French Onion Soup

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking (2006 edition) by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker...

One of the most enjoyable aspects of making this recipe is drinking all but 2 Tbs of the sherry along the way.

Heat in a soup pot over medium-low heat until the butter is melted:

• 2 Tbs butter
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• Add and stir to coat:
• 5 medium onions, thinly sliced
• Pinch of dried thyme

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and keeping and eye on the onions so they do not scorch.  As soon as they start to brown, about 15 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, covered, stirring, until they are a rich brown, about 40 minutes.  Stir in:

• 2 Tbs dry sherry or Congac

Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring constantly, until the sherry has evaporated.  Stir in:

• 3 1/2 cups broth

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.  Season with:

• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Place 4 ovenproof soup bowls or crocks on a baking sheet.
Ladle the hot soup into the bowls and top each with:

• 1 to 3 slices French bread, toasted (8 to 24 slices, total)

Cover each bowl with:

• Gruyere or Swiss cheese, sliced about 1/8" thin

Broil until the cheese is melted and brown.

Armenian Borscht (Armyanski Borscht)

Adapted from Vegetarian Dishes From Across the Middle East by Arto der Haroutunian.

• 1 medium beet, unpeeled, but washed
• 4 Tbs (2 oz) butter
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 stick celery, chopped
• 1 cup finely shredded cabbage
• 2/3 cup (2 oz) thinly sliced mushrooms
• 1 small turnip, peeled and finely chopped
• 6 to 8 cups water
• 1 lemon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Garnish

• 1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz) yogurt

Place whole beet in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer until cooked -- about 30 minutes.  Drain and leave to cool.  (Might try reserving the liquid for use in the soup stock?)

Melt the butter in a large pan, add prepared vegetables (sans beet) and saute for a few minutes.
Add the water, bring to a boil and then simmer until vegetables are just tender.

Remove the skin from the beet, then chop the beet and add it to the soup.  By cooking the beet in its skin and adding it at this stage, you should get a rich red soup.

Poke holes in the lemon and drop it into the soup.  This will give a tartness to counteract the sweetness of the beet.  Add the seasoning and simmer for a further 10 to 15 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and remove and discard the lemon before serving.  To serve, spoon the soup into individual bowls and place 2 tablespoons of yogurt in the center of each.

Saag

Adapted from Vegan Fire & Spice by Robin Robertson.

• 1 pound fresh spinach (good frozen works if you cook it a bit before adding)
• 2 Tbs canola oil
• 1 or more garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh ginger root, finely chopped
• 2 tsp curry powder or garam masala (best if you make your own curry or masala)
• 1/2 tsp hot pepper powder, cayenne or other
• 1/2 cup or more tomatoes, roughly chopped
• Salt as desired

Heat oil to medium highish heat in heavy pan.
Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and hot pepper powder, mixing with the oil.
Cook stirring for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to low medium, add the spinach and cook to desired consistency -- can be done in 10 minutes and can continue cooking for 30 minutes or more.
Add salt to your liking.

Onion Sour Cream Dip

Proportion to your liking:

• Real sour cream
• Chopped green onions
• Chopped garlic
• Chopped parsley
• Something to dip, like chips

Blueberry Kuchen

Adapted from Gardener's Community Cookbook by Victoria Wise (1999 edition).

1 cup plus 2 Tbs rice flour
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbs sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
8 Tbs (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 to 2 Tbs cider vinegar
5 cups blueberries (or however many you have, I've used less), fresh is best, frozen works

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Mix together 2 Tbs of the flour, 2/3 cup of the sugar, and the cinnamon in a small bowl.  Set aside for topping.

3. Combine the remaining 1 cup flour, remaining 2 Tbs sugar, and the salt in a large bowl.  Cut in the butter with your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture is evenly crumbly.  Add the vinegar and gather together into a dough-ball.

4. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch springform or tart pan with a removable bottom.  Pat and press the dough evenly across the bottom and about 3/4 inch up the sides of the pan.

5. Spread 3 cups of the blueberries over the bottom of the crust, then sprinkle the topping over the berries.  Bake for 30 or 50 to 60 minutes, or until the berries are bubbling and jamlike and the top is golden.  Arrange in oven, rotate and watch it closely to prevent burning the crust.

6. Remove from the oven and immediately arrange the remaining blueberries over the top (or can skip this step if you do not have enough blueberries).  Set aside to cool.

7. When cool, remove the outer ring from the pan, slice the kuchen, and serve.

Keeps well on the counter.

Apple Crisp

A quick, easy and tasty dessert adapted from Betty Crocker's Cookbook (1972 edition)

4 cups sliced pared tart apples (about 4 medium)
2/3 to 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oats
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup butter, softened

Heat oven to 375.
Grease square pan or baking dish (8x8x2 inches or thereabouts)
Place apple slices in pan.
Mix remaining ingredients thoroughly.
Sprinkle the mix over the apples.
Bake 30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.
Serve warm and, if desired, with light cream or ice cream (non-dairy to be cruelty free)

Variation: Use 1 can (1 pound 5 ounces) of cherry pie filling instead of apples and less sugar.

Chuff's Dal

Adapted from various recipes in Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Yamuna Devi, mostly her Simple Mung Dal Soup/Sada Moong Dal with the chaunk based upon her various other dal recipes.

Sort, wash and drain until you wash off most of the bubbly, mineral oil:

• 1 cup split beans of your choice (red lentils are nice and cook quickly)

Combine these in a nice soup pot with:

• 7-8 cups water (Or less, depends upon how thin you like it.  I like a lot of broth)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder or minced fresh turmeric or combination (fresh turmeric is great)
• 2 tsp ground coriander (fresh is best)
• 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger root (more or less as you like)
• 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh garlic (optional and more or less as you like, it tastes a good bit different and good without garlic)
• 1 tsp minced seeded hot peppers (2,3,4 or more to whatever heat you like)
• 1 or more dried red peppers (optional and as you like it)
• Pinch or more of hot red pepper powder (optional and as you like it)

Stirring occasionally, bring to a full boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to moderately low, cover and simmer gently for about an hour or until dal is soft and fully cooked.

Remove from heat, uncover and add:

• 1/2 tsp salt (You may like more, but you would be wrong.)

Now, we make the chaunk.

Heat to medium high heat in a small frying pan or kadhai:

• 1 Tbs canola oil
• 1 Tbs butter

Add all at once:

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 or more dried red peppers, whole

Stir fry until mustard seeds just begin to pop.
Quickly add:

• Pinch or more of asefetida (We like about 1/8 tsp)
• 1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds,  crushed
• 4-6 small fresh curry leaves or 1 bay leaf

Within a few seconds, remove from heat and add chaunk to the dal.
Add to dal (optional):

• 1 Tbs fresh lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped (or just provide for diners to add as desired)

Let stand a while so the ingredients get to know each other before serving.

Anchovy, Pepper Jelly and Goat Cheese Crackers

Easy to put together.  Tastes pretty damn good.  Leave off the anchovy if you prefer.

• Anchovy
• Pepper Jelly (Try to find something made with hot peppers and without additives.   For sale at our local Ace Hardware, I found a great batch made by Olivia Handley just up the road from us in Roopville, GA.  Ingredients: Sugar, Jalapeno peppers, Vinegar, Pectin, Butter)
• Soft Goat Cheese (Tastes better than really good cheese cake.)
• Crackers

Select a cracker.

Spread cheese to desired thickness.

Apply jelly to taste.

Lay one or two anchovy across the top.

Roasted Asparagus

• Bunch of fresh asparagus staulks
  
• Olive oil
• Pepper
• Salt

Preheat oven to ? 

Wash asparagus in cold water.

Trim hard parts off the ends of the asparagus staulks.

Lay asparagus on a baking sheet.

Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the asparagus. Just enough to thinly coat -- too much and it will splatter and fry in the oven.  So, start with less oil.  Roll the asparagus around to coat with oil.

Add cracked black pepper to taste.

Back in oven until browned.

Remove and add salt to taste.

Dal Using Bob's Red Mill Whole Grains and Beans Soup Mix

Adapted from various recipes in Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Yamuna Devi.

Combine in a soup pot:

• 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Whole Grains and Beans Soup Mix
• 8 cups water
• 3 tsp chopped ginger
• 4 tsp ground coriander seeds
• 2 tsp ground turmeric (or chopped fresh)
• 2 dried red peppers
• 2 or more fresh hot peppers, chopped

Bring to the boil and then reduce to simmer and cook until soft, an hour or so.

Mash as desired (or not).
Add:

• 4 ounces fresh spinach
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped

Cook over low heat as desired.
Now, we make the chaunk.
Heat to medium high heat in a small frying pan or kadhai:

• 3 Tbs oil

Add:

• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek, slightly crushed
• 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 Tbs sugar or brown sugar or jaggery
• 4 or more dried red peppers, whole

Stir fry until sugar caramelizes to a deep red brown.
Add:

• Pinch of asefetida
• 6-8 curry leaves or a few bay leaves

Within a few seconds, remove from heat and add chaunk to the dal.
Add to dal:

• 1 Tbs fresh lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped

Let stand a while so the ingredients get to know each other before serving.

Spicy Skewered Vegetable Kebabs

Adapted from Vegan Fire and Spice by Robin Robertson

3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp hot pepper powder
1 medium onion quartered
1 red or yellow bell pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium zucchini cut into 1 inch chunks
2 cups mushrooms cut to a size you like
1 pint cherry tomatoes

Whisk the garlic, oil, lime juice, cumin, coriander, salt and hot pepper powder in a big bowl or casserole dish until well blended.

Add all the other ingredients and toss until coated.

Let stand about 30 minutes.

Preheat broiler or grill.  Thread the vegetables onto skewers, ending with a tomato on each skewer.

Broil or grill, turning once or twice until browned.

Hash Browns

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbs Olive oil
Potatoes, grated
1/4 lemon, squeeze
Black pepper, cracked
Any, none or all of the following, chopped, sliced, diced or...:
Onion
Bell pepper
Hot pepper (like jalapeno)
Celery
Parsley
Garlic

Heat olive oil in black iron skillet to medium heat.
Mix all other ingredients in a bowl.
Add in a flat layer onto skillet and cover.
Cook until browned.
Remove cover, turn and cook until browned.

Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad

Adapted from Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad -- "Joy of Cooking" 1997 edition.

This is a standard for us to take to community potlucks.  There's never any left to take back home.

Boil in water to cover for 1 minute:

• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels (cut from 3 ears corn) [or from can :-)]

Drain and rinse under cold water.
Whisk together in a small bowl:

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper to taste

Gradually whisk in:

• 5 tablespoons [Tbs] olive oil, or to taste
• 1/4 cup snipped or sliced fresh basil

Toss with most of the dressing in a serving bowl:

• 3 cups cooked black beans (about 1 cup dried) rinsed and drained if canned

With the remaining dressing, toss the corn along with:

• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup chopped red onions [or green onions (scallions), yellow onions, we've never used red onions]

Stir gently into the beans. Serve garnished with:

• Fresh basil leaves.

Lentil Salad

Adapted from Alice Waters’s The Art of Simple Food.

SERVINGS 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup lentils (French green [Puy] lentils or black Beluga lentils are the best varieties to use for lentil salads because they have lots of flavor and they hold their shape when cooked.)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt
• Fresh-ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions or
• 3 tablespoons finely diced shallot
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper sometimes

PREPARATION

1. Sort and rinse the lentils. Cover with water by 3 inches and bringto a boil. Turn down to a simmer 

and cook until tender all the way through (adding more water if necessary), about 30 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

2. Toss the lentils with the red wine vinegar, salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt and vinegar if needed.

3. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, scallions or shallot, and parsley. Stir to combine. If the lentils seem dry and are hard to stir, loosen them with a bit of the reserved cooking liquid.

VARIATIONS

Add 1/2 cup diced cucumber.
Dice very fine 1/4 cup each of carrot, celery, and onion. Cook until tender in a couple spoonfuls of olive oil. Cool and stir into the salad in place of the scallions or shallots.
Garnish with 1/2 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese.
Toast and crush 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and add to the salad.
Substitute cilantro for the parsley.
Dice 1/4 cup flavorful sweet peppers, season with salt, and let stand to soften. Stir in with the scallions or shallots.

Vegetarian Chili with Puy Lentils

Adapted from "Vegetarian Chili" in Joy of Cooking (2006 edition) <http://www.thejoykitchen.com/>

8 servings [Cornbread goes well with chili.]

Heat in a large saucepan over medium heat:

• 2 Tbs olive oil

Add:

• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion

Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Stir in:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1, 2 or more fresh green chili peppers (jalapeno, etc.) seeded and finely chopped
• 1 Tbs chili powder (Our most recent batch is Swad brand Resham Patti or Reshampatti from Patel Brothers Indian Grocery in Decatur, GA.  It makes all the difference in taste and is just wonderfully rich and tasty hot, currently 14oz for $2 at <http://www.patelbrothersusa.com>.)
• 1 Tbs ground cumin (Get fresh cumin seeds and grind fresh, makes a big difference in taste.)

Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to sweeten garlic and peppers and to roast seasonings, stir in:

• 1 28 oz. can tomatoes, coarsely chopped with their juice (I use the no-salt-added variety)
• 1 1/2 cup Puy aka French green lentils aka lentilles du Puy, dry (Got them in bulk at Your Dekalb Farmer's Market <www.dekalbfarmersmarket.com>)  These lentils hold together well over re-heatings and are damn good.  I've also used other dried lentils and/or canned and dried pinto, black, kidney, white, masoor, mung, urad, ... beans.
• However much water you think will be needed to be absorbed by the lentils and still retain the sauce level you like.
• Tomato paste in whatever amount you desire.  (I had 8 oz. around last time I made it and it worked fine.  Sometimes I don't add any.)
• Salt to taste (I don't add any salt :-)

Bring to a boil.  Reduce the ehat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding more tomato juice or water as needed, until the lentils are done and the flavors are blended, at least 45 minutes.  Ladle into bowls and serve with any or all of:

• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Sour cream
• Cheese
• Saltine Crackers

Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Combine in a good pan over medium heat:

1 stick butter
2 cups sugar
3 Tbs cocoa
1/2 cup milk

Over low heat, melt and combine.
Over medium high heat and stirring constantly, bring to boil and boil for 2 1/2 minutes, adjusting heat to keep just at the boil.

Quickly mix in and combine until mixture begins to thicken and harden:
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 cups oats
1 tsp vanilla extract

Quickly spoon cookie-sized dobs onto wax paper or lightly greased cookie sheet.
Allow to cool and harden.
Eat.

The time at boil and then waiting for the hardening to begin before spooning are key to getting these to properly harden (not too much that they crumble, not too little so they are a gooey mess).

Tuna Salad

Combination of Joy of Cooking (1997 edition) page 230 and "Alice Water's Lentil Salad" <http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/recipes/alice-waters-lentil-salad-44021308>

2 - 5 oz. cans of tuna in OIL
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup chopped green onion
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. vinegar of some sort
1/4 cup bell pepper (red, green, yellow...)
Ground black pepper to taste
About 3 cups dried elbow or other pasta cooked.

Combine all and enjoy.