Kale Chips

This recipe was in our local paper a couple weeks ago. We've made it twice, and Katherine loves it. The other kids? Not so much. Scott and I think it tastes like dried seaweed. In the best possible way.

Kale Chips

1 T. apple cider vinegar
3 T. olive oil
salt*
2 bunches of kale, washed, with stems removed

Cut kale into 2 to 3-inch pieces. Mix vinegar, oil, and salt in a large bowl. Add the kale and mix by hand. Place in a single layer on baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes or until the kale is crispy. Cool and eat. (Scott and I crumble them up on top of rice.)

*The original recipe calls for 1-2 tablespoons of Celtic sea salt, which I do not own. I started with 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt, and they were WAY too salty--even for me. I would recommend starting with 1 to 2 teaspoons of kosher or sea salt and then seeing what you think. You can always add more salt when they're done cooking.

Soup

The new birthday lunchbox and thermos are a hit. Katherine has had soup for lunch every day so far. Her favorite kind is homemade chicken and stars, but we're going to need to branch out. What is your family's favorite soup recipe?

Homemade Chicken and Stars Soup from Comfort Foodsby Rachael Ray
(This cookbook is also the source of PicklesandDimes' favorite Chicken and Dumplings--back before Rachael started calling everything "stoup." *shudder*)

2 quarts chicken broth (sometimes I use dairy-free bouillon)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (or leftover chicken)
1 bay leaf
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup pastina pasta
ground pepper to taste (I use white pepper so the kids can't see it.)

Heat 1 quart broth to boiling, add chicken and bay leaf to pot and simmer, covered, for 8 minutes. Add vegetables to pot when you finish chopping each of them. Remove chicken after 8 minutes and place on cutting board to cool. (If using cooked chicken, I add it at the end.)

Add the second quart of broth to your pot and bring liquid to a boil. Add pasta and cook 6 minutes. Remove soup pot from heat. Dice chicken and add to soup. Season soup with pepper to taste. If soup is too thick, add up to 2 cups of water to achieve desired consistency.

This soup has converted several children to celery and/or carrot and/or onion eating. I'm just saying.

And all I got was this stupid recipe

You didn't think I forgot your souvenir from my vacation, did you?

My aunt made this appetizer/side dish twice the week we were there because we all loved it so much. She got the recipe from a friend.

Texas Caviar

Prepare at least 12-18 hours before serving.

1 can each of:
shoe peg corn (or frozen or leftover fresh, cooked corn)
black beans
black eyed peas

1 cup chopped celery
1 small jar chopped pimentos
chopped jalapenos to taste*

Heat together until the sugar is melted:
1 scant cup olive oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and marinate overnight. Serve with tortilla chips. (The scoop-shaped ones work really well.)

*The original recipe says to use a small can of jalapenos, plus red pepper flakes if desired. Since there were children eating with us, my aunt used about 1/3 of a can of jalapenos plus some seeded, chopped chipotle peppers. She served the additional jalapenos and chipotles on the side for those who wanted more heat.

Green with veggies

I am incapable of turning down free produce. Which is why, with our refrigerator bursting with vegetables and vacation looming on the horizon, I accepted three additional bags of veggies. Bags filled mostly with green beans and zucchini because it's that time of year. The zucchini gets eaten or shredded and frozen for bread. The green beans? I've never had so many before. A good year for beans, I guess.

I've roasted them, which the kids really like, and made them into a mild dip, which everyone likes all right. Next on my list is the Dilly Beans recipe from our CSA newsletter, and maybe blanching and freezing some.

How do you like your green beans?



Dilly Beans, from Kretschmann's Organic Farm

"Cook or steam trimmed beans 3-5 min. Drain when beans are still bright green and just tender. Stir 2 Tbs. fresh chopped dill into warm beans. Combine 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/3 c. cider vinegar, 2 lg. cloves pressed garlic, and 1/2 tsp honey in saucepan and bring quickly to boil. Simmer 2 min., pour over green beans and mix well. Add 1 tbs vegetable oil if desired. Serve hot or chilled."

Spring Summer Soup

Because our children will eat only so many salads.


Summer Soup, adapted from Edward Harris Heth's Spring Soup

2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 T. margarine
1 quart chicken stock or broth made from dairy-free bouillon
2 cups fresh, young greens (I use the baby salad mix that comes in our CSA box.), cut into ribbons
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (or chervil or basil), chopped
rind and juice from half a lemon
salt and pepper

Fry the potatoes and carrots in margarine just until golden. Add the chicken stock/broth and boil until the vegetables are tender. Puree with a stick blender. Add the greens, herbs, and lemon juice and rind and simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with BLTs.

