Italian Sausage Soup
This turned out rather well, in spite of being off the cuff. It's a small yield recipe--about 3 servings. I've included changes I will make here:
Saute:
olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/2 c fresh parsley, minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Add:
1-2 mild Italian sausage links cut into quarter slices and cooked
2 small-medium potatoes, diced
3-4 c chicken broth
1 t marjoram
1/2 t celery seed
black pepper, to taste
1/4-1/2 tsp. sea salt
When potatoes are mostly cooked, add 1 can white beans (Navy, Great Northern, etc.).
Simmer. 5-10 minutes before serving, add 1/3 c milk (or, in our case, milk substitute).
Labels: soup
Beans and Rice, Jamaican Style
Adapted from Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon.1 bag red kidney beans
1 can coconut milk (unsweetened)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (I only used one)
3 cloves garlic, mashed
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon dried green peppercorns, crushed (I used freshly ground pepper)
1 cup brown rice, soaked at least 7 hours (or just cook rice as usual)
Cover beans with warm water and leave overnight in a warm place. In the morning, drain and rinse the beans and place in a pot. Add enough water to cover the beans, bring to a boil and skim. Add remaining ingredients except rice. Cover and simmer for about 6-8 hours or until beans are tender. Drain the rice and add to the pot with enough water to cover the rice and beans about ½ inch. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, until liquid has reduced to the level of rice and beans. Cover and cook on lowest heat for about 30 minutes.
*I put the beans in a crockpot, brought to a boil, skimmed, added other ingredients, and simmered 6-8 hours. It’s a lot easier that worrying about a pot on the stove.
Ham and Spinach Hash with Fried Eggs
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
4 T. unsalted butter
8 small red potatoes
1 T. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 large ham steak, finely chopped
4 extra-large eggs
2 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the oil and 2 T. butter. Cut the potatoes in half and thinly slice them. Add them to the hot skillet and season with salt, pepper, the thyme, and the red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring every so often, for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes have browned and are tender. Add the onions and ham and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes.
Preheat another skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining butter. Once the butter has melted and the bubbles have subsided, crack the eggs into the pan, season with salt and pepper, and fry to the desired doneness.
While the eggs are frying, finish off the hash by adding the spinach and basil to the potatoes. Toss to wilt the spinach. Sprinkle the hash with the cheese and remove from heat. Transfer the ham and spinach hash to plates. Top each portion with some tomatoes and a single fried egg.
4 servings
Labels: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Main dish
Baked Oatmeal
This is a recipe we've enjoyed for a couple years now, one I thought I had already posted. But I can't find it, so here it is:
1 c oats
1 Tbs + 1 tsp vegetable oil, nut oil, or applesauce
1/3 c brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/3 c milk
1/3 tsp salt (or 1/4 heaping tsp)
1 tsp baking powder
Mix all ingredients. Pour in a greased baking dish (2 custard cups, muffin tins, etc.). Bake 22-30 minutes at 350, until desired texture. Serve with yogurt, fresh fruit, nuts.
I originally took this recipe from the
Wittingshire blog, but it served 10. So I divided by 5, which is why some of the measurements are strange. It's a forgiving recipe, though; exactness is not really required. Sometimes I add cinnamon or nutmeg or a different flavoring, depending on the fruit I have on hand. Sometimes I also add some chopped nuts before baking. Also, walnut oil is a particularly good substitute for the vegetable oil.
Labels: Breakfast
Calling for Lentils
Please share your favorite lentil recipe. . .if you use lentils, that is. They're nutritious, cheap, and relatively quick-cooking (compared to other dried legumes and grains). I want to use them more.
To get the ball rolling, here's a recipe for
Mujadrah, a Middle Eastern lentil and rice side dish. We tried it, and it's good.
Labels: Side dish
Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
I was quite impressed with how these turned out--very chocolate, but still soft and moist.
2 1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c butter or margarine, softened
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c chopped nuts (opt)
Preheat oven to 375. Stir together flour, cocoa, soda, and salt. Cream butter and sugars and vanilla. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well-blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool slightly on pan before moving to a wire rack.
*from
Best-Loved Cookies, Publications International, Ltd.
Labels: desserts
Butter Pecan Cookies
If you're a big fan of shortbread, pecan sandies, or the like, this is a good and simple recipe.
3/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for coating
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup flour
Preheat oven to 350. Toast pecans on a baking sheet until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Let cool completely; finely chop.
Cream butter and sugar until light, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla, salt, and flour, just until dough comes together. Fold in pecans.
Divide dough into 12 pieces; squeeze to shape into balls. Roll in extra sugar. Place 3 inches apart on baking sheet. Gently flatten with bottom of a glass. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Sprinkle with more sugar. Cool on a wire rack.
Labels: desserts
Tomato Platter
4 ripe tomatoes
2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, finely sliced
1 head Belgian endive (optional--I didn't use this, couldn't find it)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or basil, chopped
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup black olives
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons raw wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
1 large lemon
cracked pepper
1 cup feta cheese, cut into small pieces
Remove the outer leaves of endive, cut off end and separate into leaves. Make a fan of endive leaves at one end of a large, flat platter. Slice tomatoes very thinly and arrange around the outside edge of the platter. Strew cucumbers in the center of the tomato ring. Arrange sliced onions over the tomatoes. Strew olives over salad. Dribble the olive oil over all, dribble on vinegar, then squeeze on lemon juice and sprinkle with pepper. Sprinkle on cilantro or basil. Leave the platter at room temperature at least one hour. Just before serving, peel and slice the avocado, brush with a little oil and vinegar in the platter to keep from browning and arrange on the platter. Scatter the feta cheese over the tomatoes and serve.
from
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
**I immediately put the salad into a cooler the second time I made it (instead of letting it sit out for an hour); I did not like the salad as much. For some reason, I think that step is important in getting the taste right.
Labels: Salad
Bean and Cheese Burritos
6 7- or 8-inch flour tortillas
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 16-oz can refried beans
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
Shredded lettuce
Salsa
1. Stack tortillas and wrap tightly in foil. Heat in over (350 degrees) for 10 minutes to soften.
2. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add beans and cook till heated through. Spoon 1/4 cup of bean mixture into each tortilla; then divide cheese among tortillas. Roll up and place on a baking sheet. Bake in oven (350 degrees) for 10 minutes. Serve with lettuce and salsa.
3 main dish servings
from
Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 1996Labels: Main dish, Mexican
