Food goodness

I brought this sweet honey-raisin challah to my parents' Rosh Hashanah dinner last week. I'm not going to recopy the recipe, because it's long (although the bread isn't complicated to make at all), but I wanted to share it with all of you because it is sweet and tasty and pretty much foolproof. Woo, happy (Jewish) new year!

adapted from: Simply Recipes We got a bag of green tomatoes in the CSA share this week, and if I had any tomatoes growing on my plants I might even consider pulling some off early to use in this recipe. Also, as the weather gets colder you might have extra tomatoes that won't have time to ripen on the vine, which would be good candidates for this recipe. I added a little more seasoning to the recipe, but it would probably be good as written, too. It had a lot of flavor. We ate them for lunch, but they would also be a good side dish. Ingredients 3 medium, firm green tomatoes 1/2 cup all-purpose flour salt, pepper, a little chili powder 1/4 cup milk 2 beaten eggs 2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal (I used seasoned bread crumbs) 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper ranch dressing for dipping, opt Method 1 Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, e

Adapted from Ina Garten and the NY Times. For the pancakes: 3 medium zucchini, shredded salt and freshly ground pepper 3 large eggs, beaten 6 tbs flour 1 tablespoon olive oil 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (I used reduced-fat from Trader Joe's) 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (or anything oniony) 1/3 cup finely chopped dill (I used dried) 1 teaspoon baking powder 4-6 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed for frying For the yogurt sauce: 2/3 cup plain yogurt (fat free) 2 medium or 1 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste Shred the zucchini with a box grater or food processor and set aside in a bowl. You can sprinkle with salt and drain off the liquid but I skipped this step to save time. The batter might turn a bit watery but you can add a smidge more flour if need be and the pancakes still taste just as good. Combine remanining ingredients with zucchini and mix to combine. In a skillet over med-high heat, add oil and drop in 2 Tbs of batter at a

From Veg Times (thanks, Kel!) I am not sure exactly what's Eastern European about this -- it seems more Indian to me with the curry and the cumin, but whatever. It's savory and tangy and a little sweet. It also let me pretend it was fall for a night, even though it's almost 80 degrees here at the moment, which is hotter than it was during most of the summer. Again, whatever. Also, I like thick soups and cut down on the amount of water -- I probably used 6 cups instead of 7, and my tomato didn't have as much liquid as a whole can of chopped tomatoes would. I didn't need to thin it out in the final step, either, although I probably will when we reheat the leftovers. 2 T olive oil 1 large red onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 T) 1 1/2 red lentils 2 T ground cumin (I added some curry powder; the recipe notes say you can replace the supplement with curry, thyme or paprika) 1 15-oz can chopped tomatoes with liquid (I just chopped a leftover tomato from the

I'm trying out recipes for cupcakes for Gaby and Katie's birthday party in November, and this one definitely made my short list of ones to make for the party. Light, lemony, pretty, and easy to make. from Baking Bites Lemon Cupcakes Filled with Lemon Curd 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup butter, room temperature 1 2/3 cup sugar 1 tbsp lemon zest (or 1 tsp lemon extract) 2 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup milk approx 1 1/2 cups lemon curd Preheat oven to 350F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Adding the lemon zest early helps release more of its flavor. Blend in eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk. Add another 1/3 of the flour and the remaining milk, then stir in the remaining flour, mixing only until no s

You know, for some reason I thought lemon curd was really hard to make. It's not. And is so, so tasty. adapted (doubled, really) from Baking Bites 2/3 cup strained, fresh lemon juice 4 tsp fresh lemon zest 10 tbsp sugar 2 large egg, room temperature 1 tsp vanilla extract In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, combine sugar and lemon juice. Add zest and stir until sugar is dissolved completely. In a medium bowl, lightly beat egg. Whisking constantly (or with an electric mixer on low), very slowly stream the hot lemon-sugar syrup into the egg. Beat for 2 minutes (only 1 if you’re using a mixer), then transfer back into the saucepan by pouring the mixture through a strainer. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the curd just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Transfer to a small airtight container and store in the fridge.

