Summer Vegetable Curry

Recently I saw a recipe for a Green Swiss Chard & Chickpea Curry on Pinterest, and it left me longing for that saucy goodness. With all the fresh summer vegetables we have in our fridge, this seemed like the perfect meal. I had a few jars of stock left over from the weekend, some quinoa in the cupboard, and a desire to devour coconut milk.

I like to take my time when I cook dinner, stretch it out as long as possible. That's why I usually add in extra side dishes as I go. As I was gathering vegetables from the fridge, I noticed a few small zucchini from the garden and immediately saw them as delicious pancakes to sop up the curry sauce. Excellent choice. The kids ate theirs with Vermont Maple Syrup, the SO buttered his, and we both used them to sop up the lingering sauce on the plate. From start to finish, the cooking took an hour, and that's with me taking my time, drinking wine, and dancing to good music. If you had the items prepped and ready to go, this meal takes about 30 minutes to cook.

Summer Vegetable Curry
Serves 4

2 C potato, cubed
2-4 T yellow curry powder
1/2 red pepper, sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 C green beans, chopped
1" fresh ginger, peeled and diced
1 bunch Swiss Chard, sliced (stems should be chopped & kept separate)
1 15oz can of Garbanzo Beans
1 15oz can Coconut Milk
2 T butter
2 T olive oil
1 C stock

1. In large skillet heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add potatoes and gently fry, stirring often.

2. Once potatoes are browned on all sides, add curry powder and stir to coat thoroughly. Cook 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.

3. Add in pepper, garlic, green beans, ginger and Swiss Chard stems, and stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Cook 2 minutes.

4. Pour in Garbanzo Beans and stock and cover, bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes, stirring twice.

5. Add in butter, Swiss Chard and Coconut Milk and stir thoroughly. Simmer 8-10 minutes.

I served our over quinoa cooked in vegetable stock, with the ration 1 cup of grains to 1 1/4 c of stock, simmered on low for 15 minutes.


Zucchini Pancakes

1 C zucchini, shredded
1/2" fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 T curry powder
1 C flour (add more if too wet)
2 eggs
salt and pepper
2 T butter

1. Salt shredded zucchini and let sit for 15 minutes. Squeeze excess water and add to bowl.

2. Stir in ginger, curry powder, flour and eggs. Mix into a pancake like batter, adding more flour if needed. Salt and pepper.

3. Melt butter over medium heat and drop batter by the spoonfuls. This makes six 4" pancakes.

4. Serve with butter, chutney or syrup.

The Weekend in Food

There are not many weekends I get to spend at home with my children. Between their visitation with their father, and my SO's band schedule, we rarely get the opportunity to relax at home all together. This weekend was our first one in over 2 months and I had plans to cook. During the week I make sure to give myself 2 hours to make dinner every night, if possible, but I desire so much more time in the kitchen. My youngest child had a birthday party this weekend, so that gave me ample opportunity to put on an apron and bust out some ingredients.

The weekend started off with our family favorite - breakfast for dinner. It's a fall back meal when I have nothing planned, or I have the desire to be a short order cook. Often the kids will ask for pancakes, eggs, toast and bacon (on the rare occasions we have it); and my SO and I will tend towards fried eggs and home fries. I love breakfast. It's my favorite meal on the weekends, and it's my favorite special dinner. We had not had omelettes in a while, and with a fresh tomato straight from the garden sitting on my counter top, I couldn't resist pairing it with caramelized onions and sharp cheddar cheese. The home fries were a hodge-podge of root veggies and some left over pork ribs, and it was all served with some sauteed Swiss Chard.

(See Marshmallow Cupcakes and Veggie Rice & Dumpling Soup below)

Tomato & Caramelized Onion Omelette

Serves 2

4 fresh eggs

1 C cheddar cheese, grated

4 tomato slices

1/2 C onion, sliced thin & caramelized*

2 T butter

4 T water

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a 6 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of butter. Whisk together eggs and water. When the skillet is hot and butter has started to brown, pour in 1/2 the egg mixture and tilt pan around to coat bottom with egg. Turn heat to medium low.

2. With a spatula, gently push egg back from edge of pan and tip to fill with wet egg. Do this 2 times around the pan, letting the uncooked egg gently under the edge of the cooked egg. 

3. When egg is 85% cooked through on the top, cover one half of the omelette with cheese, onions and tomato slices. Fold in half and finish cooking. Flip gently onto a plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

How to make caramelized onions:

1. In large cast iron skillet melt 2 T of butter over medium heat. 

2. Add thinly sliced onions and toss to coat thoroughly in butter, then turn heat down to medium low. Stir as necessary to prevent burning. Add a tablespoon of butter if needed.

3. Cook onions until soft and caramel color.

Root Veggie Home Fries

Serves 4

3 C potato, cubed and steamed*

1 C carrot, thickly sliced and steamed*

1/4 C beet, diced and steamed*

1/2 C onion, chopped

1/4 C pork, cooked & chopped

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1/2 C lard/oil/shortening

2 T butter
salt and pepper to taste

*Steam veggies until just soft. Do not overcook or you'll get mushy home fries. (They still taste fine).

