So sad that our Sunday morning blueberry/blackberry Dutch Baby is now history.....but it is just so good that I must blog the recipe.
Summer Berry (or Autumn Apple) Dutch Baby
PER PERSON: (we make this for two - so use 2/3 c each flour and milk and 2 eggs, and make it in a 9 inch oven proof frying pan. One person recipe could use a 6 inch pan, etc. Using cow milk and white flour gives the puffiest product - we've gone to almond or soy milk and half whole wheat flour - it comes out more like a light pancake. No matter - it is yummy and fool proof and forgiving!)
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
berries of your choice, or peeled sliced apples
lots of cinnamon
maple syrup
butter
preheat oven to 425, and place the pan in the oven to preheat along with the oven. In a bowl, quickly whisk together the flour, egg and milk until smooth.
Put 2 tbsp butter in the hot pan, return to the oven until it melts, then cover the bottom of the pan with the berries or apples and sprinkle heavily with cinnamon - return pan to oven and let the fruit come to a nice sizzle. Add the egg mixture on top of the fruit, then bake at 425 for 25-30 min. until puffed and browned.
Serve with real maple syrup. This is our favorite Sunday morning breakfast - and takes no time at all to pull together!
We always eagerly anticipate the first Swiss Chard harvest from the garden as the basis for this wonderful recipe, which we found in the Joy of Cooking (with a few adjustments). Here's how to make it:
Crust -
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
a few grinds of black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil
Whisk the flours, salt, pepper and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the water and olive oil and, with a fork, stir it all together to blend - this will become a very nice dough quite quickly. Form it into a ball with floured hands, then press it into a 9 inch pie plate (flatten, push from the center to the sides, form the side crust and edge). Place this in the fridge to firm up for an hour.
Filling -
1 large onion, chopped
1 sweet pepper (change from the original recipe), cored, seeded, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb greens - we use a mix of Rainbow Swiss Chard, beet greens and red Russian Kale, washed and chopped (allow the water to cling to it after washing, then chop) (original recipe uses chard only)
(optional - if you are growing the beets and have baby beets, chop a half dozen or so into small dice)
3 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano
1/3 cup half and half
1 tsp salt
grinds of pepper
2 springs of fresh basil, torn
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 375. In a large deep pan, heat the oil on medium then saute the onion and pepper and beets (if you choose to use them) - add 1/2 tsp salt, a few grind of pepper and the red pepper flakes - saute until limp (5-8 minutes). Add the chopped greens - stir and saute over medium for 10 minutes - the greens will seem to go down to hardly any volume at all which is fine - add 1/2 tsp salt, a few grinds of pepper and the basil. Let this cool for 15 minutes.
Whisk the eggs and half and half then add the grated cheese and whisk again. Add this to the sauteed onions/greens - stir well. Fill the pie crust with the mixture, smooth the top, and bake at 375 for 45 minutes, or until nicely browned.
Freezes fine - tastes best warm, not red hot. Positively addictive!
We love nice spicy Black Beans - and here is our favorite way to make them.
2 cups black beans, soaked overnight - then drained and simmered for one hour in 6 cups water
1 large onion
6 cloves garlic
2 japapeno peppers
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp salt
a few grinds of black pepper
fresh cilantro to taste (optional)
4 tbsp lime juice
In a food processor, add the onion, garlic and peppers - grind until finely chopped.
In a large deep pan, water saute the onion/garlic/pepper for 5-10 min over medium, until tender. Add the black beans, cumin, salt and pepper - bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and simmer for 1 hour.
Just before serving, add chopped cilantro to taste, then the lime juice.
We've been making a variation of this long before starting the Engine 2 program....and it was easy to adjust (just take the added oil to zero!).
Anyway.....try this and enjoy! It is really very easy, incredibly good, and gets better as it sits in the refrig - meaning superb leftovers.
1 large sweet onion, peeled and diced
1 large sweet pepper, seeded and diced
1-2 small hot peppers, diced (seeded if lesser heat wanted, seeds retained for more heat - maybe a jalapeno and a cayenne combo)
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
a few grinds of black pepper
1 tbsp black mustard seed
1 large can tomatoes
1 head of cauliflower, in florets
3 potatoes, diced
1 can chickpeas
3 tsp garam masala - separated
In a large pot, over medium heat water saute the onion, hot and sweet peppers, ginger and garlic until tender. Add the black mustard seed, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper and 1 1/2 tsp garam masala - stir and heat for a few minutes over medium.
Add the tomatoes (including the juice), cauliflower and potatoes - cover, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the chickpeas for the last 10 minutes. Just before serving, mix in the last 1 1/2 tsp garam masala, stir well.
Serve over brown basmati rice, with naan bread.
The ones we've liked best - using potatoes and leeks, potatoes and cauliflower, potatoes and carrots, or potatoes and winter squash (pumpkin, acorn, or butternut squash).
