Muhammara

Muhammara

Photo courtesy of Gday Souffle

Mix dry ingredients and set aside:

1 c walnuts, finely chopped in processor

1/2 c. panko bread crumbs

In food processor, blend the following wet ingredients:

3 whole roasted peppers (16 oz.)

4 cloves garlic

2.5 tomato puree

1/4 c. olive oil

2 T. pomegranate molasses

1 t. lemon juice

1/4 c. Italian parsley

1 t. salt

1 t. cumin

2 t. sumac

4 t. aleppo

Scrape wet ingredients into mixing bowl with dry ingredients and stir until well blended. 

Serve with vegetables, pita, charcuterie, or meat.  If serving as a dip, drizzle with olive oil and fresh mint leaves.

Miracle Bread

Miracle Bread

Most of the recipes on here are my own. This one is not! I made a couple of minor substitutes, which worked out well.  Most of the ingredients are not pantry staples for me, so I ordered one item online and found other ingredients at Trader Joe's. I likely could have sourced the ingredients at Fresh Thyme or Global Foods also. 

Toss together in a medium bowl: 

1 c. sunflower seeds 

1/2 c. flax seed meal

1/2 c. sliced almonds

1 1/2 c. rolled oats

2 T. chia seeds

3 T. psyllium husk powder

1 t. Himalayan sea salt 

Whisk together: 

1 T. maple syrup 

3 T. melted coconut oil 

1 1/2 c. warm water

Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir until it becomes very thick (if it's too thick, add a bit more water...but this ratio worked well for me). Pat into a lightly greased loaf pan then let it sit for at least 2 hours, or as long as overnight. I added a generous topping of hemp seeds and pressed them into the dough. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove loaf from pan (gently loosen sides before turning pan upside down), then bake on a pan for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped.

Let bread cool before slicing. I sliced the entire load thinly (~1/4"), pulled out a few slices for immediate use, then double wrapped in plastic wrap and foil before freezing the rest. 

I've used this gluten free bread as "crackers" on a charcuterie board, as buttered toast, and I've piled it with everything from mackeral and avocado, to fig butter and burrata. It provides an excellent foundation for any flavor profile as it's own taste is derived from "neutral" ingredients. Here you go!

Black Trumpet Charcuterie

My brother brought me some black trumpets from his property in French Village MO.  This was the first time I ever had them.  They were the most expensive free mushrooms ever, but worth every single penny!  The picture tells the rest of the story.

 

Trout Pico

Trout Pico

makes about 3-4 cups

2-3 lb. Steelhead trout filet

1/2 medium red onion

3-4" Anaheim pepper, seeds removed

6-8 garlic cloves

1 cob yellow corn

1 avocado, finely diced

1/2 large baked sweet potato, finely diced

1/4 lime juice

1 small tomato, finely diced

1 clementine, peeled, finely chopped

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Sprinkle trout with pepper and smoked salt.  Bake at 450 degrees fat side down for 15 minutes, or until tender and flaky.  While hot, flake the flesh from the fat, transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until ready to add to the dip.

Place chunks of the red onion, flesh of the Anaheim pepper, and the garlic cloves into a small processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Place in a mixing bowl.  Cut kernels from uncooked cob. Add corn, avocado, sweet potato, and lime juice to the mixing bowl.  Toss, cover, and refrigerate.  

Just before serving, add the tomato, cilantro, clementine, and trout to the mixing bowl and toss well. 

Serve with root chips or salt n pepper kettle chips.

Immune Booster Soup

Dozens of methods and ingredients can produce a delicious bowl of soup.  In my world, garlic and onion are non-negotiables but, beyond that, almost anything goes.  Veggie only? Meat-heavy? Noodles? Rice? YES.   Blended? Brothy? Chunky? YES.  Multi-pot, multi-step process? One big dump in one big pot? YES.  I like 'em all...I make 'em all! 

But the key to a hearty, extra-health-boosting soup is a broth chock full of grown goodness.  Combine a variety of the freshest plants you can find: roots, tubers, herbs, fungi, pods, bulbs, etc.  If you're a meat eater (as I am) the combination of a plant based broth with a long-simmered bone broth creates an even healthier base for an immune-boosting soup.

Sometimes I plan the ingredients, sometimes I use what I have on hand.  Sometimes, I freeze the random parts of vegetables that I'm not using in another dish for later use in a broth (potato skins, ends of carrots, celery tops, leafy green remains, beet greens, etc. etc. etc.)  

Today's Broth

• Smoked ham hocks
• Smoked pork neck bones
• 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 bunch parsley
• 2 twigs rosemary
• 2 sprigs tarragon
• 2-3 sprigs dill
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 1-2 T. turmeric
• 1 T. ground black pepper
• 3-4" piece ginger, sliced
• 4 Sancha Matcha tea bags
• "Discarded" veggie parts (potato skins, celery tops, collard green ends, carrot ends, etc...) 
  
• Water to cover everything

Boil for 2+ hours.  Remove chicken meat and reserve for soup. Drain broth and discard all remaining vegetable parts and bones.  Boil broth until reduced by about 1/3.

