TulipGirl

From my friend, Kathryn.

Sand Tarts or Saint Hearts

from the Mennonite Community Cookbook by Mary Emma Showalter

1 C shortening (we’ve always used butter instead)
2 C granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 1/2-4 C flour (I always end up having to add more)
1 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar together.
Add eggs and flavoring and beat until fluffy.
Sift flour (we’ve always skipped both sifting steps without problems)
Measure and add salt and baking powder.
Sift again.
Add dry ingredients.
Stir until a medium-soft dough is formed (you may have to add a lot of extra flour to get to this point depending on the humidity)
Chill several hours in the refrigerator.
Roll very thin and cut into fancy shapes. (I’m lazy so I just cut them into squares with a pastry wheel)
Brush tops with rich milk and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Decorate with pecan halves (when we use nuts, we’ve always used chopped walnuts)
Place 1 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet (parchment paper also works well instead of greasing the cookie sheet)
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 8-10 minutes.

One thing I like about the recipe is that since it dates back before modern ovens, it’s a lot harder to mess up than a lot of more modern baking recipes.

She brought this to our little cookies-and-eggnog Christmas get together last night. They were so delish, simple, splendid. Posting the recipe so I can find it when I want to make them myself.

This has been a long week. A very long week.

And somehow in the midst of the craziness, Hubby and I marked our 14th anniversary! And considering we met 18 years ago, our lives have been mingled longer than they have not. I’m looking forward to a long, relaxing weekend together.

Hubby had to rescue me at 9:30 pm on our anniversary — I had locked my keys in the van. Today I forgot my phone at home. I’ve been a tad absentminded.

The boys have been on a Shakespeare kick. I’m not yet sure what instigated their interest, even though the past year we have been integrating some of the Bard into our schooling. (We’ve read more of Charles Lamb that we have the actual plays and poetry.) Tonight we’re watching Ian McKellen as King Lear. Amy (who loves books) suggested In Search of Shakespeare. I haven’t found a place to watch it online, so maybe we’ll order it. . . The boys are trying to organize the neighborhood kids into a play. I love delight-led learning!

This morning read Barlow’s take on Cash for Clunkers. I tend to agree — it seems to be wasteful, and substituting one form of pollution and inefficiency for another.

On a happier note, Roadfood.com seems to be a great resource for finding yummy local food whether at home or when traveling.

Similarly, Eating Like an Immigrant is very inspirational! This is the first post of a series — I can’t wait to read the rest over at MbG. Food blogging is one of those things that prods me to enjoy cooking again, even when I have to cook. We’ve been making easy bread this week, thanks to ThatMom’s links to online resources for Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I have a loaf rising now, and plan on trying whole wheat this weekend.

We have treats and cooking planned for this weekend, much of it for the church picnic. Jalepeno Hummus and tortilla chips, brownies, Mrs. E’s Mac and Cheese, regular hummus and veggies, something else which I’m blanking on right now. . .

I’m hoping to go to Chicago (along with the two younger boys!) in a few weeks to see my parents. Very excited about it.

It will be too late for the Michigan Ave Arts Fest — but doesn’t that look like fun? I found out about that from a friend’s link on facebook. Finding some neat (and sad) links from friends lately. . . Like Embracing the Least of These, about orphans in Africa. Or, this cool project that uses Google Maps to vividly illustrate the crisis in Darfur.

I’ve been listening to Steve Brown’s lectures on Grace in the Church, thanks to Camille. It’s been relaxing during this busy week.

But I need to take a break from it, and finish up this semester’s courses. I’ve been taking Financial Management in the Public Sector (ugh!) and Nonprofit Administration. They’ve both had their challenges as well as provided opportunities to learn. I’ve stressed out over them more than I needed to, as well. Still trying to find the right rhythm in school. My fall classes? Nonprofit Organizations and Nonprofit Financial Management. I’ve already ordered my books. (I *heart* the free shipping from Amazon Prime!)

Hubby starts teaching in a few weeks (if you are local, take his American History class!) The boys were going to have a “short” summer break, but with their hard work work all July, we’ve decided to start when the local public schools start — August 24th. I need to do quite a bit of planning.

On the upside, I finished a project I really wanted to do this July. I sorted all the kids books and school books by type, and have them stacked and organized. You know the boxes with lids which contain reams of paper? They are perfect for books. Thanks to Bob, our local printer, and the office supply store, we had plenty. Now I just need to work on the boys’ schedules — we’re trying to finish up US History since 1865 using Ambleside as a guide (Term 3 of Year 5, Term 1 of Year 6 — adapted to each of the boys).

