RECENT RECIPES
Baked Ziti
Baked Ziti
This was actually based on a cannelini recipe that we found here: https://www.recipetineats.com/wprm_print/23117We didn't have cannelloni shells, so we punted, and it turned out really good!
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- 2 qt. pot for sauce
- 4 qt.+ pot for pasta
- 13"x9" pan We use a Pyrex pan
Ingredients
Sauce (you need LOTS! – NOTE: you can also use a 25 oz. jar of good marinara):
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic clove minced
- 1 bay leaf fresh (sub dried)
- 1/2 tsp each dried thyme and oregano
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 800 g / 28 oz canned crushed tomato
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock/broth low sodium
- 1/3 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine sub more stock
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/3 tsp black pepper
- 2/3 cup basil leaves roughly torn (recommended but not critical)
Filling:
- 250 g / 8 oz frozen chopped spinach thawed (Note 1)
- 500 g / 1 lb ricotta (we used fresh farmers' market – yum!) full fat please (Note 2)
- 1/3 cup parmesan finely shredded
- 1 cup shredded cheese Mozzarella, Colby, Cheddar, Tasty, Gruyere, Swiss
- 1 egg
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- Grated fresh nutmeg just a sprinkling or 1/8 tsp nutmeg powder (optional – we didn't add)
- 3/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Pasta and topping
- 1 lb. pasta ziti or penne work best
- 1/3 cup parmesan finely shredded
- 1 1/4 cups shredded Mozzarella
- More basil and parmesan for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Sauce (if not using jarred):
- Sauté – Heat oil in a small pot over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, bay leaf, thyme and oregano. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Reduce wine – Add wine, increase heat to high and let it simmer rapidly until mostly evaporated (about 2 minutes).
- Simmer – Add tomatoes, stock, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir then simmer on medium low for 20 minutes.
- Blitz – Remove bay leaf then blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Simmer for 1 more minute then remove from the stove
- Basil – Stir in basil then cover to keep warm until required.
Filling:
- Squeeze spinach – Place spinach in a colander and press out most of the liquid (don’t need to thoroughly squeeze dry).
- Mix filling – Place Spinach in bowl with remaining Filling ingredients. Mix, taste, adjust salt and pepper to taste (different cheeses have different saltiness).
Assemble & Bake:
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
- Smear/Spread ~1 cup of Sauce on the base of the pan (stops pasta from sliding around).
- Distribute a layer of about 1/2 the pasta
- Spread the ricotta-spinach filling more or less evenly on top of the pasta
- Distribute the remainder of the pasta on top of the filling
- Pour/spread the remainder of the sauce over the pasta (it should cover
- Bake covered (but naked) – Cover with foil, then bake for 30 minutes.
- Cheese it! Remove foil, scatter over parmesan then mozzarella. Return to oven for 15 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Serve, garnished with extra parmesan and basil if desired.
Notes
1. Spinach – Though the recipe calls for frozen, we used fresh. To use fresh, use about 500g/1 lb sliced spinach leaves or baby spinach leaves, saute with a little oil to wilt down and remove excess liquid (important!). Cool then proceed with recipe.
2. Ricotta – We used fresh ricotta from the farmers’ market, and it was terrific! Use whole milk ricotta. Low fat ricotta is harder and drier, so it’s more difficult to pipe into the tubes plus once baked, is not as juicy and moist. Avoid Perfect Italian brand in tubs. My favourite is Paesanella.
3. For FREEZING or refrigerating uncooked: Add extra 3/4 cup water* into Sauce, cook Sauce per recipe then blend* until smooth. Place filled, uncooked cannelloni in single or multiple dishes, cover with sauce (will look like LOTS!) then cheese. Cover, cool then freeze / refrigerate.
On the day of, thaw then bake per recipe (covered then uncovered). OR bake from frozen, bake covered 35 minutes then uncovered 10 minutes.
2. Ricotta – We used fresh ricotta from the farmers’ market, and it was terrific! Use whole milk ricotta. Low fat ricotta is harder and drier, so it’s more difficult to pipe into the tubes plus once baked, is not as juicy and moist. Avoid Perfect Italian brand in tubs. My favourite is Paesanella.
3. For FREEZING or refrigerating uncooked: Add extra 3/4 cup water* into Sauce, cook Sauce per recipe then blend* until smooth. Place filled, uncooked cannelloni in single or multiple dishes, cover with sauce (will look like LOTS!) then cheese. Cover, cool then freeze / refrigerate.
