Christmas Pies

 

Ingredients

• 200g leeks thinly sliced butter
• 25g butter, plus a knob
• 100g finely chopped mushrooms
• 4 good pinches ground mace ( but I used basil, nutmeg, oregano, chili powder, S & P)
• 4 good pinches thyme leaf, plus a few extra small sprigs to decorate (I used rosemary to decorate
• 100g grated potato
• 100g lentils, boil in water until cooked
• 100g cooked finely chopped chestnuts
• 8 tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 4 tbsp cranberries, plus 20 to decorate
• 1 beaten egg for glaze
• 2 tsp redcurrant jelly, but I used Jalapeno Jelly

For the pastry

• 200g plain flour, plus a little extra
• 100g butter
• 8 tbsp milk
  
  

Method

1. Fry the leeks in the butter until softened. Add the mushrooms and spices. Turn up the heat a little to soften the mushrooms and reduce the amount of liquid. Stir in the potato for 2 mins, followed by the lentils, chestnuts and cream. Cook for 2 mins more, then take off the heat and stir in the 4 tbsp cranberries. Mix should be quite dry.
   
2. To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour & salt. Slowly add the milk, a spoon at a time, and mix with a knife until the pastry comes together.
   
3. Roll out a quarter of the pastry on a floured surface, then use 4 individual pie dishes to cut 4 pastry lids – we used 4 x 250ml ramekins. I used small Corelle bowls.
   
   *Use a small star cutter to cut out a star from each lid, then keep stars and lids covered with plastic wrap.
   
4. Cut 4 strips of baking parchment and use a little butter to stick one in each pie dish, so the ends of the strips stick out each side to help you remove the pies when baked. (Greatest invention ever)  Gather lid scraps with the remaining pastry and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each  and use to line each pie dish with an overhang.  ( I did each lid as I went.) Divide the filling between the dishes. Top each with a lid, and roll down the overhang to meet the lid. Use a fork’s prongs to press and seal edges. The pies can now be covered and chilled for up to 24 hrs before baking.
   
5. To bake, heat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush each pie with beaten egg and bake for 30 mins. Lift pies from dishes and sit directly onto a baking sheet. Mix 20 cranberries with the jelly and divide between the star holes on top.
   
   *Brush pastry stars with beaten egg, add a small thyme sprig to each, then add to the buttered baking sheet and put back in the oven for 5-10 mins, until pies and stars are golden and crisp. Top each pie with a star and serve.
   

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2011

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1799642/individual-christmas-pies

 

 

Pumpkin-Pecan Streusel Pie

Yield:

Makes 8 servings

Total time: 3 Hours, 40 Minutes

Recipe Time

Hands-on: 20 Minutes

Total: 3 Hours, 40 Minutes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Piecrust- I found a recipe.

3 tablespoons finely chopped toasted pecans 

plastic wrap 

Cooking spray

1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin

1 1/4 cups half-and-half

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I made my own)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pecan Streusel Topping

Garnish: toasted pecan halves

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Unroll piecrust, and place on prepared surface. Sprinkle piecrust with chopped pecans. Place plastic wrap over piecrust and pecans, and lightly roll pecans into crust. Fit piecrust, pecan side up, in a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 9-inch pie plate; fold edges under, and crimp. (I used 7x11 pyrex and had a major pastry fail. Make sure to go over the top so it doesn't fall)
2. Whisk together pumpkin and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl until smooth and well incorporated; pour into prepared piecrust.
3. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, (shielding edges with aluminum foil after 20 minutes, if needed, to prevent excessive browning. I didn't do this) Carefully top pie with Pecan Streusel Topping. Reduce oven temperature to 325°, and bake 25 minutes, covering pie with aluminum foil after 5 to 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours). (I think it is way overcooked.

Pam Lolley,

Southern Living

November 2015

Pecan Streusel Topping

• Makes about 1 3/4 cups

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
• 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preparation

Stir together pecan halves and pieces, sugar, flour, melted butter, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl until well combined.

Adapted from http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-pecan-streusel-pie


Haven't eaten it yet, but it looks yummy!

