Recipes

Here we'll post recipes we find along the way. Please note that you can post your own recipes in the community discussion. Remember, you can always substitute or omit ingredients!

Dressings and Greens

Basic Vinaigrette Dressing
3 Tbsp olive oil or other vegetable oil
1 Tbsp vinegar
¼ tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and ground pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a jar. Cover the jar and shake it until well blended. Be creative in adding extras, such as honey, fresh or dried herbs, or crumbled bleu cheese.

Maple Mustard Dressing
1 c olive oil
½ c balsamic vinegar
¼ c maple syrup (or honey)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
1 tsp soy sauce

Mix or shake all ingredients in a tightly covered jar and chill. Excellent on spinach greens.

Tangy Russian Dressing
2 c homemade mayonnaise
1 ½ c chili sauce
1/3 c minced celery
1/3 c minced dill pickle
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp horseradish sauce

Mix all ingredients well and chill. Traditionally served on wedges of head lettuce, especially iceberg. It is also excellent on Swiss cheese and roast beef sandwiches.

Cracked Pepper-Parmesan Dressing
1 tsp egg yolk
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp minced garlic
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp wine or herb vinegar
½ c olive oil
1 to 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp heavy cream
3 Tbsp fresh grated parmesan

Beat an egg yolk and put 1 tsp of it in a mixing bowl. Add the mustard, garlic, pepper, and vinegar. To blend the ingredients well, beat with a wire whisk. Gradually add the oil, beating vigorously until dressing is thickened and well-blended. Add the lemon juice and beat in the heavy cream. Stir in parmesan. Makes about ¾ cup.

Basic Blender Mayonnaise
1 egg
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp salt (optional)
Dash of cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 c salad oil, olive oil, or mixture

Put egg, mustard, salt, and cayenne in blender and mix for 30 seconds at high speed. Add lemon juice and blend for 10 seconds. While blending, add oil in droplets, or in a very slow trickle. Use a rubber spatula if necessary to keep ingredients flowing to the processing blades. All of a sudden in the blending process, the sound will change as the mayo thickens, and then you know it’s done. Mayo is an emulsion or suspension of egg in oil, and the oil can only hold so much before the whole thing separates. If it does separate, remove the mixture from the blender. Beat another egg, then gradually add the separated mixture to it, along with a little more oil if needed, until it reaches the right consistency. For a different taste, add on or a combo of the following to the mayo base: anchovies, dry sherry, garlic (minced), onion (grated), capers, egg (hardcooked), horseradish, paprika, curry powder, fresh herbs, olives, pickles.

Endive Quiche
4 c raw, chopped Belgian endive (or spinach, chard, or other cooked greens)
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp lemon juice
1 ½ c milk or light cream
3 eggs
Pinch of mace
Ground black pepper
8 inch partially baked pie shell
¼ c grated Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 325. Place endive in 2 quart, buttered baking dish. Mix water and lemon juice together and pour over endive. Cut a piece of brown paper the same size as the top of the baking dish, butter it, and place it on top of the endive. Cover the dish and braise the endive in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender. While the endive is cooking, beat eggs until thick and beat in cream, mace, and pepper. Remove endive from oven and drain. Turn oven up to 375. Fold endive into egg mixture, pour into pastry shell and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in upper part of oven for 25-30 minutes or until set. Serves 4-6.

Spinach Noodle Casserole
1 lb noodles
1 ½ lb fresh spinach, well-washed
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, finely minced
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 c light cream or milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
½ c finely chopped ham (optional)
½ c buttered soft fresh bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Cook noodles until just tender and drain. Lightly steam spinach and chop finely. Add lemon juice. Saute onion and garlic in butter. Add flour and gradually stir in cream or milk over gentle heat. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add spinach and stir well. Add noodles and ham and place in shallow, buttered baking dish. Top with crumbs and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serves 4.

