Curried Egg Salad

 I never buy eggs, but I have a few (beautiful) chickens that produce a few for me. I enjoy egg dishes, but only if they are done right.

I use plain yogurt in place of mayo in this salad (don't miss it.. can't even tell!!) I also tossed in some curry powder, celery, and onion. I think it would be great spread on bread with lots of lettuce atop.. or forgo the bread and wrap it in lettuce by itself!

Delicious and satisfying.

Curried Egg Salad Recipe

Use any type of onion you like here, I think it would be fine if using yellow, white, or red..

5 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
3-6 tablespoons plain yogurt (depends on how creamy you want it. I tend to lean toward 6 )
2 big pinches of salt
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (optional)

First off, you need to cook the eggs.
Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by a 1/2-inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for around seven minutes. Then place them in an ice bath for 3 minutes, or so - long enough to stop the cooking.

Meanwhile, combine the yogurt, curry powder and salt in a tiny bowl. Set aside.

Crack and peel each egg, and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the curried yogurt, salgtt, onions, celery, and pecans. Now mash a bit with a fork. Don't overdo it though. I like texture, you might too.. If you need to add a bit more plain yogurt to moisten up the mixture a bit, go for it a bit at a time. taste and add more salt if needed. Enjoy as-is, or served wrapped in lettuce or on bread!

Serves 3-4

Wholesome Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are a great cookie.

I started working on this recipe last fall (it took a few tries!). I knew I wanted  it to be 'whole' and 'hearty'. I wanted them to be golden and crisp on the outside, and filled with nuttyness and plenty of chocolate.

These would be great served along ice cream, and I can't resist sugesting ice-cream sandwiches made with them!

Wholesome chocolagte chip cookie recipe

I use whole wheat pastry flour here, but you can substitute unbleached all-purpose flour if you like, or if that is all you have on hand. You might also add-in some finely chopped crystallized ginger, chopped raisins or currants, or wheat germ. You could try barley flakes or spelt flakes in place of the rolled oats too. There are lots of different ways to take this cookie.

1 cup  good-quality semi-sweet chocolate

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup apple sauce

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon  molasses

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350F degrees, racks in top and bottom third. Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats, walnuts, and chocolate. Set aside.

Using a mixer beat the butter and applesauce until blended fluffy. Beat in the sugar and mix until it is also light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Beat in the molasses, then the egg, mixing until both are well incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mix and stir by hand until the ingredients barely come together into a uniform dough.

Scoop spoonfulls of the dough onto a baking sheet, place them two inches apart. Gently flatten each dough ball into a thin, round patty. Bake for 7 minutes or until cookies are golden and fragrant. Remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack.

Cute kitty pic that makes me happy..

Spinach-Mushroom Quiche

You could call it a tart if you like tarts more than quiche. This is a quiche with no dairy, no eggs, and no butter. Sounds like it would lack something in the taste department, right? But I think it's delicious. Really something special. I was snacking on the filling before I even filled the tart shell.
Sometimes it is tricky to figure out what to bring to a potluck, picnic, or brunch when you know it is going to be a mixed crown of vegetarians, vegans, and non-vegetarians - this is one of those recipes what will appeal to just about everyone.
The catch? This recipe is a real time commitment. That being said, the finished quiche is hearty, flavorful, filling, and we have plenty of leftovers to eat for lunch today, and maybe even dinner tonight. I actually like the quiche just as well the day after. Warm or cold - it tasted great both ways. I used an 8 by 11.5 inch glass baking dish. I think the thinner you can spread the crust the better. I thought I was spreading it too thin, but tasting the finished product I think it could have been even thinner.
You can chop the spinach as finely as you wish before you mix it into the rest of the filling. I didn't chop it at all because I love texture. Also, sesame oil would be great in the crust in place of the olive oil! This time around I used olive oil but I'll try sesame the next time around.

