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.

New Year!

Well I said I was going to kick this blog back up and then nothing. My PC crashed and was in the shop for a few weeks.....then I was away for a few weeks.....the the holidays.......so I'll try again.

During this fast free period between Christmas and Theophany (when we Byzantines are forbidden to fast), I thought I would post a version of Chicken Caccatorie thats always a big hit around. I made this dish a few months back for a potluck and ever since a few of the teanage girls who worship here with us have been after me to teach them how to make it. So last Saturday they came out to the monastery and we had some fun in the kitchen.

Here is the recipe we used.

12 pieces chicken

1 lg onion chopped

2 bell peppers seeded and chopped

1 lb mushrooms sliced ( we used half white mushrooms and half

portabellas)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 lg cans crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 cups red wine

6 cloves garlic peeled and chopped

1/2 bunch Italian parsley chopped

1/2 bunch basil chopped

1 Tbs dried thyme leaves

1 Tbs crushed red pepper flakes

salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 500. Season chicken with salt, pepper and thyme, place on a covered cookie sheet. Roast the chicken pieces until golden brown (chicken does NOT need to be cooked through), remove from oven.

Heat olive oil in a large pot(big enough to hold all the rest of the ingredients). Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic and mushrooms and sautee until the onion starts to brown. Add the wine and cook until it reduces by 1/2 ( about 10 min ). Add the tomatoes and the herbs, season with the salt pepper and red pepper flakes, simmer the sauce for a few min.

At this point you can finish the dish in 1 of 2 ways.

You can add the chicken and simmer it in the sauce for about an hour.

OR

What I did was I poured the sauce over the chicken, cooled the whole thing down and refrigerated it overnight.......then the next day I reheated it covered in the oven. This gave it time for all the flavors to come together and get real YUMMY. I put it in a 300 oven for 2 hours....and was all ready for our potluck lunch when we had finished the Divine Liturgy.

Sauteed Broccoli Rabe

• 3 to 4 bunches broccoli rabe (about 4 pounds total)
• Kosher salt to taste
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Large pinch red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper

Trim the stem ends of the broccoli rabe.

Quickly blanch broccoli rabe in boiling water.

Heat olive oil with the red pepper flakes and garlic in a large skillet. Drain broccoli rade and immediately add to the hot skillet tossing to coat with the oil. Season with the salt and freshly ground pepper.

This is great as a vegetable or tossed with pasta, even as a topping on a pizza.

Its great left over in an omelet. .

Combine oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a large skillet; warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to color, about 2 minutes. Add leaves and stems to pan, turning occasionally, until leaves and stems are warmed through and stems are tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Time to kick this blog back up!

Ok....so I know its been a while since I posted last........I can make all kinds of excuses but I wont bore you with them. Ive had a lot of folks after me to get this thing going again and with the Nativity fast quick upon us I figured it was time. So here goes.

On Friday night this past week I tried a new recipe out and it was a big hit. Here goes!

Pappa al Pomodoro con Fagioli

2 lg onions sliced thin

16 garlic cloves sliced thin

2 lg (28 oz) cans Italian plum tomatoes

2 lbs stale bread in about 1 inch cubes

2 cans cannellini beans drained

large bunch basil

salt & pepper

red pepper flakes

10 cups water

Saute onion and garlic in a drop or 2 of oil along with the red pepper flakes until garlic is nicely browned. Add tomatoes along with the juice from the can and half the basil. Cook over high heat breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon, allowing the liquid to cook down and the tomatoes to get soft. When the tomatoes start breaking apart add the bread, lower the heat add the water and season with the salt and pepper and the rest of the basil. The bread will get thick soaking up the juice. Stir well and don't let it scorch. Cook stirring well until the bread becomes mush. Add the beans and allow to warm through.

Enjoy!

On days when olive oil is allowed it is great with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil drizzled on top.

This dish will certainly keep you warm!!