Eggplant Meatless Balls

I saw this recipe for eggplant meatballs. I had to try it.  Of course I changed a little, well, a lot.  I like them okay.  If I was a  vegetarian I would definitely put it on my rotation.   But honestly, its not meatballs and alas, that is what I prefer.  I don't really make meatballs all that much but when I do, I want the real thing.

Having said that, I might make them again because they are pretty healthy but I would change a few things. I probably would have added some more pecorino romano and some finely chopped walnuts or even finely chopped mushrooms.

Eggplant Meatless Balls

3 cups eggplant, roasted and pulsed in the food processor
2 eggs
1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)(You can definitely replace this with bread crumbs if you like)
1/4 cup bread crumbs or panko, give or take
1/4 cup of basil chopped finely
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
2 garlic cloves minced finely
1/4 cup heaping, parsley, chopped finely
1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 to 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated

Mix everything together except the bread crumbs.  Let eh mixture sit for 30 minutes at least.  This will give the TVP time to absorb the liquids from the eggplant. After you let it sit, if the mixture is still very liquid like and you are unable to roll it in balls, then add some bread crumbs.  A little at a time.  Once you are able to form balls, roll them all up into balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350F until they turn golden.  After that they are ready to take a bath in the sauce. Yeah!

Lentil Tacos

This Tuesday Taco thing is going on is killing me.  You see we are not the typical household family. I am a foodie.  I have some things that I do every year but I like to try new things.  If I do Taco Tuesday like my daughter wants me to, this severely limits my exploration.  Not to mention beef can be pretty expensive and to my other daughter that is a vegetarian, it does not seem like a good idea at all.  Mind you, I am not complaining because these are good problems.  Having food and food choices is a very good problem.  What to do?...

Enter the lentil.  I could wax on poetic about the virtues of lentils. I probably have already done so in previous posts.  I actually was listening to The Splendid Table and learned even more great things about lentils.  They are my heroes.

It seems the lentil is quite a good crop to grow.  Lentils have the ability to take bacteria in the soil, combine it with nitrogen an make their own fertilizer.  Genius.  These fabulous little legumes are amazing!

Meatless Tacos

1 tablespoon Bold Chipotle Seasoning
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup black beluga lentils*

3 teaspoons taco seasoning or a packet**
2 tablepoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
3 tablespoons water

In a sauce pan boil about 3 cups of water, Chipotle Seasoning, cumin and a cup of lentils.  Cook until the lentils are cooked but not falling apart.

Drain the water from the lentils.  In that same pan add in the taco seasoning.  Spoon in tomato paste. Keep it stirring.  Make a slurry of corn starch with about 3 tablespoons of water.  Pour the cornstarch mixture into the lentils.  Stirs until it kind of thickens.  Add in salt and pepper to your taste.

*If you can not find black beluga then just use brown.  But under cook them when boiling rather than overcooking.
**If you have a taco seasoning packet, skip the cornstarch and sugar.

Apricot Red Lentil Soup

Seriously. I had never heard of this before.  Apricots, in my red lentil soup?  Yuh huh.  Loved it. I have seen many recipes on line for this but none of them with the amount of apricots that I am going to tell you to use. Your choice- but it was fruity and homey at the same time.

Apparently this soup is Armenian.  I do know apricots are a large part of certain Middle Eastern cuisines.  So I understand its origins.  I have made stuffed grape leaves with apricots and that was totally delicious as well.

Armenian Red Lentil Soup with Apricots


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 1/2 cups red lentils
5 cups chicken stock
3 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped or a 1/2 cup canned tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Saute onion, garlic and apricots in olive oil.  Add lentils and stock.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer about 30 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and season with cumin salt and pepper.  Simmer for ten minutes more.  Stir in lemon juice and blend 1/2 of soup in blender or use an immersion blender.

Weight Watcher Wednesday: Zucchini Risotto with Sun Dried Tomatoes

This is a fabulous dish of deliciousness.  Really it does not get any better than this.  Well, maybe with all fresh vegetables from the garden.  For sure I will be making this in the summer.  And it would be so nice on the grill.  It's a meal in itself but I dont see why you couldnt add a grilled piece of chicken along side.  For me, I was totally content just having the risotto.

Zucchini Risotto with Sun Dried Tomatoes
Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers New Companion Cookbook; WIley Publishing, Inc.

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth/stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup onion, chopped
4 medium zucchini, chopped
1/2 dry white wine
1 1/3 cups Arborio rice
16 sun dried tomatoes, snipped into small pieces with kitchen sheers
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dired
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bring tomato juice and veegtable broth to a boil in a seperate pan.  Cover and keep on low simmer.

In a fairly large sauce pan or a stock pot, saute the onion in oil until soft.  Add chopped zucchini and wine.  Cook five minutes.  Add the rice cook and stir one minute. 

Add a cup of the stock mixture, sundried tomatoes, parsley, pepper, marjoram and cook stirring untilt he moisture is absorbed.  Add broth 1/2 cup at a time.  Repeat this step of adding broth until the rice is tender.  Stir in the parmesan.

1 1/2 cups is 360 calories.

Yellow Lentil Daal

Indian, for me, has a distinctive season, Autumn.  I don't know what it is.  Maybe it is the spices that make me think of warm spices of molasses in cookies and cinnamon in apples, pumpkin pie with all its spices.  It's not that I do not have Indian food in the summer spring and winter.  It's just that I really crave it in the Fall. 

I made this recipe and largely adapted it from KO Rasoi.  I wanted more fresh tasting so I chopped a lot of tomatoes to mix into it at the table, besides the tomatoes that are already in the dish as it cooks.  I served it with rice and really enjoyed it.   The only thing I would do differently is add cumin seeds.  I know I am not Indian and who am I to make these decisions.  But, hey, its my palette.  And my palette loves cumin. I love to inhale the smell of cumin seeds as they toast in the frying pan.  There is something absolutely captivating about that smell.  I did not have all the lentils she suggests in her recipe so I made due with what I had.  I am sure I had the basic idea of the recipe.

