Tarragon Salad Dressing

This is a tangy dressing with lots of flavor, great with a romaine or butter lettuce salad.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

Whisk the olive oil into the mayonnaise, then whisk in the lemon juice and vinegar until smooth and consistent.  Stir in the remaining ingredients, and let the dressing rest for an hour or so before tossing with a salad.  Store in the refrigerator.

Rhubarb Pie

Rhubarb has a tart, tangy flavor that makes a great sweetened pie.  We've made a few variations of this and like this method the best.  Some of the variations are listed below; the photo above is of a rhubarb/strawberry pie.

2 pie crusts
4 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1" pieces
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons white flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

Lay one pie crust in a pie baking dish and pinch the edges.  Combine the sugars, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and sprinkle 1/4 of the mixture onto the pie crust in the dish.  Add the rhubarb to the pie dish, and sprinkle the remaining sugar/flour mixture over the top.  Dot with butter pieces.  Cut the top crust into 1" wide strips, and weave them on the top of the pie, leaving 1/2 gaps between each strip (see photo).  Sprinkle a small amount of white sugar over the top crust.  Bake for 15 minutes at 450° (oven must be preheated), then reduce the oven temperature to 350°, and continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes.  The pie can be served warm or cold.

Variations:
- Replace 2 cups of the rhubarb with 2 cups sliced strawberries
- Use 2 tablespoons minute tapioca instead of the 4 tablespoons flour

Blue Salad

This is our attempt to duplicate a delicious salad that they serve at a neighborhood restaurant, Bossa Nova.  The toasted almonds and the blue cheese dressing make a great combination.

3 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup toasted almonds (sliced or slivered)
blue cheese dressing (amount to taste)
1 head Romaine lettuce

Toast the almonds, cook and slice the eggs, chop and wash the lettuce.  Toss ingredients with the dressing and serve.

Hard Boiled Eggs

This method works perfectly, but any variations will likely not work.  For instance, if you boil the water and then add the eggs, they can crack.  Eggs are easy to over-cook, so be sure to remove the pan from the heat at the proper time, and use the cold water rinse to stop the cooking process.

Place eggs in a saucepan and fill with cold water.  The water level should be about 1 inch above the eggs.  Cover, and bring to boil over medium heat (high heat may cause eggs to crack).  As soon as the water comes to a full boil, remove the pan from heat.  Let stand, covered, for 15 minutes (4 minutes for soft boiled eggs).  Drain hot water, and fill with cold water and a few ice cubes to stop the cooking process.  Let them cool in the cold water for a few minutes.

As a stand alone snack, peel and slice the eggs, salt and pepper to taste.  We use them in salads, like Darwin's Potato Salad and the Blue Salad.

Toasted Almonds

Toasting brings out the flavor of the almonds.  These are great in salads, breads, cakes, etc.  This calls for slicing the almonds first, they can also be toasted whole if desired.

Slice the desired amount of almonds, spread them into a heavy ungreased skillet over medium heat.  Stir frequently until golden brown.

An alternate method is to spread them onto a shallow, ungreased baking pan and bake at 350° for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Note that no oil is required, as the almonds will toast in their own oil.

Blue Cheese Dressing

From The Palm Restaurant Cookbook.  They suggest using Danish or French blue cheese.  The better the blue cheese, the better the dressing.

4 ounces blue cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Crumble the blue cheese into a bowl and whisk in the olive oil with a fork.  Let stand for about 40 minutes.  Whisk in the mayonnaise and vinegar, and chill.  Whisk again just before serving.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Potatoes

This is a nice twist to 'twice-baked' potatoes, with fresh rosemary and blue cheese.  They can be prepared a day ahead of time - refrigerate the stuffed potatoes prior to the final baking.  This is derived from a recipe I found online - some people recommended using caramelized onions in place of the garlic for a nice twist. I haven't tried this yet but I will.

6 baking potatoes (large-ish russet potatoes), rinsed and pierced with a fork
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 cloves minced or crushed garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Bake potatoes directly on oven rack (do not wrap in foil) until cooked through,  about 75 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.  Cut the top third (width-wise) off of each potato, scoop potato 'meat' from potato bottoms into a bowl, leaving about a 1/4 thick shell.  Scoop all 'meat' from the tops, add to the bowl.  Discard the top skins.

