Smoked Salmon Rollups

One of my favorite appetizers - it involves salmon lox, what's not to love?! Good water crackers are the best thing to put these on. Or just pop them in your mouth :D

The real trick is to slice it well - we freeze it for 30 minutes before slicing. Sometimes you can do this before the "chill" time. And then use a sharp knife (we use a serrated tomato knife) and then rinse it in water between every other slice. Much easier then.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon spanish paprika, dried
• 1/4 teaspoon lemongrass and chili spice mix (Hot, more if you wish)
• 1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
• 8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon

Steps

1. In a stand mixer, add cream cheese, lemon pepper, garlic, and dill.
2. Process until combined and smooth.
3. Lay out slices of salmon on a piece of plastic wrap, slightly overlapping edges.
4. Spoon cream cheese mixture onto salmon evenly.
5. Roll the salmon into a long and wrap tightly.
6. Chill for at least 2 hours. I like to put it in the freezer for the last 30 minutes (makes it easier to slice).
7. Cut roll into 1/4 inch slices, serve on crackers or pieces of bagel.

Makes 24 slices.

Winter Oden Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp miso paste
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 4 Tbsp of mirin
• 1 5x5inch square of nori or 1 3-inch length of konbu
• 1 Tbsp of furikake (optional)
• 8 ounces of mushrooms, torn into chunks
• 4 cups of water
• 1 lb of beef - your choice of cut, although I like tougher cuts here
• 1 lb of tofu, coarsely chunked
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 1 bunch of green onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch of kale or spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 6 ounces of udon noodles

Steps

1. In a large pot, add the water, miso, mirin, broth, seaweed, and furikake (optional).
2. Let the broth simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the sliced beef to the broth and simmer 20 minutes. Tougher cuts should go longer, which is awesome since this smells up the kitchen so fast.
4. Add tofu, carrots, and greens. Simmer 30 minutes.
5. When there are 10 minutes before dinner, add the udon noodles.
6. Garnish with green onions. Serve hot!

Between 6-10 servings, depending on slurpings!

Super No-Knead Bread Master Recipe

A few years ago a New York Times writer posted a recipe for "no-knead" bread that involved a long ferment with a minimum of yeast, a very wet dough, and a closed Dutch oven to make an airy, but crispy bread. The downside of this bread was the planning - about 24 hrs of lead time to get started. Not much to do, but we just aren't this organized. OK, I am not this organized :D

So, when I made the Potato Corn Chowder, I went looking for a variant that worked with less time. A faster ferment. Turns out it is pretty easy to do with 2/3 tsp of yeast instead of 1/4 tsp. A shorter rise (only 8 hrs for us, mixed it before we went out fencing and started baking it when we ran out of sun) makes a superior-to-any-store bread.

Now, if only I could get my sourdough starter under control...

Ingredients

• 3 cups of flour (use any combo of white, bread, and whole wheat)
• 2/3 tsp of instant yeast
• 1 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of blood warm water

Steps

1. Mix all the ingredients in the morning before you go out to hang fencing. I mixed the dry ingredients by hand and then added the warm water.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place - the house was cold (mid-50s), so I set the oven to "warm" for 5 minutes, then turned it off and placed the bowl in for 8 hours.
3. When we ran out of light, I came in, pulled the bowl out and turned the dough out onto the counter.
4. Shape the dough roughly into a ball and cover with a towel or plastic wrap again. Let proof for about an hour in a warm place again.
5. While the dough is proofing, heat the oven to 450°F. Put in your Dutch oven to heat.
6. When the dough has doubled in size, put it in the Dutch oven. You may have to pour it, pry it off the baking sheet, or just roll it in - the dough is very wet. Don't worry if it looks a mess.
7. Cover the pot with a lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake for another 15 minutes to let it brown.

Makes a 1 lb loaf.

Potato Corn Chowder

This is one of our oldest recipes - we only have it written down in one place on a notecard. I don't even know where we got it from, but it has been a stand-by for as long as I can remember us being together.

It is a straight ovo-lacto vegetarian recipe, but you could add some sausage to it (I know Bri would like that) or some chicken. I even saw a variant of this with lobster. Lobster! Riiiight.