That will give the boys time to join the YCS group in campaigning for Dan Quiggle. We like Dan a lot, and he has great Reagan stories from his internship. I’m glad the boys get to see the local side of politics in an off-year election.

So, that’s the rambling on we’ve been doing around here. . .

Breakfasts
Eggs and Scrapple (Hubby cooks this when I’m not home, thankfully)
Granola (if I actually make it this week)
Pancakes
Oatmeal
Cereal

Lunches
PB&J
Pasta
Baked Potatoes
Turkey Sandwiches

Dinners
Porkchops with Herbed Cream Sauce over Pasta, Five-Minute Cabbage
Italian Sausage Sandwiches (another Hubby recipe)
New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
Annie’s Crustless Quiche
Black Thai Pork
Fiesta Penne

Snacks
Popcorn
Strawberries
Baked Potatoes
Cottage Cheese
Veggies Dipped in Hummus (If I make it this week.)

Other than Hubby’s forays into the kitchen, our meals have gotten into a bit of a rut.  I went to the produce market and bulk store today, browsed the supermarket flyer for sales, and am trying to do some meal planning for this week.

Breakfasts
Oatmeal
Pancakes
Scrambled Eggs
Fruit and Yogurt
Seven Year Granola
Zucchini Bread Muffins

Lunches
Pasta
Baked Potatoes
Tuna Sandwiches
English Muffin Egg Sandwiches
PB&J (not totally abandoning our comfortable rut!)

Dinners
1.  Picnic at Pops in the Park
Sub Sandwiches, Potato Salad, Deviled Eggs, Grapes, Carrot Sticks, Brownies
2. Roast, Mashed Potatoes and Sauteed Veggies
3. Grilled Fish Chicken, Five-Minute Cabbage
4. Cuban Black Bean Soup
5. Asian Chicken Salad
6. Mediterranean Artichoke/Chicken Salad Chicken Mole
7. Chicken Fajitas, Refried Black Beans, Diced Avocado

Snacks
Popcorn
Bananas
Strawberries
Baked Potatoes
Cottage Cheese
Veggies Dipped in Hummus

Other
Strawberry Jam (Planning on making Saturday, if the kids haven’t finished eating the flat of strawberries I bought today. And if the weather doesn’t get too hot. I refuse to put the AC on in March.)

“Making the bed alone is worst than making some obscure recipe alone!” complained R10 this afternoon.

And I’m wondering about the obscure recipes he’s been making. Alone.

Gathering the ingredients

.

Sliced veggies, mahi and shrimp

.

Heating the wok and oil

.

Veggies coated in tempura batter

.

Don't forget the dashi!

.

A beautiful, golden crisp

.

Dip in!

.

Yumm!

.

Probably most of you are like me. . . we get into the same ruts of shopping, cooking, and meal planning. We know our family favorites so well that we rarely pull out a recipe. I enjoy cooking — I don’t enjoy having to cook. In other words, I’ve defaulted to the quick and easy (and cheap) dinners that I can cook without much thinking.

Hubby used to tell me he couldn’t cook anything beyond coffee and microwave pizza. Over the past couple of years he’s done a bit more cooking, and well, he’s discovered he can cook and actually enjoys it! Cooking has evolved into shopping and menu planning as well. Suffice to say, Hubby is a bit more adventurous than I am in the kitchen and so the recipes on the fridge for this week include:

Tempura
Osaka Okonomiyaki
Yakitori – Skewered grilled chicken
Wakame Seaweed and Okra Sunomono
Japanese Sweet Potato Casserole
Japanese Pounded Cucumber Salad – Shojin Ryori
See a Japanese theme this week?
Asian Green Beans
Moroccan Lentil Soup
Shredded Potato Salmon Cakes
A Jerky Chicken
Pork Tofu with Watercress and Bean Sprouts
Ethiopian Vegetable Bowl
Mabo Nasu (spicy fried eggplant)

Thankfully the kids are willing to try anything foodwise and the most unusual dishes don’t contain any weird meats, which would make me squeamish. I made the Mabo Nasu tonight, and think I’m going to enjoy Hubby’s meal planning and shopping. Hubby has a wok (a Father’s Day gift a few years ago) that is being put to good use, and found an import grocery store on his drive home where they offer great specialty items. The boys are already great at cleaning the kitchen, making pancakes and oatmeal — and I bet with Hubby cooking more, they’ll expand their repertoire along with him.