How To Make Pumpkin Pie Spice

Makes 2 1/3 tablespoons

Adapted from The Contemporary Encyclopedia of Herbs & Spices by Tony Hill

What You Need

Ingredients
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground mace (didn't have any :( )
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Equipment
Measuring spoons, bowl, whisk, or spoon

Instructions

1. Measure: Measure out all ingredients in the order listed (to ensure you don't double up or leave one out) into a small bowl.
2. Mix: Whisk or stir to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 year. http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-pumpkin-pie-spice-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-69245
3.  

Butter Pie Crust
 http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/butter-pie-crust-236477

YIELD :Makes 2 nine-inch deep-dish crusts (I DID A HALF RECIPE)

INGREDIENTS

1. • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
   • 1 tablespoon sugar
   • 3/4 teaspoon salt
   • 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled butter, cut into little cubes
   • 6 tablespoons (about) ice water

PREPARATION

1. 1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; pulse until coarse meal forms. Gradually blend in enough ice water to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Form dough into 2 balls; flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic; chill 2 hours or overnight.
   I used the rub the butter in method. I sliced in cold butter, but I had to use twice as much water. I keep the dough overnight in the fridge. It looks fine.

http://www.littlespicejar.com/

southwest quesadilla with cilantro lime sour cream

sunny anderson  food network

sorry for the crazy blog...hopefully after i restart my computer it will behave better

Buttermilk Cheddar Bay Biscuits/Scones

Adapted from Little Spice Jar's recipe

Prep time:  8 mins

Cook time:  10 mins

Serves: 12-14 scones

 

Messed this up the first time. Confused by directions. Have rewritten to hopefully make clearer.

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons powdered milk (such as, carnation)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided-  1 1/2 in dough, 1/2 for glaze
• 2 tablespoon dried or fresh parsley, divided- 1 Tbs in dough, 1 Tbs for glaze
• 6 oz salted butter, divided in dough, divided- 4 oz in dough, 2 oz for glaze
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 
2.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat, set aside. 
3. Place 1 stick of butter  in a small microwave safe bowl. 
4. Microwave the butter until it is completely melted, about 45 second, set aside.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, powdered milk, baking powder, 1½ teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon parsley flakes. 
6. Add the melted butter and the buttermilk into the dry ingredients, 
7. fold to combine the ingredients. 
8. Add the cheese and fold into the biscuit dough until combined.
9. Drop 2 tablespoons worth of dough that's been rolled into a uniform shape onto the baking sheet. 
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until he biscuits are golden brown on the outside. 
11. Melt the remaining ½ stick of butter, about 30 seconds. 
12. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of parsley. 
13. Stir with a pastry brush to combine.
14.  Remove biscuits from oven when done and immediately brush with melted butter. 
15. Serve warm.

 http://www.littlespicejar.com/

Really messed this up the first time. Also added jalapeno pepper. Didn't divide butter so chemistry happened. Tasted good though. Also ran out of garlic pepper so used real garlic, maybe a little too much. But the taste was good.

 

Mushroom, asparagus & spinach risotto

•  1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 140g mushrooms, sliced
• half a bunch of asparagus cut in pieces
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 140g arborio rice
• 150ml dry white wine (I used Moscato, believe it or not)
• 2 heaping tbs sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I didn't have any :( )
• 25g parmesan, freshly grated
• 100g fresh young leaf spinach, washed if necessary (I used frozen spinach)
• warm crunchy bread or toast,  and a green salad, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan. Add the onion and cook gently for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the mushrooms, asparagus (minus tips) and garlic and cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
2. Stir in the rice to coat with the onion, asparagus and mushroom mixture. Pour in the wine and cook over a moderate heat for about 3 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the wine is absorbed.
3. Reduce to a gentle heat. Add the tomatoes and 125ml/ 4fl oz of the stock and cook for about 5 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Pour in a further 125ml/4fl oz stock and continue cooking until absorbed. Repeat with the remaining stock, until it is all absorbed and the rice is creamy and tender.
4. Stir in the asparagus tips, parsley and half the parmesan. Season to taste. Scatter the spinach over the risotto if you are using fresh spinach. Cover and cook gently for 4-5 minutes until the spinach has just wilted. Serve immediately sprinkled with the remaining parmesan.