Spinach Mushroom Quiche RecipeFor the crust:
1/2 cup rolled oats
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or whole spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup light sesame oil or pure olive oil plus more for brushing the pan
For the filling:
a splash of extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
10 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons dry white wine or water
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
3 garlic cloves, slice crosswise into 1/8-inch rounds
10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, chopped, or a handfull of dried
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or a pinch of dried
Pinch hot cayenne
1 pound firm tofu, rinsed and patted dry
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 pounds fresh spinach
Paprika for dusting
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. To make the crust, spread the oats and sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 minutes.
3. Transfer the toasted oats and sesame seeds to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper, and process until the oats are finely ground.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the water and oil. Mix in the dry ingredients to form a dough.
5. Lightly brush a 9-inch or 10-inch tart pan with oil. Put the dough in the pan and press down evenly, making sure to fill in the sides of the pan. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
6. To make the filling, in a wide saute pan over medium heat, warm a splash of the oil. Add the onion and mushroom, raise the heat to med-high, and saute for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and shaking the pan until the vegetables are caramelized. Add the wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and continue to cook until dry. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the vegetables into a mixing bowl and set aside.
7. In the same saucepan over medium heat, warm another splash of oil. Add the garlic, basil, thyme, and pepper. Cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes or until the garlic is golden. With a rubber spatula, scrape the garlic oil into the bowl of a food processor.
8. Crumble the tofu into the bowl of the food processor. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and puree until smooth. With a rubber spatula, scrape the puree into the mushroom-onion mixture.
9. Wash the spinach leaves. Transfer the spinach to a pot and steam, covered, over high heat for several minutes, just until wilted. Drai well. At this point you can Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and chop fine, or opt to leave the leaves whole. Than add the spinach to the rest of the filling and stir well to combine.
10. Fill the tart shell with the tofu and vegetable mixture and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Dust with Paprika. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until firm.
11.Let the tart cool for 8 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Roasted Squash Salad

Quite frankly, this is a combination of ingredients that had never crossed my mind.. until I took a look at what I had left hanging around from the past fall and winter! I used the pretty cross-cuts of the delicata squash that my sister grew in her garden last year (still good!), a large potato chopped into thumb-sized peices, some kale, radishes, almonds and some miso and curry.
It was good. It really was.
The flavor was bold and vibrant and it was a breeze to make - no need to peel this type of squash. I suspect you could do endless riffs on this depending on what you have on hand, or what is in season. The nuts give a great texture and crunch. Feel free to play around with this general idea.

Roasted Delicata Squash Salad

1/2 pound potatoes, cut into thumb sized paices
3/4 pound delicata squash, (or butternut squash)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white miso
1 tsp curry
3/4 tsp cummin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlic cloves finly minced
a pinch of cinnamon
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, (About 1 lemon, you could also use lime)
A big bunch of kale, finely chopped (cabbage works well here too)
4 radishes, very thinly sliced
1/4 c toasted almonds, other toasted nuts

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. If the potatoes aren't tiny, slice them into pieces no larger than your thumb. Cut the delicata squash in half length-wise, and use a spoon to clear out all the seeds. Cut into 1/2-inch wide half-moons. You can leave the peel on if your using delicata squash.
In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, and next 7 ingredients. Place the potatoes and squash in a large bowl with 1/2 of the miso/curry/oil. Toss well, then turn out onto a baking sheet. Bake until everything is baked through and browned, about 25-30 minutes. Toss once or twice along the way after things start to brown a bit. Keep an eye on things though, you can go from browned to burned in a flash.
In the meantime, whisk the lemon juice into the remaining miso-harissa oil. Stir the kale into the leftover dressing and set aside.
Place the warm roasted vegetables in a bowl and toss with the kale mixture, radishes, and almonds.

Avacado dip

I'm particular about my guacamole. I don't think I have ever had a restaurant do it right - seems they (and commercial products) always add all sorts of ingredients to stretch the green goodness. Guacamole should be awesome! You should be able to recognize the goodness (and color) of the avocado. The other ingredients should enhance and complement, pure and simple.

Great guacamole starts with ripe avocados (they should be slightly soft to the touch, leaving a mark maybe, but not too smooshy! If the skin feels as if it might collapse beneath your grip, it's no good)



Other things to consider:
Resist the urge to over mix guacamole, it should have lots of big chunks - texture is great. You could also add fresh tomatoes to this. I love them, I only really have them around in the summer though so I don't call for them here. But that would be a great addition!!
Dip in chips, tortillas, bread, naan or anything

Avacado dip Recipe

Feel free to add a chopped tomato if you like, a bit of cilantro might be tasty as well. Many stores now sell reheatable naan bread - Trader Joes and Whole Foods, etc., or, stop into your favorite local Indian restaurant and pick up a stack to use for dipping.

