Chicken Korma

I recently received a slow cooker as a wedding present and had been eagerly waiting to use it, but the opportunity hadn't presented itself. Coupled with the new, improved and extensive spice rack that I also received as a wedding present, I decided on Saturday that I would try a favorite chicken korma recipe. The results were delicious and the process a breeze, since I didn't have to constantly check on the stove and stir to keep the ingredients from sticking.

Ingredients
* 1/4 C canola oil
* 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
* 2 t minced garlic
* fresh ginger, peeled and grated
* cinnamon stick
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 T ground coriander
* 1 t ground turmeric
* 1/2 t cayenne pepper
* 1/2 t ground cumin
* 1 1/2 C chicken broth
* 1 C (8 oz) canned tomato sauce
* 1 T sugar
* 1 t salt
* 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts/thighs cut into bite size pieces
* 1/2 C buttermilk
* 1/2 C roasted cashew nuts
* 3 T chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan. Fry the onions till they are translucent. Add the garlic, ginger (I find that using a ginger paste makes it more flavorful), cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander, turmeric, cayenne and cumin and coat the onions in this mixture of spices. Sautee the onion and spice mixture for a few minutes and then add chicken broth, tomato paste, sugar and salt and stir to blend thoroughly. Bring to a boil and then transfer broth-spice mixture to slow cooker. Stir in chicken and make sure pieces are nicely coated in the mixture. Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender and the sauce is thickened, approximately 3 hours on high heat and 6 hours on low heat.

Combine buttermilk and cashews in a food processor and puree until the nuts are finely blended with the buttermilk. About 10 minutes before the chicken is done, pour buttermilk and cashew mixture into slow cooker and stir to blend with the chicken and sauce. Let it cook for the remainder of the time to bring out the flavors of the cashews.

Serve over hot basmati rice and garnish with chopped cilantro.

You can freeze leftovers for later use. It heats up well in the microwave.

Canning Tomatoes

I planted a garden this year, and with all the tomatoes getting ripe, it was time for canning! It may seem like a daunting task, but there is really nothing better than delicious flavorful tomatoes for sauces and soups in the dead of winter! Don't have a garden? No worries, just pick up some tomatoes at your local farmers market, and get to work!

I like to refer to the University of Minnesota's extension website for information on all the different ways you can preserve your delicious tomatoes. http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/nutrition/DJ1097.html. Another great resource is the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. Put it all together, and voila! Delicious tomatoes, any time of the year.

Pasta and Vegetables with Béchamel Sauce

A sauce named after its inventor, Louis de Béchamel, steward to Louis XIV, this a traditional white sauce. I've made the recipe both as written, or sometimes I substitute some 1% or some half and half for the heavy cream. But if you want a dreamy sauce, follow it as is!

Béchamel Sauce
3 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken or veggie broth
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Stir in the flour slowly, and cook for two to three minutes until the mixture is smooth and golden. Remove from the heat while you add the broth, stirring vigorously. Return the pan to the heat and stir with a spatula or wire whisk until the sauce is smooth and thick. Simmer for ten minutes at a low heat. Season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the heavy cream, and keep the mixture just below the simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors.

Meanwhile, put a pot of water on to boil your pasta. While your sauce is simmering, chop up some vegetables to add to everything. I like to use some grape tomatoes, garlic, zucchini, onion, and a handful of herbs from the garden (sage, basil, oregano, thyme and a touch of rosemary). Saute the vegetables in some olive oil, adding the grape tomatoes, garlic and herbs at the very end.

Note: this is a good dish to use up some kale--simply chop up the leaves and add to the pasta and water in the final 2-3 minutes of boiling!

When your pasta is cooked, drain and toss with the vegetables and sauce, and serve with a sprinkle of parsley on top for garnish.

Zucchini Patties

I learned over the summer that I hate zucchini. We got a ton from the CSA, and I have to admit I threw away more than a few after they spent too long in the fridge. But Midwestern women know that if you don't like something but you have to eat it, the best thing to do is to fry it. This recipe is one of the few ways I really like to eat zucchini. Oh, just a note: I'm not too big on that thing called "measuring," as you'll see. With this recipe, it doesn't matter.