 
Modified from:  http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3245/mushroom-and-spinach-risotto

 
 

Chilaquiles
From Vegetarian Epicure II

This makes a great casserole, but lately we have just been making the sauce, dropping it on tortilla chips and mmm mmm mmm.

10 corn tortillas (these are supposed to be cut up and fried, but we just use our favorite chips instead.)
1 lb of tomatillos
1 1/2 lbs of tomatoes (here I use two cans of red tomatoes)
2 onions (diced)
2 tbs olive oil
3/4 cup diced chilis (the long green ones, one will probably do)
2-3 jalapeno peppers or your favorite hot spicy peppers (chopped finely)
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro (chopped)
1/2 tsp sugar (depends on my mood as to whether I do this)
salt to taste

Peel the dry skins off the tomatillos, wash and pop into boiling water.
Boil for 7 minutes. At this time they should be starting to split.
Drain and puree in a blender

Add the tomatoes to the blender
Use a large fry-pan to saute the onions in the olive oil.
Add tomatillos, tomatoes, green chiles and jalapenos.
Also add salt, cilantro and sugar
Simmer for 10 minutes. Season as necessary

Serve on a bed of tortilla chips.
Top with wonderful things
-chopped boiled eggs
-chopped green onions
-sour cream
-cheese

PS: for the casserole
Prepare this sause
Grate 1 lb of cheese (a combination of your favorites)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
Bag of tortilla chips

Pretend you are making lasagne.
Prepare a casserole dish. I use a 9x13 pyrex dish
lay a little sauce on the bottom.
Then cover with a layer of tortilla chips,
cover that with 1/3 of the cheese
cover that with 1/3 of the remaining sauce
Repeat until you have 3 layers

Combine the milk and sour cream.
Pour over the top of the casserole.
If it doesn't sink in, then gentle use a knife to make some caves for the dairy to sink through.

Cover the casserole and bake 375 degrees for 25 minutes.
Remove the lid and bake for 10 more minutes

Serve hot.  Pass little bowls of chopped eggs, green onions and sour cream.
Serves 6-8

Not tried, but sounds good. mm mm mm

Ask Dr. Nandi with Eve Daly and 3 others

Roasted cauliflower? A whole head of cauliflower? This recipe has you slathering cauliflower in a spicy yogurt marinade and roasting it at a high temperature. The result is an amazingly delicious dish that’s as dramatic in presentation as it is easy in preparation. Serve it with a big green salad (we suggest lime juice and olive oil for the dressing) for an easy weeknight supper.

Spicy Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 head cauliflower
1½ cups plain Greek yogurt
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons chile powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly grease a small baking sheet with vegetable oil. Set aside.
2. Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and the woody stem.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt with the lime zest and juice, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, curry powder, salt and pepper.
4. Dunk the cauliflower into the bowl and use a brush or your hands to smear the marinade evenly over its surface. (Excess marinade can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days and used with meat, fish or other veggies.)
5. Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the surface is dry and lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes. The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower.
6. Let the cauliflower cool for 10 minutes before cutting it into wedges and serving alongside a big green salad.
‪#‎namaste‬ ‪#‎nomnomnom‬ ‪#‎yummyveggies‬ ‪#‎detroitdoc‬

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 cup salad oil
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat these ingredients together

Then add

2 cups grated peeled zucchini
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Bake 325 F for 50 minutes in two loaf tins

Rae's Honey Oat Bar

Introduction: Rae suggests making double

From Womens Weekly Big Book of Beautiful Biscuits

Minutes to Prepare: 5 Minutes to Cook: 20 Number of Servings: 18

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup raisins or sultanas
1/2 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup coconut
155g (5oz) butter
1 tbspn honey

Directions Combine oats, sultanas, sifted flour , sugar and coconut in basin. Melt butter, add honey, mix into dry ingredients until mixture clings together. Press evenly over base of well greased 28 cm x 17cm lamington tin. Bake in moderate oven 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Cut into bars while hot, remove from tin when cold

Number of Servings: 18

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LAVENDERS.

from Australian Women's Weekly

Cinco de Mayo Salad

Well time for Cinco de Mayo. Russ is in China and I need to find something tasty to bring.

