A Vacation Meal to Tide You Over

Thought that I would tantalize you with an easy meal that has become my "Breakfast of Champions", which I have repeatedly enjoyed during my time in Australia. The best part? It's easy enough to make when half asleep and only takes one pan to allow for easy cleanup. High in protein and vitamines, this meal will leave you feeling satisfied until lunch without skimping on big taste.

Breakfast of Champions with bok choy

Also, who says that breakfast is the only time to eat breakfast? This meal works well for lunch or dinner because of the rich flavors and lack of fillers. I love cooking foods without added oils and if your bacon is too fatty, simply drain some of the fat before cooking the other ingredients. Mmmm, just thinking about this hearty, yet surprisingly healthy, meal makes me hungry. Bon Apetite, until next time.

Breakfast of Champions
Serves 1

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 pieces of thick cut bacon, cut in half to fit easily into the pan
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms (get the pre-chopped to save on time)
5 oz baby spinach (that's half a bag) or chopped kale or chopped bok choy
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Heat a skillet over medium to low heat until warm. Add bacon.
2. When bacon has released some of the liquid fats and is sizzling, move bacon to the middle so that there is space to crack eggs into the pan on one side and cook the mushrooms on the other side.
3. When eggs start to solidify, add greens to mushroom side of pan and flip the bacon to prevent charring.
4. The meal is done when the whites of the eggs are completely solidified, the mushrooms are gray, the greens have turned a dark green and wilted without releasing too much water, and the bacon is cooked fully without being charred. Salt and pepper to taste.

*Note: the directions for these eggs and bacon are for runny eggs and floppy bacon; if you want over-easy eggs, flip the egg and keep cooking; for crispy bacon, keep flipping bacon to prevent burning while cooking bacon to a crisp consistency. Don't over cook the mushrooms ro spinach.

Jessie's Last Day Before Hiatus

Good morning gentle readers. Today is my last lunch before I leave you for about three months. While I'm gone, Patricia will be cooking fantastic meals for you; please give her the consideration you have given me while she adjusts to the position. As a special treat, I will be making mussels in a white wine broth. To accompany the mussels I made broccolini, a mixed greens salad featuring dried cranberries, and sautéed chicken for those that don't enjoy shellfish. A nice french bread is perfect for sopping up the sauce. Enjoy.

Mussels in a White Wine Sauce
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
6 shallots, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups white wine (choose something you would drink)
1 bunch parsley, chopped
6 lbs mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 tsp salt
3 loaves french bread, sliced

Preparation:
1. In a large pot, melt the butter.
2. Add shallots and garlic, saute until things start to smell good.
3. Add wine, parsley, and salt, bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors have combined, about 5 minutes.
5. Add mussels, increase heat to high, and cover.
6. Cook until the mussels open, stirring a couple of times to get them even, about 5 minutes.
7. Serve mussels in a bowl with some of the broth and the bread. If you're gluten free, try sweet potato fries as a substitute.

Broccolini
Serves 12

Ingredients:
6 lbs broccolini
everyday seasoning, to taste

Preparation:
1. In a large pot heat a few inches of water and as much broccolini as will reasonably fit in the pot over high heat. Cover.
2. Steam the broccolini until it is a vibrant emerald green and they start to smell yummy.
3. Set aside broccolini and season with everyday seasoning.
4. If there is more broccolini, repeat steps 1-3 with the same water.

Sautéed Chicken
Serves 6

Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken breast tenders
2 Tbs olive oil
2-3 Tbs liquid aminos (I use Brags) or soy sauce.

Preparation:
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat until it starts to smell like olives but not smoking.
2. Carefully place the chicken into the pan so you don't splash yourself.
3. Cook chicken until it is turning white around the edges when looking down on it and the bottom has some browned bits.
4. Flip chicken and cover with aminos. Cook until no longer pink in middle of the thickest piece.

Mixed Greens Salad Featuring Dried Cranberries
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 large box mixed herb salad
2 large handfuls dried cranberries
1 large handful roasted pumpkin seeds
1 large handful parmesan cheese
2-3 Tbs red wine rosemary dressing

Preparation:
1. Dress the greens so that the leaves are evenly covered but not drowning.
2. Layer toppings over the dressed greens.

Roasted Leg of Lamb, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Tomato Salad

Today I was feeling like something a little special to end the week on, so I decided to roast a leg of lamb. To accompany the main meat dish, I decided to do a slight twist on the traditional mashed potatoes by making them with sweet potatoes instead of the typical russet. To lighten the dish up and help everyone get over the holiday gluttony, I made a mock caprese salad (I just dropped the mozzarella) with cherry tomatoes. Bon apetite.

Roasted Leg of Lamb
Serves 12

Ingredients:
4 lbs boneless leg of lamb
8 cloves garlic
4 sprigs mint, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cut slits in the meat and stick in the garlic.
3. Cover with salt, pepper, and mint.
4. Roast in a deep baking pan until this interior is 140 degrees F, about 20 minutes per pound.
5. Let rest 10 minutes before carving.


Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 12

Ingredients:
6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 cups lactose free milk
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, stem removed and minced
2 Tbs lactose free butter
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Place potatoes into a large pot and fill with water until potatoes are just covered.
2. Boil potatoes until easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
3. Drain and return potatoes to pot.
4. Use a potato masher and mash potatoes, add other ingredients and continue mashing until desired consistency and flavor is achieved. The milk makes the potatoes fluffy, but too much makes them soupy, so add milk incrementally.