Go-To Recipe

Am I posting a Cuban recipe on Cinco de Mayo? Yes. Why? Well, I don't know how things are at your house, but this time of year is crazy around here, what with end-of-school events, end-of-semester stuff at the college, conferences, recitals, etc. This is one of my go-to recipes that I can make very quickly.

Picadillo, adapted from the May 2003 issue of Cooking Light (back when we had money to spend on magazines)

1 t. olive oil
1 c. finely chopped onion
1 lb. ground turkey
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup beef broth or 1 c. water + 1 dairy-free bouillon cube
1/3 c. raisins
1/3 c. coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
3 T. capers
1 T. tomato paste or ketchup
1/4 t. black pepper
salt to taste
rice to serve it on

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion in oil for five minutes. Add turkey and garlic and cook for five minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add broth and next five ingredients, stir well. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes. Salt to taste. Meanwhile, cook rice. Serve picadillo over rice.

What's one of your go-to recipes?

I swear I am not making this up

Last night at dinner:

Katherine: "Mama, when I'm grown up and I live in my own house, will you give me this recipe so I can cook this casserole?"

Me [dumbstruck]: "Of course! And you don't even have to wait that long. In a couple years, you may cook it for dinner here."

Katherine: "Really? OK!"

Me: !!!!

What is this fabulous casserole, you might ask? Lobster Risotto? Tuscan Vegetable Stew? Moroccan Chickpeas and Couscous? No! It's Homemade Fake Rice-A-Roni!

The recipe I made is adapted from The Complete Tightwad Gazette, although there are other versions out there.

Enjoy!

1 package ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup long grain rice
8 ounces spaghetti, broken into one-inch pieces
4 tablespoons dairy-free margarine
4 cups dairy-free beef bouillon broth
salt and pepper to taste

Brown turkey and onion in a large skillet. Drain and place in a bowl. Melt margarine in the skillet and brown the rice and spaghetti in the margarine. Add the turkey, onion, and bouillon.
Cover and simmer for twenty minutes, or until rice and spaghetti are fully cooked. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with vegetables, and possibly some sort of hot sauce or chutney to liven things up for the adults.

Breakfast for Dinner

I love breakfast for dinner. It's easy and everyone likes it, especially when we've been under the weather. Again. We can't quit you, sinus/ear infections.

I mixed things up a bit the other night with a new waffle recipe. Krazy!

Glorious Morning Waffles from Bisquick Breakfast and Brunch

2 c. Bisquick
1/2 c. peeled, shredded apple
1/4 c. shredded carrot
1/4 c. walnuts (optional)
1 1/3 c. milk alternative
2 T. canola oil
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 egg

Heat waffle iron; grease if necessary.
Stir all ingredients until blended. Pour batter by slightly less than one cupfuls onto center of hot waffle iron.
Bake about 5 minutes or until steaming stops and waffle is golden brown. Carefully remove waffle.
Serve with maple syrup. And bacon.

Spring Has Sprung...

...and it was snowing this morning. But we're not going to think about that! We're going to think about chocolate!

Chocolate Mousse, adapted from Alton Brown's Moo-Less Chocolate Pie recipe

• 2 cups dairy-free, semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup coffee
  
• 1 block silken tofu
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1 tablespoon honey

Heat water to simmering in the bottom of a double boiler. Melt the chocolate and coffee in the double boiler top. Stir in the vanilla.

Combine the tofu, chocolate mixture, and honey in a blender. Liquefy until smooth.

Pour into a serving bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the mousse is set.

When Irish Mouths Are Eating

Green outfits? Check.
Irish Soda Bread? Check.
New England Boiled Dinner? Check.
Gramma's Mustard Sauce? Now where is that recipe....

Mustard Sauce, adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook (an earlier edition than mine)

Mix together:
2 T. dry mustard
1 t. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/4 cup soymilk mixed from soymilk powder to the consistency of evaporated milk

Put the following in a heavy pan or a double boiler top:
3/4 cup soymilk mixed from soymilk powder to the consistency of evaporated milk
1/4 cup sugar
Heat. Stir in the mustard mixture. Add 1 egg yolk beaten until thick. Cook and stir until thick. Stir in 1/2 cup heated vinegar. Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Sweetheart Rolls

EDITED TO ADD: BOTH VARIETIES OF BISQUICK ARE DAIRY FREE. I PROMISE.

