon. I

I hope you like it. I'm making it for Thanksgiving.

>85 Berly: Glad you liked it! I tried it again with the lime juice and cilantro. Yum!

I've been making sabich (eggplant pita) several times this past week. It's a popular snackfood in Tel Aviv, originating in Iraq and very easy to put together. My son says it's way better than falafel.
I don't bother adding the pickle or amba (mango chutney), and use plain cabbage without the vinegar. The assembly is really up to personal taste.
'Once you have all your components in order, it's just a matter of assembly. I start by smearing the hummus inside a split, warmed pita, then stuffing a couple of slices of fried eggplant on top of that. Then I drizzle in some tahini, followed by the egg slices and pickles, more tahini, the amba sauce, the Israeli salad, more tahini and amba, and then some shredded cabbage at the end.'

https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/03/how-to-make-sabich-eggplant-pita-israeli-san...

>89 avatiakh: my, my, that sounds delicious!

If you're scurrying around getting ready for the holidays, stop for a moment and dip one of my brownie biscotti into some hot coffee or tea. Enjoy! :D

The recipe was from Penzey's.

>91 SqueakyChu: - Mmmmm!! Those look scrumptious!

>91 SqueakyChu: Yum!

>92 jessibud2: >93 thornton37814: I posted the above especially for @kidzdoc who has recently discovered Penzey’s, a fun (and politically involved) spice company/store.

The biscotti came out great! I was confused by the instruction at the end of the recipe to use a “covered” cookie sheet, but I did use a second cookie sheet to cover the bottom one, seemingly to no detriment to the biscotti at all. :)

What a wonderful morning treat! Thank you, Madeline. I wonder if "covered" meant they wanted you to use parchment paper.

>95 laytonwoman3rd: I had waxed paper on the bottom tray under the biscotti and put another pan upside down on top of the bottom tray. I really don’t know what that was for. All other biscotti I’ve ever made we’re never covered while I baked the sides of each cookie. I thought that was a weird instruction!

So, what are Thanksgiving tables looking like this year? Mine is:

turkey
stuffing
gravy
mashed potatoes
cranberry sauce with apples
green bean casserole
roasted carrots
dinner rolls
deviled eggs
various nibbles to see us through until the thrice-damned bird is cooked
deep-dish apple pie

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate and a happy Thursday to those who don't.

Smoked turkey
Ham
Cornbread dressing
Cranberry relish
Mac n cheese
Green bean casserole
Roasted veggies
Assorted pies

Yeah, that’s a lot of food, but we had twelve people around the table!

I ate at someone else's. We had:
Turkey
Ham
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Giblet Gravy
Sweet potato casserole
Green Beans
Corn
Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Relish
Homemade Bread
Assorted Desserts (Pumpkin cheesecake, Pumpkin pie, Pecan pie, Pound cake)

Note: The homemade pecan pie was my contribution.

I had already purchased everything for my own meal. I made it today:
Turkey
Dressing
Gravy
Mashed sweet potatoes with butter
Green Beans
Cranberry Sauce
Sister Schubert's rolls
Dessert (from the assorted ones from yesterday)

I will probably make myself another pecan pie once I run out of the assortment I brought home. I will also be making white chocolate pretzels as Christmas gifts. I'll start that process tomorrow, but I may not finish them all in a single day. I'll load up the cookie sheets with wax paper on them and see how far I get.

Here's what I did with the leftover turkey:


Arroz con Pavo (Arroz con Pollo, but with turkey)

1/2 c. olive oil
2 c. shredded turkey, cooked
1 c. diced onion
2 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper ( I used dried Korean chili)
2 c. white rice
1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. tumeric
1 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. frozen green peas, thawed
1 4 oz can chopped green chiles
1/2 c. chopped pimento stuffed green olives
few dashes of hot sauce
1/2 c. water

Preheat oven to 325. In a wide, oven-proof pot or casserole dish, heat the oil over medium heat. I used a metal casserole dish and this meal was made entirely in this dish.
Add the onion, garlic and pepper flakes and stir to coat. Cook until onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, salt, black pepper and tumeric and stir until rice is golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chilis and broth. Arrange the turkey or chicken on top in a single layer and bring to a boil. You may need a little more broth.
Cover with a lid or foil and transfer the dish to the oven. Bake 40-45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the peas, olives and water, but do not stir.
Re-cover and bake another 5-10 minutes. Rice should be tender. Stir slightly before serving.

>100 mstrust: Looks great! Our oven is kaput at the present, but I'll remember to look here for this recipe when we are baking again!

Karen O.

That's a shame about your oven and I hope you get a new one soon.
The amount of red pepper and hot sauce can be adjusted. What I listed in the recipe was enough to feel a little burn on the back of the tongue, but someone else might like more spice.

Good morning, everyone. I'd like to offer you some Vermont Maple-Corn Drop biscuits. These are made with real maple syrup! They were supposed to be made with coarse yellow cornmeal, but I only had fine white cornmeal...so don't tell anyone! They are also supposed to cool for 30 minutes to develop their flavor, but I don't think I can hold out that long before eating (or at least tasting) one. They were supposed to be "drop" biscuits, but the dough was not sticking together well so I hand formed them. No biggie!

The recipe is from Biscuits and Scones by Elizabeth Alston. Let me know if you want the recipe. Enjoy!

They look good, and I love finding a new use for maple syrup!

>104 mstrust: I'm usually pretty picky about what I use maple syrup for since it's often very expensive, but this recipe only uses 1/4 cup per 8 biscuits. They turned out yummy!

I'm in the middle of a lot of cookie making, as I do cookie tins for my husband's business every year. I'll be filling 15 this year. Here's a very easy no bake recipe I made last night, and it's really good.


Internet pic

Walnut Bourbon Balls

2 1/2 c. toasted, chopped walnuts
1 c. graham cracker crumbs. I used Keebler brand.
1 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. maple syrup
1/4 c. bourbon
1 tsp. vanilla

Stir together all the dry ingredients until well combined. Add in all the wet ingredients and mix with your hands to fully incorporate. You might be able to form walnut sized balls at this point, but I put my mixture in the freezer for a few minutes to make it easier to handle.
Form balls, place them on a tray or wax paper lined dish. Freeze for two hours. That's it. You can cover with melted chocolate or dust with powdered sugar, but I'm leaving mine uncoated.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Yum!
Now I need to check in with the 2019 group.