Brushetta - by my sister!

It's been forever since I've been able to post!! I've been travelling a ton and for the most part not cooking anything exciting. Although, I'm back in y hometown for a few weeks and have been experimenting on my parents. So, I'll have a few exciting recipes soon to share.

This is my sister's recipe for brushetta, which she has mastered. It's got the right balance of onion, basil, vinegar, and garlic. We inhaled this and I had to beg them to stop eating so I could take a few pictures of it for the blog. Seriously, this is so good.

As with all things, using the freshest, ripest, tastiest ingredients is key. Any 'substitutions' will give an inferior result. This is a healthy, raw alternative to classic chips and dip, and really doesn't take much time to whip together. Think about it as an appetizer for your next dinner party. You could also serve it over roasted chicken, put it in paninis, toss it on some pasta

Bruschetta

By my sister, Lynnie

6 small-medium sized tomatoes (she used on the vine tomatoes since those are generally fresher out-of-season)

1 thick slice of a large yellow onion

2 - 2.5 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (must be fresh)

1/2 teaspoon of dried basil

1 teaspoon garlic infused oil (alternatively you could use 3 large cloves of fresh garlic)

1 1/2 Tablespoons quality olive oil

3 Tablespoons balsalmic vinegar (buy the good stuff)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper, feshly ground

1.) Chop the tomatoes up as small as possible. Place them in a medium sized bowl.

2.) Take the onion slice and place it in a small chopper or food processer and pulse until the pieces are milimeters in size. Add the fresh basil and pulse a few more times. (If you're using fresh garlic, add that in now).

3.) Add the onion/basil mixture and all the other ingredients to the tomatoes. Mix well. Adjust the flavors as necessary. Serve with baguette slices or crackers.

Homemade Barbeque Sauce

One evening recently, I was listening to NPR's "The Story" and became enthralled during a segment about a woman who had taken over the family tradition of competing in barbeque contests (generally a male-dominated type of cooking contest). I was especially fascinated by the super secret sauce recipe, which had been passed down through the generations and had won many a competition. I wondered what exactly went into an award winning recipe - or into barbeque sauce in general - and so I started to do a little internet searching.

The internet search yielded some good tips on how to make general barbeque sauce, but nothing along the lines of coveted family secrets. Interestingly, I did learn that there are many different varieties of barbeque sauce. North Carolina is known for a more vinegar based sauce, South Carolina for a mustard-based sauce, Texas for spicy recipes, and Kansas City for tomato-based sauce recipes. Alabama even has a mayonnaise version. I found a website that had basic recipes for three of the main sauce types. I decided that since I'm more of a tomato lover, I'd focus on creating my own version of a Kansas City style sauce.

Lucky for me, soon after deciding that I wanted to try to make my own barbeque sauce, the hubby and I actually visited Kansas City, Missouri. I was amazed when we visited a grocery store and I saw just how many different types of barbeque sauce were available. Our selection in the North is pitiful by comparison. I looked at many ingredient lists and was somewhat shocked and saddened that for many the second ingredient was high fructose corn syrup. Boo to that. Others were a little more wholesome, though; some even hinted at special ingredients like pineapple juice. So, I took some mental notes to try in my own sauce.

This past week I finally got the time to settle in and work on the recipe. We decided to have friends over for Barbeque Beef Sandwiches, and I wanted to use my own sauce for the beef. I dabbled around and finally got the flavorings to come together nicely. This recipe is somewhat sweet, somewhat zesty, somewhat spicy. It has that nice tomato based flavor, but many subtleties to it as well. I really like this version and hope that you will, too!

Kansas City Style Barbeque Sauce

A Fabulous and Delicious Original!

1 yellow onion, sliced

5 cloves garlic, sliced

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup hot water

2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon raw sugar or brown sugar

3 dried chipotle chiles, chopped into small pieces

2 Tablespoons dark molasses

20 ounces organic ketchup

1 can tomato paste

1 1/2 cup tomato puree (fresh tomatoes blended or from a can)

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon balsalmic vinegar

1 teaspoon tumeric

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon freshly ground pepper

3-4 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 Tablespoon chili powder

2 Tablespoon paprika

2 Tablespoons dry mustard or fresh mustard

1/4 cup dark beer

1.) In a large pot, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil over low heat until the onions are cooked (translucent but not brown). Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the hot water.

2.) When the onions are done, put in the chipotle chiles and allow them to cook a little in the oil - no more than a minute. Then, pour in the sugar water mixture. Stir. Then, add all the other ingredients, stirring as you add them.

3.) Allow all the ingredients to simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes. If you'd like, you can then use an immersion blender or place the sauce in a regular blender to smooth out the consistency. Use immediately in cooking or store in your fridge for up to 7 to 10 days.

Gaspacho

Hello blog readers! Fear not; I haven't forgotten about you. Life has just been busy in our household. Last week we moved into a super cute house - with a real sized kitchen! Our first evening was spent unpacking all of our kitchen supplies. Boy, do we have a lot of them! We've taken over every cupboard, our hutch, and then had to put up a bookshelf to house the actual food! We have not-so-often used kitchen gadgets (e.g. the waffle maker and slow cooker) in the coat closet; cookbooks are currently housed in the den. I guess that's what happens when you have a husband and wife pair that like to cook and bake. :)

In addition to our lovely new kitchen, our garden is thriving. We have so many cherry tomatoes ripening every day, cucumbers constantly begging to be picked, and beautiful peppers lounging from their branches. So, what does this all this mean? That it's *finally* gaspacho season!!!!!! I started craving gaspacho in April, but alas it is one of those foods that you can enjoy only when the vegetables are seasonally ripe. Otherwise, the soup just a pitiful mirage of its former self. Similarly, using poor quality olive oils or vinegar will not yield the same exceptional taste.

