7 Grain Bread
Ingredients
1 box 7 grain (Branola) hot cereal, soaked for 8 hours in 2qt water
1 pt boiling water
4 Tbsp yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup water
2 cups sunflower seeds, raw
1 package (1 qt worth?) powdered milk
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup oil (probably vegetable/canola/etc.)
2 Tbsp salt
7 cups whole wheat flour
7 cups white (unbleached) bread flour
Preparation
Set the Branola to soak overnight.
In the morning, add all of the other ingredients to the branola.
Knead for 20 minutes, then grease a bowl and let the bread rise 2 to 2.5 hours.
Form into loaves (should produce 5-7), then let the loaves proof for 20-30 minutes.
Bake at 350 F for 55 minutes.
Notes
Produces 5-7 loaves of bread.
Apple and Sage Pork Chops
Ingredients
1 1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup apple juice
4 boneless pork chops, 1 inch thick (about 1 1/4 lb)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tart apples, thinly sliced
Preparation
Mix flour and all spices (except sugar) in a small bowl.
Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with 1 Tbsp of the seasoned flour mixture.
Cook pork chops in hot oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until browned on both sides.
Remove pork chops from skillet, keeping skillet on heat.
Add onions to skillet, cook and stir for 3 minutes.
Add apples to skillet, cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Stir juice, sugar, and remaining seasoned flour mixture into the onions and apples in skillet, until well mixed.
Return pork chops to the skillet, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 5 minutes, or until desired doneness.
Notes
Serves 4. Tart apples, like Granny Smith, work best, but sweet apples can be used.
Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1-2 carrots, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup frozen corn
2-3 Tbsp neutral oil (corn, soy, canola)
1 tsp ground cumin
Ground cayenne or chile to taste
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano (optional)
Small tortillas, 3-4 per person (usually)
Sour cream for topping (optional)
Preparation
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, then add spices.
After heating the spices to bloom, add the onion, carrots, pepper, and garlic.
Sauté until the onion is translucent.
Add black beans, corn, and a little water.
Heat to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat.
Once the corn has thawed and cooked through (it should be bright and somewhat soft), the taco filling is ready.
Reduce heat to minimum and keep covered.
Heat tortillas and serve.
Notes
Serves 3-4.
Bulgarian Red Pepper Stew
Adapted from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant, The Moosewood Collective, Fireside, 1990.
Ingredients
1/2 cup dried navy beans
1/2 cup dried brown lentils
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, diced
2 heaping tablespoons minced garlic (probably about 8 cloves)
5-6 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper powder, or to taste
1/2 tsp paprika, or to taste
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
3 to 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth (either fresh, or from a base such as Better than Bouillon)
1/4 cup dry red wine (a Pinot Noir does fine)
2 Tbsp dry sherry
6 oz tomato paste
1/2 cup strained yoghurt or sour cream (for topping)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
Preparation
At least four hours before making this dish, place the navy beans and lentils in a pot, and after sorting them for any detritus that might have made it in with the pulses, add 6-8 cups of water and set aside to soak.
If you do not have that much time, after adding the water to the pot, bring it to a fast boil and boil for two minutes, then take the pot off the heat and set it aside for at least an hour; you can do this step while preparing the rest of this dish.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then add the onions and sauté until golden and translucent, about five minutes, then add the garlic and the red bell peppers.
Sauté for about another five minutes.
Drain and rinse the pulses at this point (a colander is your ally here).
Add the spices, then sauté for an additional minute or two, until the vegetables have clearly absorbed the spices.
Add the pulses and 3 cups of broth, reserving some for later, also add the red wine and the sherry.
Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer; simmer for an hour and a half, until the lentils have broken down into a thick stew.
Add broth if the stew is too thick (you’ll almost certainly need it).
At the hour and a half mark, in a kettle, boil some water.
In a heat-resistant bowl, add hot water to tomato paste slowly, stirring continuously.
You want just enough to achieve a smooth sauce without it being watery.
This will allow the tomato paste to integrate into the stew while also adding a bit more moisture, which will be needed by the time the stew is done.
Now add the tomato sauce you’ve prepared to the stew, and stir to combine.
Cook for a few additional minutes to combine.
Serve with crusty bread, or rice, or egg noodles; top the stew with a dollop of yoghurt or sour cream, and sprinkle with parsley (if you want).
The remaining bottle of wine that was used previously is a good accompaniment.
Notes
Serves 4-5 (the original says 6, I sincerely doubt that).
Chicken Meatball Skewers
Inspired by, and adapted from, Ikea's Midsommar Smorgasbord offering.
Ingredients
15 chicken meatballs
15 popsicle sticks, food safe
2-4 Tbsp oil, for frying
1 medium cucumber, peeled
3 1/2 oz dill, chopped
1 large lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp sea salt
10 oz sour cream
5 oz parsley, thyme, and ramsons, mixed
Black pepper, to taste
Olive oil, to taste
Preparation
Slice the cucumber into 15 slices, about 1-2 inches thick.
Place cucumber slices in a medium bowl, add sea salt, and combine.
Heat half the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
Fry the meatballs until golden brown and cooked through, adding remaining oil if needed.
Set aside cooked meatballs on paper towels to cool.
Add the lemon juice and dill (save 1 Tbsp dill for garnish) to the cucumbers, combine, and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Thread one cucumber slice onto each popsicle stick, then one chicken meatball.
Dip the end of the skewered meatball in the sour cream, then dip lightly into the herb mixture.
Place skewers on a tray and sprinkle with the remaining dill and black pepper to taste.
Top the remaining sour cream with the remaining herb mixture, drizzle with olive oil, and serve with skewers.
Notes
Serves 2-4. If you have extra cucumber, you can make some skewers with just two cucumber slices, to serve alongside the cucumber/meatball skewers.
Coconut Kidney Bean Yellow Curry
Ingredients
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1” section of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 15oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can coconut milk
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
2 tsp ground turmeric
Ground cayenne pepper or red chile
2-3 Tbsp olive oil (or a neutral oil like corn, canola, soy…)
Preparation
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, over medium heat.
Add the dry spices to bloom them, and once they’ve infused the oil, add the ginger, onion, garlic, and pepper.
Sauté until the onions are translucent, stirring regularly.
Add the kidney beans and coconut milk, as well as enough water to cover all the ingredients.
Bring the curry to a high simmer, uncovered, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cover.
Keep on a simmer while preparing rice, then serve.
Notes
Serves 3-4. In terms of rice, short grain white rice goes well.
Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients
2 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 17oz can whole kernel corn, drained
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 large avocado, diced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3-4 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Serve with tortilla chips.
Notes
Can be garnished with avocado slices or cilantro sprigs.
Maple Brown Sugar Meatloaf
Adapted from Paula Dean's 'Old-Fashioned Meatloaf'.
Ingredients
1 lb ground meat (beef or pork works well)
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 oz can whole tomatoes, smashed, without juice
1 packet maple & brown sugar flavored instant oatmeal (apple and cinnamon flavored works well with pork as well)
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon mustard
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Mix ground beef, salt, pepper, onion, bell pepper, egg, tomatoes and oats together well in a large bowl.
Place in a baking dish and shape into a loaf.
Mix ketchup, brown sugar and mustard together in a small bowl and spread on loaf.
Bake for 1 hour.
Notes
Produces 1 loaf of meatloaf.
Oven Baked Pork Chops
Ingredients
3 large or 4 small pork chops, boneless or bone-in
3 cups water
2 1/2 Tbsp salt
1/3 cup oil
3 large potatoes
2 small or 1 large bell pepper
2 carrots, sliced into rounds
1 large onion, sliced into rounds
4 cloves garlic, sliced
salt, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, dry thyme
1/2 cup beer (or water, but beer adds better flavor)
Preparation
Place the pork chops in a shallow dish.
Boil 1 cup of water, add 2 1/2 Tbsp salt and stir to dissolve the salt.
Add 2 remaining cups of cold water and pour the brine over top to cover the chops.
Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Cut the potatoes in slices.
Cut the bell peppers into rings after removing seeds/ribs.
Place potatoes and peppers in a large bowl, together with onion, and garlic.
Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and dry thyme.
Place oil in a 11 1/2 x 7 inch (30x18 cm) baking dish.