This year my parents and sister will not be coming down for Thanksgiving, breaking with a not-quite-tradition which we hadn’t quite established. Last year we had a casual, immediate family only Thanksgiving dinner with the kids pitching in a lot. This year we’ll continue with the low stress theme, but probably have a few guests. To keep it low key, however, we do need to do a little bit of planning ahead. These are my notes, to access as we go along and to refer back to next year — not advice for anyone else’s Thanksgiving! Though, feel free to share your keeping it simple Thanksgiving ideas with me!

Tentative Thanksgiving Dinner Menu
Dad’s Roast Turkey and Stuffing (I’ll make, my Dad’s recipe)
Gravy
Green Bean Casserole (R9, make ahead)
Red Mashed Potatoes
Green Peas (C7)
Corn (C7)
Dinner Rolls (baked from frozen)
Cranberry Sauce (make ahead)
Hot Mulled Apple Cider (T10)
Pumpkin Pie
Ambrosia (J12, make ahead)
Bailey’s Irish Cream (continuing a Kyiv tradition)

Maybe. . .
Green salad? Pumpkin dip? Appetizer?

Other things to keep it simple. . .
Remember to check the oven is on “bake” not “broil”
Remember 10 am Thanksgiving service at church
Remember to thaw the turkey
A glass of wine while cooking
Do as much ahead of time
Kids participate
Peaceful music

It’s overcast and rainy this evening. Perfect autumnish weather — or at least as autumnish as we get here in Florida. This is such a yummy recipe that a friend shared with me about a decade ago. It took awhile to hunt it down this afternoon, so now I’m posting it for easy reference.

Bayou’s Hearty Bacon Potato Soup

2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 slices bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 (8 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/4 tsp. thyme

In 3 quart pan, cook bacon for 5 minutes (longer for crisper bacon). DO NOT DRAIN. Add potatoes and onions and simmer 20 minutes (at this point you MIGHT want to drain a LITTLE of the grease– it was awfully RICH RICH RICH). Add remaining ingredients and cook 10-15 minutes. I sprinkle a little grated cheese over the top. Enjoy!!

Some notes: I’ve modified it a lot at times and it is always good. If I didn’t have cream of chicken soup or sour cream, so I just used milk or yogurt and added a little flour before adding to the potatoes so it was a little more saucy. I’ve added Lipton’s onion soup mix when I’ve had it on hand and I thought it might add a little more flavor. I’ve used fresh green beans instead of corn. And I’ve left out the thyme when I didn’t have any on hand.

Mac & Cheese isn’t on our regular meal rotation. I’ve never been good at making it, but my family loves when Hubby’s mom makes it. A few weeks ago we had a delicious surprise, Mrs. E brought us dinner. The family raved and she kindly emailed me the recipe. Now I’m sharing the recipe with you (as well as keeping it easy to access for me.) Did I mention we’re making this for lunch today, too?

*

MACARONI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

Ingredients:
1 16 oz package elbow macaroni
1 lb cottage cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg – beat slightly with fork
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons dried onion (or fresh) – optional
1 8 oz package cheddar cheese (grated or shredded)

Method:
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over noodles and mix well. Bake 45 minutes at 350 – uncovered – or until heated through. Use 9×13 pan. This can be made ahead of time, or frozen.

Notes from Mrs. E: I have made this casserole numerous times: for guests, church dinners, families needing a meal. It it always well-received; and, it’s so easy to make. . . when I made the dish for your family I used a mixture of shredded (mild? or medium?) cheddar, colby and jack cheeses (I think those were the ones.) I think L. says she sometimes adds a little ham.

This recipe was probably the first one I put online in my Computer Cookbook archives. Thanks to Michelle, I’m reposting it and making it for my family today.

Carin’s Almond Chicken

½ C flour
1/3 C butter, melted
1 t celery salt
1 t paprika
½ t salt
½ t curry
½ t oregano
¼ t pepper
6 boneless chicken breasts
1 ½ C whipping cream
1/3 C dry bread crumbs
¾ C sliced, toasted almonds

Add spices to melted butter. Cover chicken with flour; dip into butter mixture. Place in dish (9×13). Pour cream around chicken. Bake, covered, at 350 for 45 minutes. Combine bread crumbs with remaining butter (or melt more). Remove chicken from oven, uncover, sprinkle with buttered crumbs and almonds. Bake uncovered for 5-8 minutes.
Serve with warm pasta.

Carin’s Notes: I never toast the almonds (and my slicing is dubious – in fact, once I left out the almonds all together!), I rarely measure the butter, and have used half cream half milk or other variations. The only spices included in the recipe that I do not buy here are celery salt and oregano.

My Notes: I serve this with rice, because whenever I make pasta for a crowd it’s too starchy and sticky. Instead of heavy cream (which is expensive here) I use 6% milk, and it turns out just fine. Though, I don’t remember if 6% milk is available in the States. I make mine without celery salt, because I don’t have any–it still tastes good, but Carin’s is better. This recipe doubles easily. I usually cut chicken breasts into thirds, so that I can serve less meat to the children. Tonight, 10 breasts served 12 adults and 4 children, with enough left over to send home with a friend for her husband and mother.

On a completely different note, do you have recommendations on how to cook dried beans so that they taste good?
–Carole

Carole, who obviously knows her way around a kitchen already, asked about the wonderful, marvelous, nutrient-rich (and cheap! unless you live in Ukraine) legume.

It’s Monday, and we have a New Orleans carry-over tradition of Red Beans and Rice on Mondays. Only, now it’s morphed into any kind of bean on Mondays. (Once upon a time, I also did laundry on Mondays, as tradition dictates. . . now I’m just thankful whenever it gets done. . .)

Red Beans and Rice is still my favorite. It’s comfort food and totally divine when served with hot buttered French bread. Hubby prefers Cuban Black Bean soup with a dollop of sour cream.

While those are our most common bean-based meals, it’s good to have a range of recipes to try. Most of these recipes can be modified easily for the vegan and vegetarian amongst us. However, I’ve found that cooking beans with just a little bit of meat makes it yummier.

I usually make a full pot of beans or a double batch, and freeze the leftovers in smallish ziplock bags. Lots of recipes call for canned black beans–having your own in your freezer is quick and inexpensive, and doesn’t have the metallic taste some canned beans have. (I do the same with brown rice–DIY convenience foods.)

The Bean Report is a good resource for info on cooking beans and minimizing their oftimes unpleasant side effects. One other thing I find important is not to salt the beans until after they are cooked.

Sooooo. . .

What other bean recipes should Carole and I try?

Just a collection of recipes I want to keep handy so I can try them.

Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

Pierogi Casserole

Shiny, Happy Carrot Hummus

White Bean and Avocado Club

Crispy Falafel

Lemon Spinach Chickpeas

Garlicky Bean Spread

Hummus Hall of Fame

Potato Sourdough Starter and Herman

Herman Pancakes

Grilled Fish Tacos

Spatulatta’s Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Easy Granola Bars

Chickpea and Escarole Soup in a Breadbowl

Sweet Squash Flan

Winter Sage Pesto

Coconut Curry Rice

Indian Carrot Salad

Lavender Lemonade

Chicken Mole

Artichoke Soup

A Good French Bread Recipe

Black beans. . . Yummy and good for you. I make a big pot o’ beans and then freeze leftovers in baggies to use when I need convenience foods. (I really dislike the metallic taste of canned beans.)

But, it gets a little too routine to make Cuban Black Bean soup one day and have Bean Enchiladas the next, so I’ve gathered some recipes to expand my black bean repertoire.

Black Bean Chili

Black Bean Hummus

Moros y Cristianos

Spicy Black Bean Cakes

Fusion Black Bean Dip (Dare I?)

Kitchen-Sink Quesadillas

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

Veggie Enchiladas

I’ve got to say, I’m super thankful that my boys will eat just about anything. They are each allowed to choose one food that they don’t have to eat, but if it is in something I prepare, they are responsible for just eating around it. Right now, the “one things” include leeks, onions, carrots and lima beans. For a long time, monkey brains were R8’s “one thing” and then he realized I never serve those. . .

I’m thankful they are willing to try just about anything. One wasn’t thrilled with the millet I’ve made a few times. I tried to convince them it was yummy by saying it was like a cross between rice and couscous. I forgot that rice had been his “one thing” for quite a while.

We had a light lunch the other day of veggies dipped in hummus and toasted pita bread. Hubby bought the hummus at the grocery store, and it reminded me of how much we all like it. It’s pretty easy to make, too–and you can skip the tahini if you aren’t a hummus purist.

Tonight we had deeeelicious Cuban Black Bean soup. We try to have a legume-based dinner once a week, and Black Bean soup is a fave. I forgot just how good Cuban Black Bean soup is when you’re sure to season it with cumin and serve with fresh chopped onions and sour cream. Yummmm. We all had seconds.

Maybe it’s the cooler weather, but I’m more inspired to cook and create in the kitchen these days. R8 is asking to make apple butter with me–I’ve hardly done any canning since Ukraine.

J11 is very handy in the kitchen. It took me years to be able to make good pancakes, and he’s mastered it at age 11. Still, it’s easiest to use a mix in the box, but when he’s cooking and the other boys are eating. . . well. . . we can go through a lot of pancakes! So here are some make-your-own-mix recipes for us to try out.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

4 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup non-fat dry milk
2 tablespoons cinnamon
5 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Makes about 8 cups.

To cook the pancakes, beat together:
2 eggs
1/3 c. of melted butter

Little by little mix in:
2 c. of pancake mix
1 c. of water

Perfect Pancake Mix

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt

Stir 1 1/2 cups of pancake mix, 2 eggs, and 1 1/4 cups of milk in a mixing bowl until smooth. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Enjoy with maple syrup.

New google tools make me giddy. I guess it is my inner tech-geek trying to manifest. Thanks to Gid, I’ve been playing around with a new google app that is still in beta: Google Recipes.

(Oddly enough, right before reading about it over at Gid’s, I was googling a recipe for chili for Hubby, since I don’t have all the ingredients on hand for his Mom’s recipe.)

Reposting, so Hubby has the recipe easily at hand. I soaked the beans last night, and he’ll be cooking them today.

Red Beans and Rice. It was comfort food, as well as a staple, as I grew up. My Mom tells me how they had it every Monday, as is traditional in New Orleans. Monday is wash day, perfect for having a pot of beans simmer slowly on the back of the stove all day. Even better, if there is a leftover ham bone from Sunday dinner.

I rinsed and started soaking my red beans last night. Here is a rough recipe for New Orleans Red Beans and Rice–it’s one of those recipes that becomes better as you tweak it over time and adjust it to suit your family.

2 pounds dried red beans, sorted and rinsed
Water
1/2 pound lean salt pork, bacon, or ham, diced (veggie friends–you can leave this out–but honestly, a little bacon adds a lot of flavor!)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped (opt.)
1 green pepper, chopped (opt.)
1-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
TABASCO Sauce, to taste

Hot cooked rice
Hot french bread, butter

Wash and soak beans overnight. Drain beans, and cover with fresh water Add meat and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover. Add onions, celery, garlic, and seasonings, either directly to the pot, or saute first, then add to pot.

Cover, simmer 1 1/2 to 3 hours longer, until beans are tender enough to smush easily with a fork. Add water while cooking, as needed. If you like, take some of the beans out, smush them and add them back to the pot for a thicker consistency.

Serve over hot, white rice wtih french bread and plenty of butter.

Fiesta Penne

Chicken Breasts or Tenderloins
One Yellow or Red or Green Pepper
One Onion
Handful of Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
Cumin, Celery Salt, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper
Penne Pasta

Start water to boil penne, and follow directions for cooking it al dente. Stirfry in olive oil in a large wok or iron skillet the amount of chicken you’d use for your family. When it is mostly cooked, dice it and add back to the skillet or wok. Add in diced pepper and diced onion. Add a bit of Cumin, Celery Salt, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper to taste. After veggies are crisp-tender and chicken is all cooked, add in the grape tomatoes. When penne is cooked, drain, and toss with the veggies and meat in the wok.

This was very yummy, and was the result of me wanting fajitas and having most everything on hand, except tortillas.

Another modification–Cajun Elbows. In addition to the veggies listed above, add garlic, okra, yellow squash and/or whatever you have on hand. Instead of the seasonings above, sprinkle liberally with Tony Chachere’s seasoning, paprika, and parsley. Prepare as above. Kiddos really liked this last night.

Yet another mod–Italian Ribbons. Yellow squash, green bell pepper, onion and garlic, chicken, grape tomatoes, handful of spinach, parsley, and ribbon pasta.

Annie’s Crustless Savory Quiche

3 eggs
1 3 oz. package cream cheese
1 12 oz. carton small curd cottage cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cooked chopped ham
2 T. minced green onion
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9 inch pie plate. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat egs. Beat in cream cheese, cottage cheese and butter until almost smooth.
4. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Stir in egg mixture until thoroughly blended. Beat in milk. Pour into prepared pie plate.
5. Sprinkle with cheese and ham. Sprinkle with green onions and mushrooms.
6. Bake 30-40 minutes.

(This quiche is good and very easy. I actually make the whole thing in my cuisinart and it turns out really well.)

Happy eating!

This was super-yummy, my boys loved it, and we’re adding it to our regular rotation. I copied this here for convenience–however, Annie’s blog has great recipes posted regularly.

I’m writing down the recipe I was given verbally last night, so I don’t forget. This is by far the best iced coffee I’ve ever had. (High caffeine, sugar and fat content, no wonder it tastes yummy!)

Uncle Jonathan’s Iced Coffee

12 c. spring water
1 c. fresh ground coffee

Brew coffee. Pour hot coffee into a large pot. Add and stir well:

1 qt. half/half
1 qt. whole milk
1 c. sugar

After blended well, put into clean mason jars. As it cools, the coffee will form a bit of a seal. Store in the fridge. It will keep for about a week, but I guarantee you it won’t last that long!

This was served to us, along with the best Italian dinner we’ve ever had when we were guests at Hubby’s sister’s home last night. “Uncle Jonathan” is her husband–my bil, not uncle!

New Orleans Style Red Beans and Rice
(Andouille or Kielbasa Sausage Optional)
Served with French Bread and Butter

Cuban Black Beans
(Cooked with Bacon, Optional)
Rice

Stormy Black Bean Soup (Vegan)
With Cornbread

Pinto Beans
(Cooked with Bacon, Optional)
Served with Cornbread or Tortillas

Tacos/Tostadas
Substitute Black Beans for Ground Beef
Or add beans to sauteed ground beef and mix together.

Southwest Casserole
Combine roughly equal parts of beans, rice, canned corn, and canned tomatoes (with peppers is best.) Heat and serve. Melting cheese on top is optional.

Split-Pea Soup
(With ham, optional)
Served with hot rolls and butter

White Bean Chili
Served with cornbread and butter

Hummus and Dipping Veggies
Served with toasted pita
(Hummus Recipe 2, Recipe 3)

Most of these recipes can be modified easily for the vegan and vegetarian amongst us. However, I’ve found that cooking beans with just a little bit of meat makes it yummier.

Hint: Make a full pot of beans or a double batch, and freeze the leftovers in smallish ziplock bags. Lots of recipes call for canned black beans–having your own in your freezer is quick and inexpensive, and doesn’t have the metallic taste some canned beans have. I do the same with rice.

Addendum: Read The Bean Report for good info on cooking beans and minimizing their oftimes unpleasant side effects.

COQ AU VIN

1 3 lb fryer (cut up) or 2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
6 slices bacon
6 sm. onions, diced
1/2 lb. mushrooms, washed, trimmed and quartered
4 carrots, halved and cut into 2-inch lengths
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. red burgundy wine
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 shallots, minced
1 tsp. each of rosemary, thyme and parsley
1 TBS olive oil

Dredge chicken in mixture of salt, pepper and flour. Brown chicken on all sides in olive oil. Place in crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook all day on low. Enjoy !

Wheatie says, “This is the easiest recipe for Coq au Vin, even if it’s not the most authentic.”

TulipGirl’s Notes: This is delish! Great for guests and easy to double. If making it for guests, I usually used chicken breasts cut into thirds, rather than cutting up a chicken. In Ukraine, I usually cooked it on low in the oven for sevearl hours instead of in a crockpot.

I usually make variations of Chunky Granola or Mollie Katzen’s Dry Roasted Granola. One of my Saturday projects is to make several batches of granola to stock up for the next several weeks.

I googled granola recipes because I wanted to introduce variety beyond my usual experimentations, and I’m posting them here both to share to add to my Computer Cookbook.

Maple Granola
(Vegan)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees:

Dump into a big bowl, and stir until the oats are evenly coated:

10 cups rolled oats
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup real maple syrup

As with the other granolas I posted about, spread it all out on a
large cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes, taking it out every five
minutes to stir it around, and keep it in an airtight container
shortly after taking it out of the oven, so it stays very crunchy.

You wouldn’t believe how good this was! If you’re reading this and
thinking “that sounds too sweet for cereal”, well, think of it as a
snack then — it’s very crispy and when you’re crunching it up in your mouth it really does taste like you’re eating some kind of fancy maple cookie.

TulipGirl’s Notes: I added wheatgerm and flax seed to the oats, and used a little less maple syrup, because I didn’t want to run out for our next pancake day.

Gingersnap Granola Recipe

Serves/Makes: 6 cups

Ingredients:
3 cups oat bran
2 cups oats (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked)
2 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons light or dark molasses
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon-
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 15-by-10-inch jelly roll pan or rimmed baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray. In large bowl, combine oat bran and oats; mix well and set aside.

Put margarine in 2-cup microwavable bowl. Microwave on high (1 00 percent power) 30 to 45 seconds or until melted. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Drizzle over combined cereals, stirring until evenly coated; spread evenly in pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool granola in pan on wire rack. Store tightly covered.

TulipGirl’s Note: I added chopped candied ginger to this recipe, too.