1. Melt lard/oil/shortening over medium heat in a large deep cast iron skillet. Add in veggies once it is sizzling hot. You don't want the oil to cool or the veggies will soak it in and be greasy. You want it hot enough to sear the moisture in. Cook for 10 mins, stirring 2 or 3 times.

2. Add in the onions and pork and stir to mix evenly. Keep cooking 5 minutes, flipping mixture over once.

3. Add in the butter and garlic, and stir to coat. Continue to cook another 5 minutes or until desired done-ness is achieved. Season with salt & pepper.

Swiss Chard Saute
Serves 2

2 C Swiss Chard, sliced thinly, stems reserved for another meal
1/4 Water
2 T butter
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium cast iron skillet combine Swiss Chard and water over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes.

2. Add butter to Swiss Chard and toss to coat as it melts. Cook 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.


BIRTHDAY FUN!

For my youngest child's birthday party I was going to make banana cupcakes with honey cinnamon frosting, and they were going to be amazing. Until I discovered meal worms in ALL my flour and oats in my cupboard. Admittedly, I hadn't baked in months because summer is too hot for that, and I had some oats from the farm that were probably the carrier. It was a sad moment, and I had to throw away all my flours. Which meant no cupcakes. With no time to go to the store, I called my parents to see if they had a box of cake mix (they live downstairs, so convenience was a huge factor in this). They did, AND they had some frosting....which was great because although I had confectioner's sugar, I had forgotten to buy butter.

The cake mix was your basic chocolate, and the frosting was cream cheese. I could work with this. In the cupboard I had some leftover marshmallows from a camping trip, and I decided to recreate an idea I saw on Pinterest. The directions are simple, but the results were perfect for the birthday party. I made 12 cupcakes and one small heart-shaped cake.

Make the cake mix as directed, or if you have the ability, make it from scratch. Take the marshmallow's and cut them in half. Place one half in the batter, gently pressing it down, but not so far it's buried. Bake according to directions, but cut time short by 3 minutes. When timer goes off, pull out of oven, press the other half of the marshmallow into the cavity formed by the first half. Bake remaining 3 minutes. 

I frosted these with the aforementioned cream cheese frosting, but I stirred in some orange flavoring for extra oomph. I had to go out the next day and buy a second thing of frosting, though, as one container was not enough for 10 cupcakes and a small cake.

Sunday Soup 

The weekend was a success and to reward ourselves for pulling off the birthday party, and getting some much needed chores done, I made us a hearty soup. Our garden has been over flowing with zucchini, summer squash, and green beans, and recently we've started seeing some small carrots and beets. I was craving a summer vegetable soup, but with colder nights being upon us, I wanted something with more substance. I needed dumplings! 

To start off, the day before we made the soup I started making a fresh veggie stock. I keep all our veggie scraps and meat bones in the freezer. Whenever I need stock I pull some out, boil it up for a day (or in this case 2) and voila! Fresh made stock. This weekends stock had a chicken carcass and a lot of summer veggie skins and left-overs. I simmered covered on the stove for 8 hours on Saturday, put it in the fridge with everything still in it, and then simmered again for 2 hours on Sunday. I strained out the veggies and put it in the fridge for 2 hours to cool. I then removed it from the fridge, skimmed off the milk and used about 6 cups for the soup. Delicious! And I have 2 cups left for curry tomorrow night.

Summer Veggie Rice Soup with Dumplings

Serves 4

6 C vegetable/chicken stock

salt pork, about 6-8 slices

1 C onion, chopped

1 C carrots, chopped

1/2 C Swiss Chard stems, chopped

1 C green beans, chopped

1 1/2 C summer squash & zucchini, chopped

2 C kale, chopped

1/2 C zucchini, shredded

1 T butter

3 garlic cloves, sliced

2 C rice, cooked

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat soup pan over medium heat with salt pork. Cook for about 5 minutes, until pork is browned.

2. Toss in onions, carrots, chard, and green beans and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. 

3. Stir in butter. Add in green beans, summer squash, chopped zucchini and kale, Sprinkle with salt and stir to coat.

4. Add 6 cups of stock and bring to a boil. Drop down to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, until veggies are soft.

5. Add shredded zucchini, rice and garlic. Stir and drop in spoonfuls of dumpling batter*. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. I served the soup garnished with fried zucchini and beet slices.

Gluten Free Dumplings

1 1/2 C gluten free flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1 T sugar

1 t salt

1 C buttermilk

2 T butter, melted

Mix together dry ingredients. Toss in melted butter. Stir in buttermilk until a dough forms.

Food Albums

During the time that I was not writing down recipes, I was still cooking food. Here are some of my albums - if any of them garner any interest, I'll try and recall the recipes for you.

Summer Vegetable & Bean Soup

The climate in Maine this summer has not been great for most vegetables, but the squash - well that's another story. The farmers' markets and farm stands are overwhelmed in the yellow and green goodness that is the staple of every summer garden. Our own measly backyard garden is producing at an astounding rate - we even found our first pie pumpkin this morning!

My kids are not that interested in squash, but they eat it 12 months a year. I can't get enough of it - soups, stir fries, baked & stuffed, shredded, raw, cookies & pies - so I have to find ways to incorporate it into dinner without them disliking it. If I stuff it, they eat the insides. If I stir fry it, they will usually pick it out. But if I shred it....oh the things I have done with shredded squash. Tonight's dinner was created for just this occasion! The shredded summer squash acted like a noodle in this decadent summer soup, and my kids devoured it none-the-wiser.

