TEMPEH

Dried Red Chilies, Petra, Jordan

Tempeh

I think Susy learned this recipe at a cooking class at a Burmese restaurant. Very tasty served with rice and healthy...

3 tbs oil
1 garlic clove, chopped fine (I usually put in a bit more)
1 inch fresh ginger, chopped fine
½ cup slice onion (I put in a whole large onion)
¼ tsp tumeric (I usually add a bit more)
1 tsp hot red chili flakes
2 cups crumbled tempeh
1 tsp salt (not necessary)
2 tsp soy sauce (to taste)
½ cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
One small can of whole plum tomatoes. I cut the tomatoes in chunks and I add the juice as well.
1 -4 hot green chilies, cut in 4 pieces each (again, to taste...I usually use one chili or none)

Heat oil in skillet and fry the garlic, onion, ginger and tumeric over moderate heat until light brown.

Add chili flakes, tempeh, salt and soy sauce and fry three or four minutes stirring so all is well mixed.

Add peanuts and fry 2 minutes more.

Add tomato, fry 2 minutes.

Add fresh chilies, fry a moment more and serve.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Kings Crown near King Hill, Idaho

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Lots of butter and cream...but wonderful taste and texture...

4 pounds red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, quartered (scrub well and cut out any eyes)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 cup whipping cream

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Return to pot.

Meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add garlic and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add onion-garlic mixture to potatoes.
Add cream and remaining 1/4 cup butter; mash coarsely. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. Serves 6 to 8.

Pita Crisps

Crisp pita wedges to serve with hummus and other dips...


Preheat oven to 400°F.

Brush pita breads on both sides with oil (I usually don't do this step).

Cut each bread into 8 wedges. Arrange on cookie sheets.

Bake until lightly brown and crisp, about 12 minutes.

Kevin's Biscuits

Especially good eaten warm and slathered with butter and jam.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
2 cups flour
1 TBSP sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450*

Mix dry ingredients. Cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs (Or pulse in the food processor)

Stir in milk until dough leaves sides of bowl.

Dough will be soft and sticky.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly 10 times. Roll or pat 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured 2 1/2 inch round cutter.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart for crusty sides (for soft sides, let biscuits touch).

Bake until golden brown - 10 to 12 minutes.

Immediately remove from cookie sheet.

A make ahead note: you can take the cut out biscuits and freeze. When ready to cook, place frozen biscuits on cookie sheet and proceed as described above.

Microwave Popcorn

You don't need to buy ready made and already-flavored-with-chemicals microwave popcorn. Here's a quick and easy way to do it yourself.

Put approximately 1/4 to 1/3 cup popcorn in a small brown paper bag. The size you'd pack a lunch in. Narrowly fold the top two or three times pressing firmly so bag will stay closed.

Lay bag on its side in microwave and push the button for popcorn (many microwaves have this preset) or pop on HIGH until you don't hear much popping.

Add your own melted butter and salt...or parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.

Onion Soup at last

This recipe is excellent and taken from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Takes a bit of time, but is easy to do.

1 1/2 pounds or about 5 cups of thinly sliced yellow onions.
3 Tbs butter
1 Tbs olive oil

Cook onions slowly with the butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed covered saucepan. Cook for approximately 15 minutes.

1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar

Uncover, raise heat to moderate and stir in salt and sugar. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions have turned an even, deep golden brown. DO NOT BURN.

3 Tbs flour

Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes.

2 quarts boiling beef stock (I used boxed or canned beef broth or beef bouillon (boxes of beef broth from Whole Foods (Pacific Brand, I think, and a can or two of Campbells consomme or bouillon).
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth (I always use Martini and Rossi white vermouth)

Off heat, blend in the boiling liquid. Add the wine or vermouth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer partially covered for 30 to 40 minutes or more, skimming occasionally. Correct seasoning (I sometimes add a bit more vermouth).

Rounds of hard toasted French bread
1 to 2 cups of grated Swiss cheese

Put bread slices on cookie sheet. On one side mound Swiss cheese (and a sprinkle of Parmesan as well if you'd like). Run under broiler until cheese is brown (don't let this burn) and melting.
Float cheese rounds on top of hot soup.

Enjoy!!!!!

Pour soup into soup bowls. Float cheesy bread rounds on top.

Chicken in Silver Paper

A yummy recipe from Mary Jeanne. A bit fiddly but you can do everything ahead so makes a great dish for a dinner party.


Chicken Sealed in Silver Paper


2 tsp minced ginger root
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup mango chutney (I use that Major Grey's brand) or apricot preserves
2 tsp cider vinegar
4 tsps melted butter
1/4 tsp crushed hot pepper flakes


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (two whole breasts cut in half and the odd little yucky parts removed)

1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

1 cup thinly sliced leeks (wash well as leeks can be very sandy)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and slivered
16 snow peas, slivered

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Cut 4 sheets of foil each about 1 foot square.


