AMERICAN INDIAN: Pumpkin Bread

I tried all winter to find the perfect pumpkin bread recipe. Finally, with my last tray of frozen pumpkin from the fall, I found it. This recipe is adapted from RootStock, the twice-a-year flyer for Organic Valley.

1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine, softened
1 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups white spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a loaf pan.
2. Cream the margarine, maple syrup, eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla in a large bowl. Use a separate, large bowl and a wire whisk to mix the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the pecans.
3. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until barely incorporated–do not over mix. Spoon batter into loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool the bread for 15-20 minutes on wire rack, then remove the loaf from the pan to cool the rest of the way.

NEW COOKBOOK: Adventures

I finally got my own copy of the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook–my favorite Christmas present this year. We have loved eating their Classic Egg Salad, Aglio e Olio, and Baked Ziti.

And when our housemate turned 30 this year, and the cake I baked for her birthday turned out to be a total disaster, the cookbook saved that day with this recipe: Emergency Chocolate Cake.

I want to carry this book with me everywhere.

AMERICAN MIDWEST: Deviled Eggs

I didn’t know that deviled eggs originated in the Midwest, just like me! We ate a dozen of these eggs during one of our Friday night get-togethers this last fall. This variation adds a surprising ingredient to the mix.

1. Boil and cool 6-7 eggs. Cut them in half and place the cooked yolks in a mixing bowl.

2. Create filling by combining the eggs yolks with:

3 TSBP mayonnaise
1/4 cup carrot puree
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 tsp mustard
dash of black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper

3. Squeeze the filling back into the patiently waiting egg whites. Set them on the table and try not to eat all of them at once.

North American: Sugar Cookies

I thought I could count on Pillsbury this last weekend when we had a Christmas party at our house. I bought the sugar cookie package, followed the directions, and ended up with a big pile of sugar-cookie-flavored slop. So, twenty minutes before the party began, I sent Jeff to the store for a bag of flour, and I got out my mom’s old recipe. She saved the day! Plus, guest got to help with the baking as well as the decorating. They enjoyed getting their hands dirty.

These cookies are one of my favorite parts about Christmas.

2 cups sugar
1 cup margarine
2 eggs
milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP hot water
1 tsp baking soda
4-5 cups flour

1. Cream together the sugar and margarine.
2. Beat the two eggs in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 cup. Add the milk and eggs to the sugar and margarine mixture.
3. Stir in the vanilla.
4. In a small bowl, pour the hot water over the baking soda and stir. Add to the mixture.
5. Stir in the flour, bit by bit, until the dough becomes thick enough to roll out.
6. Roll out, use your cookie cutters, and bake on a greased cookie sheet for 7-8 minutes at 375 degrees.
7. Cool the cookies on a rack, then decorate like crazy.

NORTH AMERICAN: Pride of Iowa Cookies

My mom has been making these cookies for as long as I can remember. Enjoy.

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup margarine
1 cup pecan meal
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
as many chocolate chips as you like–I dump in the whole bag
3 cups quick cooking oatmeal

Mix together everything except the oatmeal. Then add the oatmeal and mix thoroughly. Roll into small balls the size of walnuts. Bake at 375 for 9-10 minutes or until light brown.

FUSION: Breakfast Burritos

Also from More Choices.

1 ½ lbs thin-skinned potatoes
6 flour tortillas
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ tsp garlic powder
2 cups firm tofu or 8 eggs
1 tsp Bill’s Best Chik’nish
1 ½ cups salsa
½ cup sour cream
1/3 cup green onion, sliced thin

1. Peel potatoes, halve lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch thick slices. Place in 2- to 3-quart pan with water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender when pierced. Drain.
2. Seal tortillas in foil and warm in a 350°F oven until hot, about 10 minutes.
3. Place cooked potatoes and chopped red peppers in a nonstick skillet, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Season with garlic powder and salt. Keep warm.
4. Chop tofu and sauté in nonstick skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Add ½ tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp Chik’nish, or to desired taste. Keep warm. (If using eggs, beat them in a small bowl. Stir over medium heat in a nonstick skillet until set. Add just the garlic powder and salt to taste.)
5. Assembly: Lay tortillas flat. Toward one edge of each, fill equally with potatoes and tofu or egg mixture, and top with 2 TBSP salsa. Fold over sides and roll up tightly to enclose. Place each on a rimmed, ovenproof plate, and ladle salsa on top. If the burrito needs to be warmed, place in oven at 350°F for 2 to 3 minutes until warm.
6. Add sour cream and green onion on top. Serve immediately.