Tomato Salad
Serves 12

Ingredients:
4 cartons cherry tomatoes in various colors to add interest
1 package basil, stemmed and chopped
2-3 Tbs olive oil
2-3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Combine tomatoes and basil.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Toss to combine.
Optional: Add mozzarella cubes for more flavor and fill to this dish.

Pasta Salad and Prosciutto Wrapped Cantaloupe

Yesterday while I was shopping I came across a fantastic product: veggie pasta. What the heck is that, you might ask? Veggie pasta is regular pasta with concentrated veggies added to the dough, like tomato, spinach, mushrooms, and more. the picture on the box inspired me to make pasta salad, which I think is a great way to get in all the veggies that make this comfort food into something healthy too. For the gluten free and lactose free constituency I made quinoa pasta and just cut out the feta. To accompany the pasta I made prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe, a delicious blend of salty and sweet.

Pasta Salad
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 12oz boxes of rotini veggie pasta (or other shaped pasta you have lying around)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs water
1/2 cup olive oil

2 cucumbers, seeded and chopped
2 orange bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 jar julienned roasted red peppers, drained
2 cans of green olives, drained
1 bag of super greens, chopped
1 package of crumbled feta

Preparation:
1. Cook the pasta and drain it according to the directions on the box.
2. In a container with a lid combine vinegar, water, and oil. Place lid on and shake until emulsified.
3. Mix together all ingredients so that everything is evenly coated with vinaigrette. Serve cool or warm.


Prosciutto Wrapped Cantaloupe
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cantaloupes, seeded rind removed and chopped
3 packaged of prosciutto
Toothpicks

Preparation:
1. Wrap mellon in a small amount of prosciutto and skewer with a toothpick to hold meat in place.
2. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Simmered Chicken Breast, Sautéed Kale, Caramelized Onions, and Brown Rice

A request has been made for more meat heavy meals, so I made over 6 lbs of chicken. I'm not sure if you knew this, but a serving size of meat is 3 oz, or about the size of a deck of cards. At half a pound per person todays meal is almost three times the recommended serving of meat. To balance this abundance of meat I have paired the chicken with caramelized onions, sautéed kale and brown rice.

Simmered Chicken Breast
Makes 6 lbs

Ingredients:
6 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs sweet and spicy marinade
2 Tbs liquid aminos
pepper to taste
1 Tbs cornstarch disolved in 1/4 cup cold water

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a large pot over high heat.
2. Add chicken, marinade, and liquid aminos to the pot, stir frequently until there is no visible pink on the chicken.
3. Turn to low and cook until the largest piece is no longer pink in the middle.
4. Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken pieces from liquid.
5. Boil liquid stirring constantly until desired amount of sauce is reached, pepper to taste.
6. Add cornstarch slurry and stir over heat until sauce thickens, pour over chicken.


Sautéed Kale
Serves 12

Ingredients:
5 lbs chopped kale
olive oil
everyday seasoning (can be found at Trader Joe's)

Preparation:
1. Heat 2 Tbs of olive oil in a large pot over high heat.
2. Add kale until pot is 3/4 full so there is still room to stir. Stir constantly.
3. When kale has become a more vibrant green and cooked down a bit, add a few grinds of everyday seasoning and set aside covered in tinfoil to keep warm.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 until all of the kale is used, serve warm.


Caramelized Onions
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:
4 sweet onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter

Preparation:
1. Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until butter has all melted.
2. Add onion and stir occasionally until onions are glassy.
3. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until the onions turn a lovely caramel color and have become nice and sweet.

Roasted Root Veggies, Dandelion Blueberry Salad, Scrambled Eggs with Sun-Dried Tomatoes Roasted Garlic and Sautéed Leeks

This morning I had a case of the Mondays; though I hate this phrase, it feels apt to describe how I felt this morning. Getting out of bed was such a chore that I didn't have time to go shopping and so this lunch is more eclectic than usual because I had to make do with what I had in my fridge. The result turned out pleasantly delicious, but it means that portion control is even more important so that everyone gets to taste everything. If I were to make the eggs again, I would double or triple what I made, but I stretched the meal with the leeks, sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted garlic. Enjoy.

Roasted Alternate Root Veggies
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 fennel bulbs, chopped
2 celery roots, peeled and chopped
1 lbs golden beets, peeled and chopped
2 cans quartered artichoke hearts
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line three baking sheets with tinfoil and place one type of root veggie on each baking sheet so that they can be roasted separately.
3. Drizzle the root veggies with olive oil, about 2 Tbs per baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Fresh ground tastes better.
4. Roast veggies, stirring about every 15 minutes, until they can be easily pierced with a fork, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on size of pieces.
5. Combine all of the roasted root veggies and the artichoke hearts, place back into oven for a few minutes so that the artichoke hearts heat up.


Dandelion Blueberry Salad
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 bunches of dandelion greens, chopped
2 packages of blueberries
1 carton of heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quarters
1 handful sliced almonds
red wine vinaigrette

Preparation:
1. Dress the greens so that they have a light coating of vinaigrette.
2. Layer the topping over the greens so that they don't fall to the bottom.