Ingredients
2-3 medium zucchini
1 tsp salt
1 bunch parsley, Italian parsley or cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
any other fresh herbs you have on hand, chopped
1 egg
1/2 - 1 cup flour or 1/4 cup corn starch
4 tbsps cooking oil

Equipment
Grater or food processor with grating attachment
mixing bowl
nonstick pan
thin spatula

Wash, trim, and grate the zucchini into a large mixing bowl. Salt the zucchini and mix it, letting it sit and release its water for several minutes. Using a colander or strainer, press the water out of the grated zucchini, and return it to the mixing bowl. I've found that carrots also go well in these patties, so if you want to throw in some grated carrots, do that now. Chop and add the fresh herbs and onions. Mix well and add the egg, mixing until the zucchini is coated. Add the flour a little at a time until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat with 2 tbsps oil, reserving the rest of the oil until you need more.

Use a spoon or your hands to scoop some of the batter and form a ball. Fill the pan with 3-4 small patties and fry them without touching for a few minutes. When they are somewhat firm and golden brown on the bottom, flip them and fry for several more minutes. Remove to a plate covered with paper towels.

These go great with a fresh yogurt and herb sauce, and they are surprisingly filling.

Homemade Yogurt

Every good Midwestern woman needs to be well-versed in dairy. It turns out, making your own yogurt is cheap, easy, and tastes way better than the corn-syrupy stuff at the grocery store.

Equipment:
Containers that can hold 1/2 gallon of yogurt - I use two one-quart Ball canning jars
Food thermometer
Wire mesh strainer
A pot, preferably a double boiler. I use a regular sauce pan, not a double boiler, and it works just fine.

You're also going to need some starter yogurt. Choose some at the store that has active cultures and no extra ingredients, preferably fresh and local. I also encourage you to use a natural, fresh milk. The "name-brand" milk may have been sitting on the shelf for a long time - go for the fresh local stuff.

Ingredients:
4 tbsp starter yogurt
1/2 gallon all natural whole milk














Here's how you do it:

1. Let the starter yogurt sit out while you do the next couple steps, so it warms to room temperature.
   
2. Heat the milk to 185F-190F, slowly and stirring occasionally. You'll probably get a film on top, but don't worry, you'll strain it off. A candy thermometer works great for measuring the temp.
3. Cool the milk to 110F-115F. You can leave it sitting, put it in the fridge, or do a cold water bath. Don't let it get too cold!
4. Add the starter yogurt and mix well.
5. Pour the mixture through your wire mesh strainer into the jars. You can skip the straining, but you might end up with noticeable chunks of "milk skin" in your finished product.
6. Close up the jars and put them somewhere warm, like the back of your oven (turned off!) above the pilot light. The top of the fridge would probably also work. You can wrap the jars in tea towels to insulate them.
7. Leave it alone for 7 hours. If you leave it longer, it will get even tangier! Don't check it early. When you open it, you'll find it thickened, with some greenish liquid on top.You can pour the liquid off if you want.
   
8. Refrigerate your yogurt for at least 12 hours. It will thicken a bit more as it cools.
9. Add flavorings if you want - if I'm going to eat my yogurt straight, I add some honey and a dash of vanilla. Otherwise I leave it plain to use in recipes.
   

Enjoy! Now you can use some of your own yogurt as a starter for the next batch.

Stir Fry!

This stir fry sauce is the perfect combination of spicy, sour, sweet and salty. Add in whatever vegetables and protein you like for a delicious meal. When I made it I used a pound of cubed firm tofu along with vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, garlic scapes, pea pods, and some greens. I served my stir fry with a side of kale sauteed in sesame oil.

Stir Fry Sauce
1/3 cup good stock (veggie or chicken stock work best)
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
5-7 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp honey (you can also substitute brown sugar or agave syrup)
2 tsp corn starch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
1 tbsp Sriracha (or 1 minced chili), adjust this amount depending on how spicy you like your dish.

Assembly
Add all ingredients except the garlic and corn starch mixture into a sauce pan on medium-high heat. Stir sauce until it begins to bubble, then reduce heat to medium-low. Add the minced garlic and the corn starch mixture. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens slightly. This will take somewhere around one minute. Taste the sauce! Add more of your favorite ingredients if you prefer the flavor to be more salty, spicy, sour or sweet.

