Arhar Dal

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Allison Woods

1c split red lentil
1/2 t turmeric
1 t cumin
2 green chili
2 dry red chili
1 t chopped ginger
2 bay leaves
10 gms mixed spices (onion seeds, fenugreek, aniseeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds)
1 t sugar
Salt
Ghee

Wash lentils and cook with turmeric, salt, sugar, over a medium flame. Add half the ginger and the cumin powder. When lentils are cooked, nice and thick, remove from flame. heat ghee in pan and add mixed spices. When the mustard seeds crackle, add the bay leaf, remaining chopped ginger, slit green chiles and broken red chiles. Fry for 2 minutes and pour over the Dal.

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Cranberry Xmas Salad

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Allison Woods

This is one of two molded salads made and consumed by my family around the holidays. This is the one I prefer.

1 small package red jello—any flavor

1 1/4 c boiling H2o

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 pint sour cream

chopped walnut, celery, 1 chopped Granny Smith apple

Add h2o to jello, stir until dissolved. Add cranberry sauce. Stir up sour cream in its container until smooth. Add to red stuff. Add chopped stuff. Pour into mold, chill until set.

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Gazpacho in a Pitcher

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Allison Woods

From The Rosengarten Report by David Rosengarten. Copyright 2008 by David Rosengarten.

Makes 4 cocktail servings

Ingredients

  • 2 oz.stale Italian or French bread, with crust
  • 1/2 # ripe tomatoes, stems removed
  • 1/4 # sweet onion, such as Walla Walla
  • 1/4 # cucumber
  • 1/4 # green bell pepper
  • 1/4 # red bell pepper
  • 1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar de Jerez (Sherry vinegar)
Break the bread into large chunks, place chunks in a bowl, and cover with cold water (about 1 1/2 cups). Soak until the bread is fairly soft, but not mushy, about 1-2 minutes. Squeeze the water out of the bread with your hands, and place bread in a blender. Cut the tomatoes in quarters, and scoop out the seeds with your fingers. Discard seeds. Cut tomatoes in large cubes (you should have about 1 1/2 cups), and add to container. Peel the onion, and cut into large dice (you should have about 1 cup). Add onion to container.  Peel the cucumber and cut in half the long way. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon, and discard seeds. Cut cucumber into large dice (you should have about 2/3 cup), and add to container. Remove the stems and seeds from the green bell pepper and the red bell pepper. Cut each into large dice (you should have about 1 cup of diced green pepper, and about 1 cup of diced red pepper). Add cut peppers to the container.  Add olive oil and sherry vinegar. Turn blender on at low speed, then ratchet up to high. Blend on high until the mixture is very smooth and velvety, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, then blend on high for a few seconds more. Pour the gazpacho through a strainer or cone strainer into glasses, or into a pitcher. Push gazpacho through the strainer with a spatula or wooden spoon. But it is important that you do not force through every last drop; leave the last bits of bready sediment behind in the strainer. Discard periodically. Don’t scrape the gazpacho film that’s on the bottom of the strainer into the finished gazpacho; simply clean your strainer under cold running water every few minutes, washing off the gazpacho film into the sink.
There is a fair amount of fiber lost through the straining process, but it is totally worth it, this gazpacho is nothing short of sublime.
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Potato Salad

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Allison Woods

This is my family recipe. It must rest for one day.

2x potato I cook them quartered in their jackets, cool, peel and chop. Not the easiest way, but preferred.

2x hardboiled eggs, cooled, peeled, sliced

x scallions, chopped

x bacon, cooked to semi-crisp, chopped

x celery

mayonnaise, mustard (I use dijon), celery salt, ground black pepper

optional: dash cayenne

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Provencal Pasta Salad

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Allison Woods

This was in the Seattle Times a long time ago. Add chicken and it’s a meal.

10 servings

preparation time 25 minutes

8 ounces (2 cups) ziti pasta

3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into matchsticks

1 medium zucchini, sliced thin

1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced thin

1 teaspoon dried Herbes des Provence

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

4 medium plum tomatoes, seeded and sliced

1 tablespoon capers (optional)

4 teaspoons redwine vinegar

Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse briefly; drain again.

In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Add the red bell pepper, zucchini, summer squash, herbs, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Saute, covered, 5 minutes. Uncover and cook 5 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the pasta. Put the tomatoes into the pan and cook over medium heat just until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add to the pasta. Cool slightly.