If you're not familiar with gaspacho, it is a cold summer soup that originated in Spain. Personal recipes vary, but basically it tastes like the soup form of a perfect tomato sandwich. (Quite literally as the recipe includes bread.) If you're familiar with gaspacho and hate it, well, then you haven't tried *this* gaspacho, which is delicious!!!

Similar to all perfect summer recipes, it doesn't require turning on your oven (unless you're going to use that to make bread). We've been eating it at least twice a week while we can. My hope is to eat so much of it that I'm satisfied until next Spring when I'll start to crave gaspacho again! Enjoy!

Gaspacho

The hubby's recipe, adapted from a segment heard on NPR

1 thick slice of fresh homemade bread (the Wonder Bread varieties really won't work...)

1 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes from the garden

1/4 large sweet yellow onion

1/4 large cucumber

1 green bell pepper

1/4 cup Spanish olive oil (or high quality version of your liking. We use a brand from California)

scant Tablespoon raspberry wine vinegar (or high quality balsalmic if you're desperate)

salt and pepper to taste

1.) Wash and rinse all veggies.

2.) Put everything into a hearty blender. (We use a Vitamix.)

3.) Turn on the blender to medium-high and blend until there is a creamy texture and everything is pink. Salt and pepper to taste.

4.) Serve immediately and enjoy.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Semi-Sweet Chocolate Frosting

I cannot believe that I only got one post accomplished in all of July. It's just been such a busy summer. We travelled, worked, and now are in the process of moving - to a house - with a real kitchen! It's a galley kitchen, which isn't as ideal as a kitchen set up for true entertaining, but it's better than the corner of a room that houses our current straight-out-of-1940s kitchen. I'll have more windows to try out new photography techniques, too.

The idea of moving into a bigger place is so exciting, but packing up everything is awful. My husband has so many memories of our current apartment, too, that it's hard to say goodbye -even though we really do need a bigger place. Even our small kitchen is filled with memories. I remember making brownies for our friends who lived down the hall when I would come and visit from New York. It's where Chris and I mastered Indian Samosas, along with many other delightful dishes. We've created delicious meals - whole Easter feasts - all from a tiny tiny kitchen with literally no counter space. It's taught us to be efficient in our cooking / baking, and it's definitely taught me to clean as I cook, but I'm excited to have a dishwasher in which to plop all those dirty dishes after entertaining!

A good friend had a belated birthday BBQ tonight, and I offered to bring dessert. I deliberated a lot about what to make, and I was somewhat limited because 99% of my cooking supplies are in boxes. So, when I was searching through the recipes I collected from magazines, and came across a huge delicious-looking piece of chocolate cake with the words "one bowl cake" as the title, I was sold. It was delightfully easy. The frosting only required one bowl, too, but I unfortunately had packed my hand-mixer. So, I whipped up this frosting using my immersion blender, and it turned out just great.

This all just goes to show you that no matter what your limitations - small kitchen, poor counter space, limited utensils - you can still make fabulous desserts.

One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted slightly from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup warm water

3 Tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together (or sift if you're into that) cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Add in eggs, buttermilk, water, oil, and vanilla, and stir until smooth (about 3-4 minutes).

2.) Line cupcake pan with paper liners. Fill the paper liners with cake batter until about two-thirds full. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let them cool slightly for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pan and place them on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.

(You can also make cake by buttering 8-inch round cake pans (2 inches deep) and then coating with cocoa. Cook cake for 35 minutes. Allow it to cool for 15 minutes before attempting to remove it from the pan.)

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Frosting

Adapted slightly from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

6 ounces dark chocolate (I bought my favorite chocolate bar), melted and cooled slightly (I just put it in a pan over the lowest heat possible and let it melt)

3/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

1.) In a small bowl, sift together sugar, cocoa and salt.

2.) In a separate large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer (or immersion blender!!) at a medium-high speed until smooth and well incorporated. Add the cocoa/sugar/salt mixture slowly, beating after each addition. Pour in chocolate and add creme fraiche or sour cream. Mix until well combined.

3.) Frost cooled cupcakes.

Green Beans with Shallots and Homemade Breadcrumbs

Life is plugging along here in Minnesota. The summer weather has been perfect: warm temperatures without being too hot, light breezes, and sunshine. There have been so many thunderstorms at night, though. I'm slowly getting used to the Midwest thunderstorms; they are very different from the Northeast. Firstly, they seem to be much more dangerous with really damaging winds (blowing away all sorts of outdoor furniture and bringing down tree branches), un-ending dramatic lightening, and more frequently than I'm comfortable with, tornadoes. I'm starting to not go into panic mode every time the radio breaks to say that there is a tornado warning for a part of Minnesota, but I still do close a lot of the doors to keep the cat near me in case I hear that the warning has spread to our county. That way, I figure I can grab the cat and head down to the basement. Thunderstorms in the Northeast were much louder, though. I miss the thunder that makes the windows shake. Here, there seems to be more lightening, less thunder.

Since coming back from vacation, the hubby and I have been trying to eat as many vegetables from our garden as possible. This week the green beans and shallots were ready. I found this recipe online almost a year ago on Martha Stewart for green beans, shallots, and bread crumbs. I had wanted to make it for Thanksgiving, but ended up not and opting instead for the classic Campbell's green bean casserole. The Martha Stewart recipe has many of the fabulous flavors of the Campbell's recipe, but without the creaminess (and calories) from the cream of mushroom soup. The Martha recipe is overall nicer because it's healthier, hightling olive oil instead of cream, and easier to make. Plus, you don't have to turn on your oven - which, if you're like me and don't own an air conditioner, is a big plus in the summertime.


