Oatmeal Dried Cranberry Scones

These are a bit like an oversized homey oatmeal cookie - but not so sweet. Addictive and delicious and easy to make.

One jelly-roll pan or cookie sheet lined with parchment or foil.

1.5 cups bleached all-purpose flour

1.5 cups rolled oats (not quick oats, but in a pinch, I suppose you can use them)

1/3 cup granulated or light brown sugar (I prefer light brown)

1 T baking powder

1 t table salt

8 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

1.5 cups dried cranberries

1 c milk OR buttermilk OR plain yogurt (if using buttermilk or yogurt, add 1/2 tsp baking soda)

1 T sugar mixed with 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 . Set rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 450.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse 5 times at 1 second intervals.

3. Add butter pieces, pulse 12 times or until the mixture resembles fine meal.

4. Add dried cranberries and milk and pulse 3 or 4 times until a soft dough is formed.

5. Flour the work surface generously, turn the dough out onto it and fold it over on itself 3 or 4 times, until it is less sticky. Flour your hands...this is a little messy.

6. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts and press each into a 5 inch disk. Using a floured knife or bench scraper, quarter each disk into wedges.

7. Arrange scones on prepared pan. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

8. Bake 12-15 minutes.

Eat em up, YUM.

Amazing Granola

This is the best granola I've ever had and it is easy and healthy. It is from Epicuious.

3 cups rolled oats (NOT quick oats)

1/2 cup flax meal (I grind flax seeds in a coffee grinder, but you can buy meal at the store)

1 cup walnut halves, coarsely chopped

2 egg whites

1/2 - 3/4 cup dark brown sugar

4 T Walnut Oil, divided

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup sliced dried dates

1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350. Spread 2 T Walnut Oil on a large baking sheet.

Mix oats, flax meal and walnuts in a large bowl. Mix egg whites, brown sugar, salt and 2 T Walnut Oil in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the oats and mix thoroughly. Spread the granola onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Stir it around. Bake another 15 minutes. Stir it around. Sprinkle dates over; drizzle with honey. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Stir to loosen. Transfer to clean baking sheet to cool completely. (This last step is important, otherwise it sticks like mad to the original sheet.

You can substitute other nuts and fruits.

Jerk Seitan

For the Marinade:

1/2 large white onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1.5 T fresh ginger, chopped
3 T soy sauce
3 T fresh lime juice
2 T olive oil
2 T real maple syrup
1 T dried thyme leaves
1 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or ground)

For the Seitan

2 cups seitan, cut into thick strips
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, thickly sliced
1 green pepper, seeded and thickly sliced


Prepare the marinade by pureeing all of hte ingredients in a blendor or food processor until smooth. There will be some chunkiness but that is okay. Placethe seitan in a shallow bowl and pour the marinade over it. Mix to coat. Marinate for an hour. (In a pinch, I have cooked it right away and it is fine.)

In a large skillet, saute the onions and peppers in olive oil over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes until the onions start to brown. Remove seitan from the marinade, reserving the liquid. Saute the seitan with the onions and peppers for about 10 minutes or until is the seitan is brown to your liking. Add the remaining marinade and cook for about 2 minutes to heat it through.

Serve with rice or whatever suits you.

The Best Chicken Rub EVER

Herb Rubbed Chicken:

4 lb. cut-up chicken
Pinch or more dried sage
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 tablespoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
4 cloves garlic

Mix all ingredients (except chicken) together in a bowl. Rinse chicken and rub each piece with the mixture. Place on grill over medium heat until fully cooked.

Hint: Place a meat thermometer into the breast. Grill to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees

Cannelinni- Northern Bean Chili

This morning, someone mentioned that they saw my recipe for White Chicken Chili on this site and wondered if it would be good without the chicken. She's a vegetarian and was craving some white chili. It made me recall a recipe that I have not made in years that I used to love. Here it is. It is from a fat free cookbook that has some amazingly tasty recipes in it: 500 Fat Free Recipes by Sarah Schlesinger.