The other stars of this delicious soup were inspired by what we could cut from the garden, and what my SO could grab from the Swango Farm Stand, where he works. He came home with a bushel of summer squash and added that to our growing stock, plus a handful of onions. In the garden we have fresh Swiss chard and chives, which I gathered up. In the cupboard we had some canned beans, a perfect source of protein for my mostly vegetarian family.

Beautiful fresh ribbons of Swiss Chard not 5 minutes after I snipped them from the garden.

Fresh chives from the garden add the perfect pop for this savory soup.

Summer Vegetable & Bean Soup

(serves 4)

1 large onion, sliced
4 T butter, unsalted
2 C water
3 vegetable stock bouillions
1 can white beans, rinsed
1 can butter beans, rinsed
1 C Swiss chard, leaves and stems
1 C summer squash, grated
4 cloves garlic, thickly sliced
4 T chives, fresh chopped
1/4 C Parmesan cheese, shredded

With cold and flu season on its way, we are going to be including garlic in every meal.

1. In a large pot over medium heat melt butter, and add onions, tossing to coat thoroughly. Turn to med-low and simmer onions gently, stirring 1 or 2 times, for 10 minutes.

2. Add bouillion to the onions and stir to coat with spices. Pour in water (add more if you want a more brothy soup) and beans.

3. Stir in chard, summer squash and garlic until combined.

4. Bring to a gentle boil, drop to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and chives, with some crusty bread.

We had the green tops from the fresh onions, so we added those on top of the cheese & chives.

Mac 'n Cheese 'n Summer Squash

This is the time of year when zucchini and summer squash run rampant through our gardens. You can buy it by the bag loads from farm stands and farmers' markets. Most of us can get bushels from friends who are overwhelmed with these long, vivacious green and yellow vegetables. We eat zucchini bread, fry rounds of them in butter, stuff them, make noodles from them, and try to find a number of other ways to use up the plethora of zucchini and summer squash we are surrounded by.

My kids eat just about anything, but they have already reached their limit of these summer vegetables. I know have to find new and creative ways to use them up. Tonight's dinner was a win in all categories. The kids got homemade macaroni and cheese, I served them a healthy dose of summer squash, and the SO gave it two thumbs up. I cheated on the sauce, admittedly, because I was lazy and it needed to be used up, but you can make a roux and a white sauce from scratch.

This is what it looked like before baking.

Mac 'n Cheese 'n Summer Squash
1 package pasta
2 C cheddar cheese
2/3 C Alfredo sauce
1 C shredded summer squash
1/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese
4 mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 T butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta until just cooked. Drain and set aside.

2. In the meantime, heat 1 T of butter over medium heat and add onion slices. Toss the onion slices so they all get coated in butter. Turn heat down to medium low and let cook until a golden brown.

3. In a pot melt 1 T butter over medium heat and add in Alfredo sauce and shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Add in summer squash and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Butter a baking dish and add cooked pasta. Dump in cheese and squash sauce, mix thoroughly. Serve with a fresh salad, sauteed green beans, and some crusty bread.

Delicious and creamy, topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Vegan Tuscan Soup

This winter has been nothing but an array of sick...6 long months of virus after virus. Tonight another round has swept through the household, and I'm tired of it. In response to this sickening grip on our household, I decided to whip up this warm and hearty soup. If you have leftover rice and beans, this soup comes together in about 20 minutes. It is great for those with dietary restrictions, too - it's vegan and gluten free - and would be spectacular with tofu. If you're a meat eater, don't hesitate to stir in some cooked chicken or sausage for some added protein. All-in-all, this soup was a big hit with the kids and mister alike, it was slightly warm with spices, but not so much so that it made it uncomfortable. However, if you want a little kick, double the spices!

Vegan Tuscan Soup
(serves 8)

8 C Vegetable Stock
1 C rice (leftover rice would cut the time)
1 onion, chopped
1 head of garlic, sliced
2 C pinto beans (precooked)
3 C fresh spinach
1/2 C salsa
2 T dried thyme
1 T cumin
1 t Cajun spice

In a large stock pot add stock, rice, onion, garlic and spices and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the rice is just cooked. Stir in pinto beans, salsa and spinach and cook at a simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with a thick slice of warm bread.

New England Winter Stew

I love my winter CSA more than any other season. When I first decided to do one, I was concerned that winter in Maine is not a viable time for growing food at the farm. I was quickly proven wrong. My first winter CSA was through Little Ridge Farms in Lisbon, and I was astonished at the variety of vegetables - from delicata to butternut squash, turnips, beets, onions, shallots, kale to collard greens. And I never got bored with them. My body craved them. And each winter I tingle with anticipation for creating recipes to keep my family warm in the cold New England weather while providing them with the plethora of vitamins our bodies crave. This year's holidays took a toll on us, berated by colds, a gastrointestinal virus, and the exhaustion from late nights and too much candy. We were in dire need of soup, a thick hearty stew that could warm us from the inside out. Serve this with a hearty chunk of bread and a small salad for a full meal.

