Raspberry and Blueberry Whole Wheat Muffins Recipe

Since I almost never eat anything I don't make, I began to miss baked goods. I am not a baker. I don't even really have a sweet tooth, but every now and then I have a craving for something cake-like with a touch of sugar. In my freezer was a bag of mixed berries that I generally sprinkle on granola, or blend into morning smoothies, but this week I put them to better use in these wholesome muffins.

I used whole wheat pastry flour, and substituted sucanat, a non-refined dried cane sugar, with all its molasses content intact, for the sugar. I nearly halved the amount of sugar called for in most recipes, and added a little maple syrup, so I think it's safe to say that this recipe is fairly healthy. It contains all of the antioxidants of the red raspberries and blueberries, and just a touch of dairy. I am warning you, though; these muffins are so outrageously delicious that after I photographed them for this entry, I subsequently downed three of them in a row. Mmm...homemade raspberry and blueberry muffins...what's better?

Raspberry and Blueberry Whole Wheat Muffins
(makes 12 medium-sized muffins)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour with the germ (that's what I have at the food coop; if you can't find that, use regular all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup sucanat (or, if you like things sweeter, any amount up to 1 cup. If you add more sucanat, eliminate the maple syrup.)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2/3 cup half and half (only because that's what I had in the fridge. You may use milk, if you like.)
2 cups mixed fresh or frozen blueberries and raspberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Grease a muffin pan with a little vegetable oil, or line the muffin cups with individual muffin liners.

In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, and milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix gently to combine. If the mixture is too dry, add a bit more half and half or milk; if it is too wet, add a bit more flour. Gently fold in the berries. Be careful not to over mix!

Scoop the muffin batter into the muffin cups, almost filling them. Bake the muffins in the oven until the tops turn golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the middle of one comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Continue reading...

Charmoula-Baked Tempeh with Beet Greens Recipe

One of my favorite cookbooks is one I gave to my sister for Christmas. She adored it, cooked through it, and the following Christmas, gave me a copy with stars beside her favorite recipes, and lovely personal notes about how to improve them. It is The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Berley, and it is fantastic. He was the chef at Angelica Kitchen in the early 90s, an East Village vegan restaurant, a place I went to from time to time, marveling at the fussiness of the orders from the clientele, and the patience of the servers. Even more than how I felt about meals at the restaurant, what I make from this book has bold flavors, interesting ingredient combinations, and make-again appeal.


My sister highly recommended a recipe for a Moroccan tagine with tempeh. I made it, preferred the tempeh on its own (as did she), and have made it repeatedly, without the tagine, over the years. This time, since I added beet root to the Millet and Quinoa with Beets and Scallions, I thought I'd use the beet tops in the tempeh. It resulted in more liquid in the pan after baking, but the flavors were great, and I had a beautiful looking dish when I piled the tempeh with beet greens on top of the grains with beet root for lunch. If you don't want to add the beet greens, don't. The tempeh is delicious on its own.

Thanks, Elif, for the great book. I wonder if my copy is as worn as yours.

Charmoula-Baked Tempeh
from Peter Berley, The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen

For the Tempeh:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, crushed (I use more, because I love garlic)
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 pound tempeh, cut into 1-inch cubes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. To prepare the tempeh, whisk together the oil, water, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper in a bowl.

3. Arrange the tempeh cubes in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour on the marinade and cover securely with the foil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tempeh has absorbed the marinade. Uncover and bake for several minutes longer to brown.

(If you are using the beet greens, wash them well, chop them into medium sized pieces, and add them to the tempeh before you cover the baking dish and put it in the oven.)
Continue reading...

Millet and Quinoa with Beets and Scallions Recipe

Again, this week, I made the kind of food I usually make for myself: no frills, healthy, quick to make. And again, I nearly discarded these recipes and photos because the food isn't sophisticated or decadent. Then I got a phone call.

It was my friend Jean, on her way to the store, asking exactly what type of lentils to use for last week's one-pot Swiss Chard, Lentils and Bulgur Wheat. I am heartened that my self-proclaimed non-cook friends are attempting some recipes, and it gives me the will to continue. Afterall, my blog is about getting people in the kitchen, and empowering those who lack the confidence to cook. It is about realistic recipes, saving money, and eating healthily. It is for people like Jean. So, Jean, take your sweaters out of the oven, and fire up your burners; here's another!

