Black bean and Sweet Potato Patties
makes 6 patties

2 cans black beans, drained
1 large sweet potato, baked/peeled/mashed (about 2 cups)
2 Tbsp tahini
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup wheat flour
Pepper & salt to taste. I like chile powder as well
1/2 cup Panko crumbs
safflower oil for pan

Directions:

1. Put baked and peeled sweet potato and drained beans in a large bowl. I use a potato masher and smooth until soft.
2. Add in the in seasoning, flour and mix until smooth
3. Form a patty from mixture and coat in panko crumbs. Double dip in crumbs for a thick coating. Sauté in a skillet coated with safflower oil(hi heat is best to help the panko will brown nicely on both sides.)

Avocados make great toppings and if you add even a small amount of cheese it helps it all stick together better.

Ingredients:

2lbs cut up chicken

2 stalks celery sliced thinly

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 onions, slivered

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

2 green chilies , roasted and chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 large avocado, thinly sliced

Method:

Fill a large stock pot with chicken, celery, carots, onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, chiles and enough water and enriched broth to cover. Bring slowly to a boil then cover and reduce heat, and simmer until veggies are very tender. Skim if the broth needs it, then gently stir in cilantro and avocado slices.

Serve with lime wedges to squeeze into each portion.

Method:

Heat the butter in a stock pot, caramelize the onion. Toss in the rest of the veggies and then the roasted garlic.  Add in the broth and de-glaze the pan (scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to get the bits of browned butter and onion to incorporate into the broth.)  Add in the spices and simmer, then add in the heavy cream and bring back to a simmer and cook on low heat until the all the veggies are tender.  Mix in the chopped parsley before using a stick blender to blend to a smooth consistency.

Sourdough Starter

• 3/4 cup white bread flour
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 7g dried yeast
• 1 cup warm water

Mix together and and cover tightly. Leave at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Sponge

• 1 3/4 cups rye flour
• 1 cup lukewarm water

After the waiting period for the sourdough starter, mix the rye flour, sourdough starter and water together, cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 10 hours or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Ingredients

• 12 cups bread flour
• 7g of rapid rise dried yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons caraway seeds
• 1 tablespoon salt
• corn meal (to keep bread from sticking to baking pan)

Method

• mix flour the sponge mixture, yeast, water, caraway seeds, salt and mix to form a soft dough (it will be sticky at this stage)
• put the dough into a clean bowl and dust the top with flour, cover with a towel and let rise for 2 hours or until it doubles in size
• put dough on a floured cutting board and punch it down then knead until smooth and elastic, divide into two large loaves or 10 individual sized “rolls”
• dust baking sheets with corn meal and place loaves with enough space to let them double in size after scoring each one with a sharp knife.
• cover loosely with a clean towel and leave in a warm place until they double in size (about 45 minutes)
• cook in a 425 degree oven (put a large pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven to help make the crust crunchy) Bake the large size loaves for 35 minutes or until golden brown and sound hollow when you thump them. The smaller size cook in about 25 minutes.

Method:
325 degree oven
Drain liquid from Ricotta
Beat cheese with the sugar until light and fluffy, add the eggs, cornstarch, and extract. Then ad the cream to the mixture and fold in the almonds.

Pour into prepared crust and bake for 1 hour. Cool slowly (in oven with door open works well)

Ingredients:

• 3 Zuchinni
• 2 potatoes (peeled)
• 2 onions
• 2 yellow squash
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste or puree
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped fine)
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (chopped fine)

Method:

Bring a pot of salted water to boiling and add first the peeled and halved potatoes, then after 2 minutes add the onions, 2 minutes later add the zuchinni and squash. Continue to boil for 4 more minutes then remove from water and set aside to cool. (save some of the cooking water for the baking dish)

Once everything is cool enough to touch, scoop out the middle of each vegetable (leaving about a 1/4 at the bottom of each one) mix the scooped out veggies with the spices and tomato paste and fresh herbs then spoon back into each preppared vegetable shell. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper  and pour into your backing dish about 1/4 cup of the water from the boiling step and roast in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until tops are browned.

You can add in any combination of flavors to this recipe – eliminate the curry and go italian spices, or mexican and add black beans and rice, you can also top with cheese if that seems like a good thing.

Course grated veggies

Please allow me to introduce an update from the egg noodles, oil, all the eggs you own, and heavy cream  kugel of my childhood – a dish so entwined in sense memories that I can’t make it without thinking of my Grandmother Eva and feeling warm and happy:

Ingredients:

• 2 zuchinni
• 2 carrots
• 2 potatoes (peeled)
• 1 onion
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon fresh basil (chopped)
• 3 tablespoons matzo meal
• 6 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
• pinch of sugar/ salt and pepper to taste

Method:

350 degree oven – heat baking dish for ten minutes before using

Coursely grate all of the veggies, finely grate the onion. Add the matzo meal (don’t use bread crumbs it just isn’t the same thing) lightly beaten eggs, parsley, basil, sugar, salt and pepper and mix well.

Pour half the oil into the already heated baking dish, then spoon the veggie batter mush into the pan (don’t tamp down too hard) then drizzle remaining oil on top.

Bake for 50 minutes or until veggies are soft and the top is golden brown. (I like the crunchy bits, so i stir it half way to get a second layer of browned top.)

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup diced crystallized ginger
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 12 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cups heavy cream

Method
Oven 400°F

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and lemon peel together and then add butter mix until it looks crumbly. Make well in the center of dry indredients add cream. after lightly mixing add in ginger.

Put dough on floured cutting board and knead until smooth. make rounds about 1 inch thick (should make two) Cut each round into 6 wedges and put on lightly buttered baking sheet, You can brush with cream, milk or butter to add shine to tops.

Bake until light brown, about 16 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 4 – 6 medium sized fresh beets (they are yucky and dirty if you by them right, scrub then peel, then julienne or rough dice your call)
• 1 medium red onion (i suppose you can use white, but that seems silly)
• 2 cups carrots
• 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage and/or thinly sliced potato
• 1 pound beef (you know, if you do that sort of thing..  if not I strongly recommend using some butter to make sure your stock is more than just broth) dice it small, coat in flour – pepper/salt/crushed garlic
• enough garlic stock (you can use chicken or beef broth if you prefer) to cover the ingredients

Method:

• Heat pan really hot with a tablespoon or so of oil then seer the meat and brown really well (the more you do the better the caramelized brown bits will be for the broth)
• Toss in the onion and saute’, add the carrots and beets and give a good toss into the drippings then add the garlic stock (just a small amount at first to let you use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan with, then pour in the rest.)
• Bring to a full boil then reduce the heat and simmer for as long as you can stand (you can eat it within an hour if you like bity veggies, but the longer it simmers the better the flavors are.)
• Right before you turn off heat add in a tablespoon of butter, and serve with at least a dollop of sour cream (man it is so good)

These are lemon cake (yes, I’m still using the left over juice from the limoncello making) with chocolate butter frosting and lemon sugar on top.

I saved out some of the batter and made a mini cake (tart pans) for the birthday boy.

The best part, the left overs for breakfast!

Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 eggs
16 ounces sour cream
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

I used paper bake cups, but just butter and flour in the tart pans

•Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt

•In a second bowl, beat butter until fluffy, add the sugar, lemon juice and vanilla; beat until well mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternate adding flour mixture and sour cream in small portions (The batter will be thick.) Stir in lemon peel. (I used candied peel made from the leftover of the limoncello)

•Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into each cup

•Bake about 18 minutes. Makes 24 cupcakes and two small tart pans worth of lemony goodness.

After they cool off just frost them with your favorite butter cream (lemon icing is good too.)

These photos are just quick shots from my iPhone, baking for daddy on his birthday meant trying to keep the Wee Kahunas busy and happy while running about in the kitchen to make them breakfast at the same time as beating the eggs and butter. So setting up for high resolution images wasn’t an option. And hey, they’re cupcakes.

The lemon sugar sprinkled on top makes a mess, but is so worth it. If you’d like to know how to make your own, just post a comment and I’ll add it here.

By the way The birthday boy appreciated having his own tiny cake, (a tradition we started when I decided that the 4 year old should have something special to make up for not having the first 3 birthdays of her life celebrated with a party) and he had a regular cupcake later for good measure.

The only trouble is trying not to eat what we make for the girls…

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1-1/2 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
3 ounces sour cream
3 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C).
Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain water, and add cream cheese, butter, sour cream and heavy cream. Mash until creamy using a potato masher. Spread evenly in a large baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is golden brown.

Several Categories:

1.Dry milk (powder) – this is a great and sort of cheap way to bulk up foods you might already be feeding your children.

powdered milk contains 33 calories per tablespoon

Add 1 cup to 1 quart fluid milk for drinking and cooking (we are gkept a pitcher of “special milk” to add to anything that needed milk)

• Add 1/4 cup to 1 cup cooked cereal, such as oatmeal or cream of wheat or our favorite Malt-o-meal
• Add 1/2 cup to 1 pound ground meat or turkey when you make hamburgers, meatloaf, chili, etc.
• Add 1/4 cup for each 2 cups of flour used when making pancakes, waffles, or bread

2. Heavy Cream – whipping cream

depends on the brand you use, but we’re talking about 50 calories per tablespoon which is major!

we successfully put this into:
hot cereals like malto-o-meal (when cooking and as a spoon full on top to cool it down a bit)
chocolate milk (yes cream added to whole milk)
home made puddings (but if you get carried away it becomes vanilla cream and children make faces)
1/4 cup of heavy cream in mashpotatoes makes them deadly for mommy and daddy but oh so tasty

Recipies

MEATLOAF
(makes 12 toddler servings)

1-1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
4 tablespoons wheat germ
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 eggs, plus two egg yolks slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1/4 cup fluid whole milk

Thoroughly mix all ingredients, except 1/2 of the can of soup and fluid milk. Shape firmly into loaf and place into shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Blend remaining soup, fluid milk, and 2 to 3 tablespoon dripping. Stir, heat, then serve over loaf like a gravy.

The ongoing goal of getting the girls somewhere on the growth charts leads us to seeking out the highest fat and calorie ways to cook even simple dishes…It’s really hard to balance the goal of weight gain with the overwhelming desire to give them only the most nutrious of foods to make up for the first years of their lives.

1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup baby rice cereal (dry)
1/2 cup fruit (any type)
2 teaspoons honey
1 tbls heavy cream

Mix all ingredients together in a blender and blend on high until smooth.

1-1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
4 tablespoons wheat germ
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 eggs, plus two egg yolks slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1/4 cup fluid whole milk

Thoroughly mix all ingredients, except 1/2 of the can of soup and fluid milk. Shape firmly into loaf and place into shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Blend remaining soup, fluid milk, and 2 to 3 tablespoon dripping. Stir, heat, then serve over loaf like a gravy.