Most basic (and we think, yummy) - Potato Leek soup
4 large leeks - white part and an inch or so of the green part, sliced thinly, soaked in water and spun in a salad spinner (to remove the grit)
1 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 lbs of potatoes, in bite size pieces - we leave on the skin and like Yukon Gold
1 tbsp salt
6 cups hot water
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups soy milk
water saute the sliced leeks in a large pot until tender, about 5 min, over medium heat - but don't brown. Add the flour, stir over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the hot water, stir well, then add the salt, pepper and potatoes. Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer, mostly cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the soy milk, adjust the pepper and salt, and you are ready to serve.
Vegan vegetable "cream" soup variation
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 sweet bell pepper, seeded and diced, except if you use cauliflower
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece peeled ginger, minced, if you are using carrots or winter squash
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
6 cups veggie broth
2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 tbsp honey or agave, except if you use cauliflower
2 tsp garam masala, except if you use cauliflower
1 cup soy milk
either: 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets; or flesh from 1 butternut, acorn squash or small pumpkin (to prepare, cut squash in half, remove seeds and fiber and bake at 350 for 45 min - scoop out the flesh and use in the soup),;or 6 large carrots, peeled and sliced
In a large pan, water saute the onion, sweet pepper if using, garlic, and ginger if using - over medium heat until tender, 5 minutes or so. Add the various spices (1 tsp garam masala now, 1 tsp at the end - see below) and honey or agave (if you are using it) - stir well.
Add the veggie broth, potatoes, and vegetable of choice - bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add the soy milk, then the last tsp of garam masala - taste to adjust spices, and serve.
It is much easier than the number of ingredients indicates....and is just wonderful.
Good luck - and have fun!
We had our doubts about this....and the texture certainly isn't classic "ice cream" (as in creamy and thick) - it reminds us more of a rich, fresh tasting sorbet. (the strawberry one, anyway...the mocha chip version is like an old time fudgecicle!).
We use the cuisinart ice cream maker - not the pricey one, but the one where you put the freezing compartment into the freezer for 24 hours.
2 cups of fresh or frozen strawberries (if frozen, thaw slightly)
1/2 cup honey or agave
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cups almond milk
Using a food processor, puree the strawberries. Transfer to a large bowl and add the honey or agave, vanilla and lemon juice stir well, then let the berries macerate at room temperature for at least an hour.
Add the almond milk to the berry mixture and stir well - transfer into the freezing chamber of the ice cream maker and process for 20-25 minutes, until desired consistency. This gets better with age (esp. with the honey, where the distinct honey flavor integrates better into the ice cream after 24 hours).
To make mocha chip - combine 2 cups of almond milk, 3 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 or 2 packets of the Starbuck via instant coffee powder (depends how coffee-ish you want it), 1/2 cup of agave or honey, and 2 tsp vanilla - stir very well until combined, then freeze for 15 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips and process for another 5-10 minutes.
You can vary the cocoa/coffee flavor by playing around with the ratios and quantities, and add more chips if you like....
Have fun!
This is something that I cobbled together and came up with after reading many, many other (less healthy/less tasty) recipes!
1/2 lg onion, diced
1 sweet pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic,minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa, or a combination of the two
bread crumbs
1 can black beans
cumin, paprika, garam masala (or chile powder), black pepper, salt, red pepper flakes (each to taste - see below)
Using a small food processor, puree half of the can of black beans. Transfer to a large bowl and add the rest of the beans, 1/4 cup bread crumbs and rice/quinoa - stir well.
Combine the onion, garlic, celery and carrots in a deep frying pan or pot over medium high and water saute until the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes. If things start to stick, just add a little water continue to stir. Add the potatoes, peas and corn, then season with 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garam masala or chili (depending upon if you want a Tex Mex or Indian flavor), a few grinds of black pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes - and continue to saute for another 10 minutes over medium. (adjust spices up or down depending upon your preference/taste).
Combine the sauteed, spiced veggies with the black bean mixture and stir well. Chill for an hour or so.
Form the mixture into 8 cakes - coat each side with bread crumbs and place on a cookie sheet - bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until nicely browned. They can be frozen after baking.
Add the sauteed veggies
We took this recipe and make some modifications. It has become one of our favorites. It is what we had for dinner tonight - our daughter Sara was our guest...she loved it! We actually doubled the recipe to provide lots of leftovers. 1 sweet onion, chopped 1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped 2 stalks of celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces 1 cup frozen peas 1 cup frozen corn 1 tsp thyme 1 large can diced tomatoes 3 cups veggie stock 1 cup peeled, diced carrots 1 bay leaf 1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste) 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp salt 1 tsp chile powder a few grinds of black pepper 1 cup of Farro Heat the stock to simmer in a sauce pan. Water saute the onion, pepper, celery and garlic in a large pan for 5 min or so over medium until tender. Add the Farro and continue to stir 5 minutues, to toast it - stir frequently. Add half of the stock tomatoes, carrots and spices - heat to simmering, and over medium heat, stir frequently for 15 minutes (this is how it is like making Risotto). The liquid should be mostly absorbed. Add the rest of the stock, and continue to stir - set timer for 15 min. When there is 10 minutes left, add the corn, peas and zuccini. At the end of the time, most of the liquid should be absorbed - serve in a big bowl with grated parmesan (if you want to un-vegan it) or nutritional yeast, and serve with a nice crusty whole wheat bread.
We fell in love with sweet potato or pumpkin pancakes ever since having them for breakfast at the Flying Melon Cafe on Ocracoke during one of our autumn vacations. We found a good recipe and enjoyed making them at home. But they contained buttermilk, oil, eggs and sugar, and so were out of bounds for our 28 day Engine 2 challenge. So the big question - could we find a recipe that was as good but OK for our challenge? Absolutely. And here is the recipe... This makes a lot of pancakes, so feel free to reduce by half - then again, we found that they freeze wonderfully! 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 2 1/2 cups water 1/2 cup almond milk (or soy milk) 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup pumpkin or sweet potato puree 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 2 tbsp honey 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp lemon juice or cider vinegar Combine the almond milk with the lemon juice or vinegar in a medium bowl - stir, and let sit for 5 minutes to curdle. In a large bowl,combine/whisk together all of the dry ingredients - flour, powder, soda, salt, and spices. To the curdled almond (or soy) milk, add the pumpkin or sweet potato, honey, vanilla and water - whisk together. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened - don't overmix - let the batter sit for 5 minutes while you heat the griddle. Make pancakes as you ordinarily would - the batter is thick, so use the spatula to spread it out a bit on the griddle. Serve with good quality maple syrup and fruit of your choice. You will not believe how good these are - light, fluffy, spicy! This is a modification to a recipe found here.
On January 24, Sue and I headed for the new North Raleigh Whole Foods to mark the start of a free program that they offered called the Engine 2 Challenge. As I said in my last entry, it is a way of eating based on the China Study, which focuses on a whole foods, plant based diet. Lasting for 28 days, it is indeed a challenge, and in some respects, more disciplined than a vegan diet. The keys are elimination of all dairy, meat, seafood and added oil, as well as refined sugars and flours - and no alcohol or caffeine as well. (one way we were told is that we were not to eat anything with a mother or a face!). It is up to each participant in the program to decide how much discipline to use....we chose to not eliminate all alcohol (though we've only had a few glasses of wine the entire time, and no beer), or coffee (our morning coffee is a must!).
Sue and I typically eat pretty healthy, minimizing restaurant meals, processed food, eating very little meat. When I go shopping, I tend to stick to the edges - produce and dairy, primarily. But....this was something different altogether! Morning coffee would no longer be whitened with half and half, sweetened with sugar, and the bowl of cereal wouldn't see cow milk. No butter on the English Muffins.....and no traditional jam.....the scallops and tuna and shrimp in the freezer, purchased at Ocracoke, would have to remain where it was. You get the idea....
So this provided some challenges - what to eat when I have my weekly lunch outing with my friends....adjusting to non-dairy milks, making some good things to eat without using eggs or oil, coming up with delicious, nutritious recipes that will make meal time something to look forward to.
And we are succeeding. Sue and I both feel great, have plenty of energy, are getting our needed food intake in terms of protein, fats, carbs, vitamins and minerals. We aren't hungry between meals, eat plenty during meals....and additional weight is slowing coming off - and I suspect our blood chemistry (cholesterol and all) is improving as well.
Here are some of the things we've made during our challenge - and I will provide recipes for them over time so you can experience this yourself, if you wish.
Spaghetti Squash with roasted tomato sauce over baked eggplant rounds Lentil Bolognese over whole wheat pasta and spaghetti squash Farro Jambalaya (probably my favorite of all discoveries) Aloo Gobi Vegan three bean Chile (superb) Cream of curried butternut squash soup no knead, whole wheat sunflower bread Cream of curried carrot soup (superb) Veggie wraps with Hummus Lentil Dal Brussels Sprouts and toasted almonds over quinoa Potato Leek Soup (tasted as good as making it full-test with butter and milk) Strawberry Honey "ice cream" (amazingly good) Mocha Chip "ice cream" Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes (these are quite remarkable!)
Once the challenge is over, I will likely stay with this way of cooking and eating at about the 80% level or more - I won't return to cow's milk for cereal and coffee (almond, rice, and/or soy milk is just fine). Focusing on grains, beans and vegetables and being creative with spices and herbs is not only good for the body, it is quite delicious and the flavors of the food are clean, clear and distinct.
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