[Retro Recipe Monday] Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
• 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
• 1/2 cup Cognac
• 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
• 1 can (2 cups) beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pound frozen whole onions
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:

• Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

[Retro Recipe Monday] Salmon Mousse

Salmon Mousse

Ingredients

• Butter or mayonnaise, for greasing mold
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup cold water and 1/2 cup boiling water, for gelatin
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon grated onion
• 2 drops hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flaked and small diced poached salmon
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 cup whipped cream
• Lemon slices
• 1 bunch parsley, washed and dried
• Special equipment: fish mold

Directions

Grease a 6-cup fish mold with butter or mayonnaise.

Soften the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add 1/2 cup boiling water and stir well, until the gelatin has dissolved. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, lime juice, onion, hot sauce, paprika, and salt and mix well. Fold in the salmon and capers. Add the whipped cream and continue folding until everything is well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared mold. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, un-mold the mousse onto a large plate. Take the lemon slices and create a "tail" on the back of the fish. Surround the mousse with parsley.

Serve the dill sauce in a glass bowl next to the salmon mousse.

Dill Sauce:

• 1 English cucumber, peeled, grated, and drained for 1 hour
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup fresh dill, finely chopped

[Retro Recipe Monday] Crepes Suzette

Crepes Suzette

Ingredients

• 13 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
• 1 large pinch salt
• 1 3/4 cups milk, plus 1 3/4 cups
• 4 eggs
• 10 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• Orange butter, recipe follows
• Zest, recipe follows

Directions

In a big bowl, mix the flour, salt, and 1 3/4 cups milk, in that order. Whisk vigorously by hand until it is the consistency of heavy cream. Break eggs and fold them in with a whisk. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups of the milk to the melted butter and pour into the mixture. Continue mixing the batter until it becomes shiny and smooth. Finally sieve the batter to get rid of any lumps. Leave to rest for 2 to 3 hours.

Dip a piece of kitchen paper in vegetable oil and grease a small frying pan. Ladle a spoonful of batter into the pan. With a flick of the wrist swivel the pan in order to get a nice even covering all over. A good crepe should be paper- thin. Cook on a high heat and flip it over when you see the edge turning golden brown. Remove crepes from pan and keep aside in a warm place.
Orange Butter:

• 18 ounces unsalted butter
• 12 ounces caster sugar
• 12 oranges, juiced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 big splash Grand Marnier

Melt the butter in a big saucepan on a high heat. Add the sugar and cook for about 10 minutes until it caramelizes. It should be a golden color.

Combine the lemon with the orange juice and pour it in when the caramel is bubbling. Be careful not to burn the butter or yourself. Add Grand Marnier and continue whisking as the mixture curdles a little and let it cook for 10 minutes to reduce. Finally mix with an electric hand-mixer to ensure that the butter is fully integrated.
Fold the crepes in 4 and put them into a deep frying pan. Spoon in enough orange butter to barely cover them and, on a high heat, reduce the liquid, turning the crepes over to make sure that they absorb the orange butter.
To serve, place the crepes on a dessert plate. Spoon the orange butter over them and garnish with a sprinkling of the zest.
Zest:

• 3 oranges

4 teaspoons syrup (made by boiling 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan)

Peel the zest from the oranges and cut it very thinly. Blanch in boiling water 3 times and drain it to remove the bitterness. Put the zests in a saucepan with the syrup. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes

[Retro Recipe Monday] Vichysoisse

I'm going to do some classics for a bit that you may conceivably eat so you can be psyched for Mad Men's premiere.  All Classic Retro Recipe Monday Recipes come from The Food Network unless otherwise stated.

Vichysoisse

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups leeks, sliced and washed
• 4 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
• Salt and pepper
• 8 cups water
• 2 cup heavy cream

Directions

In large pot melt butter. Add leeks and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add water and bring to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are tender. Place 3/4 of soup into a blender and puree, return to pot and stir in cream. Serve hot or cold

[Recipe Monday] Pineapple-Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Like this, only fatter.

So, long story short I have a sinus infection.  I've been sick on and off since Christmas with a constant back and forth between me, Jow and various children related and not as I'm a first year nanny.  I'm told by more experienced childcare professionals that my immune system will be strong as hell by next year but right now it's awful.  I'm now on a z-pack and today is a dozy as it's a double dose.