Makes about 8 cups

1 3/4 cups nonfat chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup diced onions
2 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 cups home cooked or canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups home cooked or canned Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1. Heat 1/4 cup (or more if you like) of the water or broth in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, an dgarlic. Cook and stir for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Stir in the remaining cup broth, jalapeno pepper, parsley, beans, thyme, black pepper and oregano.

3. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Delicious White Chili

This recipe is adapted from a cookbook that a good friend gave to me last year.  I made this today and it is really REALLY delicious.  My husband loved it as did another couple.  Make it right now, Loyal Readers!

(It is also a Really Great Recipe for using up leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. If you want, you can take a shortcut by using a good quality tomatillo salsa instead of making your own.  I've done it both ways with successful results.  I use either a fresh salsa from our local coop or Rick Bayless's Frontera Brand.)

Beans

1 pound Great Northern or Navy Beans 

8 cups water

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

Chili

12 oz Mexican beer (not dark)

2 cups chopped onions

3-4 cloves minced garlic

1 large red pepper, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced (I used my own pickled hot peppers)

4 Anaheim or New Mexico green chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

1 Tablespoon crushed cumin seeds

1 & 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth

2 T ground New Mexico Chile (I used regular mild Chile powder, but I will try NM next time)

1 pound tomatillos, husks removed by soaking (they are fun to de-husk...call me crazy)

1 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tsp. salt

Garnishes:

Grated sharp Cheddar Cheese

Chopped avocado

1.  To make beans, rinse and pick over beans.  Place in large pot with water, garlic and onion.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for 2-3 hours or until beans are tender.  (Or, used canned beans or your own bean cooking method.  This method was pretty effortless.)

2.  To make the chili:  While the beans are cooking, place the beer in a large heavy duty pot.  Add onions, garlic, bell pepper, jalapenos, green chiles, oregano and cumin.  Simmer for 10 minutes or so.  ( I toasted the cumin seeds in a non-stick frying pan and then ground them up in a spice mill.  Already ground cumin would probably be fine as well.)

3.  Cut the chicken into small chunks, about 3/4 inch big.  Add to the pot along with the chicken broth.  Sprinkle in the ground chile and simmer for 15 minutes.  

4.  Place the tomatillos, minced cilantro, vinegar and salt in a food processor and process to a salsa consistency.  Stir into the chili.  Add the beans.  (I added all but about a cup of the beans.  Then I took that cup, combined with some of the broth from the chili and pureed it.  I added the bean puree to the chili.  It gave it a great consistency and a slight sweetness from the beans - a great foil for the tart tomatillos.)

5.  Simmer for 20 minutes and then season with salt to taste.  At this point, I put the whole batch into a crock pot and held it on low for a couple hours until dinner.)

Serve with grated cheese and avocado.  

A Subtle But Very Good Dinner: Cossack Pie

Loyal Readers, here are two pictures of what is left of tonight's dinner. What you are seeing is called "Cossack Pie" from the original Moosewood Cookbook. I modified the recipe a bit to accommodate the ingredients I had at home and I must say, it was a lovely dinner with just a salad and some excellent dry French Rose (my latest pet wine for the summer.)

I tried a new pie crust for this creation, also from the Moosewood Cookbook and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and good it was. I use approximate measures because when I made this, I used more than the called for amount of veggies (probably double) and it was really good.

RECIPE:

1 9" unbaked pie shell (recipe below)

1 zucchini (green or yellow), yellow squash or a good cup of sliced mushrooms
1 cup or so chopped onions
1 cup or so shredded cabbage
1 cup or so thinly sliced broccoli
1 cup or so thinly sliced carrots
3 T butter
2 T flour
generous 1/2 tsp ground up caraway seeds (I smashed them around in a mortar & pestle)
generous 1/2 tsp dried basil
2 T dry white wine
1/2 dried dill (I forgot this but it would probably add a nice flavor)
1/3 cup farmer's or cottage cheese
2 eggs
3/4 mixed sour cream & yogurt (I used Greek yogurt...YUM)
Paprika

Saute all the vegetables except zucchini (or mushrooms) in the butter until just tender. This might take a while, but what's the hurry? Add spices. Remove from heat and toss with wine and flour. Set aside.