1 small white onion, finly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 avocados
juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp curry powder

naan or flat bread, cut into wedges, for serving

Heat oven to 350 and bake the naan wedges for 10 minutes or so - just enough for them to crisp up a bit.

In a small bowl combine the onion, garlic, and avocado flesh. Take the lime and give a generous squeeze or two. Add the salt, cumin and curry powder. Give everything a good stir, but don't overdo it. Taste. Now start adjusting. Do you need a bit more lime? A bit more salt? Want a stronger curry flavor? Go for it.
Serve in a bowl with a big pile of the naan wedges on the side and a sprinkling of curry powder on top (a bit of chopped cilantro would look nice as well).
Makes one party platte

Flat bread

These are really great to keep on hand. I try to under cook them slightly, through them in the freezer and then when I need them I can through them in the toaster oven for a minute to make them soft or 5 minutes to make crunchy chips! You can also cut them into wedges and bake them or fry them to make dip able chips!


Flat bread Recipe

1 cup warm tap water
2.5 tsp sour dough start (or 1 1/4 tsp yeast)
1 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
2.25 cup white flour (or your favorite)
cornmeal for the bread stone (optional)

I mix the dough in the bread machine. (email me if you want the directions for doing this without the machine) Place the ingredients in the bowl of the bread machine:
If using sour dough start: Place warm water, sour dough start and oil in the bowl, then top with flour and salt.
If using yeast: Place warm water and oil in the bowl, then top with flour. Add the yeast in the middle and the salt in a corner. Set the machine to dough cycle and .. wait.

After the sough cycle is complete pull the dough out of the bowel and let it rise for an hour or so. Then divide the dough into even round balls. You should have about 8 or 10 small balls, depending on the size of flat bread you want. Roll out the sough using a rolling pin or something.

Heat the oven to 425 with a bread stone in. Let the dough rest while the ove is heating. Bake the flat breads for about 2 - 4 min on each side. Cool o a wire rack or serve warm!!

Basic Hungry Hill Sourdough Casera Loaf

The word 'Casera' means of the house, which is how this bread got it's name. This is a great sourdough for any meal, and one of my personal favorites. It has a lightly sour flavor. (It might even be great for cinnamon toast!) I'm using a bread machine for the dough here but you don't need one. (Let me know if you would like instructions for no-bread machine! (Although its very much the same!)) I'll try to get the 'non-bread machine' recipe up here soon!

Basic Hungry Hill Sourdough Casera Loaf Recipe

3/4 cup sourdough starter
1.5 cup warm water
3.5 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt

In the bowl of your bread machine, add the water and the start. On top of this add 3.5 cups of flour) (letting it float on the liquid) sprinkle the salt on top of the flour and place in the bread machine. Set to the dough setting and press start. It should be about 1.5 hours before the dough is done and ready to bake!



Form the dough into a smooth ball and slash a few cuts into the top. Let it sit while you preheat the oven, with a baking stone in, to 400 degrees. When the oven is heated put the bread in and bake for 45-50 min or until hollow souning when tapped on the bottom.

Butternut Squash and Sage Ravioli

Butternut Squash and Sage Ravioli

2 Cups cooked butternut squash
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan
½ cup bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 batch of fresh egg pasta dough

Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Scoop out 2 cups of flesh from a butternut squash. Combine with butter until smooth. Add cheese and bread crumbs, garlic and sage and season with salt and pepper.

Making the filled pasta
Roll out the pasta dough, either by hand or with a pasta machine, into wide long strips. Crease a strip of dough crosswise, lay out a double row of filling on one half, then bring the second half over the top. The ravioli should be about 2-inch squares. Seal with a ravioli stamp or if you have a ravioli attachment for your pasta machine you could use that too! I find using the stamp works the best though. Cut with a sharp knife to seperate the ravioli. I then through them into a plastic siplock and straight into the freezer, or pot of boiling water if you plan to eat them right away!

Sour dough bread

Day 1

Combine 3 heaping tablespoons of white flour, 1 heaping tablespoon whole wheat flour, the juice of 1/2 a fresh orange, and enough water to make a thick, but stir-able dough (about 1/4-1/3 cup). Beat this mixture together thoroughly, to blend all ingredients and incorporate a bit of air. Cover loosely and place in a warm spot (by the fire, in a sunny summer window, or even in the bathroom with the heater on...)