On the day of, thaw then bake per recipe (covered then uncovered). OR bake from frozen, bake covered 35 minutes then uncovered 10 minutes.
Lemon-Olive Oil Cake
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Another recipe we tried looking for ways to use lemons from our tree.Light, yummy, delightful.Found on the New York Times Food app: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019986-olive-oil-cake
Equipment
- 9″ Spring-form Cake Pan (we used 10″ and it worked perfectly)
Ingredients
- 1 cup/240 milliliters good-quality extra-virgin olive oil plus more for the pan (we used non-virgin/”light” olive oil — we liked the flavor)
- 2 cups/255 grams all-purpose flour plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ cups/300 grams granulated sugar plus about 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (ours are Meyer lemons — mild and sweet)
- 1¼ cups/295 milliliters whole milk at room temperature
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan using extra-virgin olive oil and line the bottom with parchment paper. Oil the parchment and flour the pan, shaking out any excess flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer set on high, beat the sugar, eggs and lemon zest until very thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer still running, slowly drizzle in the oil and beat until incorporated, another 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add milk and lemon juice. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smooth the top using an offset spatula and sprinkle the top with about 2 tablespoons sugar.
- Bake the cake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to release the sides of the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate and then flip it back over onto the rack to cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Blueberry Compote
Lemon-Maple Blueberry Compote
This is a yummy compote — helpful because we have both blueberries and lemons!Can be drizzled over yogurt, cake, ice cream, and more.Found on: https://www.loveandlemons.com/blueberry-compote/
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine 1 cup of the blueberries, the maple syrup, water, lemon juice, and vanilla in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the remaining 1 cup blueberries and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. The mixture will become thick and jammy as it cools.
Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Make this Easy Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage (Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage) for St Patrick's Day! Tender juicy beef brisket classic. By
Servings: 6
Calories: 452kcal
Equipment
- ▢Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- ▢2 pounds 996g corned beef (1.5 inches in thickness)
- ▢4 cups cold water (I substituted a 16oz can of Guinness for 2 cups)
- ▢1 200g medium onion , quartered
- ▢4 13g garlic cloves , crushed
Pickling Spices Seasoning:
- ▢1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- ▢1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- ▢1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ▢½ teaspoon whole allspice
- ▢3 whole cloves
- ▢3 bay leaves
- ▢½ teaspoon ground ginger optional
Vegetables:
- ▢6 370g carrots , peeled & cut to 2.5 inches in length
- ▢4 570g red potatoes , quartered
- ▢1 1300g cabbage , cut into 8 wedges
Instructions
- Rinse Corned Beef: Rinse corned beef under cold water – be sure to rinse well.
- Pressure Cook Corned Beef: Add rinsed corned beef, quartered onion, 4 crushed garlic cloves, pickling spices seasoning, and 4 cups (1L) cold water in Instant Pot pressure cooker.
- With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 70 minutes + Natural Release (~15 minutes).
- If the floating valve doesn’t drop after 15 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning the venting knob from sealing position to venting position. Open lid carefully.
- Pressure Cook Vegetables: While the Instant Pot is natural releasing, prepare the vegetables as described.
- Set aside cooked corned beef and 750ml of the hot liquid in a large serving bowl (there should be about 1.5 – 2 cups of liquid left in Instant Pot). Add quartered red potatoes, carrots, and cabbage wedges in Instant Pot.
- With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 2 – 3 minutes + Quick Release. Open the lid carefully.
- Cut & Serve: On a chopping board, cut Corned Beef against the grain into ⅛ inch slices. Serve with cabbage wedges, red potatoes and carrots. Enjoy~ 🙂
Middle Eastern Chickpea Bowls
Middle Eastern Chickpea Rice Bowls with Savory Pistachio Rice & Garlicky White Sauce
COVID brought us Hello Fresh — and Hello Fresh brought us this dish, which has become a regular vegetarian meal chez Kudler-Vaughnhttps://www.hellofresh.com/recipes/middle-eastern-chickpea-bowls-5eb082c2ff8d2876ce4bf9a2
Servings: 2 people
Equipment
- •Paper Towel
- •Strainer
- •Zester
- •Small pot
- •Baking Sheet
- •Small Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Red Onion
- ¼ ounce Cilantro
- ½ ounce Pistachios ContainsTree Nuts
- ½ cup Basmati Rice
- 13.4 ounce Chickpeas 1 can
- 4 tablespoon Sour Cream
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 Lemon
- 4 ounce Grape Tomatoes
- 1 unit Veggie Stock Concentrate I leave this out most often
- 1 tablespoon Shawarma Spice Blend See notes
- 1 teaspoon Hot Sauce I use Chilula, but Sriracha works
- 2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- Kosher Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
Prep
- Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce.
- Halve, peel, and cut onion into ½-inch-thick wedges; mince a few wedges until you have 2 TBSP.
- Peel and mince or grate garlic.
- Roughly chop pistachios.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas; pat very dry with paper towels.
- Roughly chop cilantro.
- Zest and quarter lemon
Cook Rice
- Melt 1 TBSP butter in a small pot over medium-high heat.
- Add minced onion, half the garlic, half the pistachios (save the rest for serving), half the Shawarma Spice (you’ll use the rest in the next step), and a pinch of salt.
- Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
- Stir in rice, ¾ cup water, stock concentrate, and a big pinch of salt.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.
- Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat.
Roast Veggies & Chickpeas
- Meanwhile, toss onion wedges, tomatoes, and chickpeas on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of olive oil, remaining Shawarma Spice, pepper, and a few pinches of salt.
- Roast on top rack, tossing halfway through, until veggies are tender and lightly charred and chickpeas are crispy, 18-20 minutes.
- TIP: It’s natural for chickpeas to pop a bit.
Make Sauce
- While veggies and chickpeas roast, in a small bowl, combine sour cream and remaining garlic to taste.
- Season with salt.
- Stir in water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency.
Mix Rice & Toss Veggies
- Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 1 TBSP butter and half the cilantro.
- Season rice with salt and pepper.
- Once veggies and chickpeas are done, remove from oven and toss with lemon zest.
Serve
- Divide rice between shallow bowls.
- Top with veggies and chickpeas.
- Drizzle with garlicky white sauce and hot sauce to taste.
- Sprinkle with remaining pistachios and cilantro.
- Top with lemon juice to taste; serve with remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
You can find shawarma at some markets, but unless they specialize in Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food, it’s hard to find. Fortunately, it’s not hard to make, and really tasty.
Here’s a shawarma recipe that I’ve used:
-
-
- 1/4 cup ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup ground allspice
- 1/4 cup garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon salt
-
Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
A really easy, really yummy risotto recipe — no hours of stirring! From DamnDelicious: https://damndelicious.net/2018/03/21/instant-pot-mushroom-risotto/
Servings: 6
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot Probably would work with a regular pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 onion diced
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 3/4 cup frozen peas thawed
Instructions
- Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Melt 2 tablespoons butter; add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions have become translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in chicken broth, rice and thyme. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 6 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Stir in spinach and remaining 2 tablespoons butter until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in peas and Parmesan until heated through, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Serve immediately.
Gingered Green Beans
Gingered Green Beans
This came from the Capay Farms newsletter — we had them and loved them at Thanksgiving!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb Whole green beans Remove the stems
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- ½ tsp ginger The recipe calls for ground — but I substituted fresh grated
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper Add to taste
- Kosher salt Add to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with ice water
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook beans until crisp-tender (about 4 minutes)
- Drain the beans and transfer them into the ice water (to stop them cooking)
- Drain and pat dry
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil
- Add garlic and cook over moderately high heat until fragrant (about 30 sec.)
- Stir in ginger and pepper, then add beans
- Season with salt
- Stir-fry until garlic is lightly browned and beans are tender (about 2-3 min)
- Transfer beans to platter and serve
Flour Tortillas
Griddle-Cooked Tortillas
These tortillas are quick and relatively easy to make — and they don't end up too thick.
Servings: 8 tortillas
Equipment
- Griddle (we use an electric one, but you can use a skillet or two instead)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup lard we use bacon grease
- 1/2 cup cool water
- 9 ounces all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup for kneading and rolling Ounces by weight, not volume
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine 9 ounces flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 2 to 3 times.
- Add the lard to the flour mixture in 4 to 5 chunks and pulse 10 to 15 times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With the processor running, add the water in a steady stream just until a ball of dough begins to form, approximately 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of flour on a clean surface. Remove the dough from the bowl of the processor and knead until well incorporated and less sticky. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Evenly divide the dough into 8 pieces and form them into round balls. Roll each ball into 7-inch rounds with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Keep all of the dough balls covered with a tea towel.
- Heat an electric nonstick griddle to 375 degrees F.
- Put the tortillas, 2 to 3 at a time, onto the griddle and cook until light golden, about 4 minutes per side. Can be held for up to 2 hours, at room temperature, wrapped in a barely damp tea towel. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Microwave for 1 minute in the damp tea towel to reheat.