(serves 4)
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 C sausage, cooked
2 C butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 turnip, peeled and cubed
1 fennel bulb, chopped, tops removed (for another use)
2 C cooked rice
4 C vegetable stock
4 T butter, unsalted
1 t cumin
1/2 t cayenne
1 sprig savory
1 apple

In large sauce pan put whole sausages in and cover with water. Cook 15 minutes over medium-high heat. Set aside and drain any remaining water from the pan. Return pan to medium low heat and melt 3 T of butter in it. Toss in onion and coat with the butter. Cook over medium low heat until the onions have caramelized. Add in garlic, squash, turnip and fennel and toss to coat with onions. Chop sausage into pieces and mix into veggies. Pour in vegetable stock. Stir in cumin and cayenne, and drop a sprig of savory in. Bring to a boil and drop to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour. Add in rice and cook for another 30 minutes. Mix in 1 T of butter, salt and pepper if desired.

To serve, scoop stew into a bowl and garnish with fresh chopped apple and fennel ferns.

Ratatouille Casserole

This time of year is my favorite for the vegetables that are being harvested in New England. Eggplant, summer squash, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, kale....and all that says to me is Ratatouille. My CSA from Center Pond in Phippsburg, and my dear friend on the other side of town, have supplied me with all of these wonderful ingredients, right down to the basil and rosemary.

Recently I was diagnosed with an intestinal disorder, so I've had to modify my diet drastically. This was the first meal I ate that wasn't buttered toast or a banana, in almost a week. I am so happy to say that it 100% commits to the low FOMAP diet I am following, but is also amazingly delicious. We served ours over tricolor quinoa, but you could also do rice. The amounts are all rough approximations based on what I had on hand - use more or less of anything to suit your needs and tastes.

(photos by the wonderful bf)

RATATOUILLE CASSEROLE

(serves 4-6)

1C fingerling potatoes, sliced thinly

1C japanese eggplants, sliced thinly
1C summer squash, sliced thinly
1/2C carrot, sliced thinly
1 tomato, sliced thinly
1-2 C vegetable stock, depending on how soupy you want it
1/4C fresh basil, chopped
2 sprigs rosemary
1/4C cheese, shredded
3T oil
1T salt
pepper to taste

Place eggplant in a pie plate and sprinkle with all the salt, place other veggies (except tomato, which is a fruit anyway) in another pie plate and nestle on top of the eggplant. Let sit 10 minutes before you start the

cooking process. This will press the water out of the eggplant, taking away any bitterness. In a cast iron deep skillet heat 1T oil over medium heat until sizzling, then add potatoes, spreading them around the bottom of the pan. Cook until they start to brown a bit, then flip them and cook until the other side is equally brown. Remove from heat and set aside. In same pan add another 1T oil and heat over medium heat until sizzling. Add in carrots and summer squash and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Meanwhile, dry off eggplant with a cloth removing salt and excess water. Toss in with the summer squash and carrots and stir. Let cook, stirring once or twice for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 1T oil to the pan and heat. Place potatoes on the bottom of the pan evenly spaced. Layer with summer squash, eggplant and carrot. Turn off heat and pour in stock. Spread tomato slices over the top. Sprinkle with basil, lay the rosemary over the top and sprinkle with cheese. Sprinkle with pepper. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Devour!

Mushroom Zucchini Risotto

We got a nice big zucchini from our CSA at Center Pond Farm and I couldn't wait to cook it up. But there were so many options! Of course, my default is always risotto. This zucchini was big enough that I didn't have to use it all for one meal, so risotto has been made with two-thirds of the zucchini intact and waiting for another meal. This risotto was the first time my youngest son exclaimed that he now LOVED risotto, and that he would eat anything with mushrooms in it. I call that a success!

Mushroom Zucchini Risotto
(serves 4)

2 Portabella mushrooms, sliced thinly
2 T butter
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 C)
4 cloves garlic, chopped (about 2 T)
1 T olive oil
1 C arborio rice
1 C white wine/or stock (I had 1 C left-over chicken stock)
6 C stock, kept warm
1 C zucchini, shredded
2 T fresh sage, minced
2 T fresh parsley, minced
2 T butter
1/4 C parmesan cheese
salt & pepper, to taste

In a large skillet heat butter and add mushrooms, cooking until soft. Remove mushrooms from pan & set aside. Add olive oil, onions and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add in arborio rice and mushrooms and stir to coat rice thoroughly. Saute for 2 minutes, then add in 1 C of wine or stock and start stirring. Continuing adding in 1 C of until al dente. With last cup of stock, add in zucchini, sage and parsley. Once that last cup has been absorbed and the rice is creamy and cooked, add in butter, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly and serve immediately with crusty bread, and salad.

Veggie Mac 'n Cheese

I've been craving some homemade mac 'n cheese, but I've also been craving some vegetables with Spring here and the summer bounty so close. I rummaged through the fridge and found all the fixings to make a healthy mac 'n cheese - never mind all the cheese, it's healthy. I swear!! I counterbalanced it with broccoli and cauliflower, but I felt like it needed something more. I rummaged again and found some quinoa. Perfect!! The mother grain was sure to bring some health back to my ooey gooey cheesy dinner. And the upside is my kids love everything in this, like a party in our mouths. I served it up with a slice of warmed bread, and you definitely could (and probably) add a salad, too.

