House made saltine crackers

Click on image for larger view.

So, referring to the last post, what's a good soup without a good cracker?  Here is a quick and easy (yes, real terms) recipe for a classic.

THE RECIPE

Preheat oven to 400°F.

1 C all-purpose or bread flour
2 T butter
1/4 C water
1/8th t sea salt
1/2 t baking soda

Baking sheet, parchment paper, pan release spray

Stir all ingredients into the flour; Roll out onto parchment paper.  Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut out squares.  Bake for 15 - 17 minutes, until crisp.

Click on image for larger view.

"Kitchen sink" green pea and lentil soup

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I was not sure where this dish was going for a while; neither did it.  However I am glad to say we worked things out.  I have a bag of dried green peas and one of lentils from the IndoPak grocery, and thought to make yet another stew with chickpeas and curry, but I found some recipes online, ripe for mangling.  DETOUR!  I am adding some more heat, and some Middle Eastern flavors to this dish.

So, with some deletions, refinements, and herbs I embark upon this culinary journey.

THE RECIPE

GREEN PEAS

2 Cups dried green peas
Filtered water
Sea salt

Soak the peas overnight, simmer in salted water for about 45 minutes to reconstitute to softness.  Drain and smash with a potato masher.

LENTILS

2 Cups dried lentils
Filtered water
Sea salt

Soak lentils for one hour; drain and add to the soup as directed.

THE SOUP

2 T EV olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, small dice
3 ribs celery diced, leaves if available
2 large jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T dry Sherry
2 T dried mint leaves
1 t cumin
1 T cayenne pepper or crushed chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 T dried oregano leaves
1 T dried basil leaves
2 Qts. vegetable stock
1 23 oz. can tomato sauce

Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
 
Green peas and lentils, re-hydrated in directions above

In a medium sized stock pot, saute onion, carrot and celery for approximately 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Deglaze pan with sherry and simmer for an additional 3 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients up to peas and lentils; add jalapenos 1/2 at this time and reserve the rest for the final ten minutes.  This will lend half the flavor to the body of the stock and the other half to its heat.  Simmer for approximately 20 minutes; taste and re-season as needed.  Add peas and lentils, simmer until all vegetables are tender and soup is reduced, about 90 minutes.  Add the second half of the sliced jalapenos at the 70 minute mark.  Buzz the entire result with an immersion blender for texture and consistency.

Day 2 - This soup also makes a great pasta sauce!

Wondermous; click on image for larger view.

Zesty Vegetable Calzone

With a simple salad, Italian dressing, hot from the oven.  Click for larger image.

OK, so yesterday was stock-up day at the market, and now on to fresh inspiration.  Here is a light, vegetarian interpretation of the Italian classic.  Oh, to have access to a wood-burning pizza oven right now...  I have opted for a quick sauce (OK, "quick" being a relative term); if you have a garden, tons of tomatoes and lots of time, peel and cook from scratch.  Fresh basil was spotty in the market yesterday, so we're working with dried herbs today.  This is another "blank canvas" sort of meal, as you can play with the ingredients as you like.  Pepperoni, sausage, seasoned ground beef and the like star in more traditional preparations.  Also, in studying traditional recipes almost none of them use a sauce, but I'm going to change that.  Pizza needs sauce.  Add a light green salad, and you've got a great meal.

THE RECIPE - yield 2 calzones

THE SAUCE

1 T EV olive oil
1 medium onion, small dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T dry sherry
1 - 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 - 6oz. can tomato paste
1 T dried basil leaves
1 T dried oregano leaves
1/2 t crushed red chilies
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium sauce pan, saute onion until translucent; add garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Deglaze pan with the sherry, and simmer for 3 minutes.  Add tomatoes, herbs and chili flakes; season with salt and pepper.  Simmer for approximately 45 minutes.

THE CRUST

1 Cup warm water, 110°F
1 t granulated white sugar
1 t sea salt
1 packet active dry yeast
3 Cups all-purpose or bread flour
2 T EV olive oil

Stir sugar and salt into warm water; sprinkle yeast over the surface.  In about ten minutes, the surface should be bubbly and frothy as the yeast colony gives up its life for the sake of good bread!  Sift flour into a mixing bowl, add yeast mixture and oil.  Stir until a rough dough is formed.  Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, approximately 5 minutes.  Place in an oiled mixing bowl and cover with a dish towel and allow to rise in a 70°F area for approximately 60 minutes, or until volume is doubled.

