Ratatouille

This is a dish is fairly easy and very delicious.  I am making it with some friends today so I thought I would put it up here to share with you and as an easy way to have it ready for my friends to take home with them.

Ratatouille

2 medium sized firm eggplants, peeled, sliced, salted, (do this first) rinsed and then diced
While the eggplant is exuding its excess (and bitter)liquid prep the following vegetables.

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
4 green peppers, julienned (1 1/2 inch by 1/8 inch matchsticks)
3 small zucchini in 1/2 inch slices
15 oz can of whole tomatoes roughly chopped. (Seasonally replaced by good fresh tomatoes)
2 T basil, chopped

Then Saute the onions and garlic in 1/3 cup olive oil until golden brown.  Then add all the vegetables plus 1/2 cup of black olives and the rinsed and diced eggplants.

Simmer covered over very low heat for 30-45 minutes.  Then uncovered to reduce the liquid.
 Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Serve with sour cream and crusty bread.


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I also love to use the leftovers from this as the vegetable/red sauce component of vegetable lasagna prepared in the french style with a mornay sauce (rather than a ricotta or cottage cheese)

Japanese Vegetable Stew (Kenchin Jiru

I learned this dish from a friend and now we just love it.  The proportions I use assume that it is used as a opening soup course for 4.  I'd probably double or triple  and possibly add some diced chicken (at the beginning with the vegetables) it if it was going to be the star of the show. 

1 small carrot, peeled and cut into half rounds
1 medium onion, in medium large dice
1 medium potato peeled and cut into quarter rounds
1 T sesame oil
5 cups dashi broth, or chicken or vegetable broth or just water
4 T miso
1 tsp soy sauce
1 cake of firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 green onions, chopped

Saute carrots, onions, and potato in sesame oil for 1-2 minutes.  Add broth and bring to boil, skimming any scum off the surface.  Add 2 T of miso dissolved into a 1/2 cup of the broth.  Lower heat and simmer until vegetables are soft about 15 minutes.  Add the remaining miso (again dissolved in 1/2 cup of broth), soy sauce, and tofu. Simmer another minute or so.  Serve with green onions as a garnish.

We love this as part of a Japanese meal with Spinach with Sesame (Horenso no Goma ae) and Japanese rolled omelets and sticky rice.

In Detroit I get miso at a japanese grocery store, but am pretty sure you can get it at one of the higher end "gourmet" grocery stores.  Everything else is easily available at your local mega-mart.

Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup Extravaganza

- 1 onion, finely chopped
- olive oil
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
- ½ bag frozen corn
- 1 large chicken breast
- 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 lime (one extra for garnish)
- 1 handful cilantro, chopped
- 4-5 corn tortillas, cut into strips
- 1 avocado, diced
- cayenne pepper
- chili powder
- cumin
- salt and pepper
- cheddar or jack cheese, shredded
- sour cream

Sautee onion in olive oil until soft, then add garlic, green onions, cayenne, chili powder, and cumin. Sautee until fragrant (a minute or two). Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Add tomatoes, corn, black beans.

Grill up chicken spiced with cayenne, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. (You can also pan-fry it, but it won’t add the smokiness that the bbq does). Cut up or shred chicken and add it to the soup. Try the soup and add more seasonings according to taste, if needed. Add lime juice, cilantro, and avocado.

In large fry pan over medium-high heat, crisp up tortilla strips. Add salt. You may do this with oil or cooking spray. (For a shortcut, use tortilla chips instead).

Serve soup garnished with cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, and a lime wedge.

Note on spices: as you see, they didn't specify amounts for spices. I used in the soup: 2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne. And then extra spices for the chicken.

Polenta and Black Bean Casserole

SO tasty. Have just made it once, but it'll be a repeater. I made it exactly to the recipe, but I'm sure you could make adjustments.

Ingredients

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 4-ounce cans diced green chilies, drained
1/4 cup canned salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 16-ounce purchased polenta roll, cut into 18 rounds
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 15-ounce can black beans, well drained
1 15-ounce can golden hominy, well drained
3 cups coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 10 ounces)

Preparation

Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 450°F. Oil 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Mix 1/2 cup cilantro, chilies, salsa verde, garlic, and cumin in medium bowl. Arrange 9 polenta rounds in bottom of dish, spacing evenly. Drizzle 1/4 cup cream over. Top with half of beans, half of hominy, and half of chili mixture. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups cheese. Repeat layering. Cover with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 475°F; uncover casserole and bake until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and serve.