Jow and I had a nice lunch though at McCormick and Shmick's with yummy smoked duck pizza and bowls of smoky rich New England clam chowder.  Part of how I'm being less fat now (because I've lost seven pounds so far) is that when we have a rich lunch (and better then, more time to digest), we have a smoothie for dinner because we're not that hungry and we're tired and lame.  Tonight's smoothie!

Pineapple Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Makes 2
1 banana, broken into thirds
1 bag of frozen pineapple
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon flax seeds

Put it all into the blender and put it on high until smooth.  Done.

Banana Oat Almond Butter Smoothie

There's nothing like eating half a baby cow/veal, two pounds of mozzarella (half fried naturally), a pound of pasta, half a pound of spumoni ice cream and a gallon of aperitif in celebration of one's birthday to make one want to eat salad and smoothies for a day and a half after in an attempt to digest all of that mess.

My actual birthday is tomorrow, but I was *supposed* to be eating fried mac and cheese at a rockabilly roadhouse with all my besties but it snowed and I didn't want heavy food and heavy guilt in me due to someone getting into a car accident so instead, Jow and my bff April and I went to a v. local Italian place where I consoled myself in the way of my people. What kills me is what I ate used to just be like a Friday night for me (hence why I'm fat now) but now the next day (. . .and the day after) was just a total food hang over.  Penance smoothies and salads were our only hope for digestion.  So I bring you. . .





Banana Oat Almond Butter Smoothie



Ingredients

1/2 cup quick oatmeal
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 banana, cut into thirds
1 cup fat-free milk
4 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons almond butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 packet protein powder (we used hemp protein powder)
1 teaspoon flax seeds
4 ice cubes

Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth.

[Recipe Monday] Cassoulet

So.  If you're looking for a reason to cry and feel bitter about your life, read this article and look at the blogs.  I am without irony whining drunkenly right now about how badly I want to be a young hip not-Utah Mormon mom.

But.  While waiting to become perfect, you still need to eat.  So.  Cassoulet.

Cassoulet
4 pieces of bacon, diced large
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 parsnip, diced
1 carton baby bella mushrooms
1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
Large can of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup water
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
bouquet garni (I use a t-sac because I'm lazy and have them on hand) with fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley and a dried bay leaf)
Salt and pepper to taste
Seasoned panko breadcrumbs and grated cheese

Put the bacon in a large pot on medium heat on the stove.   Drain some of the grease of of the pot.  Add onions.  Then add the mushrooms and then the garlic.  When everything is browned, add the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the breadcrumbs/cheese.  Simmer uncovered on low heat for at least an hour.   Scoop into bowls and top with breadcrumbs and grated cheese.

[Retro Recipe Not Monday] Baked Alaska

Your husband needs this on a Tuesday night
regardless of your personal sexual orientation.

I was super surprised to find out that there are still modern Betty Drapers crazified enough to attempt this dessert.  I've never had it, have any of you?  Is it at all worth the sheer amount of effort that goes into it?  My guess is no but I could be mistaken.

Baked Alaska (Food Network Recipe)

Ingredients

For the Ice Cream Cake:

• Vegetable oil, for brushing
• 1 pint raspberry, passion fruit or other sorbet, softened
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1 quart chocolate ice cream, softened
• 1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs (about 17 crushed wafers)
• 1 loaf pound cake

For the Meringue:

• 1 cup egg whites (about 6 large), at room temperature
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar

Directions

Make the ice cream cake: Brush a 3-quart metal bowl with vegetable oil; line with plastic wrap. Fill the bowl with scoops of the sorbet, vanilla ice cream and half of the chocolate ice cream, alternating small and large scoops to create a mosaic of colors and shapes. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the ice cream; press down to close the gaps between scoops and even out the surface. Remove the plastic wrap, sprinkle the ice cream with the wafer crumbs and re-cover with the plastic wrap, pressing gently. Freeze until set, about 30 minutes.

Remove the wrap and spread the remaining chocolate ice cream in an even layer on top of the crumbs. Cut the pound cake into 1/2-inch-thick slices; completely cover the ice cream with the slices, trimming as needed (you'll use about two-thirds of the cake). Cover with fresh plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Make the meringue: Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar on high speed until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks.

Remove the top layer of plastic wrap, then invert the cake onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (If necessary, let the cake stand overturned until it slips out.) Remove the rest of the plastic wrap and cover the ice cream completely with the meringue, making the dome-shaped top slightly thicker than the sides. Form swirly peaks in the meringue using the back of a spoon. Freeze for at least 3 more hours.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bake the cake until the meringue peaks are golden, about 4 minutes, or brown the meringue with a blowtorch. Let the cake soften at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Freeze any leftovers.