Puree the eggs and cheese in a blender or in the food processor you used for the crust (just wipe it out a bit...no need to get crazy about it). Add salt and pepper as desired or not.

Add egg-cheese puree to sauteed veggies and put in the crust.

Saute the zucchini slices (or sliced mushrooms) in oil or butter about five minutes.

Spread the yogurt/sour cream on the veggies. Top with the zucchini slices. Dust with paprika.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Let rest 10. Serve with salad and good wine. YUM YUM.

EASY AS PIE PIE CRUST

In a food processor, put a cup of flour. (A mixture of white and wheat is nice...about 3 parts white and one part wheat or something like that). Put the bowl of the processor with the flour in it in the freezer or fridge for a little while to chill it.

Meanwhile, cut up 1/3 cup unsalted butter into chunks and put that back in the fridge to keep it cool.

When everything is cold, combine the butter and flour in the food processor and pulse about 12 times. Add about 3 -4 T yogurt, buttermilk or water (cold) and pulse until you can pinch the mixture and have it hold together. This won't take many pulses.

Pour it out onto a floured surface and form it into a ball. Put it into a plastic bag and refrigerate for an hour or so. Then, roll it out and put it into a pie dish and follow the instructions above. This dough is very easy to work with. An easy and GREAT recipe.

BBQ Pomegranate Tofu

I know that this sounds strange but it is a dish that I actually get cravings for and have to make pretty frequently. This recipe is in Vegan with a Vengeance.

For my local readers, Bloomingfoods carries Pomegranate Molasses. It is the "gourmet" section over by the cheese case.

The recipe makes a good amount of sauce and you can even double the tofu and still have enough.

I haven't tried it but I imagine that the sauce would be very good on grilled chicken as well.

TOFU
1 pound tofu, drained and pressed and sliced into eighths* (or 2 pounds...there is enough sauce)
2 T canola or peanut oil
1 T soy sauce, tamari or shoyu (shoyu is my choice)

*I press tofu by putting the block in a pie pan, placing a plate or second pie pan on top and putting a heavy pot on top of the second plate. Let it sit about 30 minutes. Then, blot with paper towels and cut the tofu.

SAUCE

1 T canola or peanut oil
1 cup minced onions or shallots
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (do not omit)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 6-oz can tomato paste
2 T all natural peanut (or other nut) butter (I use almond)
2 T pomegranate molasses
2 T soy sauce, tamari or shoyu
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke

Preheat oven to 350. IN a 9X13 inch glass baking pan turn the tofu in the canola oil and soy sauce to coat on both sides. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip. Bake for 15 more minutes

In a 4 cup measure or a medium sized bowl, blend together vegetable broth, tomato paste, nut butter, pomegranate molasses, soy, maple syrup, and hot sauce. Set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, saute the onions in the canola oil for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and five-spice powder and saute 1 minute more. Add the blended liquid ingredients and the liquid smoke and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

At this point, your tofu will probably be done baking. Pour all of the sauce over the tofu, return to the oven and bake 15 minutes more.

Serve with rice.

Seitan (Basic Recipe)

Greetings Culinarians! I am posting this basic Seitan recipe at the request of two of my readers - one of whom is my vegetarian daughter. I happen to like cooking with Seitan because it is so easy to make, so inexpensive, so nutritious and so versatile. Believe me, it wasn't too long ago that I would have scoffed at the thought of making this. Now, I make it just about once every other week.

This is a basic recipe, adapted from Vegan With a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Mine comes out a little different each time, but always okay.

Ingredients notes: Vital wheat gluten is available in the baking section of supermarkets. It is sold in small boxes. Or, you can buy it in bulk at Bloomingfoods if you are local or at a health food store.

Nutritional Yeast is available in bulk at health food stores. It is a yellowish flaky material. I have not been successful finding it in supermarkets. I suspect that this is an optional ingredient, added for nutritional purposes. So, if you can't find it, you can probably omit it.

