Sunday, April 22, 2012

Citrus Drop Cookies

Wanted something sweet and was remembering the orange drop cookies my mom and grandmother used to make. This is not the same but satisfied my sweet tooth just the same. This is an approximate recipe. The cookies wanted to crumble a bit but were a nice texture.

Orange/Lemon Drop Cookies
Zest from one small orange
Zest from half a lemon
1/2 cup turbinato sugar
1/8 cup corn meal
1/8 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup juice from orange and lemon
1/4 cup grape seed oil
1 tbsp soy milk plus more as needed
Mix dry ingredients then stir in wet adding soy milk to get a moist batter. Drop on baking sheet and bake in 400 degree oven 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Made 14 cookies.

Icing
2 tsp lemon and orange juice
1 tsp soil milk
1 tsp grape seed oil
Powdered sugar
Mix in small glass until don't think can add more sugar. Heat 20 seconds in microwave and then stir more sugar into mix. Spread on cookies and it will set as it cools.

Mustard Curry with Chickpeas and Potatoes

Making lunch with what is left in the refrigerator. This is bases on a curry concept with the sauce made of red lentils. Satisfying, acceptable, but not great.

Mustard Curry with Chickpeas and Potatoes
1 can chickpeas rinsed
1 lb of fingerling potatoes
1 cup of red lentils
3 cups of water
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
Bay leaf
4 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp walnut oil
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp back mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 dash turmeric
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup of leftover caramelized onions
Water to thin

Potatoes boiled in salted water 20 minutes. Drained and cooled under cold water. Peeled and sliced into curry at the end.

Lentils cooked in boiling water with carrot, celery, bay leaf, and garlic pieces from 1 clove for 20 minutes. Remove veggies and mash lentils with spoon till creamy.

Sauté in the olive oil the spices. Lower heat and add garlic. Add chickpeas and some water. Cook for a bit to allow flavors to meld. Add the onions, potatoes, and lentils when ready. Add water to thin and serve.

Pizza - White Beans and Caramelized Onions

Red onions were cooked with olive oil, thyme, bay leaf, and pepper with balsamic vinegar stirred in at the end. White beans were puréed with a smoky hot sauce, oregano, thyme, olive oil, water, and salt. A whole wheat pita was split into its layers and placed on a baking sheet. The pita tore into several pieces which worked just fine. White beans were spread over pita and topped with the onions. Baked on sheet for 20 minutes in 400 degree oven. Excellent appetizer like dish used as dinner.

Pizza - Dill and Asparagus on Whole Wheat Crust

Homemade crust of 50% whole wheat flour topped with olive oil, dill and steamed asparagus stems baked in 500 degree oven on a hearth stone. Shown here as leftovers for lunch at work. Yum both fresh and second day.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Herbivore Banana Bread Half Stack

I wanted a herbivore banana bread that would be similar to the one I grew up with. I knew this one would be a bit denser so I made two shallow loaves vs. the one tall one. The crust is my favorite part so this upped my crust ratio too. Tasted great but need to work on the texture. Logged the recipe but too lazy to rewrite here until it is a bit more perfected.