Little Mountain Recipes

Prep

• Pecans / Shallots / Tarragon - Prep as directed. Store separately. You can leave the pecans raw for the salad, or if you prefer, you can toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until fragrant, ~4 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
• Brussels sprouts - Put the slicing disk in a food processor and shred sprouts. If using the best processor (Breville Sous Chef) turn the slicer to just under 2. We've had it thinner as well, it makes it more voluminous which you may prefer but make extra dressing to compensate. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
• Chicken breasts - Slice into thick strips. Season with some salt and pepper and tenderize with a fork. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)

Make

• Combine mustard, vinegar, honey (the portions for the sprouts), and olive oil. Season with some salt and pepper. Toss with brussels sprouts, cranberries, and pecans. Crumble goat cheese over top.
• Heat a skillet or saute pan over medium-high. Add cooking oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add chicken and saute until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and return pan to heat. Add shallots and vinegar (portion for the chicken) and saute, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan, until shallots become tender, ~3 minutes. Add stock, tarragon, mustard, and honey (the portions for the chicken) and whisk. Simmer until sauce thickens, ~2 minutes. Add chicken back into the skillet and stir to coat in sauce.
• Serve chicken with extra pan sauce over top and salad on the side. Enjoy!

Blender

• Put it all in a blender.  Blend it up, scraping the sides with a spatula to get it going. Don't give up, and let the motor rest if it gets hot. It will eventually blend like a thick smoothie once it gets fine & hot. I don't have a food processor, but I hear it's much faster.

Food processor

• edit: Now that I have a food processor it's so easy! Just turn it on and let it go until it's your desired smoothness - I prefer a fast moving tornado (about 2 to 3 minutes). No need to pulse, no need to let it cool.

• In a medium/large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
• Add cold butter cubes and press into the flour with your fingers (or food processor or fork) until flour looks like it has little butter pebbles in it.
• Make a well in the flour mixture. Pour in buttermilk. Stir with fork until dough starts to come together.
• If your bowl is big enough, just keep working in the bowl, otherwise dump onto a floured table. Knead the dough just until the parts stick together and dough looks shaggy. Don't over work your dough or you'll just make it tough.
• Divide into two equal parts. Shape into disks.
• Wrap each disk in parchment paper, spare plastic, or similar. Refrigerate 1 hour or more.
• Roll out as you would any pie crust.

• Take the unsalted butter out of the fridge. Let it soften.
• Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
• Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. I usually fold them in with a spatula instead of the mixer.
• Scoop dough into 3 1/2-ounce mounds (the size of generous golf balls) and set back into your bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic/beeswax wrap and refrigerate for 24 - 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
• Now that you've waited at least 24 hours and are absolutely desperate to eat these damn cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Transfer your cookie dough to the baking sheets, making sure to leave ~2 inches in between them so they can spread.
• Sprinkle each cookie dough ball lightly with sea salt (if the salt doesn't stick, spring the cookies lightly with water and then add the salt flakes) and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 - 20 minutes.
• Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies directly onto the rack to cool a bit more. Eat with abandon. Thank the gods for delivering this manna from heaven.

• Pull eggs and milk out from fridge; bring 'em to room temperature.
• When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine eggs, flour, sugar, and almond extract. You can mix the ingredients in a blender or by hand with a whisk. Either way, mix until smooth.
• Add milk to batter. Mix again until fully incorporated.
• Once your oven reaches 425 degrees, put the butter in a heavy 10-inch skillet or baking dish and place it in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted (~2 minutes) add the batter to the pan, return pan to the oven, and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden.
• Pull the pancake out of the oven. Wonder at its puffed glory. Mourn as it deflates. Cheer again when you realize you get to eat it slathered in a dusting of powdered sugar and lemon juice.
  

• Let all ingredients come to room temperature. Mix milk, salt, sugar, and cooking oil together in mixing bowl. Beat the egg and add to mixture. Add the sour dough starter and mix well. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, mix well. Cover and set in warm place to proof, at least two hours. It should double in bulk. Punch down and put into a well greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise until about an inch below bottom of pan, about 1 hour 45 minutes, or longer if colder. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. It is done when it starts to shrink away from the sides of the pan. When done, remove from oven, brush top with melted butter. Set on rack to cool. Very fine, very fine.

• Place all ingredients in the crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
• Place about 4 cups of soup in a blender with the olive oil. Pulse gently until semi-smooth and creamy-looking (the oil will form a creamy emulsion with the soup). Add back to the pot and stir to combine. Stir in the kale and parsley. Turn the heat off and just let everything chill out for a bit before serving. The taste gets better with time and so does the texture, IMO!
• Season to taste (add the sherry, vinegar, and/or lemon juice at this point) and to really go next level, serve with crusty wheat bread and a little Parmesan cheese. It’s called Detox Balance.

• Spread in layers as listed above, making about three layers.
• Save enough French-fried onion rings to crumble and sprinkle over top about 20 minutes before serving.
• Add 1/2 cup water and cook on high for 7 to 10 ours, or low 12 to 18 hours.

• toss pork in flour mixture to coat.
• cook onion in a little olive oil till soft.
• add pork and then garlic on top of pork. don't stir much so that pork can brown. when pork is browned add the chicken broth and stir to deglaze the pot.
• add posole pieces. add some water to reach correct amount of liquid. bring to a boil, stir, then turn down to a simmer and cook covered for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
• add chiles when convenient. when almost done, add tomatoes and oregano.
• if there is too much liquid cook at high temp with lid off until broth is reduced. taste for cumin and garlic, adding more if desired. add honey until tomato flavor 'peaks.'
• serve with sides, making sure to add lots of delicious fresh lime juice.

defrost salmon

• If salmon is frozen, put it in some warm water to defrost it quickly. It's safe so long as it's small enough to defrost in less than 10 minutes.

glaze

• Mix equal parts mustard & honey in a bowl. Add a few cloves of chopped garlic. Add a few glugs of olive oil. Add a bit of balsamic vinegar, about 1/3 of olive oil used. Season with salt & pepper, and mix.

bake salmon

• Line baking pan in enough foil to wrap around fish. Lay salmon in the foil and cover in glaze. Wrap salmon and bake at 375 for ~20-25 minutes, you may need more or less time depending on thickness. It's done when it flakes with a fork.