Veggie Mac 'n Cheese
(serves 6)

1 (13.5oz) package of whole wheat rotini
2 C shredded cheese (any type of your liking - I used brie & cheddar & parmesan)
2 C lightly steamed broccoli & cauliflower
1/2 C quinoa
4 T butter
4 T flour
1 C milk
salt & pepper

Boil rotini until al dente, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, bring 1/2 C of water to boil and mix in 1/2 C of quinoa. Cook about 10 minutes on low, covered, until the moisture is absorbed. Mix pasta and quinoa together in a lightly buttered casserole dish. Stir in the broccoli and cauliflower, gently. In a saucepan, melt butter and add flour, whisking steadily over medium-high heat until a nice caramel color is achieved. Add milk in slowly and bring to a boil, whisking still. Let it boil for 1 minute then stir in cheese until melted, and a sauce consistency is reached. Add a dash of salt and a sprinkle of pepper. Mix into pasta, quinoa and vegetables. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Hodge Podge Casserole

The other day I decided it was time to put together an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink meal. I have beans filling my cupboard from our Pantry Share we got in the fall from Wolf Pine Farm. I decided to make those the base of the casserole, then clean out the cupboards and fridge from there. What I ended up with was a nice Tex-Mex kind of meal that was incredibly filling a versatile. I served it up with fresh shredded sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, and some homemade hot sauce. Delicious!

Hodge Podge Casserole
(Serves 6)

4 C of beans (we used a mix of black and pinto)
1 C cooked brown rice
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 T garlic, sliced
1/2 package of polenta (the type that comes in a tube, or make your own)
1/2 C nutritional yeast cheese (you can replace this with any type of cheese)
9 taco shells, broken into pieces
1 C cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 T olive oil
1 T chili powder
1 t garlic salt
salt & pepper, to taste
bacon grease (or butter)

Grease a large glass casserole dish with bacon grease and place slices of polenta along the bottom. Heat oil over medium heat, then saute peppers, onions and garlic until soft. Stir in chili powder, garlic salt and nutritional yeast, then gently stir in rice. Place that layer over the polenta, then pour beans over that. Sprinkle with 1/2 the cheddar cheese, some salt and pepper. Cover with broken taco shells, then sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top. Bake for 45 minutes in 400 degree oven, covered. Then remove cover and bake another 15 minutes, to crisp up the top.

Bacon Vegetable Soup

There's been a little illness going around the house the last few weeks - stomach bug, head cold and body aches. When I'm sick, all I want to do is eat soup....lots and lots of soup. Last night I came home to a grumpy and sick boyfriend and decided he needed a good dose of soup to lift his spirits. I looked around the refrigerator and cupboards and came up with this soup, full of rich broth, hearty vegetables and bacon. I served it with a loaf of homemade cornbread and watched as the soup was eagerly devoured by all. This is the perfect soup for saying goodbye to winter, root vegetables, and illness, and hello to spring!

Bacon Vegetable Soup
(serves 4-6)

6 slices bacon, raw
4 slices bacon, cooked
1 C onion, chopped
2 T butter
1-2 C potato, cut into 1" pieces
1 C carrots, sliced
2 C spinach, chopped
8 C stock/broth
garlic salt & pepper to taste

Cook 4 slices of bacon in the oven set at 400 degrees until crispy. Set aside. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the raw bacon for 5 minutes, stirring to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom. Stir in onions and butter and continue cooking for about 10 - 15 minutes, until a nice sweet aroma is being released by the onions. Stir in potatoes and carrots, the broth. Bring to a boil and then drop to a simmer and cook until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in spinach. Chop cooked bacon and stir into the soup right before serving. Season with garlic salt and pepper.

Spicy Bacon Cheddar Cornbread
(makes 2 mini loaves)

1 C cornmeal
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 C milk
1 egg
1 T bacon grease (or vegetable shortening)
1 C cheddar cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
2 T hot sauce or chopped jalapenos (we used some chunky spicy pepper relish my boyfriend made)

Put 1/2 T of bacon grease in each mini loaf pan and put in 400 degree pre-heated oven. Meanwhile, mix cornmeal, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Add in milk and egg and stir thoroughly. Then stir in cheese, bacon and hot sauce until well combined. Pour into hot mini loaf pans and bake for 30 minutes.

Nachos w/ Horseradish

I had a craving for nachos last night so I sent my boyfriend to the store, with a short list: chips, cheddar cheese, ketchup and horseradish. What? Ketchup and horseradish? That's right. Over a decade ago I had a roommate the introduced me to this concept, when we were broke and living in the Old Port, living off of spaghetti and Parmesan cheese, and nachos with horseradish sauce. I figured today is the appropriate day to post about this, seeing as though it's Super Bowl and people all over the country are rushing about their kitchens whipping up goodies to consume during the game. This is simple, few ingredients, and you can adjust the spice of the horseradish to your liking.

