I once read that the average household rotates between about 11
basic entree recipes. Here are the staples of my cooking
repertoire. I'm not a chef, so I mostly take things from cookbooks and
online recipe sites (see Sources). Though I do modify things,
and those suggestions are listed. Since I was vegan for the formative
years of my adult cooking life (2002−2009), I have a large compilation
of vegan recipes. Wherever there's a non-vegan ingredient listed, I
substitute the most logical vegan product. When I became vegan, the
most important thing for me (with respect to cooking) was to produce
wonderful desserts, because I disliked when anybody categorically
dismissed vegan foods, especially desserts. I went out of my way to
prove how good vegan cooking could be, and I elected to pitch that
battle over desserts. It was fairly easy, because fat and sugar are
always tasty, right?
DISCLAIMER: These are hand-typed recipes. Use your common
sense if something seems amiss (e.g., if it says add 1 Tbsp salt,
presume it really means 1 tsp).
On-line recipes
Go Google. I've tried to refer to the website of the on-line recipes
as I found them, though with the ephemeral nature of some websites...
Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon, 2002
(ISBN-13: 978-1-56305-711-3)
This is the Joy of Cooking for vegetarians. It has a wide
variety of recipes with a range of preparation time. She's honest
when a dish cannot be made vegan, which I appreciate. Just beware
that some recipes take a long, long time and may serve up to 12
people. Just look into that in advance.
Plenty—Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi, 2010 (ISBN: 978-1-4521-0214-8)
This is a wonderful and fancy cookbook. The author is not a vegetarian but knows that some good recipes just happen to be vegetarian. So he nicely puts them in a book. And sometimes recommends the meat dish to go with them.
Vegetarian Express by Nava Atlas and Lillian Kayte, 1995
(ISBN: 0-316-05740-1)
This was my first vegetarian cookbook. It's very simple and lays out
the meal ideas with each recipe.
The Art of Tofu by Akasha Richmond, 1997 If nothing
else, read up on Mori-Nu aseptic/sealed tofu and the art of freezing
tofu in the preface. This is generally a complicated cookbook, but
there are a few true gems of culinary art. (Though I'm not a fan of
the low-fat bent; I usually ignore the "lite" stuff.) It's also an
architecturally smart book, since it lays flat.
Swedish Cakes and Cookies (eller
Sju Sorters Kakor: Seven Kinds of Cookies), translated by
Melody Favish, 2008 (ISBN: 978-1-60239-262-5) Swede's have a bit
of a sweet tooth. And they love their "fika," which is the coffee
and dessert you have with guests, like a tea time... but with
coffee. Supposedly, you're suppose to have seven kinds of dessert
for fika. And this is the book to help you with that.
Joy of Cooking by I. S. Rombauer, M. R. Becker, and
E. Becker, 1997
No one can escape this cookbook. It's too comprehensive.
FROM: Joy of Cooking by I. S. Rombauer, M. R. Becker, and
E. Becker, 1997, p. 775
INGREDIENTS
This bread lasts for 2-3 days.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the
oven to 400°F. Grease an 8.5 x 4.5 inch (6-cup) loaf
pan.
Whisk together thoroughly in a large bowl:
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add:
1 and 1/2 cups light or dark beer (but not stout), cold or
at room temperature but not flat
PREPARATION
Fold just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the
batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick
inserted in the center and all the way to the bottom of the pan
comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack
for 5 to 10 minutes before un-molding to cool completely on the
rack.
NOTES: SERVES 4 Did you now that the so-called baby carrots
that are labeled as cut are not babies at all? They are actually cut
from larger carrots into baby shapes. If you can get real babies, do
so. They have a milder, sweeter flavor and get tender more
quickly. But this recipe is very good either way.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds baby carrots
1-1/12 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons butter
Ground cinnamon
PREPARATION
Place carrots and water in a large skillet. Add salt and
pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to
medium-low; cover and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes
depending on size and age. Remove the lid and add the sugar,
orange juice and butter. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Cook over
high heat until most of the moisture has evaporated and the
carrots are lightly glazed. Taste for seasoning.
Place flour, cane sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt
in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Add Baking Blend and canola oil and mix with a fork until just
blended. Don't over mix or dough will be tough. Form dough into a
ball and refrigerate.
Note: To make individual biscuits, roll or pat dough to 1/2
inch thick. Cut with a 2 or 2&1/2-inch round cookie cutters. Place
on a baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake in
preheated 425°F oven for about 12 minutes or until light brown.
KATHY-NOTES: This biscuit recipe is specified for a deep dish
pot pie on the same page. These are awesome biscuits! I don't roll
them out so much as plop misshapen wads on the cookie sheet. Great
with honey and butter. The Mori-Nu Baking Blend is (p. 14): 1 package
Mori-Nu Tofu (extra firm); 1 cup water; and 2 tablespoons lemon
juice or white vinegar blended. Store in a covered container. Keeps
for one week. (1 cup baking blend = 1 cup liquid ingredients.)
2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce, or more or less to taste
1 tablespoon honey or rice syrup
1 teaspoon honey or rice syrup
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon rice vinegar or white-wine vinegar
2 to 3 scallions, sliced
PREPARATION
Begin cooking the noodles.
Whisk the remaining ingredients, except the scallions,
together in a bowl.
When the noodles are done, drain and transfer them to a large
serving container. Drizzle the sauce over them, then quickly toss
together.
Scatter the sliced scallions over the top.
Note: Soba (also known as buckwheat noodles) and
udon are delicious whole-grain noodles that are readily available
in natural food stores. If you're in a pinch, use regular
spaghetti or linguine; the results will be good, though not quite
as interesting.
KATHY-NOTES: Great, simple side or entree. I would recommend adding
steamed edamame or broccoli.
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar, or more or less to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon thick, plain low-fat yogurt
1 small fennel bulb (1/2 pound), quartered, cored, and sliced
crosswise very thinly
1 tablespoons finely chopped fennel leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
PREPARATION
Cook the lima beans in a small amount of salted water for 5
minutes. Plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking process,
drain, and transfer to a salad bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the shallot, vinegar, and salt. Whisk
in the vegetable oil, sesame oil, and yogurt. Pour over the lima beans.
Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently. Taste and add
more salt if desired.
KATHY-NOTES
Salad of Limas, Green Beans, and Chickpeas with Lemon and Parsley (vegan)
1/2 pound green beans, stem ends
snipped, sliced into 2-inch pieces
1 package (10 ounces) frozen baby lima beans, thawed (or the
equivalent if you are fortunate enough to find them, of fresh, raw
limas)
2 carrots, well scrubbed, sliced into diagonal circles
1 can (15 ounces; 1.75 cups cooked) chickpeas, well drained
2 ribs celery, diced
1/2 large red onion, sliced in half and
then crosswise, pulled into paper-thin slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 to 2 lemons, halved
1/3 to 1/2 cup
finely chopped Italian parsley
1 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
PREPARATION
Bring 1.5 inches of water to a boil in a pot over medium
heat. Places a steaming basket over the boiling water and add the
green beans. Cover and steam until the beans are still crisp-tender
with a little bite, but have lost all rawness ("just long enough
to take the fuzz off them," as an old friend used to say). If the
beans are slim and tender, this should be 3 to 4 minutes; fatter
beans, which are no less delicious in this salad, can take 10 to
12 minutes. Remove the steamer from the pot, reserving the
steaming water. Rinse the green beans under cold water, drain
well, and transfer to a bowl.
Repeat the same process with the limas over the same water,
steaming for about 10 minutes. Once they're cooked, rinsed with
cold water, and drained, combine with the green beans.
Repeat the same process with the carrots, again using the same
steaming water, steaming for 1 minute. Rinse, drain, and add to
the beans in the bowl.
Leaving the cover off of the steaming pot, remove the steamer,
and raise the heat to a hard boil. Cook to reduce the steaming
liquid to 1 tablespoon or less, 6 to 8 minutes. Watch closely so
you don't scorch the liquid.
While the steaming liquid is reducing, add the chickpeas,
celery, and red onion to the bean mixture, along with salt and
pepper to taste (be sure to add enough salt; beans require it to
come up to full flavor). Squeeze the first lemon into the salad
through a strainer (to catch seeds); if it's not very juicy,
squeeze the juice of the second lemon. Stir in the minced parsley
and the oil (much, much more oil is traditionally in these sorts
of salads than is called for here, but I don't feel that it is
necessary for a full-flavored, pleasing salad). Add the reduced
steaming liquid and stir to blend.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours; overnight is better. Before
serving, bring to room temperature, taste, and, if necessary,
re-season. (If you didn't already use it, you might need that
second lemon now.) Serve as a first-course salad as port of a
Middle Eastern-style feast of small dishes, or as one element in a
component dinner.
KATHY-NOTES: The raw red onion becomes much milder when it's all
steeped together for several hours (and it does become much less
lemon-y). I think this was a good protein to serve with a
hearty potato leek soup.