Day 2, 3, 4 and so on..

Add 3 heaping tablespoons of white flour, 1 heaping tablespoon whole wheat flour, and about 1/4 cup room temp water to the start and beat together thoroughly, to blend all ingredients and incorporate a bit of air. Cover loosely and place, again, in a warm spot (by the fire, in a sunny summer window, or even in the bathroom with the heater on...). Repeat each day there after. You are ready to use the start after 4 days or so, or when the start starts smelling sour and delicious.

Simply use some of the start in your bread recipe and then replenish the start with 3 more tablespoons white flour, 1 heaping tablespoon whole wheat flour, and about 1/4 cup room temp water. Even is you don't use any of the start one day it is still a good idea to feed it with fresh flower and water to keep it well fresh!

Frittata

This particular recipe was inspired by a few things - the fact that it is january, a new year, and time to start over from scratch... and clean out the cupboard and fridge!

Plus, I have a box of potatoes that are begining to start to want to grow and wilt, so that was another encintive. I also have 4 dozen eggs in my fridge (from my wonderful happy chickens!!)

A Tasty Frittata Recipe is what I came up with.

Frittatas are good. They fill your belly, and help use up leftovers in your refrigerator. Plus you can eat them for reakfast, lunch, or dinner; and it's quick.

Frittata Recipe

2 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 small bunch cilantro
1 chile, seeds removed
2 pinches ground cumin
a couple big pinches of salt
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 small potatoes, very very thinly sliced
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
a couple more pinches of salt

Preheat your oven to 450F degrees. Make a sauce by pureeing the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, chile, cumin, and salt until very smooth. Set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk the eggs with a small pinch of salt. Set aside.
In a 8 1/2-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat add the olive oil, onion, and another pinch of salt. Saute, stirring constantly, until the onion starts to brown, 5 - 7 minutes. Add the potatoes, cover, and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Slide everything out of the skillet onto a plate and set aside.
Turn down the heat a bit. Using the same skillet, add the eggs and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until the eggs are almost just set and there isn't too much liquid running around the pan. Drizzle the eggs with a few tablespoons of the sauce and sprinkle the potato onion mixture over the top.
Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 9 minutes, or until well set and puffy. Add crumbled goat cheese anover the top of the frittata in the final 2 minutes of baking. Remove from oven cut into wedges and serve!

Pizza Dough

I like making pizza, because it gives me a chance to, one, be creative, but also to clean out my fridge! But the dough is very important too; if you have bad dough you are bouned to have bad pizza!

There is a place around where I live, Geovanies, that has the best crust to go under thier pizzas; a little sweet, crusty, fluffy, just right.

But this is what I came up with..

Pizza Dough

4 1/2 cups unbleached bread, or all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups water, ice cold

1. Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast into the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, with the paddle attachment. Switch to the dough hook and stir in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed. Mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too wet and doesn't come off the sides of the bowl, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides. If it seems too dry, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not tacky..
2. Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger) Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Lift each piece and gently round it into a ball.

3. Let the dough stand at room temp (covered) overnight, to rest the dough, or you can through it itn the fridge for up to 3 days. (If you want to save some of the dough for future pizzas, you can store the dough, in balls, in a zippered freezer bag. Dip each dough ball into a bowl that has a few tablespoons of oil in it, rolling the dough in the oil, and then put each ball into a separate bag. You can freeze them for up to 3 months. Transfer them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to make pizza.)
4. On the day you plan to make the pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before making the pizza. Before letting the dough rest at room temperature for 2 hours, dust the counter with flour. Place the dough balls on top of the floured counter and sprinkle them with flour; dust your hands with flour. Press the dough into flat disks about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle the dough with flour, cover, and let rest for 2 hours.
5. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven as hot as possible, 500 to 550.

6. Generously dust a dry pizza board with cornmeal. Make the pizzas one at a time. Very gently lay the dough across your fists and carefully stretch it by bouncing the dough in a circular motion on your hands, carefully giving it a little stretch with each bounce. If it begins to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue shaping it. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss! (I'm trying to get the hang of it) If you have trouble tossing the dough, or if the dough keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 to 20 minutes so the gluten can relax, and try again. You can also resort to using a rolling pin, though this isn't as effective as the toss method.
7. When the dough is stretched out to your satisfaction, lay it on the peel, making sure there is enough cornmeal to allow it to slide. Lightly top it with sauce and then other toppings, including cheese of course.
8. Slide the topped pizza onto the stone and close the door. It should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake.

9. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Cut and Serve!!

Celery Casserole

Icy frost still lingers in the shadows, this afternoon, while sunny skies warm the exposed.

I've been looking forward to doing alot of creative cooking over the holiday break. It is the prime season I think, and I think I have taken well advantage.
Today I'm creating a tasty new approach to celery. I know it is perfect raw and fresh, but is also great cooked, so.. I'm gonna try and make some kinda casserole?

Celery Casserole Recipe

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 head celery (about 12 healthy stalks)
1 small onion, finely minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
1 cup stock; or beer or old wine (deluded with water) or ... water
1/3 cup freshly grated Gruyere, or half Gruyere and half Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs made from day-old rustic white bread

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Using about half the butter, generously butter a large baking dish (9- to 10-by-13- to 14-inch).
2. Rinse the celery stalks. Trim off the top part of the stalk where it branches into leaves, and set the tops aside with the heart and leaves. Pull off the fibrous strings that run its length if you can. Chop the stalks and through them in a layer in the baking dish. Through in the oven for 10 min.
3. Then ... finely chop the rest of the celery heart, and the celery tops and leaves. Melt the remaining butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, and chopped celery heart and leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until almost dry, about 3 minutes. Add the 'stock' and simmer until reduced by half, another 6 minutes or so.
4. The braise: Pour the celery-shallot-stock mixture over the celery sticks. Cover with foil and slide into the middle of the oven to braise until the celery has collapsed and feels very tender when prodded with a knife tip, about I hour and 15 minutes.
5. The finish: Remove the celery from the oven, and increase the oven heat to 400 degrees. Sprinkle the cheese and bread crumbs over the celery, and return to the oven until the cheese is melted and the top is crusty and browned, about 10 more minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Serves 4 I Braising

Mexican Hominy Soup

The temperature was very cold; Below freezing, and, on a night like this, the air has a crips 'tundra' presence. Twas not a task to breathe it; very fresh. A friend of mine came over and a cousin drove down from seattle this night! and I made this soup.

Mexican Hominy Soup Recipe

4 cups canned hominy
1/2 a large onion, diced
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 chile peppers, stems removed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Red Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely diced white onion
2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup ground red chile
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 of one lime

garnishes: tortilla strips, crumbled queso fresco or feta, or avacado!

Drain the Hominy and place it in a large thick-bottomed pot along with 2 quarts of water, the onion, garlic, chile peppers, and oregano. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the posole is tender, and many of the kernels have flowered into popcorn shapes. This can take anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 hours. Season with a couple teaspoons of salt roughly halfway through the cooking process. Season again once the posole is fully cooked.
In the meantime, make the red sauce by combining the olive oil, onion, garlic, and oregano in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until the onion takes on a bit of color, a few minutes. Add the flour and cumin, and stir for a minute or two or until the flour browns a bit. Whisk the chile into 2 1/2 cups / 600ml water and pour it into the saucepan, whisking all the while. Stir until the sauce thickens a bit, dial down the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for fifteen minutes or so. Stir in a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and season with the salt, adding more to taste if necessary. Set aside until the posole has finished cooking.
Stir 1/2 cup / 120ml of the red sauce into the pot of posole. You can add more red sauce, a bit at a time, until it is to your liking. Spoon the posole into bowls and top with tortilla strips, cheese, and oregano.

Gingerbread Cake

I made this cake for Christmas Eve dinner at my parents house.

Served it with lightly sweetened whipped cream and a lemon sauce that my mom put together. It turned out great!

I'll try to get the recipe for the lemon sauce and post it later. It really is the perfect combination!!

Gingerbread Cake Recipe

1 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup honey

1 cup tightly packed brown sugar

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

3 large eggs

1/2 cu milk

1 packed tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Lightly sweetened whipped cream and lemon sauce, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Lightly grease a 8 x 11.5 x 2-inch (or so) baking pan and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper that has been cut to hang over two opposite edges by a couple of inches. This overhang will make removing the cake from the pan clean and simple.
2. Combine the butter, water, molasses, honey and brown sugar in a medium saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir the mixture frequently until the butter is melted, and all of the ingredients are well blended. Remove from the heat, pour into a large bowl and set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, all-spice and cloves, and set aside. When the molasses mixture cools down a bit, add the milk and stir to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold the dry ingredients into the batter in four additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the grated ginger.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then, using the overhang of parchment, lift the cake out of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Pull off the paper and put the cake pack in the pan if you want. Serve with mounds of soft whipped cream and lemon sauce.
Serves 10 to 12.

