Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

This comes from the Edmonds Cookery Book. I found the recipe on an online forum here although it is full of typos which drives me crazy. When I made this last, I wrote that it was "very rich and yum" and easy to make.

Serves 6

100 g butter, softened (3.5 oz)
3/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 1/4 C flour
2 t baking powder
1 T cocoa
2 C boiling water

Sauce:
1/2 C brown sugar
1 T cornflour
1/4 C cocoa

Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla together. Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa together. Fold into beaten mixture. Spoon mixture into a greased 6-8 cup capacity ovenproof dish. Sprinkle sauce mixture over. Carefully pour boiling water over the back of a spoon onto the pudding. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until pudding springs back when slightly touched.

Sauce- combine all ingredients.

 **I made some whipped cream to serve with it. My, it was good! Very easy to make and delicious.

Indian-spiced Kale and Chickpeas

I cut this out of the newspaper. You can find it on the Eating Well website. I wrote that it is delicious, easy, and good with yogurt.

Serves 2 main or 4 side servings. Works as 4 mains for our family with brown rice.

1 T oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1- 1 1/2 lbs kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1 C vege or chicken broth
1 t coriander
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t garam masala
1/8 t salt
15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed

In a large, deep skillet or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the kale and cook, tossing with two large spoons, until bright green, about 1 minute.
Add the broth, coriander, cumin, garam masala, and salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and cook until they are heated throug , 1-2 minutes.

For 2 serves: 345 cals, 10 g total fat, 3 mg chol., 587 mg sodium, 15 g protein, 52 g carbo., 10 g dietary fiber. 

**Delicious dish. I cooked the kale about 5 minutes. I like the pungent garlic with the crunchy kale paired with the soft chickpeas. A fast and easy dinner.  I did get another bunch of kale from Vitamin Cottage so the dish was plenty for the four of us.

Soy Burgers with Sweet Chili Yogurt

This is from a dear friend of mine, Annette, in New Zealand.

440g (15.5oz) soy beans (canned is fine)
6 T fresh coriander
3 scallions
1 T fresh ginger
1 T cumin
1 T coriander
1/2 t tumeric
1 t salt

100 g wild rice blend (about 1/2 cup raw- 1/2 wild, 2/3 brown), cooked
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 T oil

Put first 8 items into a food processor and pulse till the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
Transfer mixture to a bowl and add the rice, flour, egg, and oil. Mix to combine.
Form into patties and fry gently.

Sweet chili yogurt
1 C natural yogurt
2 T sweet chili sauce
1 T lemon juice

Combine.

Delicious veggie burgers. They are a little dry, so they need some sort of sauce. I didn't make the yogurt sauce- I used a tomato chutney that had I made last summer. This is a very quick and easy dish to make.

Chicken Escalopes

This is a great recipe- easy and fast. I got it from one of my favorite sites in New Zealand, Cuisine.

For the spiced butter:
100g butter, softened (7 tablespoons)
1 T cumin
1/2 t nutmeg
peel of 1/4 preserved lemon, finely diced
juice of 1/2 lemon

For the chicken:
4 skinless chicken breasts
3-4 T flour
1 t sweet smoked paprika
small pinch of chili powder
2 T olive oil

Place the butter in a small bowl and blend in the remaining ingredients and set aside.

To prepare the escalopes, place each chicken breast between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper. With a heavy rolling pin, flatten out the flesh evenly to around 1 cm thick (little less than 1/2 inch). Set aside.

Sieve the flour, paprika and chili powder together to make a pink dust. Set aside.

Place the olive oil in a heavy frying pan and add half the butter mixture. While it heats, dip 2 chicken breasts in the paprika flour, shake off any excess and immediately fry for 2 minutes in the foaming butter. Turn over and cook on the second side for 1 further minute. Remove to a warmed dish and cover while you fry the other 2 escalopes.

Place the chicken on a serving platter and melt the remaining butter on it.