Millet and Quinoa with Beets and Scallions

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 scallions, chopped finely
2 beets, diced
1 1/2 cup millet
1 1/2 cup quinoa
6 cups of water
1 teaspoon salt
pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, and saute the scallions until a little soft. Add the chopped beets and stir briefly. Stir in the millet and quinoa until all of the grains are coated with the olive oil. Add the water, and the salt and pepper. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat so the water is simmering. Cover, and cook over low heat until all of the water is absorbed and the beets are tender, about 30 minutes.
Continue reading...

Almond and Sun Dried Tomato Basil Pesto Recipe

I thought I had invented something really big. I was in Switzerland over the winter, and wanted to make a spread for a bruschetta type thing, or a filling for sandwiches. I often use walnuts as a base for spready things, so I thought I'd change it up a bit with almonds, and add some sun dried tomatoes and basil, a little parsley, and some garlic. As a spread it was good, if unremarkable, but later, and in need of an easy dinner, I was surprised at its balance when I used it as a pesto on penne pasta. The garlic and herbs warmed on the pasta and released their flavors; the almonds and olive oil were so rich it was as if I had added cheese; and the tomatoes, well, the tomatoes rounded everything out to pasta sauce perfection.

The point of pesto genovese is the basil, and excepting when I devoured this dish nightly in Genoa, its birthplace, where it is combined with green beans and potatoes, I feel it lacks tomatoes. My concoction was perfect! I had suddenly become Italian! How could the world not know about this decadent tomato-basil-almond pesto? I wanted to run straight out of the apartment building and to the neighboring mountains and shout so loud those in the Italian alps would hear.

But not wanting to claim the rights to this perfect dish prematurely, I looked up the ingredients online, and of course, it has existed beyond those alps for years. Pesto Garganico, is its name, and it reportedly hails from the Gargano region of Puglia. No matter. I am happy those smart Italians invented it, and happy that by past life regression, or e.s.p., or simply by combining ingredients that grow together, I was able to recreate it.

My father turned seventy-three last Sunday, and I made him my original copy of this pesto (complete with fresh oregano from the garden), as an appetizer before his birthday dinner. Happy birthday, Baba. Here's to thirty more.

Almond and Sun Dried Tomato Basil Pesto

2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cups of almonds
2 1/2 cups of sun dried tomatoes
the leaves from 4 large stalks of basil
a handful of flat leaf parsley leaves
the leaves from 2 stalks of oregano
bit of crushed red pepper, to taste
1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

In a food processor, chop the garlic into small bits. Add the almonds, and process until the almonds are completely chopped. Add the sun dried tomatoes, the herbs, and the hot pepper (if using) and blend well. Pour the olive oil into the bowl while the machine is running, and mix until a smooth paste forms. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread on toasted slices of baguette, and top with parsley or basil leaves.

And/or, use as a pasta sauce on penne (or other hearty, formed pasta). You might need to warm the pesto in a small pan with a little of the pasta's cooking liquid before incorporating it with the pasta.

I even sprinkled some of this pesto into a spinach omelette, and it was delicious. Be creative.

This recipe makes a lot of pesto. Halve it if you don't want leftovers, or freeze it, or make a lot of pasta!
Continue reading...

Swiss Chard, Lentils, and Bulgur Wheat with Parsley and Garlic Yogurt Recipe

I headed to Florida last Saturday with my husband to celebrate my father's 73rd birthday and I needed to clean out my fridge. Because it was a twenty minute throw-together endeavor, I was reluctant to blog about this one, but, after a little reflection, I realized this might be exactly the type of food that might make hesitant cooks take to the kitchen. Though unsophisticated, this one pot meal is nutritious, simple to make, and inexpensive. It packs easily in a container to take for lunch, and reheats nicely for quick suppers. There are some middle-eastern flavors here, but you could spice this as you like, changing it to your whim. You might also add your choice of vegetables, and use kale, collards or mustard greens instead of the Swiss chard.