[Recipe Monday] Spaghetti Tacos

All the cool kids are doing it.

Maybe it's Monday, maybe it's not.  The point is that it's Solstice which means traditional celebration is needed.  Now it's not quite as much of a high holiday as Rex Manning Day but important nonetheless.

This year I have chosen to celebrate it in a manner that is cross culturally traditional for all cultures all over the world.  All cultures.  Which means guzzling white zinfandel, eating spaghetti tacos and watching iCarly with my bff and Jow as thirtysomethings are prone to do in their own company.  

It's not too late to join the awesome, here's the recipe we came up with:



Spaghetti Tacos
1/4 box linguini
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 package ground beef
1 package hard taco shells
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown the ground beef in a deep frying pan and add half the packet of taco seasoning. Drain the grease. Add the crushed tomatoes and the rest of the taco seasoning and simmer on low heat on the stove top. Bring water to a boil in another pot and add the linguini with a little salt and olive oil and cook for 8 minutes and then drain. Put the linguini into the hard shell taco and then the meat sauce and then the mozzarella. Nom!

Happy Longest Night everyone!  Keep it sexy!

[Retro Recipe Monday] Party Sandwich Loaf

From The General Foods Kitchen Cookbook:


Party Sandwich Loaf
4 colored sandwich fillings
1 unsliced loaf of sandwich bread
Butter
4 packages of 3 oz cream cheese
Red Food Coloring

Prepare colored sandwich fillings.  Remove crusts from the bread.  Cut lengthwise into 5 long slices.  Butter each slice.  Spread each of 4 bread slices with a filling. Place the bread slices on top of one another in order listed.  Top with remaining buttered bread slice, making a five layer loaf.

Soften 3 packages of cream cheese.  Blend in 2 tablespoons of the cream.  Spread over top and sides of the loaf.  Soften remaining package of cream cheese.  Blend in remaining 1 tablespoon of cream. (Note: I'm assuming they mean the cream cheese?)   Tint a delicate pink with red food coloring.  Place pink cream cheese in a decorating tube and garnish loaf.  Wrap loaf loosely in waxed paper.  Chill at least 3 hours.  When ready to serve, place loaf on a large platter.  Garnish with lettuce and ripe olives.  Slice and serve.

For red filling: Combine 1/4 pound minced boiled ham and 1 minced pimiento.  Add mayonnaise until consistency desired.  Season to taste.

For yellow filling: Combine 3 minced hard cooked eggs with enough mayonnaise to make consistency desired.  Season to taste.

For dark filling: Combine 1/4 pound mashed liverwurst and 2 teaspoons grated onion.  Add mayonnaise until consistency desired.  Season to taste.

For green filling:  Combine 1/3 cup minced sweet pickle with 2 tablespoons minced parsley.  Add mayonnaise until consistency desired.  Season to taste.

[Retro Recipe Monday] Southern Eggnog

Firstly, thanks to all you Charmers who've already signed up for New Year, New You: An Experiment in Magical Radical Transformation.  There's always this awkward moment (and by moment I mean several hours) when you've put something out into the universe like this and you're wondering does everyone think I'm crazy/crazier than usual?  I will be doing our first prompt sometime this week, possibly tomorrow.

Onto the business at hand!  I thought we'd get back to our old friend The General Foods Kitchen Cookbook for some Christmas abominations.

If you get brave and decide to make any of this, as always, I'm happy to include you in a Recipe Monday guest spot.

Southern Eggnog


1 package (3 1/4 oz) Jell-O Vanilla Pudding and Pie Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1 quart milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup peach brandy or Grand Marnier
1 cup whipping cream
Nutmeg

Combine pudding mix, sugar and 1/4 cup of the milk in a 2-quart saucepan.  Add slightly beaten egg yolks and blend well.  Then add remaining milk; mix well.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a full boil - about 10 minutes.  Cool.  Beat egg whites until stiff peaks will form; fold into cooled pudding mixture.  Add vanilla and brandy; then chill several hours.  Just before serving, whip the cream.  Spoon onto eggnog.  Sprinkle with nutmeg.  Serves 12.

[Recipe Monday] Cauliflower Spinach Bake

 Hey Charmers! I could really use some guest bloggers for Recipe Mondays so email me at corvaxgirl [at] gmail [dottie] com with a favorite recipe of yours that you make, a strange sounding retro recipe that you have (and where it came from and if you like, thoughts on the book), a picture of the finished product (optional) and what name you would like it credited to and a link to your blog or shop if you like! 

