Recipes

Here is where I will post recipes that I’ve mentioned, if they’re not available online somewhere. (If they are online, I’ll put the link in each entry.)

Armenian-style Braised Beef (variation on Tass Kebab)

2 lbs. boneless round roast or top sirloin

2 T. olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1 t. salt

1/2 t. paprika

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 t. ground allspice

1/4 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 cup tomato paste diluted with 1/2 cup water

1/4 cup dry red wine

1 carrot, sliced

Other veggies as desired

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan (one with a cover available) over medium heat. Brown the meat on all sides, then add the sliced onions (along with a teaspoon of butter for flavor, if desired). Add the wine, diluted tomato paste, plus salt and spices to the pan. Stir to blend; bring to a simmer, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for and hour and a half. Add carrot (and other root veggies as desired; if using non-root veggies, add them closer to the end of cooking time). Cover, and simmer for another half-hour, or until meat is tender.

Black-Bean Chili (variation on a theme by Fine Cooking)

1 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 medium chipotle, chopped, plus 2 Tbs. adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 large onion, finely diced

1 small zucchini, chopped

1-1/2 tsps. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 lime, juiced

1 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, season with salt, and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until it loses its raw color, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and zucchini, and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown and soften. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook for 20 seconds. Add the chipotle, the black beans, the tomatoes and the wine; reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 min., stirring frequently. Add the lime juice, half of the cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. If the chili is thicker than you like, it may be thinned with water or more wine. Serve over brown rice, topped with remaining cilantro.

Bobotie

(South African meatloaf)

As written in the Extending the Table cookbook

Soak 1 large slice bread in:

¾ c. milk

In frypan, melt:

1 T. margarine

Add:

1 T. curry powder

½ t. sugar

1 t. ground turmeric

¼ t. salt

dash of pepper

1 T. lemon juice or vinegar

In mixing bowl, combine:

Soaked bread (squeeze out milk and reserve)

Fried onions and seasonings

1 egg

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

Mix well.

Put into well-greased casserole or loaf pan.

Whisk together and pour over meat:

1 egg

reserved milk

dash of salt and pepper

Bake at 350F for 45 to 50 minutes, or until egg mixture is set. Serve with rice or potatoes, and chutney.

Now, for my variations: Since I’m not eating wheat at the moment, I used a gluten-free multigrain bread. I used a combination of unsalted butter and olive oil rather than margarine, and I included one whole large onion, sliced—more than the ½ cup in the recipe. I increased sugar to 1 tsp. and salt to 1/4 tsp. I chose malt vinegar, and I added ¼ cup raisins to the ground meat mixture. I put 2 eggs, rather than one, in the ground meat mixture. And since I was serving it as a brunch meal, I topped the meat with 8 whisked eggs (not just one), combined with the reserved milk. My dish served 8 people, and I came away with leftovers.

Soft Wheat-Free Chocolate Ginger Cookies

Dough:

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup turbinado sugar

1 egg

1 cup whole-grain emmer (or spelt) flour

1 cup oat flour

½ cup brown rice flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

¼ cup dry cocoa powder

2 T half-and-half

2 T cold water

Coating:

½ tsp ground ginger powder

2 to 3 T fine white sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and beat well. Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa. Mix the half-and-half and water (or just use ¼ cup milk). Add flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture alternately with the milk. Combine the ground ginger and the sugar; roll tablespoonsful of dough in the ginger-sugar blend then place onto greased baking sheets (or parchment paper). Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

NOTE: These cookies are NOT gluten-free — they are wheat-free. Both emmer and spelt contain gluten and may not be tolerated by those on a gluten-free diet.

Lyford’s Logger Stew (from Loaf and Ladle Cookbook)

2 lbs. stewing beef or London broil, cut in cubes

2 lg. onions, diced

3 carrots, diced

3 med. potatoes, peeled and diced

4 or 5 bay leaves

1 T. paprika (mild)

1 tsp. allspice

½ tsp. ground cloves

¼ cup lemon juice

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

2-3 T. sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Put the beef in a pot with cold water to just cover, simmer and skim until the broth remains clear. Peel and dice the veggies and add them to the meat with the bay leaves and all the other ingredients. Add water to cover and simmer until all the veggies are cooked and the meat is tender.

Note: I used sweet potato instead of regular potato; I cut back on the bay leaves, only using two; and I added a peeled and chopped parsnip because I had one and it needed to be used. I also only had a bit more than a pound of beef, so I adjusted the other quantities accordingly.

(from Madhur Jaffrey’s World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking)

Yogurt with Spinach

(Middle East)

Serves 6

5 T olive oil

1 med onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, mashed to a pulp

¼ c fresh parsley, finely minced

2 t salt

1 t sugar

10 to 16 oz fresh spinach, trimmed & washed & blanched OR frozen spinach, cooked, drained, squeezed, then minced

2 c plain yogurt

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a 7- to 8-inch skillet over a medium flame. Put in the onion; stir and fry, turning the heat down when necessary, until the onion is soft. Put in the garlic. Stir and sauté for 15 seconds. Put in the parsley and sauté for another 15 seconds. Turn off the heat and allow this mixture to cool in the skillet.

Squeeze as much liquid from the spinach as you can, then mince it.

Put the yogurt into a bowl and beat it lightly with a fork or a whisk until it is smooth and creamy. Add all the ingredients from the skillet, plus the spinach, the remaining 1 tsp. salt, and some freshly ground pepper. Mix.

Quinoa Salad (from Angela)

1 C red quinoa

1 med tomato

2 T fresh basil

1/4 c celery

1/4 c dark kale

1/2 c goat cheese (or feta)

dressing:

Juice of 1 lemon

1 T olive oil

1/4 t salt

dash pepper

Cook Quinoa, let cool.  Small dice veggies.  Shred cheese.  Toss.  Serve with a smile, and some clothes on, unless, well, you know, naked is convenient.

–Ang

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal

From The Red Lion Inn Cookbook (© 1992)

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

3 cups cold water

1 cup cold milk

¼ tsp. salt

2 T. light brown sugar

1 T. raisins

Combine the oatmeal, water, milk and salt in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to stand until it has reached the desired consistency. (It will thicken as it stands.) Sprinkle with sugar and raisins, and serve. Serves 6.

To make a single serving, I divide the quantities by 6, thus beginning with 1/3 cup of oatmeal. I skip the raisins but sprinkle with chopped nuts instead.

Fennel with Raisins and Saffron

From Tolstoy Farms’ CSA newsletter, July 31, 2010

1 pound fennel bulb (set aside stalks)

¼ cup almonds, lightly toasted

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

10 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ teaspoon each salt and pepper

¼ cup raisins

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

½ teaspoon grated orange zest

¼ cup fresh orange juice

Pinch of saffron threads, crumbled

½ cup chopped cilantro

Slice fennel lengthwise, ¼-inch thick. Coarsely crush almonds with a rolling pin. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet until it shimmers, then sauté fennel with garlic, salt and pepper until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in almonds, raisins, coriander, zest, juice and saffron, and sauté until raisins start to plump, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro just before serving at room temperature, using fennel fronds for garnish.

Verdura Mista #1 (interpretation of Verdura Trovata)

From Italian Family Cooking

1 large potato

1 stalk celery

½ pound escarole

1 pound fresh spinach

½ pound Savoy cabbage

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel and dice the potato. Clean celery and cut into 1-inch pieces. Wash and chop escarole, spinach and cabbage. In a deep pot, blanch all vegetable together. When water returns to a boil, drain and set vegetable aside, saving ½ cup of the liquid. Heat oil and garlic in a wide skillet. As garlic begins to brown, add vegetables and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over low heat until vegetables are tender. Add reserved water as needed.