Recipes

Ingredients
1 cup whole black lentils, picked over for stones
¹⁄₄ cup ginger, minced to paste
2 tablespoons garlic, minced to paste
¹⁄₂ cup plain yogurt
¹⁄₂ cup heavy cream
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon Punjabi Garam Masala
¹⁄₂ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Instructions
1. Place lentils in a pressure cooker. Fill cooker halfway with water and rinse the lentils by rubbing them between your fingertips. Drain water and repeat three or four times, until the water remains relatively clear; drain. Now add 3 cups water and bring to a boil, uncovered, over high heat. Skim off and discard any foam that forms on the surface. Stir in the ginger and garlic. Seal the cooker and allow the pressure to build up. When the cooker reaches full pressure, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 45 minutes. Remove the cooker from the heat and allow the pressure to subside naturally (about 15 minutes) before opening the lid.

2. Meanwhile, combine the yogurt, heavy cream, salt, garam masala, and cayenne in a blender jar. Puree, scraping the inside of the jar as needed.

3. Once the lentils are ready, stir in the butter and the creamy paste. Sprinkle with the cilantro, and serve.

Comments
This recipe is from 660 Curries which is a recent addition to my cookbook collection.  I have had this dal in restaurants before and it’s one of my favorites, I was super thrilled to see a recipe for it in my new curry cookbook so I could give it a whirl.  Sadly it uses a pressure cooker… do people still own these?  I actually do but I think I haven’t used it since the week I bought it, some years ago.  I’m sure this can be replicated without a pressure cooker; the beans will just take more time to cook. 

This recipe was pretty easy to bring together.  I used my mini processor to make paste of the garlic and ginger and from there it was easy, if not quick.  I did find it to be a tidge on the salty side, so I’d recommend reducing the salt content a bit from what it calls for.  Perhaps 1 teaspoon or even just a ¹⁄₂ teaspoon.  I also found myself out of yogurt and cream due to poor planning so I used coconut milk instead.  This worked quite well!  This dal was certainly as good as the dals I’ve had in restaurants. 

Shown here with Naan.

660 Curries

Ingredients
2 cups wheat berries
Salt
1 small red onion, diced
¹⁄₂ pound tomatoes, diced
¹⁄₂ cup fresh parsley, minced

For the dressing
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1 orange
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Place wheat berries in dry skillet over medium-high heat.  Toast, stirring constantly, until the grains pop and deepen in color, about 4 minutes. 

2. Place wheat berries in rice cooker bowl and cover with hot water; let soak in machine for 1 hour.  Drain wheat berries and return them to rice cooked.  Add 4 cups water, 2 pinches salt and stir to combine.  Close machine and set for brown rice or regular cycle. 

3. When machine finishes cooking, let wheat berries steam in cooker for 15 minutes before removing to bowl to cool. 

4. Once wheat berries have cooled, stir in red onion, tomatoes, and parsley.  (Amounts given are a guideline, as always, especially with salads!) 

5. Whisk together dressing ingredients or blend together using immersion blender.  Working ¹⁄₄ cup at a time, add dressing into salad, stirring and tasting after each addition.  Dress to you tastes, reserve any leftover dressing for another use.  (I used all of the dressing, but tastes vary.)

Comments
This recipe is inspired by a suggestion in The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook.  (There’s a new revised and updated version!  I love this book!)  This is the first time I’ve ever made wheat berries, I didn’t even know they existed until a friend mentioned them on Facebook and then I ordered a bunch from Amazon. 

They are great!  They’ve got a nice bite to them, fantastic texture, and really great flavor as well.  I served this salad as a side dish for a meal and then had it by itself for lunches the next few days.  It’s delicious and I look forward to experimenting more with wheat berries in the future!

Person - Gwen

Ingredients
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4-5 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 5-inch chunks
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup beer (I believe any beer will do.)
2 bay leaves
5 cloves garlic, peeled

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 350*F.  Combine salt, chili powder, and cumin in small bowl.  Rub pieces of pork shoulder all over with salt mixture. 

2. Heat oil in Dutch oven set over medium-high heat.  Cook pork shoulder in single layer until well browned then turn to brown on other side. 

3. Once pork is all browned, remove from pot and place on paper towel lined plate to drain.  Add beer to pot, scraping up brown bits with wood spoon.  Return pork to pan and add water until pork is two-thirds submerged.  Add bay leaves and garlic, then increase heat to high and bring to boil. 

4. Transfer pot to oven and cook, uncovered, 3 ¹⁄₂ hours.  Turn pork every hour to ensure even cooking.  Once liquid has mostly evaporated and pork is falling apart, remove pot from oven and carefully remove pork to a plate. 