So, yeah. I was feeling all productive and virtuous because this soup is really good for you, and super easy to make, and then Gaby came home last night and asked for pizza. And Ernie's away on business, and I totally caved. So. I did finish making the soup, and tasted it, and it's really good. Some in the fridge for lunch, some in the freezer for later. You can make this with canned beans and stock, or you can make your own vegetable stock and black beans . I made my own. adapted from "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow cooker" 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 1/2 green bell pepper, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 carrot, diced 2 bay leaves 1/4 tsp. ground chipotle pepper 1 tsp. ground thyme 1 tsp. cumin 4 c. veg stock 3 c. cooked black beans (or 2 cans, drained) 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained Heat oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion, carrot and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Put vegetable mixture in slow cooker. Add beans, vegetable broth, to

I am really trying to stay away from canned foods as much as possible. Since I'm home, it's often easier and cheaper to make completely from scratch. Dried beans are one of those things cheaper...a bag of beans is really cheap, and cooking them isn't that hard. Especially if you do it in the slow cooker. The directions for this were taken from "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker," but I think it's probably pretty intuitive. I went with as basic as it comes, because I wanted to use my beans in soups and other recipes. Beans freeze well, thankfully, so I think my slow cooker will be getting a lot of use making beans. 1 pound dried beans, picked over and rinsed 1 large onion, quartered (optional) 2 garlic cloves, crushed (optional) 2 bay leaves (optional) Soak the beans overnight. Drain the beans and place them in a slow cooker. Add onion, garlic, and bay leaves if using, and enough water to cover the beans. Cover and cook on high for 8 to 12 hours or longer,

Canned vegetable stock has too much salt in it for me to be eating these days, so I set out to make my own. I don't really have time to watch the pot, but I do have time to throw everything in the slow cooker and let it sit all day. You may want to add 1 tsp. of salt, like the recipe originally called for; I left it out. Adapted from "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker" 1 large onion, thickly sliced 2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks (don't bother peeling) 1 large potato, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 1 celery rib, cut into i-inch pieces 3 garlic cloves, left unpeeled and crushed 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 bay leaves 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns 1 Tbsp. soy sauce 7 c. water Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the onions, carrots, potato, celery and garlic in a raosting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and roast about 30 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a slow cooker. Add bay leaves, peppercorns, soy sauce and water. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Let the sto

Adapted from epicurious.com . Serves 4. * 1/4 cup fresh lime juice * 2 tablespoons finely grated lime peel * 2 tablespoons honey * 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for sprinkling * 4 teaspoons soy sauce * 1 tablespoon olive oil * 3/4 cup sliced shallots (about 3 large) * 1 1/2 cups basmati rice (9 to 10 ounces) * 3 1/4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth (I used water since I didn't have broth but I added a clove of garlic for a bit more flavor) * 4 5-to 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets * 1 bunch broccoli, bottom inch trimmed, stalks separated if necessary Whisk to combine lime juice through soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside. In a brazier or other vessel with a tight fitting lid, heat oil over medium high heat and add shallots (onions are fine, too). Cook for about5 minutes or until onion is soft. Stir in rice and cook for a minute or two before added stock/water and bring to a boil. Cover tightly with lid

I don't know about you, but even here in sunny CA, it's starting to feel a bit like fall and I started to panic about the fact that I still haven't made any of my summertime favorites. You know, caprese salads and proper desserts made with stone fruit (baked peaches served with yogurt hardly count in my book). I found this recipe in a book called "Simply in Season" and it breaks down recipes by season and category. Thanks to Alissa for this great gift; I find myself consulting it often. Also, this recipe is only 232 kcals and 3 grams of fiber per serving. Serves 8. 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 cup AP flour 2 tbs sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 cup ground walnuts (optional--I didn't do it) 1/4 cup unsalted butter 4 cups peach slices (or halves, I did slices and I didn't bother to peel them) 1 cup blueberries (can substitute all the peaches for 3 cups blueberries) 3 tbs sugar (I used brown sugar here) 1 tsp cinnamon 1 cup yogurt or

Um yeah. You know how I'm supposed to be good now and limit carbs and salt and cholesterol? Sometimes that's just fine, and sometimes I need a big bowl of pasta. Tonight I needed a big bowl of pasta. Although, I did eat oatmeal for breakfast and a veggie burger on a low-carb bread for lunch, so I guess I had the carbs to spare. adapted from Giada 1 pound spaghetti pasta 1/4 cup olive oil 3 shallots, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 3/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes 1 1/2 cup Pinot Grigio (or other white wine) 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 pounds clams, washed 2 cups arugula Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and the garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until tender but not brown. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another m