Combine remaining ingredients with the potatoes, season with salt and pepper.  The mixture can be left somewhat lumpy if desired, or mixed until smooth.  Scoop mixture back into reserved potato bottoms.  If preparing ahead of time, cover and chill.

Bake prepared potatoes at 400°F until they begin to brown and are heated through, about 25-30 minutes.  Garnish, if desired, and serve.  Garnish can include chopped chives, chopped green onions, sour cream, crumbled blue cheese, etc.

For a more decorative dish, potato mixture (mixed until smooth) can be piped into the skins with a pastry bag with the large star tip.

Darwin's Potato Salad

Darwin makes this for us when he comes to visit and was generous enough to share the recipe.  This is from an old Amish Mennonite cookbook.

Salad:
8 medium potatoes
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 medium chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
8 radishes, chopped finely

Boil potatoes with skin on until soft.  Peel and dice into chunks.  Combine with hard boiled eggs, onion, radishes, and celery.

Dressing:
2 eggs
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard (yellow or dijon)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter 
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt 

Combine eggs, vinegar, mustard and water in a saucepan.  Heat mixture on medium heat, then add butter, sugar, flour and salt.  Cook until thickened, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat, and let it cool for a few minutes.  Pour over potato mixture, combine and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Optional additions: 2 small carrots, 1/2 cup mayonnaise if desired.

Bob's Rum Cake

Our friend Bob made this cake for us and we loved it.  It is easy and foolproof, as it uses mixes (both cake mix and pudding mix! :)

Cake:
1 cup chopped pecans
1 package yellow cake mix (use Duncan Hines "Butter Golden" if you can find it)
1 package (3.4 oz) instant French vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dark rum (light rum works too)

Glaze:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water  (reduce to 1/4 cup for thicker glaze)
1/2 cup dark rum (or light)

Preheat oven to 375°.  Grease and flour a bundt pan.  Sprinkle the chopped pecans in the bottom of the bundt pan.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining cake ingredients.  Beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes or beat by hand with a whisk until smooth and satiny and there are no more lumps.  Pour batter evenly over the pecan pieces into the bundt pan.  Bake the cake for 1 hour until a utensil comes clean after inserted into the center.

During the last 15 minutes of baking, make the glaze.  Heat the butter, water, sugar, and rum for the glaze in a medium sauce pan until it comes to a rolling boil and the sugar is dissolved.  Let cool slightly for a few minutes.

When the cake is done baking, let it cool for a few minutes.  With a long skewer, poke holes from the bottom through to the top, while it is still in the bundt pan.  Ladel the glaze over the cake, and let it cool in the bundt pan for a few hours, and turn onto a plate to serve.  It is even better if it is made a day ahead, as the flavors have time to mellow.

Eddie's Banana-Raisin-Oat Bread

Eduardo developed this recipe from a combination of a few others, including his Banana Date Bread.  We just had this and it was delicious - the lemon rind and fewer bananas gave it a nice flavor balance, and the moisture content was perfect.

Dry ingredients:
1 3/4 cup white flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Wet ingredients:
1/4 cup melted butter, not too hot
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 very ripe bananas, mashed

Heat oven to 350° F.  Grease and flour a loaf pan.  Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl, mixing in oats, raisins, and nuts last.  Mix wet ingredients together in a different bowl, then fold into the dry ingredients, mixing just enough to combine (don't over-mix).  Pour into the loaf pan, and bake for 55-60 minutes until a utensil comes clean when inserted into the loaf.

New Mexico Enchiladas

These New Mexico style enchiladas are made flat, instead of rolled like I had traditionally been accustomed to.  We had enchiladas like this in Hatch, New Mexico, at a great restaurant called The Pepper Pot.  If you are ever driving through Hatch, be sure and eat there.  It is a casual place with authentic local cuisine.

These enchiladas are nice served with refried beans and Mexican rice.

12 corn tortillas
2 cups Hatch Red Chile Sauce
4 cups grated sharp cheese
1/2 cup chopped onions
Eggs (optional)
Shredded lettuce for garnish

Pour chile sauce into a shallow saute pan and warm on the stove top.  In another pan, fry individual tortillas in a small amount of oil, quickly on each side (they should not be crisp).  Immerse tortilla completely in chile sauce, take out and place on a serving plate.  Sprinkle with grated cheese and onion.  Repeat this process, layering the tortillas over the previous layer, until each plate has 3 layers.  Spoon additional sauce (to taste) over the top.   Garnish with shredded lettuce.

Optional:  Add a fried egg, sunny side up, to the top of the enchiladas.

Hatch Red Chili Sauce

This recipe is from a package of Hatch dried red chilies, and makes incredible enchiladas.

12 dried red Hatch chile pods (we like to use the "Guajillo Pods" - they have great flavor and aren't too hot)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano

You may want to protect your hands when working with the chile pods - if your skin is sensitive, they may cause your hands to burn for a while afterwards.  To avoid this, wear latex gloves, or rub a little vegetable oil on your hands before handling them.  Also, be careful not to rub your eyes while working with the pods.

Wash chile pods, removing stems and seeds.  Bring chile pods and water to boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer, covered, for at least 10 minutes more.  Pour into a blender, add the garlic, and liquefy.  Strain the sauce through a colander or sieve.  Add salt to taste.  Heat the oil (very hot, but not smoking) in a skillet, add the flour and mix quickly.  Pour in the chile sauce and stir until thickened.  Add cumin and oregano.  Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.  Add additional water as needed - the sauce should have the consistency of canned tomato sauce.

Hatch Chilies

Hatch, New Mexico, calls itself the "Chile Capital of the World".  It is a small farming community that is famous for growing good chilies.  My parents drive through periodically and pick up supplies, usually from Hatch Chile Express - click the link for product and mail order information.

We like to get the large red dried chili pods, to use for enchilada sauce, and dried ground chili powder (the dried green chili powder is referenced in the scallops recipe).

Black Bean Chili

Derived from a recipe in The Greens Cookbook, which recommends making extra and using it in enchiladas, chilaquiles, and other dishes.  The toasted spices and chilies create an exotic flavor combination - I like the fact that the recipe contains very little salt, and is great without any salt at all.  I've added notes about using a slow cooker for these - you'll need a large slow cooker for this recipe, if yours is not large enough, scale the recipe down accordingly.

These are great served with corn bread.

2 cups black beans, soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
4 teaspoons cumin seeds
4 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
4 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 chili negro or ancho chili (dried), for chili powder, or 2-3 tablespoons of chili powder
    (we use a large dried Hatch chili pod)
3 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
3 medium yellow onions, diced into 1/4 inch squares
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 pounds ripe or canned comatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped; juice reserved
1-2 teaspoon chopped chipolte chilies
   (from a can - they are in the Mexican section our grocery store)
~1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (to taste)


Garnishes (your choice, any or all):
   chopped cilantro
   grated cheese (cheddar, muenster, monterey jack, fontina, etc)
   green chilies (canned or roasted)
   sour cream or Mexican creme

Sort through the beans and remove any small stones.  Rinse them well, cover them generously with water, and let them soak overnight.  The next day, drain the beans, put them in a large pot or slow cooker, cover them with water by a couple of inches, and add the bay leaf.  Bring the beans to a simmer (bring to boil on the stove top, then turn them down, or set the slow cooker on high).

Heat a small heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the cumin seeds, and when they begin to color, add the oregano leaves, shaking the pan frequently so the herbs don't scorch.  As soon as the fragrance is strong and robust, remove the pan from the heat and add the paprika and cayenne.  Give everything a quick stir, then remove from the pan - the paprika and the cayenne only need a few seconds to toast.  Grind in a mortar or a spice mill to make a coarse powder.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  To make the chili powder, put the dried chili in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes to dry it out.  Cool it briefly; then remove the stem, seeds, and veins.  Tear the pod into small pieces and grind it into a powder in a blender or spice mill.

Heat the oil in a large skillet, and saute the onions over medium heat until they soften.  Add the garlic, salt, and the ground herbs and chili powder, and cook another 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, their juice, and about 1 teaspoon of the chipolte chili.  Simmer everything together for 15 minutes; then add this mixture to the beans, and, if necessary, enough water so the beans are covered by at least 1 inch.  Cook slowly until the beans are soft, at least an hour if cooking on the stove top, and 6-8 hours in the slow cooker (maybe longer, depending on the cooker).  Keep an eye on the water level and add more if needed, to keep the beans amply covered.

Season to taste with additional chipotle, rice vinegar, and salt.  Garnish as desired.

Eduardo's Corn Bread

Some corn breads are very sweet, more like cake.  Some have more flour than cornmeal.  Eduardo developed this recipe to have a balance of sweetness and corn flavor that we like - it has a little less sugar and more cornmeal than a lot of recipes do.  We like to use honey instead of sugar for a richer flavor.

Some nice additions that can be folded in just before baking:  frozen or fresh whole kernel corn, chopped red peppers, canned mild green chiles, shredded cheddar cheese

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup honey (or sugar)
2 eggs (or 1 egg plus 1 egg white)
1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375°.  Butter and flour an 8"x8" baking dish (or a bread loaf pan).  Some recipes suggest cooking the bread in a preheated cast iron skillet for a darker, thicker crust, which sounds great.  We haven't tried this yet.

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl - mix well so they are evenly distributed.  Melt butter, add the honey (or sugar) to the warm butter and combine.  Stir in the milk, then add eggs and whisk until well blended.  Combine this mixture with the dry ingredients - stir only enough to mix well (a few small lumps are OK), being careful not to over-stir to keep the baking soda active.  Pour into the baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, until a knife comes clean when inserted.

The Greens Cookbook

By Deborah Madison, from the Greens Restaurant in San Francisco.  I don't yet own this cookbook yet -  it is on my wish list.  We've eaten at the restaurant many times and love it - its a vegetarian restaurant that even non-vegetarians frequent.

The Black Bean Chili recipe posted is derived from one in this book (obtained through a friend who has the book).

Blue Cheese Pizza

This idea came from a pizza we had at Bill's Pizza in Palm Springs; there's is called 'Blue Moon'.  If you are ever in Palm Springs and want good pizza, this is the place to go.

If you like blue cheese, you'll love this.  The sliced apples are a nice complement to the caramelized onions and the blue cheese.  Pears are also a nice substitution for the apples (as long as they aren't too juicy).  This recipe makes one 12" pizza.

Pizza crust (see Scott's Pizza for options)
olive oil
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese (adjust amount to taste) 
1/2 an apple, cored and sliced into thin pieces
1/2 cup caramelized onions
1/4 cup chopped walnuts


Prepare the crust, pre-bake for 5 minutes at 400° for a crisper crust.  Brush olive oil generously onto the crust.  Evenly sprinkle the mozzarella cheese onto the crust, then the blue cheese.   Distribute the apples, then the onions, then the walnuts on the pizza.  Bake at 400° until the crust is brown on the bottom.

Caramelized Onions

The previous recipe for caramelized onions posted here was for a slow cooker.  This is a stove top method that uses a little sugar.  These were great on the Blue Cheese Pizza we made last night.

2 medium sized onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter and oil in a large pan, add onions, salt, and pepper and cook about 5 minutes until soft.  Add sugar, and cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring just enough to keep the onions from burning, but allowing them to get very brown.

Cauliflower-Cheese Pie

This is a good 'comfort food' dish that makes a nice presentation.  It is easy to make ahead of time for a large meal, or is nice to take to a pot-luck type gathering.  The grated potato crust is unique and really delicious.  It is fun to experiment with other vegetables along with, or in place of the cauliflower.  The picture above is one with quartered brussels sprouts added in place of about 1/2 of the cauliflower, which turned out to be a really nice twist!

The recipe is derived from the one in the Moosewood Cookbook.

Crust:
2 cups grated raw potato
1/4 cup grated onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten
flour for your fingers
a little oil

Filling:
1 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 medium cauliflower head, cut into small pieces
2 eggs (or 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white)
1/4 cup milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
paprika

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Oil a 9-inch pie pan.