Divide the dough into two parts; roll into balls then roll out into large thin circles.  Top with sauce, fill and bake according to directions below.

THE FILLING

As I mentioned earlier, this is open to your own interpretation as far as filling ingredients go; but here is what I used --

6 pearl onions, sliced
6 scallions, bulbs and leaves, sliced
4 Roma tomatoes, cored (place the seeds and "guts" into the simmering pizza sauce) and sliced
2 large jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
6 - 8 broccoli florettes, chopped up into tiny pieces
6 mushrooms, sliced
1 Italian squash, cut in half, thinly sliced
(I must add if there were nice fresh basil or thyme leaves available, these would have been a welcome addition.)

Give the vegetables a quick saute over medium high heat to release any extra water, about 5 minutes.  You will be "roasting" the vegetables in preparation for the filling.

Click for larger image. 

 1 T olive oil to brush the crust (because you can never have too much olive oil.)

1 8oz. package shredded Mozzarella cheese

1egg and 2 T water scrambled well, for egg wash

THE PREP

Preheat oven to 375°F; cover a sheet pan with parchment paper and pan release spray.

Brush the two rounds with olive oil; add pizza sauce, spreading out within 1/2" of edges.

  Layer on cheese,

 

then vegetable filling on one half of the round.

  Brush inside edges with egg wash and fold the dough over.  Press the edges with a fork to seal and give a "scalloped" effect.  Brush the top with more of the egg wash.  Cut three slits in the top to release steam.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until crust is browned, vegetables are tender and cheese is melted.

Bacon jalapeno scallion bread

What a great Memorial Day weekend thus far - I was blessed to be able to visit with 8 of my nieces and nephews (there are more), one set of in-laws (there are more), and 6 grand-nieces and nephews (there are more) yesterday.  Food, fun, stories and lots of love.

Icing on the cake, I was sent home with a glorious armful of fresh-from-the-garden scallions and pearl onions.  GOT to use them now, but I am not leaving the house today, and working with what's here in the pantry.  This came out great.  My only regret  - I have no cheese or avocado - but there's always next time!  This is a basic white bread recipe reworked with the applicable additions.

THE RECIPE

 5-6 slices bacon, preferably thick black pepper smoked, crisp, fat reserved

1 t granulated white sugar
1 t sea salt
1 Cup warm water, 110°F
1 packet active dry yeast

2 large jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
5 - 6 scallions, thinly sliced, bulbs and leaves

4 Cups sifted all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for kneading
1 T olive oil

1 egg + 1 T water scrambled together, for egg wash

Butter, for topping, approx. 2 T or go nuts

THE PREP

Cook bacon until crisp; reserve the fat, and chop the bacon finely.  Use the bacon fat to soften peppers, then scallions, over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

Stir sugar and salt into warm water and sprinkle yeast over the mixture.  After approximately 10 minutes, the surface should be bubbly and frothy.

Sift flour into a mixing bowl.  Add olive oil and remaining ingredients.  Stir until a rough dough is achieved.  Knead on a floured surface, adding more flour as needed, until smooth and elastic, +/- 6 minutes.  Turn out into an oiled mixing bowl, cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled, approximately 60 minutes.

First rising.  Click for larger image.

Turn dough out and punch down; set into a buttered and floured single loaf pan (9" X 5") and allow to rise an additional 35 - 40 minutes until just over the top of the pan.

Ready to go - click for larger image.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Brush the loaf with egg wash.  Bake approximately 45 minutes.  After 20 minutes slit the top of the bread with a sharp knife, brush with butter and finish until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.  Remove from the pan and cool over a wire rack.

Voila!  Buttery goodness.  Is there any prosciutto in the house?  Click on image for larger view.

Indian eggplant and cauliflower stew

A lovely experiment.  Click for larger image.

That's right kids, it's another vegetable stew.  I found these eggplant at the IndoPak grocery for $.69 per pound (right next to the Thai chiles).  I studied several base recipes for this dish and, as I can never leave well enough alone, worked on improving it ("improving" is my term for "messing with").  As in the previous post the sweet component of the tomato serves as a foil for the spicy chiles as does the yogurt garnish.

