Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Pesto
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons pine nuts
3 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (preferably freshly grated)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
In a food processor, process garlic, salt, and pinenuts until finely chopped. Add basil, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil and process until smooth.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Whole Wheat Pizza
Ingredients:
1 package dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for kneading)
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon olive oil (plus more for greasing pan)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add flours, oil, and salt to yeast mixture. Stir until well-blended. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until elastic and smooth, about 10 minutes. Add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time to prevent dough from sticking to your hands.
Place dough in a large bowl coated with olive oil. Cover with a tea towel and place in an area free from drafts for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, poke dough with two fingers - if the indentation remains, the dough has risen enough. Punch dough down, cover, and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough in half, roll or pull each one into a 12-inch circle (or a shape that resembles a circle). Place on a greased pizza pan or baking sheat sprinkled with cornmeal.
Add toppings of your choice.
Bake at 500 F for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Chard and Potatoes
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 bunch chard (1-2 lbs), stems removed
2 lbs potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, sliced thinly
1 - 2 tomatoes or 14 ounce can of diced, halved or whole tomatoes (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cover potatoes with water, add salt to taste and cook for about 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and chop into bite-size pieces. In a large skillet, cook chard leaves in boiling water for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and chop into bite-size pieces. Return skillet to oven and add oil and garlic. Saute garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add chard, potatoes, and tomatoes (if using). Use a large wooden spoon to break up the potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Chinese Chicken Salad
1 head lettuce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
2 ounces rice sticks, deep fried (optional)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon grated ginger
2 green onions, chopped
Directions:
Wash and dry the lettuce. Tear it into bite size pieces. Sprinkle shredded chicken and rice sticks (if using) on top.
Chicken à l’Orange
Makes 6 servings
¼ cup butter
2 lbs chicken (or whole chicken cut into 8-12 pieces)
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of ginger
1 ½ cups orange juice
1 cup raisins
1 cup orange sections
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Marge's Small Batch Strawberry Jam
Ingredients:
1 lb strawberries (organically grown if possible)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions:
Wash, hull, and thinly slice strawberries. In a large skillet, bring fruit, sugar, and lemon juice to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly and skimming foam as necessary. Cook until mixture begins to look syrupy and thickens slightly, about 5-6 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Cool to room temperature before serving. Because a minimum of sugar is used, the jam needs to be refrigerated. Refrigerate for 2-3 weeks. For longer storage, freeze or process hot jam in boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
Strawberry Jam
Ingredients:
2 quarts strawberries (organically grown if possible)
1 package powdered pectin
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 cups sugar
Directions:
Wash and hull strawberries. Crush using a potato masher (or hands!). Combine crushed strawberries, pectin, and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch of headspace (or space at between the jam and the top of the jar). Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.