Combine grated potato and onion, salt, and egg white in a small bowl and mix well.  Transfer to the pie pan and pat into place, creating a thick edge for the pie.

Bake for 30 minutes, then brush the crust with a little oil and bake it 10 more minutes.

Adjust the oven temperature to 375°F.

Heat the olive oil (or butter) in a large skillet.  Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs.  Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add cauliflower, stir, and cover.  Cook until just tender, about 8-10 minutes.

Spread 1/2 the cheese onto the baked crust.  Spoon the sauteed vegetables on top, then sprinkle on the remaining cheese.  Beat the eggs and milk together, and pour over the top.  Dust lightly with paprika.

Bake 35-40 minutes, or until set.

Moosewood Cookbook

by Mollie Katzen, who was part owner of the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY when she originally published the book in 1978.   It is a classic vegetarian cookbook.  There are some great recipes, one of our favorites is the Cauliflower-Cheese Pie.

The restaurant is still open today, and won the James Beard Foundation "American Classic" award in 2000.

find the book

Brussels Sprouts Braised in Butter

This is my interpretation of a method described for cooking braised Brussels Sprouts described in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. There are a few steps involved, but is not that time consuming and will result in perfectly cooked Brussels Sprouts; they never come out grey-ish, limp, or bitter tasting.

Obtain the freshest Brussels sprouts possible.  Peak season in the US is September through February.  If you can find fresh, locally grown Brussels sprouts, you will taste the difference.  Using similar sized heads will ensure that they are all cooked consistently - the larger ones take longer to cook.  If you purchase a whole branch, you will have varying sized heads and my want to cook them in separate batches.

1 to 2 pounds Brussels Sprouts
4-5 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper

Prepare the Brussels sprouts by trimming the base off of each sprout.  Some of the outer leaves will fall away - discard these (our dogs love them!).  Remove any wilted or yellowish leaves.  Pierce a cross in the base so that it cooks evenly.

Bring a large kettle of salted water to a rapid boil.   Julia's recipe calls for 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt per quart of water.  If the large kettle holds 8 quarts, this would be 4 tablespoons of salt.  We use much less salt than that (if any).

Blanch the sprouts by dropping them into the rapidly boiling water and letting them cook for 6-8 minutes, until very green and almost tender.  The time will vary with the size and the age of the sprouts.  Drain the sprouts in a colander, and spread them out on a cloth (not touching) to cool.  This allows them to cool quickly to retain their color an texture (Julia's book says that the texture of the sprouts is better cooled with this method rather than rinsing them with cold water).  Once cooled they can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before completing the cooking.  If they are to be used immediately, let them cool on the towel for about 20-30 minutes before continuing.

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Smear 1-1/2 tablespoons softened butter in a casserole or baking dish that can be used on the stove and in the oven.  Smear the butter on the bottom and up the sides, as high as the Brussels sprout will touch.  Line the Brussels sprouts in 1 layer in the dish, stems down (a second layer can be used if the dish is too small, but I think it works best with 1 layer).   Sprinkle with salt and pepper and distribute 2-4 tablespoons of melted butter over the heads.  Cover and heat on the stove until they begin to sizzle, then place in the middle of the preheated oven.  Bake for about 20 minutes until tender.  Serve immediately.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

The classic by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck.

I'll have to admit that we didn't own the book until after seeing the movie Julie & Julia. The book has a reputation for being complicated, which is probably why I never owned it before. Although we haven't prepared any of the meat recipes from the book, I haven't found most recipes to be that complicated. The book describes the recipes more as a process, not just a list of ingredients with instructions. Once I got used to this, I found that I love using and just reading the book.

Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin

Had these over the holidays and loved them. I've seen similar recipes that include leeks and Gruyere cheese, which also sounds great.

1 pound Brussels sprouts
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Cut the base off the Brussels sprouts, pull off the outer leaves. Cut a 1/4 inch deep cross in the base of the sprouts. Blanch in boiling water for about 6 to 8 minutes, until almost tender. Drain, let cool by spreading them (not touching) on a towel, then cut each into 4 pieces.

Mix the sprouts, cream, cheese, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper together and pour into a shallow buttered baking dish. Top with bread crumbs and bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.