Rosemary Almond Shortbreads

 I got this recipe from the Fishing Creek Herb Guild and the Barton House Garden Committee, which hosted a tea party at the Barton House on Sunday, Aug, 2, 2015.

My early music group, the Bloomsburg Early Music Ensemble, played.  And I got this recipe for rosemary almond shortbread, which immediately became one of my favorites!

This will make about 30 small cookies. I think one serving is about 4 cookies.

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter, softened

1/2 C confectioner's sugar, plus additional for rolling

1 C flour

1 Tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 C almonds, crushed

1/4 tsp almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugar.

3. Add flour, rosemary, almonds and extract.

4. Roll dough into small balls, bigger than a marble, but smaller than a golf ball.

5. Roll the balls in more sugar.

6. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets, then press them to about 1/4 inch thick with the bottom of a glass.

7. Bake 12 minutes. Some folks like to let them brown a little, but I like them better when they stay pale. They're from Scotland, after all, not exactly the home of golden tans.

8. Let them cool.  They'll harden up.

Variation: Use lavender, lemon extract and macadamia nuts.

Butternut Squash Curry with Chickpeas

 Credit for this one goes to Rainbow Plant Life, by way of Grace and Akiva Blickstein, who made it for our synagogue.

It's so delicious, even Leon ate it - and he hates squash!

Ingredients:

• ▢1 1/2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil (use refined for a neutral taste, or a neutral oil of choice)
• ▢1 large onion, diced
• ▢2 medium carrots, diced
• ▢Kosher salt to taste
• ▢4 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢2- inch piece ginger, grated or finely minced*
• ▢1-3 bird's eye chili peppers, thinly sliced (optional; only use for spicy!)**
• ▢2 stalks fresh lemongrass, minced or grated (optional but recommended)***
• ▢5 tablespoons red curry paste (see Notes below on spiciness level and brands)****
• ▢1 (13.5-ounce) (400 mL) can full-fat coconut milk
• ▢1 cup (240 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
• ▢5 cups (700-730g) of peeled and cubed butternut squash (~ 2.5 pound butternut squash)
• ▢2 1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce (or 1 tablespoon Thai Light Soy Sauce)*****
• ▢1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or pure maple syrup)
• ▢2 15-ounce (425g) cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• ▢4 cups (60g) baby spinach or baby kale (about 4 large handfuls)
• ▢1 tablespoon lime juice or rice vinegar
• ▢1 large handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• ▢1 handful Thai basil leaves
• ▢White rice or brown rice (for serving, optional)
  
  
• • Heat a Dutch oven or a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil, and once shimmering, add the onions and carrots along with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook the vegetables for 7-8 minutes, or until they are tender and lightly browned.
  • Add the garlic, ginger, chili peppers (if using), lemongrass (if using), and red curry paste, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to coat the vegetables & prevent burning. If not using a nonstick pan, you'll likely need to add a tablespoon or two of water to prevent the mixture from drying out, sticking, and burning.
  • Pour in a couple spoons of the coconut milk and allow it to bubble for a minute, stirring well. Add the vegetable broth, stirring with a spatula to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Pour in the remaining coconut milk, cubed squash, soy sauce, and coconut sugar, stirring to combine.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low or medium-low to maintain a rapid simmer for 20 minutes, or until the squash is tender and cooked through.

    Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend roughly half of the curry. Make sure to leave some chunks of squash intact.

    Alternatively, transfer half of the curry to a stand blender. Blend until the mixture is puréed and mostly smooth, then return it to the pan and stir to combine.
  • Stir in the chickpeas and bring the curry to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, stir in the baby spinach or kale, stirring until the greens have wilted.
  • Turn off the heat, and stir in the lime juice or rice vinegar. Taste for seasonings, adding salt as needed. Tear the Thai basil leaves to release their oils; add them to the curry, along with the chopped cilantro.
  • Serve the curry over rice. Garnish with additional cilantro or Thai basil as desired.

  NOTES

  * Traditionally, galangal is used instead of ginger in Thai curries. If it’s , feel free to use galangal instead. 

  ** Use bird’s eye chili peppers only if you like spicy food. My personal preference is to use 3 of them, but I like my food spicier than most of my readers. For most, start with 1 pepper. If not available, use 1 serrano pepper.

  *** You need to peel several layers of lemongrass, then use only the tender, inner white bulb at the bottom. For tips on how to peel/cut lemongrass, watch the Youtube video starting at the 3:09 mark. 

  **** There is variability in spiciness across curry paste brands. The best Thai curry paste that’s vegan is Maesri, which is spicier than, say, the Thai Kitchen, brand. For a spicy version, I use 5 tbsp Thai Kitchen paste. 

  ***** Thai Soy Sauce, aka Thin Soy Sauce or Light Soy Sauce, can be found at Southeast Asian grocery stores. It is much saltier than a standard grocery store soy sauce (e.g., Kikkoman). If using the latter, use 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons. If using reduced-sodium soy sauce, use 2 1/2 tablespoons. To keep this recipe gluten-free, use tamari. 
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Ken's Whole Wheat Honey Challah

Ken Druckenmiller has so many talents, he's like a fictional character: A former Marine who is also a talented botanist who raises orchids, a farmer with his own chickens, a gardener, a carpenter and a clock repairman.  When he joined Beth Israel Congregation, we made leaps forward, with a new roof, HVAC system and security system.  Plus he finally got rid of the mold in the basement community room we'd battled for years.

He is also the grandson of a baker, and has literally invented challah recipes, including a combination challah/chocolate babka recipe to die for.  

This is his wheat-honey challah.  It's one of my favorites - a bit healthier than the sweeter version, and very tasty.

Ingredients

• 2 ½  teaspoons active dry yeast (or regular yeast, just allow more time)

• 2 ⅛ cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

• 1 cup bread flour

• ⅓ cup vegetable oil

• ⅓ cup honey, or more to taste

• You can add other spices for a different flavor, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, malepi etc

• 3 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 cups bread flour, or more if needed

• 3 cups whole wheat flour, or more if needed

• See note if you want to add raisins or currants

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon water

• 1 teaspoon honey

• ¼ cup sesame seeds, or poppy, or oats, or bulgur wheat soaked or any topping you want

Directions

In a large bowl, mix yeast, warm water and 1 cup of bread flour into a thin batter, and let stand until the mixture shows frothy bubbles, about 10 minutes. Stir in vegetable oil, honey, 3 eggs, and salt until well combined. Beat in 2 more cups of bread flour and the whole wheat flour, alternating flours by cupfuls, until the dough is too stiff to stir in more flour. Add raisins now if using.

Note: If you want to add raisins or any other dried fruit, soak them in boiling water for 15-30 minutes first, then drain well and dust them in flour. It will keep them from sticking together. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour if needed to form a slightly sticky dough. Form the dough into a round shape. Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn the dough over a few times to oil the surface. Cover the bowl with a plastic bag, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.

Punch down the dough, knead it a few times to remove some of the bubbles, and cut it into 3 equal-sized pieces. Cut the first piece into 3 equal parts. Set the rest of the dough aside under a cloth to prevent drying out while you braid the first loaf.

Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand.) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look. Repeat for the other 2 loaves, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and let rise until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water and 1 teaspoon of honey in a small bowl, and brush the egg mixture over the braided challah loaves. Do not throw it away, see next note. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Check the bread at 15-20 minutes and brush the white seams that appear while the bread expands, you can add more of your topping to make the finished product look better,

Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are a deep golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 30-40 minutes until the internal temp hits 185-195, do not let them get over 200, they will be very dry if that happens.  

 

Stuffed eggplant

 Serves 2

1 large eggplant

2 cloves garlic14.5 ounce diced tomatoes

2 shallots

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 Cup dry white wine

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons feta cheese

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

Score eggplant and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Scoop out eggplant, reserving the shells, and saute with everything else except the cheese and parsley.

Restuff the shells, sprinkle with cheese, and pop back into the oven for 15 mintues.

Garnish with parsley.

Gail Wente's Banana Coffee Bread

 I picked up this wonderful banana bread recipe from Gail Wente when I worked at the Portsmouth Daily Times, in Portsmouth, Ohio.