Swiss Chard, Lentils and Bulgur Wheat with Parsley, Garlic Yogurt

2 large shallots (or one medium onion), chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin seed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 cups bulgur wheat
1 1/2 cups brown lentils
7 cups water
1 bunch swiss chard, cut into pieces (I use the stems, too, and saute them in the beginning, with the onions)
approximately 1 cup parsley (for the one pot meal, and for the yogurt sauce), chopped
1 1/2 cup (about) yogurt (I used goat milk yogurt)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions and the swiss chard stems (if using), and saute until soft, but not brown. Add the carrot, let it cook until a little soft, and then add 2 of the garlic cloves. Stir a couple of times, and then add the ground cumin seed. When the cumin is incorporated, add the tomato paste, and stir it around until it turns a darker red. Add the bulgur and the lentils, and combine the ingredients so that all the grains and lentils are covered in the tomato mixture. Pour in the water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Season with some salt (I used 1 teaspoon) and pepper. Add the chopped Swiss chard and stir to combine. Reduce the heat so the mixture is on a low simmer, cover, and let it cook until all the water is absorbed, about 35-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the other minced garlic clove (or less, if you are not a fan), and some of the parsley to the yogurt. Season, to taste, with salt. Set aside in a warm place (I leave it on the stove).

When the lentils and bulgur are done, stir in a handful of the fresh parsley and top with the garlic yogurt mixture.
Continue reading...

Cardoon Gratin with Meyer Lemon and Thyme Béchamel Recipe

My husband and I were remiss in signing up for our food coop shifts in advance, and so, in order to avoid being suspended from shopping, signed up for two-in-a-row 5:30 am produce stocking shifts. It wasn't awful; the store is closed, so shoppers weren't banging into our knees with their carts while we stocked blood oranges or daikon radishes, and we felt as if we had the full day ahead of us when our shift was finished at 8 am.

During the shift, and while organizing the red peppers, I saw a sign for cardoons hanging over an empty bin. I was anxious to retry this unusual vegetable after my cardoon fiasco in France two Decembers ago, so when the box arrived for us to stock, I was thrilled. Eating them for the first time, all smothered in gruyère, at one of Lyon's famous bouchons, I adored how (though different in look and texture), they evoked the artichoke, and when I saw them at the market, their sturdy stalks like celery on growth hormone, I was eager to make them myself. I failed. It happens.

This time, following the directions on the label, and hoping to rid them of their bitterness, I soaked the branches for a few hours in water, and then, inspired by flavors I'd use in a vinaigrette for an artichoke dipping sauce, I made a meyer lemon, garlic and thyme béchamel. I poured this over the cooked cardoons and topped them with lemony breadcrumbs and gruyère cheese, and baked them until bubbly and golden brown. My husband loved it. I thought it was fine. The flavors in the béchamel were overtaken by the strong cardoons, so next time I might add a bit more lemon and thyme. In the future, (and because the vegetable gave off a little more water than I expected), I'd leave the béchamel on the thicker side before baking the whole thing in the oven. Otherwise, not bad for a second attempt, but not Lyon bouchon worthy, either. I'll keep working on it.

Cardoon Gratin with Meyer Lemon and Thyme Béchamel

1 1/2 lbs cardoons (or one bunch), cut into 3 inch lengths
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups of milk
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon (or more) fresh thyme leaves
1/2 (or 1) meyer lemon, juiced (if you use a regular lemon, you will need less of it, as meyer lemons are a bit sweeter)
3 slices stale bread (I used spelt bread)
1/4 cup gruyère cheese, grated
zest of 1/2 lemon (use the one you used for the juice)
salt and pepper
drizzle of olive oil

Soak the cut-up cardoons in some cold water for a couple of hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the cardoons in a large pot of salted, cold water. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook them until they are fork tender, but not mushy. Set aside.

For the breadcrumbs:

Make crumbs out of the bread slices by mixing them in a food processor. Combine the crumbs with the lemon zest and the gruyère, and a little salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

For the béchamel:

Heat the butter in a saucepan until melted. Whisk in the flour, and cook for a couple of minutes, whisking constantly, until the flour turns light golden brown. Slowly whisk in the milk, a little at a time, taking care that the sauce doesn't form lumps. When all the milk is incorporated, add the garlic and thyme, and bring the milk to a low boil. Immediately lower the heat to a simmer (you don't want to scorch the milk), and keep whisking as the sauce thickens. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little more milk. Remove from the heat, and stir in the lemon juice and salt, to taste.