2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 T chickpea flour or soy flour or all purpose flour
1 & 1/2 cup cold water or broth
1 T tomato paste
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped


In a large bowl, mix together gluten, yeast and flour. In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, mix together the wet ingredients and the garlic until well blended. Add liquids to dries and mix with a wooden spoon until a spongy dough forms. Knead this dough for about 5 minutes and then form it into a longish loaf and let it rest for five minutes. It will be sort of wet and spongy looking.

While the dough is resting, fill a large pot with cold water.

Cut the dough into thick slices of sort of uniform size. Gently put the slices into the cold water. Partially cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to low and gently simmer for about an hour, moving the strange looking seitan slices around every now and then.

Let the seitan cool in the water and then use as desired or refrigerate.

I squeeze the excess water out of the slices before I use them in recipes.

Sichuan Green Beens

This has become one of our favorite easy meals at Chez McGary. You can prep everything earlier in the day - and believe me, there isn't much prep - and then stir fry it up when you are ready to eat. This is a very authentic tasting dish. I urge you to try it....TRY IT RIGHT NOW!

You can make this vegan/vegetarian by substituting either ground seitan or frozen crumbled tofu for the pork. See note at the bottom of this entry for more details.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably tamari or shoyu)
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 2 inch pieces (I sometimes use a combination of sugar snap peas and green beans)
1/4 pound ground pork (or tofu or seitan, see below)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
3 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced thin (optional)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
white sesame seeds

1. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, sherry, sugar, cornstarch, white pepper, pepper flakes, mustard, and water until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet until just smoking. Add beans and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender and skins are shriveled and blackened in spots, 5-8 minutes. If the beans darken too quickly, reduce heat to medium high.) Transfer beans to a large plate or bowl.

3. Reduce heat to medium-high and add pork to now-empty skillet. Cook, breaking pork into small pieces, until no pink remains (or until lightly browned if using seitan or tofu), about 2 minutes. Add garlic, and ginger and cook (you might need to add a bit more oil at this point if not using meat) and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir sauce to recombine and add it along with the beans to the pan. Toss and cook until sauce is thickened, about 5 - 10 seconds. Remove pan from heat, stir in scallions (if using) and sesame oil. Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds. Serve immediately and ooh and aahh about how good it is. ( we serve it with brown rice)

Tofu note: Tofu that has been frozen works beautifully here. Freeze firm tofu and thaw. Squeeze water out of it and then crumble it and use it as you would the pork in this recipe. Throw the remainder into a chili or stew.

Seitan that has been finely chopped or ground works very well here. I use relatively unflavored seitan that I make myself. Leave me a comment if you need that recipe.

Mixed-Bean Minestrone Stew

This delicious soup/stew is from The Healthy Kitchen by Andrew Weil & Rosie Dailey. Rosie shot to fame being Oprah's cook some time ago and in my never humble opinion, she isn't a particularly gifted chef. However, she does have a few good recipes in this book that have become staples in our home and this soup/stew is one of them.


2 cups mixed dry beans (I usually use a combination of garbanzo, kidney and white beans but I have also made the soup using just one kind of bean. 2 cups dry beans yeilds about 5 or so cups of cooked so remember that if you are substituting canned.)

1 cup chopped onion
3-4 carrots, peeled or not, sliced
1 cup chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/8 tsp. chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt ( I don't add this, but you sure can)
1 cup peeled and cubed eggplant (the recipe says you can use cabbage, squash or broccoli but I have not done this. The eggplant really adds a nice flavor)
4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or a 28-35 oz can of chopped tomatoes with their juice
1 large baking potato, cubed
6 cups water or stock (I use low sodium vegetable stock)
1 cup chopped fresh green beans (or frozen peas or frozen green beans)
1 1/2 cup uncooked small pasta

Cook the beans. (If I have time, I soak them for at least four hours or overnight, drain & rinse them and simmer them in water or stock until tender. If I haven't planned ahead enough, I rinse them, put them in a pot with enough water to cover and bring them to a boil for 2 minutes. Then, you let them sit in the pot for an hour. Drain, rinse and cook as if you soaked them longer. If I haven't planned ahead at all, I used rinsed canned beans, preferably with no salt added.)