Oven temp: 250°C (450°F)
or, if convection 225°C (425°F)
Melt the margarine in a saucepan. Add the milk and heat until
lukewarm, around 37°C (100°F). If using active dry yeast,
heat to 45°C (115°F).
Crumble the yeast in a large bowl and add some of the milk
mixture, stirring until dissolved. Add the remaining liquid, salt,
sugar, cottage cheese and around 2/3 of the
flour, mixing to combine.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. The dough is ready
when it no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle a
little flour over the dough so that it doesn't dry out. Cover with
a cloth and set in a warm, draft-free place. Let rise until
doubled.
Punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured
surface. Knead in the remaining flour. Roll into balls. Place on
greased or parchment-lined baking sheets.
Cover and let rise until doubled. Brush with milk mixed with
sugar or beaten eg. bake on the center oven rack for 8−10
minutes.
KATHY-NOTES: I use Greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese. If
using cottage cheese, blend. Ricotta might also work. I want to try
poi (pounded taro root). These freeze well, after completely
cooled. Defrost via 30 seconds in the microwave or a few hours in a
container (good for packed lunches).
Greek Eggplant Dip
FROM: Nick
Konidaris who made the dish for me when I stayed with him while
looking for housing in Santa Cruz, before I started grad
school. This dip has a flavor profile like tabbouleh. I
recreated the recipe as best I remember but amounts are
fuzzy. Everything is "to taste."
INGREDIENTS
3−5 eggplants
bunch of parsley (pref. curly)
tomatoes (pref. cherry)
cucumber
small red onion (optional)
lemon juice (pref. fresh)
olive oil
salt & pepper
fresh pita or pita chips for serving
PREPARATION
Heat oven to 350°F−400°F. Pierce eggplant and
roast on a sheet pan until well cooked (like oozing).
Coarsely chop parsley, cucumber, and tomato (halving cherry tomatoes
works). Finely chop red onion, if using.
When eggplants are done and handle-able, peel
skin. (Optionally discard seeds.) Coarsely chop and mix with
vegetables. Stir well.
Season to taste with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
(I think it needs a lot of salt).
Chill and serve with pita and/or pita chips.
KATHY-NOTES: It's all "Kathy-notes"! Anyway, it keeps
for a few days.
optional: chick peas, green beans, broccoli, asparagus,
mushrooms, cherry tomatoes
PREPARATION
Sauté 2 Tbsp finely chopped onion or shallots until
translucent in 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Add 1.5 cups dry Arborio rice and sauté 1-2 minutes until
grains are opaque and pearl-like
This next step will take 20-25 minutes. Add 5 cups hot broth,
½ cup at a time, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and
waiting until the broth is absorbed before adding more. Continue
adding broth 1/2 cup at a time until the rice is cooked but still al
dente, or firm to the bite. (Some of the broth may not be needed.)
Take care that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the
pan.
Serving suggestion: At last broth addition, add 1/4 cup cream
and 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. To cooked risotto, add 2 cups
blanched spring vegetables such as asparagus tips, baby peas,
green beans, sugar snap peas, or broccoli and 1 Tbsp fresh
parsley
KATHY-NOTES: add nutritional yeast for a nutty, cheesy taste (and to
be vegany!)
Boil one can of coconut milk with curry paste, salt, brown
sugar and bullion.
Add 2nd can with vegetables that need more cooking (carrots,
bell peppers, baby corn) and let simmer until half cooked.
Add remaining vegetables and cook until done.
Stir in basil.
KATHY-NOTES: Best if add just dry bullion or bullion paste
equivalent to that for 4 oz. This keeps a very creamy curry. Also,
to this end, minimize ingredients. I usually add only snap peas/snow
peas/green beans, bell pepper, water chestnuts, and tofu. (Pat the
tofu dry as best as possible.) Also, if you're a vegan/non-vegan
couple, this is a good recipe to divide into two pots, since it's
two cans of coconut milk. Then the non-vegan can add fish sauce
instead of salt (like a 1 Tbsp.)
Tabasco or similar hot sauce, or cayenne (optional)
PREPARATION
In a large nonstick soup pot, or one that has been sprayed
with cooking spray, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the
onion and cumin and sauté, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until
the onion has softened somewhat. Add the poblano and sauté for 3
minutes more. Add the stock and salt if the stock is unsalted (1
teaspoon, or to taste), and bring to a boil.
Drop in the potatoes, carrots, and quinoa. Let the stock
return to a boil, stir well, then turn the heat down to a
simmer. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 10
minutes. Lift the lid and drop in the corn. Cover and cook for 5
minutes more.
Turn off the heat. Pour in the milk, stir once, and let stand,
covered, for 5 minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with parsley and
cilantro. If you like, pass the grated cheese, sour half-and-half,
and hot sauce at the table, allowing guests to modify their own
dish.
1 cup hearty, full-bodied, tannic red wine such as Cabernet,
Barolo, or Barbaresco
1 cup canned diced tomato in tomato purée
1 tablespoon umeboshi plum vinegar (see page 118)
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon Dragon Salt (page 900)
A major grinding of black pepper---1/2 to 1 teaspoon or so
8 to 10 cloves garlic, quartered or thickly sliced
6 to 8 dried shiitake mushrooms, broken roughly into quarters
1 package (8 ounces) "traditional-style" dark seitan, well
drained, diced into beef-stew-size squares, 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches
4 small potatoes, scrubbed, peel on, cut into large pieces
2 carrots, scrubbed, peel on, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds
1 parsnip, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups green beans, stemmed and sliced into 2- to 3-inch pieces
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise into
1/2-inch pieces
Minced Italian parsley (optional)
PREPARATION
If using a conventional Dutch oven, spray it with cooking
spray, but you will have better results with a nonstick one. Heat
the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and
sauté until it starts to brown but is still a little crisp, about
6 minutes.
Sprinkle the onion with the flour and, lowering the heat to
medium, continue to sauté for 4 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup of the
stock, stirring to blend it into the flour. When the liquid is
free of any flour lumps, add a little more stock. When it is well
incorporated, add the remaining stock, stirring. Add the nutritional
yeast, stirring as the flakes dissolve. Add the tamari, wine,
tomatoes, umeboshi plum vinegar, honey, Dragon Salt, and
pepper. Stir in the garlic and bring the mixture to a
boil. Immediately lower the heat to a simmer.
Drop in the shiitakes along with the seitan, potatoes,
carrots, parsnip, and green beans. Lower the heat slightly. Cover
and cook, stirring every so often, at a bare simmer until the
potatoes are nearly done, about 35 minutes. Uncover and add the
zucchini. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender but still
holding their shape, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot, with a
sprinkle of parsley, if desired.
KATHY-NOTES: The Dragon Salt is awesome so here's the recipe for a
whole large batch. Combine 1/2 cup salt (preferably sea salt); 1/2
cup medium-coarsely ground fresh black pepper; 1/4 cup ground
cayenne; 1/4 cup dried dill-weed; 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian
paprika; 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves; and 1 tablespoon celery
seeds. Stand back as you toss the mixture. Transfer to a jar with a
tight-fitting lid. This keeps indefinitely, though it begins to lose
potency after a year or so.
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, washed, stemmed (save stems) and diced
small
1 teaspoon olive oil (mushroom infused would be best)
2 shallots, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, vegetarian style
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
2 cups water (for sauce)
1 tablespoon vegetable broth powder
1 pkg Mori-Nu Lite Tofu (firm) (1 and 1/2 cups puréed)
3 tablespoons white miso
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
Canola oil cooking spray
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water
to a boil and cook macaroni according to directions on the package
for al dente. Drain and rinse macaroni. In a heavy sauté pan,
cook mushrooms with olive oil, shallots, sherry, Worcestershire
sauce and soy sauce. Cook for 5-6 minutes and add to macaroni.
In a small sauce pan, boil the 2 cups of water with mushroom
stems and broth powder. Simmer for about 8 minutes, drain stems
and reserve water. In the container of a blender, combine the
reserved water, tofu, miso, tahini, salt and pepper. lend
well. Add to noodles and mushrooms. Coat a 9" or 10" round
casserole dish with cooking spray, fill with macaroni
mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 20-25 minutes or
until heated through and the curbs are golden.
KATHY-NOTES: Err strongly on the side of al dente (to barely
done) pasta. Try adding less water because it comes out sort of
liquidy. I put the mushroom stems (boiled in the broth) in the
purée mixture.
About 2 tablespoons red wine (great use of that bottle that's
bean lying around)
3 to 5 cloves garlic, pressed
Vegetable bullion cube or powder, equivalent to 1 cup (but
don't add the water)
1 part Cayenne pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon)
2 parts red pepper flakes< (about 1 teaspoon)
3 parts chili powder (about 1/2 tablespoon)
About 1/2 tablespoon honey (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cheese (vegan or real; optional)
PREPARATION
Sauté onion and bell pepper until soft.