Cilantro Jicama Fiesta Slaw
makes about 4 cups
1 1/2 cups red cabbage, shredded (I put about 2 cups)
1 cup jicama, thinly sliced ( more julienned than sliced)
1/2 cup citrus, diced (orange or mandarin) (2 small oranges)
1/4 cup white onion, diced
1/2 tsp citrus zest
2 Tbsp jalapeno, diced ( Didn't know how hot to make it so I used one frozen jalapeno seeds and all
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp tahini :( so sorry that I didn't have this so I used mayo
2 tbsp hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
3 Tbsp cider vinegar (you can also sub with lime juice)
1 cup cilantro (stems and leaves), chopped
1 Tbsp agave syrup( I used amber)
1/4 tsp cayenne
salt and pepper to taste


Directions
1. Prep all the vegetables
2. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl – toss well. Customize the moisture-level of your slaw – to ‘wet’ your slaw a bit more, add in extra citrus juice. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Chill in fridge until ready to be served.

Adapted from http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/cilantro-jicama-fiesta-slaw/

Candied Kumquats or Oranges: (I made half of this and it was yum, yum, yum)

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 9 ounces kumquats (about 25 medium), thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed

Crust:
I used just a brownie mix; Instead of 9 x 13, thin version, I used 2 spring tins one 10" and one 9" 

• 2 cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs (made from about 9 ounces cookies, finely ground)
• 1/3 cup (packed)  brown sugar
• 6 to 7 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:I did this exactly using oranges from my tree. Grated rind of 2 oranges

• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons finely grated orange peel
• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 large eggs, room temperature

Preparation

For candied kumquats:
Combine water and sugar in medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add kumquats; reduce heat. Simmer until kumquat slices are translucent, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; cool kumquats in syrup. Strain kumquats, reserving syrup. Combine kumquats and 1/4 cup syrup in small bowl. Return remaining syrup to same saucepan; boil until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 8 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover separately and chill.

For crust:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Combine cookie crumbs and brown sugar in medium bowl; add 6 tablespoons melted butter and stir until crumbs feel moist when pressed together with fingertips, adding remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter if mixture is dry. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake crust until set and edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool crust in pan on rack. Maintain oven temperature.

Wrap 4 layers of heavy-duty foil tightly around outside of pan with crust to make pan waterproof.

For filling:
Combine orange juice, 1/4 cup sugar, and orange peel in small saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat. Simmer until mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Chill until cool.

Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl until smooth. Mix in sour cream, flour, and salt. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in cooled orange juice mixture. Pour filling into crust; place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.See above. I made two smaller ones on top of brownie mix. So the little one cooked for 1 hour 10 min and the big one 1 hour and 20 min. Maybe I cooked them too long though.

Bake cake until just set in center, about 1 hour 35 minutes. Remove cake from roasting pan; remove foil. Place cake directly in refrigerator and chill overnight. Arrange kumquat slices atop cake, covering completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Tent cake with foil and refrigerate.

Remove pan sides; place cake on platter. Cut cake into wedges; drizzle some kumquat syrup over and serve.

The KUMQUAT SYRUP is perfect with the cake—but don't stop there. It's also yummy drizzled over vanilla or coffee ice cream or in a cup of tea, a glass of club soda, or even a vodka Martini.

This came from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Orange-Cheesecake-with-Candied-Kumquats-240424#ixzz2Lv8iZXhM

 

My plan is to take these three and find somewhere between to be happy. then I will edit and create my own soup. It was yum-my

  http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/posole/www.bigskycafe.com/2009/05/vegetarian-pozole/