In a large soup pot, sweat the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in the olive oil on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the Italian seasoning, chili flakes, rosemary and salt along with the eggplant (or whatever vegetable you are using), tomatoes, potatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 20 minutes. Add cooked beans, green beans or peas, and pasta and cook on medium heat for another 15 minutes.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread. YUM.

Stir Fried Cauliflower with Thai Red Curry Sauce

This is a very easy to make tasty, pungent and somewhat spicy stir-fry not for the faint of taste buds. It comes together quickly once everything is prepped. You can get everything ready earlier in the day, including the sauce and refrigerate it until you are ready to start stir-frying.

I often add either little cubes of fried tofu or seitan or chickpeas to make a more complete meal, but it is also great without these things. Serve with brown rice.

3 T Fish Sauce
1 T juice plus 1 tsp grated zest from 1 lime
1 T light brown sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flake
1 cup coconut milk (you can use low fat coconut milk but it isn't quite as good as regular)
2 tsp Thai-style red curry paste
1 T plus 1 tsp. peanut or vegetable oil
3 pounds cauliflower - one large head, broken into small florets
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp to 1 T minced fresh ginger (your call...I like more ginger)
6 ounces snow peas, strings removed (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

1. Mix together fish sauce, lime juice and zest, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, coconut milk, red curry paste. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 T oil over high heat until shimmering in a 12 inch wok or non-stick or cast iron skillet. (I don't use non-stick at high heats, but maybe I'm just paranoid...my cast iron skillet works great.) Add cauliflower and cook, stirring every 10 - 15 seconds until just barely tender, about 3 minutes. Push cauliflower to edges of skillet and add remaining tsp of oil, garlic and ginger to the center of the pan. Mash garlic and ginger with the back of a spoon and cook unitl fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix garlic and ginger in with cauliflower. Reduce heat to medium -high, add sauce and stir. (If you are adding tofu or seitan or chick peas, add them now.) Simmer, stirring occasionally until cauliflower is tender, about 2 minutes. Add snow peas and cook about three minutes longer, until cauliflower is fully tender. Add basil & serve immediately.

Tempeh Paprikash...C'mon Loyal Readers. Try something NEW!

I would guess that the majority of our readers here, including my beloved KinderhookChef have never tried Tempeh. Perhaps you have never even heard of it. Tempeh is a soy/rice product used in hard core vegetarian and vegan cooking. It has a great texture, but can be a little bitter if not sauced properly. It can be found in the refrigerated "health food" section at regular grocery stores. There are a few different varieties of Tempeh. I prefer the Soy kind but any of the varieties will work here and they are similar. Don't get one of the pre-spiced kinds.
This recipe is the BEST tempeh I have ever had. It was incredibly delicious and healthy. If you are adventurous, try it. You will be surprised.

4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple cider
1 T smoked Hungarian paprika (Spanish Paprika) or regular paprika
2 tsp. salt (OPTIONAL)
1 T caraway seeds
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
6 garlic cloves
2 X 8 ox pakcages tempeh, diced into 1 inch pieces
3 large Spanish onions, sliced thin
1 1/2 tsp hot Hungarian Paprika
6 oz (1 can) tomato paste
2 T cornstarch
4 T cold water

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. In large saucepan, bring vegetable broth to a simmer. Turn off heat; cover to keep warm.

3. In medium bowl, combine oil, vinegar, cider, 1 T paprika, salt if using, 2 tsp. caraway seeds, 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, 1/2 tsp. pepper and 1 T garlic. Add diced tempeh and toss to coat. If time allows, put the tempeh and marinade into the fridge and let it sit for a couple of hours. (This makes a big difference in the flavor of the tempeh. Also, I tried to substitute apple juice for apple cider and it wasn't as good.)

4. In large, shallow baking dish, place tempeh with liquid in single layer. Bake, uncovered, until all liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Check often to make sure the liquid does not burn. When you check, flip the tempeh squares. (You can remove this from the oven when done, let it cool, cover it with foil and refrigerate it until you want to complete the recipe. Or, you can use it right away.

5. Meanwhile, in large Dutch oven, combine onions, garlic, 1 1/2 tsp hot paprika, remaining caraway, thyme and pepper and 1 cup of the hot broth. Cover and cook over medium heat until onions are softened, about ten minutes. Add tomato paste and stir well, Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, about ten more minutes.