 ** This is a quick dish. Very tasty. Don't skimp on the salt. I didn't add more of the seasoned butter at the end.

Chili con Pesce

I found this fish cook book in Australia. It is called 50 Ways with Fish by Katherine Blakemore. You can order it on-line and I also saw a site that you can supposedly download it. It has many great easy recipes for fish. My last comments on this particular recipe were "great- fast and easy."

Serves 4

1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 T oil
1/4- 1/2 t chili powder, or hot chili sauce
2 t cumin
2 t oregano
14 oz can chopped tomatoes
3/4 C beer (lager)
salt and pepper
1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless white fish, cut into cubes
1 T chopped fresh cilantro

In a large pan, cook onion and bell pepper in oil until soft Add chili powder, cumin and oregano, cook for 1 minute, add tomatoes and juice from can, beer, salt and pepper.
Cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionaly until sauce is a thich consistency. Add the fish to pan, cover and simmer gently for about 10 minutes until fish is cooked through. Stir in chopped cilantro.
Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve with rice, refried beans and corn chips.
Prep- 15 minutes
Cook- 30-35 minutes

**I will sub green chili for the bell pepper, use chipotle chili powder, use Rio Grande Green Chili Cerveza for the lager, my frozen tomatoes instead of canned, and ono fish. I'm not sure that I'll serve it with rice, beans, and chips. If I have time to get some fresh corn tortillas, I'll probably serve it with them.

 **Great! I got some fresh corn tortillas and had them with the stew. Mine was nice and spicy.

Vegetable Lasagne Verdi

From one of my favorite cookbooks from New Zealand; The Vegetarian Adventure Cook Book by Rowan Bishop and Sue Carruthers. It is in its fourth edition and can be ordered on-line.

400g (14oz) par-cooked lasagne or 6 sheets of oven-ready lasagne *
1 quantity mushroom sauce (see below)
1 quantity cheese sauce (see below)
250 g (8.8 oz) cooked spinach, or frozen (=350g (12.4oz) fresh)
1 250g (8.8 oz) carton of cottage cheese*
50 g cheddar cheese
3 T parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.
Grease the bottom of a shallow oven dish and cover it with lasagne strips. Spread half the mushroom sauce over the pasta, then cover this with one-third of the cheese sauce.
Press any liquid from the cooked or thawed spinach. Spread half of this spinach evenly over the cheese sauce and top with half the carton of cottage cheese.
Repeat once more, then top with the remaining lasagne, spread with the last third of the cheese cause and sprinkle with the grated cheddar and parmesan. If you are using oven-ready lasagne, let the dish stand to allow the pasta to soften.
Bake for around 45 minutes or until the top is a bubbling golden brown.

*I usually have more lasagna on hand just in case. Last time, I used fresh mozzarella instead of cottage cheese.

Mushroom sauce

1 onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, crushed
150 g (5.3oz) mushrooms, sliced
2 t oil
2 C cooked dried beans, preferably soy, mashed
salt and pepper, to taste
1 t dried oregano or 1 T fresh chopped
1 t sugar
2 cans of whole tomatoes or 2 lbs fresh*

Saute the onion, garlic and mushrooms in oil until the onions soften. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the  mixture is reduced and thickened.
*I'll use frozen and chopped.

Cheese Sauce
60 g (2 oz or 4 T) butter
1/3 C flour
salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg
2 C milk
1 C packed cheddar or swiss cheese
3 T parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour, salt and pepper and nutmeg. Blend until smooth. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the cheeses.

**Not a great photo, but it was delicious anyway. I soaked the organic soy beans during the day and popped them into the pressure cooker for 10 minutes.  It was pretty soupy because my mushroom sauce was very runny. Rather than pour some of it off of the sauce, I just poured the whole thing into the lasagna. YUM!

Keilbasa and Cabbage

This is a family favorite. Takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish.