Vegetarian Pozole

by Chef/owner Charles Myers
2 cups white pozole (Hominy)
2 cups blue pozole (Hominy)
2 oz. baking soda
4 dried chilies (we use pasilla, ancho and guajillo any combination of chilies as long as there is a little variation for increased complexity)
4 tbsp. olive oil
3 cups diced onions
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. roasted, ground cumin seeds
1 tsp. roasted, ground coriander seeds
2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes in juice
1 lb. tomatillos, peeled and cut in quarters
1 gal. vegetable stock
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
Soak the different colors of pozole in seperate bowls of water overnight.
Roast the cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a dry skillet over high heat until they toast —about 2 minutes.  When cool grind in a food mill, mortar & pestal or clean coffee grinder.
Drain the pozole and put each in its own pot, generously cover with water. Add half of the baking soda to each, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours.  Add more water as needed. Check pozole for tenderness —it does not have to be completely cooked as it will be cooked further in the stew.  Drain off the cooking water and rinse the pozole.
While the pozole is cooking, soak the dried peppers in hot water. When soft, remove the seeds & stems and dice.
In a separate stock pot heat the olive oil and saute the onions and garlic with the salt, black pepper, oregano, cumin and corriander until the onions are translucent.
Add the diced tomatoes, tomatillos, chilies, vegetable stock and cooked pozole.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer for about 1-and-a-half hours. The pozole stew is done when the hominy is cooked through.
Add the lime juice, cilantro & final salt and pepper to taste. Pozole, like many stews, improves with age, so cook ahead and reheat. Freezes well.
Serving suggestions: garnish with queso fresco, toasted pumpkin seeds and cilantro. Also for a delicious breakfast, serve vegetarian pozole over cornbread with a poached egg on top.
Note: You may use a combination of different kinds/colors of pozole and you may cook them together in one pot if you wish. However, the different colors will cook in slightly different times with different consistencies.  The blue or red pozole will break down more during cooking than the yellow/white kind.
Native corns are available at redcorn.com and most Latino markets.
Yield: 10 – 12 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Prep Tme: 8 – 10 hours
Cook Time: 2 hours

Vegetarian Posole

• 2 cups dried posole, or 3 to 4 cups canned with water
• 6 qt. water
• 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and into thin slices crosswise
• 2 yellow squash, cut in half length-wise and into thin slices crosswise
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 4 dried New Mexico red chile pods, seeded, stemmed and torn into 12 pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. azafrán
• 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• feeds 6-8

1. Soak dried posole overnight in 1 quart water. Next day, drain posole, and discard soaking water.
2. Place posole in large pot of water to cover by 3 inches. Bring posole to a boil over high heat, and reduce heat to low, cooking, uncovered, about 11/2 hours, or until kernels burst and are puffy and tender. Add water during cooking, if needed. Drain posole, and set aside.
3. Heat oil in 6-quart pot over medium-high heat, and sauté onion until clear, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, zucchini, yellow squash and tomatoes, and sauté 3 minutes more.
4. Add posole, red chile pods, bay leaves, vegetable broth and azafrán. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low, cooking 30 minutes. Add oregano, thyme and salt, and continue cooking 30 minutes more, adding more water if needed. Serve hot in large soup bowls with warm bread.

October 2003 From Vegetarian Times

Mango Bread mmm mmm mmm

For the Pa'a board meeting, we had a potluck. This is what I brought. Unfortunately, I didn't have macadamia nuts, but still mmm mmm mmm 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons cinnamon 3 eggs, well beaten 3/4 cup canola oil 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 cups peeled and diced fresh mango 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped 1/2 cup grated coconut Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon into a small bowl. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, oil and sugar and mix with dry ingredients until well blended. Fold in mango, raisins, nuts and coconut. Pour into loaf pans and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes, unmold and let completely cool on baking racks. From http://www.food.com/recipeprint.do?rid=30296

Herb Rolls
Hopefully I haven't posted these already, but last night we had to suffer because I couldn't find the recipe. Oh well, Jesse made his famous cheese scones and life was good. Did I say we suffered? I guess I was wrong.

 2 Tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
 1/3 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon sugar
 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup melted butter
 3 cups flour
 1 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons basil leaves
 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
 1/4 teaspoon hing (whatever that is)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin pans.
In a large bowl add yeast to water and let sit for 30 seconds.
 Add melted butter, spices, buttermilk, salt and sugar.
Gradually stir in flour and knead for 8 minutes.
 If too wet add a little more flour.
 Grease large bowl with a little butter and add dough. Cover and let rise in warm kitchen area until double in size ( about an hour).
Fold dough over , punch down and knead.
Make 36 small balls about 1 inch in diameter.
 Fill greased muffin tins with 3 balls each. Cover and let rise for one hour.
 Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
 Serve hot. Makes 12 rolls.

