Polish Potato Noodles AKA Kartoflane Kluski

2 large potatoes shredded finely

The secret to this great dish are the shreds because too big will not work-

they'll fall apart as soon as they hit the water.

1 ½ cup flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 egg beaten

Boil a pot of salted water. Then turn down to a simmer.

Mix all ingredients together to be slightly doughy, pasty but still mushy enough that it would fall apart. Put some on a cutting board or other flat surface to slide small amounts (about 1 tsp worth) into the simmering water.

Let the noodles float on the surface of the water for a minute or two before taking them out.

We serve them with caramelized onions, butter, salt and pepper or mixed with cottage cheese. In this case we had fresh ricotta cheese and it was de-lish. We also used chestnut flour instead of white because it’s what we had. If I were to use it again, I would cut it in half with white flour. It has a slightly bitter, strong flavor that almost takes over the noodle.

My grandmother typically serves this with sweet and sour cabbage. Easily made by cutting cabbage and putting it in a pot with a little water to cook it. Salt. Add apple cider or white vinegar and some sugar to balance it out. Serve!

This is a delicious meal commonly eaten among poor, country folk and has now become one of those wonderful meals you long for because it’s seldom made. When all you had to eat was potatoes, it was transformed so people didn’t get tired of eating the same thing.

Even if you cook too much of something and are tired of eating it, put it in the freezer for a couple weeks then eat it again. Or chances are you can change the taste by adding some new ingredients or spices and you have a new dish. This is where creativity and practicality meet in the kitchen.

Red Bean Chili

Chili mmmmmmmm oh chili how you make our systems get revved up!

I lived in Florida for about 20 years. As I got older, I started to discover the different food cultures that existed in my back yard. They've definitely influenced my cooking. So one day I went to this produce stand in Lake Worth to get some veggies. I always noticed the dried peppers from Mexico and decided to ask how to cook them. I've realized this is one of the ways I've learned to expand my repetoir. So this Mexican guy gives me this recipe. Today I've altered it a bit. See blow for original recipe.

Beans

Night before....soak 1 1/2 cups red beans or what ever kind you like. Boil with salt for 15 minutes. pour off liquid and refill with fresh water. Boil until tender. Add one large beef boullion.

Chili sauce base

10-15 Dried Guajillo peppers, take out seeds
1 Dried Chipotle pepper
3-4 cloves garlic
1 whole onion
3 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp red pepper
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp sugar

Boil all ingredients together for about 30 minutes until the peppers are tender. Put in a blender and liquify. Pour back into the pot and simmer down a bit more until a mild thickness develops.
taste and add more salt to taste and 2 tbsp sugar to round off the dryness of the peppers. If you want it smoother, strain before adding other ingredients.

Meat

1/2 lb your favorite breakfast sausage
the one I used has a base of sage
1 chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

pan fry onions, garlic and meat in olive oil untill all is cooked.

Add chili sauce and meat to cooked beans and simmer until it thickens. Et voila! Serve with chips, tortillas, I've seen some eat chili with rice. Top with your favorite fixins. I love sharp cheddar on mine with some Cool ranch doritos on the side for dipping. I know...crazy. Especially those who know my eating habits and lack of junk food. (except chocolate that is and special pies). I'm a sucker for great sweets.....stay tuned for the posting of Chocolate Mousse Pie.


Original Recipe for Chili Sauce

10 Guajillo peppers
10 Ancho chili peppers
1 whole onion
3 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp red pepper
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp sugar

Instead of using sausage, I would use ground turkey or buffalo. The rest is the same.

pancakes with cranberry compote

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.


Compote

1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water

Cook ingredients together until the cranberries are soft, then reduce until it becomes thicker.

Rice noodles, chow fun

Do you have an asian market around? I go to china town in Chicago for my fresh rice noodles, called ban pho on the package. They come in a big slab, uncut. I add them to my stir fry or asian soup. On the side, We'll be having brown rice and Yamabuki shiro miso soup with seaweed.

one package noodles
one package enoki mushrooms
1/2 chopped onion
2-3 bunches bok choy
2-3 bunches chinese broccoli
1 carrot, peeled, i use the peeler to cut it into small shavings to cook faster, slice if you like
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 -1/2 cup silver swan soy sauce or tamari
1-2 tbsp sesame oil

saute garlic and half of the olive oil for a few minutes....add all vegetables. (sesame oil is to be applied after cooking). Cook for a few more minutes. while on high heat, add almost 1/4 cup of soy sauce. let it evaporate as it finishes cooking the vegetables. set aside.

cut rice noodles into wide pieces and pull apart. add olive oil on high heat and cook the noodles
add the soy sauce and let it brown and slightly burn the noodles. put the vegetables back in stir in sesame oil and you're done!

The Miso soup I buy is a past in a plastic bag package. Also found at an asian market. It's delicious and a super quick to make. Just heat up some water add the paste to your level of flavor intensity. I probably add about 2-3 tbsps to 3 cups of water. add scallions and dried seawed or not and serve. It's nice with brown rice on the side.

enjoy!

Red Bean Burgers

Erik is HUGE fan of beans! I didn't think I was much of a meat eater until we spent more time together. Now I seem like a dedicated carnivore. In comparison to the average American, I still look like I'm a vegetarian. I've revamped the bean burger recipe I used some 12 years ago and this is what we came up with.

This recipe makes 8 large burgers! Packed with fiber and protein. Feel free to substitute 1 egg for 1 tbsp of ground flax meal (mix 1 tbsp hot water with 1 tbsp flax meal to thicken.)

1 cup dried red beans
1-2 chicken boullion
2-3 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp butter optional
1 small onion= 3/4 cup chopped
1/2 zucchini chopped
1 yellow bell pepper
1 jalepeno pepper
3/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp curry
1/4 chopped FRESH cilantro or parsley or both
couple dashes of hot sauce
4 eggs beaten
1/4-1/2 cup bread crumbs

Soak beans over night. If you didn't do that, add water and start boiling them. After the first boil pour off water and replace with fresh water. Add boullion, bring to a boil then cut down to a simmer. You may need to add more water. They tend to soak up a lot. Especially these larger red beans. When they're almost tender you can start the veggies. Heat a pan with olive oil (and butter). Add all chopped veggies and garlic. Add salt, cumin and curry. Stir and saute. Set aside. Check on the beans again. They should be firm and cooked through. Strain. and pour beans into a medium sized bowl. Use a pastry blender to coarsely chop them or do it with a knife on a cutting board. Mix sauted veggies and beans together. ( I had some left over quinoa and sprouted lentils that I added to the mixture too.) Add chopped herbs and hot sauce. Stir in eggs and sprinkle on bread crumbs as needed. The mixture should be wet looking, a little mushy. It will ensure a good bind when you cook them or else they fall apart easier. Spoon some onto the olive oil hot pan. Spread out into burger shapes and cook until toasted then flip carefully.

My personal favorite is to serve on multi-grain or rye bread with fixins' like fresh spinach or lettuce, spicy mustard and sliced tomatoes.

place a mound of mixture and flatten,

if it falls apart when you flip it, add more egg

I didn't cook all of it so I only added egg to what I

used and put the rest in the fridge

November 12-14, 2010

This weekend is a bit busy. Erik and I just went grocery shopping. Usually what happens after shopping is a really busy day in the kitchen. I tend to cook a few things at the same time to have some dishes pre-made in the fridge. In case of being in a hurry to go somewhere, I can just heat and go. For all of you who say, "I don't have time to cook" this is one way to manage the time. If you have a laundry day or a stay at home day where you take care of things or relax, you can cook at the same time! Anyways, we have a few dinner engagements this weekend so the cooking that follows are the dishes we'll be bringing along or cooking there.

Birthday Party Dish!!!
Apple Struedel
Preheat to 350

Dough*

1 cup all-purpose flour
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
4-6 Tbsp cold water
pinch of salt

Apples

which ever are you favorites will do, some tend to stay firm better, just experiment
for this amount of dough we tend to use 2-3 apples, but it really depends on how you plan to use the dough.

2-3 apples, cored, peeled & cut into quarters or slices (I like them chunky but slices fit better)
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2-3 Tbsp of brown sugar
1/8 tsp clove or nutmeg, optional to make the flavor have more depth

Let's make dough first.... I've discovered lately that if we let it sit for at least an hour, better over night, the result is flakier. Get a medium sized bowl, add flour and pinch of salt. Cut butter into small cubes and add to flour mixture. If you have a pastry blender use it. Otherwise two butter knives will work to cut into the mixture, using the knives pull away from center in opposite direction; or use your hands- the key here is not to heat the butter too much- and your hands can be too warm at times. So, if you notice the butter melting stop and run your hands under cold water for a minute then continue. We're looking for a uniform crumbled mixture of butter and flour. When you've reached that point it's time to add the water. Add 4 Tbsp and mix before you decide to add more. The dough should be wet but not oozing. It shouldn't stick to your hands, that means it's too wet. If it's still crumbly or when you pick up a handful and try to flatten it, the edges crack, add more water. You want the dough to roll out nicely without that happening. Its not odd to use up to 7 Tbsp of water. Mix well, kneading for a few minutes in the bowl. Cover and let stand for at least an hour. If you are preparing a day in advance, put it in tupperware, sealed or wrapped well in plastic wrap, in the fridge.

Apples....
Peel, core, cut and or slice, you can make cubes or stars if you want. Add all spices and sugar. Mix well.
Roll out dough into a rectangle. You can cut this in half or fold over when it comes time to close it. Place apples on top and arrange so that they are snug together leaving about an inch around them to connect the dough. Wet the edges with a little water on your fingers. Fold over or place your second piece on top. Pinch together with your fingers or use a fork. Cut a few slits on top to allow air to escape. Repeat until dough or apples are gone. Place on a buttered cookie sheet. Cook until top becomes light brown. Depending on size it could take 20-40 minutes.

*This dough is versatile! I use it for dumplings, pie crust, empanandas, pot pies or anythings else you need dough for.




Tapas Party Dish!!!!
Empanaditas de Carne
(little empanadas- crust stuffed with meat or other filling)

Dough
refer to recipe above, doubled

Meat Filling

Today we'll be using ground beef. They are typically made with beef, chicken, or spinach. But let's face it, there is a lot of room for creativity here.

1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 jalepeno, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 lb of ground beef
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup yellow raisins
1 large tomato, chopped


Heat olive oil over med-hi heat. Add onion, garlic, jalepeno, salt, pepper, saute until fragrant. Add meat and saute until browned. We want to brown it, not steam it. So use a large enough pan so the meat has breathing room, other wise a lot of liquid will develop. If this happens, turn up the heat a little and let it evaporate. Once brown, add tomatoes and raisins, cover for a few minutes to let the tomatoes cook and the raisins plump up. When it all looks like it has integrated and isn't to wet or dry and it tastes good, turn off the heat. You don't want it too wet because it will make the dough soggy.

Roll out the dough into the shapes desired, fill leaving a border to join both sides. We (my friend Raquel and I, sh'es visiting to learn how to make them) will be making small, bite size versions since they are for a Tapas Party. Cook until light brown on top and edges. You're only cooking the crust so it should be more than 15 minutes, depending on how many you have on the cookie sheet and the size. If you want to go the extra mile...whip an egg white and brush on after cooking for about 8 minutes. It will make the crust a beautiful golden brown.

Rooftop Pool Party
Stir-Fry
One of my Favorite Staples
My friend, Nidhi, will be receiving a cooking lesson for this dish. Super easy, fast and cheap!

