Calico Bread from Fablehaven

4 cups flour (white or whole wheat)
1 3/4 cups warm water or milk
1 Tbs. salt
2 tsp. dry yeast or .6-.7 oz fresh yeast
2 tsp. sugar

Fillings/flavors:
peanut butter
jam/jelly
cheese
marinara sauce, with or without cheese, minced pepperoni, etc
poppy seeds and lemon zest
dill weed and grated carrot
any kind of herbs, edible flowers
tiny bits of caramel
cheese with minced vegetables like peppers, garlic, etc
honey
cinnamon and sugar
dried fruit
Use your imagination!


Combine the yeast with the sugar in warm water/milk. Stir in the flour one cup at a timbre, adding in the salt at some point. Knead so that it's smooth and elastic with some resistance.

Coat bowl and dough in oil or water. Place dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap sealed around the edges, but large and loose over the top so it doesn't smash the risen dough. Let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled, in a warm place.

Divide dough into a lot of small portions. Add a different filling into each piece, adding flour if necessary to anything that is too wet. Some filings can be kneaded into the dough. For some fillings, roll the piece of dough flat, put on the filling, and roll it into a log with the filling spiraled inside. Others can be made into little filled dumplings. Who the outside of the pieces with water so they will adhere together. Put the pieces of dough all together in a greased bread pan, coat the top with oil, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise again for another 30 minutes or so, until it is about an inch over the top of the pan.

Spray water into the oven or place a small pan with water inside. Put the bread pan into the oven, then start pre-heating to 350° F. Bake for 60-70 minutes until it's a dark golden brown on top and the interior measures to 190°-200° F.

Autumn Spice Hot Cocoa

For 8 servings:

1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups cold water
1 cup sugar
6 cups milk or plant-based milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. allspice
1 1/2 Tbls. vanilla extract

For 1 serving:

2 tsp. cocoa powder
1/4 cup cold water
2 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup milk or plant-based milk
dash of cinnamon (approx. 1/8 tsp or less)
dash of nutmeg
dash of allspice
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a pot over medium heat, whisk together the cocoa powder and water until smooth. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until it heats to steaming. Do not let it boil. It can be served as is, or with toppings such as marshmallows, whipped cream, ice cream, etc.

Non-Dairy Hot Chocolate

Makes one large serving.

1 1/2 cups oat milk or nut milk
2 Tbls. cocoa powder
2 Tbls. semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 Tbls. sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk the mixture as it heats. Keep heating and stirring until it is smooth and the chocolate chips are completely melted. Don't let it get hot enough to boil. Add the vanilla extract at the very end.

Fancy Ants on a Log

Celery sticks filled with mixed nut butter, sprinkled with cocoa powder, topped with mixed raisins.

Mixed Nut Butter

ground peanuts
ground almonds
ground cashews
chia seeds
Optional: sunflower butter

Make a mixture that is basically 3 parts ground peanuts, 1 part ground cashews, 1 part ground almonds, and a small amount of chia seeds. I used 1 Tbls. of chia seeds per about 4 cups of nut butter, but more can be added if desired. Beat everything together with an egg beater until it is completely combined.

I don't have measurements for this because I actually don't measure. I can get freshly ground peanuts, almonds, and cashews at the grocery store I go to, and I can choose how much of each instead of getting a predetermined amount in a jar. I like this because I can get mostly peanut butter, which is the cheapest, and smaller amounts of almond and cashew for additional flavor and nutrients.

I prefer to get the freshly ground nuts instead of getting jars because I know that these nut butters are made purely of nuts, with no salt, sugar, or stabilizers added. I want that so that I have more control over the amount of salt and sugar I consume, and to avoid saturated fats. When I use the nut butter in recipes, there is usually sugar and/or salt already in the recipe. Otherwise, the nut butter gets paired with fruit or jam, which is already sweet. There is no need for the nut butter itself to be sweet. I also like the grainy texture of the ground nuts more than the sticky smooth of usual creamy peanut butter.