Scrambled Eggs with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, and Sautéed Leeks
Serves 6 for just the eggs, with sides serves 12

Ingredients:
12 eggs
1/2 cup lactose free milk
2 leeks thinly sliced
4 heads roasted garlic
1 jar julienned sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbs olive oil

Preparation:
1. In a large frying pan, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over high heat.
2. Saute leeks stirring constantly until they turn a more vibrant green and start to smell good. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk until a uniform yellow color with no variation.
4. Return empty pan to stove over medium heat, pour eggs into the pan.
5. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove cooked eggs and allow still liquid eggs to get access to the bottom, continue doing this until eggs are no longer liquid, light and fluffy is the goal. Scrambled eggs are overcooked when they exude water, so cook eggs until just before they release water.
6. Serve eggs with leeks, sun-dried tomato, and a clove or two of roasted garlic.

Patricia's First Meal

Good morning gang. Today is a special treat: Patricia will be cooking her first meal for you guys and it smells fantastic. While I'm abroad there still needs to be someone to cook delicious and nutritious meals and Patricia is testing the waters to see if it will work out for you and for her. Today's meal is roasted chicken breasts with a wonderful spice rub, stir-fried veggies over jasmine rice, and a spinach salad. Let us know what you think.

Roasted chicken breasts
Serves 12

Ingredients:
5 lbs bone in skin on chicken breasts
1 Tbs ground black pepper
1 Tbs dried marjoram
1 Tbs lemon thyme
2 Tbs dried sage
1 poof garlic powder over each piece, top and bottom
1 poof sweet smoked paprika over each piece, top and bottom
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
2. Cover a baking sheet in tinfoil and place the chicken breasts on it, trim any large globs of fat.
3. Combine black pepper, marjoram, lemon thyme, and sage to make a rub and apply liberally to chicken on top, bottom, and under the skin. Apply poofs of garlic and paprika. Squeeze the lime over the chicken to add just a little extra zing.
4. Bake for 15 minutes to seal in juices.
5. Lower temperature to 350 and bake until no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear, about 1 hour.
6. Let rest for 5 minutes before carving.

Stir-Fried Veggies
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 baby bok choy, bulbs and leaves separated and chopped
3 fist sized broccoli florets, chopped to bite size
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 bag baby carrots
2 bunches spring onion
1/2 inch finger of ginger, peeled and minced
1 bag spinach
1 bunch asparagus, wooden bits snapped off and chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 to 1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 Tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos (optionally replace with soy sauce)
4 cups jasmine rice, cooked according to package

Preparation:
1. In a large skillet heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat.
2. Saute the chopped wooden bits of the asparagus to break them down.
3. Add the peppers, spring onions, and bok choy bulbs.
4. Grind pepper over cooking veggies to taste.
5. In a separate pot steam the broccoli and the main part of the asparagus by adding an inches of water to the bottom of the pot and heating over medium heat until the veggies have turned a richer green and become fragrant.
6. Wooden asparagus ends are done when able to be pierced by a fork.
7. Set aside cooked veggies and in the large skillet heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat.
8. Saute the snow peas until they are slightly floppy yet still a little crunchy.
9. Combine rice, raw bok choy leaves, snow peas, and 2/3rds of the liquid aminos.

Spinach Salad
Served 12

Ingredients:
1 bag of spinach
1 head butter lettuce, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed and chopped
1 pear, cored and chopped
juice from 1.5 lemons
4 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs eucalyptus honey
1 Tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. In a jar with a lid, combine lemon juice, oil, honey, liquid aminos, and pepper.
2. Close jar and shake dressing to emulsify, adjust to taste.
3. Combine spinach, lettuce, and pear and serve with dressing on the side so that people can dress their own salads as they like.

Rare Steak, Brussels Sprouts, and Two Salads

Today I felt like salad, but I had the dilemma of wanting two different kinds. Suffice to say, I made them both. To try and make up for my salad mood, I made steak, which has been requested and since I had a little left over in the budget, I decided to splurge and got you guys $50 of meat. To accompany the steak is a mushroom gravy that I made from the reserved liquid from yesterdays meal and sauteed brussels sprouts. Enjoy!

Salad #1
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 big box of spring mix
2 persimmons, peeled cored and chopped
2 handfulls of snap peas
white wine pear vinaigrette

Preparation:
1. Coat leaves with dressing in small batches.
2. Layer heavy items on top of dressed greens.

Salad #2

Serves 12

Ingredients:

1 big box of fresh herb mix

1 butternut squash, roasted peeled and chopped (left over from yesterday)

1 cup pomegranate seeds

1 cup roasted squash seeds (see recipe bellow)

sesame ginger vinaigrette

Preparation:

1. Coat leaves with dressing in small batches.

2. Layer heavy items on top of dressed greens.

Roasted Squash Seeds

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 cup raw acorn and butternut squash seeds

salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

2. Wash and pat dry squash seeds, a colander is useful for this.

3. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil.

4. Lay out dry seeds so that none are overlapping, bake for 25 minutes or until the seeds puff up.

Rare Steak
Serves 12

Ingredients:
6 lbs of boneless New York steaks, thick cut
salt and pepper
2 Tbs olive oil

Preparation:
1. Season steaks with salt and pepper on both sides, with good quality meat that's all you need.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat until fragrant.
3. Place the steaks in the skillet and leave them be until they start cooking up the side, it will change color about half way up.
4. Flip the steaks and cook until they have a good caramel build up on both sides (that means they have a nice brown crust instead of just the gray of cooked beef).
5. Let rest for at least 5 minutes to allow juices to settle into the flesh before slicing the steaks. Serve with gravy.