Serve the salad warm. Just before serving stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, the capers and vinegar.

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Warm Walnut-Crusted Chèvre with Wild Greens and Herb Vinaigrette

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Allison Woods
This recipe has been widely published. It’s a standard in my repertoire, and can be made with  variations to the greens, the vinaigrette, and the goat cheese. For example, use herb-crusted goat cheese and do Sherry vinegar instead of red wine. I’m pretty much always going to use arugula if it is available.

 

425F

4 Servings

The vinaigrette can be made ahead to simplify last-minute preparation.

Vinaigrette

  • 1½ t finely chopped shallots
  • 1½ t Dijon mustard
  • 4t red wine vinegar
  • 1T chopped fresh herbs
  • ¼ t granulated sugar
  • ¼ t salt
  • 1/8 t freshly ground black pepper
  • 2T  good quality extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients except for the olive oil. Gradually whisk in the oil until the dressing is well emulsified. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Salad

  • 4 ounce Chèvre (soft goat cheese)
  • 1 egg white, beaten until frothy
  • ½ cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped
  • 6 cups (packed) mixed wild gourmet or your choice of greens

Divide the Chèvre into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into 1½-inch diameter disks. Dip each disk first into the egg whites, then into the chopped walnuts, pressing the nuts into the cheese. Place the disks on the baking sheet. Bake just long enough to warm the cheese through, 4 to 5 minutes. While the cheese is warming, place the greens in a large bowl and toss with vinaigrette. Divide the dressed greens into 4 salad plates. Top each plate with the goat cheese and serve immediately.

How to Toast Nuts

Nuts store better un-roasted. Once roasted, they begin oxidizing immediately, so it is best to toast them shortly before assembling the salad.

Preheat oven to 375° . Spread shelled walnut halves or pieces on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly brown, 5 to 8 minutes.

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Sweet Salsa for canning

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Allison Woods

The key is to really drain the tomatoes well. Also, don’t cook the mixture any longer than necessary.

9 pints

10# peeled seeded chopped DRAINED tomatoes*

1 1/4 # chopped onions

7/8# mixed chopped peppers—your choice on how many of what kind and how hot

1c honey

1c vinegar

4 cloves garlic, minced

Boil tomatoes, peppers, honey,salt, garlic. Add onions, return to boil. Add vinegar, return to boil. Pack boiling into sterile jars. At this point, I flip the jars over and let the heat of the salsa seal the jars (making sure when I put the lids on that the rims are spotless), but the safe way to do it is to boil in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. There’s enough acid in this recipe for the shortcut to work fine, plus the boiling further breaks down this rather delicate salsa.

*Save the drippings, called “tomato liquor”. Freeze in ice cube trays. very useful any time you need a touch of tomato flavor.

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Sundried Tomato Pesto

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Allison Woods

Use good-quality sundried tomatoes, not those sad, bitter old things you sometimes see. This  is good as a pasta sauce, on sandwiches, or anywhere you want a blast of intense tomato flavor.

1c dried tomatoes in olive oil, commercial or use this recipe to make your own

3/4 c grated Parmesean

1/2 c walnut pieces

2 large cloves garlic, cut in half

3/4 t salt

1/4 t fresh ground pepper

1/3 c warm olive oil

Pulse tomato in food processor until chopped. Add Parmesean, nuts, garlic, salt, pepper. Process until smooth. With processor running, pour warm oil in steady stream until combined. Good for one week. Makes 2 cups.

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Bloody Mary

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Allison Woods

1 serving

6 oz. Clamato

1 1/2 oz. Stoli

1/2 t lime juice

1/2 t Crosse and Blackwell worcestershire sauce

1/4-1/2 t celery salt

1-4 dashes hot sauce, preferably Crystal or Durkee

dab horseradish

black pepper

salt and/or garlic. optional

Garnish with green bean, asparagus, celery, olive….

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Mint Pesto

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Allison Woods

1 1/2 c

1 bunch fresh mint (available off-season @ Asian grocery)

1c walnuts

1/4 c grated Parmesean or similar

2 cloves garlic

1/2 c olive oil

Chop mint in food processor, add nuts, cheese, garlic. Chop. Add oil slowly while machine is running, 1 minute. YUM.

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