Homespun Granola

1 1/2 cups Old fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup raisins or dried fruit

Mix oats, nuts, coconut & cinnamon in ungreased baking pan. Combine melted butter, honey and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients. Bake 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, stirring every 10 minutes. When evenly golden-colored, remove from pan, add raisins. Store tightly.

TulipGirl’s Notes: Did variations on this including Almond/Blueberry and Coconut/Soy Nut/Pineapple.

I like to shop at Bulk-N-Natural, a store in the Mennonite section of the city. They have a natropath on hand, which is nice for getting “Yes, that’s really nothing to worry about” answers when I have obscure questions about the boys. I sometimes get organic oats, but usually my pocketbook wins and I simply get the bulk oats or bulk quick oats. I also buy my almonds, dried fruits, wheatgerm and other granola ingredients there. I want to support local businesses and be careful with our budget.

I love Thai food. My attempts at it, while yummy, have never quite reached the divine flavors of the Bangkok Restaurant’s Pad Prik Coconut or Red Curry.

KatieKind mentioned making Thai Green Curry the other night, so I asked for her recipe. She kindly obliged, and I’m reposting it so I can find it easily in the future. (I search my blog for bits and pieces I save all the time. . .) I had several of the foundational ingredients on hand, but bought fish sauce for the first time today.

So, thanks to KatieKind:

This is one of those recipes that calls for a couple of exotic ingredients. You can get fish sauce and Thai green curry paste at a Thai or international grocery. We bought a bottle of fish sauce and a container of green curry paste a year or two ago at Gloria’s (an international grocery in our town) and have kept them in the fridge ever since. They are just fine. I grow basil every summer because it is so wonderful. If you live in my town and need some for a recipe, let me know.

Green Thai Curry

1 can coconut milk, divided
1 t green Thai curry paste (to taste–a heaping teaspoon in this recipe was plenty for me, I’m wimpy)
1 onion thinly sliced (flexible)
handful sliced green or red peppers if you have them
2 cups veggies, steamed (flexible)
1 minced green onion (flexible)
bamboo shoots if you have them
1 pound-or so-chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch pieces
oil to saute chicken in
1 or 2 t sugar
1 t fish sauce — slop in according to taste
fresh lime juice–squeeze in a nice juicy half-lime or to taste
handful chopped cilantro
sliced fresh basil leaves–some for sauce, some for garnish
serve over rice with additional lime, cilantro, and basil as desired

Instructions
1. In largish pot, bring 1/4 can of the coconut milk and the curry paste to simmer. Stir in the rest of the can of coconut milk, sugar, and fish sauce. Bring to a simmer; let cook 1 minute.

2. Meanwhile you’ve steamed the veggies.

3. Meanwhile you’ve also sauteed the chicken and onion slices in oil–make sure chicken is cooked through.

4. Add chicken and veggies to coconut milk mixture. Add bamboo shoots if you have them. Add chopped cilantro, lime and basil. Mix well, make sure everything’s nice and hot.

Serve over rice.

This was more than plenty for three.

Update: I roughly doubled the recipe for our crew, hoping to have lots of leftovers. We didn’t. *grin* The fish sauce makes a big difference. I think it would have likely tasted better had I used another can of coconut milk–or maybe if I didn’t use the “lite” coconut milk. This recipe will definitely go into the regular rotation. And I forgot the basil, even though I have some growing fresh in my kitchen.

From the Lizard Eater:

Chocolate Cake Shots

Okay, first of all, I swear this isn’t a snipe hunt. When my brother gave me the recipe, I just knew he was pulling my leg. He wasn’t. I’m not. Try it.

Layer equal parts vodka and Frangelico in a shot glass.

Take a lime and quarter it. Take a quarter and dip it in sugar. Sugar, not salt.

Bite and suck. Hold the juice. Take the shot. Hold it all in your mouth and count to four.

Swallow.

Tastes like you’ve just taken a bite of rich, dark, chocolate cake.

Warning: quite dangerous. The first time a person has this, they get a peculiar look on their face. Then they say, “Wow, it really does taste like chocolate cake!” Then they say, “Let me try it again to see if that happens the second time… fourth time … eighth time …”

I wanna try these. . .

I used to not be able to make pancakes. No matter how I tried, they flopped. I finally found success in Ukraine, when I used a recipe for crepes from a little paperback Betty Crocker cookbook that was given to me by one of the single guys on our team.

We ate crepes instead of pancakes for a couple of years, and then I found this recipe for Thin Pancakes. It’s easy, makes large batches without problems, and the family loves them. When our church plant met on Saturday nights, part of our Sunday morning tradition was having these pancakes.