I add sunflower butter as an option because I've tried it, but I don't like the flavor as much, so it depends on your taste.

Garlic White Bean Hummus

1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup minced garlic, raw or roasted
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 Tbls. paprika (regular, smoked, or spicy if you like)
1 tsp. cumin
3 Tbls. olive oil + some for sauteing
3 Tbls. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups cannelini beans or other white beans, cooked & rinsed

Saute onion with a small amount of olive oil, in a covered skillet over medium heat. Assemble the other ingredients in a food processor. When the onion is limp and translucent, add it to the food processor. Puree everything until it is as smooth as possible. Add a bit more lemon juice if necessary to make it smooth.

Carrot Dill Rolls

3/4 cup grated carrot
1 cup hot water
2 Tbls brown sugar
2 Tbls olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp dry yeast or .6 oz fresh yeast
1 Tbls dried dill weed
3-3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Stir together the carrot, water, brown sugar, olive oil, and salt until the  sugar is dissolved. If the water gets cold (from using cold carrots), pour some out and reheat it.

Stir in the yeast, dill, and one cup of flour. Stir completely before adding another cup of flour, then stir that in completely before adding the third. At this point you will have to knead the dough, adding more flour if necessary. Knead until the dough is smooth around the bits of carrot. Then coat the inside of a large bowl and the dough in a small amount of oil. Place dough in bowl, cover the top, and let rise until it is doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Knead the dough lightly, then divide it into 12 even balls. Place them on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Brush olive oil and sprinkle coarse salt onto the tops of each roll. Cover them and let them rise until doubled again, about 40 minutes.

Place the pan in the oven along with a small dish of water. Set the oven to 375 F and bake, including preheat time, for 25-30 minutes, until they are golden brown on top and bottom.

Salsa Verde

1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
3 cups diced green tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup diced onion
2 Tbls. lime juice or lemon juice
2 Tbls. olive oil
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. cumin
4 garlic cloves, minced (2 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. - 1 tsp. red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, minced peppers, or whatever source of heat you want.

Blend all ingredients together until liquefied. Makes 1 quart.

White Bean Tomato Hummus

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes in oil (include some oil in this measurement)
2 tsp minced garlic [roasted garlic]
1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp chili powder [chipotle powder]
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt [smoked salt]
1 Tbls tomato powder
3 cups cooked white beans (2 15 oz cans, rinsed and drained)

I like to mix it up and use various types of white beans, including white/navy beans, cannellini beans, butter beans, broad/fava beans, etc. And extra-flavor versions of ingredients are in brackets.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and puree until smooth.

Tortillas/Basic Flatbread

3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
2 Tbls soft butter or oil
1 cup warm water

Stir the dry ingredients together. Stir in the butter/oil. Add the warm water. Knead it until it's cohesive. Add more flour or water if necessary.

Preheat a skillet over high heat, then turn to medium once the surface is hot.

Take a small handful, like a little larger than a golf ball. Roll it into a sphere. Place between 2 sheets of thick, soft plastic (I use a large food storage zip bag with 3 sides cut off). Flatten the dough into a circle, then roll into a thin circle of dough with a rolling pin. For tortillas, the dough should be thin enough to be almost translucent. Or if you want a thicker flatbread, roll or press the dough to a thicker piece.

 

Cook each piece one at a time on the hot skillet. The tortilla will become more opaque and form bubbles. Turn it over and let the other side brown. It will cook very quickly with a properly hot skillet.

Place them in a large food storage zip bag while they are still hot, so that they stay soft, but keep the bag open while they are still letting off steam. They will keep for a few days at room temperature.

Sesame Hummus

3 cups cooked garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed (2 15 oz cans, drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup tahini or olive oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup cold water
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne or chili powder

Optional additional ingredients:
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup olives
1/4 cup roasted red peppers
1 Tbls tomato powder or tomato paste
1 Tbls kale flakes

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until as smooth as possible.

Honey Almond Tart

Crust:

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg
1/4 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Mix flour and sugar. Cut in butter until there is no dry flour. Stir in the egg. Add half of the water, stir it in completely, then stir in the rest of the water. Chill the dough while making the glaze.

Glaze:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbls. water
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups sliced almonds

Stir all ingredients except almonds over medium heat, until butter is mostly melted and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add almonds.

Divide the dough in half and press each half into a pie or tart tin (9"-10"), pressing it partially up the sides. Pour half of the glaze into each crust.

Bake for 25 minutes.

D&D Healing Potion

2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
2 cups water
1 Tbls. floral tea* (dried rose petals, hibiscus, chamomile, etc)
2 cups sugar

Spices:
For regular healing potion: 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
For greater healing potion: 1/4 tsp. ground clove
For superior healing potion: 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
For supreme healing potion: 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. pearl dust**
For regular healing potion: pink pearl dust
For greater healing potion: white pearl dust
For superior healing potion: silver pearl dust
For supreme healing potion: gold pearl dust

2 liters carbonated water

*The floral tea I used in this batch was a combination of hibiscus petals, lemon peel, orange peel, rose hips, and rose petals.

**Pearl dust is a powdered food coloring, made with mica powder, used to decorate pastries. It is shimmery, and not to be confused with color dust, which is powdered food coloring that is not pearlescent. It is also called luster dust in different brands.


Combine raspberries, water, floral tea, and spice over high heat in a large pan. Bring to a boil, then lower to medium heat to maintain a boil for 25 minutes.

Put a fine mesh strainer, or a colander lined with cheesecloth, over a tall bowl or pitcher. Pour the mixture into the strainer and let it slowly strain through gravity, without pressing the mixture.

Eventually, after an hour or more, you should have about 1 1/2 cups of syrup.

Remove and reserve 2 cups of carbonated water from its bottle. Add the pearl dust into the bottle, then pour the raspberry syrup into the bottle. Top off any empty space with the reserved carbonated water. Screw on the lid and gently tilt the bottle back and forth to mix it.

Rich Pear Sorbet

Using whole pureed fruit lends this sorbet a thick, rich texture.

6 cups pears, cubed
3/4 cup water
2 Tbls. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

Before chopping the pears, remove wax from the skin by dipping the pears in hot water for about 30 seconds and scrubbing them with a clean, rough cloth. The color of the skin may change, but it doesn't damage the texture or flavor.

Chop the pears into small pieces, removing the core, until you have 6 cups.

Bring to a boil over high heat the pear, water, and maple syrup. Reduce heat to medium and boil, covered, until pears are completely soft.

Add the cardamom. If most of the water has boiled off, add another 1/2 cup. Puree the mixture in a blender until completely smooth. Transfer to another container and chill out completely.

Once it is cold, process it in an ice cream machine according to the machine's instructions.

Rhubarb Crumble

1 1/2  lbs rhubarb, chopped into 1/2 in pieces
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbls. butter
1 Tbls. cornstarch

For the crumble topping:
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or white wheat flour
6 Tbls. butter, cold and diced
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375°F

Heat the rhubarb in a pan on medium to medium low with the honey, 1 T butter, and cornstarch for about 5 minutes, until the rhubarb is glossy and everything has melted together. Transfer to an 8 1/2" pie tin or square baking dish.

To make the crumble topping, place the flour and brown sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter until it is thoroughly combined, with a texture like soft crumbs.

Spread evenly over the fruit. Bake 35-45 minutes.

Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream

3 cups strawberries, leaves removed & cut in half
2 Tbls. honey
2 Tbls. sugar
1 3/4 cup coconut milk (1 can)

Cook the honey, sugar, and strawberries over medium-high heat until thickened and mushy. Mash the strawberries, or puree them if you desire a smooth consistency. Chill until completely cold.

In a large bowl, stir together the strawberry mixture with the coconut milk. If the coconut milk has separated, beat it until it's homogenous, before adding the strawberries. Beat the ingredients together until smooth.

Churn according to the directions of your ice cream machine.

Strawberry & Pear Flan

2 cups pears, chopped, with core removed
1 cup strawberries, chopped with leaves removed
2 Tbls butter
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbls honey

Preheat the oven to 325°. Slather the bottom and sides of a large pie tin with 2 Tbls soft butter.

Cook the pears in enough water to cover, over medium heat, until they are soft enough to easily pierce with a fork. Strain the fruit and put in a blender with all the other ingredients. Blend the ingredients very thoroughly, so that it is completely smooth.

Pour it into the pie tin. Bake for 60 minutes. Chill before serving.

Apple Sherbet

4-5 apples
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbls. honey
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream

Remove wax from apples by dipping in hot water for about 30 seconds, then scrubbing off the wax with a rough cloth.

Run apples through a juicer until you have 2 cups of juice. Stir together all ingredients. Chill in the fridge until it is completely cold. Churn in ice cream machine for 20 minutes, then transfer to a container and freeze until hard.

Vanilla Orange Sherbet

 This is lightly flavored, tangy and creamy.

2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbls lemon juice
1 Tbls vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup honey

Beat all ingredients together until smooth and frothy. Churn in ice cream machine according to its instructions. (This recipe is too large for my machine so I churn it in 2 batches)

Honey Glazed Carrots

2 cups julienned carrots
1 cup water
1 Tbls. butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Place water and carrots in a pan and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain water. Add butter, honey, and nutmeg to carrots and simmer, uncovered, for another 3 minutes. Can be served warm or cool.

Apple Apricot Pie

1 double pie crust
4 cups apple, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup dried apricot, minced
1/4 cup butter, minced
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbls. arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp saffron
1 tsp vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 400 F. Stir together all filling ingredients. Place in a prepared, uncooked pie crust and cover with a top crust.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Rocky Road to Dublin Ice Cream

1 mint teabag (1 Tbls dried mint leaves)
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups cream
1 cup milk
1 Tbls. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup multi-colored mini marshmallows

Heat the cream in a small pan over high heat until it is steaming. Add in the mint teabag. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour. Remove teabag and chill completely.

In a small pan over low heat, stir together the sweetened condensed milk and cocoa powder for about 5 minutes, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in the cream, milk, and vanilla. Chill completely.

Churn in an ice cream machine according to its directions. Add the chopped nuts and marshmallows at the end, churning for about 5 more minutes to mix them in. For my machine, the bowl needs to be completely frozen. Churn for 15 minutes, then 5 more minutes with the nuts and marshmallows.

Can be served soft, or transferred to an airtight container to be frozen.

Raspberry Honey Frozen Yogurt

2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup frozen raspberries

Stir all ingredients together, & churn according to your machine's directions.

For my machine (Cuisinart), the bowl needs to be completely frozen in advance, then churn for 15-20 minutes.

Raspberry Lemon Ice Cream

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup whipping cream

Stir together all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Process in an ice cream machine according to its directions. Then transfer to another container and freeze until hard.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

3 lbs. chicken meat, cut into chunks
1 large onion, diced
1 Tbls. minced garlic
2 Tbls. minced fresh ginger
4 cups pureed tomato
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 Tbls. olive oil
2 Tbls. garam masala, or a curry spice mix
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 Tbls. cumin
1/2 Tbls. paprika
2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup half-and-half
3 Tbls. corn starch
2 Tbls. lemon juice

Place chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato puree, yogurt, olive oil, garam masala, tumeric powder, cumin, paprika, salt, cinnamon, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper into the crock pot. With a spatula, stir to combine everything and make sure the chicken is coated well.

Cover and cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).

At the last 20 minutes, whisk the corn starch and cream together, then pour into the crock pot and cook for the remaining time. Drizzle the lemon juice over.

Serve over cooked rice.

Barley Bread

2 cups warm water or barley tea
3 cups whole wheat or white wheat flour
1 cup barley flour
2 tsp dry yeast, or .6 oz fresh yeast
2 tsp molasses (honey or maple syrup are also acceptable)
1 cup rolled barley
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbls. oil


Mix the molasses with 1 cup water/tea in a small bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and let it proof until foamy.

Mix 1 cup water/tea with 1 cup wheat flour, the barley flour, and 3/4 cup rolled barley. When the yeast is foamy, add that in and stir it all up. Let it rise until roughly doubled.

Add in the rest of the flour (2 cups), the salt, and the oil. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, kneading in flour as necessary. Let rise, oiled, in a warm place, until about doubled again (but not for too long!).

Meanwhile, soak the remaining 1/4 cup of rolled barley in 2 Tbls. water or tea.

Form the dough into a loaf. Smooth the wet barley onto the top, encrusting it into the dough. Place in an oiled loaf pan and cut a slit along the top of the loaf.

Spray inside your oven or put a pan of water in there. Put in the dough and set the oven to 350. Bake (including preheat time) for 50-60 minutes.

Slow Cooker Korean Pork and Potatoes

3 lbs pork (or chicken), cut into small pieces
1 1/2 lbs petite potatoes, or larger potatoes cut up
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbls. coconut oil
1 Tbls. sesame oil
1 Tbls. minced garlic
1 Tbls. minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. corn starch

Put all ingredients except corn starch in the crock pot, stirring to coat all the meat and potatoes. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. When there are about 20 minutes left, take out some of the liquid and stir the corn starch into it, then stir the mixture into the crock pot.

You can add other vegetables or make some as a side.

Sausage & Greens Dirty Rice

3 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup minced onion
1 Tbls. Creole seasoning or other spicy mix
1/2 Tbls. minced garlic
1 Tbls. soy sauce
1 Tbls. butter or coconut oil
2 cups minced kale, spinach, swiss chard, or orach
1 lb. ground sausage
1 1/2 cups rice

Bring water to boil in a pot over high heat. Add onion, seasoning, garlic, soy sauce, and butter/oil, stirring until mixed. Add the greens, sausage, and rice. Stir to break up the sausage into small bits. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the rice is done. Remove from heat and let repose, covered, for another 5 minutes before serving.

Orange Julius

6 ounces (1/2 can) frozen orange juice concentrate (You can use whatever frozen juice concentrate you want. Omit powdered sugar if the juice has added sugar.)
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ice cubes, as many as needed for desired consistency

Combine all the ingredients except the ice cubes in a blender and process until smooth and frothy. Add the ice cubes and blend until smooth.

Sausage Bread

Bread:
2 tsp dry yeast or .6 oz cake yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 cups warm water or vegetable stock
1 Tbls salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tiny pinch of lavender buds
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp thyme

Filling:
1 pound ground sausage
3/4 cup grated or minced onion
1/4 cup grated carrot
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup (4 oz) cream cheese

1 egg for glaze

Stir together the sugar, yeast, and water/vegetable stock. Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time. With the last cup, add in the salt and herbs. Knead on a floured countertop until the dough is smooth and less sticky. Coat the dough with oil, place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for 30 minutes.

While the dough is rising, cook the sausage, onion, carrot, and garlic in a pot over medium heat. Cook until the sausage is mostly browned. Some pink is ok, as it will be cooked again. Cut the cream cheese into chunks and stir it into the meat mixture.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough out into a rectangle taking up the whole space of the baking sheet, then place the filling along the middle 1/3 of the dough, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of free space at the ends. Cut slashes along the sides of the dough.

 

Fold the short ends over the filling, then fold each fringe piece of dough over the middle, alternating sides and stretching at a diagonal to create a braided look. Pinch closed any large gaps in the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise another 30 minutes.  Towards the end, set the oven to preheat to 350 F.

When the dough is done rising, beat an egg and brush it all over the loaf.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.