Mushroom Gravy
Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:
juices from yesterdays chicken and mushroom dish
1/2 cup marsala cooking wine
1 Tbs cornstarch disolved in 1/2 cup of water
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Heat juices over high heat, stir constantly.
2. Add wine and boil until the alcohol has all evaporated, salt and pepper to taste.
3. When the liquid is tasty, add the cornstarch slurry and stir to make everything equally thickened.
4. Remove from heat and serve with steak or other plain meats or mashed potatoes. 

Brussels Sprouts
Serves 12

Ingredients:
brussels sprouts, ends removed and quartered
2 Tbs olive oil

Preparation:
1. Heat oil over medium to high heat in a large pot.
2. Add the brussels sprouts and stir frequently until they turn a deeper color.

Mushroom Kale Chicken, Squash, and Quinoa

Happy New Year! Hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday break, I know I did. But it is back to work and back to cooking. Today I wanted to welcome people back from the holiday glut with something healthy. Everything is made with simple and healthy ingredients. The two dishes bellow are served with quinoa to round out the meal, but feel free to pair with brown rice, bulgar, orzo pasta, fresh baked bread, or any other grain.

Mushroom Kale Chicken
Serves 12

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
3 bags of sliced cremini mushrooms
1 bag kale (this avoids having to wash and chop it)
2 Tbs olive oil

Preparation:
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat until it becomes fragrant.
2. Add chicken and saute until no pink is visible.
3. Add mushrooms and continue sautéing until the mushrooms start to change color.
4. Add kale and carefully stir contents of pot so that the kale is under the mushrooms and chicken.
5. When the kale has wilted and turned a brighter green, remove pot from heat and drain off liquid. (I'm reserving this for a mushroom gravy for another meal.)

Squash
Serves 12

2 acorn squash
1 butternut squash
Pinch everyday seasoning (from Trader Joe's) to taste.

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 370 degrees F.
2. Cut the squashes lengthwise.
3. Scoop out seeds and anything stringy. (I'm reserving the seeds for another meal.)
4. Cut squashes in half widthwise.
5. Place on a tray with 1/2 cup of water.
6. Bake until able to be easily pierced with a fork, 30-35 minutes.
7. Remove rind with a spoon after the squash has cooled enough to touch.
8. Chop squash and season with everyday seasoning to taste. Alternatively, use salt and pepper to taste.

Asparagus Chicken and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

This morning I was feeling like something warming and a bit on the healthy side. I was also really tired of rice. This lead me to make a sauteed chicken and asparagus dish with mashed potatoes. Feel free to substitute fresh peas or broccoli florets for the asparagus to change up the chicken dish. To do a twist on the expected, try a different kind of potato, like purple potatoes or sweet potatoes, and add fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme.

Asparagus Chicken
Serves 12

Ingredients:
6 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs, cubed into bite sized pieces with fat removed
3 bunches asparagus, roughly chopped with wooden bits removed
1/2 cup white cooking wine
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs cornstarch dissolved in water
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium to high heat, whatever you're comfortable working with.
2. Add chicken and saute until the outside of all of the cubes are no longer pink.
3. Add asparagus and stir frequently.
4. When the asparagus has darkened in color and the scent of cooked asparagus is in the air, transfer solids to serving dish leaving liquids behind.
5. Add wine and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape any good stuff off of the bottom of the pot. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. When all of the alcohol has evaporated (that means no head rush when you smell the steam) add the cornstarch and stir constantly.
7. Remove sauce from heat once it has thickened and toss the chicken and asparagus in the pot, return everything to serving dish for a delicious and healthy meal.


Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 head of garlic (I recommend making a few heads of roasted garlic at a time, I made 6 heads of roasted garlic, just store extra peeled and in an airtight container in the fridge)
olive oil
6 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup butter (I used a Earth Balance Butter Substitute to make these lactose free)
2-3 cups of milk (I used lactose free milk)
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut of the pointy bits of the head of garlic and brush with olive oil.
3. Bake garlic for 40-60 mins, until the garlic is soft.
4. While garlic is roasting, put potatoes into a pot and add water until just covered.
5. Bring potatoes to a boil and boil the potatoes until they break apart easily with a fork, about 15 minutes.
6. Drain potatoes and return to pot to keep them warm while you mash.
7. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or fork.
8. While mashing, add butter and mash until combined.
9. While mashing, add milk a bit at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Adding the milk while mashing makes potatoes fluffier.
10. Mash in roasted garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, this means that you should taste after you add a little of each item to see if you need to add more. Always remember that you can salt something more, but you can't un-salt something.

Potato Pancakes with Apple Sauce and Sour Creme, Bratwurst, Bockwurst, Sauerkraut

Germany is one of my favorite places that I have lived and I thought that I would share the typical german lunch with you. Kartoffelpuffer mit apfelmus is the german name for potato pancakes with apple sauce and they were my favorite thing to eat. Bratwurst and bockwurst are commonly served with sauerkraut and a potato side, simple and hearty traditional food, just what I was in the mood for. For those who are eating kosher, try a kosher jumbo frank instead of the sausages.

