Shakshuka
Shakshuka
Serves 4
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 large jalapeño chile, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground caraway
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped, or spinach
4 large eggs
Optional: Ground beef (my variation)
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the bell peppers and jalapeño and cook just until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add beef if adding beef.
Slowly pour in the tomatoes. Stir in the bay leaf, sugar, salt, paprika, cumin, pepper, chili powder, and caraway and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. Layer the Swiss chard leaves on top.
Crack the eggs into the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are no longer translucent.
Taste variations: Utilize ground meat for more protein.
Honey Pear Bread
Honey Pear Bread
Makes two loaves
3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups packed light brown sugar (or regular sugar, or mix and match)
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 medium pears, peeled and grated (grate when you’re about to put them in, so they don’t turn brown)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or two 9×5 loaf pans.
Combine in a medium bowl the flour, baking powder, backing soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir with a fork to mix everything well. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of this mixture and combine it in a large bowl with the chopped walnuts to coat the nuts with the flour.
Add the sugar, oil, honey, and eggs to the large bowl holding the walnuts. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix well. Stir in flour mixture. Peel and core pears, and then grate them to about approximately 2 cups. Fold in pear mixture and stir just until everything is evenly moistened.
Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees F for 60 to 65 minutes. Serve it as it, sprinkle it with confectioners sugar, or drizzle it with a simple glaze made from whisking 3 tablespoons buttermilk, a dash of vanilla, and 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar together.
Tasting notes: Can utilize other kinds of fruits for bread.
Brownies
Brownies
13 oz all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 lb granulated sugar
1 lb, 12 oz chocolate
5 1/2 oz corn syrup
6 eggs
1/2 oz vanilla
9 oz butter
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat butter, corn syrup, and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add chocolate and stir until melted. Transfer to a mixing bowl with paddle and add flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix until well combined. Add eggs a little at a time. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Bake for 35 minutes.
Scones
Scones
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes
Makes: 8 scones
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut up
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit, chopped)
2 tablespoons roasted, salted pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup whipping cream
1. Mix: Measure flour, oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the food processor. Pulse a few times.
2. Cut: Drop in butter chunks. Pulse several times, cutting butter down to pea-size (or smaller) bits.
3. Fold: Turn out into a large mixing bowl. Fold in dried fruit and seeds. Drizzle on cream a little at a time, folding with a flexible spatula, until dough clumps (you may not need all the cream).
4. Pat: Turn out dough (still a clumpy mess) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pat into a 11/2-inch-thick disk, about 8 inches across. Brush the top with a little of the remaining cream and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Slice dough circle into 8 wedges. Separate wedges by 1 inch.
5. Bake: Slide into a 375-degree oven and bake until set and golden, about 15 minutes. Enjoy warm or room temperature.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole
Makes 12 servings
4 cups sweet potato, cubed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put sweet potatoes in medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium-high heat until tender; drain and mash.
2. In large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Transfer to 13×9 baking dish.
3. In medium bowl, mix sugar and flour for topping. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse. Stir in pecans and sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.
4. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes or until topping is lightly brown.
Hong Kong Chicken Pan-Fried Noodles
Hong Kong Chicken Pan-Fried Noodles
Serves 4
16 ounces Hong Kong Style Noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3-4 Chicken breasts, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices (about 3/4 to 1 lb)
20-25 Shrimp, cleaned and peeled
20-25 Scallops
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
8 baby bok choy, rinsed and quartered
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon oyster sauce, in addition to 1 teaspoon for marinade
2 tablespoons soy sauce, in addition to 1 teaspoon for marinade
2 tablespoons sesame oil, in addition to 1 teaspoon for marinade
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, in addition to 1 teaspoon for marinade
4-5 cups chicken broth
3 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch, in addition to marinade
Salt/Pepper to taste
1 stalk green onion, chopped
1) Marinate chicken and seafood overnight. Chicken marinade should have 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon teriyaki sauce, 1 teaspoon oyster sauce, black pepper. Seafood marinade should have 1 teaspoon corn starch, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, black pepper.
2) Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into wok set over high heat. Fluff out noodles. Add noodles to pan. Stir and flip constantly until noodles are lightly browned. Set aside.
3) Add oil to a heated pan and saute garlic until lightly brown. Add chicken and/or seafood and cook throughly. Dish out.
4) Add vegetables to pan and cook until done. Add chicken and/or seafood back to pan. Stir well. Add green onion, sauces and oils to pan. Dish out.
5) Add chicken broth, sugar, and cornstarch to pan. Create gravy. Serve noodles with toppings and gravy plated.
Potato Flake Sourdough (Starter and Bread)
Potato Flake Sourdough (Starter and Bread)
Potato Flake Starter #1
Starter Ingredients:
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water to dissolve yeast: (105 to 110 degrees – some recipes omit this 1/2 cup )
1 cup warm water
2/3 cup sugar to 3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, then add with 1 cup warm water, sugar and potato flakes.