I used the leaves from my curry plant that I have growing in the house.  If you know how large curry plants can get then you would probably giggle at my little plant but I am proud of it.  It recently went through a transformation.  I have had it over a year.  The first year and a couple months it grew rather slowly.  I kept wondering if it was going to make it.  Then it just started turning yellow and drying up and dying.  Or so I was beginning to think.  I let it go, kept watering despite its pathetic looking exterior.  You know that little thing was regenerating itself. Little leaves began to form and it grew.  It grew at a much faster rate than before and it is pretty filled out already.  I decided to use a few leaves.  Another smell in Indian cooking that absolutely makes me swoon.

Yellow Lentil Daal
I wished I had cilantro to add to this.  If you have it, use this.



1 ½ cups urad daal
1 ½ cups mung bean daal
6 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece ginger, grated
1 jalapeno, minced
1 tbsp ghee
1 star anise
1 small cinnamon stick
5-6 curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp asafoetida
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
½ tsp turmeric
Salt to taste

Rinse the daals.  Place in a saucepan with the water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer beans until tender.

In a frying pan heat the gheel in a large pan and add the mustard seeds. After the begin to pop, add the onion, garlic, ginger, chillies, asafoetida, curry leaves, star anise and cinnamon. Cook until aromatic.

Add the tomatoes, turmeric and cooked daal mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes and season with salt. Remove from the heat and add the coriander. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise before serving.

Edamame and Rice Salad

Love this kind of meal in the summer.  Minimal heat, maximum flavor, low fuss.  The only problem is that my kids don't get into this kind of meal.  All those colors mixed together- how could I?   

I used some fresh tarragon in this dish.  I have to say that its really what made this dish more flavorful.  In the past if I saw this recipe I might have skipped the tarragon.  Don't skip it.  If you cant find it fresh, you could use tarragon vinegar as a substitute. If you have never tried tarragon, it has a slight anise flavor.  My husband and I really enjoyed it. I definitely want to make it again when I can really load it up with fresh basil and parsley.  No, I didn't have basil in the recipe but it would make a great addition, along with some cherry tomatoes. 

So I have to share what happened the other day.  First I must warn you: Never put your kids in the dryer!
I'll explain why she is in the dryer.  Really, I had a perfectly good reason.  You see my daughter decided to leave a green crayon in her shorts pocket.  It was a washable crayon.  Let me tell you, washable does not mean that it comes off easy from dryer walls after it has melted.  Green - all over my dryer... and my clothes. We cleaned what we could reach.  She helped a lot so she could maybe remember not to stick crayons in her pocket.  I couldn't see the upper wall on the inside.  I had her climb in and wipe there.  I told her that under no uncertain circumstances was she, or her sister, to ever climb in the dryer again. For that time she had a blast, feeling all mischievous for being in there at all. And for your information, Magic Erasers worked perfectly- as soap and water did not.

Edamame and Rice Salad

1 1/2 cups frozen edamame, thawed
2 cups long-grain rice, cooked
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup chives, minced
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon tarragon, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, finely diced

Combine all.  Its delicious as soon as it comes together and equally delicious the next day.

SPICY ASIAN NOODLES

This is a real simple salad.  You can find Asian Noodle type salads all over the internet.  I got this idea from Cooking Light.  I never tire of these salads, light, delicious and so versatile.  I made it the other night for dinner and the leftovers were gone the next day.  So I made it for lunch today and packed up the remainder for lunches (no meat today but I used shrimp the other day).  With the price of food rising, we are eating more pasta and rice that is for sure.

SPICY ASIAN NOODLES
Adapted from this recipe at My Recipes, aka Cooking Light

Head of romaine chopped
1/4 cup hoison
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
14 ounces rice noodles

Boil a pot or kettle of water.  Place dry noodles in a heat proof bowl.  Pour boiling water over them.  Cover and let sit for about 7 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

While noodles are draining mix up the sauce: hoison, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar and chili garlic sauce. Whisk together.  Pour over noodles.  Add chopped green onions and cilantro and stir. Spoon noodles over bed of romaine and garnish with toasted peanuts.

Curried Kabocha

This is one of those quick whip ups that was a most delicious lunch.  I just want you to know that when I say curry I mean that, not in the curry powder you find in the stores (which frankly I do not dig at all) but rather a mix of ingredients that is Indian in nature. A curry is more a kin to a sauce than an actual specific mixture.  But anyway, since I am not Indian I am not even sure I am correct here.in my name of my dish.  I do know that kabocha is right.  I love kabocha squash.  It's nutty, rather like a chestnut than a squash in flavor but it also has that squash flavor as well.

Curried Kabocha

1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 inch nub ginger, grated
1 garlic clove grated
10 curry leaves
4 cups kabocha chopped
1/4 cup cilantro
s and p to taste


In a frying pan heat the ghee.  Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.  Saute until they begin to pop.  Add turmeric, curry leaves, ginger and garlic.  Cook one minute.  Add in the squash and saute until a bit brownish.  Add about a cup of water, cover and simmer until squash is tender.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with cilantro.

Kickin' Kraut Rolls and Super Samosas

Armed with some egg roll wrappers, I went to town over the past month.  I bought the egg roll wrappers to make my Mother's idea for a Polish quick and easy appetizer.  Sauer kraut rolled up in an egg roll and fried.  I served it with duck sauce.  I have to tell you that when that sour taste hits the sweet taste of the sauce there is quite and explosion in your mouth.  So delicious.  I could have these over and over again.

However, after having fried 3 cans of sauer kraut down and filling egg roll wrappers I still had some leftover wrappers.  I certainly did not feel like frying up more kraut.  So a few days later I had an idea to use them for samosa wrappers.  This is the first time I have made samosas. I know the texture of the wrapper is a bit different but I tell you it was no less delicious than the restaurants version of samosa. In fact the flavoring in this particular recipe of filling was a total winner.

