Roasted Beets

I cannot believe I am posting this recipe because my 10 year old self disliked beets to the core. I still wasn’t a fan of them until tonight when I picked up the CSA box and there were 6 beets staring at me. This recipe made me enjoy beets. You’ve got to try it!

6 beets (gold or red or a mix), peeled and cut into 1inch cubes

2 Tb Olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tb rosemary 

Salt to taste

Pepper, freshly ground to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

2. Place oil in large bowl. Wash, peel and cut beets. Place beets in bowl and stir to coat with oil. 

3. Mince garlic and add to bowl. Strip rosemary branches of herb and add to bowl. Mix everything well. Add salt and pepper. 

4. Place on baking sheet and put in oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes, turning at least once for good browning. 

5. After removing from oven, add additional salt as needed. Enjoy!

Naan

I learned how to make this recipe from an Indian friend of mine and it is amazingly easy and very delicious.

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 Tb vegetable oil in a bowl to moisten fingers when forming bread

1. Mix flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar together.
2. Whisk milk and egg together.
3. Slowly add milk/egg mixture to dry ingredients to form a dough.  It should not be too sticky.  If so, add more flour.
4. From dough into golf size pieces.
5. Roll out dough balls thinly and cook over skillet on the stove.  Flipping after about 2 minutes.
6. Brush butter over the top, if desired, and serve.

Pickled Jalepeños w/ Onions and Carrots (Escabeche)

While these jars may not be as showy as the jewel-like peach jam, they are packed full of flavor and my favorite way to preserve jalepeños, not to mention carrots! Superb on tacos or as a garnish for mole.

1 lb (10-12 good sized) jalepeños
3 regular sweet onions (or 2 large)
4 medium carrots
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
4 cups vinegar (apple cider or white)
2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp sugar

1. Prepare 5 pint jars, lids, and rims and a hot water bath for canning.

2. Remove stems from jalepeños, quarter and clean out seeds. (Wearing rubber gloves for this is very helpful.) Peel garlic and cut in half. Slice onions and carrots into thick slices.

3. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add jalepeños, onions, and carrots and sauté for 7 minutes. Add oregano and sauté an additional three minutes.

4. Add the vinegar, salt, and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the jalepeños are cooked through (a dull olive green - no longer vibrant green).

5. Fill 4 - 5 pint jars with jalepeños and veggies. Pour vinegar mixture from the skillet equally into jars and seal. Process in the hot water bath fro 10 minutes.

Keep sealed jars on pantry shelf for up to one year. Once opened, keep refrigerated for up to 2 months.

Yellow Curried Lentils (slow cooker style)

This is an adapted recipe from The Indian Slow Cooker, a cook book that I would highly recommend. These recipes couldn't be easier or more satisfying since you get so much more than you put in. Having the right spices is a must, as in all Indian food.

2 cups lentils (I prefer red for their color)
1 onion, chopped
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
3 medium potatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp salt
6 cups water
1 can coconut milk or 1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt

1. Sort and rinse the lentils. Put lentils, vegetables, oil, spices, salt, and water in a slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 4 hours then on high for one last hour (lentils should be completely broken down). Turn slow cooker off.
3. Stir in the coconut milk or yogurt. Let the curry sit for at least 20 minutes to an hour allowing the flavors meld.
4. Serve over basmati rice or brown rice.

Feel free to add fresh or frozen peas before you stir in the coconut milk or yogurt for an extra veggie.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

"Nothing is more certain than bread." - Dostoevsky

Use a heavy-duty mixer like a Bosch or Kitchen Aid to make this 4-loaf batch. See the Whole Wheat Bread By Hand recipe if you don't have a serious mixer (it's still worth it).

Four Loaf Batch
sponge
7 cups warm water (about 110º)
2 Tbsp instant yeast (SAF or RedStar)
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
- - - - - - - - - -
12 cups whole wheat flour (or a mix of whole wheat and white)

1. In the bowl of a heavy duty mixer, combine the water, yeast, honey, salt, and 1 cup of the flour. Stir until incorporated then let the sponge proof 5-7 minutes or until frothy-bubbly.

2. Add 6 cups flour and and mix until almost incorporated. NOTE: To keep the flour from flying out of the mixing bowl, use the lid OR turn your mixer on and off quickly at first to get quick, short rotations.

3. With the mixer on slow speed, slowly add another 6 cups of flour (and possibly more), one at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Mix/knead for 5-7 minutes to make a moist, thick, soft, elastic, and rather sticky dough. NOTE: mix/knead for an additional minute or two if using part white flour.

4. Remove the dough hook, scraping off the clinging dough, and cover bowl with a clean towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area until the dough has doubled in volume, about 20 - 40 minutes.

5. Heat oven to 375º. Liberally grease four 8.5" x 4" loaf pans. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut into four equal pieces with a bench knife or large knife. Gently knead about ten times and shape dough into loaf shapes and place in pans. NOTE: For a more rustic look, gently rub the tops of the loaves with flour before putting them in the pans. Let loaves rise until almost doubled in volume, about 15-30 minutes, or until the sides of the loaf are 1/4" from the rim of the pan.

6. Score the tops on an angle with a sharp serrated knife. NOTE: To avoid deflating the risen loaves, use a fairly quick motion when doing this. Bake for 38-40 minutes. Transfer the bread immediately from the baking pans to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely (about 3 hours) before wrapping in plastic bags.


You can add sunflower, flax, millet and a variety of other seeds, raisins, cinnamon, cinnamon chips, dried fruit, nuts, cheese, etc. to make different kinds of bread. For an entire batch, add these ingredients at the end of step three. Or for one or two loaves, add these ingredients during the second kneading (by hand). You can also do a mix of whole wheat and white flours to make a light wheat or white batch.

Easy Tikka Masala

This is one of the easiest tikka masala recipes I've made. And who doesn't like tikka masala? You can make it vegetarian by replacing chicken with tofu.

4 chicken breasts
OR
1 package extra firm tofu

Marinade
1 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp lemon juice (juice from 1 small lemon)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp red pepper
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger

Sauce
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp salt
1 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1-2 cups cream

1. Combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, red pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, salt, and ground ginger in a dish or large ziploc bag for the marinade.
2. Cut the chicken or tofu into 1-inch cubes and toss in marinade to coat. Place in fridge 1-2 hours.
3. Prepare the sauce: melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook for 1 minute. Add coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala, and salt, stir to combine.
4. Add tomato sauce and chickpeas, simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Cook chicken or tofu in skillet until done. Add to the sauce then stir in cream according to desired spiciness: 1 cup for hot-medium, 2 cups for medium-mild.

Serve over basmati or jasmine rice and naan, garnish with fresh cilantro.