1-2 kielbasa sausages (can be turkey, beef, pork- your choice)
1 medium cabbage

Slice the sausage into a large pot or dutch oven and saute them till brownish on medium-high heat. (If you use turkey- be careful to stir them or they'll stick).
As it sautes, slice the cabbage into bite size chunks.
When the sausage is brown, add the cabbage and stir together. Put the lid on and stir occasionally. It is ready when the cabbage is a bit wilty but still crunchy.

Adding the cabbage and mixing it up. Then the lid goes on...

After it has cooked down a bit- this is how we like to eat it. You can see that I cut up two kielbasa sausages. I have one daughter who loves it.

Quick and Easy Apple Cake

This comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Vegetarian Adventure Cook Book, by Rowan Bishop and Sue Carruthers. You can order it online from a number of sellers in New Zealand. 

2 cooking apples
1 C brown sugar
125 g butter (4 1/2 oz) (a bit more than 1/2 C)
1 egg
1/2 C raisins*
1 1/4 C whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t allspice
1/2 t nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350.
Peel, core and cop the apples thinly. Place in a bowl and cover with the sugar. Melt the butter, then blend the egg in with a fork. Add to the apples and sugar. Stir in the raisins and the sifted dry ingredients, until just mixed. Line the bottom of a round pan with butter. Pour in the cake mixture and spread evenly.

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
(The recipe says that ff you use white flour, the cake will take between 50 and 60 minutes to cook- however, I haven't found that to be true.)
* I added craisins just to see...

** I didn't take a picture of the cake. It has been in lunches all week. Delicious. The craisins were a nice addition. I'm going to try walnuts next time.

Chipotle Cheddar Corn Bread

Delicious recipe! I use my big muffin tin for these. I also use a tad less sugar than is called for. Use coarse corn meal for a crunchy texture.  You can find the recipe at The Luna Cafe.

1 1/2 C flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t fine sea salt
1/2 C unsalted butter, melted and warm
1/2 C sugar
2 large eggs
1 C buttermilk
1/2 C yellow cornmeal

2 C shredded cheddar
1/2 C minced scallions
1-2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
1 clove garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 400.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Reserve.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, eggs buttermilk, and cornmeal until thoroughly blended.
Add the flour mixture, grated cheese, green onions, chipotle chile, and garlic Fold gently until just combined. The batter will still be a little lumpy.
Pour into a lightly greased 9x9 metal baking pan or muffin pan.
Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes for the pan or 20-22 minutes for muffins. When done the cornbread will be lightly browned on tp and will spring back when touched in the center.
Remove from oven and let cool slightly on a wire rack.

Makes 8 big muffins.

Delicious! I should have cooked them a wee bit longer to make them a bit browner.

Okra Gumbo Soup

I'll be using the okra and tomatoes that I froze from last summer's harvest.  When I made this last, I wrote that it is "nice and would be good with all sorts of veggies". I'll see what I've got left in the fridge. You can find this recipe on page 616 in  Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant.

1 C chopped onions
2 T oil
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried basil
2 bay leaves
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
1 C chopped potatoes
3 C vegetable stock

2 C chopped fresh tomatoes (or 16 oz can of tomatoes, chopped, with juice)

1 C corn, fresh, frozen or canned (with liquid)
1 C sliced fresh okra (or 10 oz frozen)
1 T cider vinegar

salt and pepper
Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste
1 t Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Saute onions in oil till translucent. Add the herbs, celery, bell pepper, carrot, and potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring to prevent sticking. Add the tomatoes and stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the corn, okra, and vinegar and simmer until the okra is tender. Remove the bay leaves. Add the remaining seasonings to taste.

 Wonderful! So easy, too! I froze my tomatoes whole. It was so easy to cut them up while they were still a bit frozen.

Quiche

Quiche is a standby meal at my house like pasta is in others'. It is a great way to pack in the veges. I use a spelt pie crust that I buy at Whole Foods to save me time. This quiche had onions, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, and broccoli. I used pepper jack for the cheese and sprinkled parmesan on top. I found some toasted pine nuts I had chopped from the acorn squash dish and put them on the top. It was delicious!

 Prepping the veges.

