Vegetables

How to make Sushi Rice

Jan 18, 2021

2 lbs. White sushi rice
12-16 oz. bottle rice vinegar (unseasoned)
5 tsp. salt
¼ cup honey

Wash rice very well in cold water, till the water runs clear. (Optional: soak for 30 minutes and drain.)
Put rice into a ~4-quart saucepan with tight-fitting lid. Add water to one thumb-knuckle above the rice. Cover and bring to a boil.
Immediately turn the heat down to simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the rice vinegar, salt, and honey; mix well.

Poached Chicken with Garlic

Jan 18, 2021

Poaching simply means to cook in a large quantity of liquid. The trick is to make sure that liquid is extremely flavorful, and to include enough salt; then you can serve the finished dish with noodles or rice to sop up the deliciousness. This is simple, yet tastes like something you'd order at a Chinese Restaurant.

4-5 pounds chicken parts (use skinless and boneless if you prefer, but bones and skin will add flavor)
6 whole garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 tsp. salt
6 cups water

Pan-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Jun 26, 2018

This is a super straightforward but surprisingly tasty way to cook sweet potatoes. They caramelize and cook down a little, and so there are some crusty bits that form deliciously along the way, yielding a side dish that is not quite mashed, but soft and sweet enough for decadence. :)

3 large sweet potatoes, of any type, peeled and cut into uniform chunks approximately 3/4-inch square.
4-6 tbsp. ghee
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid, over medium heat; add the sweet potatoes and salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

Delectable Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

Jun 26, 2018

This is not a recipe to provide complete instruction on the Middle Eastern art of creating amazing Dolmas; instead, this is How To Make A Delicious and Wonderful Filling for about 150 grapeleaves. Cookbook Google can provide you with instructions for rolling the dolmas - I will just add to the great information online that you can use tender, young, wild grape leaves without blanching them first!

2 onions, diced small
2 tbsp. salt
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil

Sauté gently for about ten minutes. Add:

1 bunch scallions, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch parsley minced

Delicious Salmon Cakes

Jun 11, 2018

I adapted this recipe to feed our hungry family of 6 (and to exclude almond flour), from the excellent version found here: https://www.everydaymaven.com/paleo-salmon-cakes/ . They are super yummy, moist on the inside and crispy on the outside, and affordable too!

1 lb. cooked/mashed sweet potato
1 c. flour (I often use cassava)
1/2 c. chopped parsley or fresh dill
3 T. chopped onion
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. salt
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground black pepper
(1 T. paprika or smoked paprika, optional)
3 eggs
3 14-oz. cans salmon, drained
Coconut oil for frying

Super Easy, Inauthentic, But Delicious Thai Curry

Aug 25, 2017

After testing innumerable complicated, three-hour-prep-time, requiring-of-many-obscure-ingredients Thai Curry recipes, I decided to make up my own. And if I do say so myself, this is a very versatile technique more than a recipe, and many substitutions can be made if you wish (you can use chicken instead of fish, broccoli is delicious, but you can use another vegetable - etc.). And, it tastes really good, even without fussy sauteeing or parboiling, etc.

Shannon Hayes' Shepherd's Pie

May 09, 2016

This is adapted from Shannon Haye's exceptional recipe for meaty deliciousness! I post it here so that I can reference the ingredients even when I'm away from her awesome cookbook.

4# potatoes
4-8oz Parmesan, shredded
4-8 T. butter
1/2 cup yogurt
~2 tsp. salt, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
pepper

2# ground beef
2 T. fat of your choice
2 medium onions, diced small
1.5 tsp. salt, to taste
4 medium carrots, diced
2 c. green beans, chopped
1/3 c. white rice flour
2-4 c. meat broth
2 c. peas

Our Favorite Squash Pie, for Ben

Nov 09, 2015

This recipe is by Elena (creator of the beautiful blog http://elanaspantry.com/ ), written down by me so that Ben could attempt to make it by himself.

Squash Pie

Ingredients

2 medium butternut squash, cut in half [ask Mama or Papa to help with this!], seeds removed
3 tablespoons butter
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350f (“convection bake”).

Sourdough Cassava Flatbread

Oct 27, 2015

I have recently discovered Otto's Naturals Cassava Flour http://www.ottosnaturals.com/ , a dangerous addition to a reformed special-diet baker's pantry... :)

These flatbreads are super yummy, satisfying a craving for both sourdough-bread-uneaten-over-the-past-six-years, and an infinitely versatile starch source that tastes good with most everything. You can split the breads open when they're still warm, if you want to try for a stuffed sandwich. I love that these aren't trying to be anything else - no binders, strange ingredients or flavors...just delicious.

The Most Awesome Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Jun 29, 2015

When I saw Cooks Illustrated's latest issue, with a description of the Best Crispy Roasted Potatoes Ever...I was intrigued. And after we polished off the whole batch, I knew I'd have to scale up my recipe and technique to meet the demand. :) These are amazing! I discovered that the salt and baking soda does not need to be doubled, even with more than twice as many potatoes as the original recipe. This makes enough for our family, with some left over. And don't be tempted to substitute for the animal fat - I think it really makes them super good.

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