Stir together first six ingredients

Divide leeks equally, placing one portion in the center of each foil square.

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper and place on top of leeks.

Spread 1/4 of the chutney/ginger root/etc. mixture on top of each breast.

Sprinkle the slivered pepper and snow peas on top of chicken and season with a bit more salt and pepper.

Put the baking sheet (cookie tin) in the preheated oven for 2 minutes.

While the tin is heating, lift the edges of the foil squares and double fold each open edge to enclose chicken. Seal edges well!

You can make an hour or so ahead up to this point and put in fridge until ready to cook.

Set pouches on heated baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand without opening for 5 minutes.

Place each pouch on dinner plate and let each guest open his or her own.

Serve with rice or couscous and a little more of the mango chutney.

Pepper Steak with Cream and Cognac Sauce

Thanks goes to Julia Child for this recipe.

4 boneless individual steaks approximately 3/4 to 1 inch thick trimmed of fat
(I usually use tenderloin and wrap a narrow thin strip of bacon around each)
About 4 teaspoons peppercorns (I usually use black peppercorns) crushed so they are coarse.
But one could use a variety of peppercorns or a jar of green peppercorns well drained.)
Mild olive oil (1 tablespoon for sauteing)
2 tablespoons of butter for sauteing.

Pat steaks dry with a paper towel. Rub with a very light film of oil. If using, wrap bacon strips around each steak and secure with either kitchen string or a toothpick.

Press approximately 1/2 teaspoon on each side of each steak. Let steaks stand for an hour or two if possible so pepper flavor penetrates the meat.

Saute the steaks on each side in hot butter and oil; they are done to medium rare when they feel slightly resistant to your finger when you press then. Keep steaks warm in the oven while you make the sauce.

Cream and Cognac Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup cognac (you can purchase the tiny bottles at most liquor stores)
1/4 cup beef broth (I usually use Campbells canned beef broth straight from the can)
1 cup cream (heavy whipping cream or creme fraiche if you can find it)

After cooking steaks, empty excess grease from saute pan. Return to low heat, add the butter and the shallots. Saute for a few seconds until the shallots are soft but not brown. Add the cognac and broth. Over high heat, stir until the mixture has reduced to a syrupy consistency. Add cream (start with 3/4 cup). Continue to cook, stirring until mixture has reduced and thickened a bit. This will NOT be a thick gravy-like sauce. Taste and add more cream if necessary. Or drop or two of lemon juice and salt and pepper. Enough sauce here for four small steaks...unless you love the sauce and don't want to share...in which case...double it...

Enjoy...

Green Pea Soup

A simple and tasty soup from my friend, Ev. Very healthy when made with yogurt instead of cream.


Green Pea Soup


Ingredients:
1 lb fresh or frozen peas
6 oz pearl onions
1/2 cup heavy cream (or plain yogurt)
Chervil or mint
1 lettuce heart
1 oz butter


Melt butter.

Add onions and lettuce which has been quartered. Saute 5 to 7 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the peas, cover pot and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes,

Add 1 1/2 quarts of water and salt to taste.

Simmer until peas are tender.

Put soup through blender, adjust seasonings.

Add cream (yogurt) and chervil or mint at time of serving.

Kale and White Bean Soup

This recipe comes from the awesome epicurious.com website. If you haven't already, check out this website for an incredible number of recipes.

I have modified the recipe from the one on the Epicurious website. If made following that recipe, the dish is thick and more like a stew or ragout rather than a soup, but equally delicious. I call this Kale and White Bean Soup rather than the original Kale and Cannellini Ragout as I usually use great northern white beans. And using one can of fire roasted tomatoes adds a delicious kick!


Kale and White Bean Soup


Croutons

Thick slices of Italian bread cut into quarters.
Put on cookie sheet, brush with olive oil , sprinkle with a bit of thyme and put in 325* oven for approximately 10 minutes until crisp.
Put aside until soup is finished.


Soup

Ingredients

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
a pinch of red pepper flakes
5 cups thinly sliced kale (about 1 large bunch; remove coarse stems)
2 14 1/2 ounce cans of vegetable broth
1 14 1/2 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1 14 1/2 ounce diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 15 ounce can white beans (cannellini or great northern white beans) drained and rinsed


Add 4 tablespoons oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper to pot
Sauté over medium heat for 30 seconds.
Add kale and vegetable broth and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until kale wilts, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes with juice, beans, and 1 tablespoon thyme.
Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into shallow bowls. Top with croutons and serve.