Feel free to share any awesome yummy foods that you've cooked over the weeks! Just email us the recipes and we will post them here for you. Pictures are, of course, very welcome :)
(from Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables: A commonsense guide by Elizabeth Schneider)
You can use any beans in this soup, though the palest beans have the best contrast. We have always used chickpeas.
¾ pound dried beans
1 large bay leaf
1 tsp marjoram (we use fresh oregano from the yard)
2 tablespoons lard, bacon fat or olive oil
3 medium leeks, thoroughly cleaned and sliced thin (about 4 cups)
1 tsp garam masala or curry powder (we have always used garam masala and usually put in 2 tsps)
2- 2 ½ pounds butternut squash or calabaza, peeled, cut in ¾ inch dice
6 cups meat broth or stock (we use chicken, I think you can use vegetable)
salt to taste
1 ¼ pounds small, tender kale, cleaned, stripped, but in slivers
Grated Gruyere, Emmenthaler or Parmesan cheese (optional)
1. Combine beans, presoak or long soak. (I think a log soak, 4 to 8 hours is best with chickpeas. I think you could also make this with canned chickpeas and it would be fine)
2. Cover beans with fresh water; add bay leaf and marjoram. Cover and simmer until barely tender. [if I am going to cook chickpeas from scratch, I often add a half onion and a half carrot to the water, NOT chopped, and take them out later] – test frequently. Drain and save cooking liquid to add to soup broth IF needed.
3. Melt lard or heat olive oil in large soup pot. Stir in leeks and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add garam masala or curry powder and stir for a moment. Add squash and broth and bring to a boil. Add beans and simmer gently, partly covered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes, but check often. Add salt here.
4. Add slivered kale and enough reserved bean liquid to cover. Simmer until kale is tender, pressing it gently into the soup as it wilts.
5. Serve immediately or chill and serve next day for more flavor (this is a soup that usually tastes better the next day).
* 1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil * 1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage * 1 cup lentils * 1 medium onion, chopped * 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, grated or chopped * 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced * 1 baking potato, peeled and diced * 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and chopped * 3 to 4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed * Salt and ground black pepper * 1/4 cup tomato paste * 4 cups chicken stock * 1/2 a head of cabbage sliced thinly or more to taste
While the sausage is browning, pour the lentils out onto a light-colored plate and sift through them. Discard any small stones
To the browned sausage, add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, potato, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes. Step
Add the stock and 2 cups of water, turn the heat up to high and bring up to a bubble. Add the lentils and the cabbage, stir then turn the heat down to medium and simmer 20-30 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Serve.
Ingredients • 4 cups of tomatoes • 3 large cucumbers • ½ tsp of black pepper • ½ tsp salt • ¼ cups vinegar • 1 small red onion • ¼ cups cider vinegar • 1 bunch of fresh basil • 6 garlic cloves • ¼ tsp salt • ¼ tsp black pepper
Preparation 1. Slice tomatoes. 2. Cube cucumbers. 3. Mince onions. 4. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, and onions in a large bowl. 5. Chop basil. 6. Mince garlic. 7. Combine garlic, basil, salt, pepper and vinegar. Mix well. 8. Mix salad and dressing.
**Dressing can be replaced with a simple vinaigrette that will work well with any salad:
1:1 proportions of olive oil and water juice of half of a lemon salt and pepper to taste 1 sprig of cilantro, roughly chopped
^ combine the above. Can adjust olive oil and water to taste.
I made this with the simple vinaigrette instead of the basil one. Photo can be seen in the Photo Gallery.
I was feeling for some fresh string beans (green beans)this weekend. About 2lbs. of beans cleaned with the ends snipped. For seasoning/flavor I braise a turkey kielbasa sausage and some galic cloves (10) in evoo. Once the sausage has a nice brown coloring to it I added 2 cups of liquid half water/half chicken broth and the beans. With the lid on they need to cook for 20-30 minutes depending how firm or soft you like your beans. I like mine to be kind of soft, almost mushy. There is a photo in the Photo Gallery.
To cook steel cut oats for the next morning breakfast, put 3 cups water in a small saucepan with salt, heat water, turn heat off, add 1 cup oats , put on the top, and leave overnight. It works with any breakfast grain. In the morning, put a portion in a bowl, add milk or water, and stick it in the microwave for a minute to reheat it.
Use cast iron or other heavy flat-bottomed pan. They take a little longer to heat up but they retain heat for longer. Heat oil in pan, start the saute or stew, (use small pieces) put the top on and turn it off to finish cooking.
I know some people who cook all the food for the week on the weekend, bake a bunch of things in one oven, make a roast that can be used in other meals in different ways during the week. That kind of thing.
Use appliances and cooking vessels that are a fit for what you are cooking, like small ones for little meals or make extra servings in bigger pots if you like leftovers.
Here is a great soup that makes for many meals.
ReplyDeleteSquash, Bean and Kale Soup
(from Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables: A commonsense guide by Elizabeth Schneider)
You can use any beans in this soup, though the palest beans have the best contrast. We have always used chickpeas.