 From The Higher Taste

Salt and Pepper Tofu

Vegan Chinese Salt and Pepper Tofu
 serves 2 as an entree or about 4 as an appetizer
1 block (14 oz when drained) extra firm tofu
 4 tablespoons corn starch as needed
 1/2 teaspoon or to taste freshly cracked black pepper
 Freshly ground Salt
Vegetable or canola oil for frying

Pat dry the drained tofu.
Let it stand with paper towels over it under a weight for 30 minutes.
Cut into 1x1x1/2 inch cubes.
Place the tofu cubes in a large bowl.
Add corn starch, salt and pepper.
Gently toss till the tofu pieces are very well coated.

In a frying pan, pour oil so that it comes up 1/2 inch (I did much less than this).
 Heat the oil.
Make sure oil is hot.
Add tofu cubes a few at a time. (If you fry too many at once or if the oil is not warm enough, they won’t crisp up.)
 Fry the tofu pieces, flipping them around, so that all sides are golden brown.

 Drain onto a few layers of paper towels. Add the fried tofu cubes to whatever dish you want.

We put it over chilequiles instead of boiled eggs.

 Serve vegan Chinese salt and pepper tofu with your favorite chili sauce and garnish with celery leaves or green onions.

 For a quick appetizer, serve the fried tofu with chili sauce.

 Notes: - Instead of tofu, try button mushrooms, parboiled cubed potato, baby corn or paneer.
The only change you will make is to make a batter out of the cornstarch and dip the vegetables or paneer in the cornstarch batter before frying.

Hints
- fry one piece of tofu first and taste it. Adjust the salt the pepper in the batch if needed and then continue frying the rest
- try using some coconut oil that can take higher temperatures
 - the tofu can be fried about an hour ahead of time and placed in your oven in the lowest temperature. simply toss the tofu in the sauté in the last minute
- Here is a suggested saute that could be added to the tofu, but fried rice would work too for the sauté 1/2 tablespoon oil 2 medium leeks, white part only, washed and grit removed (1 cup when chopped) 1 celery rib (1/2 cup when chopped) 1 small green pepper (1/2 cup when chopped) 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar Chop the leeks, celery and green pepper into a fine dice. Heat oil in a wok on medium-high heat. Add chopped leeks, celery, and green pepper. Sauté on high heat for about 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic. Cook another 1-2 minutes. Add soy sauce and brown sugar and cook 30 seconds. Set this mixture aside.

http://www.veggiebelly.com/2010/07/restaurant-style-chinese-salt-pepper-tofu.html

Black bean avocado bowl

2 servings Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 eggs, fried 1/2 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed guacamole: 1 avocado, 1/2 tomato, lemon juice, garlic, cummin, cayenne, S & P mashed 1/4 cup chilaquile salsa salt and ground black pepper to taste tortilla chips left over refried beans 1/2 onion Directions Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Saute onion. Add beans and salsa 3 to 5 minutes. In a separate pan, start frying eggs. Divide warmed bean mixture between two bowls. Top each bowl with eggs, guacamole, and salsa. Season with salt and black pepper. Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/black-bean-breakfast-bowl/detail.aspx Living with Leftovers

Spinach and Feta pies (crustless)

Crustless Spinach and Feta Pies From Food Network Kitchens Making it Easy, Meredith, 2004 Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time:25 min Serves:4 servings Ingredients Pies: 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed 4 scallions, thinly sliced(I used onion that I sauted) 3 large eggs 3/4 cup half-and-half (or literally half milk and half sour cream) 1 tablespoon plain bread crumbs (I used spicy buffalo wheat thins crushed) 2 teaspoons crumbled dried mint 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt (Lots of people complained about too much salt. Pretty much skipped the salt. Maybe just ground some rock salt Freshly ground black pepper Pinch cayenne pepper Pinch Arbol Chile Powder Freshly grated nutmeg 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese sun-dried tomatoes Greek Tomato Salad: 12 ounces mixed small tomatoes 2 to 3 pepperoncini, stemmed and chopped 2 tablespoons pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Directions Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Squeeze excess water out of spinach. (Didn't really squeeze. The spinach seemed pretty dry)Add spinach and scallions and cook, stirring, until dry, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and press with the back of a spoon to remove the last bit of moisture. Brush 4 (6-ounce) ramekins with some olive oil and put on a baking sheet. Put spinach mixture, eggs, half-and-half, bread crumbs, mint, salt, black and cayenne peppers, and nutmeg in a food processor and pulse until spinach is finely chopped. Remove blade and stir in feta cheese. Divide mixture evenly among ramekins. Bake until set around the edges but still slightly soft in the center, about 20 minutes. Turn oven off, leaving pies inside to set, about 5 minutes more. Run a knife around edge of each pie and invert onto plates; spoon some tomato salad around each and serve. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_115113_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html I skipped the salad, but I had black bean salad from the other night with plenty of tomatoes to break up the spinach. Greek Tomato Salad: Toss tomatoes with pepperoncini and olives in a salad bowl. Add olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and salt and black pepper to taste. Toss again. Shopsmart: Deep into summer, we stock up on heirloom tomatoes. Grown from the prized seeds of nearly forgotten varieties, these sweet, succulent beauties are a treat in a salad or simply sliced and sprinkled with salt. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_115113_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html