Nachos w/ Horseradish

1 bag of corn tortillas (blue corn chips are especially delicious)
1 8oz bar of Vermont Cheddar (the sharper the cheese the better), shredded
1 bottle of ketchup
1 bottle of horseradish (not the type with the mayo added)

Preheat oven to 350. Place a layer of chips down in a glass baking dish, top with half the cheese. Repeat with another layer of chips and cheese. Bake about 10 to 12 minutes. To mix up the sauce, add about 1/4 cup of ketchup in a bowl and a tablespoon of horseradish. Stir and taste, add more ketchup or horseradish, to suit your liking. Spread over the top of the nachos and enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Molasses Cookies

I was craving cookie today, which doesn't usually happen. I'm not much of a baker, as my boyfriend can attest to. Actually, he had to bake cookies for Santa this year as I burned the living crap out of the ones I tried to make....and although I assured the kids that Santa and his reindeer didn't mean black peanut butter cookies, my boyfriend could not agree. He baked wonderful cookies and I decided on the spot that from there on out he would be the baker in the house. However, tonight he is sick with a wretched cold and I really wanted cookies, so I braved the oven and came up with theses little yummies. They actually came out quite good, but I realized that perhaps it's not my poor baking skills that make for dark cookies, but my terrible cookie sheet. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Peanut Butter Molasses Cookies
(makes 16)

1/2 C butter, softened
1/2 C peanut butter, crunchy
1/2 C molasses
1/3 C brown sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1 C flour
3/4 C quinoa flakes
2 T carob powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl add butter, peanut butter, molasses, brown sugar and vanilla and beat for 1 minute with a hand mixer, until well combined. Make a well in the center and pour in flour, quinoa flakes, carob powder, baking soda and salt. With hand beater, mix for 2 minutes, until everything is mixed in thoroughly. Make balls of about 2 tablespoons of batter and place on ungreased baking sheet. Take a fork and press down cookies gently with a criss-cross pattern. Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 1 minute on the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool until they harden just a bit. Enjoy!

Poutine Bacon Pizza

I'm from Maine, and we have a rather large county up north....so large we simply call it The County. Up in the county, on the border of Canada, mostly everyone is of French heritage. Somehow I have managed to befriend a great deal of folks that have moved from The County, down to Portland, and the one thing I see them post about constantly on Facebook, after trips home for the holidays, is Poutine. This is a traditional Quebecois dish that consists of french fries, cheese curds and gravy. It's heavenly. Sometimes, it's even served with bacon!

I have been craving Poutine since I went to The Great Lost Bear the other day for lunch and they had it on special. I didn't get it, however, and have been dreaming about it ever since. Then, as a simple twist of fate, I saw a Poutine Pizza on Reddit and I knew, this must be made. And it was everything I had hoped it would be, and more.

Pizza Dough
(makes 2 medium pizzas, or one large thick crust)

3 C flour
1 t salt
2 T sugar
2 T olive oil
2 1/4 t active dry yeast
1 C warm water

Mix the dry ingredients together, then add in water and oil and mix into a dough. Let rest while making the bacon, gravy, cheese sauce and fries.

Heat oven to 400 degrees and spread a 1/2 package of bacon over it. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until done. Set aside.

Fries
 Potatoes - as many as you need to get about 1 cup of fries

Slice into fry shape and size and put on the same baking sheet that you cooked the bacon on. Toss in the grease and bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes, until golden, but not crispy. Set aside.

Gravy
(makes 1 cup)

1 T unsalted butter
1 T flour
1/2 C broth
salt & pepper

In a saucepan melt butter, add in flour and whisk until a golden brown. Slowly add in broth while whisking over medium heat. Once it's a gravy consistency (if you need to add more water, go ahead), add a sprinkle of salt and some pepper, stir thoroughly and set aside.

Cheese Sauce
(makes 1 cup)

1 T unsalted butter
1 T flour
1/2 C cheese (any type - I used cheddar)
1/2 C milk

In a saucepan melt butter, add in flour and whisk until golden brown. Stir in the cheese until combined, then whisk in milk slowly. Only add as much as you need to make a thick sauce, you don't want it too runny. Set aside.

Put it all together as such:

Press out the dough into a pizza pan and top with cheese sauce. Cover with french fries and bacon, then drizzle with gravy. At this point, you can choose to add a bit of mozzarella over the top, but it's not necessary. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Slice and devour!

New Year's Breakfast Pizza

The morning after our New Year's Eve party we all needed a protein and bread filled breakfast. I was amazingly clear-headed after a night of drinks, 8 kids, 8 adults, fire crackers and sparklers, so I put my quick thinking to the test and came up with this deliciousness. I used my go-to no rise pizza dough, whipped up a white sauce and tossed on some left-over turkey. Voila! A New Year's breakfast feast. We served this up with some fresh fruit salad to balance it out.

Pizza Dough:
3 C flour
2 1/4 t yeast
2 T oil
1 t salt
1T sugar
1 C warm water

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all the ingredients together and pat into a pizza pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool gently while preparing the toppings.

White Sauce:
4 T butter
4 T flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 T milk

In a pan heat the butter until melted. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Whisk in flour until a nice golden roux forms. Slowly add in milk and bring to a boil, whisking, for a full minute. Remove from heat to let thicken. If it doesn't thicken, over medium heat add in 1 T flour and whisk. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toppings:
Cheese - I used a tangy cheese from Ireland, but a creamy goat cheese, or feta would work too.
Cherry Tomatoes
Turkey
*You could use anything for toppings - spinach, bacon, arugala, sausage, onions, etc. Experiment!