Potato Pancakes
Makes about 6 latkas, I made 2 batches gluten free and 3 batches with regular flour

Ingredients:
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and shredded
1 egg
1/2 sweet onion, shredded
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup all purpose gluten free flour + 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
(or 1/2 cup flour to make with gluten)
Vegetable oil

Preparation:
1. Drain shredded potatoes and shredded onion, squeeze out as much liquid as possible either using your hands and a sieve or cheese cloth.
2. Combine potatoes, egg, onion, salt, baking powder, and flour (with xanthan gum) in a large bowl.
3. In a large skillet, heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium high flame.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup sized dollops of batter into the pan and cook until browned on both sides, checking often to avoid burning.
5. Serve warm with sour cream (lactose free sour cream if you're lactose intolerant) and apple sauce.
*Always remember that when cooking with large amounts of oil to have a fire extinguisher that is compatible with grease fires at the ready.

Ratatouille over Brown Rice with Heart Salad

Last night I had a dream that had a rat running around the kitchen in it and when I woke up I was inspired by the Disney movie involving an adorable rat who loves to cook. I went for one that has a bit more cohesion than some of the super stewed versions because that was what I was in the mood for. The thing I really like about ratatouille is that it is a one pot meal, plus a large bowl, and you just keep reusing the pot over and over. Be prepared to do quite a bit of chopping to prepare this dish on your own. At the store I decided that there needed to be some sort of side salad in case someone didn't like ratatouille, so I made a heart salad.

Ratatouille over Brown Rice
Serves 12

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced into half rings
1 clove garlic, minced
4 large chinese eggplants (or japanese eggplants), sliced
5 zucchinis, sliced
6 yellow squashes, sliced
6 grey squash, sliced
1 cup white wine
2 large cans chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat. Saute onions and garlic until they smell really good and the onions have changed from opaque to semi-transparent, stir constantly with a wooden spoon to avoid burning and things sticking to the bottom.
2. Set aside onions.
3. Return pot to heat, if there is anything a medium brown color stuck to the bottom, deglaze with 1/4 cup of wine (that's just a fancy word for scraping off the good stuff on the bottom of a pan using a liquid, like wine, over heat; you'll know you're done deglazing when all of the stuff has come up and the alcohol has evaporated, which means you no longer get a buzz when you slick your head over the pot) and pour deglaze over cooked veggies. If anything has burned, turn down the heat on the next batch and wash out the pot before cooking in it again.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each of the fresh veggie individually, setting them all aside together.
5. Return everything to pot and add tomatoes, reduce heat and let simmer until things start to smell and taste fantastic, about 30 minutes; salt and pepper to taste. Optionally, add herbs like rosemary, sage, or thyme to give it a more rounded taste.

Heart Salad
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 cartons of grape tomatoes (I had one carton yellow cherry tomatoes and 2 grape tomatoes, mix it up with pretty colored tomatoes of you can), cut in half
2 cans of heart of palm, drained and sliced
2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
4 Tbs pear vinaigrette

Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients and toss to combine thoroughly.

Granola with Yogurt and Fruit, Baby Kale Salad, Egg Cocottes

Breakfast is the name of the game this chilly Friday morning. This is something that was actually quite easy to make, the most difficult part was cracking eggs into the makeshift ramekins (tinfoil making cups). Healthy and delicious, what more you want in meal?

Granola with Yogurt and Fruit
Serves 12

Ingredients:
8 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup whole almonds
2/3 cup raisins
12 dried apricots, chopped
2/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
8 Tbs maple syrup

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl until completely combined.
3. Transfer to two tinfoil lined baking sheets.
4. Bake 25 minutes until lightly toasted, stir, bake another 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden.
5. Serve with yogurt and fruit (I used mangoes, blackberries, and strawberries) or in milk. After cooled, store in an airtight container for up to a month, a ziplock bag works well.

Egg Cocottes
Makes 12 individual servings

Ingredients:
6 oz chopped spinach (I used half a bag of Power Greens)
12 eggs
12 Tbs milk (lactose free milk to make the dish lactose free)
12 Tbs shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper (use freshly ground if you can, it makes a difference here)

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In buttered ramekins set on a baking sheet or buttered tinfoil baking cups placed into a muffin tin, place enough greens to cover the bottom of the cups (about 1/2 oz or about 1 Tbs, enough so that there's still room for the egg).
3. Crack an egg on top of spinach, add a spoonful of milk (lactose free milk for those who are lactose intolerant), sprinkle with parmesan and season with salt & pepper.
4. Bake for 6 minutes or until the egg no longer jiggles when you nudge, the top should puff up a little.

Baby Kale Salad
Makes 12

Ingredients:
10 oz box of baby kale
10 oz box of baby arugula
3 cups of 1 bag of shredded carrots
1 carton of yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Ginger sesame seed dressing

Preparation:
1. Dress greens so that the leaves are lightly coated.
2. Layer carrots and tomatoes on top of salad to ensure that they don't sink to the bottom.

Spicy Pepper Soups

What a gross day it is out, cloudy and cold, unlike yesterday which was sunny and warm and beautiful. The only good thing about a gross day is that it calls for hot and delicious soup. Todays soups are a bit on the spicy side (yes, I'm really white, so when I say spicy it's not that big of a deal for most people, but if you have delicate taste buds, just cut out the spicy bits or be prepared for a bit of burn). Soup is served with sliced french bread (leave this out if you can't handle gluten) and a mixed greens salad featuring shredded carrots, dried cranberries, and a honey dijon mustard dressing. If you are lactose intolerant, enjoy the red soup and stay away from the green. If you are vegetarian, simply replace chicken and beef stock with veggie stock.