Gift tags

These amazing gift tags from Eat Drink Chic, (eatdrinkchic.com), made things go alot quicker for me today! I love them! And you can have them too! Click Here to download and print your own!

Poppyseed Dressing

This is really good...

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground dry mustard
3 tablespoons grated onion
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions

In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard and onion and process for 20 seconds. With blender or food processor on high, gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream. Stir in poppy seeds.

Celebrating solstice with Lemon Angelfood Cupcakes and thumbprint cookies

Tonight is the longest night of the year! A few friends came over to celebrate. We had tea and lots and lots of sweets!!

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones my sister put together. I think the recipe is from Betty Crocker, though I'm not sure which book, or what page...

Some cute little sugar cookies Amanda put together. They have this 'glitter glue' looking decoration frosting on them. Edible though.. Ha!

I made tapioca, which I won't post cuz it wasn't great, and lemon angel food cupcakes...

..and a couple types of thumbprint cookies..

Lucia Buns

Happy Saint Lucia Day! Went up to my Grams this morning for breakfast.
It's a tradition we have carried out ever since I remember; to eat Lucia buns on this day!
St. Lucia day is Swedish holiday, celebrating "light", I believe... or lake there of!


St. Lucia Bun Recipe

2 tsp yeast
1/2 c. lukewarm water
1 1/2 c. lukewarm milk
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. softened butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. ground cardamom
zest of 1 orange
3/4 tsp. salt
7-7 1/2 c. flour
1 slightly beaten egg
1 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. sugar
raisins

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in milk, sugar, butter, eggs, cardamom, salt, and 3 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth. Place in a bowl, cover and let rise until doubled.
Divide into 24 parts. Shape each piece into an S-shape rope; curve both ends into a coil. May place raisin in center of each coil. Place rolls on cookie sheet. . Mix egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush buns lightly.. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Fruitless Granola

The road was a sheet of ice this morning and I had to call out of work. In turn I got a day of down home cookin, cleaning.. and catching up! Give and take!!

Got the tree decorated, house cleaned, and a batch of granola made!

This recipe is very basic, no bells or whistles..

Fruitless Granola

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 and 1/2 cup walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup oil (probably not olive oil, but whatever you have. The more mild, the better)
1/4 cup syrup (any kind, I prefer real maple syrup though)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup water

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In a large bowl, or even on a large 'cookie' baking sheet, toss together the oats, wheat germ, flax seed meal, brown sugar, sunflower seeds, pecans, almonds, and cinnamon. Top with the oil, honey, vanilla and water and mix well; until evenly blended. Spread out evenly in the pan, (if you mixed it in the pan) other wise pour the mixture into a large 'cookie' baking sheet and spread out evenly.
Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, until toasted; stirring every 20 minutes. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container

Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today I took my last final! It was for the wine, beer, and spirits class! It went well, I feel pleased and cheery to be able to relax for a bit and look forward to the holidays!!

Tomarrow I have Arley so I thought I would make up some cookies! Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies is what I came up with. There are kinda mix between plain old chocolate chip cookies and cozy winter ginger cookies. ..mom was sceptical but they turned out great i n my opinion

These Holiday cookies are made with two forms of ginger and lots of chocolate.

Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

2/3 C chocolate chips
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup molasses
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger,
1 large egg, well beaten

Preheat the oven to 350F, and position racks in the top and bottom third of the oven.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, and salt.
Heat the butter in a saucepan until it is just barely melted. Remove from heat and stir in the molasses, sugar, and fresh ginger. The mixture should be warm, but not hot at this point, if it is hot to the touch let it cool a bit, so the egg dosn't cook when you add it!! Now whisk in the egg. Pour this mixture over the flour and stir until just combined. Mix in the chocolate.
Place spoonfulls of the dough a few inches apart on baking sheets., and bake for 7-10 minutes or until cookies start to become golden.