Or version is big on the potatoes and corn, fresh is best, but where do you get fresh corn when it is cool enough to eat soup? Not around me, at least not with local.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 red (or Yukon Gold) potatoes, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• broth to cover (about 1 quart)
• 3 cups of corn
• 2 cups of crushed tomatoes (14 oz can)
• 1 tsp of dried thyme
• 1 tsp of marjoram or oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup of milk, soy-milk or yogurt

Steps

1. Saute the onion for 5 minutes under medium-high heat.
2. Add the carrots and celery and saute 2 minutes more.
3. Add the potatoes and bay leaves, then cover with broth. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
4. Add the corn kernels (still frozen is fine) and the tomatoes. Bring to a low boil, then add the herbs and simmer for 25 minutes.
5. Remove and mash about 1 cup of potatoes (I inevitably bring along some corn and tomatoes... mush 'em all). This will thicken the soup and make it more chowder-like.
6. Finally, add 1 cup of milk or yogurt and simmer 5 more minutes.
7. Serve immediately with a great bread.

Makes 10 servings.

Baked Shrimp Scampi

We were desperate for some dinner during the fencing project - Carol found shrimp and salmon, both frozen, in the freezer. We have a couple of quick shrimp dishes (Peanut Shrimp and a "Cajun" shrimp recipe from Cooking Light that I should post some day soon). But we have an enormous 3 quart container of harvested garlic (gotta love the "Music" variety). So Shrimp Scampi came to mind quick.

We found this recipe quickly on the web - it is from a Barefoot Contessa recipe, slightly modded for a simpler kitchen. We have fresh rosemary in the house (potted plants rock) and the parsley is still holding on outside (after several nights of 22 F lows). And this is born - and it is good. We have had this one twice this week. Yum.

Ingredients

• 1 lb raw shrimp
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp dry white wine or sherry
• salt and pepper
• 2/3 stick of butter, room temperature
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup panko

Preheat oven to 425º.

1. Peel the shrimp and then put them in a bowl.
2. Add olive oil, wine or sherry, and pepper. Let sit at room temperature while mixing the rest.
3. In the stand mixer, add the butter, garlic, onions, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, egg yolk, and panko. Mix this "topping" at medium speed until well combined.
4. Place the shrimp in a single layer in a glass pie pan.
5. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp and then sprinkle the topping over the shrimp.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (the shrimp will be thoroughly cooked and pink).
7. Serve over pasta (spaghetti or shells) or rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Double Apple Bundt Cake

I found this near perfect recipe in Dorie Greenspan's "Baking". Superfabulous and it uses up apples, which is always a blessing when I get over-eager and come home with a bushel of Macs. You can make the applesauce fresh (we use the slow cooker overnight to caramelize it well) or use last year's quarts which seem to be hogging the pantry shelves now.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup apple-butter or thickened applesauce
• 2 apples, peeled, cored and grated (I used Macs)
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup plumped raisins

Steps:

1. Center rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Butter a 9-to-10 inch (12-cup) Bundt pan.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.
4. Working with a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, thick and pale.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition; you'll have a light, fluffy batter.
6. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the apple butter - don't worry if it curdles the batter.
7. Still on low, add the grated apples and mix to completely blend.
8. Add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the batter.
9. Fold in the nuts and raisins.
10. Roll the batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top of the batter with the rubber spatula.
11. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a thin knife instered deep into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
12. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 10 minutes before un-molding.

Ab-Fab ColeSlaw

Coleslaw is a sorta shredded "salad" of some member of the broccoli/cabbage family - usually cabbage, but also broccoli (and even cheese?!?). It is never pickled, but regardless of whether it is garnished with a vinegar-based sauce or a mayo-based sauce, it should always be crisp.

Here is a recipe with a mayo-based sauce (which according to WikiP could not have arisen any earlier than the first mayo, which was invented in Europe in the 18th Century). I found this over at the infrequently updated "Toast", which has some fabulous recipes, especially of hearty things (like this and this).

Toast says that she got this recipe from a Peter Reinhart cookbook and it has the 'perfect' proportions. I agree - tastes just like the Marie's Coleslaw Dressing from the store if you add celery seeds.

Ingredients:

• 1 small or 1/2 large head of cabbage, finely shredded (I use the processor)
• 3 carrots, finely chopped (again with the processor, different blade)
• 1 1/2 cup of Hellman's Mayo (only the best, no Miracle Whip Need Apply)
• 1/2 cup of white sugar
• 1/4 cup of cider vinegar
• 1 tsp of coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tsp of celery seeds
• salt to taste (ours is about 1 tsp)

Steps:

1. If you have one, use the food processor to shred your cabbage. I core mine and then cut it into quarters. They get dropped onto the disk blade that has one long open groove. Voom voom done.
2. Then use the disk blade with the small holes and send the carrots through the processor. We like carrots a lot, so I add more than I wrote above.
3. In the large bowl you will be letting your slaw rest in, add the rest of the ingredients and mix together well.
4. Add the cabbage and carrots and toss until the whole thing is well coated.
5. Chill for 2 hrs at least in the fridge and then serve. Yum.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Easy skeezy, lemon peasey - we mostly just boil our fresh sweet corn for 3 minutes, drain and serve with butter and salt. It should be sweet, salty, buttery and smokey! The great thing is that by soaking the husk, you steam the corn first before you grill it - this insures your corn cooks in a reasonable amount of time.

But on camping nights, we cook out at the firepit and this is how we make grilled corn. You could also do this on a barbecue grill in almost the same way (I would add a few more minutes to a normal load of briquettes or add 25% more briquettes to make it hotter while the corn cooks, definitely cover the grill while it cooks to increase the temp and the smokey flavor).

Steps:

1. Sorta husk the corn - pull back the green outer leaves without pulling them off.
2. Remove the silks and the first one or two layers of pale inner husks.
3. Push the outer husk back down over the corn again.
4. Submerge in a pot of water for 15-30 minutes.
5. Once you have a good hot fire, place the corn on a grate 12-18 inches over the fire and let it cook for about 10-15 minutes. The husk will begin to blacken. This is good.
6. Carefully remove the corn and husk it properly.
7. Place the corn back on the grate and cook for another 10 minutes, turning it once or twice. Some blackening may occur.
8. Serve hot with butter and salt.

Cucumber and Red Onion Salad

After much trial and error, we decided that we liked our cucumber best sliced thickly and on a diagonal. This kept it from getting soggy, and was pretty as well. But do that you like best. The longer you chill the more the flavors will meld, but the cucumbers will continue to soften. The cucumber will also release juice because of the salt in the dressing. But it’s no problem. just toss again with all the liquid right before serving.

Ingredients:

• 3 - 5 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp celery seed
• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Steps:

1. In a medium size bowl, combine the cucumber and onion.
2. In a small bowl, stir the other ingredients.
3. Pour the liquid (really a vineagrette) over cucumber and onion and toss to coat.
4. Chill for 2-4 hours for flavors to meld.
5. Toss again before serving.

THE Banana Muffin Recipe

I am always on the hunt for the perfect muffin recipe - a base recipe that you can add any base flavor and it still turns out great. I think it found it here - this base recipe uses bananas (and matches them against pecans and chocolate chips!) and makes a great earthy base to the bananas sweetness and moistness. This recipe has much less sugar than usual muffins call for, but remember that the chips and the bananas both give some sweetness.

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup of chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

Steps:

1. Mix the mashed banana, sugar, egg and oil together. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together flour baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Mix wet and dry ingredients all together until just mixed. Lumpy is good.
4. Add pecans and chips - mix just enough to disperse them.
5. Pour into greased muffin tins, and bake in 350 degrees oven for approximately 20 minutes.

Variations:

1. Substitute 1 cup of pumpkin or squash puree for banana. Add cinnamon and nutmeg (1 t of each for our spicy household) to kick it up - skip chips and add raisins. Keep pecans.
2. Substitute 1 cup of applesauce for the banana and the oil. Add cinnamon (2 tsp) and skip the chips but add 1/2 cup of raisins instead.
3. Substitute 1 cup of grated zucchini for banana. Definitely keep the pecans, but add raisins, 1 tsp each of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Also possible to skip raisins and add the chocolate chips (zucch and choc - woohoo!).