Shopping List:

1 lg onion
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2-3 tbsp shredded or chopped ginger*
1/2+ cup sliced onion
(one small or 1/2 of a large one or for more color add scallions)
2 lg carrots, sliced thin
1/3 head of green cabbage or 1/2 napa cabbage
2 cups chinese green beans (they are really long)
1/4 cup soy sauce*
juice of 1-2 limes
1 tbsp sugar
2-3 tbsp sesame oil
1 chili pepper, jalepeno or other, or red pepper*

Heat the olive oil + 1 tbsp sesame oil in a large pan or pot on medium to high heat. (We don't want to burn the garlic to adjust heat as necessary.) Add garlic, ginger, peppers and onions.(If you're using scallions add them with the veggies.) Allow them to become fragrant and start to brown a little, add carrots and cabbage. If you cut your carrots a little thicker let them cook a little before adding the cabbage. Stir occasionally to get an even cooking rate. Add beans. Keep stirring for a few more minutes. Turn up the heat a little before adding the soy sauce...this will ensure that it doesn't steam your vegetables too much and wil kind of caramelize the soy a bit to be a glaze over the veggies. Add lime juice. Add tbsp of sugar and mix, mix, mix. Add remaining sesame oil.

Serve with brown or white rice. This dish can easily be altered to add meat. Meat should be chopped into small pieces or ground. Just add it in with the garlic and ginger at the beginning and wait until it browns up before adding other veggies. Or this can be a side dish to a meat.

Buen probecho!

Green Lentil Soup with Fixins'

I think this dish would serve 4 people comfortably

You will need this stuff for the lentil soup:

3/4c lentils, i used green, but any will do if you want a colorful soup go for yellow!
1 large carrot, cut in 3
1/2 onion
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp basil
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp curry powder (indian pref)
2 cubes chicken boullion
1 tsp salt
couple sprigs of cilantro


I tend to presoak my beans for cooking but if you're in a pinch, you've come to the right place because lentils don't take long to cook anyways.(note- if you soak beans, throw out water and replenish with fresh water to boil! or if its last minute, pour off water after first boil- my friend Jason's grandma says "that's where the winds' at." Boil until beans are almost tender then add boullion carrot and onion. Simmer until all is tender. Pour into a blender and puree. If you have one of those hand held things that puree...go for it. If you lack something to puree with, sorry, just leave it chunky. Just Take out the carrot and onion after it cooks thoroughly and chop it up. I leave the carrots in larger pieces for better flavor. Taste and add salt if desired.

You will need this stuff for the fixins:

hot peppers*
2 cloves garlic
4 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
8oz-16oz Mushrooms*
2-3 cups Chopped Kale
1/4c H2O + 2-3 Tbsp
1/2 onion
1/2 jalepeno

Saute finely chopped hot peppers, one clove garlic, 2tbsp olive oil and 1tbsp butter together until you get an aroma and the garlic starts to become golden.Then add mushrooms and saute until they are well cooked and release all their liquid.

Add Kale + 1/4c water, cover for a few minutes until kale changes color to bright green, then leave the cover off and let the remaining liquid evaporate. Once this is done, transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, (since i try to use as little kitchen ware as possible= less dishes) saute olive oil, a clove of garlic, half of a yellow onion and half of a jalepeno. Saute until fragrant and garlic is turning golden. Add Brown rice (left overs are great for this) and 2-3 tablespoons of H2O. Let the water steam off to revitalize the rice, if you just made rice for this dish DO NOT ADD WATER.

To SERVE this wonderful dish I decided to put the soup in a larger wide bowl, filling the bowl 1/2-2/3 full and then spooning in the rice mixture. Add a sprig of cilantro for garnish and an extra umph of taste!

ENJOY!!!

*quantity depends on desired burn. I used a few different peppers and sorry, I can't tell you two names because we got them at a market in Tennessee. I can tell you what they looked and taste like...one is yellow, small and about 2-3 inches shaped like a banana pepper. It is the spicy of the bunch and has a growing, lingering heat, mild. One was enough for me to put a slight burn on the dish and make a more complex pepper taste. The other was orange, with a strong habanero flavor without the burn of it. An absolutely wonderful flavor! The third was a regular ol' jalepeno pepper.
*depending on how much you like mushrooms. Any kind, today I used white ones because that's what was in the fridge