Heat beans with all other ingredients.
Add sauté mixture.
Heat until everything warm and well mixed.
KATHY-NOTES: It's hard to write up a self-made recipe. Here are
my notes as I think of them: (i) add the spicy ingredients to taste;
(ii) Bush's black beans work the best, for some reason, but I'm
persisting in testing the organic options; and (iii) this is one
recipe where vegan cheese works great, because I prefer to turn this
into more of thick mixture and eat it with tortillas or chips. I
sometimes add finely diced hickory or savory baked tofu.
2 cups whole mung beans (green gram if you buy them at an
Indian market), picked over and rinsed
6 cups water, preferably spring or filtered
1.5 tablespoons ghee (see page 486), or mild vegetable oil
1 small red chile, such as a ripe serrano, halved (if no small
fresh chiles are available, us a dried red one)
1 tablespoons brown or black mustard seeds
6 to 8 green chiles, such as serranos, split as described in
the headnote ("To split the chiles, cut them from tip to stem, but
do not cut through the stem, so the chile still holds together.")
1.75 tablespoons reconstituted tamarind paste (see page 90)
1.25 teaspoons turmeric
0.5 cup dried, unsweetened coconut shreds
Plenty of salt to taste
Chopped cilantro (optional)
PREPARATION
Combine the mung beans and water in a medium saucepan over
high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a
simmer. Simmer, half-covered, until the beans are very soft and
mushy, about 1.25 hours. Remove from the heat and set aside.
About 15 minutes before the beans are ready, heat the ghee in
a small skillet over high heat. When it is sizzling hot, add the
red chile and mustard seeds. When the seeds start to pop and the
chile darkens, add the green chiles, tamarind paste, and
turmeric. Lower the heat slightly and cook, stirring, for 3
minutes. Add the mixture to the cooked mung beans, along with the
coconut and salt to taste−it'll need a lot. Return the bean
mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the
flavors are well blended, 20 to 30 minutes more. Serve hot, with
an optional sprinkle of cilantro, if desired.
KATHY-NOTES: This really needs a lot of salt. It's great with coconut
rice (because it is sweet to mitigate the heat and goes with the
coconut flavoring) and garlic naan. Don't be afraid of the numerous
chiles. The heat gets pretty evenly distributed, but is a good idea
to mostly remove the seeds. Serve with naan and rice.
Southern Tofu Fricassee with Mashed Potatoes (vegan)
2 pkgs Mori-Nu Lite Tofu (extra firm), cut into 1'' cubes
(Freeze & Thaw Method, pg. 13)
1/2 cup organic unbleached flour, mixed with 1/2 teaspoon
salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon
dried thyme
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
1 stalk celery, sliced into 1/4 slices
1 carrot peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold water
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable broth powder
3 tablespoons quick cooking flour
Mashed Potatoes:
8 cups peeled and quartered white rose or Yellow Finn
potatoes
1 cup puréed Mori-Nu Lite Tofu (firm)
1/2 cup vegetable stock or potato cooking water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or a flavor infused
olive oil)
PREPARATION
Pat defrosted tofu with paper towels to dry out
moisture. Place flour mixture in a paper bag and add tofu
pieces. Shake gently to coat tofu and remove piece by piece while
shaking off excess flour. Brown tofu over medium heat in a heavy
skillet with 1 teaspoon of the canola oil. Remove pieces and
reserve while you make the stew.
Sauté onion in remaining teaspoon canola oil for 5
minutes. Add celery, carrots, garlic, water and salt. Bring to
boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix
the cold water, soy sauce, broth powder and quick cooking
flour. Whisk into the stew mixture and let simmer for another
2−3 minutes stirring constantly. Add tofu cubes and heat
through. Serve with mashed potatoes.
Prepare mashed potatoes:
Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add
salt, bring to a boil and cook covered for 30−40
minutes. When they are very soft and tender, drain well
reserving some of the cooking water.
Put potatoes through a food mill or mash with electric
beaters or a hand masher. Add puréed tofu, vegetable
stock or water, salt, pepper and olive oil. Keep warm or cover
until serving.
[Mashed potatoes should be served at once, but if you need to
make them ahead of time, they can be kept warm by placing the pan
in a larger pot of hot water. They can also be reheated in the
microwave. The puréed tofu replaces the milk, cream and fat
used in traditional mashed potatoes. Look for Yellow Fin potatoes
in gourmet supermarkets.]
KATHY-NOTES: The ``Freeze & Thaw Method'' is to cut the tofu
into the shapes you want (or just rectangular blocs, to be most
versatile), dry them as best as possible, lay them without them
touching on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and place in freezer
for a few hours or more. You can layer tofu slabs on the same plate
with a plastic wrap layer between them. I would recommend
using regular, water-packed firm tofu instead of Mori-Nu, because
the latter breaks up too easily.
When you want to use the frozen tofu, either plan ahead and leave
out to defrost or defrost in the microwave. Squeeze out all
remaining water from the defrosted, formerly-frozen tofu. The tofu
will have a new, meat-like texture (which is the point). It will
also suck up liquid like a sponge, which makes it dangerous to use
with very liquidy sauces, since the sauce will disappear and the
tofu will be super-infused.
0.5 cup parsley (leaves and fine stalks), finely chopped
0.75 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
0.25 tsp ground turmeric
0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
0.5 tsp salt
1 egg white
0.75 cup plus 1 tbsp self-rising flour (see page 28)
Note: To make self-rising flour, combine 1 cup flour, 1.25
tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
4.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
PREPARATION
To make the sauce, blitz all the ingredients together in a
food processor until a uniform green. Set aside for later.
Cut the leeks into scant 1-inch-thick slices; rinse and drain
dry. Sauté the leeks and shallots in a pan with half the oil on
medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until soft. Transfer to a
large bowl and add the chile, parsley, spices, sugar and
salt. Allow to cool down.
Whisk the egg white to soft peaks and fold it into the
vegetables. In another bowl mix together the flour, baking powder,
whole egg, milk and butter to form a batter. Gently mix it into
the egg white and vegetable mixture.
Put 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in a large frying pan
and place over a medium heat. Spoon about half of the vegetable
mixture into the pan to make four large fritters. Fry the for 2 to
3 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp. Remove to paper
towels and keep warm. Continue making the fritters, adding more
oil as needed. You should end up with about eight large
fritters. Serve warm, with the sauce on the side or drizzled
over.
KATHY-NOTES: Patrik hates cilantro so we've made the sauce
without the cilantro and with extra parsley or with a bit of
arugula. We've also baked them at 350°F for about 20 minutes a
side, until nice and crisp. These fritters are very rich, so the
baking helps cut that feeling down and the longer baking time makes
them more cooked through.
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley leaves
1/3 cup crisp breadcrumbs
Cooking spray
Tahini dressing
Tahini
1 to 3 crush garlic cloves
1 to 3 Tbsp lemon juice
Water until desired consistency
Salt and pepper to taste
PREPARATION
Soak the bulgur or cracked wheat. If using bulgur, simply
warm the water, pour it over the bulgur, and let soak for 20
minutes. For cracked wheat, a coarse whole grain, bring the water
to a boil, stir in the cracked wheat, and let soak for 1 hour (or
even overnight). Most or all of the water will be absorbed; drain
off any water that is left.
Place half of the chickpeas in a medium bowl and mash slightly
with a potato-masher or your knuckles; they should still have
texture. Add the soaked bulgur or cracked wheat.
Place the other half of the chickpeas in a food processor with
the garlic, egg, salt, cumin, pepper, turmeric, coriander, and
cayenne. Process until smooth, pausing several times to scrape
down the sides of the bowl. Add the parsley and breadcrumbs and
pulse/chop a few times.
Combine the processor mixture with the mashed chickpeas in the
bowl. Taste, and season the mixture to your liking, amping up any
of the spices, salt, or pepper. Refrigerate the mixture for 30
minutes, or as long as overnight, so it can firm up.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove the falafel mix from the fridge, and shape it into
flattened disks, 20 to 25 small ones or 8 to 12 larger ones. Place
them on a nonstick baking sheet, or one that has been well
sprayed with cooking spray, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from
the oven, flip the cakes, and bake for 5 minutes on the other
side, or until golden brown.
Serve with a drizzle of Tahini Dressing, a good scoop of
Kibbutz Salad, and some shredded romain lettuce, all tucked into a
toasted whole wheat pita bread or mini pita.
KATHY-NOTES: Use egg replacer instead of egg to make this
vegan. The Tahini Dressing recipe is my own. We actually prefer to
eat the falafel in wraps (tortilla or lavash), because pitas fall
apart too easily. Also, we include cucumber, tomato, Sriracha, and French
fries.
3 medium heads of garlic cloves separated and peeled
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp basalmic vinegar
1 cup water
0.75 tbsp sugar
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1 tsp chopped thyme, plus a few whole sprigs to finish
salt
4.5 oz soft, creamy goat cheese (such as chévre)
4.5 oz hard, mature goat cheese (such as goat gouda)
2 eggs
6.5 tbsp heavy cream
6.5 tbsp créme fraiche
black pepper
PREPARATION
Have ready a shallow, loose-bottomed, 11-inch fluted tart
pan. Roll out the puff pastry into a circle that will line the
bottom an sides of the pan, plus a little extra. Line the pan with
the pastry. Place a large circle of waxed paper on the bottom and
fill up with pie weights or dried beans. Leave to rest in the
fridge for about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the tart shell in the
oven and blind bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and paper,
then bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until the pastry is
golden. Set aside. Leave the oven on.
While the tart shell is baking, make the caramelized
garlic. Put the cloves in a small saucepan and cover with plenty
of water. Bring to a simmer and blanch for 3 minutes, then drain
well. Dry the saucepan, return the cloves to it and add the olive
oil. Fry the garlic cloves on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the
basalmic vinegar and water and bring to the boil, then simmer
gently for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, rosemary chopped thyme and
0.25 teaspoon salt. Continue simmering on a medium flame for 10
minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the garlic
cloves are coated in a dark caramel syrup. Set aside.
To assemble the tart, break both types of goat cheese into
pieces and scatter in the tart shell. Spoon the garlic cloves and
syrup evenly over the cheese. In a jug whisk together the eggs,
cream, créme fraiche, 0.5 teaspoon salt and some black
pepper. Pour this custard over the tart filling to fill the gaps,
making sure that you can still see the garlic and cheese over the
surface.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and place the tart
inside. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the tart filling has
set and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to
cool a little. Then take out of pan, trim the pastry edge if
needed, lay a few sprigs of thyme on top and serve warm (it
reheats well!) with a crisp salad.
1 recipe Red Sauce Fiori (page 932. [Reproduced below.])
1/4 cup olive oil
Cooking spray (optional)
1 large onion, chopped
1 to 4 medium cloves garlic, pressed
1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes in juice
1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon honey, or to taste
1 bay leaf, broken in half
1 to 2 teaspoons dried basil
1 to 2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 1/4 dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 ounces (3/4 cup) shredded Parmesan
3 ounces (3/4 cup) shredded mozzarella
3 ounces (3/4 cup) shredded provolone
1 to 3 cups vegetables (optional; see variations. [Not
reproduced here, but add any vegetables after the first layer of
ricotta filling.])
PREPARATION
Combine the ricotta, garlic, parsly, nutmeg, and salt and
pepper in a medium bowl. Add the eggs and stir well to
combine. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a good fast boil over
high heat. Add the lasagna noodles and boil, stirring every now
and then, until the noodles are pliable but not
cooked&emdash;almost but not quite to the al dente stage; they
would be decidedly hard at the center if you bit one. This should
take 6 to 9 minutes, but do check on them. Drain the noodles well,
and rinse under cold running water.
If you plan on cooking the lasagna immediately, preheat the
oven to 350°F.
Spray a 10-by-12-inch baking dish (or two smaller ones) with
cooking spray.
Assemble the ricotta filling, noodles, sauce, cheeses, and
vegetables, if using, on the counter. Layer the ingredients into
the prepared baking dish(es) as follows: a little sauce, a layer
of pasta, about half the ricotta filling dolloped out then loosely
spread (this is not a neat or precise process), a sprinkle of the
Parmesan, mozzarella, and provolone cheeses, then more sauce,
repeat, using everything except about 2/3
cup of the cheeses. End with a layer of pasta, then sauce.
Cover the lasagna tightly. (If baking in a metal pan with no
lid, cover it first with waxed paper, then aluminum foil, to
prevent the foil from being in direct contact with the dish; if
using a glass or enamel-clad baker, waxed paper is not needed.)
Bake for 55 minutes, then uncover and sprinkle with the reserved
cheese. Raise the oven temperature to 375°F and bake until
the lasagna is bubbling hot and the cheese is nice and melty,
another 15 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for
10 minutes or so before cutting. (If freezing for later use, see
page 370. [Not reproduced here.])
Basic Wintertime Italian Tomato Sauce [Red Fiori instructions below]:
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet, or a
cast-iron skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray, over
medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 to 7
minutes, until limp and translucent and just starting to brown
around the edges. Stir in the garlic, cook 1 minute more, taking
care not to let it stick, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste,
and honey. Turn down the heat to a low simmer.
Add the bay leaf, then add the basil, oregano, rosemary, and
thyme, crushing each between your fingers to release essential
oils. Add pepper at this point&emdash;plenty. Raise heat to
almost a boil, turn it down to a simmer, and cook the sauce for
about 20 minutes, until thick.
At this point, taste for acidity, saltiness, and herb
flavors. If too acid, add a little more honey. The sauce
probably needs some salt now, but maybe not too much, given that
canned tomatoes are salted and that such sauces are often
incorporated into dishes that include cheese. If it's not herbal
enough for you, add additional pinches of herbs (in this case
you'll need to let the sauce stand for at least half an hour,
longer if possible, to let the herbal flavors develop).
Use the larger amount of oil, and sauce 1 diced carrot and 1
stalk celery with the onion. With the tomatoes, add
1/4 cup raisins. With the herbs, add 1 to
2 teaspoons anise seed and 1/2 teaspoon
red pepper flakes.
KATHY-NOTES:.Lasagna noodles should be undercooked by half to
one-third. I wrote, "be bold, cook less" in the margin of my
cookbook. I end up with three layers of noodles, which require about
11 noodles for my casserole dish. I basically add no salt and leave
it up to the cheese. I also puree the whole sauce in the food
processor. Sometimes I add portabello (and puree that too). Lastly,
I add TVP to the sauce and let it steep overnight.
3 small red potatoes, cooked and sliced into
1/4-inch rounds
1 large spear cooked broccoli, florets cut off, stalk julienned
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup grated Provolone, or a
combination of mozzarella and Cheddar cheese
About 1/4 cup Breadcrumb Topping
Provencal (page 277; optional [recipe reproduced before])
About 1/3 loaf leftover bread to yield
3 cups crumbs, crisp or soft
3 to 5 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian parsley leaves (optional)
1 tablespoon basil leaves (optional)
PREPARATION
Preheat the broiler.
Combine the eggs, milk or sour cream, and Parmesan and whisk
well. Stir in the potatoes, broccoli, salt, and lots of
pepper. Set aside.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a nonstick ovenproof 8- to
9-inch pan.
When the pan is hot, add the egg mixture and turn the heat
down to medium-low. Cook until the bottom of the eggs and edges of
the frittata are becoming firm but the center and surface are
still definitely liquid. Sprinkle on the grated cheese, then the
breadcrumbs.
Quickly transfer the skillet to the broiler and broil until
the top is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the
broiler, loosen the edges of the frittata, and turn out onto a
serving plate. Serve, immediately, cut into wedges like a
pie.
Breadcrumb Topping Provencal (p. 277)
Tear the bread into large pieces and place them in food
processor. Pulse to make fine crumbs. Measure the crumbs for the
recipe. You'll probably need about 3 cups.
Combine the crumb, garlic, oil, parsley, if using, and
basil, if using, in the food processor and pulse, then run the
machine until fine crumbs are formed and the garlic and herbs
are finely chopped.
KATHY-NOTES: It's best to put the rack low in the oven to avoid
(over)burning the top. I do lazy-man's breadcrumb topping by just
mixing olive oil, fresh-pressed garlic, and crisp breadcrumbs together.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. When the pan is hot, add the
onion, and sauté over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Add the
celery, carrot, and green pepper, and sauté for another 5
minutes. Add garlic. Sauté 2 minutes more, and remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine the sautéed mixture with all the
remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine. Taste for
seasonings. Consistency will be soft.
Scoop the mixture with a 1/2-cup measure
and form 3-inch patties, about 1 1/4 inches
high, directly on a nonstick backing sheet or one that has been
sprayed with cooking spray. Smooth the tops slightly. Leave
1/2 inch space between the patties; they
spread slightly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm and
slightly browned.
Pinch of ground red chile or cayenne (substitute paprika for
a milder dish)
To Finish
Cooking spray
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
4 green chiles, such as serranos, diced (seeds and membranes
removed for mildness or left in for extra heat)
1/2 to 2/3 green
beans (about a double handful), washed, stemmed, and sliced into
1/4-inch pieces
Paneer (available at Indian markets), cut into
1/2-inch dice, or 1 package firm
conventional tofu, preferably reduced fat, drained for 15
minutes and diced
PREPARATION
Using a mortar and pestle or an electric spice grinder, grind
the coriander, cumin, poppyseeds, peppercorns, cardamom seeds,
cloves, and cinnamon stick to a fine powder. Set aside.
Mash the garlic and ginger to a fine paste, using a mortar and
pestle. Set aside.
Combine the tomatoes, water, sugar, salt, and ground red chile
in a food processor and buzz to a smooth sauce. Set aside.
