Wild Rice Nori Salad

This recipe is delicious by itself or served as a side along with some salmon or crab cakes.

1 cup mixed wild rice, cooked and allowed to cool
1 cup Nori flakes, toasted
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 Tb. onion, minced and sauteed
1 Tb. honey
2 Tb. soy sauce or Tamari
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 Tb. chopped almonds
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Mix cooked rice with onion, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and almonds.
Stir in toasted Nori and chopped cilantro. Add lemon juice. Chill for 2 hours or can be served at room temperature.

*To toast Nori, use a 300 degree oven for a few minutes. When ready, it will crumble.
*Another option is to cut with herb scissors and mix with rice while still hot off the heat.

Jan’s Artichoke Cheesecake Spread

4 Tb Butter, melted & unsalted

8 Sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

3 oz. Marinated artichoke hearts, drained

3-8oz. Packages Cream Cheese, softened

5 oz. Feta Cheese, crumbled

1.5 tsp Oregano, freshly chopped

0.25 tsp Garlic Powder

3 Eggs, large

0.25 c. Green Onions, chopped

Topping:

Roma tomatoes, sliced

Greek olives, pitted

Fresh Basil Leaves

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush bottom and sides of a 9” spring form pan with the melted butter.

2) Place 1 sheet of phyllo in pan so that phyllo extends up and over sides of pan. Brush with butter. Repeat with remaining phyllo and butter. Make two slits in the center of the phyllo for steam to escape.

3) Bake 9-10 min. or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Decrease temp to 325 degrees F.

4) Drain and chop artichokes, reserving 2 Tb of marinade.

5) Beat cream cheese, feta, oregano and garlic powder in large bowl. Add eggs, beating just until blended. Be careful not to overbeat.

6) Add artichoke hearts, reserved marinade and green onions. Combine well.

7) Pour mixture into crust and cover loosely with foil. Bake 35-40 minutes or until center is soft and sides stay firm when gently shaken.

8) Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Cover and chill 2 hours or up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, remove from pan and garnish with sliced tomatoes, basil and olives. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature with baguette slices.

Chocolate Stout Cake

A friend gave me this recipe from a Portland article explaining how this cake recipe has been all over town. There are a few variations you can make to it so it is never the same cake twice. This is the ideal chocolate cake for a birthday or special occasion. It stays moist for days and it is rich enough without overdoing it. My chocoholic husband said that it was the best chocolate cake he has EVER had! (and wants to sell it for $5 a slice to the cyclists on our bike path) And without further ado:

3 c. Unbleached All-purpose Flour
2.5 c. Sugar
1.5 Tb. Baking Soda
0.5 Tsp. Salt
1 c. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, sifted
1.3 c. Canola Oil
1.5 c. Buttermilk
3 Large Eggs
1.5 c. Stout Beer (I used Guinness and Obsidian Stout)
1 Tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

Icing:

24 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Nestle works fine)
1.5 c. Heavy Whipping Cream


Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray two 9 inch cake pans with a non-stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Place flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and sifted cocoa powder in a bowl. Mix with an electric mixer on low to combine. Keeping the mixer on low, add oil, buttermilk, then eggs one at a time. Add the stout slowly down the sides of the bowl. Add vanilla and mix until batter is smooth. Batter will be very thin, that is expected.

Divide evenly into prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Cool in pans on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes.

While cakes are cooling, prepare the icing by creating a double boiler. Put 2 inches of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Put a stainless steel mixing bowl on top of the pot without touching the water. Add chocolate chips and heavy cream. Let partially melt before mixing with a whisk. Stir until just melted and then remove from heat and let cool at room temperature. You can refrigerate it to make it easier to work with.

Remove the cakes from the pan and let cool on a cooling rack. When they are completely cooled, place one cake on a serving platter or cake stand with wax paper lined along the edges (this will keep the plate clean while you ice the cake). With a serrated bread knife, cut the top of both cakes off to create a flat top. Add a dollop of icing to the plated cake to keep the crumb layer in. You may choose to refrigerate the cake before finishing the rest of the icing or you can slather on more icing before placing the second layer upside down onto the first. Finish the icing from the top down and then remove the wax paper. Refrigerate to set for 15 minutes if another coat of icing is needed.

Variations:

1.5 c. Freshly brewed, extra strong black coffee (in place of the stout)
Vegan: use egg replacement and vanilla soy milk
Less Chocolate (gasp!): top cakes with whipped cream and fresh berries

Cake will stay good for up to a week--if it lasts that long.

Aebleskivers

Puff Pancakes

4 Eggs, separated
1 3/4c Buttermilk
1/4 c Sugar
2 c All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1/4 c Butter, melted
Oil or cooking spray for the pan
Filling of choice such as fruit preserves, fresh fruit or baked apples
Powdered Sugar for garnish
Freshly Whipped Cream (optional)

In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with buttermilk and sugar. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Stir in melted butter.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until very stiff but not dry and fold into batter. You can use a whisk to do the folding without over mixing.

Heat aebleskiver pan over medium-low heat (the same heat level you would make regular pancakes). Spoon a dab of butter into each pancake well if you have not used cooking spray. Experiment with this as some aebelskiver pans are non-stick and you will not need to use any oil. Fill cups 3/4 full with batter and allow to cook undisturbed for about 30 seconds.

Take two wooden skewers and peek at the underside of one pancake to see the level of brownness. When each is a golden brown, turn a quarter turn by using both skewers with both hands (do not us like chopsticks). Continue turning until you have a complete ball, usually 2-3 turns. Check for doneness by poking with skewer until it comes out dry. When done, remove from heat and place in a warmed oven until the batch is cooked and ready to serve.

For each subsequent batch, start with the middle well and work clockwise around the pan. That way, you can flip in the same order that you filled the pan and not have any one aebelskiver overcook.

To serve, place on plate and drizzle with jam and sprinkle with powdered sugar. You can also crack them open and fill with jam and sugar.

You can have a variety of jams set out on the table to experiment and see which you like best. We tried some Lingonberry Jam from Ikea with our last batch and it was a match made in Sweden!

Chocolate Souffle
Recipe from chef John Ash

4 large eggs
8oz. finely chopped, good quality bittersweet chocolate
(NOT dark chocolate, we prefer Valrhona or Green & Blacks. Use a milk or bittersweet 60% or less)
1Tb unsalted butter
1Tb flour
1/2c warmed milk
1tsp vanilla extract
2tsp finely grated orange zest
1/8tsp cream of tarter
1/4c sugar
Garnish such as powdered sugar or raspberry puree

Preheat oven to 375.

Lightly butter eight 1/2 cup souffle dishes or ramekins. Sprinkle with granulated sugar, rotating and shaking the dishes to coat every surface, then pour out the extra.

Separate the eggs, leaving the whites in a large bowl and the yolks in a small one. Lightly beat the yolks and set aside.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, and set aside. In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour, and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the sauce is very thick. Remove from heat and whisk a little of the warm base mixture into the egg yolks to temper them. Then whisk this mixture into the remaining base. Stir in the melted chocolate, vanilla, and zest, and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form (they should still be drooping over, not standing up stiffly, when you lift up the beaters.) Sprinkle in the 1/4 cup sugar gradually and continue to beat until the whites are stiff but not dry.

Stir a quarter of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then carefully fold in the remaining whites. Pour the mixture into the prepared souffle dishes and place on a baking sheet (I find it helpful to line the sheet with parchment paper or foil). Fill the dishes a little bit more than half way so you get the overflow of souffle for a more dramatic presentation.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the souffle comes out moist but not gooey. Souffles will puff and crack when done, so don't worry. One large souffle will take 35-40 minutes.

Remove from oven and garnish with the powdered sugar or fruit puree. I like mine with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream or better yet--lavender ice cream. Eat immediately.

Chicken Piccata & Angel Hair Pasta

This Italian chicken dish is fresh and simple with lemon juice and parsley.

2 Chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1/2 c. Flour
Salt & Pepper
6 Tb. butter
5 Tb. Olive oil
1/3 c. Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 c. dry white wine (you can sub chicken stock)
1/4 c. capers
1/3 c. Italian parsley, freshly chopped

In a medium skillet, heat the butter and oil until sizzling. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and place into heated pan. Cook both sides until cooked through.
Remove from pan and put into warmed oven or cover with foil to keep warm until sauce is made.

Keep the skillet on the heat while you remove the chicken. Place the lemon juice, wine and capers into the pan. Scrape down the chicken drippings, deglazing the pan. (You can optionally saute some chopped shallot to add to the sauce) Simmer until reduced. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can add 1/4 c. heavy cream or you can add a roux (butter mixed with flour until it forms a paste). Add fresh parsley, retaining some for garnish.

Once the sauce is complete, take the chicken and place it back into the sauce. Turn until both sides are coated. Remove and serve over angel hair pasta with a vegetable side. Drizzle some sauce over the chicken and top with the remaining parsley. Bon apetit!

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Lime Juice Slaw

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lime juice

2 cups green and purple cabbage, cut into strips or shredded

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 tortillas (Trader Joe's has some hand-thrown ones that are amazing)

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 small yellow onion

1 package firm tofu or boneless chicken breast

1 package Toby's Tofu Taco Seasoning (you can find it at Whole Foods near the tofu)

1 Tb. Tamari Soy sauce

Place beans and cumin in small saucepan and heat to simmer. Mix 2 teaspoons sesame oil and lime juice in medium bowl; add cabbage and toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper. Top with chopped cilantro.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and saute until clear. Add crumbled tofu or cubed chicken and cook until browned. Add Toby's Seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Drizzle Tamari over the top and let reduce until water is absorbed.

Toast tortilla in a dry salted pan or in a toaster oven. Fold in half and fill with tofu or chicken. Spoon 1/4 of bean mixture onto half of each tortilla, sprinkle with feta. Top with the slaw.
You can also serve with the beans with feta and the slaw on the side. I used smaller tortillas and did this because all of my ingredients would not fit without a bust out at the seams! And the beans with the feta crumbled on top is a match made in heaven.

For leftovers, you can saute the proteins, beans and slaw all together in a wok and it is wonderful all mixed together. The cabbage takes on a much different flavor and it goes beautifully with the tofu!

Add hot sauce to your palate's delight!

Moosewood Muffin Madness

Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home's Muffin Madness

This is probably one of the easiest muffin recipes I've ever made. It was very little mess in the kitchen and would be a perfect quick home made treat for someone with kids or very little time.

-- Basic Wet Ingredients --
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 - 1 cup brown sugar (I accidentally omitted this ingredient & the muffins were great)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I usually double the vanilla just because its so good)

-- Basic Dry Ingredients --
2 cup unbleached flour (I use half whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Choose one of the following combos to add to basic ingredients (the above is NOT a plain muffin recipe, but the base for the following)

Apple muffins: Add 2 cups of grated apple and 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel to wet ingredients and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to dry ingredients.

Banana muffins: Add 1 1/2 cups of mashed banana to wet ingredients and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to batter. Sprinkle more chips on the muffin tops before baking. (You can also add 1/2 tsp. of orange zest to batter for an extra little something)

Blueberry - lemon muffins: Add 1 1/2 cups of blueberries and 1 tablespoon of grated lemon peel to wet ingredients.

Zucchini muffins: Add 2 cups of grated zucchini to wet ingredients and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom to the dry ingredients. Fold in 1/2 cup of raisins or currants and 3/4 cup of chopped nuts to batter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine wet ingredients, combine dry ingredients. Add two mixtures together and take care not to overmix. Spoon batter into oiled standard muffins tins and bake for 15-22 min. for regular size muffins, 8-10 min. for mini-muffins.

Leite’s Consummate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from David Leite via The New York Times

Takes: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling
Makes: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content
Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and try to incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. [Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.]

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

* I found Valrhona’s fèves or oval-shaped chocolate pieces, at Whole Foods in half pounds. Baking discs can be found from a number of brands, from Jacques Torres to E. Guittard (Fresh Direct used to sell these by the quarter pound, but now just in one pound boxes, but still at a very reasonable price) to Ghiradelli. Can’t find them? Use the largest chocolate chips you can find. Ghiradelli sells some slighly larger ones in the brown bag (as opposed to the standard-sized chips in the gold bag).

Irresistible Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a very good basic chocolate chip cookie recipe from Real Simple Magazine.


2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

With an electric mixer on medium-high, beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla for 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the baking soda. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop the dough into tablespoon-size mounds and place on the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned at the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely.

Panzanella

Italian Bread Salad

Why throw away the rest of that good, dense loaf you picked up at the bakery the other day? This is what the Italians do with day-old (or older) bread. Simply delicious!!!

Ingredients

* 2 tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
* 1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced
* 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
* 1 clove garlic, very finely minced
* 1 cup fresh basil leaf, torn into small pieces
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
* 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
* salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* 6-8 slices thick country bread, torn into bite-size pieces (sourdough is good - dense, bakery bread)

Directions
In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, garlic and basil. Drizzle with the 1/2 cup olive oil and the 3 tblsps vinegar, season with salt and pepper and toss well. Place half of the bread in a wide, shallow bowl.
Spoon half of the tomato mixture over the bread.
Layer the remaining bread on top and then the remaining tomato mixture.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Just before serving, toss the salad and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
If the bread seems dry, add a little oil or vinegar Serve immediately.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups Earth Balance Non-Hydrogenated Spread (soy butter)
1 1⁄2 cup turbinado sugar (or agave nectar)
1 1⁄2 cup Yellow D Brown Sugar (a vegan "brown sugar")
2 tablespoons Ener G Egg Replacer
8 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1⁄2 -3 cups vegan chocolate chips (we use regular ones)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine egg replacer and water, mix until "puffy" and frothy. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream Earth Balance and sugars. Add egg replacer/water mixture and vanilla, blend well. Next, sift in flour, baking soda, and salt. Stirring after each one or two cups of flour. Once all flour is mixed in, slowly add chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes. Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Oatmeal Coconut Cake

Yumdillyicious Oatmeal Cake

2 1/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cup oatmeal (quick cooking)
Pour boiling water over oatmeal and set aside to cool.

3/4 cup shortening, smart balance or butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
Mix in order given (dry ingredients together first)
Add oatmeal
Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan
Bake at 350 for 40 or so minutes

Topping:
6 Tbsp butter, 1/4 c. cream, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 2/3 cup coconut
Add 1 cup crumbled walnuts if desired.
Let cake cool before applying topping.
Broil -watch carefully until bubbly and brown

Eggnog and Eggless Nog Recipes

EGGNOG (non-vegan)

2c. Whole Milk
1c. Cream or Half and Half
3/4 c. Sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg


Heat milk over low heat, whisking constantly. Do not let boil or scald. With an electric mixer, beat egg yolks until they are light and creamy. Add sugar and blend for about 30 sec.
Slowly add about 1/2 c. of the heated milk to the egg/sugar mixture until it is tempered, blend. Add the rest of the warmed milk and mix completely. Next, add the cream, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Blend.

Most recipes say to serve cold but I thoroughly enjoyed it warmed on a brisk, snowy cold day. After pouring it into cups, grate more nutmeg on top. Add 1 Tb. of rum and/ or bourbon if you need more warming ;-)


VEGAN EGGNOG

3c. Soy milk
1 package soft tofu (silken)
1/2c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until tofu is incorporated. Refrigerate for 1-2 days before enjoying. I also enjoyed this one served warm. You can also add 1 Tb. of rum and/or bourbon to each adult cup = adult beverage.


OR here's another vegan one that looks good:

• 2 10-oz packages silken regular or low-fat tofu
• 16 oz. vanilla soymilk
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 tablespoon ground tumeric
• 1/2 to 1 cup rum or brandy (for a non-alcoholic version you can use fruit juice)
• nutmeg to taste