Making Catnip-Fennel Tincture

Using herbs is just as serious and dangerous as using any medication, but here we use several herbal combinations that are safe enough to use almost every day. Standard disclaimers about talking to your doc first before using any new herb should be obvious - YMMV with any treatment.

My favorite one (and useful to food-o-philes) is a Catnip-Fennel tincture that settles the digestive system very quickly (especially for gas, but boy does those burps taste of fennel). Probably pretty similar to the practice of drinking mint tea (catnip is in the mint family) and the South Asian practice of eating fennel seeds after eating.

NEVER EVER TAKE IF YOU ARE PREGNANT - catnip can cause abortion in pregnant mammals of all kinds.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of dried fennel seeds
• 2 ounces of catnip leaves
• about 24 to 30 fluid ounces of 80-proof vodka
• 1 quart jar with lid

Steps:

1. Weigh out the fennel and catnip.
2. Pour the herbs into the quart jar carefully - my catnip always seems to dribble everywhere.
3. Pour in enough vodka to cover the herbs and then another inch more.
4. Shake, shake, shake the herb mixture.
5. Each day for 6 weeks, shake the jar and flip it upside down. Store in a dark place away from direct sunlight.
6. After the 6 weeks, drain the liquid out and keep it. I like to line Mason jar ring with a very with very fine cheesecloth (like you use to make cheese, double or triple up that gauzy stuff you buy at a store) - then I invert the jar over a container and let the liquid drain out slowly. I let the tincture brew in a regular width jar and then nest it inside a wide mouth jar to drain (more stable that way).
7. Add the "drunk herbs" to your compost pile.
8. The alcohol should keep the tincture stable and germ-free for at least a year or longer. If the temperature stays pretty constant, it should remain at full potency.
9. I take about a tablespoon by mouth when I feel full or gassy.

Next on the list of tinctures to try out:

1. Ginseng tincture - not sure if it is cheaper, but it would be fresher than what you find at the Asian groceries.
2. Immune-booster tincture - Molly's Herbs makes this and we use it on our goats when they need a bit more immune boost. It is out of stock right now, so I am going to compound up my own this week. Probably a good idea to take daily during flu season, especially since you need to get echinacea into your system right at the start of the infection.
3. More everyday tincture ideas here.

Nana's Gooseberry Coffeecake

Gooseberries are a member of the currant group - small fruits on upright bushes that make "mushroom" shaped shrubs that are just this side of indestructible. They do have trouble with white pine blister rust around us (they are an alternate host species that doesn't die, just looks crappy come August), so we choose a resistant variety after NYS allowed gooseberries to be sold in state again.

Gooseberries are a source of much face-puckering around the house - Carol is not a fan of gooseberries at all. Why not? Because they are intensely sour when cooked and must be given some sugar or they will twist your yer face right off.

But they are very dependable - they don't have mast years and weather doesn't seem to make a difference on yield much at all. In fact, we neglect these shrubs intensely (the thorns help with that) and the deer completely ignore them. 3 shrubs yield about 3 gallons of berries every year. Every year.
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of fresh or thawed, frozen gooseberries, topped and tailed
• 1/2 cup sugar (less or more to taste)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp of good cinnamon
  

STEPS:

Gooseberry Filling:

1. In a saucepan, combine gooseberries and sugar.
   
2. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes. This should break open the gooseberries and make a multi-colored, seed-y stew.
   
3. Bring to a boil and then remove 1/2 cup of juice and mix with cornstarch; stir into saucepan.
   
4. Let sit on heat for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cake Batter:

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
   
2. Cut in butter until dry mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
   
3. Beat together buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and then stir into crumb-y mixture.
   
4. Spread half of the batter evenly into a buttered 9 inch cake pan.
   
5. Carefully spread gooseberries on top.
   
6. Then drop the remaining batter by tablespoonfuls over filling, sealing it in.
   

Topping and Baking:

1. Melt butter over low heat. and then remove from heat.
2. Stir in flour, sugar, and cinnamon until mixture resembles crumb topping.
   