6. In small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Add to hot broth. Stir with a whisk. Increase heat and return mixture to a simmer. Cook, whisking, until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.

7. Add thickened broth to pan with onions and stir until mixture is well blended. Add prepared tempeh to pan, along with any of its remaining cooking liquid; stir well.

Serve by itself or over egg noodles with some sour cream or plain yogurt stirred in. YUM.

Torta di Risotto

Here is a recipe taken from the New Vegetarian cookbook that Kate left here by happy accident. I made it this morning and refrigerated it. I took it out an hour before baking it to bring it to room temperature. You can even make it two days ahead. It is a homey, delicious meal and a great choice to bring to a friend who needs a dinner.

Serve with a salad and bread and you are all set!

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini, about 8 oz, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices
(you can get creative with this part...see note below)
1/3 cup, or less olive oil
3 garlic cloves
16 oz can of chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dark brown sugar
3 handfulls of fresh basil, torn into pieces
1 cup arborio risotto rice
4 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 oz Italian fontina cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup toasted breadcrumbs
salt & pepper

lightly oil a 9X5X3 inch loaf pan

Brush zucchini slices with 2 T olive oil and either grill in a grill pan or roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Set aside.

Heat remaining olive oil in a saucepan and add garlic. Saute until fragrant...do not burn. Add tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the basil.

Add the rice to a saucepan of boiling salted water (there is no need to measure the water). Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the rice is tender but still firm, about ten minutes. Drain rice.

Mix drained rice and tomato sauce well. Stir in cheese cubes and all but about 2 T of the parmesan.

Sprinkle 2 T breadcrumbs into the oiled pan. Spoon in half of the risotto mixture ans smooth flat. Add the zucchini in a single layer and top with the remaining rice. Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese on top.

At this point, either refrigerate or bake it at 425 for 30 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes and unmold onto a platter.

NOTE: I made this with roasted red peppers, yellow squash and sauted mushrooms instead of the zucchini layer. You can use whatever you want, though I think that the roasted flavor is nice.

Vegetarian Chili

3 T olive oil
1 large onion - yellow or red -chopped
1 green pepper - chopped
1 jalapeno pepper - deseeded and minced
4 cloves garlic - minced
2 carrots - chopped
1 large stalk celery - chopped
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dried lentils - picked over and rinsed
1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked beans - kidney, black, garbanzo, navy, or a mixture
12 oz tempeh, crumbled up or chopped into small pieces
1/4 tsp dried cloves
1/4 tsp dried allspice
3-4 T dried cumin
3-4 T dried coriander
4-5 T good quality chili powder, hot or mild depending upon your taste
1 T sweet paprika
2 T dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste

In a large heavy saucepan saute onion, green pepper, jalapeno, carrots, celery and garlic in olive oil over medium low heat for ten to fifteen minutes to sweat the vegetables. Add tempeh and increase heat to medium and saute for about five minutes. Add spices and stir to mix well and saute for a couple more minutes. Add crushed and cut tomatoes along with water and lentils. Add beans. Bring to a boil and simmer for about twenty or so minutes until lentils are cooked. Adjust seasonings. Serve over brown rice.

Four Cheese Baked Bow Ties

This is from the Feb 1994 issue of Gourmet magazine. This is a completely delicious, easy to make dish, good for colder weather. You can prepare it early in the day and refrigerate it and bake it just before serving. Even though this is a homey meal, it tastes good enough to serve at an informal dinner party.

1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
a 28-32 ounce can whole Italian tomatoes, drained well, reserving 1 1/4 cups juice, and chopped fine
1 pound bow-tie pasta
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (not the fresh kind), about 6 ounces
1/2 cup diced Italian Fontina cheese (about 2 ounces)
1 1/3 cups freshly grated romano cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsely leaves, preferably flat leafed

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 3-4 quart gratin dish or other shallow baking pan.