Gail was the secretary there, and one of the kindest people I ever met. My favorite memory of her was her discreet handling of the sign-out board.  We had this big whiteboard we were supposed to use whenever we went out of the office, marking when we expected to be back so people calling for us might know when we would return to the office. My name was toward the top, in the place of whoever I replaced. Gail saw me dragging a chair over to reach it.  She didn't say a word.  But the next day, the list had been rearranged, according to height.

Here's her banana bread recipe - it's almost as sweet as she is.

1/2 Cup shortening

1 Cup sugar

2 eggs

3/4 Cup mashed ripe (or overripe) bananas. It's about two bananas.

1 1/4 Cup flour

3/4 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

Stir in banana. Sift together dry ingredients and add them to the mixture. Mix well.

Pour into greased 9x9x2-inch pan, or two loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (in theory.  Last time, it took my oven an hour, but I was using a glass loaf pan that was much deeper.). When a toothpick comes out clean, or a thermometer reads 205 degrees, it's done.

Golden Tumeric Cauliflower soup

 

Description

Cozy, bright, and healing with power-foods like turmeric, cauliflower, and cashews. Topped with crispy chickpeas. Super creamy and SO GOOD.

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Scale

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• half an onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into about 5 cups of chunks or florets
• 1 cup cashews
• 1 tablespoon turmeric  – see notes
• 7–8 cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• a squeeze of lemon juice

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Instructions

1. Sauté: Heat the oil in a deep soup pot. Add the onion, garlic, cauliflower, cashews, and turmeric. Sauté for 10 minutes or until very fragrant.
2. Simmer: Add the water (I usually start with 4 cups) and salt. Simmer until softened.
3. Blend: Transfer the soup to a blender and blend into a creamy consistency. It’s best to do this in batches.
4. Finish: Return to the soup pot and add any additional water (remaining 2-3 cups) if you need to thin it out. Also a good time to season with more salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Also a good time to top with spiced chickpeas and parsley and olive oil and more salt and put on your most comfy sweater and FALL IN LOVE. ♡

5. For the Spiced Chickpea Topping: Drain and rinse 2 14-ounce cans chickpeas. Spread them on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400. Sprinkle chickpeas with a dusting of cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, salt, and/or any other spice combo you want. Drizzle with olive oil. Stir right on the pan, then roast for 30-40 minutes or until semi-crispy.

   Turmeric: Turmeric has a strong flavor, so if you’ve never tried it before and you’re not sure you will like it, I would suggest using 1-2 teaspoons to start. If you’re a confident turmeric user, go for the full 1 tablespoon!

   Blender Stains: Depending on your blender, this soup can leave a stain from the turmeric. If this happens, we recommend leaving your blender sitting in a window in the sun for a day or two which will help get rid of the stains!

    

Vegan Chili

 

316Save

Vegetarian Chili

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 1/2 hours
• Yield: 6 to 8 servings

282

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 2 to 3 serrano chiles, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds baby bella mushrooms, diced
• Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, crushed between your fingers
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated and both finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• Two 14.5 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes (with juices)
• 3 cups water, or more as needed
• Two cans black beans, drained and rinsed under cool water
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• Cooked brown rice, for serving
• Sour cream, for serving
• Chopped green onions, for serving
• Diced avocado, for serving

Directions

• Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large heavy Dutch oven and saute the onions, bell pepper, poblano, and serrano chiles until the vegetables are soft, 4 to 6 minutes.

  Add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt and cayenne, and continue to cook, stirring as needed, until the mushrooms have given off their liquid and then begin to brown around the edges, 4 to 6 minutes longer.

  Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cilantro stems, bay leaves, and cook until the spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

  Stir in the canned tomatoes and 2 cups of the water. Bring to a simmer, lower heat so that the chili gently bubbles, and cook for about 20 minutes, adding more water if the chili gets too thick.

  Add the beans and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the corn and any additional water to correct the consistency if the chili has become too thick. Cook until the zucchini is softened but not mushy, about 10 minutes, then stir in the cilantro leaves, correct the seasoning with salt and cayenne, and remove from the heat.

  Serve the chili garnished with a spoonful of brown rice, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkling of green onions and diced avocado.