Homeopathic Pear-Blackberry Pie for Successful Living

Preheat Oven to 425
Bake 10 Minutes
 Decrease heat to 350
Bake another 40 Minutes

 Combine:
 4 Sliced Pears
 a little box of blackberries
 1/2 c sugar
1/2 a lemon squeezed
 1/2 t rosewater
 1/4 t nutmeg
10 sprays rescue remedy
10 drops lavender chamomile
 1/2 t maple extract

 pour onto an unbaked pie crust

Sauerkraut

I've been wanting to try different fermentation methods, so I figured I should try making my own sauerkraut. Cabbage is cheap, and preparation is quick. First chop up your vegetables. I used 1 small head red cabbage 1 small head green cabbage 3 carrots 1 onion 1 head of garlic salt to taste combine all the chopped vegetables in a bowl and squeeze and knead with your hands until everything is pretty juicy. It takes a while. Mash your vegetables and juice into jars, making sure the juice covers the vegetables. Close up your jars and let them sit 2-5 day. Every so often you should open the jars to release the pressure that will build up during fermentation. Mold may appear on top-- simply skim it off. The vegetables beneath will still be good.

Cucumber Lemonade

I had this drink at Bubby's restaurant in Soho and I couldn't help but try and recreate it.

Puree together:

2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped coarsely
2 lemons
2 t sugar (or more to taste)
1/2 cup or more water or seltzer water depending on how thick you like it (I like mine bordering on sorbet consistency)

No Knead Bread

This is quite possibly my new favorite bread recipe. I've made it twice so far- once plain, and once with rosemary. It comes from Jim Lahey's cook book My Bread. This recipe is really easy, but is no good for anything on short notice, as you need to let it rise at least 14 hours.

Combine:

3 c brad flour
1 1/2 t salt (I've been adding a tiny bit more)
1/4 t yest

Add:
1 1/2 c cool water (between 55 and 65 degrees)

Stir together with your hands or a wooden spoon

The dough should be sticky- if it isn't, add a couple more tablespoons of water

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise 12-18 hours at room temperature, out of direct sunlight

After the first fermentation, dust a board with flour - scoop the dough out onto it

The dough will be loose and stick, but don't add more flour.

Form the dough into a circle

Dust a tea towel with cornmeal, bran, or flour and wrap th dough loosely inside of it

Allow to rise in a warm spot for 1-2 hours or until poking the dough leaves an impression- the dough will be almost doubled

Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 and place a covered 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 heavy pot inside- I have also split the dough into two sections and baked 2 loaves in smaller pans.

Open up the tea towel and dust the dough with more flour, bran, or cornmeal. Quickly place in the pot.
Cover and bake 30 minutes
Uncover and bake an aditional 15-30 minutes until the dough is dark, but not burnt.

Remove bread from its pot and let sit at least an hour while it sings before cutting or tearing.

Baked Latkes with Chunky Applesauce

Latkes are something that I absolutely adore. I had a sweet potato and two regular Idaho potatoes laying around as well as couple apples that were starting to look a little funky, and this was the result. I just wish I had a little dollop of sour cream to go with it.

Baked Latkes are exactly the same as the fried ones, so pick your own adventure

preheat oven to 450 degrees

grate:

4 potatoes
1 onion

squeeze out any extra liquid

1 egg
1 t salt
pepper
4 T flour

mix together with potatoes and onion
squeeze out any extra liquid

put a generous amount of oil in a baking sheet/pan with edges
make latkes into patties in the oil, flatten with a spatula

bake 10 minutes (or until bottoms are golden brown and crispy)
flip and bake another 10 minutes

for the apple sauce, just cut up some (I used 3) old apples, sprinkle a little bit of sugar on top (depending on the taste of the apple), and a squeeze of lemon if you so desire. add water up to about an inch up the pan. simmer until soft. drain excess liquid if it's there.

Dahl

This is my first try with dahl- I'm all about the cheap dried legumes nowadays- I think it turned out very nicely. I'm eating it atop jasmine rice with some kale and sriracha

Saute together:

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
oil

add:
1 c lentils
water to cover
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
2 t curry
1/4t cayenne
1/2 t grated ginger
1 t salt

boil for about 15 minutes or until lentils are soft, stirring often
add more water if necessary
adjust seasoning as needed

Roasted Squash (or pumpkin) Seeds

For me, nothing heralds in the autumn months like gourds. Tonight it was Indian Squash Soup (recipe to be posted soon) accompanied by these dandy seeds.


Bake 15 minutes at 275, stirring regularly

Clean pumpkin or squash seeds and place on cookie sheet

drizzle with oil

sprinkle with:
cumin
curry
salt
cayenne pepper

Coconut Curry Can't Be Beat

I'm rather infamous for putting curry in just about everything, it might be my favorite spice- but somehow, I've never gotten down and made a proper Coconut Curry. I don't mean to suggest that this one is in any way a proper curry- it wasn't really based off of any recipe, but it turned out pretty awesome. Can't go wrong.