Put the cardoons into a baking dish and pour the béchamel sauce over them. Top with the breadcrumb mixture, and drizzle a little olive oil all over the top.

Bake in the oven until the top is golden, and the béchamel is bubbly.
Continue reading...

Mushroom-Studded Tortilla Soup with Chipotle Chiles and Goat Cheese Recipe

This soup is fantastic; it's Rick Bayless again. I love using the chicken meat from the stock in a similarly flavored dish, like chilaquiles, or the chicken enchiladas I made this week. It is less expensive to use the whole chicken, makes good use of it, and the soup tastes phenomenally better with homemade stock. This dish works well for the whole week because the components can be stored separately in the refrigerator until you want to assemble them. The broth is delicately flavored and provides a nice vehicle for the bold chipotle and goat cheese richness. Comforting and delicious, this soup has become one of my favorites.

Mushroom-Studded Tortilla Soup with Chipotle Chiles and Goat Cheese
from Rick Bayless's Mexico, One Plate at a Time

Serves 6 as a first course, 4 as a casual main dish

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil or rich-tasting pork lard, plus a little oil to spray or brush on the tortillas
4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
1 small white onion, sliced
One 15 ounce good-quality whole tomatoes in juice, drained OR 12 ounces (2 medium small round or 4 to 6 plum) ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
6 cups good chicken broth, store-bought or homemade (I used homemade, see below)
8 ounces full-flavored mushrooms (I love shiitakes here), stemmed (discard the woody stems or finely chop them) and sliced 1/4 inch thick (you'll have a generous 2 cups slices) OR 1 1/2 ounces dried shiitake, chanterelle or porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, then drained and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Salt
6 corn tortillas
2 to 3 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, removed from the canning sauce
4 ounces goat cheese, cut or broken apart into roughly 1/2 inch cubes
1 large ripe avocade, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large bunch watercress, leaves only

1. The Soup. In a medium-large (4 quart)saucepan, heat the oil or lard over medium. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring regularly, until golden, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the garlic and onion, pressing them against the side of the pan to leave behind as much oil as possible transfer to a food processor or blender; set the pan aside. Add the tomatoes to the garlic and onion and process to a smooth puree.

Set the saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the puree and stir nearly constantly until it has thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 10 minutes. Add the broth and sliced mushrooms and bring to a boil, then partially cover and gently simmer over medium to medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Tast and season with salt, usually 1/2 teaspoon, depending on the saltiness of your broth.

2. Toasting the Tortillas. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the tortillas in half, then cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips. Spread out the tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet and spray or lightly brush with oil and toss to coat evenly. Set in the oven and bake, stirring around every couple of minutes or so, until lightly browned and crispy, about 8 minutes.

3. Serving the Soup. Cut open the chipotle chiles and scrape out their seeds. Cut the chiles into thin strips. In each soup bowl, place a portion of the cheese and cubed avocade, a generous sprinking of the watercress leaves and a few strips of chipotle. Ladle the broth into the bowls, top each with a little handful of crispy tortilla strips and you're ready to eat.

Working Ahead: Step 1 can be done several days in advance -- in fact, the soup gets better with a day or two for the flavors to mingle. Store made-ahead soup in the refrigerator, covered. Complete Steps 2 to 3 shortly before serving.

Caldo de Pollo Basico
From Rick Bayless's Mexico, One Plate at a Time

1 medium 3 1/2 pound chicken, preferably a good-tasting free-range one, cut into pieces (that's what I used) OR 3 pounds chicken wings or bones (such as necks or carcasses)
I medium white onion, sliced
3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
3 to 4 bay leaves (use the skinny Mexican bay laurel leaves for authentic flavor)
2 to 3 sprigs EACH fresh marjoram and thyme OR a generous 1/2 teaspoon EACH dried marjoram and thyme.