Kickin' Kraut Rolls
Recipe/idea courtesy of Mom

3 cans of sauer kraut
1 package of egg roll wrappers
duck sauce for dipping (next time I think I will concoct some sweet beet dipping sauce to make them even more Polish like)

Fry sauer kraut down until most of the moisture has been released and kraut is golden.  Roll cooled kraut in egg rolls and fry or bake (I have done both).  Serve warm with dip.  Enjoy.

Super Samosas

egg roll wrappers

Samosa filling:
To learn how to roll samosas into handy triangles watch this video.

2 1/2 cups potatoes (boiled until just tender)
2/3 cup peas
2 tablespoons oil or ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon armchur/ mango powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder

In a large frying pan heat ghee, add cumin seeds and wait until they crack and pop a little.  Add the remainder of the spices and heat one minute.  Add potatoes, cover and cook five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in peas.

Cut egg roll wrappers in half and roll according to the instructions in the video linked above.

Dal Makhani

I first saw this dal on Steamy Kitchen blog.  It was photographed so perfectly, pulling me in with its beautiful lentils.  The version I made had a bit more spice than Jadens' but I want to say thank you to her for bringing this amazing dish to my attention.  We loved it.  I served it on Sunday.  Almost every Sunday I have my parents over for Sunday dinner. This past Sunday I thought I would make a complete Indian dinner.  It was a lot of work but well worth the effort.  My parents first encounter with Indian food was a pleasant one.  This is a feat because she equates Indian food (as I once did) tot he curry powder found in jars in the spice aisle of our love markets.  The certainly is not Indian food summed up in that little spice jar.


"The following is posting from the Chile-Heads mailing list which, I think, neatly sums up what a curry is (or rather isn't). The author is Brent Thompson who is highly knowledgeable on the subject and has lived in India. He wrote : "the term curry itself isn't really used in India, except as a term appropriated by the British to generically categorize a large set of different soup/stew preparations ubiquitous in India and nearly always containing ginger, garlic, onion, turmeric, chile, and oil (except in communities which eat neither onion or garlic, of course) and which must have seemed all the same to the British, being all yellow/red, oily, spicy/aromatic, and too pungent to taste anyway"" from The Curry House UK

So there you have it or maybe don't, a definition of curry.

I will post all the features of the feast in the next couple posts.  Chutneys, naan and gobi...  Here's a quick peak of the tables.  Ignore the coleslaw and raw cauliflower florets which the kids were eating.

Dal Makhani

1 cup de puy lentils (French green lentils)
1 large onion minced
1 1/2 cups tomato puree canned or fresh (I used canned)
2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup cilantro, minced

salt to taste

Cook lentils in 3 cups water until tender.  Add the remainder of ingredients, except cilantro and let simmer for about an hour.  Stir in cilantro just before serving.
* Note:  I added a bit more than 1 1/2 cups of tomato puree- next time I will only add 1 1/2 cups.

Daring Cooks: Stuffed Grape Leaves

This month yours truly hosted the Daring Cooks challenge of stuffed grape leaves.  Because I know so many people would be unable to find grape leaves we allowed other tough greens.  If you have the chance to acquire grape leaves I highly recommend this recipe- especially with the apricots if you are not vegetarian.  If you are vegetarian, the second recipe  is really delicious as well.  Don't be afraid of rolling.  It is way easier than you think it is.  I have put it off for years and was glad that the Daring Cooks needed someone because it was a perfect excuse to take the plunge.

And a plug (not being paid to say this), these two books are excellent sources of Middle Eastern food, Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Eastern Food a Borzoi Book, published by Alfred A. Knopf and Jewish Syrian food, Aromas of Aleppo by Poopa Dweck and Michael J. Cohen .  They are full of excellent recipes.  I have tried many of the recipes in this book and have not been disappointed.

Here are the checking lines for the month:  Our October 2010 hostess, Lori of Lori’s Lipsmacking Goodness, has challenged The Daring Cooks to stuff grape leaves. Lori chose a recipe from Aromas of Aleppo and a recipe from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food.


Historical Note: Stuffed grape leaves are a part of many cultures including the Syrians, the Turks, the Greeks, the Lebanese, the Albanians, the Israeli's, the Iranians, the Iraqis and the Armenians (just to name a few). Generally speaking the stuffed part could be in zucchinis/courgette, eggplant, tomato or peppers. Really it also extends to stuffing certain types of fish as well. It is suggested that the origin of stuffed grape leaves goes back to the time when Alexander the Great besieged Thebes. It has also been suggested the Byzantines refined and spiced up the recipe and used the leaves of other vines such as hazelnuts and figs.

THE CHALLENGE RECIPE
Preparation time: The recipe will take up to 2 hours, depending on how fast you roll. You can freeze them before boiling if you want to try to do half of the recipe ahead of time.
Equipment required:
Heatproof plate, lid or pie plate. Something to weight the stuffed grape leaves down in the sauce pan.
A sauce pan.