¾ pound dried beans
1 large bay leaf
1 tsp marjoram (we use fresh oregano from the yard)
2 tablespoons lard, bacon fat or olive oil
3 medium leeks, thoroughly cleaned and sliced thin (about 4 cups)
1 tsp garam masala or curry powder (we have always used garam masala and usually put in 2 tsps)
2- 2 ½ pounds butternut squash or calabaza, peeled, cut in ¾ inch dice
6 cups meat broth or stock (we use chicken, I think you can use vegetable)
salt to taste
1 ¼ pounds small, tender kale, cleaned, stripped, but in slivers
Grated Gruyere, Emmenthaler or Parmesan cheese (optional)
1. Combine beans, presoak or long soak. (I think a log soak, 4 to 8 hours is best with chickpeas. I think you could also make this with canned chickpeas and it would be fine)
2. Cover beans with fresh water; add bay leaf and marjoram. Cover and simmer until barely tender. [if I am going to cook chickpeas from scratch, I often add a half onion and a half carrot to the water, NOT chopped, and take them out later] – test frequently. Drain and save cooking liquid to add to soup broth IF needed.
3. Melt lard or heat olive oil in large soup pot. Stir in leeks and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add garam masala or curry powder and stir for a moment. Add squash and broth and bring to a boil. Add beans and simmer gently, partly covered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes, but check often. Add salt here.
4. Add slivered kale and enough reserved bean liquid to cover. Simmer until kale is tender, pressing it gently into the soup as it wilts.
5. Serve immediately or chill and serve next day for more flavor (this is a soup that usually tastes better the next day).
Lentil Soup with Sausage and Cabbage
ReplyDeleteIngredients
* 1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
* 1 cup lentils
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, grated or chopped
* 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced
* 1 baking potato, peeled and diced
* 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
* 3 to 4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
* Salt and ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup tomato paste
* 4 cups chicken stock
* 1/2 a head of cabbage sliced thinly or
more to taste
Yields: 4 servings
Preparation
Place a large soup pot over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Once hot, add the sausage and sauté for 3-4 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a spoon or a potato masher as it cooks and browns.
While the sausage is browning, pour the lentils out onto a light-colored plate and sift through them. Discard any small stones
To the browned sausage, add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, potato, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes.
Step
Add the stock and 2 cups of water, turn the heat up to high and bring up to a bubble. Add the lentils and the cabbage, stir then turn the heat down to medium and simmer 20-30 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Serve.
Tomato Cucumber Salad
ReplyDeletew. Basil-Garlic Dressing
Yield: Serves 4-8
Ingredients
• 4 cups of tomatoes
• 3 large cucumbers
• ½ tsp of black pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cups vinegar
• 1 small red onion
• ¼ cups cider vinegar
• 1 bunch of fresh basil
• 6 garlic cloves
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
Preparation
1. Slice tomatoes.
2. Cube cucumbers.
3. Mince onions.
4. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, and onions in a large bowl.
5. Chop basil.
6. Mince garlic.
7. Combine garlic, basil, salt, pepper and vinegar. Mix well.
8. Mix salad and dressing.
**Dressing can be replaced with a simple vinaigrette that will work well with any salad:
1:1 proportions of olive oil and water
juice of half of a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 sprig of cilantro, roughly chopped
^ combine the above. Can adjust olive oil and water to taste.
I made this with the simple vinaigrette instead of the basil one. Photo can be seen in the Photo Gallery.
Enjoy~!
I was feeling for some fresh string beans (green beans)this weekend. About 2lbs. of beans cleaned with the ends snipped. For seasoning/flavor I braise a turkey kielbasa sausage and some galic cloves (10) in evoo.
ReplyDeleteOnce the sausage has a nice brown coloring to it I added 2 cups of liquid half water/half chicken broth and the beans. With the lid on they need to cook for 20-30 minutes depending how firm or soft you like your beans. I like mine to be kind of soft, almost mushy. There is a photo in the Photo Gallery.
Feeling for something sweet, quick and easy.
ReplyDeletePear-Apple Crisp
*Peel, core and slice 4 baking apples and 2-3 pears. (for my recipe I used Granny Smith apples and Bartlett pears)
*Combine sliced fruit with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a drizzle of little lemon juice.
*Combine equal parts (2/3 cups) flour, brown sugar and quick oats with 5 tablespoons of soft butter until the mixture is crumbly.
*Transfer apples to a greased baking dish and spread the flour mixture evenly across the top.
*Bake at 350 for about 20 min. letting the top get golden brown and the apple mixture bubbly on the sides. Best eaten warm!
To cook steel cut oats for the next morning breakfast, put 3 cups water in a small saucepan with salt, heat water, turn heat off, add 1 cup oats , put on the top, and leave overnight. It works with any breakfast grain. In the morning, put a portion in a bowl, add milk or water, and stick it in the microwave for a minute to reheat it.
ReplyDeleteUse cast iron or other heavy flat-bottomed pan. They take a little longer to heat up but they retain heat for longer. Heat oil in pan, start the saute or stew, (use small pieces) put the top on and turn it off to finish cooking.
I know some people who cook all the food for the week on the weekend, bake a bunch of things in one oven, make a roast that can be used in other meals in different ways during the week. That kind of thing.
Use appliances and cooking vessels that are a fit for what you are cooking, like small ones for little meals or make extra servings in bigger pots if you like leftovers.