In a medium (6 quart) soup pot, combine the chicken, onion, garlic, bay, marjoram and thyme. Add 4 quarts of water, set over medium-high heat and let come to a simmer. Skim off the grayish foam that rises during the first few minutes of simmering, then partially cover and reduce the heat to keep the liquid at a very gentle simmer. If using a cut-up whole chicken, cook for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces, let cool until handleable and pull the meat from the bone (reserve it for enchiladas or the like); return the bones to the simmering broth for another hour. If using chicken wings or bones, let simmer for 2 hours.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids. Let the broth rest long enough for the fat to rise to the top, then spoon it off. Covered and refrigerated, the broth will keep for several days in the refrigerator. It freezes beautifully.
Continue reading...

Ancho and Guajillo Chile Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

This week was the premiere of Merce Cunningham's "Nearly Ninety", a tour de force of a dance created by the choreographer I performed with, whose dances I stage, whose technique I still teach. Ex-Cunningham dancers from all over the world descended on Brooklyn's Academy of Music to see Merce's latest creation, and to celebrate his ninetieth birthday. My dear friend and ex-colleague, Jeannie, now living in London, was one of them. She requested Mexican food (can't get it in London), and I happily obliged with ancho and guajillo chile chicken enchiladas and my version of Mexican rice and beans. What? I'm writing about Merce Cunningham and Mexican food? Merce's long-term partner, John Cage, loved a particular vegetarian tamale; is that a connection? Sure, I hear Merce say, and if not, we can just call it chance.

The choreography in "Nearly Ninety" is superb; tender, affectionate moments replace absurd ones, replace off-balance duets, replace nonchalant moments punctuated with humor, replace frenzied steps and near misses, replace sublime rhythmic changes, bizarre singular arm movements, and breathtaking subtlety. The dancers are exceptional, too, and perform leggy adagio of incredible strength and traveling jumps that change direction mid-stream. They are languid and sensual, and the next minute they dance so fast and sharp you nearly miss it. This ninety year-old man, whose physicality is now largely confined to the intellectual, created this? I was in awe. Again.

Humbled by our experience, and starving, Jeannie, my husband and I returned home to eat these cold enchiladas out of the pan, and reflect on our time with Merce. We all had important dancing to do while we were in his company, and, even though we knew it to be a significant part of Merce's philosophy that no one be seen as more special than another, now, witnessing again the grandiosity of his contribution to the world of art, we were able to recognize our truly small part in the more than 55 year history of Merce's work. It is bigger than all of us. Bigger than the many of us who share the honor of having worked with him put together. Maybe even huger than a theater built to house his collective audience over those 55 years. More collossal than that, I am sure. Happy birthday, Merce, and thank you for enriching my life in such limitless ways.

Ancho and Guajillo Chile Chicken Enchiladas

This is a very liberal adaptation from two recipes in Rick Bayless's Mexico, One Plate at a Time, but I changed things significantly, so I'm pretty sure I can call this my own.

For the sauce:

2 jalapenos
4 ancho chile peppers
4 guajillo chile peppers
1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 28 ounce cans of whole tomatoes in sauce
4-6 ounces of creme fraiche
(1 teaspoon honey)
salt

For the enchiladas:

The shredded meat from a cooked chicken (see the post Mushroom-Studded Tortilla Soup with Chipotle Chiles and Goat Cheese)
16 (or so) corn tortillas
2/3 of a cup shredded mild white cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, mixed
cilantro, for garnish

To make the sauce:

Toast the jalapenos, ancho and guajillo chiles in a dry pan over medium high heat until the jalapenos' skin turns black and blistery and the anchos and guajillos get toasted, but not burned. Set aside to cool.

In a large pot, heat the oil, and add the onion. Saute over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and stir a minute or so.

When the chiles are cool, add them to a food processor with the tomatoes, and puree into a smooth paste. Add the mixture to the pot of onions and garlic, and cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.

Add the creme fraiche to the pan, and taste the sauce. If it's a little bitter, add a touch of honey to balance the flavors. If not, forget the honey. Add salt to taste.

If the sauce looks too thick, add some water to thin it. It shouldn't be too thick, or your enchiladas will dry out in the oven.

Assembling the enchiladas:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the shredded chicken with a little of the enchilada sauce (about 1/2 cup) and add a little salt to taste.

Warm a few tortillas at a time in a pan until they soften. Fill them with a bit of chicken, and place the enchiladas, seam side down, side-by-side in a baking pan (I used two pans: one 8 x 8 inch pan and one 9 1/2 x 13 inch pan). Spoon the sauce over the rolled enchiladas (don't be stingy, I had extra sauce, even, for freezing.)

