Tag: cooking

Chili Seasoning Blend

Chili Seasoning Blend

Recipe by LisaCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup chili spice

  • 1 tsp roasted garlic powder

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

  • 2 tsp smoked paprika

  • 1 tsp oregano

  • 1 Tbsp salt

  • 1 Tbsp ground black pepper

Method

  • Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until powered.

Notes

  • I use this blend in my chili recipe and as the spice for taco/burrito fillings.

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls
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Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe by LisaCourse: Breakfast, DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium
Servings

12

servings
Prep time

1

hour 

30

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Sweet rolls with cinnamon, brown sugar, and currants.

Ingredients

  • Dough

  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

  • 1 cup warm water

  • 1 tsp sugar

  • 3 tbsp softened butter

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1 cup warm water

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 egg

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • Cinnamon Filling

  • 1/4 cup softened butter

  • 1 tbsp cinnamon

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup currants

Method

  • Combine yeast and 1 tsp sugar in 1 cup warm water. Let set 5-10 minutes until frothy.
  • Put additional 1 cup warm water into stand mixer. Add 3 tbsp butter, 1/2 c sugar, and salt. Mix to combine.
  • Add eggs and yeast mixture to bowl.
  • Slowly add in flour and knead with bread hook for about five minutes. Add additional water or flour to make a slightly sticky dough.
  • Allow dough to rise for 30-60 minutes.
  • Flour a silicone mat and roll dough into a rectangle.
  • Spread 1/4 cup butter over dough.
  • Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over dough.
  • Sprinkle brown sugar over dough, then dot with currants
  • Using the long side of the rectangle, begin rolling the dough into a log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into slices.
  • Butter your pan(s). Place rolls into pans, leaving an inch or two between rolls
  • Allow to rise for 60 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  • Drizzle with topping — I used maple glaze, but a caramel sauce or maple syrup is good.

Curried Red Lentils

Curried Red Lentils

Recipe by LisaCourse: MainCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Red lentils in a tomato and coconut milk curry sauce

Ingredients

  • Cooked Lentils

  • 1.5 cups split red lentils

  • 3 cups water

  • Curry Sauce

  • 1 medium onion, diced

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1 Tbsp butter

  • 1 tsp garam masala

  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger

  • 1 Tbsp hot curry powder

  • 1 tsp sweet curry powder

  • 28 oz diced tomatoes, puréed

  • 14 oz can coconut milk, solids

Method

  • Boil water. Add lentils and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  • Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté for a few minute, until onions become translucent.
  • Add spices and heat until fragrant.
  • Stir in tomato purée and simmer for 20 minutes to reduce.
  • Stir in coconut milk solids and simmer for 5 minutes
  • Add lentils and simmer for five minutes.
  • Serve over jasmine rice.

Air Popper

We got a air popper to make popcorn (we’d made some really good caramel corn a few night previously, and really want to make some more … plus it’s just easier to use an air popper than to pop the kernels on the stove). Picked Presto’s 04820 (which is cheaper and , evidently, the same as the 04821 but without the popcorn company’s logo on it) – a 1475 Watt air popper). It works well,  but there’s a strange design decision — no on/off switch. Obviously, we can unplug the thing and plug it in again when we’re ready to use it. I expect a majority of the use cases involve the popper being put into a cupboard somewhere when not in use anyway — so the machine is going to be unplugged after each use.

I expect this is a trend we’ll see in small appliances — it’s a component cost the company saved, reduced assembly time, and a point of failure is eliminated.

Maple Peanut Butter Eggs

Maple Peanut Butter Eggs
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Maple Peanut Butter Eggs

Recipe by LisaCourse: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • Peanut Butter Filling

  • 1 cup chunky peanut butter (unsweetened)

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • Maple Chocolate

  • 4 oz 100% cocoa bakers chocolate

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil

  • 1/3 cup maple syrup

  • 1 tbsp maple sugar

Method

  • Line a plate with clingfilm or wax paper
  • Combine the peanut butter filling ingredients and mix to combine
  • In a double boiler, melt coconut oil
  • Add chocolate to coconut oil and melt
  • Stir in maple syrup and maple sugar
  • Take about a tablespoon of peanut butter mixture and roll into an egg shape
  • Roll peanut butter egg in chocolate to coat
  • Carefully remove coated egg from chocolate and place on lined plate
  • Once all eggs are coated, refrigerate for a few hours to solidify

Notes

  • Because coconut oil is used in this chocolate, it has a very low melting point — it’ll make a mess if you hold it in your hand as you eat it. Replacing the coconut oil with butter would raise the melting point.