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Ground Meat and Rice with Apricot Tamarind Sauce/ Yebra
Adapted from Aromas of Aleppo by Poopa Dweck and Michael J. Cohen. Published by Harper Collins, 2007
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients for hashu/filling:
1 pound (455 gm) ground (minced) beef
1/3 cup (80 ml) (2 1/3 oz) (65 gm) short grain rice
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) all spice
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) cinnamon
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (3 gm) kosher (coarse) salt **if using regular table salt only use ½ tsp.**
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) white pepper
1 onion, chopped **optional**
1 cup (5½ oz) (150 gm) pine nuts **optional**
Directions:
1.Soak rice in water, enough to cover, for 30 minutes. Combine meat, rice, allspice, vegetable oil, cinnamon, salt, white pepper, and if desired, onion and pine nuts, in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
Ingredients for assembly:
1 pound (455 gm) hashu/filling (see recipe above)
36 preserved grape leaves, stems trimmed, drained, rinsed and patted dry
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
6 dried apricots – or more if you desire
3 tablespoons (45 ml) tamarind concentrate **if you can’t find it, you can omit it**
¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (9 gm) kosher (coarse) salt **if using regular table salt only use 1.5 tsp.**
Notes:
If using grape leaves preserved in brine, to remove salt put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Make sure that the water penetrates well between the layers, and leave them soaking for about twenty minutes, then change the water a time or two using fresh cold water.
If using fresh leaves, plunge a few at a time in boiling water for a few seconds only, until they become limp, and lift them out.
Tamarind is actually fairly easy to find.  There is a paste that is in package already made up.  You can find it at Asian, Mexican or Indian grocers.  You can also find the pods (a little more difficult) and make it yourself.  It is akin to a sweet/tangy tea flavor. If you can’t find it, you can skip the sauce all togheter. The grape leaves will be just as delicious without the sauce. But we hope that those that can find it will use it.
Directions:
1.Place a grape leaf on a flat surface, vein side up. You can trim the little stem if you would like.
2.Place about two teaspoons (10 ml) of the filling in the center of the leaf, near the stem edge.
3.Roll the leaf end to end, starting from the stem edge. As you roll, fold the sides of the leaf in toward the center. The leaf should resemble a small cigar, about 2 to 2 1/2 inches (50 mm to 65mm) long.
4.Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
a.(You can freeze the stuffed grape leaves at this point. Just line a baking sheet with wax paper. When firmly frozen, transfer to an airtight plastic bag place back in the freezer.)
5.In a medium saucepan put in the vegetable oil and then place the filled grape leaves in the pot.
6.Place apricots in between the stuffed grape leaves. Cover and cook over low heat for 5- 8 minutes or until the grape leaves begin to sweat.
7.Using all three tablespoons, place a little of the tamarind concentrate, if using, over the rolls.
8.Combine lemon juice, salt, and water then add to pan, filling it ¾ full.
9.Weigh down the grape leaves with a heat proof plate or board to prevent them from unraveling. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes.
a.Alternatively, place the saucepan in an oven preheated to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and cook for an hour.
10.Spoon cooking liquid over the grape leaves occasionally. You will know they are done, when the grape leaves are neither soupy nor dry.
11.Tilt pan sideways over serving platter, allowing the grape leaves to tumble out. Try not to handle them individually to reduce unraveling.
a.Alternately you can try spooning them out very gently.

Wara Einab or Dolma/Cold Stuffed Grape Leaves
Adapted from Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Eastern Food a Borzoi Book, published by Alfred A. Knopf
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
24 – 30 preserved or fresh grape leaves.
1¼ cups (300 ml) (9 oz) (250 gm) long grain rice
1- 3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped or 4 tablespoons (60 ml) (35 gm) finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (25 gm) finely chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (15 gm) crushed dried mint
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) ground allspice
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6½ gm) dill
Salt and pepper
2 tomatoes, sliced **optional**
3 or 4 cloves garlic
2/3 cup (160 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) sugar
Juice of 1 lemon or more
Notes:
If using grape leaves preserved in brine, to remove salt put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Make sure that the water penetrates well between the layers, and leave them soaking for about twenty minutes, then change the water a time or two using fresh cold water.
If using fresh leaves, plunge a few at a time in boiling water for a few seconds only, until they become limp, and lift them out.
Directions:
1.Pour boiling water over the rice and stir well, then rinse with cold water and let drain.
2.Mix the rice with the chopped tomatoes, onion or scallion, parsley, mint, cinnamon, allspice, dill, salt and pepper to taste.
3.Place a grape leaf on a flat surface, vein side up.

4.Place about two teaspoons (10 ml) of the filling in the center of the leaf, near the stem edge.

5.Roll the leaf end to end, starting from the stem edge. As you roll, fold the sides of the leaf in toward the center. The leaf should resemble a small cigar, about 2 to 2 1/2 inches (50 mm to 65mm) long.

6.Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.


a.(You can freeze the stuffed grape leaves at this point. Just line a baking sheet with wax paper. When firmly frozen, transfer to an airtight plastic bag place back in the freezer.)
7.Pack the stuffed leaves tightly in a large pan lined with tomato slices or imperfect grape leaves Place a whole garlic clove in between them for extra flavor. The tightness will help prevent the rolls from unraveling.

8.Mix together olive oil, 2/3 cup (160 ml) water, sugar and lemon juice and pour over the stuffed leaves. Put a small heat proof plate on top of the leaves to prevent them from unwinding, cover the pan and simmer very gently for about 1 hour, until the rolls are thoroughly cooked, adding water occasionally, a cup at a time, as the liquid in the pan becomes absorbed. Cool in the pan before turning out. Serve cold.
There are many variations you can use but here are just a few suggestions:
Add ¼ cup (60 ml) (1½ oz) (45 gm) raisins or currants and ¼ cup (60 ml) (1⅓ oz) (40 gm) pine nuts to the filling.
Mix a pinch or two of powdered saffron with the olive oil and water before pouring over the stuffed grape leaves.
Soak about ¼ cup (60 ml) (1½ oz) (45 gm) dried chickpeas in water overnight. Crush them using a processor or blender and add them to the filling. In this case use ¼ cup (60 ml) (1¾ oz) (50 gm) less rice. You could also use drained canned chickpeas.

Additional Information:
http://greekfood.about.com/od/greekcookinglessons/ss/foldleaves.htm
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/StuffedGrapeLeaves.htm
http://www.squidoo.com/stuffed-grape-leaves
Video:
http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Make-Stuffed-Grape-Leaves-101615656
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DlKlzltajg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSyOUhHzIoQ&feature=related

Barley Lentil Soup

For those of you who are here for food and want to me to cut right to the chase- here yah go.  I understand sometimes I am like that, blah blah blah, just give me the food.  Other times, especially when I have a cup of tea I read everything on everyones blog, loving every minute of it.

For those of you who like cats and want to hear me jabber, read below for a real Tom Cat Story.