Take pork chops out of brine, pat them dry with paper towel, sprinkle with salt, freshly ground black pepper and paprika.
Lay the pork chops in the baking dish, put vegetables in baking dish, and pour beer over the top.
Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for an hour.
Uncover and check whether meat and potatoes are done.
Place pork chops on top of vegetables and return everything to the oven.
Bake, uncovered, for about 10 more minutes.
Notes
Serves 2-4.
Pannekoeken
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
Dash of salt
Dash of vanilla
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 400 F, and melt the butter in a cast iron skillet, a number 8 pan (10” approximate internal diameter) is best.
Beat the eggs in a medium-sized bowl, then add the milk, whisking to combine, and finally whisk in the flour, salt, and vanilla.
Pour the batter into the skillet, and transfer it to the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden-brown.
Let rest momentarily, then serve.
Notes
Serves 2 for breakfast; to serve a greater number of people, add another two eggs per person, and half a cup of flour and milk each, with a similar increase in salt and vanilla. Add less butter, however, than another eighth of a cup. Above about 8 eggs, a single pan of pannekoeken becomes unwieldy, and making two or more separate pans may work better.
Pasta with Braised Lentils
Ingredients
1 cup brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2-2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp olive oil (or as needed)
Basil, oregano, paprika, and marjoram to taste (approx. 1 tsp apiece)
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup red wine
1-2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, or to taste
Short pasta (such as farfalle, rigatoni, penne, etc)
Preparation
After sorting and rinsing the lentils, place the lentils in a large, shallow pan (like a large sauce pan or a chef’s pan), along with several cups of water, the black pepper, and the red wine.
Place over medium-high heat until the lentils have reached a low boil.
At this point, lentils should be bouncing in the boiling water; now place a lid on the pan, and reduce heat.
Cook for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are al dente.
Use a colander to drain the lentils, collecting the lentil water in your pasta pot, and run cold water over the lentils to halt the cooking process.
Add water to the lentil water in your pasta pot to make enough water for cooking your pasta.
It is helpful to put up the pasta water now, so that when you prepare the pasta in a later stage the water is already heated.
Wipe out the chef’s pan that you used for preparing the lentils with a wet paper towel (caution, the pan will be very hot still) and add the olive oil.
Place the pan over medium heat and add the herbs and spices (other than the black pepper); once the oil is heated, add the onion, red pepper, and garlic.
Sauté until the onions are translucent.
Add the lentils back into the chef pan, then add the butter and the balsamic vinegar.
Stir to combine, over low heat, and add the pasta to the pasta water started earlier.
Cover the lentils, keeping the heat low, and check regularly.
The butter should melt and combine with the other ingredients, but the lentils should mostly just be kept warm at this stage.
Once the pasta is ready, serve with a hard grating cheese.
Notes
Serves 3-4. Pairs well with red wines, and if you need to open a bottle to prepare this, you can serve it with the wine you just opened to cook. Also a good way to use up wine that’s been open a bit too long.
Pasties
Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 cup crisco (not oil!)
1 Tbs salt
1 Tbs sugar
Break 1 egg into a 1 cup measuring cup, fill rest of cup up with milk
1 lb lean ground meat (I use pork or 90/10 beef)
1 lb russet potatoes finely diced
1 small onion finely diced (omit onion if you don't like it)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Pour egg/milk mix in a bowl with the flour, crisco, salt, and sugar.
Mix dough with hands until it pulls away from the bowl and forms a ball.
Mix together meat, potatoes, and onion in a separate bowl.
Roll out small portion of dough, put small handful of filling on the edge.
Fold dough over & pinch edges to seal, trim off excess dough and reuse it.
Bake for 45-60 minutes depending on size of pasty.
They are cooked when crust is golden brown.
Notes
I recommend lining the pans with foil because the juice from the meat always leaks out but the leaner the meat the less mess.
Preserved Lemons
Ingredients
4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
12 lemons, washed and dried
3 whole peeled garlic cloves
6 whole black peppercorns (roughly 1/4 tsp)
1 whole star anise
6 thyme sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
Preparation
Place the ingredients in a slow-cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or until the lemons are very soft.
The lemons are ready to use immediately; store the lemons and strained oil in separate containers.
