Salad dressings

When we moved to Wisconsin and I finally got a kitchen that was big enough to cook comfortably in I started serving only home made salad dressings. When you look at the garbage in the store bought stuff your like "do I really want to eat that junk"? So here's a few of the ones I have been serving here.

Asian Style Ginger Soy Dressing

1 carrot

1 3 inch piece of ginger peeled

3 cloves garlic peeled

1/2 onion peeled

Chop in a food processor or blender until fine.

Add

1/4 cup sugar or splenda

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 cup toasted sesame oil

1/2 cup water

2 TBS sesame seeds

Blend well until combined

French Dressing

1 cup ketchup

1 cup cider vinegar

1 TBS chopped garlic

1 TBS dried thyme leaves

1/3 cup sugar or sugar substitute

1/2 cup water

3 cups vegetable or corn oil

Blend everything well except for the oil & water. Add the oil with the blender running. Thin out with the water to a pourable consistency.

Italian Dressing

2 TBS capers

2 TBS caper juice

2 TBS chopped garlic

1 TBS dried oregano

1 tsp blk pepper

1 tsp salt

a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

3 cups oil

Blend everything in the blender until well mixed.

Vegetarian Green Chile with Hominy and Pinto Beans

5 lbs roasted, peeled and chopped green chilies

2 large onions chopped fine

12 cloves garlic chopped fine

1 qt. canned whole tomatoes chopped

1 qt vegetable broth

2 TBS dried oregano

4 bay leaves

2 29 oz cans hominy

1 lb pink or pinto beans

salt and pepper to taste

4 TBS oil

Heat oil in a large dutch even or heavy soup pot...add the onions and garlic and saute until they start to brown, then add the chilies.......cook together for about 5 min then add the oregano and bay leaves. Add the tomatoes along with their juice and the vege broth, bring to a boil turn down to simmer add the hominy and cook for about an hour and a half........the liquid should be nicely reduced and thickened.

In a separate pot cover the beans with water, add an onion chopped, a few cloves of garlic 1 TBS cumin, and 2 TBS chili powder.......bring to a boil and cook until about 3/4 cooked.......about an hour and a half.

Drain the beans and add to the chilie hominy mixture and continue simmering until the beans are fully cooked about 30 to 45 min.

Adjust seasonings and enjoy!

The one Mexican member of the monastery thought this dish was a bit too hot........the gringos thought it was just right! Let me know what you think.

Louisiana Style Red Beans and Rice (Fasting)

1 lb small red beans

1 qt vegetable broth or bullion

3 stalks celery small dice

1 lg green pepper small dice

1 large onion small dice

6 cloves garlic minced

1 bunch parsley chopped

1 bunch green onions chopped

4 TBS dried thyme leaves

2 tsp liquid smoke

1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne peppe

1/4 to 1/2 tsp white pepper

1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper

6 to 8 shakes or more to taste Tabasco sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

6 to 8 shakes or more to taste Frank's red hot sauce

2 3inch pieces of lemon zest stuck with 3 cloves in each zest

Put red beans, vege broth and veges in a crock pot. Add everything else reserving the parsley and green onions. Cook on high for 6 to 8 hours. For the last hour or so I remove the lid so that the sauce will thicken up. Adjust seasonings about 1/2 hour before ready to serve. Right before serving remove the lemon zest and stir in the parsley and green onions. Serve with steamed rice.

Oatmeal Bread

I've had a few people ask lately what to do with leftover oatmeal. What I do is make this bread. It's full of flavor and is great toasted. Let me know what you think.

1 cup leftover oatmeal

1 TBS yeast

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

mix everything together and let sit for about an hour. It will bubble up and get foamy.

Add 1 TBS salt

3 TBS oil

Start adding whole wheat flour 1 cup at a time, until a nice smooth dough forms. It should take about 3 to 4 cups of flour. Knead the dough for about 10 min. the dough should be nice and smooth and elastic. Put it in an oiled bowl and let rise for an hour or until doubled. Cut the dough in 1/2 in order to make 2 loaves. Form loaves and let rise again until almost but not quite doubled. Mist with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Slash the top of the loaves once down the middle and bake in a pre heated 450 degree oven. After 10 min turn the oven down to 350 and bake for a total of 35 min. I bake mine directly on a pizza stone. The loaves should have a nice dark brown color when done and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Be sure to allow the bread to cool before slicing or tearing into the bread.

Garlicy White Beans with Pasta

1 # small while beans

4 cups vegetable broth

1 leek sliced

3 ribs celery small diced

8 cloves garlic chopped

3 pimentos chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary or 2 tsp dried

1 jalapenos seeded and sliced

1 tsp black pepper

salt to taste

1/4 c chopped fresh parsley.

Put everything in the crock pot EXCEPT only put 1/2 the garlic and reserve the parsley. Simmer on high for 3 hours, mash about 1/4 of the beans so the juice thickens up and continue simmering for another few hours. About 1/2 hour before serving stir in the rest of the garlic and adjust the seasonings, add the parsley. Serve tossed with freshly cooked pasta.

Vampires beware!

Greek Style Lentil Soup

Last night we hosted the first or our Lenten Bread and Soup nights. I served this Lentil Soup and it was a hit. Hope you enjoy it too! The recipe is for a crowd, though it is easily cut in 1/2 or even a 1/4.

6 cups lentils

enough water to cover by about 3 inches inch or so.

Bring to boil and simmer for about 10 min.

Then add;

1 large onion chopped fine

2 large bell peppers chopped fine

6 ribs of celery chopped fine

2 16oz cans crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 TBS dried oregano

1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 TBS dried thyme leaves

salt to taste

simmer for at least an hour up to 3 hours.

Add 1 lb orzo or ditallini pasta cooked.

Right before serving add 1/4 cup of lemon juice or serve with lemon wedges.

OPA!

Lent 2012

Well here we go again! I'm going to TRY to get at least 3 recipes a week up this Lent.

So here goes!

Lenten Bean Soup

1# small white beans

2 large carrots small dice

2 ribs of celery small dice

1 leek cut in 1/2 lengthwise and sliced

1 small bunch kale chopped fine

1 tsp (more or less) red pepper flakes

1 tsp black pepper

1 Tbs fennel seeds

8 oz. ditallini or orzo or any small sized pasta

1 qt. vegetable broth

salt to taste

Put all ingredients except kale and pasta in a crock pot and cook on high for 6 hours. Add the kale and pasta for the last hour.