white bean & spinach enchiladas

 I plan to make some white bean and spinach enchiladas today and I keep forgetting my plan, so writing it down and will update as necessary.  I picked up some green Hatch chili sauce from Costco and need to use it up, so this will be tasty as the enchilada sauce.  

They key for my goals is using white beans and a green (chard this time because I had half a bunch).  Various other vegetables would be great to add in to empty the refrigerator. :)

• tortillas (I'm in a hunt now for fresh tortillas and am thrilled to learn there's a tortilleria not too far)
  
• 1 can white beans, drained
  
• 1/2 pound spinach (frozen/thawed/squeezed dry or fresh/wilted), chopped
  
• 4 oz shredded pepperjack cheese
• tomatoes (a can of drained tomatoes would be good, thawed frozen, or fresh) 
  
• green onions, chopped
• poblano, optional
  
• cilantro, chopped
  
• cumin
• garlic powder, onion powder
  
• taco seasoning is also good 
• lime juice
  
• enchilada sauce
  

Mix together the beans, spinach, cheese, green onions, cilantro, spices, lime juice, cheese.  Heat the tortillas and fill. Cover with enchilada sauce.  Note: this time I was using chard and poblano, so I sauteed them with some fresh tomatoes until reduced, then added green onions, spices, and beans. 

Bake about 40 minutes at 350.  

I think I'll enjoy it with some spicy roasted sweet potatoes and maybe some curtido or sauerkraut.

tomato paste for canning

 Today I'm canning tomato paste.  These are all San Marzano tomatoes that I grew in my garden, and as I got overwhelmed with processing them in the summer, I just cleaned them and tossed them into Ziplocs in the freezer.  I pulled out a couple of bags last night and filled the pot and put in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.  Spoiler: they didn't really thaw, but they were thawed enough to be able to chop them.  

I'm using the official recipe from here, with some modifications.  Yield they say is about 4-4.5 half pints (though I'm putting into quarter pints and reusing other small jars). 

Tomato paste recipe

Ingredients

•  7 pounds tomatoes - paste variety
• 1/2 tsp citric acid or ** lemon juice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 clove garlic

Instructions

• Prepare jars (4-5 half pints worth) and lids; keep warm.
• Clean tomatoes if not already done.  (Recipe calls for coring which I did not do.)
• Chop tomatoes.  I chopped them in half or quarters depending on size (they were small); recipe calls for 1/2-3/4 inch size.
• Bring to a boil, then slowly simmer until volume reduced by half (an hour or more).  Keep stirring regularly to keep from burning or sticking.
• Remove from heat and run through a food mill or a sieve.  (Recipe specifically says not to use food processor or blender but I"m not sure everyone follows that)
• Return to pot, add remaining ingredients.
• Cook slowly until reduced by half again (two or more hours).  Stir frequently and be careful of hot spatter.
• Remove bay leaf and garlic.
• Put into prepared jars, remove air bubbles, 1/2" headspace, clean rims, lid.
• Process for 45 minutes in half pint jars.  
  

 

kuri squash stuffed with wild rice and sausage

This is very tasty and satisfying.  From here.

Ingredients

• 1 red kuri squash, seeded and cut into quarters or eighths depending on squash size
•  olive oil, divided
•  salt & pepper
• 1 pound ground/bulk sausage
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, or 2 sprigs fresh
• 1 apple, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1 cup cooked black rice, or other variety rice
•  

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the squash pieces onto a large baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40-50 minutes, flipping each piece halfway through. Squash should be golden brown on all sides and fork tender when done.
• Meanwhile, make the filling by heating the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
• Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking up with a spatula into small pieces.
• Add the onions, celery, mushrooms and rosemary. Stir to combine and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the apples, pecans and raisins. Stir and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper then turn off the heat.
• Add the cooked rice to the skillet and toss to combine.
• Once the squash is done roasting, remove from the oven and transfer 1-2 pieces to a plate. Spoon the prepared stuffing on top of the squash and serve