Notes
The lemons can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month; keep the oil stored in a separate container in the fridge, for lemon-flavored oil wherever olive oil could be used, and you want that lemon essence.
Quick Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet, equiv.)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt (Kosher salt works fine)
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup, 1 oz. water, at approximately 115 F
Preparation
Mix 1 cup bread flour (reserving the other cup for later) with the whole wheat flour in a bowl, then add sugar and yeast and salt; it’s important at this stage to keep the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl, so that the salt does not immediately halt the yeast’s growth; I usually find it works well to put the yeast on top of the sugar, and then place the salt directly opposite that.
Add water and butter, and stir until all ingredients are well-combined; the stirring speed on a stand mixer with a dough hook installed should work fine for this.
Add the reserved cup of flour in parts, stirring to combine or mostly combine; this can also be done with a stand mixer.
Once all the flour is added, knead for approximately ten minutes, until the dough is elastic and bounces back when pressed with the pad of a finger; this can likewise be performed with a stand mixer, although I don’t know the timing.
Oil a separate bowl lightly, then roll the dough into a ball and place in the oiled bowl.
Cover and set aside until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
Lightly oil your loaf pan, then press on the risen dough gently, deflating it.
Stretch the dough out slowly into a rectangle whose short side is roughly the same length as your pan, then roll up the dough, using a short side as the central axis, and place in the loaf pan seam-side down. Set aside to proof until appropriately risen (about doubled in bulk), another 30-45 minutes.
Partway through proofing, preheat the oven to 450 F.
Bake at 450 F for ten minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake until the top is golden brown and patches are slightly darker, generally at most 30 minutes.
Let the loaf rest in the pan for a few minutes after removing it from the oven, then release it; be careful, there will be steam!
Notes
Produces 1 loaf of bread.
Refrigerator Potato Rolls
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes (instant is fine)
2 1/4 cups warm water
1 cup soft butter (8 oz)
3 eggs
5 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
10 1/2 to 11 cups flour (adjust as needed)
Preparation
Take warm mashed potatoes, mix with water, butter and eggs.
In a large, separate bowl, combine 5 cups of flour, salt, sugar, and yeast.
Stir, then add the potato mixture.
Add remaining flour, stirring continuously; the goal is a very soft, loose, shaggy dough, if the dough is too firm after blending ingredients, add a quantity of milk (or more water) until the desired consistency is achieved.
Cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours (or overnight).
Size and shape rolls, in balls of about 1” in diameter; set them on a greased pan (or five) to proof.
While the rolls are proofing, preheat the oven to 350 F.
Bake until lightly browned, 15-18 minutes.
Notes
This recipe needs a significant amount of time to rise, because it has such a large sugar content, and it’s kept cold (to avoid the yeast consuming all of the sugars present at once). This recipe produces somewhere above 56 rolls, and is great to prepare for an event.
Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Potatoes
Ingredients
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp crushed rosemary
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb small red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lb)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 F; prepare a sheet pan by covering with foil and spraying foil with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix oil and all spices in a large bowl.
Add chicken and potatoes; toss to coat well.
Arrange chicken and potatoes in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan.
Roast in oven 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, turning potatoes occasionally.
Notes
Serves 6.
Stewed Eggs
Ingredients
Skins from a dozen yellow onions (brown skins)
8 large eggs
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp ground coffee or instant coffee
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Preparation
Place the onion skins in the bottom of a slow cooker (using a liner is recommended).
Set the eggs gently in the onion skins.
Drizzle the olive oil on top of the eggs.
Scatter the coffee grounds over the eggs, then sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and add water to just cover.
Cover and cook on low for at least 10 hours.
Wipe off the eggs and serve either warm or cold.
Notes
A slow cooker liner makes for much easier cleanup.
Watermelon Salsa
Ingredients
2 cups seeded, coarsely chopped watermelon
2 Tbsp chopped onion
3 Tbsp seeded, chopped Anaheim chile
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp garlic salt
Preparation
In a serving bowl, mix together the watermelon, onion, and chile pepper.
Season with balsamic vinegar and garlic salt.
Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to blend flavors.
Notes
Works well with orange or yellow watermelons, in addition to red watermelons.