To the reduced broth, add the following:

Sautéed Caramelized Veggies

• Coconut oil 
• 50 cloves garlic, whole
• 2 medium onions, diced

Fresh Chopped Veggies

• 4 carrots, sliced
• 6 stalks celery, diced
• 1 XL sweet potato, diced
• 1 russet potato, diced
• 2-3 c. green beans
• 2 c. mushrooms, sliced

Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-60 minutes before serving.

Blueberry Shade

Blueberry Shade

The daughter-in-law is a fan of a good Lemon Drop martini, so I keep lemon vodka on hand for her visits.  I concocted this alternative in her honor and...in her absence.

1 shot frozen lemon simple syrup 

    1/2 c. water

    1/2 c. sugar

    ~2 T. lemon juice

1 shot Absolut Citron, freezer cold

1 small handful frozen blueberries

This little monster packs a punch for lightweights like me, so keep that in mind.  It is VERY drinkable and a perfect balance of sweet, tart, and fruity.  ENJOY!! 

Blue Dejavu

The taste of this one transported me right back to the high school gym where I ate endless cartons of Dannon's Blueberry Yogurt...you remember, the ones that were full of sweet fruity goodness at the bottom?  Soooo good!

1 c. blueberries

1/2 c. vanilla yogurt

1/4 c. almond milk

That's all folks.  Simple and dessert-like deliciousness.

Green Wakey Wakey!

I prepare large batches of sandwich size baggies stuffed with freshly chopped ingredients, then freeze them so they are ready to go at a moment's notice.  

Today's baggie included about:

1 tightly packed handful Spinach 

1 generous pinch Cilantro leaves

3-4 slices or bite-size chunks of:

Apple

Cucumber

Mango

Avocado 

Place in blender then add these liquids and blend to your preferred consistency:

1/4 c. coconut milk yogurt 

1/4 c. almond milk

1/4 c. water

2 T. hydrated chia seeds

1 sweet n low (I know...but...)

This one was more flavorful than I expected!  It had a bright wake-up-the-palate flavor and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Irish Oatmeal Bread

This makes a large, hearty loaf with a crisp crust and tender interior.  A mild, nutty tasting bread that pairs well with soup and makes an excellent toast with honey butter. 

Add to a small bowl and let soak for 2 hours, stirring once:

1 c. McCann's Steel Cut Irish Oats

1 c. boiling water 

30 minutes before oats have finished soaking, place medium-size dutch oven and lid in a 375 degree oven and leave until dough is fully prepared.

When oats have soaked for 2 hours, stir in the following:

1/2 c. melted butter

1/4 c. full fat plain yogurt

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together:

2/3 c. stoneground whole wheat flour

1/3 c. almond flour

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour

2 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. sea salt

In a glass measuring cup, mix together:

2/3 c. water

1 t. baking soda

1 T. vinegar

Make a well in the flour and alternately add oat mixture and water, using a fork to blend and form a sticky dough ball.

Add dough ball to hot dutch oven, cover, and bake at 375 for about 1 hour.  

Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.  When bread is done, immediately remove loaf from the dutch oven to a cooling rack.

The bread slices well right out of the oven so there's no need to wait for that first taste! 

Ramen

Prepare Broth

Broth Phase 1: Dashi
Place the following in a large soup pot and soak for 15+ hours.

• 3-4 oz. Kombu Kelp - more white powder is better (GLOBAL FOODS)
• 2 T. dried scallops (AMAZON)
• 16 c. cold water 

Discard the kelp and scallops; reserve the liquid which is your "Dashi" and will eventually be added to your broth.

Broth Phase 2: Pork Broth
I could not find the bones that most recipes called for (ham, thigh, back) so I improvised with what I found. 

In a large stock pot, "clean" the bones by boiling for 10 minutes, then drain, reserving meat and bones:

• 6 lbs pork neck bones
• 4 lbs smoked ham shanks
• Water to cover

Add to stock pot:

• Previously boiled meat & bones 
• 10 XL garlic bulbs
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded
• 1 medium leek (or 1/4 c. Japanese leek)
• 2" piece ginger root, sliced

OPTIONAL: Consider browning the vegetables before putting them in the broth for extra flavor depth.

Bring to a rolling boil for 2 hours; soft boil 5 hours (overnight for me); then another 5 hours of rolling boil or till reduced by 2/3.  At some point, I removed the bones and extracted the gelatinous goo from the middle of them, returning both to the pot. 

Add to broth:

• Dashi (kelp/scallop water from Phase 1)
• 5 c. water

Bring to a rolling boil for another 4 hours or until reduced by about 1/3.   Remove bones and vegetables and let broth cool.  

NOTE: The rolling boil is very important as it allows the water, fat, and marrow to emulsify, creating a milky broth.  When this broth is cooled, the fat doesn't rise to the top because the liquids are all incorporated and no longer separate.