Red Spicy Pepper Soup
Makes 12 small servings

Ingredients:
olive oil
6 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into quarters
1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced (remember to wear gloves when handling spicy peppers and don't touch your eyes)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
2 ribs celery
2 quarts (aka 8 cups) beef broth
1/2 cup uncooked rice (I used white rice, but if you have time, use brown rice)
1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 Tbs fresh thyme, if you have it)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Lightly coat bell peppers in olive oil and place them skin side up on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil (this makes for easy cleanup, which is a big deal if you don't use tinfoil).
3. Broil peppers until the skin is blackened and blistered.
4. Place peppers in a paper bag, close it up tight to keep the steam in, and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
5. When peppers are cool enough to touch, remove skins by rubbing with a paper towel or peeling off with fingers. This bit is kinda messy.
6. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over medium heat and saute onion, garlic, habanero pepper, and celery until the onion starts to turn glassy. If the garlic burns, start over using lower heat because the burnt garlic will make the whole dish taste nasty.
7. Add bell peppers, broth, rice, thyme, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes, bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
9. Use an immersion stick blender directly in the pot or a regular blender in batches.
10. Salt and pepper to taste.

Green Spicy Pepper Soup
Makes 12 small servings

Ingredients:
olive oil
6 green bell peppers, seeded and cut in quarters
1 jalapeno pepper
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half
salt and pepper to taste


Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Lightly coat peppers in olive oil and place them skin side up on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil (this makes for easy cleanup, which is a big deal if you don't use tinfoil).
3. Broil peppers until the skin is blackened and blistered.
4. Place peppers in a paper bag, close it up tight to keep the steam in, and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
5. When peppers are cool enough to touch, remove skins by rubbing with a paper towel or peeling off with fingers. This bit is kinda messy. Seed and mince the jalapeno pepper.
6. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over medium heat and saute onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, and celery until the onion starts to turn glassy. If the garlic burns, start over using lower heat because the burnt garlic will make the whole dish taste nasty.
7. Add bell pepper and chicken stock, bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
9. Use an immersion stick blender directly in the pot or a regular blender in batches.
10. Stir in half-and-half, salt and pepper to taste.

Tacos with Spanish Rice

Buenos dias, amigos. Inspiration for todays meal comes from the infamous street taco. The typical street taco (as far as I'm concerned) is a corn tortilla with meat, salsa, cilantro, and topped with queso fresco, maybe come lettuce and tomato if you're lucky enough to get veggies. While the typical street tacos are great, I wanted to mix it up a bit and get some delicious veggies in the mix.

Tacos

Serves 12

Ingredients:
Mushroom Corn Salsa:
2 bags of sliced mushrooms
4 ears of corn with the kernels cut off
4 anaheim peppers
2 habanero peppers
1/2 onion, roughly diced
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Beef Taco Filling:
4 lbs ground beef
1 Tbs cumin
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste

The Rest of the Taco:
1 bunch cilantro
1 package of queso fresco, broken up into small bits
1 iceberg lettuce, shredded
8 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
corn tortillas (I chose the 70 pack instead of the 30 pack because I had a sneaking suspicion that some people would have more than 2)

Preparation of Mushroom Corn Salsa:
1. Wash and pat completely dry the peppers, then rub down in a small amount of olive oil to coat the entire outside.
2. Roast the peppers over an open flame using metal tongs until the skin is fairly evenly blistered and browned, then transfer directly to being wrapped up in paper towels.
3. Use the paper towels to gently rub away the tough layer of skin, revealing delicious smoky pepper flesh. Remove stem and seeds from pepper before chopping, anaheim peppers should be about the size of the roughly diced onion pieces and the habanero should be minced.
4. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over high heat and add peppers, corn, and onions. Stir often.
5. When onion is glassy around the edges, add the mushrooms. Continue stirring until the mushrooms have changed color. Remove from heat and salt & pepper to taste.

Preparation of the Beef Taco Filling:
1. Heat a large skillet over high heat, brown beef on both sides.
2. Break up the meat with wooden spatula as it cooks. Sprinkle spices over meat and stir to get even coverage.
3. When meat is no longer pink on the outside and there aren't any huge chunks, remove from heat and drain off excess fat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation of the Taco:
1. Place 2 tortillas on plate, side by side. Optionally, heat tortillas in a small stack in microwave wrapped in a towel for about 15 seconds (until just warmed) or individually in a frying pan until warmed.
2. Layer ingredients using a small amount of each. From bottom to top, the order is: beef, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, cheese. For dairy free, leave off cheese. To make vegetarian, leave out beef. To make vegan, leave out beef and cheese. Optionally, serve with avocado slices.

Spanish Rice
Serves 12

Ingredients:
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced
3 cups uncooked white rice
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups chunky salsa (I chose medium because I wanted a little kick to the dish)

Preparation:
1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium to high heat, whatever you're comfortable with. Saute onion until tender (it will start to get glassy, which means transparent).
2. Add rice and continue stirring until rice starts to brown.
3. Stir in broth and salsa.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover, let simmer for 20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Fluff with fork before serving to keep it from getting too gloppy.

Watermelon Salad, Ceviche Verde with Corn Chips, and Herb Salad with Pistachios

With the sun shining today I wanted something with a really fresh taste. My original intent was to have everything raw, but the ceviche was taking too long to acid cook (that's where you cook meat through the use of an acid rather than heat) so I just popped the cubed fish into a pot with all of its liquid and simmered for a couple minutes until cooked on the outside.