Heat:
1 15 oz can coconut milk

Add:
about 2 or 3 Tablespoons curry, more or less, depending on desired heat
lots of salt to taste
soy sauce also to taste
1 red bell pepper chopped into large chunks
1 onion, also in large chunks
2 cloves garlic pressed, 3 cut into thinnish slices
a thumbs length ginger- half grated, half in quarter sized slices
2 medium potatoes
3 cardamom pods

Let boil all together until the potatoes are soft enough

Baked Artichokes

I am a huge fan of artichokes, and the grocery store near my house is having a sale on them (60 cents a piece!), and of course I couldn't resist. I leave on a road trip on Friday, so I'm getting a little rest, watching a little Dr Who, and eating artichokes dipped in garlic butter. Ahhhhhhh.

Bake for 1 hour at 425 degrees


Wash and trim as many artichokes as you'd like (cut all the pointy bits off, as well as the stem.

With your fingers, open the artichoke up a bit

drizzle into the artichoke:

olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Sprinkle with salt

wrap in aluminum foil and bake

dip in garlic butter, lemon, or mayonnaise

Nutmeg French Toast with Blackberry Jam and Cream Cheese

I have to say, that I feel a little bit stupid posting this recipe because, well, its so bloody easy. The thing is, its also so bloody good. Cream cheese and jam (blackberry in particular) are just too good together. Combined with the nutmeg in the french toast, it just gets crazy.

Slice up a small loaf of bread

Beat together:

2 eggs
3/4 c milk (or water)
1 pinch cinnamon
fresh ground nutmeg

Dip bread into mixture, remove, and let sit a while.

Fry on a greased pan until both sides are brown

Spread cream cheese and jam on the toast and serve hot

Dream Bean Tacos

There are a couple really tasty dishes that have become staples in my diet since getting laid off from my job a week or so ago. The relative cheapness of beans, onions, and soft taco shells, make this a winner. The avocado is something I splurge on when I can, because it really is the icing on the cake for this recipe.

Saute:
1/2 a large onion
3 cloves garlic
red pepper flakes
paprika
salt

Add and continue cooking:
1 (15 oz) can black beans
LOTS OF SALT

heat 4 soft taco shells in a frying pan with a little oil, until a little brown on both sides

mash up an avocado with ample salt (I'm a fan of salt)

divide beans and onions between tacos, add more hot sauce if you like. Top with avocado mash, cilantro and lots of lime juice.

Mango Sorbet

There is hardly anything more decadent than a bowl of mango sorbet. The grocery store was practically giving away near perfect mangos, and I couldn't resist. Bought 7 huge juicy babies for $2! Bless my soul! Anyways, this recipe is easy as pie, thought the mango puree did take forever to freeze. I ran it through the ice cream maker for about 40 minutes and it still wasn't frozen, so I ended up putting it in the freezer, stirring occasionally, until it reached the texture I wanted. So, you could probably do this with out an ice cream maker, which is nice.

Puree together:
5 or so very ripe mangos
1/3 c water
2 limes, juiced
a pinch of sea salt

run through an ice cream maker, or leave in freezer, stirring occasionally until frozen.

Spinach, Feta, Pesto and Carmelized Onions on Chickpea Patties

The original recipe that spawned these delicious babies was a lot different, but due to particular cravings/unwillingness to walk a block to the grocery store, I ended up creating a much more Mediterranean dish. I was really really pleased. According to the original recipe (from Super Natural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson), these are supposed to be served as a sandwich, with the Chickpea patties as the buns. I found that this was WAY too much for me to eat, so I ended up doing an open faced sort of dealio. Whatever works.
Oh, also, before I pureed all the chickpeas, I reserved about 1/4th cup to smoosh up by hand, so they would be chunkier


In a food processor, puree: a 15 oz can of garbanzo beans, chickpeas, whatever
2 eggs
about a Tablespoon finely chopped onions
1 T curry powder
salt to taste
red pepper flakes

stir in: 1 1/2 c rolled oats (I guess you could use breadcrumbs)

form patties in whatever size you like, and fry in some olive oil until both sides are nicely browned

meanwhile, caramelize an onion- I like to add a little salt and sugar with mine.

Top each patty with a little hummus, spinach, caramelized onions, feta, and balsamic vinegar

Strawberry, Lime, and Gin Sorbet

Now that strawberries are finally a decent price, I felt that I could hardly deny myself the pleasure of some strawberry sorbet. It turned out the craziest, most vibrant color I've ever seen. The original recipe called for a lot more sugar, but my berries were so sweet, that I didn't really need that much. Feel free, of course to ad more as your sweet tooth demands. Original recipe also called for vodka, which I'm sure would be great, but I've always loved the combination of gin and strawberries.