Cauliflower Spinach Bake
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
1 bag of spinach, steamed
1/4 bag frozen peas
1 jar Alfredo sauce
3 strips of bacon, chopped
1 cup of breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix everything together and put the bacon on top and then the breadcrumbs.  Cook for 45 minutes to an hour.  Yum!

[Recipe Monday] Chicken Curry

Lucky for everyone I'm exhausted and dodging the last bit of crafting madness before tomorrow and I'm covered in wool fiber and smell like a wet sheep along with an assortment of essential oils.  Yes!  It's totally as awesome as it sounds.

So here is a recipe I've made because it's cheap and doesn't require much work.  Also, I've discovered that orzo is an awesome substitute for rice because it only takes 8 minutes to make, you can't fuck it up (unlike rice) and it's the same size and tastes close enough for me.  Jow is a princess and won't eat instant rice and rice is something I consistently fuck up so this has been our compromise.  Also rice takes way too long.  Way too long.  This can be described as "Indian-ish" at best.

Chicken Curry 
1 packet of chicken thighs (remove skin)
1 can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (or powder, I don't care)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon curry
1 tablespoon chunky chaat
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
Splash of lemon juice
1 cup non fat greek yogurt
1/2 box orzo cooked according to box directions and drained
Salt and pepper to taste

Dump everything in the crockpot except the yogurt and the orzo.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Fish out the bones if you like your guests or housemates.  Add the yogurt and stir.  Add the orzo and stir.  Fin!

[Guest Recipe Monday] Cranberry Curd

 Hey Charmers! I could really use some guest bloggers for Recipe Mondays so email me at corvaxgirl [at] gmail [dottie] com with a favorite recipe of yours that you make, a strange sounding retro recipe that you have (and where it came from and if you like, thoughts on the book), a picture of the finished product (optional) and what name you would like it credited to and a link to your blog or shop if you like! 

This week's recipe comes from my friend Amazon Syren.  Follow her foodie and pagan adventures here and learn about her thoughts on being sex positive here.

So, as a Pagan (and a broke-ass Pagan, at that), I have a bit of a Thing for Local Food.  I don’t get bend out of shape around nonperishable stuff like sugar or flour (meaning that, while I typically hope my wheat flour is coming from Saskatchewan, I don’t have Issues about using cane-based sugar from Cuba instead of maple syrup or honey or even beet-based sugar from Canada.  I figure if it takes a month to get here by boat, that’s okay).  It does, however, mean that I’m currently trying to figure out ways to eliminate lemon juice from my cooking.

Weird, I know, but bear with me.

I use a lot of different vinegars (pear cider vinegar is a gorgeously mild and aromatic one, for example) and throw mustard and garlic into a lot of wintery dishes where someone else might be inclined to use a couple of hot peppers for heat or sharpness.

To that end, and because I’ve been going gaga over preserves for the last few months, I tried making cranberry curd.

Now, anyone who’s got Nigella Lawson’s How to Be a Domestic Goddess cook book has come across this recipe, or something pretty damn similar.  I ganked a recipe off the internet and then futzed with it until I got something that would work.

Cranberry Curd

¾ lb cranberries + 1C water, combined in a pot and boiled until mushy

Run the above through a food-processor or a blender until it forms a smooth puree

Return cranberry mixture to the pot and add:

¼ C butter

¾ C sugar

Stir together over very low heat

Beat 3 eggs together with ¼ C sugar until super-smooth

Add it to the cranberry mixture and then allow to thicken over medium heat until it is good and thick and coats the back of a spoon nicely.  (I don’t think it hurts to let it boil, but it definitely works well if you DON’T let it boil.  So… stick with what works?)

Pour the mixture into sterilized jars, then process in a boiling water bath.

Makes 3-4 cups of curd, all told.

 

You can, as indicated above, preserve this stuff the same way you would do for jam or pickles.  However you can also use it in place of lemon curd immediately as a topping for scones or a delicious addition to a coffee cake or what-have-you.

I have to admit, I basically have to bake it into things in order to keep myself from just eating it with a spoon.  But that’s me.

Enjoy!

 

TTFN,

Meliad / Ms Syren

[Recipe Monday] Paprikash Krumpli

 Hey Charmers! I could really use some guest bloggers for Recipe Mondays so email me at corvaxgirl [at] gmail [dottie] com with a favorite recipe of yours that you make, a strange sounding retro recipe that you have (and where it came from and if you like, thoughts on the book), a picture of the finished product (optional) and what name you would like it credited to and a link to your blog or shop if you like! 

Rev. Allyson Szabo has been kind enough to share this delish recipe with us today. Follow her spiritual blog here  and her sustainability blog  here.

When it's cold out and the rain won't stop, when the pretty leaves have
turned into slippery mush, I turn to the recipes that my Hungarian
grandmother taught me years ago. There are several that I love,
including gulash and paprika chicken, but none sticks to the ribs like a
dish called 'Paprikash Krumpli." In its most basic form, it is a sort of
stew of potatoes and sausage, but it is infinitely changeable, just as
the seasons are.

Like most Hungarian recipes, this is probably not diet friendly,
although it isn't horrific, either. My grandmother would huff and grunt
at me, occasionally yelling in that incomprehensible Hungarian language,
because I refused to use lard in my creations. However, she agreed that
the flavors I ended up with were truly and traditionally Hungarian.

Paprikash Krumpli

* good Hungarian paprika (sweet), about 4 - 5 tablespoons
* 10 good size potatoes, cut in approximately 1" cubes
* 1 lb of sausage of your choice
* several strips of raw bacon, cut into pieces
* 1 large onion, roughly chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* white mushrooms, quartered (optional)
* spices to taste (salt, pepper, garlic)

In a large stew pot, toss in the bacon and cook until it's done but not
crisp. Add the onions and saute them until they are soft and clear. You
may need the olive oil depending on how much bacon you used and how
fatty it was. Add a tablespoon of paprika and stir well until the onions
are RED. Please note: do not use American paprika, which is largely a
coloring agent and has very little flavor. Hungarian paprika has a
distinct smokey flavor that is essential to this recipe. You can get a
nice tin of good quality paprika at most grocery stores. I use Szekged
brand myself.

Add the sausage and cook until it is ready. I prefer a nice kelbasa
sausage, but I have made it with everything from hot dogs to expensive
andouille sausage. You can even use a mix if you have sausage ends. The
saltier your sausage is, the less other spices you will want to add.

Add your potatoes (you may use a few more or less than 10, but your pot
should be filled to within an inch or so of the top of the pot).
Sprinkle it liberally with another two or more tablespoons of paprika.
Fill the pot with enough water to just barely cover the potatoes, and
bring it to a rapid boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

After the 30 minute mark, you will need to check on your pot more
frequently. Stir often, but don't be afraid of a little sticking on the
bottom of the pot. Just scrape it off and keep stirring until it's
absorbed back into the stew. You should cook this until it is red
throughout, and the potatoes are literally falling apart. If it's too
thick for your taste, you can add a bit of water to thin it out at the
end, but do it in tiny amounts. It's ready when the potatoes have
completely lost their sharp edges and are quite mushy.

My grandmother served this dish up with hot crusty bread and lots of
butter, and a side of cucumber salad (thin sliced cucumbers mixed with
sour cream and salt and pepper, basically). I often dispense with the
cucumbers and add home made pickles or a side salad, but it would do
equally well with a side of corn or peas, or cauliflower with cheese
over it.

Recipe Monday: Pumpkin Curry Soup

Hey Charmers! I could really use some guest bloggers for Recipe Mondays so email me at corvaxgirl [at] gmail [dottie] com with a favorite recipe of yours that you make, a strange sounding retro recipe that you have (and where it came from and if you like, thoughts on the book), a picture of the finished product (optional) and what name you would like it credited to and a link to your blog or shop if you like!

So, I love pumpkin. I liked it to begin with but once I got divorced I loved it that much more because Wasband wouldn't eat it. He got spooty if I even tried cooking it in the house on most occasions (I was oh so graciously granted a reprieve to make my Stuffed Pumpkin for Samhain). So now every fall it's pumpkinpoloza at my house needless to say. Believe it or not, it's been hard for me to get a really good pumpkin soup recipe. The secret to this recipe is Chunky Chaat. I'm pretty sure I use it incorrectly most of the time, but I don't care. I love Chunky Chaat with a love that is pure and true, it's my favorite seasoning mix of all time, I put it in everything which is probably gross to people who natively cook Indian food but the box says you can even use it on fruit (I'm working my way up to that) so I don't think I'm too far off the mark. You can get it at Indian grocery stores but grocery stores with good ethnic food sections will have it (my Wegmans does).

Pumpkin Curry Soup

* 2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds (for optional garnish)
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoons curry powder
* 2 tablespoons Chunky Chaat
* 4 cups vegetable broth
* 1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie)
* 3/4 cup plain yogurt
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon molasses
* salt and pepper to taste
* 3 strips of crisp bacon, crumbled (for optional garnish)

Put everything but the garnishes and the yogurt in a large pot. Heat on medium heat for fifteen minutes. Add yogurt. Cook for another 10 minutes. Voila!

[Recipe Monday] Sausage and Lentils

1 pack of chicken sausages, grilled and chopped
1 pound of dried lentils
1 onion, diced
2 pieces of bacon, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup garlic and herb infused oil (wegman's makes basting oil that I used)
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the bacon and then once that starts crisping, add the onion. Cook for about five minutes. Add everything else except the sausage. Now add water so that the lentils are covered and there's an inch or two of water above the lentils. Cover. Cook covered for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Uncover. Cook for about another 15 minutes, the lentils should be al dente not mush. If there's still liquid in the pot, cover again off heat for about ten minutes to absorb the liquid. Top with sausage. Nom!

[Retro Recipe Monday] Recipes for Invalids

So this is one of my oldest cookbooks and probably published in the beginning of the cookbook era in 1911. The Butterick Cookbook contains no pictures and is not set up in a way that is familiar to modern cookbook readers, it reads more like a crypt note that you should know how to decipher from at that time. Ovens were more like fire places from the sound of it verses a modern oven. There is however a charming and practical chapter on cooking for invalids as per the book. Here are a few tasty treats for the infirm:

Sherry and egg - Beat the yolk of an egg and one teaspoon of sugar together and add this to two teaspoons of sherry, brandy or port, stirring well. Beat the white of an egg to a very stiff froth, stir it in, beating well, and serve at once. This will quite fill the glass. If wine is not desired, nutmeg may be used for flavoring.

Arrowroot Blanc Mange - Put half a pint of milk into a double boiler, scald and stir into it three heaping teaspoons of arrowroot which have been dissolved in one-half cup of cold water. Stir until thick and smooth; remove from the fire, flavor with a half teaspoon of vanilla and pour into a mold to cool. Serve with sugar and cream.

Beef Juice - When much nourishment must be given in small compass, the best nurses now prepare beef juice. This is made of the round of beef cut at least an inch thick. Take a piece of the meat about four inches square, place it in a wire broiler and broil it over a bright fire until both sides have been browned and the meat has been well warmed through to start the juices. If the fire is bright, two minutes of broiling will generally be sufficient. Lay the beef on a plate, sprinkle it with salt, cut it into pieces, place in a small piece of cheesecloth or a presser and squeeze out all the juice. About three tablespoons of juice will usually result from a piece of meat the size mentioned.

Sufficient juice for two servings is generally prepared at one time and the second portion will, of course, require warming. This must be done very carefully, as too high a degree of heat will cause the juice to coagulate. Place the juice in a cup, set the cup in boiling water, stir the juice constantly until it is a little above blood heat and then serve.

Recipe Monday: My Chocolate Quickbread

Amazon had requested the recipe for my bread machine quickbread I made for Lammas and I live to serve. ;) I'm sure you could bake it in an oven too . . .maybe at 350 for 30-45 minutes? You would have to do some experimenting to figure out how long to do it in the oven.

Chocolate Quickbread

6 tablespoons 2% milk
1/3 cup low fat sour cream
1 room temperature egg
3 teaspoons honey
8 tablespoons sugar
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Put the ingredients in the order listed into your bread machine. Select small loaf, light crust and use the quick bread setting. In a little more than an hour you'll have nom!bread

[Recipe Monday] Chicken Pot Pie

I just made up this recipe which I think was omnomnom.

Chicken Pot Pies

4 skinless chicken thighs, cooked and shredded (I did mine on my Foreman grill)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 carton of mushrooms, sliced
6 sprigs of thyme
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 chicken stock
2 packages refrigerated pie crust
3 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons of olive oil

Heat the olive olive in a big sauce pan and preheat the oven to 425. Put in the onions to brown with the celery and mushrooms and cook for about ten minutes. Add the white wine, garlic, thyme, peas and chicken. Cook for five minutes. Add the chicken stock and flour and salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes. Turn off heat. Cut each pie crust in half. Add a scoop of filling to each half and then fold over the pie crust and pinch shut. Put in the oven for 15 minutes. Makes 8 mini pies!