Lastly, take 8 eggs (or however many you want and will fit) and crack over the pizza. Make sure there is a nice high edge crust so the eggs don't run off the pizza. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese and any herbs you want. Bake 15 minutes for soft, runny eggs (watch carefully so as not to overcook them). Bake 20 minutes for hard eggs.

Eggs Benedict Deluxe

The team of Baked Baking came together again, this time with an added set of hands, and I think we created one of the best meals together yet. We had a house full of friends with hungry mouths and they played music while we created this delight. Overall, it was a very inspiring and delightful morning, and the flavors of this delicious meal still linger in my mouth.

I have not included amounts for the ingredients because it all depends on how many people you are making it for.

EGGS BENEDICT DELUXE

English muffins, toasted (1 per person)
Eggs (2 per person)
Prosciutto, thinly sliced (2 slices per person)
Shitake Mushrooms, sliced
Spinach (for 7 we used 4 cups of uncooked)
Asparagus, sliced into match sticks
Scallions, chopped
4 T butter
Garlic, sliced
Onion powder
Salt & Pepper
Gouda Cheese, sliced
Goat cheese

The first step is to poach the eggs, two for each person being served. Bring a large pot of water to boil, adding 1 teaspoon of white vinegar. Once it's boiling, drop it down to a rolling simmer - right before dropping an egg into the water, use a whisk and create a whirlpool. Cook each egg for 2 minutes and immediately drop in an ice bath - a large bowl filled with ice water. To reheat eggs once the rest of the brunch is complete, drop each egg into simmering water for 30 seconds.

In a frying pan or on a griddle, cook the slices of prosciutto until crispy. Set aside in a warm oven wrapped in tinfoil.

In a large skillet, melt butter and toss in Shitake mushrooms, cooking until brown. Add in asparagus, garlic, cook for 5 minutes until soft. Next add in the scallions and spinach and cook until wilted, toss with onion powder, salt and pepper. Keep on low.



HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
This is enough for about 5 Eggs Benedict's.

4 egg yolks
10 T butter
1 T fresh lemon juice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp white pepper
Salt to taste

Beat egg yolks and lemon in a stainless steel bowl until fluffy and they are doubled in size. Meanwhile, melt butter in small sauce pan. Temper the eggs with 1/2 the melted butter, stirring constantly.
Pour eggs and butter back in sauce pan and heat on low stirring constantly. Add spices, and season accordingly. Stir until done.

To construct the eggs benedict:

Toast the English muffins. Place the prosciutto on top of each muffin piece, then a piece of Gouda on top of it. Spoon vegetables on top, then a poached egg, drop a gob of goat cheese on top of it all. Cover with Hollandaise sauce. Serve with a side salad and a mimosa.

Get Your Flax On Bread

I don't usually post recipes as basic as bread, but this one was too good to pass up. I've been baking our own bread as of late out of necessity, and it's hit or miss with the quality. I am admittedly not the best baker, but I want to be. So I try, try and try again. Finally, I have completed a loaf of bread I can be proud of. I don't have any pictures, and my crappy camera wouldn't do it justice anyway, but trust me, it was gorgeous looking. This can be adapted with other flours, but I think the combination here works perfectly.

Get Your Flax On Bread
(makes 1 loaf)

1 C warm water
2 1/4 t yeast
2 T sugar
1/2 C flax meal
2 1/2 C unbleached white flour
1 T safflower oil
1 t salt

In a bowl proof yeast by pouring water over it and stirring in sugar. Let sit at lest 10 minutes, until the entire top of it is frothy. Add flax meal, flour, salt and oil into yeast mixture and knead about 10 minutes. You can use your bread machine for this part if you like. Grease a bowl and place dough in it, covered, somewhere warm and dark to let rise. When dough has doubled, punch it down gently and place it in a well greased bread pan. Set in warm dark place to rise again, until top is about an inch or two over the pan. Place in oven and turn oven on 375 to heat. The bread will rise a bit more as the oven heats up. Cook 25 - 30 minutes, until the top is a golden brown. Dump out of pan on a cooling rack and let cool completely before you cut.

Hurricane Soup with Dumplings

Last night, as Hurricane Sandy blew through New York and threatened the Maine coast, I was trying to cook soup before the power went out. I wanted to have something on hand that I could heat quickly outside on the propane stove if we lost our power, so I rustled through the fridge and cupboard and gathered a bunch of filling ingredients. Lucky for us, the power did not go out and we were able to have the soup tonight, cooked right in the kitchen. Originally this was just a hodge-podge soup, but when I went to heat it up for tonight, I thought I should add something special to it, to celebrate making it through the Hurricane. We were blessed here in Maine, unlike our friends and family in New York City, who are still without power.

This soup is really open to interpretation when it comes to the vegetables, but the combination here made for a delicious, rooty soup that stuck to our bones and warmed our bellies. The dumplings were a first for me - I have not only never cooked them, but I haven't eaten them since I was a child. I'm not sure why, but I always had an inversion to the mere thought of dumplings. Boy am I glad that I pushed myself past that and whipped up these bad boys tonight. What a perfect addition to any soup. I would strongly suggest cooking this soup, then letting it sit for a day. I didn't strain the fat from cooking the beef, so after sitting in my fridge all day, there was a thin layer of fat over the top. I stirred this back in and it made for a delicious, thick and hearty soup.