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over moderatley low heat. Add flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk and reserved tomato juice in a stream, whisking and bring to a boil, whisking. (MY NOTE: I mix the milk and juice together in a 4 cup pyrex measure and microwave it for about 1.5 minutes to make it warm first) Stir in tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Cook pasta in salted boiling water until just al dente, about 8 munites and drain well.

In a large bowl, stir together pasta, sauce, mozzarella, gorgonzola, fontina, 1 cup romano and parseley and t ransfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle pasta with remaining romano.

Bake for 30 - 35 munites or until golden and bubbling and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6 as an entree.

Halibut with Tomatoes & Olives

All Gone
Originally uploaded by Bloomington Girl.

As you can see from the photo, dinner was quite good tonight. Fresh halibut was on sale. I didn't have my safe fish guide (it tells which fish not to eat because of over fishing...etc.) so I bought it. I can't find the guide so I don't know if I should have bought it or not. Alas, too late.

Anyway, this is an excellent and easy recipe I modifed from a recipe off Epicurious.com. The recipe calls for 4 6-7 halibut fillets. I used 4 four ounce fillets and found that the amount of sauce was just enough. If you are serving four people, double the sauce.

Halibut filets
All purpose flour
4 T. Olive Oil, Divided
2 large shallots, chopped (I used a combination of scallions and shallots)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata or Nicoise Olives
1 -2 tsp dried basil (It would be better with fresh but I didn't have any. 1/2 cup fresh would be right)
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup dry white wine

Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Heat 2 T olive oil in heavy large non-stick or seasoned skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add fish and saute until lightly browned and just opaque in center, about 4 minutes each side, depending on fillet thickness. If they are really thick, you could finish them in a 400 degree oven while you make the sauce. Or, transfer fish to a plate.

Heat remaining 2 T olive oil in same skillet. Add shallots and saute 1 minute. Mix in tomatoes, olives, basil. Add broth and wine. Bring to a boil and cook for about 4 minutes until sauce thickens a bit. Serve on or with fish.

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (Main Dish)

Chicken Pot Pie
Originally uploaded by Bloomington Girl.

This is one of the staple recipes at the our house. In this photo, I have made it in a cast iron skillet (my husband's great grandmothers!) but you can make it in individual dishes as well. Delicious and easy, you can make it ahead. I have provided the recipe for buttermilk biscuit topping but you can use pie dough, frozen puff pastry or phyllo if you like.

Buttermilk biscuit dough (recipe below)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
2 cups low sodium or homemade chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium large onion
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
2 small celery ribs, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3 tablespoons dry sherry (this is essential for flavor)
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (optional)

1. Make pie dough or biscuits and refrigerate until ready to use. If using commercial puff pastry or phyllo dough, follow package instructions for thawing.

2. Adjust oven rack to low-center position and heat oven to 400. Put chicken and broth in a dutch oven or large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer until chicken is just done, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer meat to a large bowl. Transfer broth to a four-cup pyrex measure or to another bowl.

3. Increase heat to medium-high. Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute until just tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, shred chicken into bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken and set aside.

4. Heat butter over medium heat in Dutch oven. When foaming subsides, add flour (whisking) and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in reserved chicken broth, milk and any accumlated chicken juices and thyme. (I blend the broth and milk together first in a 4 cup pyrex measure and heat it in the microwave until warm. Then, I add it to the roux.) Bring to a simmer, stirring until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute or so. Remove from heat and stir in sherry.

5. Pour sauce over chicken-vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Stir in peas and parsley and adjust seasonings. Pour mixture into a 13 X 9 inch pan or any shallow baking dish of similar size or into six 12-oz ramekins or bowls. Top as desired. Bake until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 28-30 minutes for large pies and 20-25 for smaller pies. Serve immediately.

Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 12 or so pieces
3/4 cup cold buttermilk plus 1-2 tablespoons more if needed (you can substitue plain yogurt for buttermilk in any recipe, by the way)

1. Pulse flours baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add butter pieces and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps.

2. Transfer mixture to medcium bowl. Add buttermilk and stir with fork until dough gathers into mmoist clumps. Transfer dough to a floured work surface and form into a rough ball. Roll or pat dough 1/2 inch think. Using a 2 1/2 inch pastry cutter, stamp out 8 rounds of dough. If making individual pies, cut dough slightly smaller than circumference of each dish. (Dough rounds can be refrigerated on a lightly floured baking sheet covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 hours. I have even frozen them with pretty good results.)

