Entree: Pineapple Chicken Wings

Well, maybe not quite an entree. This could go under "sides" as well. This is being posted because it could make a great pot-luck type item for pot-luck holiday parties you might attend. I was a little surprised at how very popular these were when I made them. These are very easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb. Split chicken wings, tips removed

2 cans (8 oz. each) pineapple tidbits

1 cup barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Fry wings until browned and crisp.
2. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup juice. Mix barbecue sauce, pineapple and reserved juice; place chicken and sauce in pan, stirring well to coat.
3. Bake 30 minute or until well browned and sauce is thickened.

Other Details:

• I don't recall my source for this recipe. It has been in my recipe box a long while. 
• This probably serves about 10 if you use 2 1/2 lbs of chicken wings, assuming 1/4 lbs is enough for a person gathering other stuff for their meal. 
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Bread: Night Owl Pumpkin Ale Bread

I've been looking for a good pumpkin bread recipe. For awhile I was happy with mixes. Then, I started making some from scratch, but never liked any enough to put it in the Codex. After purchasing a 6-pack of Pumpkin Ale to make some cupcakes, I needed to use it up. I found several pumpkin ale breads, but the Ladies of Craft Beer looked best. Like the original baker, my first try came out a bit doughy. However, with toasting and butter, it was excellent anyway. So baking longer is probably better. My oven cooks some things on the long end and some things on the short end, so it can be hard to tell.

Ingredients (one loaf):

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
⅛ tsp. ground cloves
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
½ cup pumpkin puree
11-12 oz. pumpkin ale of your choice

Optional 
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup toasted almonds, sliced or finely chopped

Optional Almond Topping
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ cup toasted almonds, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×5 inch glass pan.
2. Toast almond slices for 10 minutes on an ungreased baking sheet, and finely chop. For almond topping, mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
4. In another bowl, combine oil, pumpkin puree, and ale.
5. Quickly combine wet and dry ingredients. Add optional ingredients at this point as well. Stir only until you are not able to see any white flacks from the flour.
6. Pour batter into loaf pan. If desired, add almond topping.
7. Bake for at least one hour. The loaf should be slightly golden and will spring back when pressed, if fully baked. Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf to see if it comes out clean. The first loaf I made came out a bit doughy, so keep an eye on your bread until you find the right temperature and timing for your oven.
8. Allow loaf to cool on a rack before slicing. Store in an airtight container.

Other Details:

• Original Recipe 
• Easily gives 12 nice slices. 
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Breakfast: Overnight Apple Musli

I tried this recipe out of Robin Asbell's The New Whole Grains Cookbook. I may have been the only person in the family to eat it, but I really liked it. It's pretty easy to make, lasts awhile, and tastes good. Make at the beginning of the week for breakfasts all week.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. slivered almonds

2 medium apples

1 1/2 c. nut milk, or other milk

2 T. maple syrup

1 1/2 c. thick rolled oats

1/4 c. soy protein powder (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF and spread almonds on a baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Let cool.
2. Get out a large storage tub or bowl and quarter the apples, removing the cores but leaving the skin. Grate the apples into the bowl, and then add all of the remaining ingredients, including almonds. Stir. Cover tightly and place in refrigerator overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
3. Stir and serve cold, or microwave for 2 minutes per bowl.

Other Details:

• Makes about 4 cups. 
• Nutrition given per 1/2 cup, which I found to be a good serving size. 
• I did not use soy protein powder. 
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Entree: Turkey Slop

Posting in time for Thanksgiving leftovers. What do you do with the leftovers that aren't quite fit for a sandwich? Make turkey slop! Growing up my mother always made this with leftover turkey, only she called it something much more tasty-sounding (that I have forgotten from over a decade of calling it turkey slop.) In our penchant for renaming meals that come into our house, the first time I served this to my then-boyfriend-now-husband, he called it turkey slop and the name stuck. This meal is a required meal about 2 days after a turkey is served at our house because that's about when we're down to the appropriate amount and parts of the leftover turkey.

Turkey slop in the pan

Turkey slop on a plate

Turkey slop on toast

Ingredients:
Leftover turkey, torn into pieces
Toast
Gravy
2 c. Milk
1/4 c. Flour

Or A More Flavorful Gravy

1 c. chopped onions
1/4 c unsalted butter
1/2 c flour
1 c half-and-half

3 c chicken stock
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper


Directions:


For a More Flavorful Gravy

1. Saute the onions in 1/2 c. butter in a skillet until translucent. Add the flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the half-and-half, chicken stock, parsley, thyme, sea salt, and pepper. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
2. Add turkey and heat through.