Barley Soup Mix
This is one of those soups you can package in a pretty jar and give as a gift, with the instructions for soup.

1/4 cup pearl barley
1/4 cup green split peas
1/4 cup red lentils
4 beef or chicken bouillon cubes (I used my vegetable bouillon cubes that I have in the freezer)
2 teaspoons instant onion flakes ( I used a real onion)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (as you can see I used fresh)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder ( again fresh is better)
1 small bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme (again fresh)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper crushed
1 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped

Saute onion, carrots and celery in a large soup pot with a tablespoon of canola oil. Meanwhile rinse barley, peas and lentils, until water runs clear. When onions are translucent add the beans lentils and barley to the pot with five cups of water, seasonings (except basil), and vegetable bouillon.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer soup slowly. Cook one hour and fifteen minutes. until barley is softened.


The Pretty Kitty Story-

Let me start off by saying that I am allergic to cats.  I hate it because I would probably have had one by now.  I had one as a child growing up but near the end of her life I started having allergies that gradually became much worse after her passing.

I feel for my kids because I want so much to give them a dog or a cat.  I feel like I am cheating them out of some special love that you can receive from a pet.  No, I am not willing to take drugs unnecessarily to have a pet.  And yes I have checked into low allergen pets.

Anyway, something magical has happened.  A cat who I have seen many times over the past couple years patrolling my backyard for moles and rabbits and what nots, came to our door. He was there one summer day in August, sitting by the patio door, meowing, wanting something from me.  I poured a small amount of milk in a bowl and went to give it to him on our back stoop.  As soon as I opened the screen, he bolted into our house.  He came in and I moved his bowl inside.  He visited for a time and then left.  A week or so later he was back.  We gave him more milk.  He started coming more regularly.  Just recently I gave him some chicken gizzards- more on that at another time.  And he fell in love with me.  Not for me, per say, but for my chicken gizzards.  The longest he has stayed at our house is three hours.

I am pretty okay allergy wise for that time, so it is totally cool.  The kids get to pet him.  I don't have to clean a litter box.  I don't have to pay vet bills.  Totally. A very perfect arrangement.

I did start wondering where our friend was from.  He has no collar.  One day I saw him walk home to our neighbors a few doors down.  My husband and I went to their house for a visit. Just to make sure everything was cool.  They told us that "Shag" was kind of a community cat.  They can not keep him at their house.  They have other cats and he is not really interested in divided attention.  He wants to be loved completely and they also said that he does not want to be fed Friskies either.  A previous neighbor use to give him tuna and milk.  I think he will be coming around more now that he knows he can get some good eats at our house. Such a guy.

Pasta e Fagoli and Tuscan Seasoning Mix

You know when I go out for dinner the last place I want to go is to an Italian place. That's not to say that I wouldn't be totally happy eating my way across Italy. I am talking about Americanized Italian food for the most part. You see my Mom was not Italian but she made great Italian food for my father all the time. We had it on a regular basis when I was growing up. Most restaurants can not compare to hers or now mine (because of her and what she taught me). When I go out I want something I can not easily do at home. This is one dish you can do easily at home and it would beat the pants off anything you could find at an American Italian eatery (well most anyway).

This here recipe was especially good because it was made with fresh summer tomatoes. You can easily subsitute the canned variety. I broke up some low carb spaghetti for this recipe but certainly put any kind pasta you have on hand for yours. Bon Apetito!

Pasta e Fagoli

5 whole tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup basil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
2 teaspoons Tuscan Italian seasoning (recipe to follow)
2 sage leaves, minced or 1/2 teaspoon dried
4 cups vegetable broth 
1/4 to a 1/2 pound spaghetti
1 can or 2 cups soaked beans, I used garbanzo but canneloni work well here
2 large potatoes (about 2 cups)

Combine olive oil and butter in a soup pot and saute onions and then garlic.  The onions should be slightly golden.  Add tomatoes, broth and all the herbs and seasonings.   Chop potatoes into cubes and add to the pot.  Add the beans.  Cover and let cook until the potatoes are practically falling apart (20 minutes to a half of an hour). Add pasta and let cook until tender.

Serve with fresh basil and parmesan or asiago.  I also like to sprinkle some red pepper flakes in as well.  Dah-licious!

Tuscan Italian Seasoning Mix

1/4 cup oregano
1/4 cup dried basil
2 tablespoons ground fennel
1 tablespoon garlic
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
*and if you have dried red pepper, grind that into a powder and add about a tablespoon.

Combine all the ingredients for a knock out seasoning!

Daring Cooks: Nut Butters and Cashew Carrot Soup

The July 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by Margie of More Please and Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make their own nut butter from scratch, and use the nut butter in a recipe. Their sources include Better with Nut Butter by Cooking Light Magazine, Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds, and Food Network online.
There was much ado about this months challenge. A few people were in an uproar about the simplicity of this months challenge. While I understand waht they are saying, I was happy about the simplicity and used it as a challenge to try something completely different. I made cashew carrot soup.

How did it taste? Eh, it was okay. My husband went crazy over it. I will play with this recipe a little because I think it has potential. In all fairness I had omitted the onion.  What was I thinking?

What I did like was mixing the cashew butter I made with soy sauce, etc, the recipe follows. Its really a typical dish around here - mixed with soba noodles. The cashews ground down fresh were amazing and totally beat out the peanut butter that I usually use. No pictures though.


