Tabbouleh!

After some really heavy meals last week, I want to come into the holiday season eating healthy, and I will try to eat mainly vegan or vegetarian until Thanksgiving. While this may sound like a challenge, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian cuisines offer many flavorful vegetable dishes.  

I chop my parsley in a food processor. 

It only requires a few pulses to have

roughly chopped herbs.

Tonight I am serving Tabbouleh (Arabic: تبولة‎ tabūlah), which is a seasoned salad originating from the mountain regions of Syria, and Lebanon. It is popular throughout the Middle East, with countless regional variations. Traditionally, tabbouleh is made of herbs (usually parsley) and bulgar.  This variation uses barley.

Tabbouleh

Skill level: 

Ingredients

1/4 cup barley

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

2 Roma tomatoes

1 cup finely chopped cucumber

1 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley

fresh ground pepper (10 turns, or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup finely chopped mint

juice from 1/2 lemon

Preparation

1. Boil water, and add barley.  Boil for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender.

2. Drain barley, and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
3. combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir to combine.

4. Chill for at least one hour to allow flavors to combine.

Tabbouleh, served with hummus garnished with olive oil and paprika, sliced and toasted pita bread, and olive orzo salad.

Biff Paj (Swedish Meat Pies)

Swedish meat pie, served with almond green beans.

Today was cold and dreary, and I was wanting to bake, and I was also craving comfort foods.  After thumbing through some recipes, as I was trying to figure out what to make, I stumbled across this favorite.  It hit the "want to bake craving," the "comfort food" criteria,  and also was a great dinner idea, so I decided to make Biff Paj (Swedish Meat Pies) for dinner.

Many years ago, I first had these at the Junction City Scandinavian Festival, and is one of my favorite treats from the festival. Swedish Meat Pies are rich, savory, and delicious! In the spirit of Paula Dean, I have to say that it's hard to go wrong with potatoes, cheese, butter and sour cream.

Swedish Meat Pies (Biff Paj)

Skill level: 

Adapted from: The Barest Hint of Sweetness 

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Baking Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 6 meat pies

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 pound ground beef (or turkey)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 pinch Hungarian paprika (regular is fine, as well)

2 large red potatoes, grated

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter

1 cup sour cream

Preparation:

1. Melt the 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. 
2. Crumble in the ground beef and add parsley, allspice, dill, nutmeg, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and grated potatoes. Cook and stir until the meat is browned. 

3. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese and 1/2 cup sour cream until melted. 

4. Set aside to cool.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
6. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and 1 teaspoon salt. 
7. Mix in the 1 1/4 cup cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until only pea sized lumps remain OR pulse ingredients in a food processor to get pea sized lumps. 
8. Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream a little bit at a time until the dough holds together. Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface. 
9. Divide into six equal portions, and pat into balls.
   
10. Roll out each ball of dough to about 1/8 inch thickness, about 8 inches across.  They do not have to be pretty at this point, as they will be trimmed in step 13.

11. Place a heaping 1/2 cup of filling onto each one.

12. Fold over into half circles, and seal by moistening the edges with warm water and pressing together. 

13. Trim edges so that the pies have a nice half circle shape, and crimp edges. 

14. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

15. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

Fall Canning; TOMATOES!

Last week, my sister and I went to my mom's house to can tomatoes.  This was my second year doing it, and tomatoes are outstandingly easy to preserve.  

Canned tomatoes can be used to make marinara (and other tomato based sauces), make a great addition to stews and soups, can be used to make marinades for beef, pork and chicken, and can be a great addition to casseroles.  Best of all, they lack the chemical additives found in store brands.

Canned Tomatoes

Skill level: 

Yields roughly 16 quarts. (This will vary, based on tomato variety, meatiness, and water content.)

Ingredients

1 case of "meaty" tomatoes (typically, we use Roma)

Salt

Preparation

1. Boil water in a large pot.
2. When the water comes to a full boil, add 6 to 10 tomatoes.  Allow tomatoes to remain in the water until the skins split, usually, this will occur in 3 to 5 minutes. (Too many tomatoes will cool the water too much, and tomatoes will not split nicely).

3. Remove tomatoes from the pot, and immerse in very cold water. (We usually just fill the kitchen sink with cold water.)

4. Peel the skins off of the tomatoes, and cut any stem attachments and blemishes from the tomatoes.

5. Stuff tomato meats into quart jars, leaving a bit over 1/2 inch from the top of the jars. (If using pint jars, the same stuffing method applies).
6. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the top of each quart hat. (If using pint jars, reduce to salt to 1/2 teaspoon.)

7. Put filled jars in a warming oven, or hot water bath, to keep jars from breaking while canning.
8. Repeat steps 5 through 7, until all tomatoes are used.
9. Check each jar to make sure the openings are clean, and free of ant tomato bits, and grains of salt.  A clean opening is critical for a good seal.
10. Figure out how many jars will fit in your pressure cooker. (In our case, it was 6.)
11. Based on how many jars can fit in your pressure cooker, work in batches, and put enough jar lids in boiling water as one batch in the pressure cooker will yield. Boiling the lids softens the rubber seal on the lid, allowing for an easy seal.  Allow to remain in the boiling water for a couple of minutes.
12. Using tongs, place a lid on each jar going into the pressure cooker.
13. Put jars in a pressure cooker.  As pressure cookers vary, follow the instructions which come with the pressure cooker. (The one we used would hold six jars, allow to boil for 10 minutes, place the lid on the cooker, allow it to come to pressure, and then pressure cook for 10 minutes, and allow to cool completely, remove the lid, and transfer the jars to cooling area.)