**The final product. Delicious!

Sauteed Collard Greens

I have another recipe for collards that I cook in the pressure cooker. However, it is more southern and uses pork. Here is my favorite recipe for collards. You won't believe they are collard greens- my family thought it was swiss chard. It is from Epicurious. It appears to have been published in Gourmet in December 1998. I read the reviews before I cooked it and I have changed the cooking time from 15 minutes to 6 minutes. Delicious!

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Some people favor collard greens boiled until they are meltingly tender, while others prefer them to retain some bite. This recipe satisfies the taste of the latter group.
 

Yield: Serves 4

2 1/2 pounds collard greens
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Remove and discard stems and center ribs of collard greens. Cut leaves into 1-inch pieces. In a kettle of boiling water cook collards 6 minutes and drain in a colander, pressing out excess liquid with back of a wooden spoon.
Mince garlic. In a 12-inch heavy skillet heat butter and oil over moderately high heat until foam subsides and stir in garlic, collards, and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté collard mixture, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Drizzle collards with lemon juice and toss well.

**Picture is on the polenta recipe. Delicious as always. We ended up with 10 oz of collards, but I still used 2 garlic cloves and halved the butter and olive oil. I forgot to add the lemon juice. 

Baked Polenta with Tomato Sauce

I have several polenta recipes, I will try this one this week (from another blog called Accidental Hedonist.) However, I will not be making the tomato sauce that is included on the web link. I made up a huge batch of tomato sauce at the end of the summer and froze it. I will use it. Let me know if you want that recipe. Here is the polenta recipe:

Serves 4

• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 cups corn meal polenta
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• Tomato Sauce (or you could use a jar of pasta sauce if you are in a hurry)
• Cheese- parmesan, asiago, gruyere - your choice

In a medium to large sauce pan, bring the 4 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the salt, then add the polenta in a slow, steady stream, whisking in all the while. Cook, stirring all the time, for approx 5 minutes. Add the cayenne pepper and the salt and pepper to taste. Pour into the baking dish and smooth the surface. Place in the refrigerator to cool while you work on the sauce.

Turn out the cold polenta on a cutting board and cut into 2 inch squares. Place in a baking dish and cover with the sauce. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Place in oven for 25 minutes or until golden, which ever comes first.

**This was delicious! Very easy for me to make since I had already made the marinara from my summer tomatoes. I used 4 cups of the marinara. I used pepper jack, mozzarella, and a bit of parmesan for cheese. It was well paired with the garlicky kale.

Baked Porkchops with Apples

I got some pork chops from the warehouse (before the new exciting delivery change!) I wanted to try baking them to keep them moist. This recipe came courtesy of a user named ladypit on food.com There were quite a few comments about baking them less- I'll be doing that and using a thermometer to make sure they are done.

Serves 6

6 pork chops
2 T butter
4 apples
1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

1. Peel, core, and slice the apples.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Melt the butter in a skillet.
4. Brown the pork chops on both sides in the butter.
5. Grease (or spray) a large baking dish.
6. Put the apple slices in the bottom of the dish.
7. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon.
8. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over the apples.
9. Place the pork chops on top of the apples.
10. Cover with foil and bake for 1 and 1/2 hours.

 

 

** I cooked 4 pork chops with 2 1/2 apples for 30 minutes and it was done. This is a nice dish and very easy to make. Next time I will trim the fat before I cook it.

 

Waffles

I'm sure everyone has their own favorite waffle recipe. I tried a new one from Vitamix. I love my Vitamix, but I think I'll stick to another recipe that whips the egg whites. Please comment if you want me to post my basic delicious waffle recipe. For fresh fruit, I used the apples, oranges and pears we got in the harvest box this week. I added a couple of frozen blueberries for fun. Everyone else had eggs.

After this picture was taken, I added plain yogurt and a bit of maple syrup on the top. Yum!

Lamb Pasties/Meat Pies

Tonight we're having the leftover lamb, transformed into little meat pies. Here is the recipe for Lamb Pasties.