 

lower sugar berry crisp

 I've been carefully avoiding sugar for a few months now, and I'm trying to strike a balance with a small enough amount each day that still allows tasty treats.  Aiming for less than 10 grams per day, which means A LOT of label reading and avoiding processed foods.  I've found Blue Stripes and some other dark chocolates are a great bang for grams, with like 3-4 grams added sugar for half a chocolate bar.  That's like than a slice of Dave's Killer Bread or less than a tablespoon of ketchup, and it's way more satisfying to my sweet tooth.  I allow a half tablespoon of jam on a muffin made with no added sugars (sweetened with mashed dates) or slice of whole wheat sourdough toast.  Or hot chocolate made with 1 teaspoon of maple syrup.  These are satisfying still.

But I've stayed away from making other desserts, as I do not want to use fake sugar.  I'm thinking of making a sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving with whole wheat crust and maybe 1/4 cup maple syrup.  That's a whole lot better for me than what else will be served.  

And I have a heap of berries frozen from picking this summer, including a mix of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.  (I keep my strawberries for chia seed pudding with no sweetener.)  

HEre's what's in the oven now and I hope it's great!

• 5 cups (or so) of mixed berries
• 1 Tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 Tbsp white sugar
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon/cardamom/whatever sounds good
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine berries, corn starch, and white sugar in a baking pan.  Then in a bowl combine the rest of the ingredients, mixing by hand and sprinkling over the berries.  

Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Eat with yogurt! 

summer squash scramble

 I keep struggling with what to prepare for breakfast, and I also struggle with what to do with the vegetable bounty from my garden.  

Finally, after a week of staring at an identified summer squash (not what I planted, but what grew), I realized I can just saute it with eggs and add parmesan that I shredded too much of, and make it a meal.

I can do this with most vegetables, adding whatever cheese or other thing is about like salsa.

Not sure why I keep forgetting this, but putting it here to remind me. 

- Chop up squash or whatever vegetable is lurking

- heat cast iron skillet, add olive or whatever oil

- saute vegetable

- mix in bowl: eggs (I usually use two smaller), salt, pepper, seasonings such as onion and garlic powders

- add egg mixture to vegetables and cook to desired doneness

- top with cheese, salsa, or whatever else needs to get used up

whole wheat sourdough flatbread

 I'm super grateful that Trader Joe's has whole wheat flatbread with no preservatives, etc.  I'm eating it daily as I avoid refined sugar/grains/seed oils.  

Someone on Facebook posted this with a tasty photo so I'm adding it to my to-do list when I want from scratch, which is of course always better.

Flat bread

Farmhouse on boon

Ingredients

* 260g or 2 cups flour I use freshly milled hard white wheat

* 250g or 1 cup starter

* 5g or 1 tsp salt

* 135g or 1/2 cup milk

* Olive oil for cooking (optional I don’t use it)

 

Instructions

1. Mix sourdough starter, flour, milk, and salt together. Knead for a few minutes.

2. Cover and allow to rise for for 2-4 hours (or overnight for long fermentation). I leave 24 hours!

3. Divide into 8 equal pieces.

4. Roll flat (about 1/4” thick) on a lightly floured work surface.

5. Add a small amount of olive oil to a cast iron skillet and preheat over medium. I don’t use oil, just put straight on the pan.

6. Cook each flatbread for a minute or two on each side until it starts to brown a bit.

green beans and tofu

 I've got green beans wrapping up in the garden, and tofu in the fridge.  This turned out good.  From here.

Ingredients

• brown rice
• tofu, extra or super firm
• green beans (a pound-ish)
• 1 T soy sauce
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1" ginger peeled and minced or grated 
  
• more soy sauce
• gochujang, chili oil, sesame oil, sesame seeds, or something along those lines

Press tofu to get moisture out.

 Start rice to cook.

Prep green beans (wash, cut ends).  Chop garlic, ginger.

