Jackfruit Fajitas

 

Amelia & I tried Purple Carrot (affiliate link) for a week and this was our favorite recipe. I find ingredient delivery services to be too expensive and wasteful in regards to packaging, so we cancelled after the discount.

Spicy Jackfruit and Bell Pepper Fajitas with Lime Crema

These fajitas are anything but average. Fresh corn tortillas set the stage for chili-roasted peppers, onions, and jackfruit. If you’ve never had jackfruit before, you’re in for a treat! Related to the fig, it’s native to Southeast Asia and is composed of hundreds (or even thousands) of edible flowers. The texture will surprise you — cooked, it’s almost like pulled pork, and is absolutely delicious...especially with our tangy lime crema!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Vegan
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 onion
  • 1 orange bell pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 oz red cabbage
  • 15 oz can Jackfruit
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp vegan sour cream
  • Fresh cilantro
  • 1 lime
  • 6 corn tortillas
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • PREP THE PRODUCE Preheat your oven to 425 °F. Rinse and dry produce. Peel and slice the onion. Deseed and slice the red pepper. Mince garlic and set aside.
  • READY THE VEGETABLES Place the onion, red pepper, and jackfruit on a foil-lined baking sheet. Toss the with chili powder, 1 tsp oil, and a pinch each salt and pepper.
  • ROAST THE JACKFRUIT AND VEGETABLES Spread evenly, and place in the oven. Roast until golden brown and beginning to char, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven.
  • WARM THE TORTILLAS While the vegetables roast, wrap your tortillas in tin foil. When the vegetables are done roasting, you can put them in the turned off oven to gently warm until you’re ready to eat.
  • MAKE THE SAUCE Rinse and halve the lime. In a small bowl, combine juice from half of the lime, minced garlic, vegan sour cream and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Rinse and dry the cilantro, then pick the leaves and tender stems.
  • ASSEMBLE FAJITA Remove the vegetables, jackfruit, and tortillas from the oven. On a large plate evenly divide the tortillas. Top them with the with roasted vegetables and jackfruit, the red cabbage, cilantro, and drizzle with your lime crema. Enjoy!

Baby Bok Choy and Beef Noodle Soup with Warm Spices

Best soup for when you think you might be coming down with a cold.

 

20141109_175854

Baby Bok Choy and Beef Noodle Soup with Warm Spices

Borrowed, tested, and adapted - this nutritious soup is both low fat and satisfying. Here's the original recipe http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/baby-bok-choy-and-beef-noodle-soup-with-warm-spices.html
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Asian, Low Fat
Servings 3 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 4-inch piece fresh ginger
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 1 cinnimon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 tblsp chopped garlic
  • 3-4 tsp asain chili garlic sauce
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 pound beef tenderloin cheaper cuts need to stew, extending cook time
  • 5 baby bok choy
  • green onions
  • 3 servings udon or buckwheat noodles

Instructions
 

  • Peel and grate or finely chop ginger
  • Warm oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add sliced onion and saute until softened. (if sticking, add a little water, rather than oil in order to keep this a low fat recipe)
  • Add cinnamon stick and star anise and allow to hydrate, about 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic. Stir about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and soy sauce. Cover and bring to boil then medium-low to simmer
  • Trim the ends of the bok choy, and cut lengthwise into long quarters. Add to the pot to simmer. Add more water if necessary to cover. Cook bok choy 4-7 minutes
  • Meanwhile, cut and trim beef and saute in separate pan. Cook to desired done-ness then set aside
  • Add chili sauce to the soup gradually, to taste. Adjust salt to taste. Add the meat juices to the soup
  • Prepare noodles separately and divide into soup bowls
  • Divide meat into soup bowls
  • Ladle soup into soup bowls. Hot soup should warm the noodles and meat. Garnish with chopped green onion

Notes

Also good with thinly-sliced fresh jalapeno, cilantro, mushrooms, or Thai basil

Lemon Mousse Trifle

This is my absolute #1 favorite dessert to serve and to eat, but it takes a lot of work and makes a lot of dirty dishes. However, it also makes plenty of scraps for the chef to snack on along the way!

* This dessert contains raw eggs, so if that’s not appealing, just stop here. Otherwise, be sure to get fresh high quality eggs and consume within 24 hours of preparation.