Puree: 2 lbs fresh strawberries, hulled
1/2 c water

stir in: 1/2 c sugar
2 limes, juiced
a pinch salt
3 T Gin

run through your ice cream maker 1/2 hour or as directed

picture to come soon!

Muffin Tin Deep-Dish Pizzas

I know I pretty much just posted a pizza recipe, but I am very much sold on this recipe, and might never make a real pizza again (thats a lie). Anyways, these are awesome, and really easy to do.



Bake for 12 minutes at 450 degrees. Makes 12



divide 1 lb pizza dough into 12 sections
roll out into circles and fit into a greased muffin tin

spread a little pesto and/or pasta sauce into each tin

sprinkle 1 T mozzarella cheese into each tin

add whatever toppings you like, I did my go-to saute of onions, bell peppers, garlic, and herbs.

Bake. Wait 2 minutes before removing from tins.

Quiche Lorraine

Quiche is great. Undeniably so. Its one of my all-time favorite comfort foods AND I WONT HEAR ANYTHING AGAINST IT.


375 degrees 35-40 minutes

Prepare and bake a pie shell brushed with egg white

Scald (to hasten cooking time)
2 c milk

Cool slightly, beat together with
3 whole eggs
¼ t salt
1/8 t white pepper
Fresh grating of nutmeg
1 t chopped chives

Sprinkle the bottom of pie shell with
½ c diced Swiss cheese
Pour custard mixture over it

Pesto Pizza with Roasted Garlic on Naan Bread

I was in a bit of a hurry making these, and didn't really want to bother with pizza dough, so I got a package of naan from market and went to town. I think it turned out pretty awesomely. I view pesto in a way that is nigh unto religious, so I don't think I really could have gone wrong here. I didn't use any sort of recipe for the pesto, so you'll have to do some estimating. TASTE TEST!

Bake pizzafor 10 minutes (or until cheese is melted and a little browned) at 350 degrees

Pesto:

2 bunches of fresh basil
parmesan cheese, grated
pressed garlic
salt
olive oil

blend together until a fine paste is formed
if you have pine nuts, by all means add them!

Roasted Garlic:

Cut 2 whole heads garlic in half
brush center with olive oil
sprinkle on salt, pepper, oregano
bake for a half hour at 425 degrees

Topping:

bell peppers
pressed garlic
onions, chopped
oregano
basil
salt
pepper
- saute all until a little carmelized

spread a little basil on each piece of naan
top with mozzarella
sprinkle on bell pepper mixture
top with roasted garlic and a little more cheese

Dulce de Leche Brownies

These brownies are pretty fantastic. I might try it with my usual brownie recipe (should be somewhere on this blog) and revisit this post with an update as to how that worked out. I'm feeling like you could pretty much marble dulce de leche into any brownie recipe and it would work out pretty well. The best thing about these brownies (besides the dulce de leche) is definitely the texture; they have the perfect moist, chewy, and rich threesome going on (ok, rich is not a texture). Anyways, here it is:


Bake at 350 degrees- 35-45 minutes



Melt: 8 T Butter
3/4 c semisweet chocolate chips

whisk in: 1/4 c cocoa

stir in 1 at 3 eggs
a time:

1 c sugar
stir in: 1 t vanilla
1 c flour

pour half the batter into an 8x8 pyrex dish
marble in (by stirring lightly with a knife): 1/3 c dulce de leche

pour in remaining batter and marble in: 2/3 c dulce de leche

Bake

Magic-Delicious Vegan Chocolate Cake (Magic)

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
Makes 3 8" layers

2 1/2 c flour
2 c sugar
combine 3/4 c- 1 c cocoa
2 t soda
1 t salt

2 c warm almond milk (or water or really any milk at all)
2 t vanilla
beat in: 2/3 c vegetable oil
2 t apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)


Bake

Frosting:

2 c sugar
whisk in saucepan: 2/4 c corn starch
1/2 c cocoa

whisk in: 2 c almond milk (or water, or any milk)

heat until boiling
boil 1-2 minutes or until
frosting-ish texture is achieved

remove from heat and add: 1/4 c vegetable oil
1 t vanilla

Curried Potatoes

chop and boil in salt water until soft: 5 medium potatoes

2 cinnamon sticks
combine and crush: 2 cloves
1 t fennel

add and saute: 2 onions, chopped
as much curry as desired

add and saute: 3 t crushed garlic
3 t grated ginger

1 t turmeric
3 t red chili pepper
add: salt and pepper to taste
coriander

separately, saute: 1 1/2 c chopped cabbage
curry
soy sauce
combine potatoes, onions, and cabbage

add water until desired consistency is reached