Dice tofu 1/2" pieces.  Put in a bowl with 1 T soy sauce and mix, then add the 2 T nutritional yeast. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Heat saute pan with oil and add garlic and ginger for a minute, then add in the beans and cook 5-8 minutes or more (I was about 12 minutes, which included some larger beans, and needed to put a lid on for some of the time).  Add chili oil or something else for flavor.

Serve rice with tofu and beans.

cauliflower pizza crust

 Sticking with the pizza theme, I'm saving this recipe for cauliflower thin crust pizza to try someday.

Ingredients

Makes 4 crusts

• 1 12 oz bag of frozen cauliflower rice steamed and squeezed
• 2 eggs
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ½ cup full fat greek yogurt
• ⅔ cup almond flour
• ⅓ cup arrowroot

Equipment

• Parchment paper
• Sheet pan
• Nut milk bag

Make extra crusts and store them in the refrigerator or freezer. They keep very well – just stack them with parchment paper in between the crusts and wrap in a reusable gallon size zip bag.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cook bag of frozen cauliflower rice for 4 minutes in the microwave or on the stovetop, allow to sit for one minute to cool.
3. Using a nut bag or a dishcloth, squeeze the water out of the steamed cauliflower rice until it is very dry.
4. In a bowl of a food processor, add cauliflower, eggs, salt, yogurt, almond flour, and arrowroot.
5. Blend until very smooth. It will be very much like batter and this is what you want.
6. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, put ½ cups of batter, and using a spatula or the back of a spoon, create an 8-inch circle of batter.
7. Bake the crust for 6 minutes until it is firm but not brown. This is just a pre-bake to get the crust firm enough for toppings.
8. Remove crust from the oven and turn the heat up to 500.
9. Top your pizza crust and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until cheese is melted, golden and bubbly.

 

pizza sauce for canning

 Pizza sauce for canning recipe from here. I think I'll use up some of the Roma tomatoes that I've frozen for this and start making homemade pizza on the regular.  I'll update this after I try it.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 - 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 7 pounds fresh paste tomatoes (Roma, Amish Paste or San Marzano)
• 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (I plan to cut this significantly)
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/8 teaspoon Citric acid or 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice per half pint jar (increases the acidity and lowers the PH for safe water bath canning)

Instructions

1. Wash the tomatoes and coarsely dice. If using frozen tomatoes add them to a strainer to drain off any liquid. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions, stirring a few times around the pot.
3. Add Italian seasoning, oregano, and basil. Stir the mixture a few times to allow the herbs to draw out their flavors.
4. Add the strained tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, salt and 1 bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a light boil.
5. Turn the heat to low, taste and season if needed. Allow the sauce to simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour partially covered with the lid.
6. While the sauce cooks, wash and sterilize about 6 half - pint size jars, lids and rings. Prepare your water bath canner according to your canners instructions.
7. Remove the sauce from the heat and remove and discard the bay leaf. Use an immersion or stick blender to blend the pizza sauce to a smooth consistency.
8. Gather your sterilized half - pint jars and add the citric acid or lemon juice (It is either or not both) to each jar.
9. Ladle the pizza sauce into each jar, leaving a 1/4 inch head space.
10. Clean the rims of the jars with a paper towel dipped in white vinegar to remove any residue and to ensure a clean seal.
11. Add a lid and a ring to each jar and tighten to finger tip tight.
12. Add the jars to the canner and lower the rack into the canner. Add more water if the jars are not covered. You need at least 1 inch of water to cover the jars.
13. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to a low boil and and cover the pot. Process half - pints for 15 min - 35 minutes (the instructions posted were 15 minutes but that seems low so I looked around and times are all over the place; I'll probably go with 30 minutes). 
    
14. When the processing time is complete, turn the canner off, keep the jars in the canner for an additional 5 minutes before removing to the counter covered with a dish towel.
15. You will start to hear the jars popping that means the jars are sealing.
16. Leave the jars undisturbed for at least 12 hours.

salsa for canning

When wanting to can some salsa, I cut this recipe significantly keeping the ratios.