Watermelon Salad

Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 seedless watermelon, rind removed and cubed
1 cantaloupe, seeded with rind removed and cubed
1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
3 Tbs lemon juice

Preparation:
1. Combined all ingredients and drain off liquid.
Optional: Liquid can be used to make a fantastic melon margarita (2 parts vodka, 2 parts melon juice, 1/2 part simple syrup, 1 part lemon juice; shake with ice, strain into martini glass and serve with a bit on melon in the glass.)

Ceviche Verde with Corn Chips
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 lbs fresh snapper (or other firm fleshed white fish), cubed
3 tsp salt
9 Tbs lime juice
6 ripe avocados, cubed
2 large cans green olives, sliced
6 kiwis, peeled and chopped
2 lbs tomatillos, leafy bit removed and chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced (remember to wear gloves when handling hot peppers)

Preparation:
1. Sprinkle fish with salt and lime juice, let sit until the fish turns color (if it doesn't change color, dump into a pot over medium heat and gently stir until fish is mostly cooked).
2. Combine fish with other ingredients and gently mix.

Herb Salad with Pistachios
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 large box herb salad mix
Vinaigrette
1 carton golden cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 package shelled pistachios

Preparation:
1. Dress greens with vinaigrette to lightly coat leaves.
2. Layer tomatoes and pistachios so heavy items don't fall to the bottom.

Roast Chicken, Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, Roasted Beets and Fennel, Baked Yams, Sauteed Greens

Baking and roasting are two (of many) very similar techniques for using the oven that I'm utilizing to make the dishes bellow. The original recipes were within 25 degrees Fahrenheit, so I just put them all into the oven together at 400 degrees F because that's close enough. If the temperature had been 50 or more off, then I could not have done this. Also, certain items that cook for short amounts of time or are large and solid have a hard time going to a different temperature. The greens I just sauteed in a pan, though I think that if I do this again in the future that I will make 2 to 3 times as much due to the unexpected amount the greens cooked down. Everything is gluten free and dairy free except for the yams, which are deliciously terrible for you.

Roast Chicken
Serves 12

Ingredients:
6 pound whole chicken with neck and gizzards removed (that's all the bonus stuff inside that can be used, along with the carcass, to make chicken stock)
6 sprigs fresh rosemary to stuff inside of chicken
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, removed from stem and minced (that just means chopped really small)
3 cloves garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Stuff chicken with whole sprigs of rosemary and garlic cloves to add aroma and help keep the chicken moist
3. Run your hand under the skin covering the breast meat to make a pocket for the chopped rosemary and place chopped rosemary evenly under the skin of the breast.
4. Cover all of the skin in olive oil to allow it to crisp nicely without burning.
5. Grind salt and pepper over the skin to taste.
6. Lay on a bed of root veggies, like the carrots and parsnips listed bellow.
7. Roast until the internal temperature of the breast meat reaches 170 degrees F, about 1.5 hours.
8. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before carving to allow juices to settle, this will keep it nice and moist on the inside and the skin will be lovely.

Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Serves 12

Ingredients:
6 large carrots, peeled and chopped into fork size pieces
6 large parsnips, peeled and chopped into fork size pieces
2-3 Tbs olive oil
Fresh tarragon

Preparation:
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Bake at 400 degrees F in a dish until slightly tender, about 1.5 hours, turning about every fifteen minutes. If making with the rest of the dishes listed here, make sure they still have a bit of texture to them so that not everything is mushy in the meal.

Roasted Beets and Fennel
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 large beets, peeled and cut into fork size pieces with greens reserved for Sauteed Greens listed bellow.
2 large fennel bulbs, chopped into fork size pieces with stalks and tough parts discarded
2-3 Tbs olive oil
Fresh tarragon


Preparation:
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Bake at 400 degrees F in a dish until tender, about 1.5 hours, turning about every fifteen minutes. Dish is done when fennel can be easily pierced with a fork.


Baked Yams
Serves 12

Ingredients:
12 lbs sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cubed
12 Tbs butter
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground all spice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 packages marshmallows

Preparation:
1. In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter.
2. Add brown sugar, ginger, all spice, and clove, mix until everything is combined.
3. Pour sugar mixture over yams and toss to coat. (Wash your sauce pan right away, or at least, leave it to soak or it will be impossible to clean later.)
4. Bake at 400 degrees F in a baking dish until tender, about 1 hour, stirring the yams every fifteen minutes to coat with sugar glaze.
5. Cover yams in marshmallows and increase oven to 500 degrees F, bake until marshmallows are golden, about 3 minutes.

Sauteed Greens
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:
1 huge bag of Power Greens
Leaves from beets, chopped into 1 inch pieces
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. In a skillet over high heat, warm oil until fragrant but not smoking.
2. Add greens, you might need more than one round but they cook really fast so it shouldn't be a problem.
3. Stir constantly until the greens have wilted and turned a deeper green.
4. Put into serving dish. Salt and pepper to taste.

Scones, Fruit Salad with Yogurt, and Mini Apple Chicken Sausages

What a lovely day for baked goods. I'm trying my hand at gluten free and lactose free baking using a very successful scone recipe from my Steampunk Birthday Tea Party. Baking is always a surprise, you never know if you did it right until it's done. Then you taste to discover if your experiment was a success or not. Most range cooking allows you to alter as your going, taste to see if it needs more salt or a dash of something else, but baking is one where to alter it you have to start from the beginning and make the whole thing over. It makes me keep notes on how to fix things for the future. Let the experiment begin!

