Thursday, December 25, 2008

Bagali Polo
The night before you are to eat Bagali Polo. Take a large container of plain yogurt (if you buy your yogurt Dannon is the best). Open it add 1 teaspoon of salt, mix in and put a towel over the container, place container on top of your fridge.
The next night make Persian rice: (this is taken from my friend cookbook... I just borrowed it because I make mine the same way and then I didn't have to type it all in)"This method produces a lovely rice where each individual grain is separate and does not stick together. The potatoes form a golden crust called tadik, which means "bottom of the pot." They are a favorite with Persian children, and sort of like warm potato chips.Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1-2 tbsp. salt. Throw in 2 c. long grain rice, preferably Basmati. Boil uncovered for 10 min. Drain the rice in a colander under running cold water. Wash the pot. Cover the bottom of the pot with oil or margarine, about 1/4 c. Peel and slice 2-3 large potatoes, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Place rice over the potatoes,"
add 1 cup of chopped dill and 1 small frozen container of Lima beans, "return to the stove over low heat. Wrap the lid of the pot with a cloth towel, taking care to fold the ends up and not let them touch the burner. Steam the rice for 30 min. or longer."
While rice is cooking: Dice an English cucumber, mix into yogurt from top fridge, mix in 1-2 T. of chopped dill, taste... it should be tangy if not add more salt and stir well.
When rice is finished remove from heat let sit for a few minutes. Turn over on to a large platter. Then scrap bottom out (you want tadik to come out in large pieces so that it can be eaten with your fingers. Sprinkle rice with saffron.
Serve.
To eat you mix the yogurt into the rice on your plate and eat.
Very good with pita.


Dolmeh (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
2 tb Olive oil
1/4 ts Turmeric;or to taste
1 md Onion;finely chopped
1 c Cooked yellow split peas
5 c Chopped mushrooms
2 c Cooked basmati
1 tb Dried parsley;or to taste
16 oz Jar grape leaves
1/4 ts Black pepper;or to taste
1 c Water
1/8 ts Cayenne;or to taste

In a skillet, heat oil and saute onion and mushrooms until soft. Add parsley and spices. Transfer to a bowl. Mix in peas and rice. Preheat oven to 350 . Line a 3-qt baking dish with a few grape leaves to keep stuffed leaves from sticking and burning. Place 1 heaping Tbs of rice mixture ( depending on size of leaf) in the center of a grape leaf. Fold in sides, then roll leaf from stem to tip. Place in casserole. Repeat procedure with remaining grape leaves until rice mixture is used up. Pour water in bottom of dish (to prevent sticking and drying out). Bake for 25 minutes. Serves 12 as an appetizer, 6 for dinner.
Adas Polow

Ingredients:
Ground beef or lamb - 2 Cups.
Basmati or long-grain rice - 2 Cups.
Gram lentils - 1 3/4 Cups.
Dates, pitted, chopped - 7 TBS.
Raisins - 8 TBS.
Saffron - 1/2 teaspoon.
Onions, sliced - 2 medium.
Cooking oil - 1/2 cup.
Salt - 1 teaspoon.
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon.
Black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon.Preparation:
Let the rice soak for 4 hours. Cook in a non-stick pan for 15 minutes in salted water. Drain water and transfer cooked rice to a bowl.
In another pain boil 3 cups of water to this add the washed lentils and salt.
Let this cook for 20 minutes till it is soft and tender.
In a large skillet, add some oil and add the sliced onion. Fry till they are golden brown. To this add the ground beef, salt, turmeric, and black pepper. To this add hot water and cook till the water dries.
In another pan, add some oil and 1/2 cup of water. To this add half the rice, then add meat, lentils, washed raisins and dates. Follow by the rest of the rice. Cook this for 20 minutes and then pour the dissolved saffron over it.
Mix well and serve hot with a salad.