Quick and Easy

1. Warm the turkey in a pan over medium-low heat. In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour with 2 cups milk, whisk until dissolved. Add gravy to pan, heat until thickened. 
2. Serve over toast.

Other Details: 

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Bread: Ree's Rolls

So, you may have discovered one of our favorite sites to get recipes is The Pioneer Woman. (Or maybe not as it looks like I haven't posted some of the other things we make of hers quite yet. They're coming!) The husband decided to make these a couple years ago for the fun of it, near as I can tell. And they are everything everyone raves about them all over the place. I think when I brought them up on facebook at the time, I got a lot of positive response. So, here they are: Ree's Rolls, as we call 'em.

Ingredients:

1 quart Whole Milk

1 cup Vegetable Oil

1 cup Sugar

2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets

8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour

1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder

1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt

Plenty Of Melted Butter

2 cups Sugar

Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon

Maple Frosting

1 bag Powdered Sugar

2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring

1/2 cup Milk

1/4 cup Melted Butter

1/4 cup Brewed Coffee

1/8 teaspoon Salt

Directions:

1. Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.
2. After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it -- overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).
3. When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.
4. Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.
5. Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.
6. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 400 degrees (see note below) until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.
7. For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don't skimp on the frosting.

Other details:

• Original Recipe
• Prep Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Difficulty: Easy
• Servings: 8 rolls per pan (about seven pans)
• If I recall correctly, the husband made some with chocolate chunks, some with traditional cinnamon filling, and some with caramel or something like that.
• Ree gives this note: Note: My rolls don't work for me at 400 degrees anymore. I now bake them at 375 degrees.
• Nutrition is per roll, assuming 56 rolls can be made with this recipe.
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Breakfast: Caramel Walnut Chocolate Chunk Granola

Need a snack to put out on the morning of Thanksgiving while every one waits for the turkey (or tofurkey)? This is a sweet, breakfast cereal-like granola. This is the first granola I ever attempted to make (partially because I had every ingredient on hand.) It is also probably the first recipe I attempted out of Robin Asbell's The New Whole Grains Cookbook. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup walnuts, broken into large pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chunks (about 4 ounces)

Directions:

1. Line 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, and spray the parchment with vegetable oil spray. Preheat the oven to 300F. In a large bowl, mix the oats, nuts, and salt. In a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the water and sugar. Over high heat, bring to a boil, moving the pan to keep it mixed, rather than stirring. Cook until the syrup turns a medium amber, then take it off the heat and add the butter carefully - it will foam and bubble. Stir in the butter with a heat-safe spatula, and then stir in the vanilla. Scrape into the oat mixture and stir immediately. The caramel mixture will start to harden and clump, but it will melt while baking and disperse.
2. Scrape the oat mixture onto the prepared pans, and spread it out into rough chunks. Place one pan in top quarter of oven and other in bottom quarter. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir well and switch pan locations. The caramel will be liquefied and soaking into the oats more evenly. Bake for 15 minutes more.
3. Remove to cooling racks. When cool, break the granola into chunks, mix with the chocolate chunks, and store in jars or zipper-top bags.

Other details:

• Makes about 9 cups 
• Nutrition per cup
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• This granola was not initially posted as vegan. However, I recently tested it (the picture of the granola in the bowl) using sugar in the raw (sugar), Earth Balance buttery sticks (butter), with confirmed vegan dark chocolate. Everybody loved it! Some members of the house do not like the nuts, others don't like the chocolate. In general each person eats the components they like leaving more of the other for those who enjoy them!

Dessert: Pumpkin Spice Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

For a couple years, I've been trying to make a recipe similar to this one. The recipe I was making calls for a specific candy that I could not find except the one year I got it. I can find it online, but it looks like it's the same candy as has been there for a couple years and it is really expensive. However, I saw Ghirardelli makes Pumpkin Spice Caramel Squares and decided these might make a good substitute. These are available in stores in early November 2011. Hopefully Ghirardelli continues to make them so I can make this in future years. I make several cheesecakes. This one was rated as one of my best. Here's a couple of slices:

Ingredients:

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
9-10 squares Pumpkin Spice Caramel Chocolate by Ghirardelli, + extra for decoration
1 tablespoon milk
1 graham cracker crumb crust (9” pie)
whipped topping


Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set aside 1/4 cup batter; spread remaining batter in crust.
   
   
   
2. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Place 9-10 chocolate squares in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chocolates are melted and smooth when stirred. Gradually blend reserved cheesecake batter into melted chocolate. One teaspoon at a time, gradually blend milk into chocolate mixture. Pour chocolate mixture over the the vanilla batter already in the pie shell. You can try being decorative, but it ends up spreading over the entire thing. Gently swirl with a knife for marbled effect.
   
   
   
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven to wire rack; cool completely. Cover; refrigerate until chilled. Garnish with whipped cream and extra squares if so desired. 
   

Other Details:

• Makes 6 to 8 servings. 
• Nutrition is per slice for 8 slices.
• I found my Pumpkin Spice Caramel Squares in a Ghirardelli Limited Edition Holiday Chocolate Assortment with Eggnog and Peppermint Bark Squares (on clearance). I also saw a Ghirardelli collection of their different type of caramel squares that included the Pumpkin Spice in another store.
• The recipe calls for a packaged graham cracker crumb crust. I had Keebler Graham Cracker Crumbs on hand, and so made my pie crust according to package directions. You can use whatever graham cracker crumb crust you prefer.
• Original Recipe (Not quite original, it was modified by the site given.)
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Side dish: Quick Bean and Vegetable Couscous

Okay. So I was the only person in the family that really liked this. However, edits can be made to improve it versus what I made, so it's versatile. This is another recipe from Robin Asbell's The New Whole Grains Cookbook. I made it this summer, but I don't know what season it's good for.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, shredded
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
One 14 ounce can diced canned tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
One 15-ounce can black beans, garbanzos, or white beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup whole wheat couscous or bulgur
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 ounces aged cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the carrot and onion and sauté over medium heat until soft and golden, the longer the better. Add the garlic, tomatoes, pepper, salt, and beans. Sauté, stirring gently, until everything is heated through. Add the stock or water, push the veggies to the sides, and bring the liquids to a full boil. Turn off the heat, add the couscous , stir once quickly and tightly cover. (If using bulgur, return to a full boil, tightly cover, simmer for 10 minutes, then take off the heat.) 
2. Let the pot stand, covered, at room temperature for 10 minutes to absorb the liquids and flavors. Add the parsley, fluff with a fork, and serve warm, topped with the cheese.

Other Details:

• I made the first time with regular couscous and white beans. Try with whole wheat couscous or bulgur and black beans.
• Makes 5 cups, about 4 servings
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Entree: Breast of Chicken with Tomato Cream Sauce aka Leeky Chicken

This recipe came to us through a cooking class, one specifically about knife skills. We really liked it and it gets made in our house on a fairly regular basis. It also introduced us to the deliciousness that is pancetta.

Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter or as needed
¼ pound pancetta
2 whole chicken breasts, divided
2 medium leeks, split down the length, washed and sliced
¾ pound ripe Italian pear tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 teaspooons fresh thyme leaves
a generous pinch of red pepper flakes or to taste
salt as needed
fresh ground pepper
1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
thyme sprigs for garnish

Directions:

1. Cut the pancetta into ¼ inch pieces. Heat the butter in a 12” skillet and saute the pancetta until lightly browned and slightly crisp.
2. While the pancetta is cooking, debone the chicken breasts. Removed the cooked bacon from the skillet. Saute the chicken beginning skin side down until cooked through and golden brown on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the cooked chicken to a platter and keep warm in a low oven.
3. Drain away all the fat except for a 2 tablespoons. Add the leeks and saute until tender and wilted. Add half of the tomatoes and cook for 3-5 minutes.
4. Stir in the chicken stock, cream and tomato paste. Boil briefly to reduce and thicken the sauce. Add the chopped thyme, red pepper, the rest of the tomatoes, and the pancetta. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
5. Transfer the sauce to the bottom of a clean platter. Place the chicken breasts on top and garnish with chopped parsley and the thyme sprigs, and serve.

Other details:

• Serves 4 
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Bread: Dutch Honey Cake (Rye Bread)

This was a very good bread - almost banana bread like. I got the recipe from Jenni Muir's A cook's guide to grains. It really is easy to make. Great toasted with butter or margarine.

Ingredients:

2 cups rye flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup milk (non-dairy for vegan)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350ºF and grease a loaf tin. Sift the rye flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves into a large mixing blow and make a well in the center.
2. Gradually stir the milk into the dry ingredients to give a smooth, thick batter. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 60-75 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
3. Remove from the oven and leave to stand in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool further. Wrap the cooled loaf in foil to store.