So, we'll continue to enjoy this recipe until our green beans stop producing, which will all this nice daytime sunshine and nighttime rain, will hopefully be months away!



Green Beans with Shallots and Homemade Breadcrumbs
Adapted from Martha Stewart

2 pounds green beans
1/4 cup olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup homemade or store-bought breadcrumbs (see below for homemade ingredients)
salt and pepper to taste

For homemade breadcrumbs
3 medium slices of homemade bread (your recipe of choice - I use a bread machine)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning (combination of oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and sweet basil)

1.) To make breadcrumbs, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In the meantime, take the 3 slices of bread and toast them in a toaster or toaster oven until golden (medium). Then, cut them into 1/2 inch squares. Place the breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Drizzle lightly the olive oil and add the garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Once the oven is heated, place the breadcrumbs in the oven for about 5 minutes (to dry them out further). Avoid letting them burn in the oven.
2.) Blanch the beans: Rinse the beans well. Fill a medium-sized pot halfway with water, place it on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling, toss in the beans and cook for 2 minutes (no more than 2.5 minutes). The beans should be bright green. Immediately, drain the beans and run them under cold water. The cold water stops the beans from cooking and prevents them from becoming mushy. (Alternatively, you could prepare an ice bath and then place the drained beans in that instead of running them under cold water). Drain again and pat the beans dry.
3.) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occassionally, until they are golden (about 5 minutes). Add in the green beans and breadcrumbs. Stir. Cook a couple minutes more just to heat the green beans a little.
4.) Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve.

Blueberry Smush

Hello blog readers! Sorry for the long dry spell! I've been traveling extensively all over the east coast visiting family and eating my little heart out. (Hello potato chips and Hoffman hot dogs - how I missed you!!). There were lots of delicious drinks enjoyed, including pomegranate martinis (and margaritas), lemon drop martinis, mojitos, monarchs, and copious wine. It was lovely.

I couldn't completely take a break from cooking, though. One morning on the lake, I baked up some Pannekoekens to everyone's delight. Also, one night I opted to provide dessert for a family dinner. After a day of hiking in the sun through water-filled gorges and a dinner filled with tender grilled steaks, I thought we could use something light(ish) for dessert. I wanted something summery, but didn't want to go the classic Strawberry Shortcake route. So, settled on my grandmother's Blueberry Smush.

My mom said that my grandmother used to make Blueberry Smush all the time when she was a kid. They would often camp in the Adirondacks during the summer, where there were bushes filled with wild blueberries. My grandmother would cook them with some water and sugar in a pot over a campfire. Once the blueberries burst and a sauce was created, she would drop in the biscuits, let them cook, and voila! Delicious camp dessert. My mom has many happy memories of having her face and teeth stained from eating blueberry smush.

Despite these happy memories, my mom never made us this dessert until about two years ago!! My sister and I ate every bite and couldn't believe that she hadn't made it for us sooner.

In any case, I thought with blueberries being ripe in the northeast, it was fitting to highlight them for dessert and introduce my dad's family to this deliciousness. The soft drop biscuits smothered in a sweet blueberry sauce are just to die for.

Oh, and another plus of this summer dessert: it doesn't involve turning on the oven! It's all done on the stove top.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Smush

From Grandma (via Mom)

For blueberry sauce:

1 quart fresh blueberries

1 cup sugar (more if you'd like)

2 cups water

2-3 Tablespoons cornstarch

For biscuits:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup rice milk (or for non-vegan, buttermilk)

4 Tablespoons coconut oil (or for non-vegan, butter)

1 Tablespoon sugar

1.) In a large, wide pan, cook (without rapidly boiling) the blueberries, water, and sugar over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally. Continue to cook until the blueberries burst and you have a thin sauce. Turn heat to medium-low. Add the cornstarch and stir until the sauce thickens to coat a spoon (not quite to the thickness of a gravy).

2.) While the blueberries are cooking, in a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the biscuits.

3.) Once the sauce is ready, drop the biscuit batter in Tablespoon amounts into the sauce. Once all the biscuit batter has been added, cover the pan and allow the biscuits to cook for roughly 10 minutes.

4.) Plate the biscuits and cover in blueberry sauce. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Zucchini Curry and Basmati Rice

Sunday was an Indian food day here in our household. We had promised a friend that we would have him over for dinner, and he could pick the menu theme. He settled on Indian, which we were delighted about.

Indian food is probably one of our favorite foods to make. It was challenging in the beginning because the combinations of spices are so different from what we are used to in Western cooking. Fortunately, the hubby found a classic Indian cookbook for $1 at a garage sale a few years back, and that has been a great guide to the foundations of Indian cooking. Luckily, my husband has an amazing palatte and sense for spices, so he can adjust recipes to mimic those we've had in restaurants. I love it.

The internet is also an amazing source of delicious (and free!) recipes. In addition to our fabulous and delicious samosas, we decided to highlight the zucchini we've been harvesting from the garden farmette everyday, and decided to try to make a zucchini curry. We found an awesome tutorial on YouTube by Currysutra on how to make Ghiya (zucchini curry), and copied it almost exactly. The tutorial is really easy to follow and would be great for beginner Indian home chefs. I've included all the ingredients and directions (with our changes) below, but definitely check out the tutorial as well. Enjoy!

Ghiya - Zucchini Curry

Adapted from Currysutra

Yield: Feeds roughly 4 people

2 medium to large zucchini, cubed

1 Tablespoon canola or sunflower oil

1 small can tomato paste (6 ounces)

1 1/4 cup potato water*

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

6 cloves garlic, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 cube salted veggie bouillon (we use the Rapunzel brand)

1 teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 Tablespoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon corriander

1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1.) Heat oil in a pressure cooker over medium-low heat, add cumin, garlic, and onion and saute until the onions begin to cook (look translucent). Try to avoid having the veggies brown by keeping the heat low.