Besides the gluten free scones I also made regular scones (see Dried Cherry Scones, but substitute curants for dried cherries), a fruit salad with yogurt, and pan fried mini chicken apple sausages. Enjoy.


Gluten and Lactose Free Scones

Makes 8 large scones

Ingredients:
2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/3 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbs butter substitute (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 cup raisins and currants (or other dried fruit in small pieces)
1/2 cup sour cream substitute (I used Sour Supreme)
1 egg

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cut in butter substitute until completely incorporated, use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers. There should be no lumps and the consistency should be of coarse meal.
4. Mix in dried fruit.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream substitute and egg until smooth.
6. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until there are no more dry pockets, you will probably have to use your hands for this.
7. Form dough into a 6 to 8 inch circle, 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles using a sharp knife. Place triangles onto a cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15-17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
8. Serve with preserves.


Fruit Salad with Yogurt
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1/2 cantaloupe, seeded and cubed
3 mangoes, cubed
2 granny smith apples, cored and cubed
3 green pears, cored and cubed
1 basket blackberries
1 large carton vanilla yogurt

Preparation:
1. In a large bowl, combine cantaloupe, mango, apple, and pear.
2. Top with berries and yogurt.
Optional: Top with granola.

Polenta topped with a Mushroom, Bacon, Greens Compote

Good morning. On my hunting through the world of food porn I stumbled across the idea to make polenta, which I adore. This is great because I have a ton of cornmeal and recently made corn bread, but managed to forget to use any of the huge bag of yellow corn meal to do so. This means that I've made more of a corn mush than a traditional polenta, the difference being the grind of the meal being fine rather than corse, but I'm still calling it polenta. Because it sounds tastier.

Polenta
Makes way more than I intended for 12 people

Ingredients:
3 cups cornmeal
3 cups cold water
9 cups boiling water
4 1/2 tsp salt

Preparation:
1. Bring larger portion of water and salt to a boil.
2. Mix corn meal and equal amount of cold water together in a bowl, then add to boiling salted water.
3. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid scalding the bottom.
4. Serve immediately or pour into a pan to set.
Optionally: cool in fridge overnight, then cut into cubes and fry in butter or olive oil until golden brown.

Mushroom, Bacon, Greens Compote
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 bags of sliced cremini mushrooms
1 carton of yellow cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
2 packages of bacon, cut into bite sized pieces
1 bunch of spring onions, roughly chopped discarding whites
1 bag of Super Greens
1 cup of marsala wine
2 Tbs cornstarch mixed in 2 Tbs cold water

Preparation:
1. In a very large skillet (or multiple batches for a large skillet) over medium to medium high heat, start cooking bacon pieces until there is some grease in the pan.
2. Add the spring onion and mushrooms. Saute, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have started to change color.
3. Add the wine and continue cooking until the alcohol has all evaporated (put your face over the pan and inhale through your nose, if you feel a little buzz, the alcohol is still being cooked away).
4. Add the tomatoes and greens, cook until the greens have wilted.
5. Remove all of the solid stuff to serving bowl, reserving the liquid in the pan.
6. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir with a wooden or silicone spoon until the liquid thickens evenly.
7. Mix the solids and the gravy together. Serve with polenta.

Beef Stir Fry Over Rice and Blackberry Rocket Salad

As an experiment I tried out cooking at the office today. Amazing stove, very little counter space. The lack of counter space is perplexing to me because there could be plenty if things were put away into drawers, like the tea collection on the counter could become a tea drawer. Perhaps I will take the initiative to make that kitchen more usable through reorganizing and labeling with a label maker.

Onto the food, stir fry is an amazingly versatile dish that is fun to play around with. Have vegans, cut out the meat and add extra firm tofu, have someone who loves mushrooms, pop those suckers right on in, want chicken, no problem, rice noodles make your taste buds sing, in they go. The secret is to cook over high heat with an oil with a high smoking point (I used sesame oil because I wanted an extra bit of chinese flavor, but olive oil would also work) and to constantly stir. What this means is that you prepare everything ahead of time and when the stove is on, just toss everything together and stir it so nothing burns. If serving for only a few people, a wok is a wonderful thing because it keeps the oil at the bottom and allows for very quick cooking without drowning the food in the oil. There are industrial sized woks, but I happen not to have one, so I just used a large pot and made extra sure to stir like I meant it.

Beef Stir Fry Over Rice
Serves 12

Ingredients:
2 Tbs sesame oil
2 Tbs minced ginger
1 clove garlic minced
1.5 lbs beef cut into strips (I found "stir fry beef" but try to stick to thin cut loin if your store doesn't have this)
2 cans water chestnuts, drained
2 cans bamboo shoots, drained
2 cans baby corn, drained
4 handfuls snap peas
3 baby bok choy, chopped
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1/3 cups stir fry sauce
1 package of chopped extra firm tofu

Preparation:
1. In a large pot or giant wok, heat oil over high heat. Add ginger and garlic, cook until fragrant.
2. Add rest of ingredients, stirring constantly until the meat is cooked all the way through.
3. Serve warm over rice.


Blackberry Rocket Salad
Serves 12

Ingredients:
2 boxes of rocket
2 packages of blackberries
1 cup sliced almonds
rose vinaigrette to taste

Preparation:
1. Dress the rocket with the vinaigrette so that the leaves are coated, but you salad isn't drowning in dressing.
2. Layer on top berries and nuts.