3. Sprinkle over batter evenly.
   
4. Place coffee cake on middle rack; bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes.
   
5. Cool in pan. Cut in squares.
   

Yield: 8-10 servings.

"Not Quite BBQ" Pork and Steak Marinade

This recipe is nicknamed NQBBQ - not quite BBQ - because it is a transition between just adding steak sauce and the Green Vampire marinade. NQBBQ is salty and sweet at the same time - you really want to try it before you marinate with it.

It is a balancing act of what tastes just right, the ketchup should go in last to taste (this 2 Tbsp is to my taste).
When I marinate withe NQBBQ, I like to set the meat in it for 1-4 hrs. More for tougher cuts and less for lighter ones - time doesn't seem to make a huge difference in flavor, just in tenderizing the meat (might be the saltiness acts quickly no matter what).

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
  

Steps

1. Blend all ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. It will keep for up to a month in the fridge - if you want to hold it for longer, don't add the ketchup until you need it. The salt will keep the solution for months.
   
3. If you marinate, let it go for several hours (there is little acidity here, just salt to tenderize).
   

"Green Vampire" Marinade

OK, still tweaking about a Costa Rican marinade - same caveat applies here about it being authentic that you see in the post before this for a pork chop marinade. It was good, but not exactly what I wanted. So I hunted about and found some ideas and mushed those together to make this recipe - Green for the enormous amount of cilantro (thanks to a warm spring, the reseeded cilantro bolted early this year) and the enormous amount of garlic (umm, is there such a thing as an excessive amount of garlic? Yes, Virginia. But this isn't it yet).

The combo of cilantro and garlic leads to a marinade that is very interesting: it gives a strong flavor even with little marinade time, works for a variety of meats, AND lasts in the fridge. It comes out looking like a loose pesto, but smells like a Mojo Criollo Meets a Garlic Lover. Umm, good. And great for repelling the pesky upstate vampires you find clustering around grills.

So far, we have used this with steak (marinated for 2 hrs) - grilled and then sliced like fajitas - AND marinated chicken breast on skewers for just 30 minutes and then grilled. The girls loved both of them. Yes, something spicy passed their lips and they liked it.

Ingredients:

• 7 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups of cilantro (I use the tops as they bolt, stems and leaves)
• 1 Tbsp of sea salt
• 2 Tbsp of lemon juice (or substitute lime juice for a more tropical taste)
• 1 cup of olive oil (EVOO is nice, but you won't taste it if you grill the marinated meat)

Steps:

1. Puree the bejeesus out of the garlic in a food processor.
2. Add the cilantro to the food processor bowl. Bend stems to make them fit. Trust me, the processor will make short work of them.
3. Begin puree-ing the cilantro and slowly pour in the lemon juice, salt and olive oil.
4. Keep puree-ing until the result has bits only the size of pesto ingredients - very finely chopped. Smells like a lime-y, cilantro garlic sludge.
5. Remove and use. Keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge (that would be the garlic's effects!) and has enough to make 2 decent batches with some leftover to dip with at the table. Oh yes, you will want to try dipping your food in this.

I make a big batch of this and use it for several meals. We also add this to the side dishes too (baked potatoes, rice, and boiled potatoes all take this as a drizzle well).

Grilled Pork Chops - Pura Vida Style

OK, I don't know for sure if Costa Ricans eat pork chops this way, much less at all, but let's just say that these are at least inspired by Central American cuisine. I spent a summer in Costa Rica during college and we ate very simply (beans and rice, 2x a day) and never saw a bit of pork except for the piggies that ate the whey behind the Monteverde lecheria ("cheese makers").

Hints here that it could be from CR - cilantro!, lime juice, and lots of black beans and rice on the side. Could that be from almost any Central American country... well, yeah. But I really like CR, "pura vida" is the national slogan. C'mon!

Caveats:

1. I only got to marinate this for 1 hour in the fridge, 2 hours would be best.
2. Grilling the chops really makes them shine, but broiling works too.
3. Side dishes of "black beans and rice" and a nice salad round it out.

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops (ours were our own pastured, 1 inch thick lovelies)
• 1/3 cup of good olive oil
• 1/3 cup of lime juice
• 1/4 cup of minced cilantro
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (not traditional, but our cayenne is too hot for the girls)
  
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

Steps

1. Combine the oil, juice, cilantro, garlic, pepper, and salt in a tupperware container.
2. Whisk the marinade together well.
3. Add in the chops and place in the fridge. Set the timer for 2 hrs.
4. Fire up the grill and grill the chops for 3-5 minutes per side. Sadly throw away the delicious smelling marinade - can't eat it nor grill with it.
5. Remove and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Fresh Asparagus Bake

This is my favorite way to serve asparagus in an entree. So, every May this gets "front and center" treatment for lunch and sometimes dinner!

This recipe is very flexible, I added ham below (we did that today for the first time) - but it is great without it (fresh asparagus really brings enough flavor on its own). We have added feta cheese instead cheddar and that went very well with the asparagus. Doesn't need a whole lot of extras in terms of herbs either, let the fresh ingredients do all the talking.

Ingredients

• 10 awesomely farm-fresh eggs
• 1/2 cup of milk
• one bunch of asparagus, chopped
• 8 oz ham steak, cubed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-4 oz of cheddar cheese, grated

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Beat the eggs and milk together.
3. Add salt and pepper
4. Add asparagus bits and stir to mix 'em up.
5. Spray oil on a 9 x 9 pan.
6. Pour in egg/asparagus mixture.
7. Top with cubed ham and cheese.
8. Bake for 30 minutes and then let cool for 5 minutes.

Peanut Grilled Shrimp

This is one of our favorite new recipes - it makes a slimmed down version of our Pad Thai recipe. Pad Thai is more a principle than a recipe, but ours relied on the peanut sauce (lots of lime juice, ketchup, peanut butter and spice).

This recipe allows you to make a simple grilled (or broiled) shrimp then top dress it with some peanut sauce. We like to have it with steamed broccoli and then over some rice noodles. Toss the peanut sauce over the shrimp, brocc and noodles... very nice, simple, and fast (15 minutes from start to finish).

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 Tbs of lime juice
• 2 Tbs of sesame oil
• 1/4 cup of peanut butter (natural if you can get it)
• 1/4 cup of orange juice
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp of hot sauce
• 3 Tbs of ketchup (or to taste)

Steps:

1. Mix the lime juice and sesame oil together.
2. Marinate the shrimp with the juice/oil for 2-8 hrs in the fridge.
3. Mount the shrimp on skewers.
4. Grill the shrimp, 2 minutes per side. Or... turn on the broiler for 5 minutes. Place the skewers over a 9x13 pan on the top shelf of the oven. Broil 2-3 minutes per side.
5. In a small pan, heat up the peanut butter, orange juice, garlic, ketchup and hot sauce. Mix well until it has the consistency of a sauce.
6. Take the shrimp off the skewers and drizzle the peanut sauce over it.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

This is an adapted version of 101 Cookbooks adapted version of a Peter Reinhart crust recipe :D I love the ancestry of these things.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  
• 2 cups white flour
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  
• 1 3/4 cups water, ice cold
  

Steps:

1. Mix together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer.
2. Add in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed.
3. With the dough hook, mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough that clears the bowl of the little fragments.
4. Transfer the dough to a floured countertop. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and mold each into a ball. Rub each ball with olive oil and slip into sandwich bags. Refrigerate overnight.
5. When you are ready to make pizza (anytime in the next few days), remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before making the pizza. Keep them covered so they don't dry out.
6. Place a baking stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (you can go hotter, but I like the results I get at 450).
7. Uncover or unwrap the dough balls and dust them with flour. Working one at a time, gently press a dough round into a disk wide enough that you can bring it up onto your knuckles to thin out - you should be able to pull each round out to 12-inches or so. If the dough is being fussy and keeps springing back, let it rest for another 15-20 minutes.
8. Place the pulled-out dough on the prepared sheet pan.
   
9. Add your toppings and slide the topped pizza onto the baking stone.
10. Bake until the crust is crisp and nicely colored (about 14 minutes with a solid topping load).