A note about making a great stir fry: The golden rule is to have all of your prep work done before you start to cook anything. Make sure that your meat and vegetables are completely chopped! This will help to avoid scrambling around to complete a task while your food over the heat gets too crispy. The second rule is to add your vegetables in order of cooking time. Cook your protein (meat, tofu, etc) first, and remove it from the pan. Then add the veggies that take the longest amount of time to cook, like broccoli, should be put in first, and the veggies that take the least amount of time (like greens) should be added last. Finally add your tofu or meat back into the wok, and now it will be time to add your sauce! Heat everything through, and voila! You are ready to serve an amazing dish.

French Dressing

This recipe was created by my Grandmother, and growing up I always loved it when my mom would make this salad dressing. Goes great on any sort of greens, and the oniony flavor is really quite nice.

French Dressing
1 large onion, grated
1 c sugar
1 c cider vinegar
1 c oil
1 c tomato soup
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp celery salt
1 clove garlic

Assembly:
Mix all ingredients in the blender. Chill overnight before consuming and enjoy!

Makes approximately 1 quart

Chilaquiles

This is one of my favorite breakfast/brunch dishes for using leftover tortillas and salsa. There are many different ways that you can make this Mexican dish, and here is just one. Try adding in beans or veggies that you might like, for a twist on the original recipe.



Chilaquiles
Serves 4

Ingredients
8 corn tortillas, cut into wedges
6 eggs, whisked with milk
scallions or chives, diced
salt
pepper
2 cups salsa
queso fresco

Directions
Heat 2tbs of oil in large skillet, and add tortillas. Stir frequently, and brown both sides. Remove the tortillas from pan and set aside on a paper towel to drain off excess oil. Add additional oil to the Mix together the egg and scallions and add to the pan, stirring occasionally to scramble the eggs. Once the eggs are cooked through, add half of the salsa to the mixture, along with the tortilla wedges. Mix everything together. Serve topped with remaining salsa and queso fresco.

Veggie Breakfast Hash

What to do with all these parsnips and sunchokes in your CSA? I suggest using some in a Veggie Breakfast Hash.

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

1 Parsnip
2 Sunchokes
1 medium sized Potato
1 small Onion
1 clove Garlic, or Green Garlic
4 stalks Asparagus
1-2 Tbs. oil
1 oz. shredded Cheddar Cheese (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste


Preparation:

Shred the parsnip, sunchokes, and potato in a food processor or by hand with a cheese grater (it really doesn't take to long by hand, I promise!). Press excess moisture out of shredded veggies by folding within a paper towel and applying pressure. Chop onion and garlic.

In frying pan heat oil. Add onion and saute for a few minutes until onion is translucent. Add garlic, and the shredded potato, parsnips and sunchokes. Saute for about 15 minutes. Flip every 4-5 minutes. Add another tablespoon of oil if necessary. When hash is a nice golden brown, add asparagus. Saute for another 3-4 minutes. When asparagus is tender, top with grated cheese and salt and pepper. Serve with other breakfast foods or as the main breakfast dish.

Potato Salad

I love potato salad but I'm not a big fan of mayonnaise. This version has less mayo, more spices and veggies, and a lot more flavor.

Serves 10-12 people as a side dish.


About 2.5 lbs Potatoes
4 sticks Celery
3 Carrots
1 small Onion
2 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Tbs Vinegar (I've been using white wine vinegar lately, but red wine vinegar or regular vinegar work just fine)
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chili powder (optional)
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise (nayonnaise for vegan alernative)
1/4 cup mustard (plain yellow, spicy brown, or whatever you prefer!)
Chives or Green Garlic (optional)



Slice potatoes and boil until soft. Rinse in cool water and put in large bowl.

In small bowl add oil and vinegar. Stir in the turmeric, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture over potatoes, mix until potatoes are evenly coated. Put in fridge for 20 minutes.

Dice onions. Chop celery and carrots.

In small bowl mix mayo and mustard.

Mix the mayo/mustard in with the potatoes until evenly covered. Add the veggies and mix well.

On top sprinkle chopped chives or green garlic.