• 7 cups peeled, cored, chopped paste tomatoes
• 1 cup seeded, chopped anaheim peppers
• 1 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2-5 chopped and seeded jalapenos, to spice level taste
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin, oregano, cilantro (optional)

Combine all except spices and bring to a boil stirring constantly; lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.  Add spices and simmer another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Put in hot jars, prepare, water bath can for 15 minutes for pints.

 

 

chili mac

 Something about all these red juicy tomatoes has me craving chili mac, and this is what I plan to do:

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper or poblano, chopped
• 1/2-3/4 pound lean ground beef
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• can red kidney beans (or another bean)
• 2 1/2 cups broth
• 8 oz uncooked elbow macaroni pasta (whole wheat)
• 2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper or pure chilli powder (adjust spiciness to taste) (Note 1)
• 2 tsp paprika powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder (can sub garlic powder)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
•  

 Instructions

1. Heat oil in large pot over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute. Then add pepper and cook until onion is translucent. 

2. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go.  Add chopped tomatoes to cook down if using fresh.
 
3. Once the beef turns from red to brown, add remaining ingredients except cheese. Stir, bring to simmer, then turn the heat down to medium. 

4. Cover and cook for 12 minutes or until the macaroni is al dente. It should be saucy but not tons of liquid. 5. Turn the stove OFF but leave the pot on the stove. Stir through half the cheese – it should be a bit saucy. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining cheese, put the lid back on and leave until the cheese melts - about 2 minutes (sauce will absorb further during this period)  

no-refined sugar blueberry muffins

 I'm moving away from refined sugars but do still eat dates, and these nice looking no-sugar blueberry muffins caught my eye.

Here's what I plan to do when I get a blender someday:

Ingredients

• 1 cup pitted dates chopped (10-12 dates)
• ½ cup boiling water boiling
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 ½ cups of blueberries

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Boil water, measure 1/2 cup.
• Place chopped dates into a blender, then pour boiling water on top of the dates. Blend until dates are pureed.
• Add remaining ingredients (except blueberries) to blender, starting with the dry ingredients.
• Once all ingredients are in the blender, blend until mixture comes together.
• Gently fold in blueberries with a rubber spatula.
• Pour directly into a greased or lined muffin pan, about ¾ full.
• Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the center of the muffins bounce back when gently poked

 

tomato cucumber feta salad

 Unfortunately my cucumbers are really bitter this year but the tomatoes are coming in hard.  

Dressing:

• juice of a lemon
• olive oil 
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• dried oregano

Chop cucumbers and tomatoes.  Add diced feta.  Add thinly sliced red onion and any herbs such as basil.  

Mix well. 

energy balls

 I'm on a no refined sugar, no refined grains, no industrial seed oil kick, and it's making eating tough.  A stop at Whole Foods led me to something like these, and I'll make my own from these ideas.

Strawberry energy balls from here

• 1 cup dates without pits
• 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 3/4 cup chopped almonds
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 T chia seeds

coconut flakes, as desired

Slice dates and strawberries, chop almonds.  Put everything (except coconut flakes) in food processor and blend until almonds are finer but not paste.  Put in the fridge for an hour, then shape into balls and roll in coconut.

 

Peanut butter energy balls with extra protein and fiber

• 1 cup (100g) rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (125g) smooth natural peanut butter
• 1 cup (180g) white beans, rinsed and drained
•  7-8 medjool dates, soaked (or more if deglet noor)
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  
• Soak dates 5-10 minutes in warm water.  Pulse oats in food processor until like flour and remove.  Process PB, beans, and dates.  Then add in vanilla and oats, and form into balls. 
•  

Chocolate date energy balls

• 1 1/2 cups (162 g) pecans or walnuts  
• 1 c (188 g) dates, pitted (if not soft, soak in warm water 5-10 minutes)
  
• 1/4 c (24 g) cocoa powder (or 1/3 c)
  
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt

Grind nuts until a fine meal, then add the rest of the ingredients to food processor until sticky and uniform.