Hurricane Soup
serves 4

1T safflower oil
1/4 C onion, chopped
2 T garlic, chopped
1 lb ground beef
2 bulbs fennel, sliced
1 C carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 1/2 C black beans (I cooked mine the day before from dried beans, but you just use a can of black beans)
2 C spinach, chopped
1/2 C groats
6 C stock
1/2 C coffee
2 T dried Italian seasoning mix (parsley, oregano, etc.)
salt & pepper

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat and saute onions and garlic until garlic starts to brown. Add in ground beef and cook until brown all the way through - do not strain soup, keep the fat in there. Stir in fennel and cook 2 minutes. Pour in stock and coffee, toss in carrots and raise heat to medium high, gently bringing to a boil. Once it boils, drop it down to a medium low. Cook until carrots are tender, but not cooked through, just about 5 minutes. Add in groats and cook for 20 minutes until they are soft. Add in Italian seasonings, salt and pepper and black beans. If you are eating this tonight, cook for 5 minutes, then add spinach and cook for another 5 minutes. Drop in dumplings (recipe to follow), and cook, partly covered, at a  gentle boil, for 20 minutes. If you are not serving tonight, do not add spinach, but cover soup and put in the fridge. When you pull it out to cook, warm pot of soup over medium low heat until warm. Add the spinach and cook 5 minutes, then drop in dumplings as stated above.

Dumplings
(makes 10 golf ball sized)

1 C wheat flour
1/2 t salt
2 t baking powder
T butter
1/2 C milk
2 T Italian Seasoning
1/4 C shredded cheese

In a bowl mix together flour, salt, baking powder and Italian seasoning. Cut in butter, and then toss in cheese. Add milk and mix thoroughly. Roll into balls and drop in gently boiling soup. Loosely cover the pot and simmer soup with dumplings for 20 minutes.

Shepherd's Pie for Food Day

Today, October 24th is Food Day - a nationwide celebration and movement for healthy, sustainable and affordable food. I decided that our dinner was going to be 100% local, to show our support for local farmers' and meat suppliers. We haven't had Shepherd's Pie in quite some time, and I know that it's my kids favorite. I happened to have some ground beef in the freezer from Bisson's Meat Market in Topsham, and a bunch of yummy veggies from our CSA at Little Ridge Farm, especially some delicious potatoes that would make a perfect topping for the Pie. I layered my pie in rotating fall colors for fun, too! But the best part about Shepherd's Pie is that there's no single rule for vegetables, just use what's in your house and what you enjoy.

Earlier in the day, I posted on Facebook that it was Food Day and asked everyone what they were doing to celebrate. Maggie, my partner in crime for Baked Baking, sent me a message from New Hampshire to say that she was making some Shepherd's Pie with venison! Without even planning, we were making nearly the same meal for dinner. I decided on the spot that we should each write down our recipe and post it on the blog. Even being a state away can't keep us from whipping up some yummy and inspirational grub. Here is my version of Shepherd's Pie. Maggie's will be coming soon. Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie
(serves 4-6)

1 lb ground beef
1/2 C BBQ sauce (I used my friend's No Susquehanna Sauce)
2 T soy sauce
1/3 C leeks, white parts only, sliced
1/4 C green sweet pepper, chopped
1 C butternut squash, boiled & mashed
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 C broccoli, chopped
2 C sorrel, chopped
1 C carrots, sliced
2 C potatoes, cubed
8 T butter
salt & pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/2 C cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)
Water/Stock/Broth

Preheat oven to 350. In a skillet, brown ground beef, then add BBQ sauce and soy sauce, mix well. Place in greased deep dish pie plate. In same skillet, saute leeks and pepper until soft, then spoon over meat mixture. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, place peeled butternut squash in water/stock/broth, just until covered and boil until soft. Mash with 1 T butter and nutmeg and spread over leeks and peppers. In same skillet you cooked beef, heat 1 T butter and saute broccoli and sorrel until soft - sorrel will cook quick, just keep stirring until broccoli is tender. Spoon this mixture over squash. In same skillet, heat 2 T butter and toss in carrots, cooking until brown on all sides. Add in 1/2 C water/stock/broth and cook until liquid is absorbed. Spoon carrots over broccoli mixture. Bring a large pot of water/stock/broth to boil and add in potatoes and garlic. When potatoes are soft, drain and mash with 3 T butter and cheese, salt and pepper. Spread over the top of the pie and dot with remaining butter. Bake for 35 minutes.

Gravy
1/4 C onion, chopped
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 T soy sauce
1 1/2 C stock/broth
1 T tahini
salt & pepper

In a small saucepan, heat butter and saute onions for 2 minutes. Add flour and mix thoroughly. Cook for another 5 minutes over medium heat. Add soy sauce and stock/broth and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Add in tahini and mix thoroughly. Use a food processor, blender or hand held mixer and puree gravy. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste.

Serve Shepherd's Pie hot, topped with gravy. Bon Appetit!