Makes 4

8 oz (225)g rich shortcrust pastry
6-8 oz (175-225g) lean cooked lamb, diced or coarsely minced
2 t chopped fresh mint
1 T grated onion
salt and pepper
2 oz (50g) peas, cooked
2-3 T cream
beaten egg to glaze

Preheat the oven to 425.
Roll out the dough and cut into four 7 inch rounds.
Mix together all the remaining ingredients except the beaten egg and divide between the dough rounds.
Dampen the edges, bring them together and press firmly to seal. Crimp.
Place on a greased baking sheet and brush with beaten egg.
Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

**I made my own pastry with spelt flour. I used defrosted frozen peas.
This was tasty enough- still a bit lamby for my kids. It was easy to make and an OK way to use up the lamb. I put chutney on mine-  mint would have been nice. Ketchup got added to another one. I think it could have used more mint and onion.

Spanish Omelette

You can find this recipe on an interesting Spain site.

Serves 4

1 C olive oil
5 medium baking potatoes, peeled, sliced and lightly sprinkled with salt
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 eggs

Heat the olive oil in a 9 inch skillet and add the potato slices carefully, because the salt will make the oil splatter. Try to keep the potato slices separated so they will not stick together. Cook, turning occasionally, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain into a colander, leaving about 3 T of oil in the skillet.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes, and stir to coat with the egg. Add the egg- coated potatoes to the hot oil, spreading them evenly to completely cover the base of the skillet. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook, shaking the pan frequently, until the mixture is half set.

Use a plate to cover the skillet and invert the omelette away from the hand holding the plate. Add 1 T oil to the pan and slide the omelette back into the skillet on its uncooked side. Cook completely set. Allow the omelette to cool, and then cut it into wedges.

**How can you not love fried potatoes and onions? I used less oil than it called for and just kept my eye on it while the potatoes cooked. I put tomato chutney on it to give it a bit of zing.

Moroccan Carrot Soup

I've got quite a few carrots left over from previous weeks. You can find the recipe online at Epicurious . 

Serves 4

2 T butter
1 C chopped white onion
1 lb large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 2/3 C)
2 1/2 C low-salt chicken broth *I'll use my own stock
1 1/2 t cumin seeds
1 T honey
1 t fresh lemon juice
1/8 t allspice
1/2 C plain yogurt, stirred to loosen

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 2 minutes. Mix in carrots. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir cumin seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, 4-5 mniutes; cool. Finely grind in spice mill.

Remove soup from heat. Puree in batches in blender until smooth. Return to same pan. Whisk in honey, lemon juice, and allspice. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle yogurt over; sprinkle generously with cumin.

Per serve: 155 calories, 7g fat, 3 g fiber.

** Nice light soup. I ended up just putting cumin into the soup. It seemed like it needed a  bit more that way. I liked it with the yogurt on top. Super easy to make.

Chicken Tandoori

This recipe came from a magazine- it might have been Bon Appetit.

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lbs)
Juice of one lemon
1/2 C plus 2 T plain yogurt
1 T vegetable oil
1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 t tomato paste
2 t coriander
1 1/2 t cumin
1 3/4 t hot paprika
2 T chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the broiler. Make shallow cuts in the chicken thighs with a sharp knife. Toss the chicken with the lemon juice and 1 1/2 t salt in a large bowl.

Pulse 2 T yogurt, the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, 1 1/2 t paprika and 1/2 t salt in a food processor to make a paste. Toss the chicken in the mixture and let marinate 15 minutes.

Place the chicken on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil, turning once, until slightly charred and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165, 5-6 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 C yogurt and 1/4 t paprika, the cilantro and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Top the chicken with the yogurt sauce and serve with rice, if desired.

Per serve: 237 calories; 9g fat (2 g saturated), 115 mg cholesterol, 1266 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 30 g protein.

**Great flavor. Very easy to make. I let it marinate for several hours. Loved the fractal broccoli by the way! The rice was left over from Sunday.