To serve, add to bottom of bowl:

• 1 1/2 T. Miso Tare (recipe below)
• 1 T. Garlic Oil (recipe below)
• 1 T. Tahini
• Dab of Yuzu (a green chili-citrus-salt paste in a tube - GLOBAL FOODS)
• Dab of Thai Chili Paste - optional

Ladle broth over top and gently whisk together.

Add Noodles.  I could not find proper ramen noodles, so I ended up using some fresh Korean Somen noodles and I thought they worked great!

Add Toppings:

• Soft boiled egg (instructions below)
• Pan seared Enoki mushrooms
• Thinly sliced scallions
• Crispy shredded pork (recipe below)

Prepare Flavorings & Toppings 

Miso Tare

• 1 1/4 c. Shiro miso (white)
• 1/2 c. aji or aka miso (red)
• 1/4 c. hatcho or haccho miso 
• 1 1/2 T. Yuzu
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3" piece ginger root
• 1/2 onion
• 2 T. soy sauce
• 1/4 t. Kadoya sesame oil 

Process all ingredients until thoroughly blended.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mayu - Garlic Oil

• 1/4 c. canola oil
• 2 T. Coconut oil
• 15-20 garlic cloves, minced

In a saucepan, heat oil on high, add garlic.  Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until garlic turns dark brown and sticky.  This took at least an hour!  Transfer to a processor, add:

• 1/4 c. Kadoya sesame oil

OPTIONAL: you can return the garlic oil to the saucepan, add 2 fresh minced garlic cloves and 2 minced Thai bird chiles, and cook until bubbly - before proceeding to next step

When pulverized, stir in:

• 3 T. pan-toasted sesame seeds, roughly ground
• 2 t. sugar
• Pinch of coarse grey sea salt

Seal and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Tahini

• 1/4 c. sesame seeds, toasted in skillet
• 3-5 T. neutral oil (avacado or grapeseed)

Blend in processor to desired consistency.  I made mine thinner than typical nut butter.

Soft Boiled Eggs

• 6 eggs
• 2 quarts boiling water

Pierce the fat end of each egg with a thumbtack (prevents cracking and air bubbles), the carefully lower into water.  Maintain a bare simmer for 6 minutes.

Drain and carefully peel eggs under cold running water.  They will be quite delicate.

OPTIONAL: I marinated mine in the broth from the pork (recipe below) but do not believe it added much to the overall flavor of the dish, so I may not do that next time.  The marinated egg is called Ajitsuke Tamago.

Crispy Shredded Pork

• 5-7 lbs. Pork Shoulder or Butt
• 1 c. sake 
• 1/2 c. mirin
• 1/2 c. soy sauce
• 1/2 c. brown sugar 
• 6 scallions, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2" ginger root, chopped
• 1 shallot, quartered

Place Pork in roasting pan.  Add all other ingredients, cover with foil, and roast at 250 degrees overnight (6-8 hours).

Remove and cool slightly before shredding the pork.  Before serving, crisp in a skillet with a little soy sauce and mirin.    

Kimchee

Kimchee

Coarsely chop and place in a large bowl(s):
1 Head Napa Cabbage

1 Japanese or Korean Radish

Combine until mostly dissolved:
2 c. water3/4-1 c. Kosher Salt (or very coarse sea salt)

Pour over the chopped vegetables and soak for 1 1/2-2 hours, tossing occasionally to ensure all veggies absorb the salt water.

In a food processor, blend well:
1 medium Yellow Onion

12 Cloves Garlic

Transfer to a mixing bowl and add:
1/2 c. red pepper powder (no substitutes!)

Fold in:
1 bunch Scallions, thinly sliced and cut into 1" strips

Drain cabbage and radish and coat with the "pepper paste" above.  

Pack tightly into glass jar/dish, seal, and leave on the counter for 24-48 hours, depending on how fermented you like your kimchee!  I fermented mine for about 30 hours and like it just fine.

NOTES: 

• I found these ingredients at Global Foods in Kirkwood.  
• I used the "hot" pepper powder and initially thought it was too spicy, but it mellowed somewhat over the course of a couple days and was just right for me.
• This was easy and delicious!
• The kimchee will keep for several weeks
• This made about 12 c.    

Christmas Sugared Ham

Sugared Ham

Serves 6

Slice as thinly as possible:
4 lbs Frick's Boneless Carver Ham

Line baking dish with foil then set sliced ham on top.  Coat top and sides generously with:
1/2-1 c. brown sugar
2-3 T. coarse black pepper

Cover dish with foil and place in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Remove ham and spoon Maple-Coffee Glaze (below) over the top, letting the excess pool in the bottom of the foil.

Maple-Coffee Glaze

Combine and blend in a saucepan until warm and smooth:
2-3 T. Bacon Grease
1 t. Coffee Grounds
1 t. Hickory Smoked Salt 
1/2 t. Cayenne
2-3 T. real Maple Syrup
2 T. Balsamic Vinegar

Return ham to oven and bake until heated through...about another 20-30 minutes.

Perfect alongside Soy Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Twice Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and a glass of Mead.

Merry Christmas!!