5. Increase heat to 425*F.  Shred pork into bite-sized pieces, discarding large pieces of fat.  Return pork to Dutch oven and cook in oven, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated completely and the pork is crispy and caramelized, about 20 to 30 more minutes.  Remove bay leaves before serving.

Comments
This recipe is from Tide and Thyme.  You can use the meat in a variety of ways – quesadillas, burritos, tacos, etc.  I used this attempt in simple soft tacos with lettuce, cheese, and avocado.  I did find the meat to be a bit on the salty side, so I’d suggest reducing the salt from 1 tablespoon to 2 teaspoons if you make it – depending on what your salt tastes are like. 

We’ve got quite a few pork shoulders from our recent pig order, so it’s nice to find a new way to use them!

Internet - Tide and Thyme

Ingredients
1 pound short pasta
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¹⁄₂ cup all purpose flour
2 ¹⁄₂ cups milk, cream, or half and half
6 slices white American cheese, torn into pieces
8 ounces extra sharp white Vermont cheddar, shredded
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon hot sauce, such as Sriracha

Instructions
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta as instructed by packaging.  Drain well. 

2. Melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.

3. Gradually whisk in milk (or cream); cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat.

4. Add cheeses, mustard, salt, and hot sauce, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.

5. Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute (or until thoroughly heated).

Comments
This recipe is from Panera.  I have a weekly “me date” at Panera between Voice and Choir, while the guys eat leftovers.  Voice and Choir are located in such a way that it makes no sense for me to come home in between and Panera is a conveniently located place for me to have a quiet meal while I read a book.  I also love Panera since they don’t use HFCS in most of their products, including the salad dressings.  This makes them one of the few places in town that is “safe” for me. 

Every so often, especially if the weather is nasty, I like a bowl of their mac and cheese.  It’s creamy and delicious and hot and yum.  I do find it to be a bit overdone in the sauce compartment, but I can sop up the extra with a piece of bread so it’s all good. 

I thought it would be nice to try making their mac and cheese at home so I could control the sauce to pasta ratio as well as emulate the deliciousness that is Panera.  I’m not entirely sure what went wrong, but the sauce I ended up with just wasn’t as smooth and creamy as the sauce in the restaurant.  Maybe it needs less flour as another blogger has suggested?  I might try that out next time. 

I did, however, use half the sauce this recipe makes for the pound of pasta.  I’d suggest adding the sauce to the pasta a scoopful at a time until you reach your desired ratio. 

Shown here with Potato-Crusted White Fish with Tartar Sauce.

Internet - Panera

Ingredients
8 ounces short pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
4 tablespoons taco seasoning (1 pouch)
3 ounces cream cheese
¹⁄₂ cup sour cream
1 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded

Instructions
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta 1 minute less than package directions.  Reserve ¹⁄₂ cup cooking water, then drain pasta well. 

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat and cook ground beef, stirring, until beef is almost cooked through.  Add onion and stir to combine.  Continue cooking until onion has softened and beef is completely cooked.  Add garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

3. Stir in tomatoes and taco seasoning and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.  Add pasta, cream cheese, sour cream, shredded cheese, and reserved pasta water.  Continue stirring until cheese melts.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce reduces slightly, 3 to 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, then serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures.  It’s fairly simple and basic, I feel like I’ve made this dish before in fact, although I don’t have anything with this title in my blog archives.  It was tasty, warming, and a nice casserole-pasta dish when you want comfort food.  It would be tasty with cilantro and/or green onions sprinkled over the top as well!

Internet - Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons dill pickle, minced, plus 1 teaspoon pickle juice
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and minced
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¹⁄₈ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 (6 ounces each) skinless halibut, cod, or mahi mahi fillets
2 cups potato chips, crushed

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450*F.  Combine ³⁄₄ cup mayonnaise, pickles, pickle juice, shallot, capers, ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper in small bowl; set aside. 

2. Combine remaining ¹⁄₄ cup mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, and cayenne in second bowl.  Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with pepper.   Place fish on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Brush top and sides of fish with mayonnaise-lemon juice mixture and then coat with potato chips, pressing chips to fish to adhere. 

3. Bake until fish flakes easily and registers 140*F on an instant read thermometer, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Serve with tartar sauce. 

Note: Recipe source recommends Lay’s Kettle Cooked Original Chips. 

Comments
This recipe is from the 2011 Cook’s Country Annual.  I’ve made other potato chip crusted fish (recipes before, but decided to give this one a go because I like potato chips.  I like fish too!  This recipe turned out well, I used cod because that was the easiest to find at the store.  I liked the homemade tartar sauce, it added a nice touch.  I also like that this was baked, it made the finicky chip topping much easier to deal with. 