naughty chocolate cake- gluten free

http://www.dishoftheday.com.au/dish/cook-Gluten_Free_Naughty_Chocolate_Mud_Cake-recipe/726 Going to try this for Mum's 80th

Jambalaya

Happy Mardi Gras.I'll write this recipe the way it is written, but we have a vegetarian home so I will () the veggie version. It is my favorite meal of all.

1 tsp salt 1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp cayenne 1/4 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp black pepper 2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp white pepper

2 tbs butter (olive oil)
1/2 lb ham (3 Morningstar Farms grillers (original))
1/2 lb chicken (6 Morningstar Farms Sausage Links)
(4 Morningstar Farms Original Sausage Patties)

1 cup celery, medium diced
1 cup onion, medium diced
1 cup green pepper, medium diced
1Tbs garlic, pared, minced
28oz can tomatoes, whole or chopped
2 1/2 cups chicken (vegetable) stock
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice cooked( brown rice and wild rice are also great)

1. Combine spices
2.Heat pan, melt butter
3. Add ham, stir 5 min
4. Add chicken, cook 5 min
5. Stir in seasonings and 1/2 celery, onion, green pepper and garlic for 6-8 min.
6. Stir in tomato juice
7. Add rest of veggies and tomato
7. Remove from heat. Add stock and rice, mix well
8. Put in 8x8 pan (11x13)
9. Bake for 30 min. at 350 degrees F (uncovered)

Jesse's Stuffed Shells

More Jesse Supremo Stuffed Shells Recipe
You can make the components for this a couple days ahead of time if needed - i.e. sauce, filling. Also, you won't be able to fit 25-30 shells in your pan, but a few are always casualties of the boil, so I call for more than you'll likely need.
zest of one lemon
Sauce:
1/3 cup / 80 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
scant 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
4 medium cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can crushed red tomatoes
1 14-ounce can crushed red tomatoes
Filling:
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup / ~5 oz grated mozzarella
1 bunch of chives, chives
25-30 jumbo dried pasta shells
Oil a 13 x 9-inch / 33 x 23-cm baking pan, or equivalent, and sprinkle the zest of 1/2 the lemon across it. Set aside. Get a big pot of water boiling, and preheat your oven to 350F / 180C with a rack in the middle.
To make the sauce, combine the olive oil, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and garlic in a cold saucepan. Stir while you heat the saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute just 45 seconds or so until everything is fragrant - you don't want the garlic to brown. Now stir in the tomatoes and heat to a gentle simmer, just a minute or two. Remove from heat and carefully take a taste (you don't want to burn your tongue)...If the sauce needs more salt add it now. Let cool.
To make the filling, combine the ricotta, egg, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until combined, then stir in the mozzarella and 3/4 of the chives. Set aside.
Cook the shells according to package instructions in well-salted water - until al dente. If you overcook, the shells will tear as you attempt to fill them. Drain and let cool long enough to handle with your hands - see photo.
Spread 1/3 of sauce across the bottom of the prepared pan. Fill each shell with ricotta, and arrange in a single layer in the pan. Ladle the remaining sauce over the shells, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until the shells are cooked through - uncover for the final 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining chives and serve hot.
Serves 4 - 6.
Prep time: 30 min - Cook time: 45 min