Easy and Healthy in January

At the request of my brother-in-law Doug I am going to post a go-to healthy and easy recipe every day in the month of January to make sure that all my faithful recipes are out there as a resource. Keep our eyes peeled for some fun stuff!!!

Also in his honor is the recipe for the cake I made last night:

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

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Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 3/4 cups cranberries
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle mixture evenly over bottom of pan; arrange cranberries in a single layer on top.
2. With an electric mixer, cream remaining 6 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.
3. Spoon batter over cranberries in pan, and smooth top. Place pan on a baking sheet; bake cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert onto a rimmed platter.

Happy New Year

So according to southern tradition we eat collard greens and black eyed peas on new years eve to encourage prosperity in the new year. Whether this is here or there everyone is at my house this year and I am cooking the greens and peas. I decided to go with a cold bean salad recipe and I am braising the greens with almonds and raisins, which will go well with the ham. both recipes require minimal cooking down of the veggies which retains nutrients and they don't use any butter or salt to keep us all prosperous and healthy in 2012 :)

 

 

Sauted Collard Greens

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds (about 2 bunches) collard greens, stalks removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add collard greens and raisins; cook, tossing occasionally, until collards are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vinegar. Serve sprinkled with toasted almonds.

Texas Two-Bean Salad

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 can (15 ounces) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 jar (4 ounces) chopped pimentos, drained
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), finely chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and sugar. Add black-eyed peas, beans, pimentos, celery, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days). Serve with a slotted spoon.

Apple Walnut tappenade

This is a recipe I tasted at a Pampered Chef party and I stole it from a consultant's site so it is in Pampered Chef-ese, but it is delicious and I am making it for my family this Christmas, but I might add dried cranberries with the raisins. 

Apple & Walnut Tapenade

Ingredients:
1 lemon
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled
1/3 cup walnut halves, toasted
1/2 cup raisins
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves

Directions:
1.  Zest lemon using Microplane(R) Zester to measure 3/4 tsp (4 mL). Juice lemon using Citrus Press to measure 1 tbsp (15 mL). Cut apple into wedges using Apple Wedger.

2.  Combine walnuts, raisins and mint in Manual Food Processor; cover and pump handle until coarsely chopped. Add half of the apple wedges, lemon zest and juice; process until coarsely chopped. Add remaining apple wedges; process to desired consistency, removing lid and scraping down sides of bowl as necessary using Mini Mix 'N Scraper(R).

Yield: 16 servings (about 2 cups/500 mL)
Cook's Tip: To toast walnuts or pecans, place in Small Micro- Cooker®; microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 1–3 minutes or until toasted, stirring every 30 seconds.

Coconut-Curry Noodle Soup

This was a really fun dinner and super tasty. Great for a cold night!

Coconut Curry Noodle Soup

This recipe is very versatile. The traditional way to eat it is to put the ingredients in the bowl and pour the hot broth on top. You can basically add any veggies, meat, or tofu as you like. Traditional toppings include scallions, celantro, cucumber, chiles, peanuts or hard-cooked eggs. Below is what I used, but make it your own :)

10 oz. Soba noodles
1 tbsp oil
1 summer squash chopped
1 onion sliced
(the squash and onion were my adds because they were in the fridge, for just the broth leave them out)
1/4 cup Thai curry paste
4 cups broth
1 can (14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
1 lemon

1. boil noodles to package directions. Drian and rinse under cold water. Toss with 1 tsp oil.
2. Heat remaing 2 tsp oil in a medium saucepan  over medium heat. Here i cooked the veggies, when they were done I added the curry paste. It is important to cook curry at the beginning of curry recipes to release the flavors. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 min. Whisk in stock, raise heat and bring to a boil. Whisk in coconut milk. Cook until just simmering (DO NOT BOIL!!)
3. Cut lemon in half and squeeze half into saucepan. Cut the other half into wedges for serving. Divide noodles and broth among bowls and add toppings.
We topped with shredded chicken, peanuts, celantro, fresh bean sprouts.