Shown here with Panera’s Mac and Cheese.

Cook’s Country 2011

Ingredients
1 bag (about 1 pound) shredded potatoes, such as Simply Potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
6-8 ounces baby spinach
6 eggs, beaten
³⁄₄ cup shredded cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Press potatoes into pan and cook until browned on one side.  Carefully flip potatoes. 

2. Spread spinach over potatoes then carefully pour eggs over spinach.  Cover and cook until potatoes are crispy on bottom and eggs start to set. 

3. Heat broiler.  Top eggs with shredded cheese then broil until eggs are cooked through. 

Comments
This recipe is inspired by Two Tarts.  I added spinach because it’s delicious and I wanted the dish to be a more complete meal.  You could also add crispy bacon and sautéed mushrooms if you like those sorts of things and have them available.  Basically, this can work with any sorts of things that you’d normally put into an omelet of that you’d serve with eggs and hash browns.  This recipe is a nice variation to bring to breakfast for dinner.

Internet- Two Tarts

Ingredients
1 ³⁄₄ cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon chipotles, canned in adobo sauce, minced
¹⁄₂ cup white rice
Salt and pepper
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon plus 3 cups peanut or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, or Mexican cheese blend
¹⁄₃ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon water
4 (10 inches diameter) flour tortillas

Instructions
1. Whisk broth and chipotle together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Combine ¹⁄₂ cup chipotle broth, rice, and ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt in bowl. Cover bowl and microwave until liquid is completely absorbed, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 ¹⁄₄ cup chipotle broth, partially cooked rice, and beans and bring to boil.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low, add chicken, and cook, covered, until chicken registers 160*F, and rice is tender, about 15 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through. Transfer chicken to cutting board and rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut chicken into ¹⁄₂-inch pieces and combine with rice and bean mixture, cheddar, and cilantro in large bowl. Wash now-empty pot.

4. Whisk flour and water together in bowl. Stack tortillas on plate and microwave, covered, until pliable, about 1 minute. Working 1 at a time, place one-quarter of chicken mixture in center of warm tortilla. Brush edges of tortilla with flour paste. Wrap top and bottom of tortilla tightly over filling. Brush ends of tortilla with paste and fold into center, pressing firmly to seal.

5. Heat remaining 3 cups oil in clean pot over medium-high heat until 325*F. Place 2 chimichangas, seam side down, in oil. Fry, adjusting burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature between 300 and 325*F, until chimichangas are deep golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet. Bring oil back to 325*F and repeat with remaining chimichangas. Serve.

Comments
This recipe is from the 2011 Cook’s Country Annual.  I love chimichangas and this method to make them at home seems to have worked rather well!  I think I would have been happier if I had made some sort of thin cheese sauce for the top, or something similar, but for a first attempt I’m really pleased with how well these turned out.  The combination of flavors in the chimichangas was pretty great too.  Feel free to fill the chimichangas with anything you’d like!

Cook’s Country 2011

Ingredients
1 small bag baby carrots or 2-4 handfuls
3-4 potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes
¹⁄₃ cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 450*F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. Toss carrots and potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spread on baking sheet in single layer.  Bake 30 minutes then stir well and continue baking until fork tender.  Cool in pan 5 minutes before serving. 

Comments
This is just a simple recipe for roasting veggies.  You can certainly add spices, like garlic or rosemary, if desired.  You can also add other veggies if desired.  Just be conscientious of size and cooking time so that everything finishes together.

Shown here with Slow Cooker Pot Roast.

Person - Gwen

Ingredients
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon cayenne
¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic powder
¹⁄₄ teaspoon mustard powder 
3-5 pound rump roast
1 large onion, chopped

Instructions
1. Combine all spices in small bowl and mix well.  Rub mixture over rump roast. 

2. Spread onions over bottom of crock pot then place seasoned roast on top of onions. 

3. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours. 

Comments
This recipe is from Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations.  I have positive memories of pot roast but Art has the exact opposite.  As a result, I have avoided making anything that resembles pot roast over the last 15 years.  I finally decided that I should give pot roast a go while he was out of town for business and boy am I glad I did!  This was amazing!  The meat was tender and falling apart.  The rub was a bit on the spicy side but it was fantastic and the meat was anything but bland.  I served it in its juices with roasted vegetables and loved the leftovers as well.  Lance was also quite happy with the meal so I call it a success.  Even if I’ll probably never get the chance to make it again! 

Shown here with Roasted Carrots and Potatoes.

Internet - Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations