Veggie Burger

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans (I used S&W Organic Black beans, which did not need to be drained and rinsed, but another brand’s beans might need to be drained and rinsed), mashed with a potato masher
1/2 onion, minced
1/2 beet, finely shredded
1/2 stick carrot, finely shredded
2 inches red pepper, finely diced
2 inches green pepper, finely diced
1 tsp garlic (I use the bottled diced kind from Costco)
1/2 can Old El Paso green chilies, mild
1/4 bunch finely chopped parsley
1 tsp cumin (to taste)
1 tsp cholula (to taste)
1/4 tsp white pepper (to taste)
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 egg
3/4 c breadcrumbs (or as needed to get desired consistency)

Directions:

1. Place beans in large bowl. Mash until half mashed (or desired consistency).
2. Add all ingredients except egg and breadcrumbs. Mix well.
3. Add egg. Mix well.
4. Add breadcrumbs. Mix until the consistency is such that you can form patties.
5. Put in refrigerator for 1 hour to let the flavors blend.
6. Grill on grill, or cook on stove like a pancake – which take around 8 min on each side, or bake, which takes around 10 min on each side at 375F. Makes 4 (ish?) patties.
7. Enjoy with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, mustard, mayo, ketchup, ranch dressing, whatever you happen to like. 🙂
8. Leftover uncooked patties can be frozen. I’d separate with wax paper and then cook as per directions in #6 above. No need to defrost before cooking. This makes a quick, easy and filling weeknight meal, particularly if you’ve done the prep work beforehand and frozen a bunch of patties.

Egg Salad

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Just Mayo
1 tbsp cream cheese [optional]
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice [a squeeze of fresh lemon juice]
6 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 c chopped dill (a small handful)
5 chopped olives (or pimientos) [optional]
1 tsp sweet relish [optional]
1 tsp chopped parsley [optional]

To serve:

bread, lettuce, sliced radishes

Directions:

Mix well.

NOTE1: Some people separate the yolks and mix with the mayo.

 

Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

Cut sweet potatoes into matchstick size. Roughly 1/4 in by 1/4 in.

Wash thoroughly.

Create slurry, 1 part corn starch, 1 part water in flat bowl.

Coat matchstick sweet potatoes in slurry, place in flat dish or on metal mesh sheet.

Heat peanut oil to medium high heat.

Drop matchsticks in, one by one, for a batch a handful at a time. Because of the cornstarch, the matchsticks stick together if you put them all in by the handful. Let cook on medium high heat until cornstarch is solidified and matchsticks are a light golden brown. Put into dish with a few paper towels in it to drain.

Make seasoning: salt, garlic powder, black pepper, white pepper, paprika.

Make dip: 1 part just mayo, 1 part ketchup. Cholula to taste.

WHEN READY TO EAT: Get a second dish, line it with paper towels. Heat oil to medium high/high heat. Fry matchsticks a SECOND time. They will brown up really really fast now. Take them out, drain the oil on the paper towel covered dish, season well. Enjoy with the dip.

YUM YUM YUM.

Puppy Chow

NOTE: This is NOT for dogs. This is a snack with a “cute” name. It is for humans. This snack is super popular in the Midwestern US, and it tastes SOO good. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

9 cups Chex cereal (any kind)(rice work best..)
1 cup (or 6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1⁄2 cup smooth peanut butter, melted
1⁄4 cup butter, melted
1 -2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1⁄2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Measure cereal in large bowl.
2. Set aside.
3. Microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter for 1 minute on high.
4. Stir.
5. Cook for 30 seconds longer or until smooth.
6. Add vanilla.
7. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until coated.
8. Pour mixture into large bowl and add powdered sugar.
9. Mix well until all the chex are coated.
10. Spread on waxed paper to cool.
11. Enjoy!

Apple Dutch Baby

From: Epicurious

BATTER:

3 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

APPLES:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large Pink Lady apple, peeled, sliced 1/4″ thick
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Whisk batter ingredients in mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. Make apples: heat 2 tbsp butter in cast iron, add apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook until apple is soft, around 4 min. Transfer to another bowl, set aside. Wipe down cast iron.
4. Heat cast iron in hot oven for 8 to 10 min. Add 2 tbsp butter, coating bottom and sides of cast iron. Add apples. Pour batter on top.
5. Bake until pancake is puffy and golden brown at the edges and the center is set but still custardy, 12-15 min.
6. Serve with maple syrup or apple cider syrup.

APPLE CIDER SYRUP:

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix well. Let boil over medium heat in large saucepan for 30-40 min, until reduced and syrupy. Let cool, cover and chill.
2. Syrup can be made up to one week ahead. Let warm to room temperature before serving.

Corn Fritters 2

Corn Fritters

Ingredients:

3 fresh boiled or roasted corns on the cob; take a knife and cut the kernels off of the cob
1 c all purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 c milk
2-3 tbsp sugar (or brown sugar, or maple syrup, or other natural sweetener)
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 jalapeno, finely diced or sliced
1/2 tsp paprika
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 c corn meal (optional)

Directions:

1. Blend half the corn kernals and the milk together.
2. Add rest of wet ingredients to corn milk blended mixture.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.  Mix well.
4. Add corn and jalapenos last.
5. Let sit 10 minutes.
6. Use small cookie cutter scoop to drop dough into fryer.
7. Deep fry on medium heat.
8. Serve warm.

Dip:

Ingredients:

1/2 c yogurt or sour cream
2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
dash salt
dash paprika
dash cumin powder

Directions:

1. Mix well.
2. Serve with fritters.

Cast Iron Cornbread

I make this in a cast iron dutch oven. It can be made in an 8 x 8 brownie pan as well.

This is my original recipe.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 c milk
1/2 c sour cream
1/3 c sugar
1/2 c mashed potatoes (leftovers work perfect)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1 c yellow cornmeal
1 c all purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preaheat oven to 425 F. PLACE CAST IRON DUTCH OVEN INTO OVEN WHILE IT IS PREHEATING.
2. Mix wet ingredients in kitchenaid.
3. Mix dry ingredients in other bowl.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in kitchenaid. Mix well.
5. Take cast iron out of oven. Add 2 tsp of butter and swirl around until bottom of pan is coated.
6. Add batter to cast iron.
7. Bake (without lid!) for 30 min.
8. Cool, cut and enjoy!

Note: If you make potato soup and have leftovers, you can use that as well, or corn soup or mushroom soup. Adjust the milk content downward to compensate for the liquidity of the soup. Cornbread batter has the consistency of thick pancake batter.

Optional: Chop a jalapeno into the batter if you like your cornbread spicy.

 

Kicked Up Apple Crisp

I’m of Indian origin, and I like spices. For most American recipes, I generally double, triple or quadruple the amount of spices specified. Most people don’t, spices are expensive, and they don’t know which spice blends well with others. The below recipe is, IMHO, what a proper apple crisp should taste like. If you don’t like spices, simply omit them, or minimally use 1/2 tsp cinnamon only.

This is my original recipe. Enjoy!

Note: Always use McCormick spices for best flavors. Yes, it is worth the money, and yes, it makes a difference. If you can’t afford McCormick, just omit the spices altogether. Bad spices will really mar the flavor of your baking, and totally undermine the work you put into your meal.

This is a one dish (the pyrex brownie pan) and one bowl (for the dry ingredients) recipe. No measuring cup or anything to clean, just use a big tablespoon and a knife to cut the butter. Spices are not measured either, just sprinkle evenly straight from the bottle.

Important: do not substitute other apple types for the granny smith apples. Yes, it makes a difference. Granny smith apples are preferred in baking because they don’t get mushy when you bake them. See picture of the apples at right, fork cut after baking:

Also, granny smith apples are tart, so if you sub in something else, the sugar content will have to be adjusted. I like the blend of sweet and sour and spicy the granny smith apples provide. It makes the dessert feel less sweet (and easier to finish a whole pan by yourself!)

Yield: One 8×8 brownie pan full.

Ingredients:

FILLING:

2 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
1 tsp ginger, ground
1/2 tsp allspice, ground
1/4 tsp clove, ground
1/4 stick butter, softened
1/4 tsp lemon juice (fresh!)

TOPPING:

4 big tablespoons all purpose flour
6 big tablespoons quaker oats
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line up sliced apples in bottom of pyrex pan. One layer is sufficient. Eat any extras. You will generally use 1.5 large granny smith apples for the one layer, or 2 small granny smith apples.
2. Squeeze lemon juice over the apples.
3. Sprinkle spices over the apples.
4. Dot butter over the apples.
5. It should look like this:
6. Now mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Use your hands and smush it all together. When it is all mixed well, and there isn’t any loose flour or oatmeal wandering around, you are done. It should look like this (you can see the tablespoon I used to measure the flour and oatmeal in the picture too):
7. Now lay the flour mixture over the apples in the pan in a nice even layer. It won’t be perfect. It doesn’t matter. In the oven, it’ll mix and ooze deliciously regardless. It looks like this before you put it in the oven:
8. Bake 375 F for 25 min. It will ooze and bubble deliciously.
9. Enjoy hot out of the oven. Tastes great covered with whipping cream (liquid or whipped), ice cream, or yogurt, drizzled with caramel sauce.
10. Enjoy!

This dessert is super fast and super easy, it takes 15 minutes to put together.

Bake it just as you and your family are sitting down to dinner, and by the time you finish, a nice hot dessert will be ready for you!

I love serving this to guests and to family for the holidays, or bringing it to a potluck. If you omit the spices, the apple crisp still tastes good, and becomes a very economical option for gifting. Yum yum yum! Enjoy!

Maryetta’s Oatmeal Bread

I just want the one loaf, so I’m making a third of the original recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/3 c boiling water
1 c rolled oats
2 c all purpose flour (maybe a 1/2 c or so more)
2 tsp yeast
1.5 tsp salt
3 tsp oil
3 tbsp molasses

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour boiling water over oatmeal in large bowl. Leave to cool.
2. Add 1/2 c flour and yeast.
3. LET RISE uncovered until doubled in bulk.
4. Punch down and add salt, oil, molasses, and remaining flour for stiff dough.
5. Knead for 10 min to make a smooth, pliable, firm dough. DO not knead too much.
6. Form dough into loaves. Place into buttered 9 x 5 x 3 in loaf tin. (I used a metal nonstick pan)
7. LET RISE uncovered until doubled in bulk.
8. Bake 350 F for 40-60 min. (Mine was done in 40 min)
9. Cool completely before slicing.
10. Enjoy!

 

KAF Hard Rolls

Yield: 12 small rolls.

STARTER

1/2 cup cool water
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

DOUGH

all of the starter
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

EGG WASH

1 large egg white mixed with 1-2 tablespoon cool water

Instructions

DAY 1: Making the starter: (15 minutes)

Mix the starter ingredients together until smooth, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight.

DAY 2: Making the rolls: (4 hours rise time, 3 hours fridge time, 30 min bake time) — these rolls are an ALL DAY affair.

1. Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead them together — by hand, mixer or bread machine — until you’ve made a soft, somewhat smooth dough; it should be cohesive, but the surface may still be a bit rough. It may also stick to the bowl just the tiniest bit.
2. LET RISE 1 HOUR, then deflate and turn over.
3. LET RISE 2 HOURS, then deflate and turn over.
4. Shape dough into 12 balls.
5. LET RISE 1-2 HOURS, UNTIL PUFFY.
6. REFRIGERATE the rolls, covered, for 2-3 hours.
7. Preheat oven to 425 F.
8. MAKE EGG WASH. Brush onto rolls.
9. Slash a 1/4″ deep cut across the top of each roll. Immediately put the rolls into the oven.
10. Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re a deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.
11. OR, for best crunch, open the oven door, and allow the rolls to cool in the turned-off, open-door oven.