Black Bean Soup with Cumin and Jalapeno

Great, tasty, very easy black bean soup. Haven't tried it with the suggested garnishes yet, but it would probably be yummy.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño chile with seeds, divided
2 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, undrained
1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth


Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped green onions
Crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Mix in cumin and 1 teaspoon jalapeño. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer 3 cups of soup to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to pot. Simmer soup until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon jalapeño, if desired.

Ladle soup into bowls. Pass cilantro, green onions, and feta cheese separately.

Hugh's Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1 8-10lb pork shoulder/boston butt/pork butt roast
1/2 C of ButtRub
1/2 C of turbinado/raw sugar

Trim the meat of excess fat. Mix the rub and sugar in a bowl using your fingers or a fork. Paint the roast with yellow mustard and then apply the rub liberally. Put roast in the smoker/oven at 240F. Cook until meat thermometer reads 190, usually 1.5 hours per pound.

Let meat rest for 20-30 minutes (so your fingers don't get burned), pull the pork with a pair of forks, picking out bits of fat and the bone (if you got bone-in).

Coleslaw:

Combine

1C mayonnaise
4 chopped scallions or green onions
2 tsp vinegar
1/8 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp sugar

Add mixture to
3 C chopped cabbage
3 C salad greens
1 thinly sliced carrot
1/2 green pepper sliced

Serve meat with hamburger buns, your favorite bbq sauce, and coleslaw.

Dahl

This dahl recipe is tasty and easy.

Dahl
1 oz butter
2 garlic cloves
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspooon turmeric
1 teaspooon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 lb 4 oz. canned, chopped tomatoes, drained
6 oz red lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 pint vegetable stock
1/2 pint coconut milk
Garnish: chopped cilantro, lemon slices

1. Melt butter in large saucepan, saute garlic and onion 2-3 minutes. Add spices, cook 30 seconds.

2. Stir in tomatoes, lentils, lemon juice , coconut milk, stock, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 25-30 minutes, til lentils are tender. Serve with chopped cilantro and lemon slices (optional).

Vegetable Korma

Made this for dinner tonight, it was very tasty. It's good with rice and/or naan.

Vegetable Korma

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 potatoes, cubed
4 carrots, cubed
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
3 tablespoons ground unsalted cashews
1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 bunch fresh cilantro for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until tender. Mix in ginger and garlic, and continue cooking 1 minute. Mix potatoes, carrots, jalapeno, cashews, and tomato sauce. Season with salt and curry powder. Cook and stir 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Stir peas, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and cream into the skillet. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

Mexican Pasta Salad

Peter and I really like this pasta salad. We're making it this week and I already feel like eating it. When we have made it in the past we have made it vegetarian - omitting the meat and adding black beans. We've also added chopped bell peppers and sliced black olives. It might also be good with some cheese in it.
The sauce is very tasty, though I usually use less jalapeno.


Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds fusilli pasta
1 1/2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup olive oil


1 2 1/2-pound roasted chicken, skinned, meat shredded or 7 cups shredded cooked turkey
4 large tomatoes, seeded, diced (about 4 cups)
3 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen, thawed)
3 large carrots, thinly sliced on diagonal, slices cut lengthwise into thin strips
1/2 large red onion, chopped


2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 jalapeño chilies, seeded, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 bunches fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Cook fusilli pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse pasta with cold water to cool. Drain pasta well. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and mix thoroughly to coat. Add shredded chicken or turkey, diced tomatoes, corn kernels, carrot strips and chopped onion and toss.

Mix Dijon mustard and fresh lime juice in small bowl. Gradually mix in remaining 1/3 cup olive oil. Mix in minced jalapeño chilies, chili powder and ground cumin. Add dressing and chopped fresh cilantro to salad and mix to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Salad can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Colcannon (aka Four Pot Mashed Potatoes)

3 lbs russet potatoes
1 bunch kale
1 1/2 c. milk
3 whole scallions, chopped
pepper
butter

Cut potatoes into chunks, boil with a good pinch of salt. Cook until tender. Scald milk with scallions over medium heat. (I just heat until I see bubbles and the milk smells hot.) Remove from heat. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add salt, add kale. Cook kale ten minutes or until tender. Immediately drain kale and rinse with cold water repeatedly until kale is cold. Squeeze excess water out of kale and chop it up.
When potatoes are cooked, drain and return them to the pot. Set over medium heat for aminute or two, shakeing and stirring so the potatoes don't stick, until they are floury and have made a film on the bottom of the pot. Remove from heat and mask. Beat in milk/scallions, one-third at a time. Stir in kale. Season with salt and pepper.

Traditional way to serve colcannon is to put it in a casserole, make wells in the top, put butter chunks in the wells, and broil briefly to brown the top immediately before serving. Recommend this, as butter enhances the flavor.

This is really mashed potatoes with kale added, so you can make mashed potatoes your preferred way, and then cook and chop the kale and add it. The green onions do add a nice flavor. This is an Irish dish, so besides being one of my favorite ways to eat mashed potatoes, it's part of our St. Patrick's Day meal. We have also found that it is irresistible to pregnant women. Must be the greens.

Potatoes with Crispy Greens

1 bunch winter greens (we always use kale)
1 1/2 lbs potatoes
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c. olive oil
salt & pepper

Heat thet over to 400. Strip greens from stems and slice into strips approx 1/2 in wide. Cut potatoes up. Toss together with garlic (minced) in olive oil. Pour into a jelly roll pan or something like it and roast in the over for an hour. Toss periodically while roasting. Eat them hot- does not reheat and is not nearly as good lukewarm.

Potatoes are standard roasted potatoes, but the greens really do get crispy (careful not to burn them), which was a revelatory flavor/texture for us. Very good with sour cream on the side.

Caldo Verde

a goodly amount of broth
4 or so russet potatoes
one bunch kale
crushed red pepper
salt to taste
heavy cream or sour cream
1 lb spicy Italian sausage if you like

Broth: you can either use chicken or we sometimes make garlic broth by peeling and boiling a whole head of garlic in water. Peel and chop potatoes. Wash and strip kale from stems and chop it up. Add to broth. (If you're not making garlic broth, throw in some garlic, too.) Add red pepper. Cook til potatoes are done. If adding sausage, fry up separately and then add to soup. When serving, put sour cream on the table and each diner adds to his own bowl.

-or-

Combine the broth and 1 c. heavy cream. Add chopped potatoes and kale and red pepper (and garlic). Add sausage. Simmer about an hour.

Thai Curry from Kate

Thai Curry

Maureen Matthews

/1/2 to 1 Tbs red, green, or yellow curry paste (such as Thai Kitchen) Use more for more heat/

/1 can coconut milk/

/1/4 c fresh basil/

/1/4 c bamboo shoots/

/3 Tbs fish sauce/

/2 Tbs brown sugar/

/1/3 c chicken or vegetable broth/

/chicken (cut in 1” pieces) or tofu (diced large)/

/vegetables of your choice (I like red pepper, onion, carrot, sweet potato, pineapple chunks, but others use eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, chard, spinach, potato, green pepper)/

Combine curry paste and coconut milk in a large saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add coconut milk through broth—stir until combined. Add meat and boil until cooked through (if using tofu, don’t add it yet). Remove meat from sauce and add vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender crisp. Return meat to pot or add tofu. Serve hot over rice.

I have never added basil or bamboo shoots, so it’s fine if you don’t have those. I like to use the yellow curry paste and I love it with sweet potatoes

Green Chili Casserole

This is very good, verrrry rich, makes great leftovers, and is wicked easy and quick to prepare *EXCEPT* for the four hour + refridgeration time prior to cooking.

Green Chili Casserole:

6 lg flour tortillas (or enough corn to cover the casserole dish)
2 cans 7oz.diced mild green chilies
2 cups grated Monterrey jack cheese
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Mix in separate bowl;

5 eggs beaten
2 cups milk
Pepper & Salt to taste
Hot sauce to taste (Tabasco Chipotle sauce is great)

9x12 glass casserole dish
Butter the dish – put in 3 tortillas – spread out one can of green chilies – 2 cups cheese –

2^nd layer:
layer 3 tortillas - spread out one can of green chilies – 1/2 cup cheese

Pour egg / milk mix over entire dish

Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. (overnight is great)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes.

Great with Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce (or other brand I'm sure.)

Yogurt Flatbread/Naan

So tasty. Keeps really well as dough in the fridge for a week or so. You can just pull out a few ten minutes before dinner and have freshly baked flatbread/naan before you take your first bite of leftover Indian food/soup/whatever.