THE RECIPE

2 T EV olive oil
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 T dry sherry

8 Thai chiles, thinly sliced
4 Indian eggplants, small dice
2 carrots, small dice
1/2 head cauliflower florets
1 large russet potato, small dice
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, with liquid

3 T hot Madras curry powder
3 T Madras curry paste
1 T garam masala powder
1 T grated ginger
1/2 t cayenne powder
1/2 t turmeric
+/- 1/2 cup water
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Plain yogurt, if desired, for garnish

Steamed basmati rice

Warm a small stock pot over a medium-high flame, add oil and onion.  Saute approx. 5 minutes until translucent.  Add garlic and cook an additional minute.  Deglaze the pan with sherry.  Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover loosely and simmer for approximately 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Serve over basmati rice with yogurt garnish if desired.

Spicy goodness.  Sad but true, I lost some of the lovely purple color; thus the green pieces are the eggplant.  Click for larger image.

Spicy lentil stew with tomato and Thai chiles

Click for larger image. 

Lately I have been exploring vegetarian dishes at home.  I reiterate my belief that Indian cuisine treats vegetarian dishes the best THUS a few trips to the local IndoPak grocery.  I am discovering this type of diet is not only tasty but inexpensive.

But, my inner Asian is screaming, "but what about me?  Have you forgotten your way?".  To compound this dilemma my inner Cracker says, "Hey, y'all - look at me; look at me!  Where's my dinner?" (He's a little more demanding).  I might have found a way to satisfy them both with this pan-cultural dish.  This experiment has led to the discovery of quicker, lighter dishes with incredible flavors.

Thai chiles are are smaller and thinner than serranos, with a heat level between that of serrano and habanero.   Use sparingly or liberally based on your individual preference.  The tomato paste counterbalances the heat with sweetness and a touch of sherry ties the whole thing together.  I have opted to serve this over basmati rice, but some friends have suggested using noodles.  Let me know if you try this and how it works out!

THE RECIPE
Yield: approximately 1.5 Qts

1/2# split green lentils, rinsed, soaked for one hour, drained

1T EV olive oil
1/2 large onion, small dice
1 carrot, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3 T sherry wine
+/- 1 Qt. vegetable stock, as needed
1 T dried basil leaves
1 T dried oregano leaves
6-8 Thai chiles, thinly sliced

1- 6 Oz. can tomato paste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch sea salt; the dish may be fine with the  sherry, but taste and season to preference.

Basmati rice, for service

In a 3 Qt stockpot over medium heat, saute onion and carrot until the onion is translucent, approx. 3 minutes.  Add garlic and mushrooms; cook for an additional minute.  Deglaze the pan with sherry, add lentils and stock; cover approximately 1/2 inch.  Add herbs and half the chiles.  Bring to low boil.

Reduce heat and simmer partially covered for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes until lentils and vegetables are tender. Add more stock if needed.  Taste at this time and add the balance of the chiles if desired.  Add tomato paste, stir in and adjust seasoning as needed.  Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.  By this time you should have a fairly thick consistency.

Serve over basmati rice or your preferred starch.  If you wish (or some of your guests don't like things as spicy as you do) garnish with plain yogurt or sour cream.  Enjoy!

Grilled BCT with Swiss cheese

(click for larger image)

Home today - working out of the pantry / fridge.  I have this SPECTACULAR bacon, but no lettuce.  So green cabbage it is!  If you missed the tomato vinaigrette from the last post, I have included the recipe below.
 
THE RECIPE

4 slices thick hickory smoked bacon
2 slices bread
3-4 leaves green cabbage OR if you were smart enough to go to the store, lettuce leaves
2 slices Swiss cheese
Mayonnaise, to taste
1 tomato, sliced
Leaves of 5 - 6 stalks cilantro
2 slices onion
2 oz. tomato vinaigrette (see below)
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Fry the bacon over a medium high flame; set aside and reserve the fat.  Toast the outside of the bread in the bacon fat.  Cover the inside of the bread with the mayo, place the cheese on each slice and layer the other ingredients to create the sandwich.  Top with the tomato vinaigrette season, cut into halves, and enjoy!

THE RECIPE
TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

7T EV olive oil
4T red wine vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
6 oz. tomato sauce
1 T dried basil leaves
1/2 t dried oregano leaves
(If using fresh leaves, double the amount)
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Blend in a food processor and chill until needed.  Make ahead if desired to meld flavors more strongly.  This yield is a bit heavy for a single portion, probably plenty for two; if you have extra use it on another salad or as a marinade.