CHINESE AMERICAN: Egg Foo Young

12.5 ounces of chicken or vege-chicken
1 ½ cups fresh bean sprouts
1/3 cup sliced green onion
salt to taste
5 eggs
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce

1. In a large bowl, combine vege-chicken, bean sprouts, green onion, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Add at once to sprout mixture; stir.
3. In a large skilled over medium heat, fry ¼ cup of bean sprout mixture in oil until brown; turn to brown other side.

Sauce:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat broth. In small bowl, mix cornstarch and soy sauce. Pour ½ cup hot broth into cornstarch mixture; stir until lumps are gone. Pour cornstarch mixture into saucepan of vegetable broth; stir until thickened. Serve with Egg Foo Yong.

FRENCH: Tuna Quiche

This recipe is actually from Worthington’s 50 Years in Good Nutrition. It was written for vegetarians using a fake tuna-like substance, but I’ve only ever made it with the real thing. So, here’s my version:

Pie Shell:
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 egg
2 TBSP Earth Balance margarine
1 TBSP parsley flakes

Filling:
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 ounces of tuna
3 eggs
1 ¼ cups soy milk (or whatever type you choose to use)
¼ tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a large bowl, combine all of the pie shell ingredients.
3. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch pie pan.
4. Layer pie shell with half the cheese, half the tuna, remaining cheese, and remaining tuna.
5. In a medium-size bowl, combine eggs, milk and salt. Beat together.
6. Pour liquid mixture into pie crust.
7. Bake, uncovered, at 375 F for 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Allow 10 minutes stand time before serving.

Leave it to the vegetarian cookbook to not have a single vegetable in this recipe. And still, I adore it.

BULGARIAN: Tomato Dumpling Soup

Angela and I made this soup a few weeks ago when she was here. It was better the second day, after the dumplings had soaked up some of the soupy flaver.

Soup:

1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 TBSP olive oil
6 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2-3 tsp hot chili powder
2 TBSP flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable stock

Dumplings:

2 TBSP butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup couscous
1/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh dill weed ( 1 tsp dried)
1/3 cup milk or vegetable stock (I used oat milk)

1. In a medium soup pot, saute the onions and garlic in oil, stirring frequently until the onions begin to soften.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook until the onions are golden and the tomatoes are soft.
3. Stir in the chili powder, flour, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
4. Pour in the stock slowly while whisking to completely dissolve the flour.
5. Coarsely blend the soup in a blender or food processor and return it to the pot.
6. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
7. As the soup simmers, prepare the dumplings. Cream the butter with the egg yolks.
8. Place the couscous in a small bowl; pour the boiling water over the couscous, cover the bowl with a plate, and allow it to steam for 5 minutes.
9. Add the steamed couscous and the flour, salt, dill, and milk or stock to the butter mixture and blend well.
10. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, and then fold them into the couscous mixture.
11. Drop the dumpling batter into the simmering soup by rounded tablespoons and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes.
12. The dumplings will rise to the top.
13. To test the dumplings, scoop one out and check to see if it is thoroughly cooked before serving.
14. Serve hot, topped with fresh parsley and cheddar cheese.

From Sundays at Moosewood

KOREAN: Sujaebi

I love, love, loved this dish when I was in Korea. It’s usually made with shellfish in it, but I got the cook at my favorite restaurant to give me her recipe which was made without the little creatures. I finally got around to trying it out this week, and it was fabulous. This recipe is not suited to leftovers though. I apologize to you, Inyoung. When I sampled the leftovers for myself, they didn’t even compare to the fresh bowl I had on Tuesday.

7 cups anchovy or beef broth
1 pound of store-bought sujaebi flakes or torn-up pieces of homemade dough (mix flour and water and make a dough out of it)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 carrot, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 medium potato, sliced
2 green onions, chopped
2 eggs
kim OR nori flakes (seaweed)
sesame seeds

1. Bring the broth to a boil. Drop in your flakes of dough if you’re using homemade ones. If you’re using store-bought flakes, add them after the vegetables have cooked for 10 minutes.
2. Add all of the vegetables and simmer until cooked.
3. Whip two eggs in a small bowl and gently mix them into the soup, not breaking them up too much. Cook until firm.
4. Top with seaweed flakes and sesame seeds and serve.