2.) Add in 1/4 cup of potato water* and spices: veggie bouillon, tumeric, ground cumin, curry powder, corriander, chili powder, garam masala, crushed red pepper.

3.) Add in tomato paste. Stir.

4.) Add in zucchini & stir. You may taste now to see if spices are alright. Then, add 1 cup of potato water*

5.) Put lid on pressure cooker and being to cook, according to your pressure cooker's directions, to max pressure (about 5-8 minutes).

6.) Then turn off heat and let the pressure cooker slowly let go to room pressure (about 20 minutes).

7.) Carefully, open pressure cooker (read manufacturer's instructions), and the curry is ready to serve over basmati rice (see rice recipe below).

* Potato water refers to the leftover water from boiling potatoes. Because we were also making samosas, we had boiled potatoes on the stove, and therefore saved the water to use in this dish. The potato water adds a bit more flavor and also can help thicken with the starch. If you're not making potatoes, just substitute regular water.

Basmati Rice

Yield: 4-6 cups rice

4 cups water

2 cups basmati rice

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon whole cloves

1.) Place water, olive oil, bay leaves, peppercorns, and cloves in a medium sized pot on the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil.

2.) Place rice in the boiling water, stir a bit. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Allow rice to cook for 15-20 minutes until soft.

3.) Stir rice and serve.

4.) Note that rice will double to triple in amount. So, if place one cup of dried rice in a pot, you'll end up with 2-3 cups of cooked rice. Therefore, adjust the recipe above to your needs by halving (or doubling!) it if necessary.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I've been in a funk today, and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because after months of practicing yoga, my little 'bird' poses still will not 'fly.' Probably has to something do with my chicken arms, and everyone knows that despite everything delicious chickens offer us, they are flightless birds. Or maybe it's the fact that a vast number of unknowns that are swiftly approaching, mostly related to where the hubster is going to get a job and my upcoming residency applications. Ah, change - it's scary one of the only guaranteed things in life. And, as my yoga teacher is constantly reminding us, life does not come with a set instruction manual, so I should embrace all the fun possibilities that lay ahead!

So, today to de-stress, I decided to tackle one of my baking quests: to find the perfect red velvet cake recipe. I actually only tasted my first red velvet cake a few months ago during a visit to Buffalo, but I was instantly hooked. It was moist, delicious, not overly chocolately. I'm not a huge intensely sweet frosting person, either, and this cake was refreshingly served with a tangier cream cheese frosting. Anyway, after that, I decided to do some research and create that lovely cake for myself. I read dozens of recipes online, and decided to settle with one that used canola oil instead of butter, since I personally find that oil makes a moister cake crumble. The first batch I tried were waaaaay to oily and sank in the middle as soon as I took them out of the oven. (Fail...). So, I found a second recipe that used more eggs and flour and decided to adapt that. I kicked up the amount of cocoa powder from 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup, and halved the amount of red food coloring - my cupcakes turned out just as red and without that chemical taste that you can get from coloring.

The overall results is awesome. A super moist, flavorful red cake that bakes up to a perfect dome. The cake is not overly sweet or chocolately, but is so delicious that I ate a whole cupcake before even making the frosting. I cannot wait to make this cake again. You can add on the cream cheese frosting or your favorite frosting of choice! Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Adapted from Leslie Sarna: The Dainty Vegetarian

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

1 Tablespoon red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled or apple cider vinegar

Classic Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, softened

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pound confectioners' (powdered) sugar

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake/muffin tins with paper liners.

2.) If you need to make your own buttermilk, do that now.

3.) In a large bowl (or stand mixer with whisk attachment), whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, soda, salt, cocoa powder.

4.) Add vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to dry ingredients. Stir. Then, add in buttermilk. Stir again.

5.) Carefully, measure and add the red food coloring. Be careful not to stir/whisk/mix too vigorously or you can end up whipping food coloring all over your kitchen and self!! Then, add in the vinegar and stir a few more times.

7.) Pour batter into prepared pans, filling the cupcake liners roughly 2/3 full.

8.) Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

9.) Remove cupcakes from pan and allow them to cool on a wire rack.

Frosting directions:

1.) In a large bowl, beat (preferably with an electric stand or hand mixer) the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Then, add in the sugar and beat until fluffy.

2.) Frost cupcakes when cool.

P.S. - I used my KitchenAid Mixer for this whole recipe, which made it super easy. I also tried out my birthday gift, the beater blade, for the first time, and it is AMAZING!!! It scrapes the side of my mixing bowl while it's mixing. So, no need to stop the mixer and scrapes the sides down myself anymore. I'm a convert. Seriously. Thanks, BFF!!

Zucchini Bread

After traveling all last week, the hubby and I returned to Minnesota to see that our community garden (a.k.a. The Farmette) was overflowing with produce! Finally weeks of lugging water out there and weeding have turned into thick rows of sweet lettuce, peapods, and monster zucchini. We're going to have to zucchini having coming out of our ears! I'm really not much of a gardener, but my husband is really into it, and it's not quite as bad as I thought it would be. He does most of the work, and I go out and do what I can when he's out of town. It is a nice excuse to be outside during the lovely summer weather.

Last night, I took some of the bigger zucchinis and decided to make zucchini bread for breakfast and for the hubs to bring into work. I'm going to try to tackle another one of our large zucchini today and make it into bread and then place that in the freezer for later in the season when our zucchini aren't as proliferative.

This recipe I found awhile ago on Cooking Friend, which I really like and have used many times. It's super moist, not overly sweet, and on the healthier end of the spectrum (as far as sweet breads go). You can add nuts or seeds to the batter if you wish, although I'm not a fan of hard chunks in my baked goods, but that's me. Adapt this recipe to your own liking!