 

snap pea pasta

Too many snap peas in the garden, everything is better with pasta!

Ingredients

• Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Garlic Cloves
• Shallot
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt & Pepper
• Pecorino Romano Cheese
• Lemon
• Casarecce Pasta

Instructions 

Melt the butter/oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the snap peas, garlic, shallot and red pepper flakes; sauté for 4-5 minutes. Once the garlic is fragrant and the snap peas are lightly sautéed turn off the heat and add the cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

zucchini muffins

 Last year when I had too much zucchini, I shredded and froze it.  Trying to empty out last year's crops I decided to make these zucchini muffins. They're pretty tasty and used up some other things I had on hand and needed to use up.  I double batched them and will freeze most, for a healthy-ish snack. 

Ingredients 

• ¾ cup roughly chopped raw walnuts or pecans or hazelnuts
  
• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or other oil
  
• ½ cup honey or maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• ⅔ cup buttermilk (or ⅔ cup milk of choice mixed with 2 teaspoons vinegar, allow to rest for 5 minutes before using) - I used mostly yogurt topped up with milk
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ cups grated zucchini (squeeze out extra moisture)

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Chop and toast nuts for 4-5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil and honey; add eggs.  Then add milk and vanilla. 

In a larger bowl combine flour, spices, leavening.  Add in the liquid ingredients just until mixed (do not overmix), then add in the zucchini and nuts.

Makes 12 muffins. 

raspberry jam (no pectin)

 Just made a batch of raspberry jam from the berries picked yesterday, and it seems fabulous so far.  

Ingredients

• 3 pounds raspberries (48 oz)
  
• 3 cups sugar (21 oz)
  
• 3 T lemon juice

Process

 Get fresh raspberries and clean them (rinse under gentle stream of tepid water, put on towels to dry).  Put raspberries and sugar into a large pot, stir, leave to macerate (I put into the fridge if macerating more than a couple of hours). 

The next day, take pot out.  When ready to begin, turn heat to low-medium and let them slowly heat up, stirring occasionally.  Once there's some bubbling, crank the heat to higher until a full rolling boil for 2-3 minutes and add the lemon juice.  Put the heat back down to just warmer than simmering, stirring regularly, for about 20 minutes.  The color will deepen and texture will become more gel.  There are heaps of tests to use like freezer plate, temperature, etc., but those never quite work for me. 

While this is happening, sterilize jars and warm up lids.  When ready, fill jars to 1/4" and water bath or steam can for 10 minutes out of abundance of caution.  Shelf stable for at least a couple of years, refrigerate once open.  

Yield: 8 + 8 + 6 + 13 + 13 = 48 oz (6 jelly jars, but I reused some Bonne Maman jars and one jelly jar didn't quite fill).

strawberry jam

 This is what I'm working on now, will report back.

Clean and sterilize jars.  Clean and warm lids on stovetop.  This batch made about 5.5 cups (four jelly jars and a tall jelly jar) which is less than I expected, but more hot strawberry sugar would have hit me if I tried to double.) 

Clean strawberries.  Soak in vinegar water (maybe 1/4 cup per gallon of water) for 10 minutes, rinse and drain.  Lay out on towels to dry.

• 3 pounds strawberries (some less ripe strawberries in the mix for natural pectin is good)
  
• 3 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Put cleaned strawberries into large pan and stir in sugar.  Allow to macerate overnight.  Pull out to warm to room temperature and stir.  Allow sugar to full dissolve.

Heat mixture then add lemon juice.  Bring to boil.

Bring to 220 degrees and hold for 10 minutes.  (Note:  I never get it to 220.  Once I get to full rolling boil, go 20 more minutes.) 

Allow to sit about 10 minutes for fruit to be dispersed.  Put into sterilized jars.

Optional: 10 minute water bath.  

Note: it can take time (a day or more) for the jam to thicken up.  If it doesn't thicken, it can be syrup or it can be reprocessed. 

moros y cristianos, sort of

 This brown rice version of moros y cristianos was really flavorful.  It makes enough for four solid meals, so doubling the key ingredients would make enough to share and still have sufficient leftovers.

• 1 cup short grain brown rice - follow instruction to cook (mine is 1.75 cup water to 1 cup rice, rinse rice, bring to a boil, simmer for 50 minutes, let it sit another 10 minutes with heat off)
• 2 jars black beans
• 1 onion
• 1 poblano pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 T cumin
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chili peppers
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 15-28 oz diced tomatoes 
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegr 
  
• salt and pepper 
  

Dice onion and pepper, saute in olive oil until onions is translucent.  Add garlic and cook until aromatic.  Add spices.  Then add tomatoes and black beans (drained is easier, or it's soupy).  Cook 10+ minutes to cook together.  Once to the right consistency, add the rice and cook together. 

tofu information

This is helpful about pressing and baking tofu.

carrot and apple muffins

 These carrot and apple muffins would probably also be great with zucchini or other vegetables/fruits.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup nuts or dried fruit
• 1/4 cup (coconut) oil
• 1 1/4 cups (white) whole wheat flour
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup grated carrot (about 1 large carrot)
• 3/4 cup grated apple (1 small apple will be more than enough; no need to peel it)
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt at room temperature
• 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Instructions

- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 baking cups with paper liners or lightly coat with nonstick spray. Set aside. If using nuts for the mix-ins, toast them in the oven now: Spread the nuts into an even layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 12 minutes (for pecan or walnut halves), until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer the nuts immediately to a cutting board; roughly chop and set aside. 

- If using coconut oil: Place the coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave just until melted (about 30 seconds on high). Set aside to cool to room temperature.

- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Add the grated carrot and apple and fold to combine.

- To the bowl with the oil, add the eggs, Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. If the coconut oil resolidifies, warm it in the microwave in 15-second bursts, and stop as soon as you can stir the mixture back together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the nuts or any other mix-ins.

- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.  Place the pan on a wire rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 4 minutes. Gently transfer the muffins to the rack to finish cooling completely.

hominy casserole

 I love hominy and stocked up, but not really in the mood for posole.  This hominy casserole looks great and I'll make it today. 

HOMINY CASSEROLE

- 2 poblano peppers (broiled 5 minutes each side, then put into a bag to steam for 20 minutes, then skinned and seeded and chopped)

- 1/2 pound chorizo (or I used soyrizo), removed from casing and crumbled

- 1/2 onion, chopped

- 2 jalapenos, chopped (or a jar of diced chilis)

- 4 cloves garlic

- 2 15-oz cans of hominy

- 8 oz sour cream 

- 1/2 tsp cumin (depending on sausage flavoring)

- 1/4 tsp chili pepper

- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

- 2 tsp lime juice

- 1-2 cups shredded cheese

- salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep poblanos as above.

In a skillet over medium-low heat, cook chorizo 8-10 minutes. Remove (leave a little grease) and cook onions and jalapenos until onions are translucent.  Add garlic, cook another minute. 

Remove from heat and add the diced poblanos, chorizo, drained and rinsed hominy, sour cream, spices, lime juice, and half the cheese.  Stir well, cover with the rest of the cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes (uncovered). 

gochugang winter squash

 I used delicata squash but it'd be better with other types.

• 1 squash, sliced (or peeled and chopped if necessary).
• 1 Tbsp avocado oil
• 1 Tbsp gochugang paste

Mix together oil and paste.  Add squash to cover.  Put on baking sheet (parchment paper makes cleanup easy), cook at 425 for about 30 minutes, flipping at least once.

This would also be good with some pumpkin seeds.