Cashew Dressing:
½ inch (1 cm) slice of fresh ginger, chopped
8 cloves garlic, more or less to taste, chopped
½ cup (120 ml) cashew butter
¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
3 Tablespoons (45 ml) sugar
3 Tablespoons (45 ml) vinegar
3 Tablespoons (45 ml) toasted sesame oil
¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon (75 ml) water
Hot sauce to taste (optional)

HOMEMADE NUT BUTTERS

    * The process for making various types of nut butters is essentially the same. Pour nuts into bowl of food processor. Grind the nuts in the processor until they form a paste or butter. The nuts first turn into powdery or grainy bits, then start to clump and pull away from the side of the bowl, and finally form a paste or butter. The total time required depends on the fat and moisture content of the nuts; grinding time will vary from roughly 1 to 4 minutes (assuming a starting volume of 1 to 2 cups [240 to 480 ml] nuts). Processing times for a variety of nuts are described below.
    * You may add oil as desired during grinding to make the nut butter smoother and creamier or to facilitate grinding. Add oil in small increments, by the teaspoon for oily nuts like cashews or by the tablespoon for dryer/harder nuts like almonds. You may use the corresponding nut oil or a neutral vegetable oil like canola.
    * The inclusion of salt in the nut butters is optional and to taste. If you make nut butters from salted nuts, peanuts or cashews for example, you will not need additional salt. We recommend making unsalted nut butters for use in the challenge recipes (and other savory recipes) since the recipes call for salt or salty ingredients. You can then adjust the salt to taste. If you are making nut butter for use as a spread, you should add salt according to your preference.
    * Roasting the nuts before making nut butters is optional according to your preference. To roast nuts in the oven, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C/Gas Mark 4). Spread nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until nuts are fragrant and a shade darker in color. Allow nuts to cool before grinding. Roasted nuts will make butter with darker color than raw nuts.
    * It’s helpful to keep in mind that the yield of nut butter is about half the original volume of nuts. If you start with 1 cup nuts, you’ll get about ½ cup nut butter.
    * The consistency of nut butters varies from thin & soft (almost pourable) to very thick and hard depending on the fat content of the nut. (See links below for nutrition info on variety of nuts.) Homemade nut butters will probably not be as smooth as commercial products.
    * Homemade nut butters are more perishable than commercial products and should be stored in the refrigerator. The nut butters harden & thicken somewhat upon chilling.
    * See links at bottom of post for additional information about making nut butters at home.

Additional Information:

    * Here are three links for additional information about making fresh nut butters at home: the Nut Butter Primer from Cooking Light online, India Curry website, and the Cook’s Thesaurus online.

    * Click here for a summary of nut nutrition from the University of Nebraska extension. Scroll down the page for a helpful chart comparing nutrition facts for both peanuts and tree nuts.
    * Click here for a detailed table of nutrition facts for a variety of tree nuts from the International Tree Nut Council. Click here for a detailed table of nutrition facts for dry roasted peanuts from The Peanut Institute.

    * Here’s a helpful video on making peanut butter at home in a food processor.
    * Here’s a helpful video on making macadamia nut butter at home in a food processor.

    * We tested this recipe for homemade toasted sesame seed butter (or Tahini) from this website featuring Middle Eastern cuisine. It was definitely not as smooth as commercial Tahini, but tasted fresh and intensely nutty. If you’re looking for a good recipe in which to use your homemade Tahini, we recommend Mollie Katzen’s recipe for Tahini Lemon Sauce.
    * Click here for a recipe for sunflower seed butter from Gourmet Sleuth online. Please note, we did not test this recipe.
    * If you are interested in fruit butters, check out the Pear Butter and Apple Butter recipes at the Simply Recipes food blog.
    * For inspiration on cooking with nut and seed butters, check out these recipes from Futters Nut Butters, a company that sells a variety of jarred nut and seed butters.

Carrot Cashew Soup
adapted from this recipe

12 ounces carrots -- sliced or diced
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water -- as needed
1 ounce cashews -- dry-roasted, unsalted
salt and pepper -- to taste

Place carrots in a saucepan with broth. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, and simmer until completely tender; adding up to 1 cup of water as needed. Set aside.

Blend the cashews in a food processor with a little broth until smooth as a puree as possible. Add the carrots and blend to make a smooth and velvety soup. Pass through a fine sieve if you want the soup to be smoother. Taste and season with a little salt. Serve pepper at the table.

Pass the Peas Please

A seriously good, much needed get together with some friends this past Saturday. I made soup and salad with a nice quick bread on the side. I will share the bread recipe with you soon, I promise. I may have to make it again to get a picture because my husband is doing one of his magical disappearing acts, with bread.

My daughter, the four year old, whole heartedly believes that my husband is quite capable of disappearing. And my seven year old mostly believes it too, I think. For one, I am always saying that he is doing a disappearing act because when it comes time to do dishes, you turn around and he is gone. I always ask, did Daddy disappear again?

When he takes them upstairs to do nightly bed time rituals he plays a game of hide and go seek. He hides in his favorite spot and they never can find him. He told them, I disappear, that's why you can't find me. My seven year old told our neighbors daughter on the bus ride home that her Daddy can disappear. My neighbor had asked me if she can some and observe his vanishing act as well. Inside I just had to giggle, if you only knew how often he disappears. He can make a lot of food disappear as well.

I found this recipe on Pinch My Salt. A really ncie blog with lots of yummy pictures and recipes. I am so glad that she made this recipe quite by chance. We sure loved it. I did alter it a tad so make sure you check out hers as well.

Edamame and Pea Soup with Herbed Lemon Cream
adapted from this recipe at Pinch My Salt

1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups shelled edamame
1 cup green peans
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup chopped chives
salt to taste


Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and celery and cook until softened and just starting to brown.  Stir in edamame and peas then add chicken or vegetable stock.  Turn heat up and bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the lemon cream (recipe below).

After soup has simmered for 20 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Puree the soup in a blender until completely smooth.  Return to the pot and reheat, if necessary.  Serve soup with a spoonful of herbed lemon cream on top and a sprinkle of chives.

Yield: 6 servings


Herbed Lemon Cream

1/2 cup sour cream or crème fraiche
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoon chopped dried mint
zest and juice from 1/2 a lemon

Whisk ingredients together and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Daring Cooks: Mezze

After a rather stressful few days, I managed to totally space this months Daring Cooks. I never do that. I am so sorry.

I did do the challenge. Actually I did it twice. One where my pictures were just bleh and the other one where I had a chance to work on my pictures with more natural light. I do so much better with natural light.