Polenta cakes with spaghetti squash and veggie stew

This was quite the gourmet meal, it looked pretty, tasted good and was very satisfying on a chilly fall evening. All of the ingredients except the polenta  and chick peas are from Fair Foods.

Polenta Cakes with Spaghetti Squash and Veggie Stew

1 Spaghetti squash
1 onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic diced
1 banana pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
2 stalkes of cellery, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 can chick peas
1 24 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme leaves
salt and pepper
1 Polenta log
breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the whole spaghetti squash in the oven and bake until the squash is soft to the touch and can be easily pierced with a knife. (about 45 - 60 min) Set aside.
2. In a large stock pot heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil add onion and cook until opaque. Add the celery, peppers, garlic, zucchini, squash and eggplant. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute until veggies are softened. Add wine and stir for 1 min, then add tomatoes, chick peas and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce burner to low and simmer for 20 min.
3. While the stew cooks unwrap the polenta and slice it into 1 inch rounds. Gently press each cake into breadcrumbs to coat on all sides. In a heavy bottomed skillet melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. add polenta cakes and brown until they have a nice crust then turn and brown the other side.
4. Halve the spaghetti squash. Scoop out the seeds, then using a fork remove the flesh. Serve each polenta cake with a cup of spaghetti squash beside it and veggie stew on top.

This recipe is awesome and as we speak my kitchen smells amazing!!! Delicious on toast but also pears excellently with goat cheese. Enjoy!!

Vanilla Pear Jam

Found at Food In Jars

makes 3.5 pints (fills seven half pint jars)

8 cups chopped Bartlett pears (or any smooth, thin-skinned pear. No need to peel.)
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
4 cups sugar
1 packet liquid pectin(I used a powdered)

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine chopped pears, sugar and vanilla beans and vanilla seeds.
2. Cook over medium heat until the fruit can easily be smashed with the back of a wooden spoon.
3. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to break the fruit down into a mostly-smooth sauce (remove the vanilla bean solids before blending).
4. Add the pectin and bring to a rolling boil. Let boil for a full five minutes in order to active the pectin,
5. Fill jars, wipe rims to remove any residual jam, apply lids (heat canning lids in a small pot over very low heat while you’re preparing the jam to ensure a good seal) and screw on the rims.
6. Process the filled jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes (start the timer when the pot has returned to a boil).
7. Remove jars from pot and place the jars on a towel-lined counter top. Let them cool undisturbed for  two hours. During this time, the lids should seal.
8. Check to ensure the jars have sealed by pushing down on the center of the lid. If it feels solid and doesn’t move, it is sealed.

Just an amendment...Dana and I only used half of the sugar and we mashed the pears (kind of) with a potato masher because we think that chunky jam that tastes more like pears is better. Other than that we followed the recipe.

Papaya Jam

I came into a box of beautiful Papayas this week and decided to make jam. It came out really well. There were 8 Papayas in my box and I used 7 of them. If you have less Papaya you can halve the recipe and it will come out fine. I prefer to chop the Papayas instead of mash them. I like having the bits of fruit in my jam. :)

Fresh Papaya Jam

8 cups finely chopped Papaya (skins and seeds removed)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 envelopes of pectin
7 cups sugar


In a large heavy stockpot bring papaya, orange juice and pectin to a boil. Cook for about 10 min until the fruit is cooked and soft. Add the sugar and return to a boil. Allow the jam to boil for exactly one minute then remove from the heat. Fill prepared sterilized hot jars and process in a water bath for 10 min.

Barley with Acorn Squash and Broccoli

This recipe has a real unique blend of ingredients that makes it intriguing and perfect for a fall day.

Barley with Acorn Squash and Broccoli

1 Medium Acorn Squash
1 Bunch of Broccoli cut into floretts (or about 4 cups frozen broccoli floretts)
1 cup Barley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 minced onion
1 can chick peas
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup rasins
Shaved Parmesan

Preheat oven to 450. Half squash and remove the seeds, then slice into 1/2 inch slices. On a rimmed baking sheet toss with 2 teaspoons veggie oil, salt and pepper, then arrange in a single layer. On another rimmed baking sheet prepare the fresh broccoli the same way. Place baking sheets in the lower and upper thirds of the oven, squash up and broccoli down, and roast until tender, about 30 min.

While squash and broccoli roast cook barley according to package directions. (I cooked mine with a garlic clove in the water to add taste) Set aside.

In a small bowl prepare dressing, whisk lemon juice, olive oil and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

(This is where the recipe can be different if you are using frozen broccoli) In a large skillet bring 1/3 cup water to a boil, add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and chopped onion. (if you are using frozen broccoli steam it here with the onion.) When the onion is cooked and most of the water evaporated add chick peas, raisins to warm, then turn off the heat. Add squash, broccoli and barley and toss. When you are ready to serve add dressing and walnuts and toss again. Serve topped with Parmesan shavings.

Arugula Pesto

I got a ton of Arugula the other day and I decided to use a lot of it to make pesto. I used this recipe and then I froze the sauce in ice cube trays. When it was frozen I popped out the sauce cubes and stored them in a freezer bag. Now I can easily use them as pesto sauce or to season stewed tomatoes. I used walnuts instead of pine nuts and it worked just fine.

 Ingredients

• 4 cups packed fresh arugula
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup pure olive oil
• 2 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted, plus 1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl, and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the arugula in a large sieve and plunge it into the boiling water. Immediately immerse all the arugula and stir so that it blanches evenly. Blanch for about 15 seconds. Remove, shake off the excess water, then plunge the arugula into the ice water bath and stir again so it cools as fast as possible. Drain well.

Squeeze the water out of the arugula with your hands until very dry. Roughly chop the arugula and put in a blender. Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste, olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts, and the vitamin C, if using. Blend for at least 30 seconds. In this way the green of the arugula will thoroughly color the oil. Add the cheese and pulse to combine. The pesto will keep several days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
Pull out before dinner to get to room temperature. Before serving, add the remaining 1 tablespoon toasted pinenuts.

Red Lentil Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I love red lentils. They are smaller and lighter than the traditional green or brown lentils, they  cook up excellently in this hearty and flavorful soup.

Red Lentil & Roasted Red Pepper Soup

1 tbsp oil`
1 onion chopped
5 garlic cloves chopped
1 yellow summer squash chopped
2 large carrots chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bag of red lentils
1/2 cup white wine
3 roasted red peppers
1- 24 oz can of chopped tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
grated parmesian cheese for serving

Heat oil over medium heat in a stockpot. Add veggies and saute until onion is soft, then add red pepper flakes and stir for 1 min. Add lentils, wine, peppers, tomatoes and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook covered over low heat until the lentils have swelled and veggies are cooked. (30 -45 min) Using a blender, puree the soup in batches. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the vinegar. Serve sprinkled with cheese.

Melanzani Salata

This is a traditional Greek dip also sometimes referred to as Baba Ganoush, my grandmother made for us a lot at the end of summer when the eggplants were fresh. It is beautifully flavorful and packed with great things for your body. It also seems to be a great way to get eggplant-o-phobes to eat this amazing veggie.

Melanzani Salata

3 medium eggplants
5 garlic cloves lightly rubbed with veggie oil
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tablesppons of Olive Oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place washed, whole eggplants in a large baking dish along with the 5 garlic cloves in skin and rubbed with veggie oil. Bake together 1 1/2 -2 hours until the eggplants are shriveled and very soft and the garlic is browned and soft inside when you poke it. Let them stand for a while until they are cooled. Then peel the eggplant and garlic cloves and place the soft insides into a blender or food processor. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and process. Serve warm or chilled with pita or veggies.

Grapefruit Marmalade

I ahd a few Grapefruits left over from my Fair Food site this week and decided to try this. It turned out so great. Amazing taste. There are a lot of steps, but I found that this recipe does not mind waiting on your schedule. So cut your fruit  while you watch TV, then boil it and put it in the fridge to rest while you rest, and when you have time the next day take an hour to boil it with the sugar and process it. Enjoy...it is delicious!!

Recipe for grapefruit marmalade which makes 4 half pints.

Ingredients:

• 2 large grapefruits, thick skinned
• 1 large lemon, thick skinned
• 2 cups water
• 4 cups granulated sugar

Preparation:

Peel grapefruit and lemon; cut away inner white part of peel, leaving rind and white pith. Cut rind into slivers 3/4 inch long and 1/8 inch wide. Chop fruit coarsely, reserving juice.(This recipe thinks that you have to be precise...I really don't think so, slice your rinds thin and chop the fruit. not such a big deal. also...make sure you squeeze out your inner pith and get all that juice out!!)

In an 8-quart nonreactive heavy kettle over moderately high heat, simmer rind, chopped fruit, reserved juice and water, uncovered, 10 minutes. Pour into a large heatproof glass bowl and let stand, covered, in a cool place overnight.

Return mixture to kettle. Add sugar and set over moderate heat. Insert a candy thermometer and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until thermometer registers 218 degrees F to 220 degrees F. I put my canning water on when I start this so that when the marmalade reaches the 220 degree mark I am all ready to process. (p.s. don't forget to sterilize your jars and prepare you lids while this is boiling)

Remove from heat, skim off foam and ladle into sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe rims, seal jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (15 minutes for altitudes above 6000 feet). Remove jars from water bath, let cool for 12 hours and test for airtight seals. Label and store in a cool, dark place. If you decide not to sterilize and process jars, refrigerate marmalade and serve within three weeks.
Makes 4 half-pints

Pumpkin Scones with Cranberry Butter

This scone recipe rocks and it is so nice on a cold fall morning. Enjoy!!

Cranberry Butter:
2 Tablespoons Dried Cranberries
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Dough:
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or just mix your own sweet spices)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 cup cold butter
1 egg
1/2 cup canned (or home pureed) pumpkin
1/3 cup whole milk

Place cranberries ina small bowl; add boiling water. Let stand for five minutes, drain and chop. In a small mixing bowl beat butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and cranberries; mix well. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, spices, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl whisk together egg, pumpkin and milk; add to dry mixture and stir together with a fork until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 10 times. Pat into an 8-inch circle. Cut into eight wedges. Place wedges on a greased or wax papered cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes

Greek Barley Salad

This is an easy grain salad that goes well with any chicken or fish, or add chick peas to make it veggie.

Greek Barley Salad

1 cup pearl barley
1/2 cucumber diced
2 roma tomatoes diced
1/4 cup diced fennel
1/2 cup chopped dill
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 lemon juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Boil one quart of water and add barley. Cover and reduce heat to low, cook until barley is soft 20- 25 min. Drain and set aside in a medium bowl. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, fennel, dill, feta, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss and refrigerate until you are ready to eat.

Zucchini Bran Muffins

When you run out of ideas.....Great recipe to use up some of that huge crop of zucchini from your garden this summer.

 Zucchini Bran Muffins

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup oats
1/3 cup flax bran (or wheat germ, or miller's bran)
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 stick butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup almond milk (you can use reg milk if you want)
2/3 cup rasins
2 cups grated zucchini


Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl whisk the flours, bran and oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream butter with sugar until it is light and fluffy, add eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet, beat in the milk and stir in the raisins and zucchini. Divide the batter among 12 well buttered or paper lined muffin tins. *(I found that I had to fill the tins pretty full. the batter does not rise as much as cupcakes or regular muffins, and i had more batter than i needed, it made 3 more)* Bake muffins for 25 - 30 minutes until tester comes out clean. Turn muffins out onto a rack and let them cool.

Nappa cabbage salad with Chicken

This salad is AWESOME!!! We all loved it, and this cabbage is way high on the Nutrient Density Index. Nappa cabbage is much less rubbery than regular cabbage. The white parts are similar to bok choy but the leafy parts are much more like a lettuce. Very refreshing for a summer day.

Nappa Cabbage Salad

1/2 large head of Nappa Cabbage chopped
3 scallions chopped
2 carrots julienned
1 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 cup snow pea pods ends trimmed and cut into thirds
2 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon Chinese 5 spice
raman or soba noodles

Dressing:
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

Bring one quart of water to a boil. Add Chinese 5 spice and chicken. While chicken cooks prepare veggies. Mix all veggie ingredients in a large deep bowl. Combine Dressing ingredients in a smaller bowl and set aside. Remove chicken from the water to a small bowl after 20 min or until chicken is cooked through. Add raman or soba noodles to the seasoned water and cook to taste. When you are ready to serve, toss salad with dressing. Serve salad with some of the noodles and chicken on top.

Bible Study Lunch

This is from June, I thought I had worked on in and lost it, but I found it today, and figured I would finish it and post it for posterity sake :)

Ladies Community Bible study at Calvary Baptist Church is an anchor for me. I need to have these ladies in my life. They are a wonderful mix of ages, races and experiences, and the study provides a place for us all to seek God through His word, and share and encourage each other. In honor of the last week of our Spring study I made lunch for us all, and successfully pulled it off with redistributed Fair Foods produce. The food was good, but the fellowship was better. Ladies...I will miss you this summer.

Our Menu:


Potato Leek Soup

Butternut Squash Soup


Spinach Salad with walnuts, cranberries and pears

Italian Salad


Fresh fruit


i am sure you can see the baked goods ;)

Here is the recipe for the Butternut Squash soup:


Butternut Squash soup


1 butternut squash peeled, seeded, diced

2 carrots diced

2 stalks of cellery diced

1 onion diced

2 cloves garlic minced

1 inch fresh ginger grated
 4 cups stock
cinnamon
Salt and Pepper
2 cups milk

heat 1 tbsp butter in the bottom of a large stockpot. saute onion, garlic, ginger, celery and carrot. Cook until onion is opaque. Add squash and stock. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for about 20 min or until the squash is soft. Either by pureeing in a blender in batches or with an immersion blender puree the soup. Add up to 2cups of milk, you may need less if you like your soup to be thicker. Season with salt and pepper and cinnamon to taste.

Eggplant Roulades

This Saturday my parents were visiting and I made them dinner. Mom wanted the recipe (which I made up, so I needed to write it anyway) so I am posting it here.  :) Enjoy!

Eggplant Roulades

1 Eggplant
1 large tomato diced
1/2 onion diced
2 cloves garlic diced
1 medium zucchini diced
1/4 cup roasted red peppers diced
1 tablespoon pesto
1 cup cooked white rice
1/4 cup white wine
1 carrot grated
2 chicken fillets
crumbled feta cheese
tomato sauce

Set oven at 350. First poach the chicken fillets in white wine with salt and pepper. (Poaching is easy...just heat about 1/2 inch of liquid in a frying pan to boiling, add the meat, cover, reduce the heat and cook until the meat is done)

Next: Saute the onion, add garlic, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Add the rest of the diced veggies until they are starting to get soft. Add the wine, rice, pesto and roasted peppers. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Turn off the heat. Shred the chicken and add it to the pan. Remove the top and bottom rounded ends of the eggplant. Cut it lengthwise into thin sheets. When you are ready to roll the roulades add 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese to the veggie/rice mix. Prepare a 9x13 pan by coating the bottom with tomato sauce. Take one sheet of eggplant place about 3/4 cup of filling in the middle of the eggplant and gently fold the ends into the middle to make a roll. Place the roll crease side down in the pan. Continue until you run out of filling. Spoon sauce on top of the roulades, and sprinkle with some feta. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min or until the eggplant is soft.

Fava Falafel Flop

So today was fun. Three of our butterflies emerged which was fascinating. But dinner...didn't go so well. I tried the Falalfel recipe (three blogs down) I prepared it soon after I finished cooking the Fava beans and then put it in a container in the fridge. It tasted good, and looked OK. Today I followed the directions to cook it up for dinner. I also made a beautiful marinated cucumber and tomato salad. The oil was hot, I put in my first ball of falalfel into the pan, it sizzled nicely....and then disintegrated into the oil.  WHAT???!!! So i tried another route. i heated up the grill pan prepared to just grill them a patties. I put them on the pan, they started to cook, then spread like pancakes and go all mushy. :-( I WAS NOT HAPPY.
It was very sad for me to have to scrape off the crusty bits of falalfel mix back into the Rubbermaid container. The boys weren't too put out  because they got to go get pizza at Costco. I need to get a better falalfel recipe, and learned the painful lesson that not everything you read on the Internet is true. That recipe sucked.

My next project: I am making lunch for the ladies at my Bible study this Thursday for our final meeting. My goal is to make a fresh, free and delicious meal using only things I can get from Fair Foods. Easy. I will keep you posted.

Fava beans Are Done

 

 The beans have been hulled and blanched and shelled. I could not figure out how to turn this picture, so you will just have to turn your head. What is in the colander are the beans, and what is next to that are the shells, post blanching. Whew!! they are a lot of drama, but they made some yummy stuff. 

Tim and I made the fava bean hummus which is excellent. Good texture, I might add some more garlic next time because ours is a bit bland, but I think I am used to tasting hummus with the tahini in it.

We also made the Fava bean pasta sauce and had that for dinner over fettuchini last night. That went over really well. Everyone liked it. The two changes I made were that I boiled some peas with the noodles then added the sauce, and I used Feta cheese instead of the Parmesan because that is what I had.

I prepared the Falfel mix, and the consistency looks good. We will see how it cooks up tomorrow.

All in all I like fava beans, they are yummy and good for you, but if someone had not given me a huge box of them I probably would not have gone through all the work to prep them. Once they are hulled, blanched, shelled and cooked they are easy to work with and very versatile, but again, a lot of time for something not terribly glamorous. :)

Super Scones

I meant to post this last week, but didn't. Dwight and I were talking about scones and I wanted to post my Super Scone recipe. This one works AWESOME every time, and it can be switched up so easily depending on what you have in the pantry. I made some today for Bible study with dried cranberries and golden raisins with a citrus glaze. They were awesome. Use this recipe, make it your own and enjoy.

Scones

3 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter cut into pieces
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup + 1 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 450. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. (this is also where you would add any spices, ex: 1 tsp cinnamon) Incorporate butter with a pastry blender until the pieces are pea size or smaller. Add the dried cherries (or cranberries, apricots, bananas, chocolate chips, nuts, etc...) and stir to coat them with the flour. Slowly stir in milk using a fork. When the dough is just coming together turn it out onto your work surface and knead 14 times. Form into a flat disk about one inch high and cut into eight equal wedges. (Sometimes here I will brush the scones with milk and sprinkle with sugar, if I am not glazing them) Bake on parchment for 15 -18 min until the edges are browned and the insides are no longer doughy. Cool completely before glazing.

Citrus Glaze:

1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons of orange juice

Stir all ingredients together. Add small amounts of juice if the icing is too thick, or sugar if it is too thin. The icing can be drizzled on or you can dip the tops of the scones in the icing and let it drip down the sides. Let the icing harden completely before you store or serve.

Two more Fava bean recipes

Just so that you don't think I can't spell...the recipes spell it FAVA, but the box says FABA. I am pretty sure they are the same thing, but anyway... some more things I may try. there are A Lot of beans :)

Falafel is more commonly prepared with chickpeas, however this falafel recipe is made with a combination of fava beans and chickpeas.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried, peeled fava beans
• 1/2 cup dried, peeled chickpeas
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsely, stems removed and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• oil for frying

Preparation:

Soak beans overnight in water. Drain and rinse. Preheat oil to 350 degrees. 2 inches of oil in a frying pan will suffice. I prefer to use vegetable or canola oil, but olive oil can be used also.

Place beans in food processor and blend. Add remaining ingredients to form a thick paste-like consistency. If too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency.

Remove falafel mixture from processor. Spoon falafel into hot oil by the tablespoon. Fry for about 2 minutes or until falfel is a golden brown color.

Serve falafel by itself, or with hot pita bread with veggies, hummus, or tahini sauce. 

 

Fava Bean Dip

This is a very simplified version of a traditional fava bean dip called bessara. The original recipe calls for the soaking of dried beans and all that jazz, but if you don't have the time or patience, this recipe is for you.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of fava beans, drained
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne flakes (not powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon parsley for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Add fava beans, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic to food processor. Blend well and add remaining ingredients. You want the consistency to be of a puree - not runny, but not too thick either. It should resemble other dips, like hummus.

Transfer dip to saucepan and heat until desired temperature. It should be served hot, but some people prefer it to be warm. Serve it with hot pita bread triangles or pita chips for a tasty snack

Artichokes

We got a bunch of fresh artichokes last week. My kids LOVE artichokes, but they are kind of funny to work with if you have never cooked them before. This is how you do it.
1. Trim off the top, and snip off all the thorns off the tips of the leaves.
2. Place them in a steamer basket above boiling water. Add garlic, bay leaves and lemon to the water. cover and steam for 25-45 minutes, until petals easily pull away from the stem.
3. remove from steamer and eat.
-You eat them by pulling off a petal and raking it between your teeth to remove the flesh. Petal ends can be dipped in melted butter or mayo with a little lemon.
-When you get to the middle there is a bristly part, don't eat that, this part is called the choke. After you remove it you can eat the artichoke heart that is beneath it.

Faba Beans

I came home the other day to a stack of boxes at my door and a bunch of 30 helium balloons tied to the kid's playhouse. Grandma Nancy had visited and left us several boxes of produce. One was full of Faba beans. I have never used them before, so now I am educating myself on how to prepare them. Apparently they are pretty labor intensive. I need to shell them and then blanch them to remove the tough skins. i am excited about the recipes that I found. I am posting them here so I don't loose them, and then I will report back about how they turned out.

Moroccan Fava Bean Stew

1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tomato, cored and diced
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
2 cups diced pumpkin or butternut or acorn squash
1 cup cooked small fava or cranberry beans, drained
1 cup cooked or canned chick peas, drained
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons harissa (Moroccan chile paste)
1 cup couscous

1. Saute onions and bell pepper in 2 tablespoons water for about 5 minutes.Add tomato and garlic and cook for 4 minutes more.  
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except couscous) and cook for 30 minutes over medium heat until the squash is tender. Stir occasionally.

2. Stir in the couscous, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

p.s. Harissa is a chili paste made with chilis, garlic, olive oil and water pureed into a paste. You can make it yourself at home or purchase some. I have only ever seen asian chili pastes at the store, but I am going to look. 

Pasta with Fresh Fava Bean Sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups cooked, peeled fava beans
3/4 pound dried fettuccine
pecorino or Parmesan cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan . Add the garlic and saute until light brown. Stir in the oregano, then add 1 cup of the stock. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, and add 1-1/2 cups of the fava beans. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors.

2. Scrape into a blender and puree with the remaining 1/2 cup stock until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan and add the remaining 1/2 cup favas. Simmer gently and taste for seasoning. Add salt and especially pepper.

3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Pour the pasta into a warm serving bowl and add the sauce. Toss well and thin with the pasta water, if necessary, until the sauce is glossy and not sticky. Serve immediately. Grate the cheese over the top at the table.

Scafata (Umbrian Fava Bean Stew)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup shelled fava beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fennel
1 1/2 cups chopped chard leaves
1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes
salt, pepper

1. Cook oil, beans, onion, fennel, carrot and chard over low heat in medium saucepan. 
2. When beans are quite tender, after about 45 minutes, add tomatoes and cook for another 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Wedding Cake

So I have not posted anything healthy and good because for the last few weeks I have been consumed with wedding cake. It was a pretty awesome cake. I am very proud of it. I used a lemon ginger butter cake. Each tier had four layers of cake and three filing layers. Two layers of apricot cognac filling, and one chocolate ganache.
The cake was covered in fondant and decorated with raffia and fresh flowers.

p.s. All the ingredients were organic and fairly purchased