Feeding Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
1 cup warm water
Mix well before adding to starter. After feeding, let stand 8-12 hours and then either return to fridge or use to make bread. Feed every 3-5 days.
Potato Flake Starter #2
Starter Ingredients:
1 to 2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Flour
Mix yeast with the 1/2 cup warm water. Combine remaining starter ingredients and add to yeast mixture.
Feeding Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
1 cup warm water
Mix well before adding to starter. After feeding, let stand 8-12 hours and then either return to fridge or use to make bread. Feed every 3-5 days.
To start the Starter:
After combining the starter ingredients, let it stand at room temperature in a lightly-covered glass jar for 3 to 5 days. Refrigerate it and feed every 3 to 5 days. Give it several feedings 3 to 5 days apart to age the starter before baking with it for the first time. (Other instructions say to mix the starter and let it sit overnight, then refrigerate it, covered, for 3 to 5 days before using it to make bread. Let it come to room temperature, feed it and let stand overnight before baking with it.)
To Make Bread:
Ingredients for 2 – 3 loaves of bread:
1 cup starter (see above)
1/2 cup sugar (some recipes call for less sugar)
1/2 cup corn oil
1 tablespoon salt (some recipes call for less salt, 1 to 2 tsp.)
1 1/2 cups warm water
6 cups bread flour OR 4 cups bread flour & 2 cups whole wheat flour
Bread Making Instructions:
Combine bread ingredients in large bowl mixing by hand to make a stiff batter or dough. Place dough in a greased/oiled large bowl, turning dough over to coat with oil. Cover lightly with plastic wrap/aluminum foil and let rise overnight (at least 8 to 12 hours) on counter at room temperature or in a warm place. In the morning, punch dough down lightly with fist and divide it into two or three parts. Knead each piece lightly on floured surface and place in two or three greased loaf pans. Brush with oil. Cover lightly with oiled wax papers and 2 dish towels and let rise for 6 to 12 hours at room temperature or until puffy in pans.
Bake at 325-350 F degrees for 25 to 35 minutes or until it tests done and is golden. Remove from pans. Brush with butter and let cool.
VARIATIONS:
CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD: Roll out dough and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, to taste. Add some raisins over dough. Roll dough up, place in pans and let rise as instructed above. When baking, recipe may need 10 to 15 minutes more baking time or bake till tested done.
WHEAT BREAD: Substitute for the flour: 4 cups bread flour, 2 cups whole wheat
SALLY LUNN: Use 1 cup starter, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup warm milk, 1/2 cup melted butter cooled, 1 tsp salt and 4 cups flour. Combine and mix all well. Cover and let rise until double in a warm place. Spoon into a well-greased bundt pan. Cover again and let rise until double. Bake 350F 45 to 55 minutes or until it tests done.
Sweet Tea
Sweet Tea
Makes 1 pitcher
2 family sized tea bags
3 cups water
1-2 cups sugar (depending on taste)
Ice
Place tea bags in teapot or saucepan and bring to simmer with water. Add sugar to taste. Pour into serving pitcher over ice. Add cold water to fill pitcher. Add more ice and stir. Can refrigerate.
Variations: Can add lemon slices or apple slices. Can add mint. If under-sweetened, can utilize rock candy for garnish.
Soy Sauce Chicken
Soy Sauce Chicken
Serves 2
Chicken breasts, Whole Chicken, Chicken Wings, or Chicken Drumsticks (enough to fill pan)
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon sherry (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Several chopped scallions (green onions)
1 tablespoon ginger (or pickled ginger)
1 smashed clove garlic
Clean chicken and place in pan. Add water, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, sherry, and sugar. Bring to boil. Add scallions, ginger, and garlic. Make sure that sauce covers at least half of chicken. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes; then flip chicken to ensure even browning. Simmer another 15 minutes. If frozen chicken, it will take approximately one hour of simmering before chicken is done.
Sauce can be frozen or refrigerated for future use.
Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding
Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding
4 to 6 croissants, preferably 1 or 2 days old
2 cups half-and- half
2 cups heavy cream
Pinch salt
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
Vanilla ice cream, for serving, optional
Cut the croissants into 1-inch cubes. You should have about 3 1/2 cups. Place the cubes in an ovenproof baking dish. In a saucepan, heat the half-and-half, cream, and salt over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to make sure the mixture doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. When the cream mixture reaches a fast simmer (do not let it boil), turn off the heat. Add the chocolate and whisk until melted.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together. Whisking constantly, gradually add the hot chocolate-cream mixture. Strain the mixture over the croissant pieces and toss lightly. Let sit while the mixture is absorbed, at least 15 minutes. As it soaks, fold the mixture a few times to ensure even soaking. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a roasting pan that's 2 inches deep and larger than the baking dish with paper towels. Fill the pan with very hot water and place the dish of bread pudding inside. Bake until set, about 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on each serving.
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