We have what we call "rainbow" nights here on our family. It's really leftover cleanup night with a jazzy name to make it more appealing. Everything that needs to be used up gets put on the table. This could be a lone pickle in a jar even. It's kind of fun for the kids because they can pick and choose.

I have been making hummus for years so I wasnt exactly challenged to make hummus but certainly welcomed the opportunity. I am glad I followed this recipe to a T. It suprised me with a nice lemony flavor that I really enjoyed. It had considerably more lemon than my usual recipe. I encourage you to give it a go.

And the pita I have made on several occassions. Different recipe but similar technique. We love pita so no complaints here.

The thing that was challenging for me is having enough food leftover to take pics the next day when the light is good. I really have to work on getting some lights so I can take some pics when it is dark.

The 2010 February Daring COOKs challenge was hosted by Michele of Veggie Num Nums. Michele chose to challenge everyone to make mezze based on various recipes from Claudia Roden, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugid.

Pita Bread – Recipe adapted from Flatbreads & Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
Prep time: 20 minutes to make, 90 minutes to rise and about 45 minutes to cook

2 teaspoons regular dry yeast (.43 ounces/12.1 grams)
2.5 cups lukewarm water (21 ounces/591 grams)
5-6 cups all-purpose flour (may use a combination of 50% whole wheat and 50% all-purpose, or a combination of alternative flours for gluten free pita) (17.5 -21 ounces/497-596 grams)
1 tablespoon table salt (.50 ounces/15 grams)
2 tablespoons olive oil (.95 ounces/29 ml)

Directions:
1. In a large bread bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Stir in 3 cups flour, a cup at a time, and then stir 100 times, about 1 minute, in the same direction to activate the gluten. Let this sponge rest for at least 10 minutes, or as long as 2 hours.
2. Sprinkle the salt over the sponge and stir in the olive oil. Mix well. Add more flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Rinse out the bowl, dry, and lightly oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until at least doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
3. Place a pizza stone, or two small baking sheets, on the bottom rack of your oven, leaving a 1-inch gap all around between the stone or sheets and the oven walls to allow heat to circulate. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C).
4. Gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough in half, and then set half aside, covered, while you work with the rest. Divide the other half into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece with lightly floured hands. Roll out each piece to a circle 8 to 9 inches in diameter and less than 1/4 inch thick. Keep the rolled-out breads covered until ready to bake, but do not stack.
5. Place 2 breads, or more if your oven is large enough, on the stone or baking sheets, and bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until each bread has gone into a full balloon. If for some reason your bread doesn't puff up, don't worry it should still taste delicious. Wrap the baked breads together in a large kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft while you bake the remaining rolled-out breads. Then repeat with the rest of the dough.

Hummus – Recipe adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden

Prep Time: Hummus can be made in about 15 minutes once the beans are cooked. If you’re using dried beans you need to soak them overnight and then cook them the next day which takes about 90 minutes.

1.5 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight (or substitute well drained canned chickpeas and omit the cooking) (10 ounces/301 grams)
2-2.5 lemons, juiced (3 ounces/89ml)
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
a big pinch of salt
4 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) OR use peanut butter or any other nut butter—feel free to experiment) (1.5 ounces/45 grams)
additional flavorings (optional) I would use about 1/3 cup or a few ounces to start, and add more to taste

Directions:
1. Drain and boil the soaked chickpeas in fresh water for about 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.
2. Puree the beans in a food processor (or you can use a potato masher) adding the cooking water as needed until you have a smooth paste.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Shro Wat... Adventures in Eating

A couple weeks ago my husband and I went out for a 'date'. He wanted to go to this Ethiopian restaurant, Abyssnia, that he had tried with some coworkers for lunch. I have had the Ethiopian style beans at another restaurant. They did not have tefff with it though. Mainly because even though The Natural Eatery is owned by Ethiopian people and there is Ethiopian food- it is more about vegetables and local fresh produce. This other place Abyssnia- is really about Ethiopian food. Since I have never tried teff before I was a bit ambivalent about going. This is not like me, you see, I am more of an adventure eater and really prefer ethnic dishes rather than American dishes. I went anyway.

Really, it was darn good move on my part. An excellent suggestion on my husbands part. The food there was delicious. Like, over the top delicious. I am not an expert on Ethiopian food but I sure am an expert on what tastes good to me and this food ROCKED the house. I am so in love with injera now, I am waiting with baited breath to go back again.

There was a side of these amazing creamy vegetables, the brown lentil beans, misr wat, that I had made before (see here) and a yellow lentil bean. Then I had a lamb type stew dish that was really good. But honestly I was really gung ho about the beans and the veggies. I did make a vegetable dish a few days after that experience that was close to what I had at the restaurant. If any of you have or know of such a recipe for these Ethiopian style vegetables- I would so love to know about it.

And of course my husband, being the really daring eater that he is, had a raw beef dish. Similar to steak tartar I guess. I just couldnt do it. I could not bring myself to eat it. Maybe next time.

After a thorough investigation of Ethiopian recipes on the web- I decided to make this dish. Sounded kind of interesting. While it will not win any beauty awards- it sure was delicious. The recipe really had me when it said I have peanut butter AND butternut squash in the same bowl.

Shro Wat
based on this recipe at Ethiopian Recipes

1/2 lb butternut squash, cubed
1 jar (32 ounces) stewed tomatoes
2 teaspoons berbere, powder
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup corn kernel
2 tablespoons peanut oil
salt
pepper

In a large saucepan, brown the onion in the oil, then add the garlic and the berbere powder and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, peanut butter and tomato paste and stir until sauce is smooth.

Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 30-45 minutes. During this time, stir every so often and add more water as needed. Towards the end of the cooking time add the corn.

At the end of cooking if the sauce is too thick, add more water; if too thin, boil to reduce. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and serve.