With recipes, the ingredients and amounts are not copyright protected, but the instructions and tips are. So, please visit this link for the well-written hints on how to make fabulous thin pancakes. However, for my own easy reference, I’m posting the ingredients here, in the proportions we usually use:

Serves 6, plus leftovers

Flour, 6 cups
Sugar, 6 tablespoons
Baking powder, 6 teaspoons
Salt to taste
Butter, 6 ounces, melted
Eggs, 6
Milk, 6 cups
Water

Tonight we had:

Collard Greens from the Organic Co-Op
Watermelon from Fruitville Road Detwiler Farms
Tomato Sandwiches from our Neighbors (homeschool, OPC)
Corn from a can

I made this for dinner tonight, and it turned out so well that I’m posting it here to share and keep for future reference. I served this with yellow crookneck squash and onions sauteed together in olive oil, and red potatoes and leeks drizzled with olive oil and broiled in the oven. The family loved it, and we had no leftovers. The recipe is a spin-off from a Betty Crocker one that I bought when I was in 6th grade.

Pork Chops With Herbed Cream Sauce

4 pork chops
2 TBSP of butter/margarine
1 carrot, chopped fine
6 mushrooms, chopped fine
3 teaspoons flour
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp beef boullion
1/2 TBSP dried parsley
1 cup milk
1 capful brandy/water

Cup each pork chop in half.*

Melt 1 TBSP of butter in a skillet. Salt and pepper the chops. Cook them over medium heat for about five minutes. Turn chops and add the other TBSP of butter, carrots, and mushrooms. Stir the veggies around the chops occasionally, but let the chops cook and get browned. When chops are no longer pink (5-7 more minutes) remove from pan and set aside. To the drippings and veggies, stir in herbs. If you use fresh herbs, double the amount listed above. Stir in flour and boullion. Add milk all at once. Stir and cook until bubbly and thickened. Stir in brandy. Add pork chops back to skillet, and heat thoroughly. Serve chops with sauce spooned over them.

This is a recipe I would make for guests, too. As long as they weren’t vegetarian or kosher.

*There are six people in our family, so this ends up being two pieces for Dad, one piece for Mom and each boy, and an extra piece for whoever needs seconds. With boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I either cut them in thirds or halves–depending on the size. This both encourages eating more veggies and helping the meat go further. When the boys are bigger, I assume I’ll need to increase the amount of meat I buy for each meal. However, I plan to contine making the portions smaller and then encouraging those who are still hungry to have seconds, instead of serving the size that is sold at the grocery store.

With the goodies from our organic co-op last week, I made Cilantro-Lime Salsa. Four small jars are gifts for the boys’ school teachers. I haven’t done any canning since returning from Ukraine, so I did note for the teachers to store it in the fridge rather than on the shelf.

This is my standard recipe for Salsa for canning. There is a temptation to use more peppers/onions, but to keep it safe the ratio acidic:non-acidic ingredients needs to stay consistent with this recipe. The batch I did this week was much smaller than the recipe, but maintained the proportions.

Salsa for Canning

5 lb tomatoes
1 lb green peppers
1/3 lb jalapenos
1 lb onions
1 cup vinegar, 5% acidity
3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

If you want chunky salsa, take the time to cut the ingredients into uniform sizes. This can be time consuming, but rewarding. After I discovered the ease of using the blender, I’ve opted for less-chunky salsa.

Whir tomatoes and other ingredients in a blender. Tomatoes can simply be halved. Onions and bell peppers quartersed. Clean all seeds from peppers (you may want to use gloves.) Keep the vinegar aside and add to blender as necessary to help as it chops the veggies.

Roma or paste tomatoes work better than large, wet-juicy sandwich tomatoes. Vine or hothouse ripened have a better flavor than gas ripened. Go for the freshest, bestest ingredients when canning!

Combine ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Personally, I like how salsa tastes after it’s simmered for at least and hour. But if you like the “fresher” taste, 10 minutes is sufficient.

Follow standard canning instructions for sterilizing jars. Fill jars–pints are good for gift giving. Larger bottles are better when you live in Ukraine and are stocking up on salsa for the year. Leave a 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process for 20 minutes in a waterbath canner.

When canning salsa, be sure to keep the vinegar/tomato/other veggie proportions accurate, for safety.

Today’s variation included:
Organic fresh cilantro, one bunch
Organic jalepeno peppers, only 3
Organic limes, 2 peeled and blended
Vine-ripe, local-grown roma tomatoes
Garlic

Update: I’m a tad disappointed in this batch. I think I should have added just a squeeze of lime juice near the end of cooking, and maybe used less cilantro. . .