Acorn Squash with Tomatoes, Chard, and Pine Nuts

I don't remember where this recipe came from. I'll be substituting spinach for chard, using my canned tomatoes from this summer for the fresh (since I used up the last of my LPO tomatoes last night in the Persian cucumber salad.) I doubt I'll present it with the spinach on bottom since we've got teenager company tonight. I'll probably mix it together and serve it that way.

Serves 6 as side dish servings

2 T pine nuts
1 1/4 lbs acorn squash (1 medium)
1 large red onion
1 lb Swiss chard (about 1 1/2 bunches)* I'll use spinach
1 T olive oil* I'll use coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, miced
2 t dried oregano
1/4 dried red chili flakes
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 C vege stock
1/2 lb fresh pear tomatoes (3 medium), diced
2 T balsamic vinegar

Toast the pine nuts in a dry, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Stir or shake the pan frequently to prevent scorching. Nuts are done when they are lightly browned and emit a roasted aroma. Immediately remove from the pan, mince them, and set aside.

Cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out and discard the seeds. Slice off and discard the tough rind portion, and coarsely chop the squash. Coarsely chop the red onion. Carefully wash the chard and slice the stem portion. Do not dry the chard leaves; tear them into large pieces and set aside in a colander.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomoed skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat and saute the garlic, oregano, and chili flakes for 1 minute. Add the squash, onion, chard stems, and salt, and saute, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, cover, and cook 7 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the tomatoes. Continue to cook uncovered, stirring frequently, 5-10 minutes, until squash is fork-tender.

Meanwhile, place the wet chard leaves in a saucepan over medium-low heat, cover, and cook 5 minutes, until they wilt Make a bed of the chard on a warmed platter. Add the venegar to the squash mixture and gently stir. Spoon the squash evenly over the chard and sprinkle with the pine nuts. Serve hot.

Each serving provides: 120 calories, 4 g protein, 5 g fat, 4 g fiber, 19 g carbohydrate, 378 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol.

**Not the best picture- sorry. I forgot till we were almost finished eating to take the photo. As you can see, it turned out quite soupy. But that was solved with the spoon bread. I shoved the raw spinach into the stew as it simmered. I also used a drained can of tomatoes already diced, for convenience. I doubled the recipe. It is a keeper.

Roasted Poblano Pepper, Sweet Potato and Monterey Jack Spoonbread

I'm excited to try this recipe. I've never made spoonbread. I'll be making mine with green chiles. I probably cut this out of The New Mexican.

Serves 8

1 C mashed sweet potato (about 3/4 lb whole potato)
1/4 t cumin
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
4 fresh poblano peppers (or green chiles)
2 T olive oil
1/2 large onion, medium diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 C milk
1 1/2 C cornmeal
4 T butter, softened
4 eggs, separated + 2 extra egg whites*
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 C grated Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Generously butter a 13 x 9 baking dish or large souffle dish.

In a small bowl, mix the sweet potato with the cumin, 1/2 t of the salt and the black pepper. Set aside.

Roast the chiles. Then cut them into 1/2" by 1" strips.

Heat oil over medium heat and saute onions and garlic till onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Sitr the onion mixutre and the peppers together and set aside. This part can be done up to a day in advance.

Combine milk and broth in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until it is just about to boil. Whisk in the cormeal in a steady stream, and continue to whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Mix in softened butter and sweet potato mixture while the cornmeal is still hot. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

Beat the egg yolks lightly then whisk into the cornmeal mixture along with the baking powder and remaining 1 t salt. Fold in the onion and pepper mixture, and 1/2 of the shredded cheese.

In a clean bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in a quarter of the egg whites to  lighten the batter, then fold in the remainder. Spoon batter into the prepared dish, and sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over the top. Bake until golden and puffy, about 45 minutes.

Per serving: 360 calories, 13 g protein, 37g carbohydrate, 18 g fat (8g saturated), 138mg cholesterol, 601 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.