Cheesy Baked Cavatappi

Cheesy Baked Cavatappi
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Cheesy Baked Cavatappi

Recipe by LisaCourse: DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb cavatappi

  • 1 package Beyond Meat sausage

  • 1 small onion, diced

  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced

  • 28 oz tin petite diced tomatoes

  • 9 oz frozen spinach

  • 1 cup ricotta

  • 1 tbsp sea salt

  • 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes

  • 1 cup mozzarella

Method

  • Boil water and cook pasta for 10 minutes
  • In a separate pan, sauté sausage in a little olive oil
  • Add onion to pan and cook for a few minutes
  • Add garlic to pan and cook for a minute, until fragrant
  • Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water. Put tinned tomatoes in pasta pot and cook over medium-high heat until most of the water evaporates.
  • Remove tomatoes from heat and stir in ricotta. Add sausage/onion/garlic mixture
  • Squeeze water from thawed frozen spinach and mix spinach into sauce.
  • Stir in 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Add pasta cooking water as needed to make a thick sauce.
  • Add noodles and gently stir to combine.
  • Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and broil until cheese is browned and bubbling.

Red Lentil Coconut Stew Recipe

Red Lentil Coconut Stew Recipe

Recipe by LisaCourse: DinnerDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

25

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 T oil

  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

  • 1/2 large onion, diced

  • 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce (adjust to taste)

  • 1 1/2 cups red lentils

  • 1 cup carrots, sliced

  • 1 can coconut milk

  • 2 cups vegetable stock

Method

  • Heat a 6 qt sauté pan over medium heat and add oil. Sprinkle salt over oil.
  • Sauté onion for three minutes, then add 1 teaspoon of chili garlic sauce
  • Stir in lentils and stir to coat with oil
  • Add carrots. Stir in stock and coconut milk.
  • Simmer for 15-20 minutes until lentils are soft. Add salt and chili garlic sauce as desired.

Notes

  • Serve over jasmine rice.

Olive Tapenade

Olive Tapenade

Recipe by LisaCourse: SidesCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup black olives, diced

  • 1 cup green olives, diced

  • 2 cloves garlic, diced finely

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

  • Use a mortar and pestle to grind 1/4 of both black and green olives
  • Mix all ingredients together
  • Allow to sit for one hour

Focaccia Bread Recipe

Focaccia Bread Recipe

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time

25

hours 
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 6¼ cups bread flour

  • ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 tablespoon sea salt

  • 3+3 tablespoons olive oil

  • ~2 cups water

Method

  • Combine yeast, sugar, and one cup of water. Wait until foamy on top.
  • Combine flour and sea salt, mix to combine.
  • Add yeast/water mixture and mix for a few minutes
  • Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and kneed until a shiny dough ball forms, adding water as needed
  • Let dough rise for 24 hours
  • Coat a half-sheet baking pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt
  • Spread dough over baking pan
  • Coat with 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • Allow to rise for 60 minutes
  • Preheat oven to 450
  • Coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt
  • Bake for 25-35 minutes

Low Yeast, Long Rise Bread

There’s been a run on yeast. Well, there’s been a run on a lot of things. But most things have viable alternatives. No broccoli, get some carrots. No tomato sauce, get diced tomatoes and use a blender. While there are unleavened breads, and breads leavened with baking soda … it’s not yeast bread. I’ve found some recipes using brewing yeast for bread, but I wanted to see how little baking yeast would make bread. Last night’s pizza dough used a quarter teaspoon of yeast. I took a cup of warm water, added about a tablespoon of sugar, and a quarter teaspoon of yeast. That sat until there was activity. Mixed together three cups of whole wheat flour, one cup of white flour, a few tablespoons of vital wheat gluten, and a teaspoon of salt. Added the water/yeast, then added enough water to make a dough. The dough sat overnight to rise. I gently deflated it in the morning, then left it to raise again. Gently deflated it around lunch time, and left it alone until dinner time. Very good crust — great flavor, nice crunchy crust to it. And beautifully leavened.