Zucchini Bread

From Cooking Friend

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups brown sugar

3/4 cup oil

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 cups coarsely grated zucchini

1.) Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two loaf pans, size of your choosing. (Smaller pans will yield a higher loaf, larger pans will give you a shorter loaf - or try to make mini loafs and adjust the baking time accordingly).

2.) In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

3.) In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oil, water, and yogurt. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.

4.) Slowly, add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Then, mix in the grated zucchini.

5.) Pour your batter into the prepared pans. Place both loaf pans in the oven and cook for 55-60 minutes, or until a tooth pick placed in the center of the bread comes out clean.

6.) Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack for 20 minutes before attempting to remove the bread from the loaf pans.

Basil-Spinach Pesto

It's World Cup Saturday, USA versus England, and I'm trying to type up this post during half-time. I definitely don't know too much about soccer, but World Cup is just so exciting that I can't help buy try to get involved. It's so much more engaging (and the players are much more handsome) than American football. Plus, I love the constant play and no commercials! It's so refreshing. Although the South African horns that are constantly being tooted during the game have this annoying sound like a mosquito. I'd rather hear roaring soccer chants.

Anyway, before the game started, I was trying to decide what I fancied for lunch. We had a big container of organic baby spinach in the fridge, so I though I would whip up some pesto to serve over linguine. I seriously love pesto, although I don't make it too much. Pesto is classically made with basil, although I find pure basil pesto to be too strong. So, I do a mixture of basil and spinach to temper that strong taste. This recipe can easily be made vegan, too, by omitting the cheese and adding in a scant 1/4 teaspoon salt instead, without compromising the deliciousness.

Pesto is delicious with pasta, although one of my favorite ways eat it is with a baguette and brie. So good. So crazy good. Served this way, pesto would make a great snack or appetizer. Maybe you could make them for your own World Cup party when the US makes it to the finals. :)

Basil-Spinach Pesto

Adapted from Moosewood Cookbook

1 cup fresh basil (must be fresh), packed

2 cups baby spinach, packed

3-4 cloves garlic

1/3 cup pine nuts (toasting optional)*

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded (omit if making this vegan)

1.) In a small chopper or food processor, chop the basil, spinach, and garlic.

2.) Add in the pine nuts and pulse until they are well chopped.

3.) Slowly add in the olive oil until the mixture forms a nice paste. If you have what seems to be excess oil, add in a handful of spinach until it is absorbed.

4.) If adding cheese, stir this in by hand. Then serve!

* To toast pine nuts, place pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat. Stir intermittently. Once the nuts starts to exude a nutty scent or you notice they are golden, take them off the heat immediately. They are toasted. Going past this will point they will burn easily, and you will have to start again.

Pannekoeken - Dutch Puffy Pancakes

I love it when I serendipitously fall into delicious recipes. Last night, my husband graduated from his post-graduate training program. So, after years of schooling (high school, college, Ph.D. and now this specialty residency training), he'll finally be getting a real job! (In contrast to myself who is still five years away from that). We're not quite sure where that job is going to be yet, but we have lots of options out there and are looking forward to what the future will bring!

Anyway, last night at the graduation dinner, I was lamenting at the table how if we do move from Minnesota, I'll miss my favorite Dutch pancake house. It was here that I tried my first pannekoeken, and oh. my. god. it was amazing. It's kind of a dense/fluffy/optionally fruit-filled pancake. The bottom is dense, but the top, puffs up, and the butter and sugar crunchiness that occurs on the top is just ridiculously good. I always ordered mine with apples, which were just a delicious addition, although other fruit could be added to your liking! So, as I'm stating that I'm going to miss this restaurant, one of the wives at the table states that she has a recipe! Shut. up. Seriously? Yay!

I told her to please please please email it to me soon so I could try it. I got the forward from my husband this morning, and decided to put off going into work to make it. To my delight, this recipe tastes exactly like the pannekoekens in town. I even had my favorite Pink Lady apples around the apartment to add. It baked and puffed up beautifully. I smothered it in real maple syrup (collected and made by my husband) and sat down to devour it all.

Enjoy!

Pannekoeken

Yield: 1 Pannekoeken

2 Tablespoons butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

For apple pannekoeken:

one apple, thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 glass pie plate

1.) Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place pie plate into the oven with butter and allow butter to melt as the oven heats.

2.) As the butter is melting, in a small bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the flour, milk, and salt and mix until just well-combined.

3.) Take the pie plate out of the oven. Butter should be melted. (If making apple pannekoeken, sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the butter. Then, arrange the apples around the bottom of the pan.) Pour the egg-flour batter into the pie pan (over the apples).

4.) Place the pie pan back into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. The pancake should puff and become golden.

5.) When finished baking, remove the pie plate from the oven and invert the pannekoeken onto plate for serving. Must serve immediately - and serve with real maple syrup.

Pita Puffs

Yesterday was a lazy Sunday morning, but busy baking/cooking Sunday afternoon. The morning was spent lounging, playing with our cat, Chuck, chatting with friends online who live far away. The afternoon picked up, though, and while the hubby was at work, I whipped up some homemade falafel, tried a recipe for chocolate pots de creme, baked blueberry muffins, and made these pita puffs. Plus, I managed to get in a 3-mile run (pretty good for me). Whew!

These pita puffs are really fun in that they truly do puff up, almost magically, revealing a beautiful (and durable) pocket in which you can stuff just about anything. I've been making them more and more since they're quite easy, and pita from the store can be expensive. The only disadvantage is that you have to heat your oven to 500, which in the summer may be insufferable. They're great for us, too, because again, we know what's going into our food, which is important with the hubby being vegan. Try them out and let me know how it goes!

Pita Puffs

Recipe given to me by Annie, originally from King Arthur Baking Companion

Yield: 8 pita puffs

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons instant yeast

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup water (room-temperature)

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1.) Knead all the ingredients by hand for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth. Let the dough rest for an hour.

2.) Turn dough onto a lightly oiled (or floured) work surface (dough will be somewhat sticky). Divide it into 8 pieces. Roll out the pieces into 6 inch circles. Allow the circles to rest for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

3.) Place dough in oven on the lowest rack and bake for 5 minutes; they should puff up. (If they haven't wait a minute or so longer and raise the heat for the next batch). Transfer baking sheet to the oven's middle-to-top rack and bake for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until pitas have bronwed.

4.) Remove pitas from oven. (Can optionally wrap them in a dishtowl to keep them warm).

5.) Store in airtight container or plastic bag.

Buttermilk Pound Cake

It's a warm, sunny night here in Minnesota - perfect for walks, ice cream, outdoor sports events, or campfires with s'mores. However, I'm sitting in the basement of a medical building while my husband finishes a long day's work. He's saving people's lives with math and physics. Seriously. This is what he does. I could try to go into it more, but since it's all above my head, there's really no point because I can't describe it correctly. :) As I sit here entertaining myself, I thought it would be a good time to post this blog - let the creative mix a little with the analytical in this room.

This blog entry has been about a six month (maybe eight year?) adventure. The eight year bit refers to the fact that when I was in college at Cornell, there was this amazing eatery, Collegetown Bagels, where we could grab all sorts of delicious sandwiches, drinks, and pastries. I wish the town I'm living in now had a place like this where you could go and read a book, all while enjoying delicious foods and seasonal drinks. In any case, I am in LOVE with their pound cake. It's dense, buttery, and full of flavor. I buy a piece of it every time I go there. It's just perfect. The six month adventure refers to the fact that a recent-ish Martha Stewart Living had a whole segment on pound cake, and it instantly made me nostalgic for college. So, I decided I would try the "classic" recipe they offered. Turns out Martha makes some gross pound cake. It was dry and not anything like the pound cake I enjoyed so frequently in college. So, I tried another recipe; it was okay, but definitely not worthy of replication. Then, I tried putting fewer eggs in the second recipe and pouring simple syrup over the top (hoping to lock in some moistness). It was still not good and talk about a sugar high! Woah. Then, I gave up. Three pound cakes in a row that tasted gross. I was out.

Then, recently, as I was surfing through Tastespotting (my new addiction), I saw a picture of beautiful, moist pound cake and instantly clicked on it. I was led to a baking blog by this amazing 17-year-old: 17 and baking. Her pictures and writing are beyond enviable! Maybe someday I'll be able to come close to the classiness of her blog. Anyway, her post on Buttermilk Pound Cake reinvigorated my drive to find a great pound cake recipe. So, I made hers, and... it was delicious! It was lighter than the version I had at Cornell, although I didn't wait the two days she suggested before cutting into it. Delightfully, it was very moist, with just the right balance of tart - with the lemon and buttermilk - butter, and sugar. It's the type of pound cake that can be enjoyed alone, or with a pairing of whipped cream or berries. So, although I may still keep searching and experimenting to find how to make a dense pound cake like Collegetown Bagels, this pound cake is seriously delicious and will stay in my recipe book for a long time.

Buttermilk Pound Cake

From 17 and baking

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus more for pan)

3 1/2 cups flour (plus more for pan)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup cultured buttermilk (click to find recipe to make it with things you probably have laying around)

Juice of 1 lemon, strained

1.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter and flour a 9" bundt pan.

2.) In a small bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. In a separate bowl, make buttermilk if you don't have a can of it laying around. Set aside.

3.) With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, beat in the vanilla extract.

4.) Add in 1/4 of the flour to the mixture and beat. Then, add 1/3 of the buttermilk and beat. Continue to alternate between the flour and buttermilk, finishing with the flour. Stir in lemon juice.

5.) Smooth the batter in to the prepared bundt pan. Bake for roughly 75 minutes - or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then invert and allow the cake to cool on a rack.

6.) Then, the secret ingredient: time. As Elissa says:

E- told me the secret ingredient was time. She’d discovered that if she waited a day or two before cutting into it, everything about this pound cake improved – the flavor, the texture of the crumb, its dynamics. The slightly sugary crust that formed along the edges, giving it a bit of a crunch? The sweet, gentle tang of buttermilk? All side effects of her patience.

Enjoy!!

Orzo Salad with Pine Nuts and Sundried Tomatoes

It was delightfully hot today in Minnesota - reaching 90 degrees! These are the days I miss living in the country and being able to easily transition between indoors and outdoors. Living in an apartment complex just seems to make getting outdoors harder. There's just nothing like being able to lounge in the comfort of your own yard... Anyway, the hubby and I did get a lot of sunlight today watering and weeding our community garden plots. This originally was supposed to be his little hobby for the summer,but now I find myself assuming greater responsibilities. It is kind of fun to see the little plants grow and excel with sunshine and water. Plus, I'm excited to find ways to use the crops in the kitchen come harvest time.

With all the heat of the day, I really started craving my husband's orzo salad. It's a pasta dish filled with veggies, and unlike traditional macaroni salad which has a mayonnaise dressing, this dish uses olive oil, which is much lighter. That lightness is so nice when it's extremely hot. So, I decided to whip up a batch for us to enjoy when we returned from gardening. It totally hit the spot.

Orzo Salad

From my hubby

1 1/2 cup orzo pasta

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup high quality balsamic vinegar

1 cucumber, diced

1 medium tomato, diced

1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

2-3 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

5 basil leaves, finely chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

Other options: artichoke hearts, olives, fresh mozzarella, dill

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.) Cook orzo pasta in boiling, salted water until it is cooked through. Strain and rinse with cold water.

2.) While the pasta is cooking, toast the pine nuts by placing them in a dry pan and turning the heat to medium. Allow them to cook on the stove, stirring occasionally, until they become fragrant or start to slightly darken/become golden (usually about 5 minutes). Remove the pine nuts from the heat.

3.) Place pasta, pine-nuts, and veggies in a salad bowl. Toss with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

4.) Refrigerate the salad until ready to serve.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

Ok, I'll be honest, for a long time I didn't understand the concept of a blondie (the lighter version of a brownie). I guess I associated them with "bar cookies" which I mean, why mess with the perfection that is a chocolate chip cookie? So, I didn't really get it... But then, I was surfing on FoodGawker and saw the most delicious picture of a blondie - with peanut butter! Now, a peanut butter brownie/blondie is just something totally different and beautiful. So, I gave it a try. The first recipe was too cakey (yuck), so I cut the number of eggs and settled on this recipe by Bake At 350. It's magical. Seriously. I'm not saying it's going to replace my favorite brownies because it can't (nothing can), but it's a nice side-kick for sure. The moist chewy consistency is great, and the peanut butter is just wow. Delish. You should definitely whip up your own batch today!

Peanut Butter Blondies with Chocolate Chips

Adapted from Bake at 350 and originally created in the King Arthur Flour's Cookie Companion

6 Tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter (I used 'Better 'N' Peanut Butter, which I loooove)

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 cup chocolate chips

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.) In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

3.) With a hand mixer (preferably), cream the butter and peanut butter. Add in the sugar and continue to mix until combined.

4.) Add in the eggs one at a time. Then, stir in the vanilla.

5.) Stir in the flour mixture. Then add in the chocolate chips and stir until just combined.

6.) Butter an 11 x 8 (or 8x8 or 9x13 depending on how thick you want these to be). Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick (or knife) inserted in the center comes out clean.

7.) Cool completely before cutting.

Fresh Tomato Risotto

I'd call this one of my staple recipes -- especially good for entertaining. It's quite easy to make, but since people generally don't have the patience for risotto, it's a nice treat for guests. I find the trick is not to rush this dish. Keep your the liquid stock you're adding to the rice hot (simmering) and add it slowly (like a fourth cup at a time). Let the rice fully soak up what you've added before you give it more liquid.

Amazingly, the dish can be made vegan very easily without any compromise in taste - just omit the butter and cheese. (Although I will admit that without the cheese the dish does lack a certain depth, but you also don't leave the table feeling that heaviness).

The original recipe can be found on cookingfriend. I will write the vegan version below. Enjoy!

Fresh Tomato Risotto

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons olive oil

6 cups vegan vegetable broth of your choosing

salt to taste

2 cups tomato sauce

2 cups arborio rice

3/4 cup white (or red) wine

1-2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1-2 Tablespoons fresh basil

1.) Saute the onion in the olive oil over low-medium heat until it is soft.

2.) Heat the broth and the sauce in two separate pans until they are simmering. Try to keep them almost simmering the whole time while cooking. The key to a good risotto is a hot broth, fairly constant stirring, and having patience.

3.) Add in the rice to the onions and olive oil. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes.

4.) Add the white wine, continuing to stir for additional minute.

5.) Pour in a ladle of broth into the rice mixture (about 1/4 cup of broth). Stir intermittently until it is fully absorbed.

6.) Then, pour in a full ladle of tomato broth. Stir intermittently until this is fully absorbed.

7.) Alternate between adding the broth and tomato sauce (waiting until each is absorbed before adding the other) until the tomato sauce is gone. Then, continue to add the remaining broth slowly 1/4 cup at a time. This will probably take 30-45 minutes. The rice should no longer be tough, but very soft and creamy.

8.) Add in the fresh herbs and cheese. Stir and serve immediately.

Caribbean Rum Punch

This past weekend I had the fortune of traveling to Canada to attend a good friend's fabulous wedding. Since both he and his new wife are from the Caribbean, the food and music reflected this - to all the guests delight! The meal was especially delicious, but I was personally wowed by the rum punch served during cocktail hour. I subsequently learned that the groom's parents had made it! Let's just say that the punch was such a crowd pleaser that there was literally one in all the guests' hands and only a few lucky guests got seconds. I especially loved the 'recipe' description I received from the groom. He said that since everyone loves the rum punch (and therefore generally overindulges), the recipe has to be very easy to remember, or else they'll soon forget it after drinking too much. (I made sure this wouldn't happen to me by writing the recipe down in lipgloss on my name card...). So, here it goes:

Caribbean Rum Punch

Courtesy of Dr. Simon

1 of sour

2 of sweet

3 of strong

4 of weak

(sour = lemon / lime juice; sweet = simple sugar; strong = rum!; weak = juice (generally orange & pineapple)).

Beer-Braised Turkey Tacos

This last weekend, before a road trip up to Canada for a friend's wedding, one of my good med school friends and I went to a cooking-class dinner at Delish in Buffalo. I had known them for their incredible bakery, but upstairs they also offer cooking classes where you get to learn and then sample all the dishes. What a fun concept! It was very interactive and the food was so tasty! My favorite recipe of the night, which I cannot wait to re-create in my own kitchen, were the Beer-Braised Turkey Tacos. Seriously good, and soooo much better than just cheap ground beef with a packet of taco seasoning. Definitely put this recipe at the top of your "to try" list!!

Beer-Braised Turkey Tacos

From Delish (and including the adaptations we did in class)

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds raw boneless/skinless turkey breast

salt & fresh ground pepper

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 medium white onions: one diced (for cooking) and one minced (for serving)

1 large oregano sprig

1 large jalapeno - stemmed, seeded, and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick

1/2 - 1 can tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

1 ancho chile (or chipotle/adobo) - stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped or torn

One 2-inch cinnamon stick

One 12-ounce bottle Mexican dark beer (Modelo Negro)

1 cup water

12 corn tortillas

1 ripe avocado, skinned, pitted, and sliced, for serving

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds and cilantro sprigs, for serving

Sour cream (optional)

1.) In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Season the turkey with salt and pepper. Place the turkey in the olive oil and cook until richly browned on all side, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the turkey to a plate.

2.) Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the casserole along with the garlic, diced onion, oregano, and jalapeno and cook over moderate heat, until the onion is soft. Add the tomato paste, sugar, ancho chile, and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes.

3.) return the turkey to the casserole, add the beer and water, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat, turning once, until the turkey is tender - about one hour.

4.) Transfer the turkey to a plate and let cool. Discard the oregano sprig and cinnamon stick. Boil the remaining sauce over high heat until it is reduced to about 1/4 cup (about 12 minutes). Allow the sauce to cool some and then transfer it to a food processor/blender and puree. (You could also use an immersion blender). Shred the turkey meat. Return the sauce to the pot and stir in the shredded turkey.

5.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the corn tortillas in foil and bake them until they are warm - about 8 minutes.

6.) Spoon turkey onto the tortillas. Top with minced onion, sesame seeds, cilantro, avocado, and a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy!

Homemade Sandwich Rolls, BBQ Beef, and Cabbage Salad

It's hot in Minnesota, and I love it! It's light out until 9 PM at night. I can walk outside without adorning a parka (literally). Summer is here - and early! yay! In honor of the lovely weather, I made one of my favorite dishes: Barbeque Beef Sandwiches. I love this recipe because it takes about five minutes to start in the morning as you put everything into the slow cooker/crock pot, then a few more minutes at the end to shred the beef, and then done and delicious! When I lived in New York, I always used Dinosaur Barbeque Sauce in my BBQ Beef, but now I don't have immediate access to it. : ( I plan on trying to come up with my own personal BBQ sauce, but in the meantime, I'm experimenting with the types sold in the local grocery.

I decided to make my own rolls since I didn't have any laying around the house. Bread products are generally tricky for our household with the hubby being vegan. Often there can be milk or an egg wash that might sneak its way into the recipe, so I've been making more bread at home so I know what goes into it. I found this recipe for No Knead Sandwich Rolls. The advantage to these rolls are that you can start them at the same time as the beef, and then let them sit all day, and them work on them an hour or so before you want to eat, and you're done! The hubby liked the rolls so much he requested them when he went away for a conference this last weekend. The rolls have a nice crunchy crust and are nice and soft in the middle. Mmmm.

The cabbage salad recipe is my mother's. You can add more or less mayo depending on how creamy you like yours. I prefer mine a little lighter. I'm also a purist when it comes to mayonnaise and always use the real stuff. I'd rather eat less food with more taste than more food with less taste, but that's me.

I hope that you'll enjoy these delicious and refreshingly easy recipes soon!

Barbeque Beef

2.5 - 3 pounds beef chuck roast

1 cup (roughly) of BBQ sauce of your choice

1 chopped onion

1.) Trim fat off the beef and place it into the crock-pot.

2.) Add onions and BBQ sauce.

3.) Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours until beef is tender.

4.) Shred meat using two forks.

5.) Serve either alone or with buns for a sandwich.

No Knead Sandwich Rolls

From About.com

1 1/2 cups warm (but not hot) water

1/4 teaspoon dry active yeast

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar (I used raw sugar)

3 cups flour

cornmeal for the baking pans

1.) Add all ingredients (except the cornmeal) to a bowl and mix with a spoon until the ingredients are decently mixed. The dough is going to be very sticky. Once mixed, cover the bowl with a towel or saran wrap and let the dough sit for 12 hours. (I've done as little as 8 hours with success.) After the dough has sat for at least 8 hours (ideally 12), it will be bubbly and at least doubled in size.

2.) Place a 'generous' amount of cornmeal on a baking sheet - this prevents the rolls from sticking while baking. (Note: The first time I did this, I practically covered the bottom of the baking sheet with cornmeal, and then while the rolls were cooking, my whole place smelled like toasted cornmeal. The second time I made the recipe, I just put cornmeal in the areas where the rolls would be, and it worked just fine and smelled less toasty).

3.) To prepare the rolls, place a 1/4-1/2 cup of flour on a plate or counter top. Separate the dough into 8 pieces; since the dough is very sticky, I found it easiest to take a piece of the dough and roll/dust the outside with the flour on my plate so that the outside wasn't so sticky. Then, I could mold the piece of dough into a round shape and place it on my cornmeal-covered baking sheet.

4.) Once all the rolls are made and placed on the baking sheet, let them sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour so they may rise some more.

5.) Place a pie pan half filled with water on the bottom rack of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake the rolls on the middle / top rack for 25-30 minutes or until they are golden on the outside and sound hollow when tapped on top. Remove from the oven, and let them cool some before using.

Mom's Cabbage Salad

1 small cabbage finely chopped or shredded

1 apple sliced thinly

1/2 red onion sliced thinly

1-2 carrots cut into fine matchsticks or coarsely grated

Sauce:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons celery seeds

1.) Place all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.

2.) In a large bowl, place veggies. Pour in dressing and toss thoroughly.

3.) If you like a crunchier salad/slaw, serve immediately. If you'd like it to soften, cover the salad and refrigerate it for 1-2 hours before serving.