Notes
Plum Jam
Plum Jam Recipe (No Peel, No Pectin!)
A wonderful use for all of our plumsFrom: Natasha's Kitchen – https://natashaskitchen.com/plum-jam-recipe-no-peel-no-pectin/
Cost: $7-$12 using homegrown plums
Equipment
- 8 pint-sized jars with lids. I purchased them at Walmart.
- Large Stock Pot (20Qt+) with Rack (or purchase a canner)
- Jar lifter to safely transfer the jars (We use tongs)
Ingredients
- 12 lbs sweet ripe plums rinsed
- 4 1/2 cups white sugar
- 8 pint-sized jars with lids.
Instructions
- Place pitted and halved plums into the mixing bowl & drizzle with 4 1/2 cups of sugar. Stir plums until all coated with sugar. Let them sit for 1 hour then transfer the mixture into a large cooking pot.
- Bring it to a boil uncovered, stirring occasionally. Boil until the mixture is bubbling uniformly. Simmer for 10 minutes then turn off the heat. Cool to room temperature.
- Repeat step 2 a total of FOUR times. Last time bringing it to a boil at the lower temperature, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
- To Sterilize Your Jars:
- Start by washing your jars and lids with warm water and soap then let them dry in the oven at 215 for about 20 min or until completely dry. Boil the lids 5 min.
- Filling and processing your jam:
- Transfer your boiling hot jam to the jars using a glass measuring cup and a funnel (least messy method) leaving about 1/2″ space.
- Screw the lids on enough to keep a tight seal in place but don’t over-tighten them since air bubbles need to be able to escape.
- Place packed cans into the canning pot and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and process 15 minutes. Remove from the pot and leave at room temperature undisturbed for 12-24 hours. You may hear a pop when the jars fully seal. After 24 hours, check that the seal has formed by pushing down on the center of the lid – it should not move at all. If the seal does not form, refrigerate jam and enjoy within 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Plum Jam Recipe (No Peel, No Pectin!)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 74
% Daily Value*
Potassium 106mg3%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Sugar 17g19%
Vitamin A 235IU5%
Vitamin C 6.4mg8%
Calcium 4mg0%
Iron 0.1mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclosure Recipe updated in 2019 to reflect new canning standards. Previously we used the oven method: screw the lids on enough to keep a tight seal in place but don’t over-tighten them since air bubbles need to be able to escape and place in the oven at 350˚F for 15 min then carefully remove from oven, flip upside down and let cool to room temperature. Signs of Spoiled Canned Food:
With any type of canning, we follow this advice: “When in doubt, throw it out”
Discard and do not eat or taste any canned food if you notice any of the following: the jar is leaking, bulging, or swollen
the jar looks damaged, cracked, or abnormal
the jar spurts foam or liquid upon opening
the canned food is discolored, moldy, mushy, slimy, or smells bad
Natasha Kravchuk
Plum Jam Recipe (No Peel, No Pectin!)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 74
% Daily Value*
Potassium 106mg3%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Sugar 17g19%
Vitamin A 235IU5%
Vitamin C 6.4mg8%
Calcium 4mg0%
Iron 0.1mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclosure Recipe updated in 2019 to reflect new canning standards. Previously we used the oven method: screw the lids on enough to keep a tight seal in place but don’t over-tighten them since air bubbles need to be able to escape and place in the oven at 350˚F for 15 min then carefully remove from oven, flip upside down and let cool to room temperature. Signs of Spoiled Canned Food:
With any type of canning, we follow this advice: “When in doubt, throw it out”
Discard and do not eat or taste any canned food if you notice any of the following: the jar is leaking, bulging, or swollen
the jar looks damaged, cracked, or abnormal
the jar spurts foam or liquid upon opening
the canned food is discolored, moldy, mushy, slimy, or smells bad
Natasha Kravchuk
Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Recipe
This is an easy, yummy Southern-style chicken dish — it can be served on buns (with cole slaw), over rice, with cornbread…
Calories: 317kcal
Equipment
- Slow cooker
Ingredients
- 3 lbs about 5-6 count boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
- 1 1/2 cups BBQ Sauce I used Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ
- 1/2 medium onion grated (with juice)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp worchestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Stir together all sauce ingredients in a 5-6 qt slow cooker.
- Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 – 7 hours. Chicken is done when cooked through and easy to shred.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred each breast using two forks. Place shredded chicken back in the crock pot and stir to coat with the yummy sauce