Put the masala, the garlic-ginger paste, and the sauce on a
mise en place tray (see page 107 [just little dishes, on the
ready]), along with the remaining ingredients. Heat the oil in a
small wok that has been sprayed with cooking spray, over
medium-high heat. Add the green chiles and stir-fry for another
minute. Add the ginger-garlic paste along with the masala mixture
and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Pour in the tomato mixture and add
the green beans. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the paneer or
tofu cubes, partially cover, and cook for an additional 10
minutes. Serve hot, over rice.
KATHY-NOTES: I ignore all the spice-making and use garam masala
and/or tandoor spice mix, maybe with random extras (like the
poppyseeds). And I actually use some Patak's curry paste (Madrass,
Hot, whatever)... to taste. The paneer is so much better
fried... coat in flour and fry in high-heat oil in a skillet
(cast-iron preferable).
Cabbage and Greens with Kidney Beans and Caramelized Garlic
5 to 7 cloves garlic, halved, any green core removed, cut into
1/4-inch pieces (about 2 tablespoons)
2 bunches hearty greens (one bunch each of any two of the
following: kale, collard, turnip, escarole, or mustard) washed,
patted dry, and sliced into thin ribbons
2 cups cooked kidney beans, well drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 to 12 slices "set-up" polenta, commercial or from scratch
(page 442 [not reproduced])
1/4 to 2/3 cup
freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 pound ricotta salata (optional)
PREPARATION
Steam the cabbage ribbons in a steamer over boiling water
until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well and pat dry.
Heat the oli in a nonstick skillet over the lowest heat you
can get without the flame blowing out. Add the garlic and slowly
and attentively cook, stirring quite often, until the garlic is an
even pale golden, which will take about 8 minutes. Don't let it
brown, or it will be bitter. Using a slotted spoon, remove the
golden garlic from the pan and set it aside, leaving the oil in
the pan.
Raise the heat to medium. When the oil is very hot, add the
raw greens along with the cabbage and stir like heck, lowering the
heat slightly. Cover the skillet to steam the greens just
slightly, about 1 minute. Remove the cover and raise the heat a
bit. Continue stir-frying until the greens are limp and some of the
cabbage edges are starting to color, about 10 minutes. Remove from
the heat. Add the beans and garlic and season with salt and pepper
to taste. Serve over polenta with cheese.
KATHY-NOTES: I add red pepper flakes to the oil with the garlic
to infuse it. I actually serve it mixed with Israeli couscous
(cooked with bullion).
4 teaspoons butter, Better (page 905 [not reproduced]), or
vegetable oil or vegetable margarine
4 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of cayenne (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
1 (10-ounce) can Ro-tel or similar diced green tomatoes with chile
Cooking spray
1 (14-ounce) package unformed soysage, like Gimme Lean
Sausage-style by LightLife
4 fist-sized russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed but not
peeled, cut in 1 inch cubes and simmered until barely done
2 to 3 tablespoons finely minced cilantro (optional)
PREPARATION
Make the con queso by following the directions for
Béchaamel Sauce (page 945 [reproduced below]), adding the
cayenne, if using, when you add the salt and pepper, and stirring
in the cheese at the end. You will have an extra thick cheese
sauce. Whisk the diced green tomatoes with chiles into it, and set
aside, keeping it warm.
Béchamel Sauce
Affix the bay leaf to the onion, using the cloves as
tacks. Place this embellished onion with the celery top and a
few scrapings of nutmeg in a medium saucepan, preferably
nonstick. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the dairy or soy milk
over the vegetables and bring to a simmer over medium
heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer very, very gently for 15
minutes.
Meanwhile, toward the end of the simmering time, melt the
butter over medium-low heat in a medium nonstick skillet, or one
that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Stir in the flour and
cook, uncovered, stirring often, until the flour is slightly
golden colored and aromatic but not darkened, 2 to 3
minutes. This is the roux.
Between stirs of the roux, dissolve the cornstarch in the
reserved 2 tablespoons milk or soy milk.
Pour the warmed infused milk through a strainer into the
skillet containing the roux, whisking the roux into the heated
milk so the sauce is lump-free. Bring the sauce to a simmer and
let it cook, whisking often, until it is the consistency of a
very thin sauce or cream soup, about 6 minutes. Raise the heat
slightly.
Whisk the cornstarch-milk mixture, to re-amalgamate the
starch and milk, and stir this into the hot, thickened milk
mixture, whisking. The sauce should quickly grow quite a bit
thicker. Remove the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use
immediately, or cool to rom temperature and refrigerate for
later use. (After refrigerating, reheat quickly; extended
reheating will cause the cornstarch to lose its thickening
power, making your sauce thinner in consistency.)
Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and place
it over medium heat. Meanwhile, slice the soysage into rounds
about 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches in
diameter. When the pan is hot, sauté the soysage rounds
until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from skillet.
Quarter each soysage patty, ot make stew-sized pieces. Add the
soysage and the cooked potatoes to the con queso sauce. Serve at
once, hot, sprinkled with cilantro, if using.
KATHY-NOTES: We add Cholula sauce for a kick! Needs a lot of salt.
Quick Sour Cream Pasta
FROM: me
INGREDIENTS
Sour cream
5 or more cloves of garlic
Hot pepper flakes
Olive oil
Tomato paste or good marinara (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Protein, like meatballs, chicken (or faux meatballs and Quorn
chicken bits).
Pasta, like Farfalle
PREPARATION
Start preparing the pasta.
Slice the garlic.
Sauté the garlic over low heat with the pepper flakes,
until golden. (The pepper flakes flavor the oil.)
Add however much sour cream you need for who you're serving
and mix with the oil, garlic, and flakes well. Simmer until thickens.
It's nice to add some tasty marinara.
Salt and pepper to taste.
KATHY-NOTES: Seems weird to have notes when it's my recipe but
it's now tradition. So I'll just point out that this is now our
go-to quick dinner, since we often have leftover sour cream and
always have frozen protein.
Vegetables (some combination of the following; in reasonable
relative proportions, including with respect to the amount of
tofu)
Garlic, ginger, shallot, onion
Carrot, radishes
Broccoli, cauliflower, broccoflower
Bok choy, kale, radish tops, mustard greens
Green beans, snow peas, sugar/snap peas
Sauce
1 cup water
1−2 teaspoon Non-salty bullion or base (e.g., mushroom)
roughly 1/4 cup soy sauce
Sriracha hot sauce or chili-garlic sauce, to taste
Rice vinegar or other interesting vinegar (e.g., white wine,
apple cider), to taste
roughly 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
Optional other: ginger powder, garlic powder, black pepper
PREPARATION
If using rice, prepare well in advance. If using noodles,
start late in the game.
Slice tofu into roughly 1/4-inch thick slabs and dry thoroughly.
Turn the oven on to broil. Place a rack in the center or
higher (depends on the power of the broiler).
Grease a baking sheet. I use shortening.
Coat tofu in corn starch and spread evenly on baking
sheet. Brush tops with oil.
Broil tofu for 3−8 minutes per side, until crisp.
Prepare the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. (If using
noodles, I typically cut the carrot into strips to match the
shape.)
Stir fry the vegetables in ample cooking oil, until the
desired tenderness. Be strategic on the order. For example,
carrots and green beans take longer than radishes and cauliflower,
which take longer than snow or sugar peas, which takes longer than
broccoli. I also add the chopped stems (e.g., kale or broccoli)
before the leaves (or florets).
Start the noodles, if using,
Heat the water and combine ingredients for the sauce. Add to
the vegetables when they're basically done. Again, be
strategic. The hot liquid can help cook down leafy greens.
Chop the broiled tofu into squares or strips. Mix into frying pan.
Add noodles to pan, if so desire. Otherwise, serve over rice
or noodles.
KATHY-NOTES: My notes are sprinkled throughout, but essentially,
just scale everything to suit your tastes and needs. This all is
just a rough guide.
KATHY-NOTES: Given how chicken thighs are sold, I use eight. So I
increase the rice to 1.5 or 2 cups, using a brown rice and maybe
mixing in some lentils. I use fresh turmeric and ginger so I don't do
the shaking. It works great in a very large cast-iron skillet.
Again, I'm referring to another site for this great recipe,
which is fast and tasty: Vodka Sauce at SeriousEats.com.
KATHY-NOTES: Serve with chicken and penne.
Best-Chili-Ever-Hack
FROM: adapted from The Best Chili Ever by Serios Eats in order to
be easier and made with pork. Be sure to read the original recipe
before undertaking this hack.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound dried beans like kidney beans or black beans
3 tbsp fine table salt or 6 tbsp coarse kosher salt
2 whole, dried New Mexico Chilis (more if desire spicer)
2 whole, dried Negro Chilis (more if desire spicer)
If desire spicer, 1 whole, dried cascabel
2 whole cloves, optional
1−2 whole star anise
2−5 pounds park, bone-in preferred (just get something
at a good price, like country-style pork shoulder; should have
fatty parts)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil (pref. high-heat oil)
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
1 ounce chopped unsweetened chocolate
1 tbsp finely ground coffee beans
2 whole anchovy fillets or equivalent of anchovy paste
1 (10-ounce) can Ro-tel or 2 cans for spicer results
1/4 cup cider vinegar, plus more to taste
1/4 cup vodka or bourbon or red wine
1 tbsp honey or dark brown sugar
1−2 tbsp tomato paste
Optional, 1 tbsp Buffalo-style hot sauce, such as Frank's
RedHot (or more to taste)... or Cholula
For serving, any of:
Tortillas or tortilla chips
Scallions, thinly sliced
Cheddar, Jack, or Colby cheese, grated
Sour cream
Jalapeñ&o or Poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and diced
Onion, diced
Avocado, diced
Saltine crackers
Fritos
PREPARATION
Soak beans in plenty of water and the salt, at least 8
hours. Drain and rinse before adding to chili.
Pre-heat oven to 300°F.
Dry pork and grind pepper over all sides generously.
Heat dutch oven on high with oil. When very hot, place pork in
single layer to sear, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and set
aside. Repeat as needed.
Microwave dried chilis for 15−30 seconds then dice
finely.
Reduce heat to medium/medium-high and sauté onion, stirring
regularly until softened and browned bits loosened, about 10 minutes. Add
minced/diced garlic and sauté for another minute, until aromatic.
Add tomato paste and sauté until it turns a burnished
hue, about 2 minutes. Add vodka/bourbon/wine to de-glaze and boil
off some alcohol, about 2 minutes.
Add broth, tomatoes, drained and rinsed beans, dried chilis, cumin,
oregano, star anise, cloves, vinegar, honey or sugar, chocolate,
and coffee. Stir to combine and adjust heat to bring to a boil.
Add seared pork, nestling it under beans and liquid. Move
dutch oven to oven with slightly cracked lid. Cook until pork
is fork tender and beans are al dente, about 5 hours. Check on it
regularly, stirring and adding water or broth as necessary. Adjust
oven temperature up or down by about 50°F as needed.
Remove from oven. Remove bay leaves and any bones and gristle (and star
anise and cloves, if you can find them).
Serve with fixin's. Improves with age. Freezes well.
KATHY-NOTES: This is a hack of the original recipe that draws on
techniques from another Serious Eats (Cider Braised Country-Style Ribs)
recipe. The bastardization came because it just was too much
effort to make the original chile recipe—and expensive! Using
cheap pork cuts is cheaper and leads to a good flavor and
texture. We also needed to make this kid friendly so cut down on the
spiciness, as indicated. It's very flexible and comes out subtly
different each time. The vinegar is not necessary, especially if
you're using extra too-sour-going-bad red wine!
FROM: Joy of Cooking by I. S. Rombauer, M. R. Becker, and
E. Becker, 1997, p. 932
INGREDIENTS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour one 8 x 8 inch
pan or line the bottom with wax or parchment paper.
Sift together into a large bowl:
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened non-alkalized cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
Combine and add:
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
PREPARATION
Stir until smooth. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread
evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out
clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10
minutes. Slide a thin knife around the cake to detach it from the
pan. Invert the cake and peel off the paper, if using. Let cool
right side up on the rack. Serve plain, dusted with powdered sugar
or frost with Quick Cookie Icing flavored with rum, brandy, or
coffee liqueur.
KATHY-NOTES: This sometimes comes out dry. Substitute a can of
coconut milk for the water and oil for increased moisture. Or add
port (hold off adding some water until you gauge the moisture.) One
can also through fresh mint leaves in to make a nice mint-chocolate
cake.
Ultra-Orange Cake (vegan)
FROM: Joy of Cooking by I. S. Rombauer, M. R. Becker, and
E. Becker, 1997, p. 932
INGREDIENTS
For less sweet cake, decrease the sugar by 2 tablespoons.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour one 8 x 8 inch
pan or line the bottom with wax or parchment paper.
Whisk together thoroughly in a large bowl:
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add and stir together until smooth:
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 tablespoons white or cider vinegar
1 teaspoons vanilla
PREPARATION
Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until
a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35
minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Slide a
thin knife around the cake to detach it from the pan. Invert the
cake and peel off the paper, if using. Let cool right side up on
the rack.
KATHY-NOTES: This usually bakes much longer than the recipe
states (like 20 more minutes). Serve with cranberry relish (like
boil 2 cups frozen or fresh cranberries in 2 cups water with 1 cup
sugar until cranberries burst. Then pulse a few times in food
processor and chill.)
1 ripe, mashed banana (if the banana peel isn't spotted black,
cover the mashed banana with the juice of half a lemon for about
15 minutes before incorporating it into the mix)
3, 4, or 5 teaspoons vanilla (be generous)
2 tablespoons water or soy/almond/rice drink
2 cups all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder stirred into the flour for guaranteed
dispersion
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (quick oats work well)
2 1/2 cups vegan chocolate chips
PREPARATION
Beat together the margarine and sugars. Electric mixers are
unnecessary. Add the well-mashed banana and mix well, then add the
vanilla, then the water. The water will try to separate; keep
mixing with a figure-eight motion and add the dry ingredients, in
the order above, bit by bit (say, by half-cup increments).
The final batter should be almost too dry to hold the
chocolate chips; if it isn't, I've misrepresented the amount of
flour or oats you need and you should add more or less, according
to the problem. Dry batter is good, since any chips that fall off
the batter can go directly into your mouth, and no one will miss
them. If the batter is too wet, the cookies will flatten while
baking and turn out hard and flat.
Bake them for 10 or 12 minutes in a pre-heated oven at
375°F on an un-greased cookie sheet. Cook them longer if you
prefer a hard cookie, but be aware that bananas only approximate
the action of an egg in the mix, and you can get cookies as hard
as the cookie sheet if you aren't careful.
Let them congeal on the sheet for a moment after removing them
from the oven, then cool on a plate or a wire rack. Store in an
air-tight container. They taste even better after they sit
overnight or in the fridge.
KATHY-NOTES: makes about 3 dozen 4'' cookies; replace 1/2 cup flour
with 1/2 cup cocoa powder; substitute chocolate chips for raisins;
exclude oats and add flour (about 1/2 cup)
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to
350°F. Coat the springform pan with cooking spray.
Mix graham cracker crumbs, canola oil and maple syrup together
and press into prepared pan.
Purée remaining ingredients in a food processor and pour into
crust. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes and
refrigerate 5-6 hours or overnight before serving.
KATHY-NOTES: I never liked pumpkin pie but I adore this one! I
recommend Mi-Del Honey Graham Crackers for the crust (crumb them up
in the food processor).
3/4 cup low-fat unsweetened cocoa powder (plus additional cocoa
for dusting the pans)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Raspberry Filling (recipe follows)
1 cup fresh raspberries
PREPARATION
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to
350°F. Coat the baking pans with cooking spray. Dust the pans
evenly with cocoa powder, and tap out excess powder.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, maple syrup, water, tofu,
canola oil, prune purée, vanilla and vinegar using an electric
mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl,
sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and
salt. Sift again.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add
liquid ingredients. Mix in lightly. Don't over mix or cake will be
heavy.
Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake layers
for about 30-35 minutes or until the cake feels springy to the
touch and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out
clean. Cool the cake in the pans for about 10 minutes. Remove from
the pans, place on a wire rack and let cool completely.
Place one layer of cake on a large plate and cover with as
much filling as possible. (Save leftover filling as a snack or
serve with cake.) Top with second layer of cake. Cover the top of
the cake with fat-free chocolate sauce. Garnish with fresh
raspberries.
Chocolate Raspberry Filling
1 pkg Mori-Nu Mates Chocolate Pudding & Pie Mix
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons fat-free chocolate syrup
Additional 1/2 cup fat-free chocolate syrup for glazing the
cake
Purée fresh raspberries in a food processor. Strain through
a wire strainer or cheese cloth to remove the seeds. Make
pudding according to package directions, substituting the
raspberry purée and the chocolate syrup for the water. Let cool
until set.
KATHY-NOTES: I brought this as a vegan alternative to a
wedding. It received compliments that it was as good as the wedding
cake! I've also removed the raspberry parts and made a
chocolate-coated, double-layer chocolate cake with a vanilla
filling. It was like an Oreo. You can also make it mint flavored
with fresh mint.
1.5 tablespoons boiling water, preferably spring or filtered
1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached white all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened American-style (not Dutch process) cocoa powder
0.5 teaspoon baking powder
0.25 teaspoon salt
8 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate chips
6 to 8 ounces pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped
PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spray 2 double-insulated baking sheets with cooking spray. Set
aside.
Combine the semisweet chocolate with the butter and shortening
in a small saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring
occasionally, until all ingredients are uniformly melted. Remove
from the heat, stir until smooth, and let cool to room temperature.
Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and both sugars at
medium-high speed for 5 minutes.
Place the coffee crystals in a small heatproof bowl and pour
in the boiling water, stirring to dissolve. Stir in the
vanilla. Add the decaf mixture, along with the melted chocolate
mixture, to the egg mixture. Beat for 2 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, unsweetened cocoa,
baking powder, and salt. Whisk to blend.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a wooden spoon, stir
in the dry ingredients. When well blended, stir in the chocolate
chips and the nuts, if using.
To make ordinary-size cookies (about 3 inches in diameter),
drop batter by the rounded teaspoonful, about 2 inches apart, onto
the prepared baking sheets. To make very large cookies, 6 to 8
inches in diameter, scoop batter with a 2.5-inch ice cream scoop
(3/8 cup capacity). You can get 2 or 3 of the large cookies on a
sheet. (There is no need to "splat" the cookies out with your
hand; they will spread while baking.) bake small cookies for about
10 minutes; large ones will take about 20 minutes. Remove from the
oven and let cool on the sheets for 1 minute, then transfer to wire
racks to finish cooling.
KATHY-NOTES: The dough will be rather fudge-y. You might want to
splat them.
1/4 cup fat-free chocolate syrup (reserve for topping)
PREPARATION
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to
350°F. Coat the pie pan with cooking spray.
Mix graham crackers, canola oil, and maple syrup together and
press into the prepared pie pan.
Place remaining ingredients except chocolate syrup in the
container of a food processor, purée until smooth and pour
into the crust. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes and
then refrigerate overnight for 5−6 hours before serving.
Before serving, drizzle pie with chocolate syrup.
KATHY-NOTES: Again, ignore their request for lite tofu and
reduced-fat peanut butter. Embrace the fat! This pie lasts very
well. I made it in a springform cake pan, and it's easily
transferable to a plate for presentation.
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon, unbleached white all-purpose flour
1.5 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
0.75 teaspoon baking powder
0.75 teaspoon baking soda
0.5 teaspoon salt
0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
0.25 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
0.25 cup butter, softened to room temperature
0.25 cup vegetable shortening
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup puréed very ripe bananas (about 2 large)
0.25 cup buttermilk
Almond Cream-Cheese Icing (recipe follows)
6 ounces cream cheese or Neufchatel reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter
About 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
3.5 to 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions: Cream the cream cheese, butter, and 1 tablespoon milk until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, adding more sugar or milk as needed to make a spreadable mixture. This is a soft icing that firms up when refrigerated. In warm weather, refrigerate the frosted cakes until 1 hour before serving.
8 ounces almond paste, at room temperature
Confectioners' sugar
About 1.5 cups slivered almonds, toasted
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
Combine 1 tablespoon of the flour and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle the sugar-flour mixture over the sprayed cake pans, knocking out any excess. Set the pans aside.
Sift together the remaining flour, the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
Cream the butter and shortening together with the remaining sugar, beating until fully incorporated, smooth, and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat the eggs in one at a time. Add the almond extract, then the puréed bananas.
Using a wooden spoon, stir half of the flour mixture into the banana mixture. When the flour is well incorporated stir in the buttermilk. Stir until smooth, then stir in the remaining flour mixture.
Turn the batter out into the prepared pans and bake until the cakes are fragrant, golden brown, test done with a toothpick, and have pulled away from the pan edges slightly, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pans. Invert the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely. (As the cake cools, you'll have plenty of time to make the icing.)
Knead the almond paste slightly to soften it. Then, on a flat surface sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, roll out the almond paste to a smooth round, 9 inches in diameter and a 0.25 inch or so thick. You may not get this exactly—don't worry. Lay one layer of the cake on a serving plate (or a 10-inch cardboard cake round) and lay the rolled out almond paste over it as best you can, patching any holes as needed. Completely cover the top of this cake layer, and trim off any overhanging paste with kitchen shears.
Spread a little of the Almond Cream-Cheese Icing over the almond paste, and top it with a second cake layer.
Ice the entire cake with a generous smoothing of Almond Cream-Cheese Icing. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or so, just long enough for the icing to firm up. Finally, press almond slivers into the sides of the cake, leaving the top plain. If some almonds fall off, don't worry−just press 'em back in. If you've placed the cake on a cardboard round, lift the cake, round and all, onto a serving plate. If not, just let it rest where it is, on the serving plate, in slightly messy but undeniable glory.
KATHY-NOTES: This is an awesome cake! The cake never reaches the "golden brown" color, just bake it the 30 or so minutes (and it will still be gooey) but it gets really unfortunately dry if you cook it too long. It also works to use "faux buttermilk" by adding lemon juice or vinegar to whole milk at least five minutes in advance.
Spray a double-insulated cookie sheet (or two) with cooking
spray. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter. Gradually beat in
the maple syrup, about 0.25 cup at a time. Add the vanilla. Set
aside.
Place the flour in a medium bowl. Sift the baking soda and
salt into the flour. Add the oats and toss well to combine.
Combine the two mixture together with a wooden spoon, stirring
until all of ingredients are well incorporated; don't
overbeat. Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonful onto the prepared
cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
Bake until the cookies are firm, about 15 minutes. Remove from
the oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes, then
remove them to a wire rack to cool.
KATHY-NOTES: These are easy to make vegan and gluten-free (I
tried using oat flour).
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat the pie pan with cooking spray.
Mix graham crackers, canola oil and maple syrup together and press into the prepared pie pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool.
Purée remaining ingredients together in the container of a food processor until very smooth and creamy. Pour into cooled pie shell and let chill 2−3 hours before serving.
KATHY-NOTES: The crust often comes out hard; consider under-baking. This takes great with fresh whipped heavy cream (no sugar), if you're not vegan.
FROM: Grandma (Edna Lou Cooksey) via Karen Cooksey
INGREDIENTS
1 20-oz can of crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
1 21-oz can of cherry pie filling
1 package of yellow cake mix (two-layer size)
1 3-oz can of pecans (1 cup), chopped
0.5 cup (1 stick) of butter or margarine, cold
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease a 9''×13'' pan.
Spread pineapple evenly in the pan.
Spoon the pie filling over the pineapple.
Sprinkle the dry cake mix over mixture, thickly.
Sprinkle the pecans evenly.
Slice the chilled butter into thin strips evenly over the mix
(the butter must cover all the cake mix).
Bake for 50 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
KATHY-NOTES: My sister remembers our Grandmother making this
recipe, but I don't. In any case, it's a wonderful and simple
recipe. It works well hot or chilled. I've had friends line up by
the stove, waiting for it to be done at parties. Also, I think it
can be done with other fruit combos, like peaches and blueberry
filling.
Saffron Cake
FROM: Swedish Cakes and Cookies,
translated by Melody Favish, 2008, p. 59. (Their note: This recipe
won a prize in 1984.)
Grease and flour a 24-cm (10-inch) springform pan.
Melt the butter and let it cool. Crush the saffron with the
sugar cube in a mortar.
Beat the eggs and sugar until light yellow and very thick. Add
the saffron, butter and milk. Combine the dry ingredients and add,
beating well. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake on a low oven rack for around 45 minutes.
Just before serving, sift powdered sugar over the cake.
KATHY-NOTES: I just use 1 teaspoon sugar for the sugar
cube. This cake is suppose to bake at a low temperature, on a low
oven rack, for a long time. It's a slow bake, but objet the time so
it doesn't dry out.
I'm referring again to another site for this great recipe,
which is fast and tasty too: Ginger Cookies at Food.com.
KATHY-NOTES: Beware! These are spicy! I think I've added fresh, finely minced ginger to these,
just to use up fresh ginger (before I knew about freezing ginger).
Glögg (Swedish mulled wine)
FROM: Lars Hilden (27 Nov 1996)
INGREDIENTS
750 mL Madeira
1.5 L red wine (e.g., Bordeaux, Merlot)
1 (or more) vanilla-bean pod, cut into 1-in pieces
1-in long piece (or so) fresh ginger, cut into thick slices
3 cinnamon sticks
10−15 whole cloves
1 tsp cardamom seeds
0.5 dL raisins
4.5 dL sugar (or less)
1 dL water
PREPARATION
Combine everything in large pot.
Heat until just bubbling.
Turn off heat and cover.
Steep for 24 hr.
Strain sediment with fine-mesh colander and/or cheese cloth.
Optional: spike with 2.5 dL spirit (like vodka), to restore alcohol content.
TO SERVE
Heat until barely boiling and serve in warmed mugs with ginger cookies or suitable dessert.
Best after activity in cold weather. For Hawai`i-ers, go to VIS, freeze, and return to normal altitudes before consuming pre-warmed glögg.
KATHY-NOTES: The amount of spices is too taste. I add more
vanilla bean because I like it and less cardamom because I don't
like it. For the "spirit," consider more flavorful
spirits like cognac or rum (especially if you already put gauva in
the Hawaiian-style glögg).
50 g (1.75 ounces) fresh yeast or 2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1−1.5 dl (1/2 cup) sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon (orig. cardamom)
approx. 13 dl (5 and 1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
Filling:
100−150 g (4 ounces) almond paste
2 tsp ground cinnamon (orig. cardamom)
50 g (3 Tbsp) stick margarine or butter
Brushing and garnish:
1 egg, lightly beaten
pearl sugar
PREPARATION
Heat the oven to 250°C (450°F) or, if convection,
225°C (425°F)
Melt the margarine or butter in a saucepan. Add the milk and
heat until lukewarm, around 37°C (100°F). If using active
dry yeast, heat to 45°C (115°F).
Crumble the yeast in a large bowl and add some of the milk
mixture, stirring until dissolved. Add the remaining liquid, salt,
sugar, cinnamon (orig. cardamom) and around 2/3 of the flour,
mixing to combine.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Add more flour, but
reserve 1−2 dl (1/2−3/4 cup). The dough is ready when
it no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle a little
flour over the dough so that it doesn't dry out. Cover with a
cloth and set in a warm, draft-free place. Let rise until
doubled.
Punch down the dough and knead in the bowl for a few
minutes. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in the
remaining flour. The dough is ready when it no longer sticks to
the sides of the bowl and hands. If the dough is cut, the exposed
surface should have even pores. If there are big holes, it hasn't
been kneaded enough.
Grate the almond paste and mix with the cinnamon
(orig. cardamom) and butter until smooth.
Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a flat rectangle
on a lightly floured surface. Spread the filling over the
dough. Roll up and cut into even slices. Place them, cut side up,
in paper baking cups or on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Cover and let rise until doubled. Brush with beaten egg and
sprinkle with the pearl sugar.
Bake on the center oven rack for 8−10 minutes.
KATHY-NOTES: Makes about four dozen rolls, which means I double
the filling recipe. They freeze well. This is actually a merge
of Cardamom Rolls and Cinnamon Swirls. Basically, I replaced the use
of cardamom with cinnamon in the cardamom-rolls recipe. Yay, almond
paste! I use the 1 dl of sugar in the dough, since I prefer more
filling. (The Cinnamon Swirls recipe calls for the Cardamom Roll
dough with filling of: 75−100 g (5−7 Tbsp) stick
margarine or butter, softened; 1 dl (1/3 cup) sugar; and 2 tsp
ground cinnamon. It's also topped with chopped almonds.) I add
a little (1−2 tsp) almond extract to the filling. The
"Swedish trick" to the rolls is to pinch the tops (with
thumb and three fingers) when laid out so they don't spread.
INGREDIENTS
There are two variants; see Kathy-notes below for
merging. Basically the Grandmother's Saffron Roles are for forming
into traditional shapes; the Saffron Cottage Cheese Rolls are
more protein-y and designed to be pan rolls.
Recipe
Item
Grandmother's Shapes
Cottage Cheese
Pan Rolls
stick margarine or butter
30 g (3 Tbsp) 125 g (0.5 cup) softened
100 g (7 Tbsp)
milk
5 dl (2 cups)
yeast
50 g (1.75 oz) fresh or 2 Tbsp active dry
salt
1 tsp
0.5 tsp
cottage cheese
none
250 g (1 cup) creamed & sieved, or quark
sugar
2 tsp
1 cube (1 Tbsp loose) or 1 tsp cognac
1.5 dl (2/3 cup)
pearl sugar, for garnish
1.5 dl (2/3 cup)
all-purpose flour
15 dl (6.25 cups)
16 dl (6+2/3 cups)
saffron
1 g (1/8 tsp)
egg
1 in dough 1 lightly beaten for brushing
1 lightly beaten for brushing
raisins
for garnish
none
Oven temperature
Regular
250°C (450°F)
225°C (425°F)
Convection
200°C (400°F)
PREPARATION
Melt the 30 g (3 Tbsp) of butter in a saucepan.
Add the milk and heat to 37°C (100°F). If using
active dry yeast, heat to 45°C (115°F).
Crumble the yeast in a large bowl and add some of the
milk+butter, stirring until dissolved.
Add the remaining liquid, salt, 2 tsp sugar, and most of the
flour.
Knead until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the
bowl.
Sprinkle with a little flour, cover and let rise until
doubled, around 1 hour.
Crush the saffron with the sugar cube (or 1 Tbsp loose
sugar) in a mortar or mix with the cognac.
Beat the 125 g (0.5 cup) of softened margarine or butter
with the 1.5 dl (2/3 cup) sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the saffron and the egg.
Knead the mixture into the dough.
Add the remaining flour, reserving a little for
later.
Place on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Cover and let rise until almost doubled.
Brush with beaten egg and garnish with raisins and pearl
sugar.
Bake on the center oven rack for 8−10 minutes.
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Add the milk and heat to 37°C (100°F). If using
active dry yeast, heat to 45°C (115°F).
Crumble the yeast in a large bowl and add the milk mixture,
stirring until the yeast is dissolved.
Add the cheese, saffron, sugar, salt, and most of the
flour.
Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Cover and let rise for around 40 minutes.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until
smooth and elastic.
Form into 35 round balls. Arrange them close together in a
30×40 cm (12×16 inch) pan.
Cover and let rise for around 40 minutes.
Brush with beaten egg. Bake on a low oven rack for around
20 minutes.
Cool slightly, then remove from the pan. Cover and cool
completely.
The above dough can be braided:
Instead of forming into shapes, divide into 3 equal
parts.
Knead each part until smooth and elastic.
Divide each
into 3 or 4 pieces.
Roll into smooth, even ropes. Braid them.
Place the braided on a greased or parchment-lined baking
sheet.
Cover and let rise until almost doubled.
Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with pearl sugar, if
desired.
Bake at 200°C (400°F or 175°C/350°F if
convection), on a low oven rack for 15−20 minutes.
It can also be a braided wreath:
Follow the steps above but make
longer ropes.
Form the braided into wreaths when placing on the
baking sheet.
KATHY-NOTES:
Ok, so I haven't made these very much. But, first, don't
skimp on the saffron; the neatest part of the rolls is the
vibrant color. It might take triple the amount of saffron (an
expensive investment for aesthetic but it's the holidays!)
Patrik's recipe is for making shapes and uses cottage cheese
(for which I freely substitute whole-milk ricotta or Greek
yogurt). I think either can actually be shaped; it just might
take yet more flour for the pan-rolls version.
I like the idea of mixing cognac with the saffron before
working it in!
Some of the Kathy-notes for kanelbullar
may be appropriate here (like freezing well).
Mazariner eller Mazarin Tårta
FROM: Swedish Cakes and Cookies,
translated by Melody Favish, 2008, p. 131. (Their note: This recipe
won a prize in 1965.)
There are two suggested fillings—the one using almond paste is
quicker to prepare.
INGREDIENTS
3 dl (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
100 g (7 tablespoons) cold stick margarine or butter
1/2 egg
Filling 1:
75 g (5 tablespoons) stick margarine or butter
3 eggs
1.5 dl (2/3 cups) sugar
150 g (1 1/3 cups) ground almonds
Filling 2:
50 g (3 tablespoons) stick margarine or butter,
softened
150 g (5 ounces) almond paste
2 eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Garnish:
2 dl (3/4 cups) sifted powder sugar +
water
or
1/2 dl (3 tablespoons) powdered sugar
PREPARATION
Oven temp:
For mazariner: 200°C (400°F), convection 175°C (350°F)
For mazarin tårta: 175°C (350°F)
Grease individual oval tins.
Combine dry ingredients. Dice the butter and cut into the
flour mixture. Add the egg, mixing well. Wrap in plastic and
refrigerate for several hours.
Press or roll out the dough and line the tins.
Filling 1: Melt the butter and let it cool. Beat the
eggs and sugar until light yellow and very thick. Stir in the
almonds and melted butter.
Filling 2: Beat the butter until fluffy. Grate the
almond paste and add. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating
well after each. Stir in the flour and baking powder.
Spoon one of the fillings into the pastry shells.
Bake in the bottom half of the oven for around 15 minutes.
Let cool for a few minutes, then remove from the pans.
Beat the sugar and water until smooth. Spread over the tops or
sift over powdered sugar.
Mazarin tårta: You can also bake a tart from this
recipe. Use a 25 cm (10 inch) springform pan. Bake the tart at
175°C (350°F) for around 20 minutes.
KATHY-NOTES: I have only used Filling 2, to which I add a little
vanilla. I prefer to make mazarin tårta for simplicity. Since
almond paste in the US comes in 7 ounce units, I scale up the
Filling 2 recipe, which makes a nice amount for the
tårta. I struggle making crusts. What works for me here
is to freeze the rolling pin for as long as the dough is in the
fridge. Then I mush the dough out by hand until doubled in diameter,
on a large piece of parchment paper (wax paper does not work
well). Then I fold the parchment paper over, leaving expansion room
on all sides, so I can roll out between the sheets of parchment
paper.