Ethiopian Beans and Berbere

I was introduced to this soup or stew or even curry when I visited a local restaurant called Natural Oasis. The restaurant is small but what they lack in quantity they more than make up in quality. It is a farm to table concept that was started by an Ethiopian couple. The chef is a young guy who frequently wonders out of the kitchen to stop at your table and ask how you are enjoying the food. After one bite of this amazing soup I knew I had to find the recipe and recreate it.

This is a warm and inviting "stew" that invites you in and says "sit down, relax, stay a while." You will really enjoy this stew if you like the spices in berbere.

Ethiopian Beans aka Misr Wot
adapted from this recipe at Saveur

1 cup red lentils
4 tbsp. nit'r qibe (Ethiopian Spiced Butter) or unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp. berbere (Ethiopian Spice Mix)
1 small tomato, cored and chopped
Kosher salt, to taste

Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear- set aside. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the lentils, 1 tbsp. of the berbere, tomato, and 4 cups water to the saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and the lentils are tender, 45–50 minutes. Stir in the remaining berbere and season generously with salt. Serve immediately.

Berbere Spice Mix
adapted from this recipe at Saveur

2 tsp. coriander seeds
1⁄2 tsp. black peppercorns
1⁄4 tsp. whole allspice
6 white cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1⁄2 cup dried onion flakes
5 dried chiles de árbol, stemmed, seeded, and broken into small pieces
3 tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1⁄2 tsp. ground ginger
1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a small skillet, combine coriander seeds, black peppercorns, allspice, cardamom pods, and cloves. Toast spices over medium heat, swirling skillet constantly, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Let cool and transfer to a spice grinder along with onion flakes and grind until fine. Add chiles, and grind with the other spices until fine.
In a large bowl stir in the remainder of ingredients- paprika, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon. Store in a lidded glass jar.

POM-a-licious

The good people of Pom sent me a note and asked if I would like to review their product. I so willingly agreed. Why? Because I already liked POM. I can easily sing it's praises. It would also mean that they would be sending me a little stash of their liquid loveliness and I could create some POM recipes.

I already have made a few things and want to make a few more. So there will be more POM recipes coming next week.

The first thing that I made because I have been wanting to make it for some time now is a Pomegranate Martini. My inspiration came from Oprah's recipe but I will call this one my own because it is quite a bit differenet.

Now, you may be asking why I would take a healthy product (shown to be good for cardiovascular health, erectile function *yup* and prostate health) and add unhealthy alcohol to it. And I would like to say in reply, "cause I can, this is my blog". But no, what I will say is that an occassional moderate drink is actually good for you, I think, anyhow. It relaxes you and relaxing is very good for your body. Relying on drinks to relax all the time is probably not a very good idea but once in a while, why not?

Lori's Pom-etini
Lori's Lipsmacking Goodness

1 cup Pom juice
3 ounces vodka
2 ounces Grand Marnier
2 ounces simple syrup
spritz of lemon

Shake all ingredients together in a shaker with ice. Pour into 4 glasses- if you are really feeling indulgent, pour into two glasses.

Now, here is the redemption for my wicked ways - stuffed delicata squash.

Delicata Stuffed with Thai Sticky Rice, drizzled with Pomegranate Syrup
Lori's Lipsmacking Goodness

1 cup uncooked Thai Sticky Rice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 Delicata squash, cut in half length wise with seeds scraped out and discarded
1/4 cup dried golden currants
1/4 cup walnuts chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan saute dry rice in the vegetable oil. When the rice becomes slightly fragrant add spices, stir one minute more. Add water, place cover on pot quickly because it will spit and sputter violently. Remove lid and bring to a boil. Replace lid and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Rice will take approximately 45 minutes.

While rice is cooking, place delicata squash cut side down on a cookie sheet and roast in a 425 F oven.

When rice is done combine 1 1/2 cups of it with the walnuts, s and p and dried currants. Turn delicata over, cut side up and spoon rice mixture into squash and return the squash to the oven. Bake for another five minutes or so.

Drizzle with Pomegranate syrup* and serve.

*Pomegranate syrup: combine 2 cups POM juice with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/3 cup sugar. Boil and reduce to half.

If you want get really crazy I have to say that POM is wonderful in icing. It balances out the sugar with its nice twang. I did that here with Pomegranate Petit Fours. Since then I have become quite adept at cleaning them.

If you would like to find out more about the potential health benefits of Pom, check it out here.

Flatbread with Cheesy Filling

Lucy from Sweets, Savories, etc. and made this incredible looking flatbread. I knew I had to make it. As I have mentioned before, sometimes, I mix up two batches of a recipe that I know I will make very soon. I had this Rosemary flatbread that I made and I knew I would make it again, very soon, wrong, so I had all the dry ingredients in a bag. I saw Lucy's post and I knew I was finally going to use that bag of dry ingredients. All I had to get was the zucchini.

I had some Swiss cheese in my freezer so that is what I used. This whipped up quick as she said, nevermind that I already had the dry ingredients ready to go. It was a pretty presentation and it was something different.

I know that flabread usually does not have yeast in it but I wanted this to be somewhat pliable.

And the Rosemary, if you don't know Rosemary, you should. She's the kinda girl who grows on you. The more you have her around the more you will want her around.

Rosemary Flatbread
adapted from King Arthur's, Whole Grain baking: Rosemary Flatbread
(have I mentioned that I LOVE this book?)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups durum flour
1 1/3 cup ap flour
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (or two packets)
1 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cups of shredded cheese
2-3 cups zucchini thinly sliced
1 cup minced red onion

Combine all the dry ingredients and mix in the water and olive oil. Knead in bowl until dough comes together. Place on floured countertop and continue to knead adding flour as you go. You do not want a sticky dough but it should be a little on the sticky side so that it stays moist when it bakes. Let rise until doubled about and hour to an hour and a half.

Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out half the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle about two cups of cheese down the center. Fold over sides, like a business letter. Transfer to a baking sheet. Push down on dough and then cut slits on top. Lay zucchini slices and chopped red onion over top.