20151025_165821_2

Lemon Mousse Trifle

Fresh, light textured, creamy, sweet and sour, delightful. This dessert incites intrigue and wonder. How can this be so good? Please don't let me ever find the bottom of the dish kind of delicious.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 6 hours
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 12 hours
Course Dessert
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 sheet pan cooled flat jelly roll lemon cake
  • 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
  • 4-6 tablespoons cold water
  • 3 large lemons, zest and juice meyer lemons turn out good too
  • 4 separated eggs
  • 4 tablespoons sugar for mousse
  • 2 & 2/3 cups whipping cream for mousse
  • about 1 extra cup whipping cream for the top
  • simple syrup with lemon juice for assembly
  • candied lemon zest for the top

Instructions
 

  • Bake a lemon cake in a parchment lined jelly roll sheet pan, allow to cool while you prepare the other items (once cool, you will cut out shapes to fit neatly into your trifle container)
  • Zest 1 lemon and combine with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar in order to candy the zest. Rest in freezer, until ready to garnish
  • Juice the zested lemon and prepare a simple lemon syrup by warming juice, water and sugar on the stove. Reserve for assembly
  • Whip approximately 4 cups of whipping cream. Allow to rest in refrigerator while you prepare the mousse. Don't add sugar yet
  • Prepare the lemon mousse, steps 6-10
  • Dissolve gelatin in cold water, in a small pot that can later go on the stove. Let stand for at least 5 minutes
  • Beat the 4 egg yolks and 4 tablespoons of sugar until light and fluffy. Carefully blend in juice and zest of 2 remaining lemons
  • Melt dissolved gelatin over low heat. Add to the egg mixture, stirring well. (Once you add the gelatin you must be ready with the whipped cream and egg whites quickly or you will have lumpy mousse)
  • Take about 3/4 of the whipped cream from the refrigerator and fold into the egg mixture
  • Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg mixture
  • If desired, add any powdered sugar to remaining whipped cream to taste
  • Assemble trifles -- Layer cake, brush with simple syrup (prevents cake from being too dry), mousse, cake, syrup, mousse,etc. until containers are full, try to end with mousse. Add large dollop of sweetened whipped cream to the top. Finish with candied lemon zest
  • Chill for 2-20 hours prior to serving

Notes

* This recipe uses gelatin and is therefore not vegetarian. You might be able to substitute with agar agar powder, but I have not experimented with this yet.

Cream Cheese Pastries

cream_cheese_pastries-web_pic

Cream Cheese Pastries

From an old Betty Crocker desserts cookbook, arises this irresistible family holiday classic mini cookie. The image was borrowed from the web since these disappear faster than a camera shutter in our house.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 6 hours
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 10 hours 12 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 6 desserters

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 8 oz package cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup jelly

Notes

Cream butter and cheese together. Mix in sugar. Combine flour and salt. Cover and chill dough in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight.
Divide dough into rough thirds. Roll flat on flour dusted surface. Cut into 2&1/2 " square shapes. Move pieces to cookie sheet with parchment. Place dot of jelly in center of each square and bring up set of diagonal corners and pinch to seal.
Bake in 375F oven about 10-13 minutes.
Tips:
  • Using parchment will spare your cookie sheet from boiling jelly spill over which is very hard if not impossible to get off
  • Sometimes the dough is dry from rolling, to get a better seal when closing use a drop of water

Impossible Salmon Pie/ otherwise known as Salmon Surprise

 

This was another Sunday morning Hateley kid favorite.

Impossible Salmon Pie/ otherwise known as Salmon Surprise

Print Recipe
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can salmon drained (15.5 oz.)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
  • 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
  • 1.5 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup Bisquick
  • 3 eggs
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • In greased pieplate, sprinkle salmon, onion, bell pepper, and half of the cheese.
  • Beat together milk, Bisquick, eggs, salt and pepper.
  • Pour into pieplate. (Can refrigerate at this point if you want to make it for breakfast the next morning).
  • Sprinkle on remaining cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Refrigerator Rolls—easy but good

Refrigerator Rolls from the 1940s   Very good

Refrigerator Rolls---the rolls the Hateley kids grew up on

Print Recipe
Servings 2 loaves

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cube butter
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 0.5 cup sugar
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 7 cups flour
  • 2 yeast packages dissolved in ½ cup lukewarm water a yeast package is about 2 1/2 teaspoons

Instructions
 

  • Pour boiling water over cube of butter; stir until melted. Add 1 cup cold water, add sugar, salt, eggs, yeast, and flour. Beat well.
  • Turn into greased bowl, cover and place in ice box for minimum of two hours and up to 24 hours. When ready to use remove from ice box and shape into rolls. Let rise until light, about 45 minutes to an hour.
  • Grease pan with butter; bake at 375 degrees until brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

Notes

Can also make this into 2 loaves of bread and 1 small pan of rolls. Bake loaves at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Slow Cooker Rosemary Garlic Beef Stew

This is the best beef stew I’ve ever made.

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/10/slow-cooker-rosemary-garlic-beef-stew-slow-cooker/

Prep time about 45 minutes   Cook time 4 hours  Makes about 10 cups. Serve with a great bread.

Slow Cooker Rosemary Garlic Beef Stew

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 8 hours 45 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Comfort
Servings 10 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 lb carrots 4 medium
  • 1/2 sleeve celery 3 or 4 stalks
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 lb red potatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced $0.32
  • 1.5 lb beef stew meat
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp thyme

Instructions
 

  • Dice the onion and slice the carrots and celery. Wash the potatoes well and cut them into one inch cubes. Place the onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes into a large slow cooker.
  • Place the stew meat in a large bowl and season liberally with salt and pepper. Add the flour and toss the meat until it is coated. Set the floured meat aside.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic in the hot oil for about one minute, or until soft and fragrant. Add the floured meat and all the flour from the bottom of the bowl to the skillet. Let the beef cook without stirring for a few minutes to allow it to brown on one side. Stir and repeat until most or all sides of the beef pieces are browned. Add the browned beef to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the vegetables.
  • Return the skillet to the burner and turn the heat down to low. Add the beef broth, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme to the skillet. Stir to combine the ingredients and dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Once everything is dissolved off the bottom of the skillet, pour the sauce over the ingredients in the slow cooker. The sauce will not cover the contents of the slow cooker, but it's okay. More moisture will be released as it cooks.
  • Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours. After four hours, remove the lid and stir the stew, breaking the beef into smaller pieces as you stir. Taste the stew and adjust the salt if needed. Serve hot as is, or over a bowl of rice or pasta.

Notes

 
 

Three Layer Cornbread

This was first published in The Tassajara Bread Book in 1970, and I have been making it ever since.

Three Layer Cornbread

Baker Edward Espe Brown writes, "Discovered quite by accident; one batter makes three layers. The corn meal settles. The bran rises. In the middle an egg-custardy layer. Easy! Glorious! Amazing!" Maybe a bit of hyperbole.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup corn meal medium or coarse ground
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup unbleached white flour
  • 2 Tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar or honey (I use 1/4 cup)
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 3 cups milk (soy or almond milk are fine)

Instructions
 

  • Combine wet ingredients. Stir in dry ingredients. It will be very watery. Pour into a greased 8 x 11" Pyrex pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40+ minutes or until it rises and top looks set.
  • Refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes

Pan-fried butter beans

Butter beans are a southern classic. By classic I mean 5,000 B.C. and by southern I mean Peru. They’re also one of my mom’s favorites, but I didn’t grow to love them until a few years ago when I snuck into a show and heard Cornbread & Butter Beans. With the song stuck in my head, I began cooking them up the next day.

I’ve since tried them creamed, with tomatoes & peppers, and also plain with a bit of salt & pepper, but my favorite is pan fried. It’s something I can whip up in 20 minutes, and low-maintenance enough to prepare veggies & cornbread at the same time for a quick, complete dinner.

The beans are dry, so if you’re having them with other dry dishes you may want to moisten them up with some diced tomatoes.

You also have to listen to the song when they’re cooking.

I’ve yet to find my ideal cornbread recipe, if you have one, please contribute!

IMG_20160724_202326

Pan-fried butter beans

Crinkly crackly beans with simple herbs and spices
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side Dish
Cuisine Southern, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 can butter beans 15oz can. drained and rinsed, patted dry.
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and bruised
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary thyme or cilantro or other fresh herbs will work too.
  • 2 pinches red pepper flakes
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Instructions
 

  • Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook and stir beans (be gentle, you don't want to squish them) into hot oil until the skins are golden and crispy, about 10 minutes. Stir garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper into beans; continue cooking until crispy, about 5 minutes. Drizzle vinegar over the beans and toss.

Notes

Recipe found on Food Wishes, by Chef John. As for the health effects of frying in olive oil, I found this post informative but inconclusive.