Tea Ring with Dates and Cardamom

2 packets yeast
1/4 C apple juice, lukewarm
1/3 C demerara sugar
1/3 C safflower oil
2 eggs beaten
1/2 C evaporated milk
1/2 C hot water
4 1/2 C unbleached white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cardamom seeds, freshly ground in spice grinder or small coffee mill



Dissolve yeast in apple juice. Mix together sugar, oil, eggs and evaporated milk. Heat water to a temperature so that when mixed with the rest of the wet ingredients will create a final temperature like that of warm bath water. Add 1/2 C water and dissolved yeast to wet ingredients. Sift together flour, salt and ground cardamom.
Stir flour mixture into wet ingredients. Kneed on floured board until dough is smooth. Place dough into oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel, and place in warm spot. Let rise until double in bulk. Roll into long rectangular sheet 1/2" thick. Spread date filling onto dough. Starting at one of the long ends of the rectangle roll dough jellyroll style to create long tube. On oiled cookie sheet form ring, tucking one end of the tube into the other and pressing to seal. Cut slits at 1 inch intervals with sharp knife or kitchen scissors. Set in warm spot and let rise for 90 minutes. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Date Filling

2 C pitted dates
1/2 C barley malt
juice of 1 medium grapefruit

Blend all ingredients in food processor until dates are finely chopped. Transfer mixture to small saucepan and boil for about 5 minutes until thick. Let cool.

Winter Solstice Quinoa Salad

2 1/2 C red quinoa
5 C water
6 oz. bag of baby spinach or baby arugula
small head of radiccio, sliced
1/2 C almonds, coarsely chopped
arils of 1/4 of a pomegranate



dressing
8 Tbs. frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
8 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground mace

Cook quinoa in water. Drain thoroughly. Add rest of ingredients. Add dressing immediately before serving.

Apple Ginger Salad Dressing

 3 Tbs. Frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
3 Tbs. olive oil

1Tbs.. soy sauce
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and cut into small pieces
 

Combine all ingredients in blender.

Chocolate Debauchery

A flourless chocolate cake that is baked in a waterbath, as you would a pudding, and topped with a glaze made from dried sour cherries.

3 Lindt 70% cocoa 3.5 oz. chocolate bars
2 sticks butter (yes, I know---but it's debauchery remember)
5 eggs
1 cup demerara sugar about demerara sugar

glaze

1/2 C. sweetened, dried sour cherries
6 oz. frozen concentrated apple juice thawed
1/2 tsp. arrowroot powder

Preheat oven to 350. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler. Beat the eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add melted chocolate mixture. Pour batter into a buttered 9" cake pan. Place pan in a larger pan and fill outer pan with water until it reaches 1 inch up the side of the inner pan. Cover outer pan with aluminum foil, crimp edges to seal tightly. Bake for 90 minutes or until your finger comes away clean when you lightly touch the center of the cake.

For the glaze

In a small saucepan simmer cherries in apple juice concentrate for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for one hour. Sprinkle in arrowroot powder and return to simmer until arrowroot turns clear and mixture coats back of spoon. When mixture cools to lukewarm spread on top of cake.

Black Forest Truffles

1/3 C raw almonds
1 C dried, sweetened cherries
4 dried dates
1 Tbs. soy milk
3 Tbs. grain sweetened, dark chocolate chips, such as Sunspire brand
cocoa powder

Coarsely chop almonds in a food processor. Add cherries, dates, and soy milk and process again until mixture forms a course paste--about 30 seconds or less. Add chocolate chips and mix by pulsing a few times. Roll mixture into balls the size of walnuts. Roll in cocoa powder. Refridgerate until firm.

Ruby Chard and Chicken

2T peanut oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 bunch red Swiss Chard, stems sliced in 1/4" pieces, leaves coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cubed
1 C cooked rice (jasmine is nice)
1 T tamari soy sauce
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Saute onion and chard stems in oil for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and chicken and saute about 5 minutes more till chicken is just cooked through. Add chard leaves and cook till wilted. Add rice and soy sauce heat through. Divide onto 2 plates while still quite hot and sprinkle cheese on top so that it melts slightly. Serve.

Balsamic Chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 Tbs olive oil
1 C chopped onion
t tsp brown sugar
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, partially drained
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1/4C fresh basil, chopped

Cut chicken into 1 inch strips. Brown in oil. Add 10 turns of freshly ground black pepper to chicken as it is frying. Add onions and sugar to pan. Fry until chicken is cooked through and onions are tender. Add tomatoes and vinegar and simmer for a couple minutes. Add basil and season to taste with salt. Serve over pasta.

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche with Cheddar Crust

10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 C milk
1/2 C heavy cream
1/2 C onion, finely chopped
1/4 C mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
dash pepper
3 eggs, slightly beaten

Crust
1 C grated cheddar cheese
3/4 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4-1/3 C water

Preheat oven to 400.

Put all ingredients for crust in food processor, starting with least amount of water. Pulse with large blade until ingredients come together in a ball. Add more water if necessary. Roll crust and place in bottom of pie pan.

Combine milk, cream, onion, mushroom, salt, nutmeg, and pepper in saucepan. Simmer 1 minute. Add small amount of hot mixture to eggs and blend well. Add egg mixture to mixture in saucepan and stir well. Add spinach to hot custard. Pour into unbaked crust. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then 325 for 20 minutes or until set in center.

Vegetable Lasagna

2 cloves garlic
1/4 C olive oil
4 red peppers
4 to 6 portabella mushroom caps, depending on size
1 bag baby spinach
32 oz. tub of ricotta
1 egg
2 C good quality marinara sauce, homemade or jarred
12 lasagna noodles, cooked
1 large ball fresh mozarella

The night before peel garlic and crush with the side of a knife. Soak in olive oil over night. Cut peppers in half and seed. Place skin side up on broiler pan. Broil until skin is charred. Place peppers in bowl and cover with damp dish towel. Place mushroom caps on broiler, skin side up and brush with garlic infused oil. Season with salt and pepper. Broil, turning once until tender. Reduce oven temperature to 375. Lightly steam spinach until just wilted. Peel skin from peppers and slice mushroom caps. Mix ricotta cheese and egg. Layer lasagna by putting 1/4 C tomato sauce on bottom of pan, follow with a layer of noodles, ricootta mixture then, mushrooms; make two more layers like this using the peppers, then the spinach. Slice mozarella and put on top. Bake for 50 minutes.

Shakti Rice

3/4 C basmati rice, uncooked
2 tbs clarified butter or ghee
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp curry
3 C homemade chicken broth
1/4 C carrots, finely diced
1/4 C peanuts, chopped


Preheat oven to 375. Fry rice and onions in butter until onion is transparent. Add spices and stir until well mixed. Pour mixture into 1 qt casserole dish. Add chicken broth and carrots to same pan as you fried the rice mixture and bring to a boil. Pour boiling chicken broth into casserole. Add peanuts. Bake 35-40 minutes.

Black Forest Galettes

A St. Valentine's Day dessert
1 C buckwheat flour
1/3 C unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 1/2 C milk
3 Tbs barley malt
2 Tbs melted butter
3 eggs

Place all ingredients in a food processor. Mix until smooth. Let batter rest in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Filling

8 oz marscapone cheese
3 Tbs black cherry preserves
2 Tbs port wine

Mix in food processor until smooth.


Sauce

1 24 oz jar sour cherries
2 Tbs arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp almond extract
sugar to taste

Strain cherries reserving liquid. Place liquid in small saucepan and add arrowroot and sugar. The sauce should still retain some tartness. Boil until liquid thickens slightly and coats back of spoon. Add almond extract. Add reserved cherries. Let cool.

To cook crepes use 2 frying pans-- one 7 inch, one larger. Melt butter in pans. If batter has thickened while resting add a little water. Ladle batter into 7" pan and swirl to coat bottom. Cook until edges are set and crepe begins to buckle away from pan. Invert pan over larger frying pan to cook other side. Cook until middle has just set.

Spread marscapone over crepe and fold once. Cover with cherry sauce.

Wild Salmon and Rice Burgers

Wild Rice Wild Caught Salmon Wild

1 lb Salmon or Arctic Char, skinned
4 Tbs fresh parsley coarsely chopped
1/2 C wild rice, cooked
1/4 C hazelnuts
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 slices whole grain sourdough bread
1 Tbs dried, rubbed sage
butter for frying

Chop hazelnuts in food processor. Divide salmon in half. Coarsely slice one half and put in food processor along with parsley, half of the rice, egg, and salt. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Chop the remaining salmon into small chunks. Mix with salmon mixture, and hazelnuts. Add Dijon mustard and remaining wild rice. Form into patties. Toast bread until golden and make breadcrumbs from toast in food processor. Add sage to breadcrumbs and spread mixture on plate. Dredge patties in breadcrumb mixture. Fry in butter on medium heat.

Turkish Meatball Hors d'Oeuvres

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C packed fresh cilantro
1/4 C packed fresh parsley
1/2 C walnuts
1/4 tsp whole allspice
1/4 tsp whole cardamom seeds (the seeds inside the pod, not the whole pod)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of cayenne
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
I C cooked kasha (toasted whole buckwheat groats)
1 lb ground lamb
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400. Cook kasha according to package directions (or if you purchased it in bulk without package-- it is 1 part kasha to 2 parts water and boil for 10 minutes or until thick). Grind allspice and cardamom seeds in a spice mill or small coffee grinder dedicated to spices. Add onion, garlic, salt, fresh herbs, walnuts, and all the spices to a food processor, whirl until ingredients are finely chopped, but not pasty. Transfer mixture to a bowl and combine with kasha, lamb, and egg. Form into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and arrange on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, turn with spatula, bake 10 minutes more.

Brown Bread

A slightly sweet, quick bread that would go well with a bean soup on a winter's day.
1 C buttermilk
1 C sour cream
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 C molasses
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C turbinado sugar
1 egg
1 1/3 C unbleached white flour
1 1/3 C whole wheat flour
2 Tbs melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. In one large bowl combine ingredients in the exact order listed above. Pour into a greased loaf pan and let rise 20 minutes. Bake 50-55 min. or until cake tester comes out clean.

Maple Rosemary Chicken

1/2 C white wine
1/4 C pure maple syrup
1/4 olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice
2 tsp dried rosemary or 2 Tbs fresh
1 tsp salt
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 chicken cut up

Mix first 7 ingredients in a non-metallic bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat. Marinate at least 4 hrs. in refrigerator. Place chicken in baking pan and bake at 450 for 1 hour basting with marinade.

Sweet Potato Leek Soup

1 bunch leeks
2 Tbs butter
2 sweet potatoes
4 C water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Slice white and very light green part of leek. Rinse to get rid of any sand. Saute in butter until translucent and soft. Peel and thinly slice sweet potato. Add to leeks. Saute 3 minutes. Add water and thyme. Bring to boil. Simmer partly covered for 20 minutes until vegetables are very soft. Add milk, white pepper, and salt. Puree in blender. Return to pot and heat through.