Sweetheart Rolls from Bisquick Breakfast & Brunch (2002)*
(for Not Your Aunt Bea)

4 1/2 cups Original Bisquick
1 1/3 cups soy milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract**
2 T. dairy-free margarine, softened
1 package (4-serving size) raspberry- or strawberry-flavored gelatin (not sugar-free)
Powdered Sugar Icing, if desired

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper or grease with shortening. Stir Bisquick, soy milk, and almond extract until soft dough forms. Place dough on surface generously dusted with Bisquick; gently roll in Bisquick to coat. Shape into ball; knead ten times.

Divide dough in half. Roll or pat each half into 12x7-inch rectangle. Spread 1 tablespoon of the margarine over each rectangle. Sprinkle half of the gelatin over each rectangle; spread evenly with back of spoon. Roll up each rectangle tightly, beginning at 12-inch side. Pinch edge of dough into roll and seal. Cut each roll into 12 one-inch slices. Place on cookie sheet. To make heart shape, pinch one side of slice to form a sharp point; make deep indentation in opposite side of dough with knife to make top of heart.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove rolls from cookie sheet to wire rack; spread Powdered Sugar Icing over warm rolls.
* I made half of a batch (12 rolls) which was more than enough for us.
** or vanilla

Powdered Sugar Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons soy milk or water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients until smooth and spreadable.




Image from advertisingcookbooks.com

If you can ever find a copy of Bisquick: Breakfast & brunch (Gold Medal Flour), buy it! There are a lot of cute recipe ideas in it.

I Owe It All to Fannie and the Doughboy

Per your request, here are my Valentine's Day/Presidents' Day sour cherry pie-making secrets:



1. Take your free labor children to Gramma's house several times during sour cherry season to pick cherries and to yell at the squirrels and birds to get away from your harvest.

2. Bring the cherries home and pit them immediately, before they turn brown. Wear old clothes; cherry juice stains like a like nobody's business.

3. Freeze the cherries.

4. In February, remove four cups of frozen cherries from your freezer to thaw.

5. Buy a package of Pillsbury piecrust at the store.

6. Follow the recipe for Sour Cherry Pie Filling in your Fannie Farmer cookbook.

7. Fill the bottom piecrust.

8. Place the top crust on the pie.

9. Crimp the edges, folding the top crust edge down toward the edge of the pie plate, not in toward the center.

10. Cut girlie heart designs in the top crust with a knife.

11. Bake the pie.

12. Remove the pie from the oven and immediately brush the crust with Fannie Farmer's sugar glaze, which makes it taste just like those lard-filled hand pies you used to buy at Lawson's.

13. Eat the pie.

Sugar Glaze for Piecrusts from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook: Anniversary

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 T. water

Mix the sugar with the water and brush it on a hot baked pie immediately after it is removed from the oven.

Tomorrow: How to turn Bisquick and Jell-O into sweet rolls! No, I'm not kidding!

Shuttemup Cookies

Thank you all so much for your travel suggestions. AAA! Consignment store toys! Genius.

We had a very busy weekend of Christmas Cantata and Christmas play and Christmas dinner. Scott and Katherine did their cantata and play parts very well, and I made the easiest chocolate chip cookies in the world to take to the Christmas dinner.

Shuttemup Cookies, adapted from The Compleat I Hate to Cook Book by Peg Bracken
She calls them "the fastest chocolate chip cookie," and she ain't lyin.

Cream together:
1 cup dairy-free margarine
1 cup light brown sugar

Then add:
2 cups flour
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

Mix it, press it into a 9"x13" rectangular pan, and bake it for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. (I use a rimmed cookie sheet.) Cut it into bars while it's still warm. "If you forget, just break it up when it's cool."

Autumn Eats

I made pumpkin puree on Monday, per The Pioneer Woman's instructions. So now I can make pumpkin bread. Then maybe I'll continue my autumn baking with a recipe from BeanPlate, like Nora Bee's Shoo-fly Pie. Mmmm....

Pumpkin Bread from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I usually omit this.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients. Stir in the nuts, if desired. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn the bread out of the pan and cool on a rack.

Edited to add: For muffins, bake the batter at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes in muffin tins.