Makes six 6-ounce pizza crusts.

Lentils Ole!

This is one of our mainstays from the "Burlington days" - lentils are great: quick cooking and take up flavors very easily. This is our version of a Sloppy Joe - no beef, but you could just as easily drop in ground beef or pork for the lentils. And that would be much better than the crap Sloppy Joe mix or canned stuff.

Serve with bread (English muffins are great) and big salad. Or go light on the BBQ sauce and try it with some salsa. Then make some cornbread while the lentils simmer.

Always, finish with some fruit!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of water
• 1 cup of brown lentils
• 1 Tbs water
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup green peppers
• 1 cup BBQ sauce to taste (we use our KC style sauce)

Steps

1. Bring lentils to boil in a pot - then simmer 20 minutes until soft.
2. Add water, garlic and onion. Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add green peppers and cook for 5 more minutes until all are soft.
4. Add BBQ sauce and simmer 5 more minutes.
5. Add lentils and simmer 10 more minutes.

Hilltown Barbecue Dry Rub

Another finecooking.com adaptation, this is the dry rub I cover every barbecued chicken with.  

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  
• 2 Tbs. Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 Tbs. seasoned salt
  
• 2 Tbs. garlic powder
  
• 1 Tbs. onion powder
  
• 1-1/2 tsp. celery salt
  
• 2 Tbs. paprika
  
• 1 Tbs. chili powder or seasoning
  
• 1 Tbs. black pepper
  
• 1-1/2 tsp. dried sage
  
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
  
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne

Steps:

1. Add the sugar and spices together in a bowl and stir to combine. 
2. Alternatively, put the ingredients in the food processor and pulse to combine.
3. Rub all over chicken. store the remainder (if any) in a jar in a dark place.

Kansas-City Style Barbecue Sauce

This is a KC style barbecue sauce from Finecooking.com - this style is much better than the commercial versions of KC Masterpiece etc.  Like Wikipedia notes, the KC style is noted for its "sweet and tangy sauces which are generally intended for liberal use."

I like to apply this to grilled chicken in the last 5 minutes or added to Lentils Ole.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar; more to taste
  
• 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1 Tbs. dijon-style mustard
  
• 1 Tbs. chili powder or taco seasoning
  
• 1-1/2 tsp.  black pepper
  
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
  
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne or hot sauce
• 2 cups tomato ketchup
  

Steps:

1. In a large saucepan, combine all the sauce ingredients. 
2. Heat over medium, stirring well to mix and dissolve the spices. 
3. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 30 min., stirring occasionally.
   
4. In final 2 minutes, add in 2 T of butter, stir to melt.
5. This can be canned, just skip the butter step - 10 minutes per pint in a boiling water canner.

Roast Duck with Sweet Cherry Sauce

This was Carol's b-day dinner - our own Muscovy duck and a sweet, dark cherry sauce to slather over it. Served with steamed fresh broccoli and a wild rice pilaf. Woof! Cherries and the dark, almost "roast beef" flavor of the Muscovy go together really well.

This was simple enough that cooking it was only a background thought while we seeded in tomatoes and peppers, cleaned up and got other chores down. Easy-skeasy and super-delicious. And there are 2 more Muscovy in the freezer!

Ingredients

• 1 duck (we raise Muscovy, best of the ducks, IMHO)
• 20 oz of sweet cherries, pitted (we chose organic frozen ones)
• 12 oz of strong dark beer (we used Sam Adams' Cherry Wheat)
• 2 cups of good broth or stock (our own turkey broth)
• 1 small onion, finely minced or 1/4 cup onion flakes
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• salt and pepper

Steps

1. Roast duck in a 250 F oven, breast side down for 3 hrs.
2. Raise oven to 350 F, flip duck to breast side up for 30-45 minutes. Watch the skin and remove when it becomes crispy, not dry.
3. While the skin crisps, in a pot place the frozen cherries, beer, and broth on medium-high until cherries thaw.
4. Add onions or onion flakes, sugar, and salt and pepper.
5. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes to develop the flavors. Add salt and pepper to taste.