Top the enchiladas with the shredded cheese, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or so, or until the cheese browns. Serve with the chopped cilantro as garnish.

Banu's Rice and Beans

For the rice:

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 1/2 cups brown rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
5 cups water
juice of one lime

In a medium sauce pan, heat the olive oil, and saute the onion over medium-high heat until translucent. Add the tomato paste, and stir until the color darkens. Add the paprika and salt and stir a minute or so, until fragrant. Add the rice, stirring until all the grains are coated with the onion mixture, and then add the water. Bring the water to a boil, then cover the pot, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the rice for about 30-35 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Take the rice off the heat, and stir in the lime juice.

For the beans:

4 bacon slices, cut into small pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, ground
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 cup red wine
3 cups dried pinto beans
7 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
2 sprigs fresh epazote (you may leave this out, if you can't find it where you live)

Heat a large pot over medium high heat and cook the bacon until it is a little browned. Add the onion to the pot and cook until translucent (if there is not enough oil from the bacon in the pan, add some olive oil or vegetable oil). Add the jalapeno and cook until it softens. Add the garlic and the dried spices. Pour in the red wine, and stir everything until the wine reduces a bit. Stir in the pinto beans, and then the water, the oregano and the epazote (if using). Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the beans until tender, about 2 hours, perhaps more.
Continue reading...

Good Friday Pancakes and Homemade Sausage Patties Recipes

My great grandmother, Elsie Berlin, born in the United States to German immigrant parents, made these yeast pancakes on Good Friday for her family. Her daughter-in-law, Ethel Berlin, continued the tradition, and, like her husband's mother, served warm fruit sauces and sausage patties on the side. The fruit was from the garden: home-canned summer apples and cherries, and additional fresh strawberries, announcing spring's arrival. My mother modified some things, added lemony blueberries, and, despite our pleading, she reserved this special meal for one day of the year. When I make Good Friday pancakes, I not only connect with my immediate and extended family, remembering the boisterous family gatherings of my childhood, but I connect to relatives long gone. We all worked from the same recipe afterall: we all beat six eggs, added flour, spilled the batter into a skillet, waited as the pancakes bubbled before flipping. Food as equalizer and catalyst for reflection. For more than four generations, these Good Friday pancakes are still conjuring memories and helping us to create new ones.

German Good Friday Pancakes
From Elsa Berlin

6 eggs, beaten with a mixer
2 cups warmed milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package yeast, softened in a 1/4 cup warm water.
3 1/4 cups flour (I used 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour with germ, and 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour.) You might need more or less flour. Add flour slowly, until you have a medium-thin batter.

Mix the beaten eggs with the milk, sugar and salt.
Add the flour, and stir until all lumps are gone. This should be a rather thin batter.
Add the yeast mixture.
Let stand, covered with a dish cloth, until it rises, usually more than an hour.
Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the batter, perhaps a little more, into a heated and oiled skillet. When the surface looks cooked on one side, flip to the other and cook briefly. These should be thicker than crepes.
Keep the stack warm in the oven while frying the others.


Blueberry Sauce
(adapted from a recipe from Christine Ogan)

1 cup frozen blueberries (I used wild blueberries.)
a little water, about 1/4 cup
juice of 1/2 lemon
1- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (or more, just to give a little body, not to turn the blueberries into a gluey mass)
a little lemon zest
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or more, to taste)

Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring, until the cornstarch thickens the mixture slightly, and the blueberries are warm.


Cherry Sauce
(adapted from a recipe from Christine Ogan)

1 cup frozen cherries
a little water, about 1/4 cup
1- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (follow instructions as above)
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or more, to taste)

Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring, until the cornstarch thickens the mixture slightly, and the cherries are warm.


Fresh Strawberries with Tarragon

Slice some strawberries and mix with tarragon leaves. Add a little sugar, or agave nectar, if you like.


Homemade Sausage Patties

1 pound ground pork
2 shallots, minced
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
sprinkle of cayenne, or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
black pepper, to taste

Mix the ground pork with all the other ingredients. Form into patties, and cook in a wide skillet over medium high heat. When the patties are golden brown on one side, flip them, and cook for another 2 minutes or so on the other side.
Continue reading...