Grilled polenta cakes over warm mixed greens salad

(Click on image for larger view)

On to the next (documented) vegetarian dish.  I am trying for a combination of textures as well as flavors.  This pairs a crunchy set of greens (celery, cabbage) with warm, wilted mustard greens and creamy polenta grilled and dressed with tomato vinaigrette - Italian style, or am I stretching here?  It brings some light, bright flavors and earthy tones from the tomato and polenta.

Mustard greens have a wonderfully bitter and peppery flavor and the slight wilting and combination of flavors mellows this as they pair well with the spiciness of the cilantro and crunch of the cabbage.

If you are not familiar with polenta, it is a slightly neutral flavor which takes on flavors easily and the grilling lends a bit of smokiness - so don't be afraid to season.

I am cheating tonight, and using a tube of pre-made polenta; if there is any interest on the part of my readers I will gladly post some polenta scratch recipes (or check the "recipes" label on any box of corn meal). 


THE RECIPE - GRILLED POLENTA AND GREENS SALAD
(One portion, as an entree)

POLENTA PREP
2 polenta rounds, approx. 1/2 in. thick
Pan release spray (Pam) or vegetable oil
Sea salt and ground pepper, dash of each

Heat a sautee or cast iron grill pan over medium high flame.  Spray with the pan release or oil; season and grill the polenta cakes, three to four minutes on each side.  Hold in a warm oven until service.

WARM GREENS SALAD

1T EV olive oil
1/5th head green cabbage, shredded thinly
1 small bunch mustard greens, large ribs removed and coarsely chopped
Leaves from 1/2 bunch celery, chopped
 1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 bunch cilantro leaves
1/2 t lemon juice
Sea salt and ground black pepper, 1/2 t of each

1 tomato, medium dice
1/2 cucumber, medium dice
1 scallion, green and bulb, sliced, for garnish

(Click for larger view)

TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

7T EV olive oil
4T red wine vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
6 oz. tomato sauce
1 T dried basil leaves
1/2 t dried oregano leaves
(If using fresh leaves, double the amount)
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Blend in a food processor and chill until needed.  Make ahead if desired to meld flavors more strongly.  This yield is a bit heavy for a single portion, probably plenty for two; if you have extra use it on another salad or as a marinade.

PREPARATION

Over a medium high flame, heat a large saute pan, add oil, cabbage and celery leaves.  Flip and cook for one minute.  Season with salt and pepper and transfer to serving plate, arranging as a bottom layer.  Return pan to heat and add a touch more oil if needed.  Saute mustard greens for one minute; add cilantro.  Reduce heat and finish with lemon and garlic; season and saute for just about another minute.  The goal here is to just warm and wilt the greens; they will reduce drastically if overcooked.  Drain off any accumulated liquid. arrange these greens as a second layer.  Ring the salad with the tomato and cucumber dices and dress with the vinaigrette.  Place the polenta cakes on top of this, dress these, and garnish the plate with the scallion slices.
Enjoy!

I don't know if it would win Chopped, but here's my pantry!)

Indian style vegetable stock

(Adapted from Tarla Dalal's Indian Vegetarian Cookbook, O/P 1983)

2013 is apparently the year of Soup, at least here.

This is one of the most interesting stock recipes I have encountered.  I have recently been working on a semi-vegetarian diet, and in my opinion Indian cuisine does the best job with this type of menu.  This came from an antique cookbook found in Julian.  I find it interesting for this stock to include potato and tomato.  Of course, I cannot leave well enough alone.  I have added some more savory elements and different vegetables.  Next stop - on to beautiful soups!

(Double Recipe, yield approx. 3.5 Qts.)

THE RECIPE:

7 carrots
2# green beans
6 stalks celery, leaves included
5 large onions
4 large potatoes
5 large tomatoes
1 head garlic
1/2 head of green cabbage

2T sea salt
1T whole black peppercorns
1T oregano leaves
14 Cups filtered water

Rinse and coarsely chop all vegetables.  Place in large stockpot; add seasoning and water.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for approximately 2 1/2 hours.  Cool and strain.  Keep refrigerated for your favorite vegetable soup recipes.