(ALTERNATE LAZY METHOD: Add the buttermilk directly to the food processor and pulse until the dough comes together. Transfer the dough to a bowl and sort of mush it together very briefly and spooon it onto the pie. The biscuit quality is probably not as light and fluffy but it is really much easier and still comes out great.)

3. Arrange dough rounds over warm filling and bake as directed in step 5 above.

(IF YOU WANT TO BAKE THE BISCUITS FOR ANOTHER USE SUCH AS STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, JUST SHAPE AND BAKE ON A PARCHMENT LINED BAKING SHEET AT 400 UNTIL LIGHTLY BROWNED AND DONE, PROBABLY ABOUT 12 MINUTES...WATCH THEM AND USE YOUR JUDGEMENT.)

Shrimp and Feta Casserole with Dill (Main Dish)

Don't let the word "casserole" scare you off. This is an elegant and delicious dish. And, it is very easy to make. It is a bit salty from the Feta so if you are watching your sodium intake, you might want to soak the feta first or use low sodium feta. It is good served with lightly buttered orso.

4 Servings

1 T olive oil
4 large scallions, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 T. freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter a shallow 10 cup enameled cast iron or glass baking dish.

2. Heat oil in a small frying pan. Add the scallions and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute longer. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and arrange the shrimp on top. Sprinkle with the tomatoes and the feta.

3. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the dill, hot pepper sauce, salt and black pepper. Beat in the cream. Spoon the custard over the shrimp. The shrimp should be at least half-way covered with custard. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake for about 17 minutes, until custard is set adn the shrimp are cooked through. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Kung Pao Shrimp (or Chicken) Recipe (Main Dish)

Here in Bloomington, the Chinese restaurants are not so great. Not so good, even. So, if we want to have Chinese food, I have to make it at home. This really great recipe is easy and excellent. It "serves 4" but Chris and I almost always finish it ourselves. The recipe is from Cook's Illustrated 9/02.

Hints: Have all your stuff ready to go because the dish comes together quickly. The rice should be timed so it finishes cooking right as you start the stir frying. We use cashews instead of peanuts because Jack is allergic to peanuts. Or, you can use diced water chestnuts if you don't want to use nuts at all. If you want to use chicken, thighs give the best flavor in stir fries.


1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 count), peeled and deveined ( or 1 pound chicken thighs, cut into cubes)
1 tablespoon dry sherry or rice wine
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 medium cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press or minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger , peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons)
3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
6 small whole dried red chiles (each about 1 3/4 to 2 inches long), 3 chiles roughly crumbled, or 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons black rice vinegar or plain rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 medium red bell pepper , cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 medium scallions , sliced thin


1. Toss shrimp with sherry and soy sauce in medium bowl; marinate until shrimp have absorbed flavors, about 10 minutes. Mix garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon oil in small bowl; set aside. Combine peanuts and chiles in small bowl; set aside. Mix chicken broth, vinegar, sesame oil, oyster-flavored sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch in small bowl or measuring cup; set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add shrimp and cook, stirring about once every 10 seconds, until barely opaque, 30 to 40 seconds; add peanuts and chiles, stir into shrimp, and continue cooking until shrimp are almost completely opaque and peanuts have darkened slightly, 30 to 40 seconds longer. (CHICKEN WILL TAKE LONGER TO COOK...USE YOUR JUDGEMENT.) Transfer shrimp, peanuts, and chiles to bowl; set aside. Return skillet to burner and reheat briefly, 15 to 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, swirl to coat pan, and add red bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 45 seconds. Clear center of pan, add garlic-ginger mixture, mash into pan with spoon or spatula, and cook until fragrant, 10 to 15 seconds; stir into peppers until combined. Stir broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet along with reserved shrimp, peanuts, and chiles; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan, until sauce has thickened to syrupy consistency, about 45 seconds. Stir in scallions; transfer to serving plate and serve immediately.