We had this for dinner tonight and it was tasty. My only problem with the slow cooker recipes in this cookbook is that you have to do prep work on the stove ahead of time, but it was worth the little bit of extra effort. And...low cholesterol and low sodium. Not low carb, only because I served this over cholesterol-free egg noodles. Although, I didn't use many egg noodles in my bowl, so maybe it really was low-carb...just not no-carb. Adapted from "Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker" 3 Tbsp. olive oil 16 oz white mushrooms, washed and quartered (all that business about not washing your mushrooms? Alton Brown, my go-to guy about kitchen chemistry, says to wash your mushrooms. So I wash them.) 2 Tbsp. tomato paste (I used the kind that comes in the tube) 2 c. low-sodium vegetable broth (or make your own) 1 large yellow onion, diced 1 large bell pepper (I used yellow), diced 3 Tbsp. flour 1 1/2 Tbsp. paprika 8 oz green beans, ends trimmed 1/2 c. low-fat sour cream (or tof

This is adapted from Rachel Ray's "30 Minute Get Real Meals," which I've had for years and clearly paid no attention. Since I now am supposed to watch salt, carbs and cholesterol, I pulled it out. We all liked this, even Gaby, and it made enough for us to each have dinner, put one portion away for lunches, and then freeze enough for another dinner in a few weeks. Ernie and Gaby ate theirs over rice, and topped with a ton of cheese. I had mine with a little bit of low-fat cheddar cheese, and a small bag of Fritos (no cholesterol in Fritos). Again, this is low-carb, not no carb. And if you are concerned about salt, etc., read the back of the cans for salt content. It took me an hour and a half to shop the other day because I read all the labels. 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 package ground turkey 2 Tbsp. chili powder (original recipe called for 3, I toned it down for Gaby) 1 Tbsp. no-salt grill seasoning 1 Tbsp. cumin 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce omitted: 2 Tbsp. hot

This is the first Pioneer Woman recipe I've ever made -- her stuff always looks amazing, with that unbelievable step-by-step photography that makes me want to lick the screen, but it often has a lot of butter etc. in it. But this has nothing but olive oil (your friend and mine) , and it's simple and delicious. And I got to make it for Hefk when she was visiting and that was happy. adapted from Ina Garten Dressing (makes more than enough; spoon leftovers over a block of cream cheese and serve with crackers) [mm, good idea! we also put it on top of hummus] 1 7-oz jar sundried tomatoes, drained [if you get it packed in olive oil, save it] 4 cloves garlic 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 cup extra virgin olive oil [can use the stuff you drained from the jar!] salt pepper Salad 16 ounces corkscrew pasta 1 jar Kalamata or assorted olives [I skipped] 1 pint rip cherry tomatoes, halved Several (10 to 15) basil leaves, chopped or julienne [I did more of this and added some parsley t

This pizza was sort of a labor of love for me. I was looking for something to do with all the basil in my garden, and really wanted to make pesto, but didn't just want to eat pesto on pasta. So I went looking, and, again, found a recipe I adapted off of allrecipes . Obviously, you don't have to make your own pesto or pizza crust, but I sort of recommend that you do. It's nice to see something through from start to finish, and it'd be a good weekend or slow afternoon project. First I made pesto, sort of free-handing it but based off of the recipe I posted here . Then I sauteed some chicken I had in the freezer, while the pizza dough was rising. I used this recipe . Okay, once everything was made and it was dinner time, I assembled. 1/2 cup pesto basil sauce 1 (12 inch) pre-baked (or not) pizza crust 2 cups cooked chicken breast strips 1 (6 ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained 1/2 cup shredded Italian blend cheese Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

I had some sole in the freezer I wanted to use and get out of there, so I went looking for recipes. I adapted this recipe from one found an allrecipes . Gaby eats fish when I make it, usually with a little bit of complaining, but last night she devoured this. I guess that makes it a good recipe. I only had 4 fillets, so I took the extra stuffing and added more cheese and rice to it, and Gaby and Ernie ate it with the fish last night. (I'm on a quasi-diet, so I just had salad with mine). 3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic 1/2 c. panko flakes 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained 1 cup cooked rice 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese 8 (4 ounce) sole or whitefish fillets In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, salt, granulated garlic and pepper. In another bowl, combine the broccoli, rice, panko, cheese and half of the butter