14. Repeat steps 11 though 13, until all jars have been cooked and canned.
15. Allow jars to cool completely to room temperature.  On occasion, some jars are not 100% sealed when they come out of the cooker, and will seal, and create a vacuum in the jars as they cool.
16. Test the lids for seal. Immediately use, or discard any jars that are not sealed. 

Gazpacho!

Gazpacho, garnished with yogurt, balsamic vinegar, pine nuts, and olive oil,
served with cornmeal shrimp, and toasted bread.

It is going to be hot, hot, hot, in the Willamette Valley this weekend, making me not want to spend time in the kitchen tomorrow.  With that in mind, and summer vegetables readily available, I thought it was time to make this "make ahead" summer treat.

For those not framailiar with gazpacho, it is a chilled tomato soup, originating Andelucia region of Spain.  There are infinite variations to the recipes available, but I like this simple recipe.

Skill level:

Ingredients 

3 garlic cloves 

1/2 large cucumber, (not peeled) 

1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded 

3 large tomatoes 

1 yellow onion 

3 cups tomato juice 

1/4 cup white wine vinegar 

1/4 cup good olive oil 

2 teaspoons kosher salt 

1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 

1/2 cup chopped parsley 

1 teaspoon smoked paprika (if you do not have smoked, regular works well) 

Directions 

1. Roughly cut the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions into 1 inch cubes. 
2. Put tomato juice,garlic, and 1/2 of the tomatoes in the blender. Blend two to three minutes, until smooth. 
3. Put the cucumbers, onion, peppers a food processor and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. 
4. Add remaining tomatoes, vinegar, oil, salt, paprika, black pepper, and chopped vegetables to the tomato juice mixture in the blender. Blend until vegetables are small, like one would find in salsa. 
5. Pour mixture into an air tight bowl, and add the parsley. Stir until combined. 
6. Place lid on container, and chill at least 2 hours 

Note: The longer gazpacho chills, the more the flavors develop. 

Garnish with fresh mint, pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, yogurt, sour cream, or cilantro

Fresh & Flavorful; Zucchini Patties With Feta!

My friend Trixi recently asked me for a recipe which uses zucchini.

I like zucchini, but seem to seldom use it. Feeling inspired, I dug through recipes I had archived, and found this nice recipe I have enjoyed in years past.

These zucchini patties are very flavorful, and simple to make, and yogurt if the perfect garnish to top this fried delight.

Zucchini Patties With Feta

Skill level:

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (from about 3 medium)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup (or more) flour
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (herbed goat cheese works VERY well, too)
1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup chopped green onions (stems, and all)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1/2 cup (about) olive oil
1/2 cup (about) corn oil

Plain Greek yogurt

Preparation

1. Toss zucchini and 1/2 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer to sieve. Press out excess liquid; place zucchini in dry bowl. 
2. Mix in egg, yolk, 1/2 cup flour, cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix in parsley, onions, and dill. If batter is very wet, add more flour by spoonfuls.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons corn oil in large skillet over medium heat. 
4. Working in batches, drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into skillet. Press flat, so that the frying patties are 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide,
5. Fry patties until golden, 5 minutes per side, adding more olive oil and corn oil as needed. 
6. Transfer to paper towels. 
7. Serve with yogurt.

Additional Notes

• Can be made 1 day ahead. Place on baking sheet, cover, and chill. Rewarm uncovered in 350°F oven 12 minutes. 
• Corn oil can be skipped, using just olive oil.
• A dusting of paprika over the yogurt adds a splash of color and flavor.

Regrowing Vegetables!

With food prices soaring, and the amount of chemical additives in food, I am not surprised that victory gardens, and urban farming has become so popular.  In addition, nothing beats fresh and flavorful garden vegetables.  

There are many fruits and vegetables that can be regrown from scraps.  Follows, is a post I saw on my friend Sue's Facebook page, with links on how to actually regrow these tasty plants.  

Thanks, Sue, for your Facebook post!!

15 Foods You Can Regrow From Scraps!

Source: http://pandawhale.com/convo/3695/15-foods-you-can-regrow-from-scraps


Various plants (in no particular order) that you can regrow from the food you already have! Woot! Way to reuse and recycle! I constantly have green onions and celery growing. (And potatoes/sweet potatoes but that just because they decided to do that in my pantry.

• Apples http://www.ehow.com/how_2135774_grow-apple-seeds.html
• Tomatoes http://www.ehow.com/how_5581958_grow-tomatoes-fresh-tomato-seeds.html
• Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes http://www.gardenguides.com/117543-plant-cuttings-potatoes.html
• Green Onions http://www.17apart.com/2012/02/how-to-grow-green-onions-indefinitely.html and http://tipnut.com/nifty-food-plants/
• Leeks same technique as green onions
• Carrot Tops http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/children-in-the-garden/grow-carrot-tops.htm
• Pineapple http://www.rickswoodshopcreations.com/Pineapple/pineapple.htm
• Romaine Lettuce Same technique as celery
• Cabbage Same technique as celery
• Celery http://www.17apart.com/2012/02/growing-celery-indoors-never-buy-celery.html
• Avocado http://www.thehungrymouse.com/2009/09/09/how-to-grow-an-avocado-tree-from-an-avocado-pit/
• Lentils http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/02/19/how-to-grow-sprouts/
• Pumpkin http://pinterest.com/pin/98375573080950437/
• Ginger http://www.gardenswag.com/2011/12/5-foods-you-can-grow-from-kitchen-scraps/
• Garlic http://www.gardenswag.com/2011/12/5-foods-you-can-grow-from-kitchen-scraps/




• Bonus: Bok Choy http://www.17apart.com/2012/02/how-to-regrowing-bok-choy.html