Adas polo - Persian rice and lentils

 It looks like there are many ways to make this and they're all yummy.  I most closely followed the NYT version and I'd make a few changes, noted blow.  I'll definitely add this into the rotation.

Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

For the Rice

• 1 cup green lentils, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained (next time I'll use brown basmati)
  
• 1 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as cilantro, dill, mint or a combination
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, for serving (optional)

For the Onion-date Mixture

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large yellow onions, finely diced
• 1-2 tablespoon butter
  
• 12-20 dates, pitted and diced (it called for Medjool but I used deglet noor and they were awesome)
• nuts (pistachios would be great)
  

Other versions call for a potato which sounds great.

Preparation

Bring 4 cups water to boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the lentils, cinnamon, turmeric and 1 Tbsp salt. Stir well to combine, breaking up any clumps. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until the lentils are cooked but still have a bite, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain lentils and set aside.

 

Using the same medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add the rice, cooked lentils, 1 teaspoon salt and enough hot water to cover the rice by 1 inch. Cook, uncovered, until all the water is absorbed, 10 to 14 minutes. [NOTE: I need to figure out how to do this with brown basmati.  Maybe cook it alone first and then add in the lentils.]

Reduce heat to low, wrap the pot lid in a clean kitchen towel, cover the pan and let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork; taste and add salt if needed.

While the rice is cooking, prepare the onion-date mixture: In a skillet, heat 4 tablespoons oil or clarified butter until hot but not smoking. Add onions and a pinch of salt, and cook until the onions are dark golden and a little crispy, 9 to 14 minutes (or longer). Transfer onions to a bowl and return the skillet to the heat.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and, once hot, add the dates (and nuts) and warm them through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir dates into the bowl with the onions.

To serve, spoon a layer of rice and lentils into a warmed serving bowl, then add a layer of onion-date mixture and sprinkle with chopped herbs. Keep alternating layers, ending with the onion-date mixture and a final sprinkling of herbs. Drizzle with more oil and top with a dollop of yogurt if you lik

quince jam cake

 This is really tasty!  I had made quince jam last fall based on some happy memories in Germany, but it gives me heartburn.  I'd worked hard on it, simmering it for hours, and I was wondering what else I could do with it.  I found this cake and I don't know where it's from but it's fun, and the quince taste really comes through.  (Edit: I did a little googling and it looks like the author is from Bulgaria.  Fun!)

• 3 eggs (at room temperature is best)
  
• 1/2-2/3 c sugar (original recipe calls for 1 cup but I always reduce it)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3 tbsp yogurt
• 1 jar quince jam (I think 8 oz is what I used) 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

 Add baking soda to jam (and watch it foam up!).

Stir baking powder into sifted flour in a different bowl.  

Combine eggs and sugar in a larger bowl.  Add oil and yogurt.  Add flour mixture.  Add jam.

Bake in greased 9x13" pan at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes until done.  Let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

kuri curry

 This kuri squash curry was really good, exactly what I wanted, and next time plans are below. 

Ingredients

• 2# winter squash such as kuri or kabocha; keeping skin unless it's too tough like butternut
• small onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
  
• 1/2 bunch of chard or similar green (though spinach wasn't great) - about 6 oz.
  
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• salt, pepper
• can of coconut milk
•  (broth)
• garbanzos or cooked tofu 
  
• brown rice (I used jasmine and it was too meh)
  

Process  

• Heat oil*, add onions and cook until translucent (about 8 minutes).
• Turn heat down a bit and add garlic, ginger, curry power, salt, and pepper.  Cook a minute or so.
• Add squash and stir it up, then add coconut milk and broth if desired.  (I thought it was too soupy with broth).  
• Cook about 20-30 minutes.
• Add garbanzos or cooked tofu to heat.  (This wasn't in the original recipe but would have been better.)
  
• Add greens and cook another 5 minutes or so to wilt (or longer if necessary with denser greens).
  

 

*Recipe called for coconut oil but that gives me heartburn so I just used what I had.