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.

Soup Stock

This is my recipe for soup stock. I've tried different methods and this works the best for me.

1. Preparation.
As you are going about your regular cooking and eating schedule, instead of throwing various bits of vegetables and meat away, stick them in a ziploc bag or container of some kind. This is the stuff that you cut off of with the intention of not using them--the ends of celery and carrots, the stalks of fennel, the leaves and tails of beets, potato skins, leek greens, mushroom stems, onion skin, garlic skin, tops of tomatoes, pulp from making juice, bones, fatty bits of meat, and so forth. Stick all that stuff into a container and freeze it.

This is not to say that you can use everything that you don't eat. Check if ingredients are potentially poisonous, like rhubarb leaves. Use your best judgment.

You can also reserve the water used to boil/steam vegetables, which would normally be drained and dumped, to use as a base instead of using fresh water.

2. Making the stock. 
When you've decided to make the stock, pull out the container of scraps. Put some in a pot. Then fill it up with water. Put the pot over high heat. Add seasoning if desired.

When the water starts boiling, turn the heat to low. Let it simmer for a while, at least 10 minutes.

The longer you let it simmer, the darker and more flavorful the stock will be.

When you've decided it's done, turn off the heat and let the pot sit until it's cool enough to handle.

Use a colander over a large bowl to strain the stock. Throw away the vegetable scraps. Pour the stock into jars and store in the fridge. Freeze into ice cubes for more longevity.

3. Using the stock.
Use the stock as a base for soups and gravies, and for cooking rice or other grains. Use as the liquid for essentially any savory recipe.

Left: Water used to cook purple potatoes. Right: Purple potato water mixed with ham broth.

Sausage Gravy

1/2 pound ground pork sausage
3 Tbls. flour
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

In a skillet over medium-high heat, break the sausage into chunks. Cook, stirring, until it is all browned. Add a little of the vegetable stock if needed to keep it from sticking to the pan.

Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and stir it all in. Then slowly pour in the vegetable stock and milk, stirring constantly. Let the gravy simmer to thicken.

When it is as thick as you want it, add the seasoned salt.

Serve with biscuits or potatoes.

Lime Honey Cake

Cake:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup lime juice
5 eggs
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line bottoms of 2 cake tins with parchment, and grease the sides of the tins.

In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and lime juice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in each egg completely before adding the next one.

In another bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir 1/3 of the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Then stir in 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture, then flour again, buttermilk again, and flour again. Do not overmix.

Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, testing with a toothpick for doneness.

After removing from oven, let the cake rest in the pans for 15 minutes before inverting onto a rack to cool completely.


Filling:
6 Tbls. cream cheese
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. fresh, grated lime zest
1/4 cup honey

Beat together all filling ingredients until fluffy. Keep chilled until time to use.

When the cake is totally cooled, smooth the filling onto one of the cake layers. Place the other layer on top.


Frosting:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbls. water
1 tsp. fresh, grated lime zest
2 egg whites at room temperature

Mix the sugar, honey, water, and lime zest in a saucepan. Heat to a rolling boil over medium heat. Keep boiling until it reaches 242 F on a candy thermometer.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Pour the boiling syrup slowly in a thin stream into the egg whites, beating constantly on medium speed. Then beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake.

Crock Pot Refried Beans

3 cups dried beans (I used a mix of black, pinto, white, navy, and red)
9 cups water or broth
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp smoked salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Put the water and beans in a large crock pot, and cook on high heat for 4 hours, or until the beans are soft. Drain out the remaining water. Add the butter, salt, and pepper to the beans. Use an egg beater on medium speed to coarsely mash the beans.