Russian Hot Pot

For CAQuincy, here is Russian Hot Pot, which is not how the Mad Men guys refer to their secretaries ("She's a real Russian hot pot.") but is instead a simple one pot meal.

Russian Hot Pot

My mom clipped this recipe from a magazine (probably Woman's Day) years ago. It recommends serving the dish with bread and pickled beets, which I guess is where the "Russian" comes in.

2 cups beef bouillon or beef broth
1 pound thin-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 pound green cabbage, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 16-oz can whole tomatoes
1-1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey

Put the bouillon or broth in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and increase the heat to high. Add the cabbage and onion. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with your fingers. Add the meat, crumbling it up. Bring contents of the pot to a boil for about thirty seconds. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Serve in soup bowls.

The leftovers freeze well, or you can mistakenly leave them in the pot on the stove overnight and create a fruit fly breeding ground. Your choice.

Caramel Apple Cake

I haven't tried Maggie's Vegan Caramel Apples yet, but I did make Caramel Apple Cake last night. This is one of those back-of-the-box recipes from Bisquick, altered by me. I was going to photograph the cake, but, um, it's GONE.

1 1/2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup plain soy milk
2 medium cooking apples, peeled and sliced (2 cups)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt, to taste
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix Bisquick and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Stir in soy milk until blended.
Pour into ungreased square pan, either 9x9 or 8x8. Top with apples; sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon (and salt, if desired); sprinkle over apples. Pour boiling water over apples.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Caliente

Here is my salsa recipe, created from a combination of recipes I found online and my own personal salsa preferences. It meets these important requirements:

1. It is easy.
2. It used up all of the tomatoes Scott's coworker gave us.
3. It isn't very spicy, so the kids will eat it.
4. It isn't very chunky, so I will eat it.
5. It freezes well.

Nowheymama's Salsa

5 lbs. tomatoes, blanched and peeled
3 cups sweet onion, chopped
3-4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced (Seeding them makes them less "picy," as Eli says.)
3 teaspoons canning salt
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4-1/3 cup sugar

Place the tomatoes in a large pot, and either mash them with a potato masher or squeeze them with your hands until they are well... squished. Add the onion, peppers, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Begin with 1/4 cup sugar; you may need to add more depending on the sweetness of the tomatoes. Mix everything together, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for half an hour. Blend with an immersion blender (or blend batches in a regular blender) until it reaches the desired consistency. Cool, and then ladle into freezer containers.

Ratatouille

Hey, kids! This is just like what they eat in the movie! Now EAT YOUR VEGETABLES.

Ratatouille (adapted from the well-known cookbook, How I Feed My Family on $16 a Week, published in 1975)

1 small eggplant
4 small zucchini
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, cut into eighths
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Peel (optional) and cube eggplant and zucchini and cook for 10 minutes in boiling water. Drain. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and cook the onion until it is golden brown.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for about twenty minutes over low heat, until tender.

This recipe freezes well.

Is That a Cucumber in Your Pasta?

Why, yes. Yes it is. I recommend this salad for your next picnic because it:
1. Tastes like refrigerator pickles.
2. Can be made way ahead of time.
3. Makes a lot.
4. Can become a complete meal with the addition of shredded chicken.
5. Has no mayonnaise,
6. And therefore no food poisoning!
7. Is egg free!
8. Could be made gluten free with gluten-free pasta!
9. Uses up one of the cucumbers lurking in your fridge!

Cool Cucumber Pasta (adapted from my friend's mother-in-law's recipe)

16 oz. penne pasta
1 T. olive oil
1 medium cucumber, unpeeled and thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 T. prepared mustard
1 T. fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp. each salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Do not overcook. Drain and rinse in cold water. Place pasta in a large bowl. Stir in the oil, cucumbers, and onions. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the salad. Toss. Cover and chill for at least four hours--overnight is best. Stir occasionally.

Summer

"Spring turns to summer,
warm, beautiful summer,
and Sally sees the hay cut
in the fields.
She hears the cowbells
in the green pastures.
She smells wild roses.
She touches fat puppies,
and their fur is soft.
She tastes wild strawberries
warm in the sun."
--Tasha Tudor (1915-2008), First Delights: A Book About the Five Senses



Crisp Topping

1/3 cup dairy-free, salted margarine
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar

Cut ingredients together with a pastry cutter. Sprinkle on top of sweetened fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes.