Sauerkraut

• 1 large head of green cabbage, sliced into thin strips (set large outer leaves aside)
• 1 Tbsp unrefined sea salt 
• 1Tbsp caraway seeds
• 
  

• Place 1/3 of your sliced cabbage into your large bowl and sprinkle 1 Tsp of the salt over it. Using your hands squeeze and stir the cabbage until some of the water content begins to come out of it and the cabbage seems wet.

• Repeat this process adding the remaining cabbage and salt 1/3 at a time to the bowl. Squeeze and stir the mixture until you can see water running off of the cabbage. This will take time and elbow-grease, so be ready to get your hands involved.
• Add caraway seeds
• Fill the 2 jars evenly, pressing the mixture down so that water releases and raises above the line of the vegetables. Continue doing this until the jars are filled with about 2″ of space remaining at the top.

• Wedge the large outer leaves of the cabbage you had set aside into the top of the jars so that the mixture is underneath it and the water level raises above the flat cabbage leaf. You will want to use a small pinch bowl or a shot glass as additional weight to keep the mixture down.

• Set the filled jars aside on a cookie sheet or in any other large, flat container with an edge so that if there is any spillover you keep it contained. Set the jars/cookie sheet aside in a secure place at room temperature where they will not be disturbed.

• Check on your raw sauerkraut every day or two to make sure that the water level has remained above the vegetables and that no vegetables are touching the surface and coming into contact with air. The fermentation process happens under water, so if you do see anything touching the surface, use a clean spoon to remove it. You may also see some growth or mold form around the top of the liquid- this is normal but it’s best to remove it when you see it. If you need to add liquid to the jars, add some fresh water to make sure that everything is below a water line. The weights should a lot help with this.

• After about one week, remove the weight and top piece of cabbage from the kraut, remove a thin layer of the top of the kraut and give it a taste. It should be sour but probably not “there” yet. Allow the sauerkraut to sit for at least 2 weeks and taste it periodically as you wish to check on it.

• Once the sauerkraut tastes as you like it, place the lid on it and store it in the refrigerator. It will last for several months while refrigerated and will not continue to ferment further.

•  

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups vegetable broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
  3/4cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups skim milk
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

1.  Heat oil in 4 quart soup pot.  Add onions and carrots.  Saute 5 minutes.  Add basil, oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes, and  broth.  Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender (15 minutes).

2.  While soup simmers, prepare a roux.  Melt butter over low heat, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 5-7 minutes.  Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup.  Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth.  Add back into soup pot.

3.  Simmer, stirring constantly, until soup begins to thicken.  Add Parmesan cheese and whisk to blend.  Stir  in milk, salt and pepper.  Simmer over low heat 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Potato Leek Soup

Potato-Leek Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Time: About 1 hour, partially unattended

1½ pounds leeks, white and green parts separated

1½ pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped, trimmings reserved

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped, trimmings reserved

1 celery stalk, chopped, trimmings reserved

Salt and black pepper

3 tablespoons butter

½ cup half and half

Chopped fresh chives or parsley for garnish (optional)

1. Put the leek greens and other vegetable trimmings in a medium pot, season with salt and pepper, and add enough water to cover the trimmings. Cover, bring to a boil over high heat, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently.

2. While the stock is cooking, put the butter in a large pot over medium heat and slice the leek whites. When the butter melts, add the leek whites and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re very tender and beginning to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Add the potatoes, carrot, and celery and continue to cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

3. Strain the stock and add enough of it to the large pot to cover the vegetables. Cover, bring to a boil over high heat, and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently. Cook until the potatoes are very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the cream, and purée with an immersion blender. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with chives or parsley if you like, and serve. (Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.)

Cherry Cranberry Pie

1 9" pie crust

4 cups of fresh/frozen cherries and cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 c corn starch

1 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 brown sugar
6 T butter

Put the berries in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat until they release a lot of their juice. Add sugar and corn starch, stir well, and cook until it thickens.

Meanwhile, mix flour, other sugars, and butter until they form small crumbs.

Put the filling in the crust, top with cumbly mix, and bake at 425 for 35-45 minutes.

Black Forest Cherry Cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup melted butter (or vegetable oil)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.
4. Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.
5. Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
6. With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1/3rd of the whipped cream. Top with 1/3 cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Add (or decorate with) remaining whipped cream and spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/blueberry-crumb-bars/

These are easiest to cut once chilled, and store even better in the
fridge than they do at room temperature–something unusual for cookies!

Yield: I cut these into 36 smallish rectangles

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and
baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter
to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of
dough into the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon
juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture
evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly
brown. (This took an extra 10 to 15 minutes in my oven.) Cool
completely before cutting into squares.


Try making it with apricots instead:
2 cups dried apricots
1/2 cup sugar (or a little less)
Water to cover
Pinch of salt

Boil this all together on the stove for a while until the water is
mostly absorbed and the apricots have broken down a bit and it
smells/tastes good. Add more sugar if needed. Put in a splash of
brandy if you want before taking it off the heat.

Then just use this mixture as the filling instead of the blueberries
below.

Bailey's Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 c heavy cream
• 1 c milk
• 1 c sugar
• 1/2 c Baileys (or other liquor)
  

Instructions:

Whisk all of this stuff together until all the sugar has been dissolved. Stick it in the ice cream maker. Because of the alcohol, it will stay pretty soft. 1/2 cup of liquor may not seem like a lot, but you will definitely be able to taste it.

Mac & Cheese

You can substitute the same amount of any type of cheese and substitute any veggie (or just leave the veg out entirely).

Ingredients

8 ounces of pasta (macaroni, penne, etc)
1 1/4 cups of milk
2 T butter
2 T flour
1/8 t. cayenne pepper (optional)
4 oz cheese (I like smoked gouda. 4 oz is about 1 cup of shredded cheese)
1 bag of fresh spinach (or substitute about a cup of other veggies or leave them out)
1/2 c bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375

Cook the noodles until al dente.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in flour until it's bubbly. Slowly stir in the milk and keep stirring until it starts to thicken. Add the cayenne, salt & pepper to taste, and bring it all to a boil for a couple minutes. Add the cheese and stir until it's melted. If you're adding veggies, add them now (for spinach, it will seem like a lot, but don't worry - it wilt really quickly in the cheese sauce).

Meanwhile, make bread crumbs by chopping up some stale bread in a blender and seasoning with parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, or anything else you like until they taste good.

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Add the noodles, pour the sauce over them, and stir. Top with the bread crumbs. Bake for about 20 minutes until it's golden brown and bubbly.

Lemon Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cups lemon juice

Cream the butter and sugar, add flour from first 3 ingredients. Bake for 15 minutes at 350. Mix the remaining ingredients. Pour over baked crust and bake 25 minutes at 350.

Alexis's Mom's Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

375*

1/2 c butter
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla

cream the above, then sift and add carefully:
1 1/4 c flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

shape into 1.5-2 inch balls, roll in granulated sugar, place onto cookie sheet, the use a fork or potato masher to lightly press a checkerboard/plaid dents and slightly flatten the balls.

bake 10-12 min.

mmmmmmmm

(3,000 calories per batch. Divide by # of cookies to get calories each)

Spicy Chickpeas

1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon Cajun spice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Mix it all together well and then bake at 400 until chickpeas are crispy on the outside, 45 minutes to an hour.

Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder (Whole Foods)

Ingredients

3 medium poblano peppers

Olive oil for roasting peppers

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 stalk celery, sliced thin

2 large cloves fresh garlic, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

6 cups vegetable stock

2 cups whole milk (or half & half)

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, washed and diced unpeeled (or Yukon Gold)

1 (16-ounce) package frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup roasted red peppers (in jar), chopped

Salt to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste

* Lightly coat poblano peppers with olive oil and place on pan for roasting. Place pan under oven broiler until peppers are charred (about 5 minutes); turn over and char other side.

* Remove peppers from oven and place in paper bag; roll top of bag to trap steam. Allow peppers to sit for 10 minutes.

* Remove steamed peppers. Set aside to cool. Peel, remove stem and seeds, and chop.

* In a large, heavy soup pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add celery, garlic and onions and cook till translucent, about 5 minutes.

* Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter till melted. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, careful not to let the flour scorch.

* Turn up heat to medium-high and slowly add the vegetable stock, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add milk.

* Bring mixture to a rolling simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

* Add the potatoes, poblanos, corn and red peppers.

* Adjust heat to a slow simmer and cook uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

* Season with salt and cayenne pepper; serve.

- Whole Foods Market

Nutritional information per serving: 362 cal., 12 g fat (7 g sat), 29 mg chol., 57 g carb., 11 g pro., 6 g fiber, 595 mg sodium

Whole Wheat Graham Crakers

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 egg whites, divided
6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons raw or turbinado sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add butter and work into flour with your fingertips until completely incorporated and mixture resembles fine meal. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 egg white, brown sugar, honey and vanilla. Add this to flour mixture and stir until a sticky dough forms.

Turn half of the dough out onto a very well floured surface and roll out into a (10-inch) square. Cut into 12 rectangles and transfer to one of the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Repeat process with remaining dough and second prepared baking sheet.

Brush graham crackers with remaining egg and sprinkle raw sugar over the tops. Bake until dark brown and fragrant, 12 to 14 minutes. Set aside to let cool completely (graham crackers will harden as they cool) before serving.

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Cranberry Sorbet

This is a nice refreshingly light dessert that's a great alternative to pumpkin pie if you're overwhelmed on Thanksgiving.

4 cups of cranberries

5 cups water

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

Optional : zest from 1 lemon

Directions

Bring 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of sugar to a boil. Add the cramberries and cook them until they pop, around 10 minutes. In small batches, puree the berries and cooking syrup in a blender. When its' done, pass it through a mesh strainer to get any solids (mostly peels and seeds). Chill this for 1-2 hours until cool.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Let this cool as well.

Combine the berry puree with the syrup when everything is cool. Then pop it on your ice cream maker until it's ready. Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

Note: This recipe is bigger than the standard ice cream maker. Half it or, like I do, make it in two consecutive batches. Serves 10-12.

Le Creuset Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Topping

4 tbs. olive oil 1 large red onion, roughly chopped 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½” pieces 1 lb. eggplant, cut into ½” pieces 4 celery stalks, cut into ¼” slices 4 zucchini, cut into ½” slices 1 lb. canned crushed tomatoes with their juice 2 tbs. chopped fresh parsley 1 tbs. balsamic vinegar 1 tbs. sugar 2 cups fresh white bread crumbs 1 cup finely grated sharp Cheddar cheese Salt and pepper (I also added a clove of fresh garlic, crushed)
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oil in the buffet casserole over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the onion and butternut squash and fry gently until they are lightly colored. 2. Add the eggplant, celery, and zucchini and continue frying, turing the vegetables occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, basil, parsley, vinegar, and sugar with 1 cup of water and plenty of seasoning. Cover and simmer slowly for 1 hr 15 minutes to 1 and a half hours until the vegetables are tender; the squash will take the longest to soften 3. When the vegetables are tender, remove the buffet casserole from the heat. Mix together the bread crumbs and cheese with plenty of seasoning and scatter this evenly over the vegetables. Put immediately under a hot broiler to crsip and brown the top. Serve straight from the buffet casserole.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3 cups apples-cored and chopped
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Lightly grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, flour and butter. Mix until crumbly. Place half of crumb mixture in pan. Spread the apples evenly over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and top with remaining crumb mixture.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Plum Pie

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced fresh plums
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pastry shell
• TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients; pour into the pastry shell. For topping, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 375 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Cover edges of crust during the last 20 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Cool on a wire rack.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins