Pulled Pork Ala The Robber

For the Fourth of July the Robber cooked up a little pulled pork in the crockpot (his first!) because he wanted to work that day and I, being post-call, was sleeping. Errrr, trying to sleep. So anyway, he got crockpot duty. After it was done cooking we took it over to our friends the C's and ate it out on their patio, a perfectly lazy way to celebrate the Fourth. Here is what the Robber has sent me to memorialize his pulled pork process. I don't know where he found his inspiration, but maybe this will inspire him again in the future.

Ala the Robber, and in his own words.

Ingredients:

5 lb Pork Shoulder, bone in or bone out (5lb was how much I used and you saw how much it made)

A couple bottles/cans of root beer

1-2 bottles of bbq sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's because why would you use anything else?)

Optional Spices (Thyme, Sage, Pepper)--I added a dash of these, but I'm not sure it really makes a difference

1 chopped onion

Some minced garlic (about a tablespoon?)

Directions:

1) Trim fat off of pork shoulder.  I didn't do this beforehand b/c I thought it would taste better, but I think it made it much more greasy.

2) Place pork shoulder in slow cooker.  Top with onion, garlic, spices (if desired), and a good squirt or two of bbq sauce.  Pour root beer on until it covers the pork.

3) Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or so.  Can also try high and go for less time if you're in a rush.  I think I did high for the first 2 hours and then low for another 4 or 5.

4) Remove pork to separate bowl (should be falling apart by this point).  Discard root beer (you can save the onions and put them back in with the pork after shredding or you can chop up a fresh onion and put it in with the pork).  

5) Shred pork with forks.  Mix in the bbq sauce to taste (I used 1 and 1/2 bottles maybe).

6) Place pork back in slow cooker and heat until it starts bubbling.  Be careful cause the bottom can burn, so maybe stir it occasionally?

7) Serve!

Old-Fashioned Meatloaf

So the Robber Man had been hankering after a meatloaf for quite some time, and the hankering only grew all the more intense after two weeks of chicken and rice in Thailand. So for our "American" celebration of our two-year anniversary, I made him a real down-home traditional American meal-- the kind any real husband back in the 50s would have had all the time. Meatloaf. Homemade rolls. Mashed potatoes. Green beans. Watermelon. Pie. And it took me ALL DAY to make, and by make I mean the meatloaf, rolls, and pie (the Robber had to make his own beans and potatoes.) Seriously. How did the women back then do it? 

I used this recipe from Epicurious because it a) said old-fashioned and b) used lots of veggies which the Robber loved. And it was good, and the Robber has gamely been trucking through two whole meatloafs (we doubled the recipe, which made three meatloafs oddly enough-- we froze the third unbaked). He enjoys eating it with mashed potatoes and on hoagie rolls as a meatloaf sandwich.

Instead of the topping it suggests, I made a modified topping which I record down below so the recipe is not entirely as original. Oddly enough, I think meatloaf for me has always been pure beef so having the pork made it different. Not bad. Just not "hit the spot" since it wasn't the meatloaf of my childhood. Oh how we are shaped and fashioned by the things that we love. 

From Gourmet April 1994 by way of Epicurious:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Old-Fashioned-Meat-Loaf-11676

Ingredients:

2 C. finely chopped onion (about one large onion)

1 T. minced garlic

1 celery rib, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1/2 C. finely chopped scallion

2 T. unsalted butter

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/3 C. ketchup plus 1/4 C. 

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (beef)

3/4 lbs. ground pork 

1 C. fresh bread crumbs (I used panko)

2 large eggs, beaten lightly

1/3 C. minced fresh parsley

2 T. brown sugar

1 T. apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. If using bread pan, line with parchment paper.

2. In a large heavy skillet cook onion, garlic, celery, carrot and scallion in butter over moderate heat, stirring, 5 minutes. Cook vegetables, covered, stirring occasionally, until carrot is tender, about 5 minutes more. 

3. Stir in salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 C. of ketchup. Cook, stirring 1 minute more.

4. In a large bowl, combine vegetables, meats, bread crumbs, eggs, and parsley.

5. In smaller bowl, combine additional 1/4 C. ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar to create sauce for topping.

6. In a shallow baking pan (or bread pan), form mixture into a 10x5 inch loaf and spread sauce over loaf.

7. Bake meat loaf in over 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer inserted in center registers 155F. 

Note: You can freeze a meatloaf before or after baking. If you freeze before baking, wrap formed meatloaf tightly in plastic wrap. When you go to bake it, don't thaw it first, just cook it for 1.5 - 2 times the normal cooking time.

White Bean and Carmelized Onion Calzone

I am trying, trying as I've said before to want to save healthier recipes in my "to make" list. I know the Robber likes calzones, so I thought why not try this? I asked him about it and he said, "Gross, a calzone is supposed to be a pizza!" But I made it for him anyway. What a good wife I am. And in the end, it wasn't so bad, was it Robber friend? He said, "This tastes kind of ... Indian... like a milder version of a samosa. Next time let's put curry powder and peas in it!" 

On the whole I found this rather underwhelming. The individual components-- the onions, the smashed white beans (so good by themselves!) were good-- but on the whole it didn't manage to impress. I would make it again because it's relatively easy and is a "complete" meal that doesn't involve rice. But maybe I would take the Robber's suggestions and jazz it a little.

Notes: I did "jazz" this by adding a layer of ricotta cheese that needed to be used in between the veggies and the white beans. I also didn't have a fronded fennel, so I just used the fennel seed which was enough in my opinion. I also added a little chopped up chicken to half of this on top of the beans and instead of using salt used a rosemary-garlic-seasalt blend someone gave us for Christmas and omitted the black pepper. I also used store bought pizza dough which usually I don't do, but I didn't have time and lo and behold, it was just fine.

Also, next time I will make two separate calzones instead of one big one because transferring the huge calzone to my baking sheet was a little difficult resulting in some minor damage to the otherwise beautiful calzone.

From the NYTimes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/18/dining/white-bean-and-caramelized-onion-calzone-recipe.html?ref=dining

Ingredients:

1 large fennel bulb with fronds

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 large white onion, halved root to stem and thinly sliced

1 1/2 tsp. fennel seed

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 3/4 C. cooked white beans, from a can or homemade

2 T. olive oil

1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

All-purpose flour, as needed

1 8-oz. ball pizza dough, homemade or purchased

1/2 tsp. flaky sea salt

Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

1. Remove the stems from the fennel bulb. Chop 2 tablespoons of fronds and save the remaining fronds for another use. Halve the bulb lengthwise, remove the core, and thinly slice each half.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons oil, fennel bulb, onion and fennel seed. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender and caramelized, about 25 minutes. 

Season with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

3. In a small bowl, mash the beans with 2 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper until they form a chunky purée.

4. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

5. Lightly flour a work surface, and stretch or roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Spread the bean mixture on half of the dough, leaving a half-inch border. Top with the fennel-onion mixture and sprinkle with fennel fronds. Brush the edges of the dough with water, and fold dough in half, over filling; pinch the edges of the dough together to seal.

6. Transfer calzone to baking sheet. Brush the top with olive oil, and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until crust is golden brown and firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.

Yield: The NYTimes says 2 servings, but it really more like 4.      

Asparagus Bread Pudding

About two weeks ago the Robber and I went to Whole Foods to buy him some chicken and I came across some asparagus bread pudding in the hot foods section and thought it looked delicious so I bought a little square to try it. The Robber said, "Oh that is a you food" by which he meant "This looks strange but it might turn out to be good." Hmmmmmph. I said. Hmmmmmph. And of course in the end the Robber loved it enough that I thought I should replicate it at home and this is how I did it. I looked at a few recipes online and then just kind of made things up as I went and was fairly pleased with the result, as was the Robber.

Next time I'll increased the liquid by 1/2 cup because this was a little bit dry and I won't precook the vegetables. As the Robber said, "If you make this again, I would be happy."

Ingredients:

1 lbs. bread, cut into 1/2-1" cubes and left overnight to dry out (alternately you can dry them out in the oven at 150F)

2 lbs asparagus, cut on the diagonal into 1" pieces

1 C. sliced green beans

1 C. buttermilk

1/2 C. chicken broth

1 C. heavy whipping cream

6 eggs

2 tsp. salt

6 oz. soft goat cheese

12 oz. feta cheese

Slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Prepare bread as above. I used sourdough hoagie rolls and thought they were quite delicious in the pudding.

2. In the blender, combine buttermilk, broth, cream, eggs, salt, and cheeses. Blend until smooth.

3. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes in large bowl. Allow to soak for minimum of 15 minutes, submerging the cubes entirely in the liquid mixture.

(Here I sauted the green beans and asparagus until slightly tender, but I wouldn't do that again.)

4. Preheat the oven to 375F. When oven is hot, scoop 1/2 of the bread mixture into an ungreased 9 x 13 glass baking pain. Spread 1/2 of vegetables over bread mixture. Repeat with second half of bread mixture and then vegetables. Generously sprinkle slivered almonds over the top of the pudding.

5. Bake at 375F for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to sit 15 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm.

Sloppy Dans

Is it traitorous to post a friend's top secret recipe online even if it is a place that no one else online looks except you?

Just wondering. This recipe belongs to J.B. who recently departed us for Idaho and bequeathed me this lovely gift. It comes to her by way of Dan himself, a dear friend of J.B. and original maker of Sloppy Dans. I have multiple times been the glad consumer of these delicious take on sloppy joes and will be, again, when we reunite. J.B., don't hate me if you find this. I only post it out of great love, because if I post it here, I will use it forever.

Ingredients:

1-1.5 lbs. ground beef, browned

1 can tomato sauce

1-1.5 C. ketchup

1/2 - 3/4 C. mustard

1/2 - 1 C. brown sugar

1 tsp. vinegar

Variety of hot sauces (3-4 different kinds including Tabasco)

Directions:

1. Combine browned beef and sauce ingredients. Simmer 45 min - 1 hour.

2. Smother over rolls and serve!

Turkey Pot Pie With Cheddar Biscuit Crust

We have had leftover turkey sitting around in the freezer since Thanksgiving and it was high time that we got around to using it. I love a good pot pie, so when I ran across this recipe I was a happy girl. The Robber was less enthusiastic... but you know how he is. He comes around when confronted with the actuality of the delicious dish. I wasn't as in to the cheesy biscuit crust, but the Robber chomped on it and peeled off and ate the extra cheese, so it looks like we're stuck with it. Although if I make this again I think I'll go unhealthy and use white flour, the wheat is just too ponderous. This isn't interesting from a spice perspective, but it is warm and hearty and feels comforting, just like a pot pie should.

I made this in my geranium pot, which did just fine in the oven.

From Gourmet Magazine via a Hint of Honey:

http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2009/11/turkey-pot-pie-with-cheddar-biscuit.html

Ingredients:

For the filling:

4 C. roasted turkey meat, cut into small pieces

3 1/2 C. turkey stock (I just used chicken stock)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1-2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, diced

1/2 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 tsp. fresh)

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and quartered (omitted these)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

10 oz. frozen baby peas, thawed (used the whole 16 oz. bag)

For the crust:

2 C. whole wheat pastry flour (white whole wheat or all-purpose can be used)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1- 1 1/2 C. extra-sharp Cheddar, grated

1/2 C. Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

6 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/4 C. well-shaken buttermilk

Directions:

1. To make the filling, cook onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and thyme in butter with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 12-inch-wide shallow pot (3- to 4-quart), over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, uncovered, stirring, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. (Maybe I didn't chop the potatoes small enough? But I had to cook everything, covered, for much longer before they softened enough.)

2. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in stock, scraping up any brown bits, and bring to a boil, stirring, then simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in turkey, peas, and salt and pepper to taste. At this point it can be refrigerated and reheated over low heat just before topping with biscuit crust. (Because my vegetables took longer, I mixed up the crust while they were cooking and was ready to go to the oven as soon as the veggies were done.)

3. Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.

4. To make the biscuits, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl. Add cheeses and toss to coat. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir just until a dough forms. Drop biscuit dough onto filling in large mounds, leaving spaces between biscuits.

5. Bake in preheated oven until biscuits are puffed and golden brown and filling is bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes. (You can sprinkle extra Cheddar cheese on top for the last few minutes of baking.) Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: Serves 8.

African Peanut Stew

What Sister F. served us for Sunday dinner over rice and with some form of deliciously grilled strips of chicken. She served this with whole unsalted peanuts on the side and with herbed flatbread. What a hearty, delicious Sunday meal! I ate some leftovers the next morning for breakfast.

From Sister F., original source unknown.

Ingredients:

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 C. finely chopped red onion (about 2 medium)

1 1/4 C. finely chopped green bell pepper (1 large)

1/2 C. chopped carrot (1 medium)

1/2 C. chopped celery (2 stalks)

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 T. minced, peeled fresh ginger

1 T. curry powder

1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

1 bay leaf

4 C. reduced sodium vegetable broth

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 1/2 C. shelled edamame

1/4 C. creamy or crunchy peanut or almond butter

1/4 - 3/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro

1 6 oz. bag baby spinach, torn

1/2 tsp. salt

Blank pepper and additional salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a 4 qt. saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and peppers, carrot and celery. Saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic, ginger and curry powder. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute (do not brown garlic.)

3. Add tomatoes and bay leaf and cook, uncovered, until tomatoes are slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.

4. Add broth and sweet potatoes, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 8 minutes.

5. Add edamame and peanut butter, stir to combine. Add cilantro and spinach, cook until thoroughly heated and spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and desired.

Mom's Lasagna

I haven't made this yet, but I'm going to blog the recipe so that I don't lose it in my email archives. This lasagna is so good I really can't eat anyone else's lasagna, it just tastes inferior.

From Mom. No website involved.

Ingredients:

12 lasagna noodles

1 lbs. ground beef

Chopped onion, to taste

Chopped bell pepper, to taste

3 small cans tomato sauce

Thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, other herbs to taste

1 tsp. salt

2 lbs. ricotta cheese

1 lbs. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 C. shredded parmesan cheese

1 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

1. Boil 12 lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse thoroughly with cold water and lay out in a single layer on waxed paper to drain.

2. Scramble ground beef, drain, stir in and cook until limp minced onion and bell pepper to taste. Stir in tomato sauce and season to taste with herbs and salt.

3. Combine cheeses, additional parsley, salt, and beaten egg.

4. Spray the bottom of a glass 9x13 dish with oil. Spread a thin layer of sauce then place three unbroken noodles lengthwise in the pan. Divide the filling into three equal portions and spread one portion carefully on the noodles. I find it best to distribute the filling in small bits all over then very carefully spread the bits with a small knife to form an even layer. Carefully spread a thin layer of sauce over the filling. Put three more noodles in the dish. You can use your broken noodles for the inner layers. Repeat with the filling and sauce until you have made three layers. Put your last three unbroken noodles on the top. Cover with the remaining sauce.

5. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

6. Remove the foil and decorate the lasagna with some parmesean cheese. Bake uncovered an additional 15 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to set for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. I know you will be tempted to serve it sooner than that, but the wait really does make the lasagna easier to cut and serve. Enjoy!

Chicken Tikka Masala ala the Robber

The Robber made this awesome chicken tikka masala, and just the chicken alone would make a pretty awesome meal, quoth the Robber. "What I would almost want to do," says he, "the grilled chicken is always super tasty coming right off the grill and I think the chicken tikka masala is going to be better on day 2, so we should make extra chicken and eat it fresh with rice and veggies and use the leftover chicken in the masala sauce." Good logic Robber!

For the marinade:

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chicken, boneless skinless breast and thigh meat

2 C. plain yogurt

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

1) Pound the chicken to flatten it and prepare it for the marinade. Mix together the yogurt and spices. Pour the marinade over the washed chicken and refrigerate overnight.

Next day:

2) Take the chicken out and scrape off the yogurt. Heavily salt the outside of the chicken according to your salting preferences.

3) You can broil or grill the chicken.

-- To broil: Cover the inside and edges of a baking dish with tin foil. Broil for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

-- To grill: Heat the grill on high, once the grill is maximum temperature (20 min or so) put the chicken on, let it cook for two minutes and flip it, then allow it to cook two minutes more. May need to cook additional minutes if not done.

4) When chicken is cool, chop into desired size of pieces for dish.

For the sauce:

Ingredients:

1 C. heavy cream

2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

1 T. minced garlic

2 tsp. ground cumin

1-2 tsp. paprika

1-2 tsp. chili powder

2-4 tsp. garam masala

1-2 T. white sugar

Optional: additional cayenne pepper

Optional: 1/4 C. ground almonds

Directions:

1) Saute onion and garlic in a small amount of olive oil until onion becomes translucent. Add spices. Stir fry 1-2 min more.

2) Add in tomatoes (including juice) and sugar. Simmer for 10-20 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Add in cream. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

3) Add chicken. Simmer for another 10 minutes until ready to serve.

Serve over basmati or brown rice.

Curried Red Lentils

The Robber's second Vegetable Tuesday post! He's just taking over this sweet blog. Sweetly. p.s. These are just like heaven-- soooooul satisfying.

Note to self: The Robber is having a hard time remembering exactly. So if you make these next time and they are not quite as good, then figure out what is different, fix it, and then edit this post. But for now, let's trust the Robber.

Ingredients:

2 C. red lentils

4 C. water

4 tsp. chicken bouillon

1/2 onion, diced

1 T. minced garlic

8-10 red creamer potatoes, halved or quartered (not peeled)

1/2 -1 carrot, sliced

1-2 diced Roma tomatoes

Curry powder to taste, minimum 4 tsp.

Note: You can adjust amount of vegetables to taste.

Directions:

1. In large pot, saute lentils in small amount of olive oil with garlic and onion until onions become translucent. Add in water and bouillon cubes and curry powder. Bring to a boil.

2. Add in potatoes and simmer until potatoes are tender. Add in carrots when approximately halfway done and tomatoes towards the end.

3. Taste and add more curry powder, if needed. Serve warm-- I like to eat this by itself, like a pea soup, but the Robber eats it over brown rice.

Hamburgers by the Robber

The Robber's first Vegetable Tuesday recipe! On Labor Day I made homemade buns and the Robber made his own hamburgers and grilled them and then we feasted on hamburgers all week long!!! The Robber was basically in heaven, which is what I say on every blog post these days but it is true since I have come to be with him. :)

Ingredients:

4 lbs. ground hamburger (80% meat, 20% fat)

1/2 large white onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. salt (1/2 tsp. per pound)

1/4 tsp. dried sage

1/4 tsp. dried rosemary

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Directions:

1. Mix everything up well but not too much (your goal is to get it mixed but touch the meat as little as possible.)

2. Form into 12-ish 1.5" thick patties by grabbing out the amount of meat you could hold in your fist. Press the meat into a patty with your hands. Put your thumb into the middle of the patty to leave a deep thumb print (this will help the patty retain its juices.)

3. Heat gas grill as high as possible, allow to equilibrate for 15-20 minutes to get up to heat. Spray surface with cooking spray to prevent the meat from sticking. BBQ temp should reach approx 500F. Place the burgers on the grill, set timer for 3 min. After 2.5-3 min flip the burgers and grill for 2.5-3 more min, then remove from heat and serve. 3 minutes produces a medium well to done burger. If desired, you can put cheese on for the last 90 seconds or so.

Corn Cakes with Tomato-Avocado Relish

Last Friday I stole a meal from Annie and made this along with her amazing raspberry-lemonade bars and some roasted potato wedges for the Robber. It was a variation on the ratatouille-on-cornbread theme, and received with almost equal enthusiasm. The meal just tasted healthy and the flavors of the cakes and relish worked together well. In fact, the cakes do a little better with the relish than as stand alone, but they would also be good with regular salsa and some melted cheese or sour cream. I made larger cakes-- using 1/4 C. and frying them like a pancake, and they turned out puffy and golden and just the right size for piling on lots of the relish. Annie also recommends eating them with some ranch dressing, but I don't think that is necessary because the relish is so delicious by itself.

From Ezra Pound Cake by way of Annie's Eats:

http://annies-eats.net/2011/08/25/corn-cakes-with-tomato-avocado-relish/

Ingredients:

For the cakes:

3 large ears of corn, shucked

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ C. cornmeal

¼ C. red onion, finely diced

¼ C. thinly sliced fresh basil

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 T. buttermilk

2 T. unsalted butter, melted

Canola or vegetable oil, for frying

For the relish:

1 large tomato, cored and chopped

1 scallion, minced

1 T. minced fresh basil

1 clove garlic, minced

Juice of half a lime

1½ tsp. olive oil

1½ tsp. white wine vinegar

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced

Directions:

1. Cut the corn kernels off of the cobs and place in a large bowl. Place 2 cups of the corn kernels in the food processor and pulse several times, until the corn is slightly pureed but still chunky. Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the remaining corn kernels.

2. Add the flour, cornmeal, onion, basil, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix well. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and butter, and stir just to combine.

3. To make the relish, combine all of the ingredients except the avocado in a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 days. Just before serving, mix in the avocado.

4. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add just enough oil to barely cover the bottom of the pan and heat until sizzling hot. Scoop the batter into the skillet a heaping tablespoon at a time, cooking the cakes in batches of 4 or 5 so that they are not touching. Fry 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer the cooked cakes to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining batter.

5. Serve immediately topped with the relish and drizzled with ranch dressing, if desired.

Chana Masala 1

I put a 1 here because this is a dish I definitely want to learn how to make well, but I'm not sure this is the recipe I'm going to keep and use for life. It got better with time, but the Robber thought it smelled like marijuana on the first day (probably the fried cumin powder, oh the silliness of trying to make substitutions in cooking food you know nothing about.) I thought it was just fine but needed some more tomato. In the end of course it all got eaten with plenty of happiness with our leftover naan, but in the future I might try another recipe or tweak this one or just make this one with all the proper ingredients.

From Manjula's Kitchen: http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/01/28/chola-chana-masala/

Ingredients:

1 15 oz can of chickpeas (kable chana, Garbanzo beans)

3 T. oil

Pinch of asafetida (Hing) -- didn't have any of this

1 tsp. cumin seeds -- used ground cumin, hmmm

1 T. gram flour (Besan) -- replaced with cornmeal

1 large tomato

1 tsp. ginger paste -- used chopped fresh ginger

1 tsp. chopped green chilies -- omitted

2 tsp. coriander powder

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. red chili powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garam masala

1 teaspoon chopped cilantro (Green coriander)

Thinly sliced tomatoes for garnish

Directions:

1. Drain the water out of the can of chickpeas and wash the chickpeas well.

2. Blend the tomatoes, green chilies and ginger to make a puree.

3. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if seed crack right away oil is ready.

4. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds.

5. After the cumin seeds crack, add the gram flour and stir-fry for a minute.

6. Add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder and cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat.

7. The mixture will start leaving the oil and will reduce to about half in quantity. Add the chickpeas and a half cup of water and let it cook for 7 to 8 minutes on medium heat, covered. Press the chickpeas with a spatula so they soften. Note: add more water as needed to keep the gravy consistency to your liking, and let it cook for few more minutes on low heat.

8. Add the garam masala and cilantro. Let it cook for another minute.

9. Garnish with thin tomato slices and serve.

Note: We added about 2 T. brown sugar to this the first day to make it a little sweeter which made it better tasting to our poor American palettes.

Sri Lankan Mango Almond Curry

A few months ago on a date in Santa Cruz the Robber and I just about died and went to heaven eating mango almond curry at this Sri Lankan place. In fact, if you google "mango almond curry" it will link you there because it is so good. I resolved that, if at all possible, the Robber and I would make it for ourselves. At home.

But alas, finding a recipe, so hard. I finally came across this one for mango curry, without the plaintain or almonds that the restaurant used, and adapted it trying to make what we had at Malabar. We made it last night and had it over coconut rice. It was close... but not quite there. Maybe not having the curry leaves or the pandan leaf made a big difference? Even without these more exotic spices, however, the dish was delicious and we will definitely be making it again.

Adapted from: http://www.cookingandme.com/2009/05/sri-lankan-mango-curry-recipe.html

Ingredients:

1 raw mango

1 plantain

1 C. blanched whole almonds

1/2 onion, chopped fine

2 tsp. crushed garlic

1 tsp. crushed ginger

(or use 2 tsp ginger garlic paste)

1 tsp. mustard seeds

2 T. vinegar

4-5 curry leaves

1 pandan leaf cut/torn into bits

a 1" cinnamon stick

1 15 oz. can thick coconut milk

1 15 oz. can light coconut milk

1 T. oil

Directions:

1. Peel mango and cut into long, thin pieces. Do likewise to the plantain.

2. Grind mustard seeds and vinegar together to form a paste.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add the onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and cinnamon. Saute until onion turns golden - about 5-7 mins.

4. Add the mango, plantain, almonds light coconut milk, pandan leaf bits and the mustard seed mixture and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat and simmer until mango and plantain is cooked and tender. Add the thick coconut milk and simmer for another 10 mins. Add salt. Serve over rice.

Ratatouille

In search of a healthy meal and missing my Moosewood Cookbook (which is in some storage box), I went online looking for a ratatouille recipe and found the roasted version from the Moosewood Simple Suppers Cookbook on another blog. I stole an idea from my Moosewood book's "Pepper and Onion Shortcake" recipe and served the ratatouille on cornbread sliced in half, like an open faced sandwich. It was delicious! The cornbread is a cheap and delicious way to make the ratatouille go for longer (it is tasty, but the vegetables are expensive if you want to eat enough to get filled up) and the Robber and I agreed that it added and did not take away from the vegetables even if the French are flopping over in their graves at the idea. We topped it all off with grated Romano cheese and it was a wholesome, warm Sunday meal.

The website I got this from is a little pretentious... but... I'll take it:

http://www.thedcladies.com/2010/03/ratatouille-from-moosewood.html

Ingredients:

1 zucchini (I used 3 green, 2 yellow)

3 onions (I used two)

1 eggplant

2 tomatoes

2 bell peppers

6 garlic cloves

1/3 C. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

1 C. packed fresh basil leaves

Grated Romano, Pecorino Romano, or Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Chop all plants except basil into 1" chunks. Toss the chopped ingredients with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. (Note, you will probably have to use two bowls to do this.)

2. Pre-heat oven to 450F. Spread vegetables out over two large cookie sheets. It is smart to put foil on the cookie sheets first as it makes cleaning the pans much easier.

3. Roast the vegetables at 450F for 15 minutes, then turn them and roast for an additional 25-30 minutes, stirring/turning occasionally until vegetables are soft.

4. While roasting, chop the basil leaves finely. Remove vegetables from oven and transfer to bowl. Stir in basil leaves.

5. Serve over cornbread and sprinkle Romano cheese on top as desired.

Notes: Peeling the eggplant is optional.

Navajo Tacos

I made these for the Robber to celebrate our new family holiday, August 17: R-DAY!!! The first day that we were together in our marriage-- living more together than apart. The day we have chosen to celebrate each year how good God has been to us in allowing us to find each other, and finally, to be together.

And for this we eat Navajo tacos.

I had never made Navajo tacos before. It's not like you need a recipe really, but just one for the bread. I chose this one randomly off the internet and made a 1.5 recipes worth (as we had guests, LRH and DRH on their last night in town, how lucky were we!). The bread probably wouldn't be the best thing alone, but everyone chowed down on it and it made a nice vehicle for the toppings. I fried it not too thick and it was just the right softness/crispiness. It is easy and relatively fast to make, so I will probably use this again even if I felt it lacked something as a bread by itself.

From Recipes of a Cheapskate: http://recipesofacheapskate.blogspot.com/2009/08/navajo-tacos.html

Ingredients:

2 C. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 C. milk

Vegetable oil for frying

Toppings:
Re-fried beans
Grated cheese
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomato
Avocado
Green onion
Sour cream
Anything else delicious!

Directions:

1. Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the milk and mix until the dough comes together. Add flour if needed.

2. Knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth, then let it rest for 5 minutes.

3. Heat about 1/2 inch to 1 inch oil in a large skillet. Break off pieces of the dough and either roll out flat, or use your hands. Make a thinner spot in the middle.

4. Fry until brown on each side. Let drain on paper towels. Top with taco toppings. Makes about 5-6. (The 1.5'd recipe made about 5 large fry breads and 2 smaller ones.)

Spicy Citrus Beans

The Robber and I both agreed that these are the bomb diggity and we would eat them with anything. With tortilla scooper chips. With sour cream. With guacamole. In a tortilla. With quesadillas and salsa. With spanish rice. Just plain. So good and not that expensive or difficult to make. The Robber was inspired by our friends S&C B who fed him citrusy chili, which recipe I have, but I found this one and thought I'd make it first. What a good call.

From Simply Recipes, adapted by my new food love Annie:

http://annies-eats.net/2009/08/11/spicy-citrus-black-beans/

Ingredients:

1 (28 oz.) can black beans

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

Pepper, chopped or minced (bell, Anaheim or jalapeno depending on your taste-- I used three bell peppers, yellow orange and red)

½-1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1½ tsp. dried oregano

2 bay leaves

½ tsp. salt

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 tsp. pureed chipotles in adobo-- (I omitted this, and the cumin which shockingly I was missing)

1½ tsp. ground cumin

¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Juice of 2 limes (added lime zest – optional-- I did it and they were super limey but good)

1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

Chopped fresh cilantro, to taste, plus more for garnish

Directions:

1. Place the beans in a colander and rinse throughly. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and pepper until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the beans. Mix in broth (more or less depending on how much liquid you would like) and bring to a simmer.

3. Mix in the oregano, bay leaves, salt, chipotle puree, cumin, orange juice, lime juice and vinegar. Once simmering, reduce to medium-low or low and let simmer, covered, 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove from the heat, stir in chopped fresh cilantro to taste and serve.

Sour Cherry Thyme Glaze and Glazed Ham

The Robber had never had a real Easter dinner before, and so it fell to me to provide it for him. So we made everything: ham, rolls, potatoes, salad, green beans, pie. Goodness, so delicious. For the ham I wanted to try something new, so I got this little recipe from the NYTimes. Unfortunately it was a little bit of a disappointment. Not bad-- but not my favorite either. Maybe because we used black-cherry instead of sour-cherry preserves? I thought the cherry flavor wasn't strong enough, neither was the thyme. It was all overpowered by the shallots and the mustard. Of course we didn't use sherry so the Robber substituted orange juice and ended up adding some brown sugar and it was all very strange. But in case this sounds good to somebody else and they want to try it out, here is the link and the recipe:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/20/dining/202hrex.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/20/dining/201hrex.html

Ingredients:

1½ cups sour-cherry preserves

½ cup chopped shallots

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1½ tablespoons sherry vinegar

1½ tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper

1 6- to 8-pound bone-in shank-half ham, or 15- to 17-pound bone-in whole ham, fully cooked

1 tablespoon whole cloves

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in refrigerator until needed. Making glaze a day in advance allows flavors to bloom and thickens glaze, which makes it easier to apply.

2. Place rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Trim tough rind from ham, leaving as much fat as possible. Place ham flat-side down and score the rounded side all over with diagonal cuts about 1½ inches apart and ¼-inch deep, forming a diamond pattern. In center of each diamond insert a single clove.

3. Place ham in a roasting pan and bake until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 135 degrees, about 15 minutes a pound. One hour before ham is done, remove it from oven and brush all over with glaze.

4. Return ham to oven and continue to bake, glazing ham once or twice more until ham is done. Remove ham from oven, tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before carving.

Time: 2¼ hours for a half ham, 4¾ hours for a whole ham

Yield: 1¾ cups, enough for a whole ham, 10 to 12 servings for a half ham, 24 to 26 servings for a whole ham.

Broccoli and Red Onion Quesadillas

Another Recipes For Health concoction by Martha Shulman. Good thing I found this column, as it is just getting me into cooking up a storm. These looked healthy and good and I always like quesadillas but don't do well with too much cheese. Sad. :( But these looked like they had a good balance I could handle.

I didn't want to buy cheese for just 2 oz. and then have it go moldy before I use it. And I had two slices of Muenster cheese and some pecorino romano hanging around from when the Robber came last, so I substituted the cheese in the recipe for one slice of Muenster per quesadilla and some pecorino and was suitably satisfied; in fact, I kind of really liked the pecorino flavor with the red onion.

These are relatively easy and I could see making them for the Robber and me again since it's an easy recipe to scale. I also think that the amount of filling better makes three quesadillas rather than two, unless I am just using too small of tortillas.

Here is the link in the NYTimes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/health/nutrition/15recipehealth.html?ref=nutrition

Ingredients:

1 large broccoli crown, about 1/2 pound

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium red onion, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced across the grain

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or epazote (optional)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 corn tortillas

2 ounces grated Monterey Jack, Cheddar or mixed cheeses (1/2 cup)

Salsa for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Make the broccoli filling. Steam the broccoli crown for four minutes, then remove from the heat. Rinse with cold water and pat dry. Slice 1/4 inch thick. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy frying pan, and add the red onion. Cook, stirring, until tender and seared on the edges. Add the sliced broccoli. Cook, stirring, until seared on the edges, about three minutes. Stir in the cilantro or epazote, season with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning.

2. In a microwave: Place a corn tortilla on a plate. Top with half the broccoli and onions, and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle on half the cheese, and top with another tortilla. Press down gently, then microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove from the microwave, cut into quarters or sixths, and serve. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

In a pan: Place a corn tortilla in a pan. Top with half the broccoli and onions, and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle on half the cheese. Turn the heat on medium-high, and heat until the cheese begins to melt and the tortilla begins to brown. Place another tortilla on top of the cheese, and press down lightly. Flip over the quesadilla in the pan, and heat for about 30 seconds or until the cheese has melted. Flip back over, and remove to a plate. Cut into quarters or sixths, and serve. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Yield: Two quesadillas.

Advance preparation: The steamed broccoli will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per quesadilla: 294 calories; 6 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 30 milligrams cholesterol; 28 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 267 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 12 grams protein.

Pizza Rustica

This I made for the Robber hoping he would love me forever. Instead, he just slathered this with catsup. Well he loves me forever anyway. I was proud of myself for making this recipe and having it turn out pretty much exactly like it should. The crust and the filling were both perfect!

Notes: I had to add serious amounts of flour to this dough while kneading it to make the correct product. I don't know if it is better to just not add as much water, or add more flour while kneading? At any rate, if you follow the directions you will get a very gummy pre-kneaded dough and will have to grapple with that mess.

I baked mine in an 8 x 13 and a 9 x 9 pan because I didn't have a 10 x 15 and I still had lots of dough left over, which I froze and hope to use for empanadas, calzones, or pizza in the future.

I didn't buy the diced form of some of the meats, and in the future I definitely would do so because it was a mess trying to cut up the sliced versions of the meat. It may be cheaper to do it that way also-- as this cost a pretty penny to make!

This feeds an ARMY-- or a Bob. So halving the recipe would make it cheaper and a lot more feasible, you could probably bake it in an 8 x 13 pan. Apparently this is an Italian Easter recipe. I guess it feeds and ARMY or a large Italian family.

This is a lot of work, but delicious! And good cold too, you can just take in a slice and eat it without warming it up and it is good that way as well as-- I hate to say this-- with catsup. Shudders!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/dining/30feedrex.html?ref=dining

Adapted from Carlo’s Bakery, Hoboken, N.J.

Time: 21/2 hours, plus time for cooling

Ingredients:

FOR THE DOUGH:

6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound chilled salted butter, cut into large pieces
5 large eggs, beaten

FOR THE FILLING:

12 ounces prosciutto, in 1/4-inch dice
8 ounces boiled ham, in 1/4-inch dice
8 ounces pepperoni, in 1/4-inch dice
8 ounces soppressata, in 1/4-inch dice
8 ounces mozzarella, in 1/4-inch dice
8 ounces provolone, in 1/4-inch dice
2 pounds ricotta
4 ounces grated pecorino Romano
10 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon pepper

1 large egg, beaten, for brushing crust.

Directions:

1. For the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together 6 cups flour and the salt. Using a pastry cutter, large fork, or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add eggs and knead for 1 minute. Add about 1 1/4 cups ice water, a little at a time, to form a cohesive dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it forms a large smooth ball, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.

2. For the filling: Mix the meats, cheeses, the 10 eggs and pepper in a large bowl.

3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough into two pieces: two-thirds for the bottom crust and one-third for the top. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger portion of the dough into a rectangle to line the bottom and sides of a 10-by-15-inch glass baking dish, with some overhang. Add the filling and smooth it lightly. Moisten the edges of the dough with a little water.

4. Roll out the remaining dough to cover the top of the dish with some overhang. Trim off excess dough and crimp the edges to seal. Poke several sets of holes across the top with a fork. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush top and edges with the beaten egg, then return to the oven until golden brown, another 45 minutes. Let pie cool completely before serving.

Yield: One 10-by-15-inch pie.