Other Details:

• This loaf tastes better a few days after baking. 
• For a ginger version of this loaf, add a little powdered ginger, plus 4-6 tbsp chopped glace, or crystallized or drained preserved stem ginger just before it goes into the loaf tin.
• For a fruity version, stir in 4 tbsp sultanas and 4 tbsp finely chopped dates.
• This is a great loaf for people with wheat allergies and can be made with water in place of milk.
• Serves 10
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Breakfast: Oat and Honey Bars

I have no idea why we called these Oat and Honey Bars. There's no honey in them. They are from Jenni Muir's A cook's guide to grains, called Crunchy Oat and Coconut Slice. She had these under cookies and crackers, but it goes under our breakfast, along with all our granolas and oat bars. Really, these are eat any time bars. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 325ºF. 
2. In a large saucepan, slowly melt the butter over a gentle heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the oats, sugar and coconut, mixing until well combined.
3. Transfer the mixture to a 8”-square tin and press it out evenly. 
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden. 
5. Leave to cool in the tin, then cut into pieces and serve.

Other Details:

• Easy for kids to make. 
• To make fruited versions of this, simply stir in about 1/2 cup of sultanas or raisins, chopped dried apricots, prunes, mango, or other dried fruit at the same time as adding the oats, sugar, and coconut.
• Walnuts are a terrific addition, but other nuts will also work well. Add about 1/2 cup to this quantity of mixture.
• Warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger can also be added. Use 1 to 1 1/2 tsp in total of your favorites and add them along with the dry ingredients.
• Don't use shredded coconut or coconut flakes. It might seem as though they will look more attractive, but they make the mixture less absorbent than desiccated coconut, so the baked result is greasy and uncohesive. (I could not find dessicated coconut and just used shredded coconut. It fell apart very easily, but I wouldn't call it greasy.)
• If the corners are browning too quickly, cover them with some foil.
• Serves 12
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Dessert: Longaberger Apple Pie and Pie Crust

I'm downright un-American - I don't like apple pie. I want to like it, but I just do not. However, members of my family like apple pie. So, a few weeks ago, I made my first apple pie. I got it right first try. What did I make? I made a recipe from Longaberger. Full disclosure: I was a Longaberger Consultant for a couple years in 2003-05 or so. This is not a difficult pie to make, even with the crust from scratch. It was baked in a Longaberger Pottery Pie Plate.

 The recipe is given in 2 parts. The pie crust can be used for anything that you need a pie crust for.
Longaberger Pie Crust

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/2 T. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup lard
1 small egg, beaten
1/2 T. vinegar
1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix together egg, vinegar and water, then add to flour mixture. Mix until dough is moist enough to form a ball. 
2. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll one half into a 12-inch circle. Press dough into pie plate. Crimp to form decorative border, then prick bottom with fork. 
4. Place in freezer while preparing pie filling. Makes one double crust pie.

Longaberger Apple Pie

Ingredients:

3 cups pared, cored and sliced apples (about 3 apples, really good with granny smiths)
3 T. flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 T. butter
3 T. milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. 
2. Mix apples, flour, sugar and cinnamon. Stir gently. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Dab with butter and pour milk over filling. 
3. Roll top crust same as bottom and lift onto filled pie or decorate with woven lattice top. Bake 40-45 minutes. Filling for one pie.

Other Details:

• Makes 1 pie. 
• Cut to 6-8 slices. 
• Nutrition given for 1/6 of pie.
• Hint: I cut it open warm. All the innards spill out when you do this. Letting it cool to room temperature will allow the insides to stick together better. (I know there are words for that, but they all sound gross when speaking of food.)
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Side dish: Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

I was originally thinking brussels sprouts are not seasonal, except I just found seasonal brussels sprouts in the store and am seeing brussels sprout recipes in the current season of cooking magazines. So perhaps I'm posting a more seasonal recipe than I thought. I found this recipe online somewhere when I harvested the brussels sprouts I grew a few Augusts ago. Turns out, I'm the only person in my family who likes brussels sprouts, but this is an excellent, easy recipe. So tasty!

Ingredients:
24 small brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Directions:

1. Use brussels sprouts that are on the small size and tightly closed. You can finish these with many different types of cheese. Suggestions: Parmesan, gruyere, or Gouda.
2. Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact (or if you are lazy just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil).
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don't overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side.
5. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately.

Other Details:

• Serves 4. 
• Skip the cheese for a vegan option.

Entree: Braised Beef

We got the recipe for this Braised Beef from Clean Eating Magazine.

Ingredients:
16 oz lean beef stew meat
1/4 tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced lengthwise
3 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth, divided
4 medium carrots, peeled and halved (if small) or sliced 1/2 inch thick on the diagonal
1 large turnip, cubed
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large rosemary sprig
1 small bunch turnip greens
sprinkling chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Pat beef dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil on medium-high. Working in batches, sear beef in pot, browning well on all sides, for about 8 minutes. (Note: by working in batches you'll avoid overcrowding.) Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
2. Reduce heat to low, add onion to Dutch oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until caramelized and golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and increase heat to bring to a boil, scraping browned bits from bottom of Dutch oven with a wooden spoon.
3. Stir in carrots, turnip, garlic, rosemary, beef and remaining 3 cups broth. Return to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered for 2 hours, until beef is very tender.
4. About 5 minutes before beef is done, prepare greens chiffonade: Wash greens well and remove and discard stems. Stack greens and thinly slice crosswise into strips, about 1/4 inch thick.
5. Remove rosemary and discard. Stir in greens and season with additional salt and pepper.
6. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Other Details:

• Tip: If you have a hard time finding turnip greens, substitute chard. 
• Serves 4
• Hands-on time 30 minutes
• Total time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
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Breads: Homemade Multigrain Biscuit Mix and 15-Minute Biscuits

These are biscuits from Robin Asbell's The New Whole Grain Cookbook. Truly quick and easy. These are lovely whole grain biscuits. They would not be mistaken for white biscuits. They are also very biscuit-y rather than muffin-y (as some biscuits are.)

The Mix

A Biscuit

Ingredients:
For mix:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup spelt flour (or kamut flour)
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup rolled oats (or rolled rye or rolled barley)
1/2 cup wheat germ (or rolled quinoa)
1/2 cup nonfat powdered milk
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar or other granular sweetener
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine


For biscuits:
1 cup biscuit mix
1/4 cup water or more
1 tablespoon milk, optional

Directions:

1. For the biscuit mix, in a large bowl, mix the flours, cornmeal, rolled grains, milk powder, baking powder, sugar, and salt. When well combined use a grater to shred the cold butter or margarine into the bowl, tossing with the flour to coat. Squeeze the mixture in handfuls to break up the butter or margarine into small pieces. Store in zipper-top bags in the refrigerator or freezer. 
2. (If frozen, measure what you want to use and let it come to room temperature for an hour before proceeding.)
3. To make 4 biscuits, preheat the oven to 450ºF. Measure 1 cup of the mix into a large bowl. Quickly stir in 1/4 cup water or enough just to moisten; don't overstir. Flatten the dough in the bottom of the bowl and cut it into 4 wedges. Transfer the biscuits to an ungreased baking pan. Brush the tops with milk (if desired), and bake for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Other Details:

• Makes 5 cups biscuit mix, enough for about 20 biscuits. 
• If you cannot find rolled quinoa (aka quinoa flakes), use wheat germ, rolled barley, or more rolled oats.
• The mix can be made using gluten-free flours, and vegans can use soy protein powder and margarine.
• Nutrition is per biscuit.
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Breakfast: Finnish Oven Pancakes

This recipe comes passed down to me from my mother. I have no idea where she got the original recipe, but when I left the house for college, I asked for this recipe specifically.

Pan of Finnish Oven Pancakes

Slice of Finnish Oven Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/8 lb butter
½ cup flour
4 eggs
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
Cinnamon-Sugar Mix


Directions:

1. Melt butter in 13” x 9” x 2” baking dish until slightly brown.  
2. Beat eggs, four, salt, sugar, milk, and vanilla and pour into melted butter.  
3. Bake at 450^o for 10 minutes.  Then turn heat to 350^o fro 20 minutes more.  
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar after baked.
5. Serve with syrup and whatever toppings you prefer.

Other Details:

• Serves 4-6. 
• Nutrition per 1/6 of pan.
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Introduction

As we move to a different season from when I started this blog, I will try to keep recipes as seasonal as possible. However, there will probably be quite a few off-season postings as well. For example, I have several ice-cream related desserts, which one would probably want to make during the summer. But since I took pictures of the ice cream desserts when I made them this past summer, there is a high probability they will show up during the coming winter months. I will try to space them out so that there isn't a ton of ice cream desserts in a row. That is one reason only one or two have shown up.

However, for those sick of all the pumpkin I (and other food blogs) put up over October and November (and December), the off-season stuff may be welcome.