*If you made the chelo kebabs, you'll have 2 egg whites left over

** Delicious! It was great with the Acorn Squash dish. Beware- it was a bit involved with all the steps. Not hard to do, but time consuming. Also- I used course grind cornmeal- made for more texture.

Persian Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Recipe can be found here: http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Persian_Tomato_and_Cucumber_Salad

1 cucumber
1 tomato*
1 onion
mint
salt
1/4 C lemon juice
2 T olive oil

*used the little sugar plum tomatoes- cut in half


Chop all the vegetables finely. Mix them with the mint, lemon juice and olive oil.

*I whipped the olive oil and lemon juice together and then added it to the vegetables. As you can see, I chopped in chunks- not finely.

 

** Delicious salad! Just a hint of mint, nice crunch. Great compliment to the kebabs.

Chelo Kebab Koobideh

This is an Iranian dish that I love. I lived in Tehran for a couple of years as a child. Here is the link to the recipe: http://www.squidoo.com/persiankebab

The last time I made this dish, I used a recipe from another web site. But, I can't remember where I found it...

1 lb ground beef or lamb (I'm using lamb)
1 large white onion, grated (I'm squeezing out the juice before I add it)
1 pinch saffron in 1T boiling water
1 T turmeric (the other recipe used 1 t sumac- you can buy this at Talin Market)
1 egg yolk
1 garlic clove, crushed

Add salt, and mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate overnight*. Spread the meat on to skerwers and push it on well so it doesn't fall off. Cook over hot coals.

*I didn't refrigerate it overnight- just a couple of hours.

I will use the lamb that I just bought from Los Poblanos. During the holidays I visited the warehouse and met the wonderful Amy!

This is served with basmati rice- I soaked mine in very salty water all day. When it is time to cook it, I boil it till it is al dente. I then put it in a steamer, mound it, put some chunks of butter on the top of it, and steam it till it is ready. I used to put a towel around the lid to ensure the rice kernels separate, but I've found our climate is so dry, you don't need to do that.

If you really want a treat, head over to The Saffron Cafe (Lead and Cornell in Albuquerque) and get this same dish. It is delicious!

 

** Don't waste your lamb on this recipe. It stayed nicely on the skewers, but the flavor just wasn't all that great for our family. Since I have quite a few kebabs leftover I will turn them into lamb pasties for Thursday's dinner. 

Apple Loaf with Pecans and Apricots

Made this loaf today in anticipation of lunches this week. The recipe is from a book called Back to Home Baking.

Quick Apricot, Apple and Pecan Loaf Cake
6 oz (175 g) no-soak apricots, chopped in half (cut into smaller pieces)- (ended up as 1 heaping cup)
6 oz (175 g) cooking apple, 1 medium, cut into 1/2 " chucks with skins on (smaller is better)
6 oz (175g) pecan nuts- (ended up as 1 1/2 cups chopped)
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 t baking powder
2 t cinnamon- rounded
4 oz (110 g) whole wheat flour* (ended up as a scant less than 1 cup)
4 oz (110 g) plain flour* (ended up as a scant less than 1 cup)
4 oz (110) butter, room temperature
6 oz (175 g) soft brown sugar (ended up as 1 cup semi-packed)
2 eggs, beaten
3 T milk

Topping- cinnamon sugar mixture

Preheat oven to 350.
Spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast them lightly for about 8 minutes. Chop them roughly when cool.
Sift the salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and both flours. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the fruit and nuts. Mix in a mixer starting on a slow speed and increasing speed till everything is mixed thoroughly. Then lightly fold in the apricots, apples, and nuts.
When it is all folded in, add a drop more milk if necessary so mixture drops easily off the spoon. Put into a loaf pan and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.  Bake for 1 1/4- 1 1/2 hours or until cake feels springy in the center.
When cooked, let it cool for 5 minutes before turning it onto a wire rack. Let it get cold before you slice it- otherwise it will crumble.

 *I used spelt flour.

** Family said it tasted nice- but the apricots needed to be lots smaller. The pecans added a nice texture. I got the pecans from a family friend in Anthony, NM.