Verdict:
All: YUM!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Black Bean Soup

3 Cans organic black beans
1 Can organic Italian stewed tomatoes
2 Cups homemade chicken or veggie broth
2 dashes hot sauce (we like adobe mills best)
1 1/2 Cups veggies (whatever you have on hand... or use leftovers from several meals)

Empty all in crock pot, don't rinse or drain anything.
Cook 8-10 hours on LOW or 5-6 hours on HIGH.

Before serving blend everything with a mixer or blender.

Serve with homemade Cuban rye bread and sliced veggies.
Sweet Onion Chicken

6 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I've used other's ... just changes it a bit)
4 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1/2 teaspoons salt
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound total)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, (I do homemade...)
1 tablespoon flour
1 carrot, cut into thing strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a shallow bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of the vinegar, 2 teaspoons of the sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of the sage, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and stir to blend. Add the chicken, toss to coat, and let stand while you prepare the onions.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium beat. Add the onions and the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, carrot, bell pepper, remaining 3 tablespoon's vinegar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon sage, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. and the black pepper and cook until the onions are very tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes longer.

3. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler or prepare the grill. Broil or grill the chicken 4 inches from the heat for about 4 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through. Place the chicken on plates, spoon the onion mixture around the chicken and serve.

Suggested accompaniments: Garlic mashed potatoes. Fresh pear wedges sprinkled with cinnamon.
This is how I make my creamy tomato soup.
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. Flour
1 Cup Liquid (I use rice milk)
1 sm. Can Tomato Paste
Molasses or honey to taste (this takes the tangy out and helps mellow the acid taste in the tomatoes)

Melt butter in pan. Add Flour, brown on medium while stirring constantly. Slowly add liquid (milk) cook on medium stirring constantly until thick (gravy consistence). Then add tomato paste and sweetener. Stir until hot... if this is to thick add more of the liquid.
Chicken Glop (named by my boys... thanks boys... you know how to warm Mommas heart)

2 cans chicken
1 block cream cheese
2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
2 Cups Milk

Throw in crock pot on low and heat for 4-5 hours. Make some tater tots and pour glop on top. Not glamours but eatable. Oh, a side P.S. we are lactose intolerant... so the 'milk' items are non-milk... but I still call them milk... probably shouldn't.
:0)
EGG Sub


2 TBS. flour
1/2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 TBS. liquid (I just use water)
= 1 EGG
Cuban Rye Bread
2 Cups Rye Flour (or use wheat instead)
4 Cups white Flour
2 T. dry yeast
2 T. sugar
1 T. Salt
2 Cups hot water
1 T. sesame or poppy seeds (optional)
Mix 2 Cups rye and 2 Cups white flour with yeast, sugar and salt. Pour on hot water and beat 100 strokes. Stir in remaining flour until dough is no longer sticky. Knead 8 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl and cover with a damp towel, let rise 15 minutes punch down. Divide into 2 pieces, shape into 2 round loaves and place on baking sheet. Cut an X 1/2 inch deep on top with a sharp knife. Brush with water and top with seeds (if using). Place on middle shelf of a COLD oven, place a cake pan of boiling hot water on lowest shelf. Heat the oven to 400 F. Bake 40-50 minutes until deep golden brown.
YUM! (this is my favorite! I like dividing it into 4 small loaves and using them as bread bowls!)
Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 organic white flour
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 sucanat sugar (I'm sure you can sub... but I don't know how it would turn out.)
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs (I have used egg sub on this with good results)
1 package organic chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine sugar, soft butter and vanilla, beat until creamy. Add eggs and beat. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoonful onto ungreased baking stone. Bake 8 minutes.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008



Freezer Strawberry Jam


Clean and hull fresh strawberries.

1 Cup Sugar to 2 Cups Strawberries.

Put in pot together, heat and mash fruit down.

Cook unit mostly smooth. (Can simmer but DON'T boil!)

Heat jars and put fruit inside.


Freeze up to one year

Fridge up to three weeks.


Verdict

Everyone: YUM!


Freezer Cherry Plum Syrup


Boil cherry's until skin's split. Mash with potato masher. Drain (retaining juice), garbage the pits and skins. Put juice back in pot. Add sugar to taste. Heat jars and pour juice in.

Freeze for up to one year.

Fridge for up to three weeks.


Verdict:

Everyone: YUM!

Thursday, July 10, 2008



Orange-Cranberry Bread

This is the same bread recipe as below. I just grated some orange zest into it and then added dried cranberries into it and the kneaded it well.

Verdict:

Mama: Easy to make... I made this for my parents SO no real verdict... I forgot to ask...oops. My Mom is paying 5.25 a loaf at the specialty bakery so she wanted me to try making it. Homemade always tastes better, has better ingredients and is much, much, much! cheaper. Hopefully it tastes good. :0)


Jam Muffins

2 Cups flour
1/4 cup Succante
1 Tbs. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 Egg, beaten
1 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Oil
your favorite Jam

Preheat oven to 425 F. In mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make well in center of mixture. Combine egg, milk and oil; add all at once to dry ingredients. Mix only until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon into greased muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Place 1 tsp. favorite jam on top of batter for each muffin. Press into batter slightly. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

10 to 12 muffins
Verdicts
Kids: Meme: YUM!, Roo: Yum!, JC: didn't like them... (oh well can't win 'em all!)
Mama: Very yummy! Easy to make (press in Jam a little better next time!)

Friday, June 27, 2008

Cheesy Crock-Pot Chicken


6 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

salt and pepper, to taste

garlic powder,to taste

4 Tbs. Butter

4 Tbs. Flour

1 Cup Milk

1 Cup Chicken Broth

1/4 Cup water

1/2 Cup Grated Cheese



Put all into Crock Pot Cook on Low for 6 hours or until Chicken is done. Serve over Rice or Noodles (or Mash Potatoes might be good too...hmmm)






*Original Recipe*


Whole Wheat White Bread
2 Cups White Flour
2 packages dry yeast
2 teaspoon Salt
2 Cups very warm Water
1/4 Cup Molasses
1/4 Oil
4 to 4 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

In mixer add White Flour, Yeast, and Water, mix let sit in a warm place for 15 minutes or until bubbley.

Mix in remaining ingredients and mix well (6 minutes at least).

Shape and place in greased bread pan. Let rise until 1/2 inches - 1 inch over the top of pan. Place in a COLD oven and turn on to 350 F. Cook for 50 minutes or until golden brown.

*a BIG thanks to A. for "holding my hand" on the phone while making this and a BIG thanks to B. for the "how to" on bread... my first 'real' bread... THANK YOU!*

Black Bean Corn Salad
1 Can Black Beans (drained + rinsed)
1 1/2 Cup Corn (frozen)
1/2 onion (diced)
1 Can Diced Tomato and Green Chili's
Small Bunch of fresh Cilantro (chopped)
1 1/2 tsp. Olive Oil
3 dash Adobe Hot Sauce
Pepper (to taste)

Mix all together and refridgerate for several hours, then serve.

Verdicts
Papa: Good!
Kids: JC: Yum!, Roo: YUM! , Meme: true to form... wouldn't try it.
Mama: Almost to good to be true AND super easy. My new favorite salad!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Pot Roast + Veggies
*no pic again... just no time between baseball games!*

1 Small Roast
1 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. oil
1 Tbs. beef bouillon
1/2 Cup water
4-5 toes of garlic (we like garlic!)
1 large onion (cut into large wedges)
5-6 small potatoes
5-6 large carrots
Crock Pot (ok so I'm addicted to the thing!)


Wet roast with a little water. Roll roast in flour. Heat oil in skillet and sear roast until well browned on all sides.

Put roast, beef bouillon, water, garlic, and onion into crock pot and turn on low for 4 hours or so. 2 hours before eating add potatoes and carrots (and more water IF needed).

Continue cooking.


Verdict:
Papa: Super Yummy!
Kids: JC yum!, Roo yum! + Meme... he eats!!! Yes!
Mama: Really good! Might be a tad salty but it was a super hot day so I think we all needed a bit more salt then usual.
BBQ Chicken

1 small can Tomato paste
2 Tbs. Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbs. Liquid Smoke
1/4 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Molasses
1 Tbs. Mustard

Stir all together and dump on top of chicken breasts in crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours or until done. Shred up and eat on tortillas with a salad.

*Sorry no picture... such a busy day... I forgot!*
Verdicts:
Papa: Yum.
JC... ate it, but put catsup on it, Meme: wouldn't touch it (the kid may starve to death!), Roo: It's the best bbq EVER!
Mama: Very tomato-y (is that a word?), I would probably not use a whole can of tomato paste next time, probably only 2 Tbs. instead.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008



Brownie Biscuits (Cookies)
1 Cup butter softened (2 sticks)
3/4 Cup Sucanat
1 tsp. Vanilla (or more)
2 Eggs
1/2 Cocoa Powder
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. real salt
1- Heat oven to 375 F.
2- Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla in mixer until creamy. Add eggs, beat well. Stir flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt together. Slowly stir into butter mixture.
3- Bake 10-15 minutes on stone baking dish (regular cookie sheet would be fine... just watch so they don't burn).

Verdict:
Papa: I LOVE 'EM!
Kids: Thumbs up from all of them!
Mama: Pretty good for just inventing! :0)

Monday, June 23, 2008


Taco Chicken Rice Casserole
6 Chicken Breasts (frozen)
1/2 Cup dried tomatoes (from the garden last year)
1/2 Cup chicken broth
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
Dump in crock pot and cook until done.
Make rice (to be done 1/2 hour before serving)
Stir rice and chicken mix into casserole dish sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 350 until cheese is melted and hot through.
Verdicts
Papa: Delicious
Kids: JC and Roo ate it up, Meme didn't eat ... again!
Mama: This was good and easy to make... I bit to dry I needed to add some of the broth from the crock pot to make it juicer.

Sunday, June 22, 2008



Cornbread Chili Pie
1 lb. hamburger (cooked)
1 can Chili
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup Albers Yellow Corn Meal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sucanat
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg

Mix fully cooked hamburger and chili together, pour into 9X13 pan. Sprinkle 1 cup grated cheese on top.
Combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Combine milk, oil and egg in small bowl and mix well. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stir just until blended.
Pour Cornbread mixture on top of chili mixture, spread evenly.
Bake 400F for 20 minutes or until wooden tooth pick inserted in cornbread center comes out clean.
Papa Verdict: Good
Kid Verdict: Mixed: Roo loved it (it had beans so of course he would), JC ate his but really wanted more donuts (sigh), and Meme... wouldn't even put it in his mouth.
Mama Verdict: Ok, but I really thought it would be moister. Needs to be cooked in a much smaller pan so that cornbread covers all the beans. WW flour worked just fine in cornbread mix.

Whole Wheat Cake Donuts

3 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. cinnamon
¼ t. salt
¼ t. nutmeg
2/3 cup sucanat
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2/3 cup evap. milk
1/4 cup melted butter
Oil for frying
Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir in eggs, vanilla, milk and melted butter. Knead dough a few minutes to make sure all ingredients are mixed thoroughly.On a floured surface, roll dough to ½ inch thickness. Cut with donut cutter, or biscuit cutter. Heat oil in skillet or electric skillet…enough to cover the bottom of the skillet about ¼ inch. Place donuts into the hot oil to fry for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate.
Original Recipe Here
Papa Verdict: YUM!
Kid Verdict: YUM!
Mama Verdict: A little dry but I think that's the whole wheat. Really good with honey on the top.