Yogurt Flatbread (Naan)

From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
By Deborah Madison

¼ cup warm water
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 envelope)
¾ cup hot water
¾ cup plain yogurt, preferably whole milk (I’ve used others and it’s fine)
¼ ghee or clarified butter (butter works fine)
1 ½ tsp slat
1 cup whole-wheat flour
¼ cup wheat bran, unless flour is bran-flecked
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
(I usually use ½ wheat and ½ white flour, and no bran)

Sprinkle yeast over ¼ cup warm water in small bowl; set aside tile foamy, about 10 min.
Meanwhile, combine ¾ cup hot water, yogurt, ghee and salt in a bowl, then stir in the yeast, whole-wheat flour, and bran. Work in enough white flour to form a heavy dough, then turn it out and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth but slightly tacky. Put the dough in a oiled bowl, turn it to coat the top, then cover and put in a warm place, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with a pizza stone or a sheet pan INSIDE. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured counter and divide into 8 or 10 pieces. Roll into balls, cover with towel, and let rest 10 minutes.

Shaping the dough: Pat the dough into a circle using your fingertips to dimple it all over. Then gently pull it in opposite directions to make a dimpled oblong. The texture will be uneven, providing crisp and bready parts. Place right on the baking stone or hot sheet pan and bake until browned on top, 12-15 minutes. (we sometimes bake for a much shorter time, if we want it less crispy.)

When the breads are done, stack them on top of each other and serve. Definitely best if served warm/hot. Can brush softened butter over them and sprinkle very lightly with salt.

Santa Fe Soup

This is a recipe I got from my adopted mom. It works very much like chili, but is distinct enough to deserve it's own place.

1-2 lbs ground beef (or sausage) browned and drained of excess fat.
1 1/2 c. V8 picante
1 small can tomato sauce
2 cans Rotel (I don't know how available this is nationally)
15 oz can of:
Dark Red Kidney Beans
Black Beans
Ranch Style Beans (pinto beans if you can't find Ranch)
White Hominy (drained)
Corn (drained)
Chickpeas
Black-eyed Peas
1 package Williams Chili Seasoning


Directions:
Open all the cans.
Pour all ingredients into the crock-pot
Heat through.

Can also heat through on stove instead of in crock-pot

Suggested sides: Rice, Cornbread, Cheese, Sour Cream, Tortillas, Diced Onions or Scallions, Fritos.

MMMMM Good

Pizza from Gia (I think)

I make the crust in the bread maker these days:
1 1/2 lb. loaf/ 2 pound loaf
1 c/1 1/3 c. water
4 t./ 2 T olive oil
3 c./4 c. bread flour
3/4 t. /1 t. salt
about 1 t. Italian seasoning
1 t./ 1 1/4 t, yeast

Sprinkle stone with corn meal
Flatten dough with hands, then roll out on stone with pizza roller
Bake for 5 min at 475-500 degrees
Top with favorite sauce. Peter and Nikki gave me some rosemary balsamic
vinegar sauce that was wonderful
Top with slices of provolone.
Add veggies: lightly sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, onion,
roasted bell peppers, olives, artichokes
sliced fresh tomatoes
Or well drained, rinsed sausage
or pepperoni heated in microwave, with fat paper toweled off slightly
cover with grated mozzarella
Bake for 5-7 min at 450-475
The time and temp depends on your oven. The idea is HOT.
Ideas gathered from family members over the years. I like this method
every bit as well as putting the dough onto a hot stone, and it's much
easier to me.

Cheese Tortillas

Cheese Tortillas
Makes about 12

2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
dash cayenne
1/2 Tbsp Butter
1 c. cheese finely grated
3/4 c. + 1 tsp water.

Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in butter then cheese. Add water all at once. Gather dough and knead briefly. Divide into 12 equal pieces. Make into soft balls and flatten slightly. Cover and let sit 15 minutes. ON lightly floured board, roll out (don't worry about it being perfectly round) Cook over medium heat.

I have found that these tortillas cook for about the length of time it takes to roll out the next one. So put the first one on the griddle, and roll out the next. When you are done rolling it out turn the first one. Wait a minute or two and pull the tortilla off.

We love this recipe, I've doubled it for guests, but no matter how many I make there are never any left.