Wheat Berry Salad
12 oz. wheat berries
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped zucchini
3 cups roughly chopped baby spinach (5 oz)
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cut into thick sticks
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1/3 cup minced red onion
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Place wheat berries in a large bowl. Cover with water by about 2 inches and soak 2 hours. Drain well. Place wheat berries in a large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and cook about 1 hour, until somewhat tender and chewy. Drain and rinse. Combine wheat berries with remaining ingredients and toss well. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to meld. Serves 12.

Tomatoes

Basic Tomato Sauce
1 peck (12-15 pounds) fresh toms
2 c chopped onions
1 c chopped green peppers
1 c chopped celery
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp parsley, minced
2 Tbsp basil
2 Tbsp oregano
2 tsp plain salt (optional)
1 tsp pepper

Wash toms, peel, remove cores and green spots. Chop and put in large saucepan. Simmer two hours, stirring frequently, or until sauce has reduced by half. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until just soft. You can also do this in the oven if you want to avoid chance of burning sauce and you want more stove space—fill large roasting pan with prepared toms, set in oven at 250 and let cook until it’s as thick as you want it. Add other veggies and cook until soft.
For a smooth sauce (or if you don’t peel the toms), puree in blender or food processor. Pour hot sauce into hot jars leaving ½ inch headspace. Add ¼ tsp. citric acid or 1 Tbsp. lemon juice to each pint (double that amount for quarts). Process in a pressure canner according to canner instructions for your altitude.

Basic Tomato Paste
6 quarts plum tomatoes
1 Tbsp salt (optional)

In a heavy, stainless steel pot, cook toms until soft, then puree in food processor and reheat. Simmer and stir frequently to prevent scorching. After several hours the pulp will be reduced to a thick paste. Pack hot paste in hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice per pint (double for quarts), and process in a hot water bath canner for appropriate time for your altitude.

Spicy Tomato Ketchup
20 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 ½ c onions, chopped
1 c green peppers, chopped
¾ c sugar, white or brown
2 tsp celery seed
2 tsp plain (noniodized) salt
¾ tsp each of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice
1 c vinegar

Mix all ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer, stirring frequently, until thick. Pour hot ketchup into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Process in a hot water bath canner for appropriate time for your altitude.

Tomato Bread
2 c tomato juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp each of basil, oregano
¼ c ketchup
¼ c grated cheese
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
¼ c warm water (110-115 degrees)
7 c all purpose flour

Scald tomato juice and oil. Add sugar, salt, herbs, ketchup, and cheese, and let mixture cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast on warm water and stir to dissolve. Add tomato mixture and 3 cups of flour to yeast. Beat by hand or with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally until smooth. Gradually mix in enough remaining flour to make soft dough that leaves the side of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead for 8-10 minutes, or until dough is elastic and smooth. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and turn over so top is oiled. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled—about 1-1 ½ hours. Punch down and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place in 2 greased 9x5x3 loaf pans. Cover and let rise again until almost doubled, about 1 hour. Bake in hot oven (375) about 25 minutes or until done (top is hard and bottom sounds hollow with tapped). To easily remove from pan, set pan on its side for a few minutes and loaf should slide out. Makes 2 loaves.

Sensational Tomato Quiche
½ c chopped onion
½ c chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 lbs firm, red, ripe tomatoes
½ tsp each of basil, oregano, salt
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
¼ tsp pepper
2 eggs
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 partially baked, 8 inch pie crust
12 pitted black olives
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
8 anchovies (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Saute onions, green pepper, and garlic in oil in heavy skillet. Add chopped, seeded, peeled tomatoes, herbs, and green pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove cover and raise heat so liquid evaporates. Do not let mixture scorch. Remove from heat. Put eggs and tomato paste in bowl and mix well. Combine with tomato mixture and pour into pie crust. Top with olives, grated cheese, and anchovies. Bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. Serves 4 for lunch.

Pickled Green Tomatoes
1 1/2 quarts white wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
2 pounds green tomatoes, sliced into 1/2-3/4 inch wedges
1/2 cup fresh tarragon leaves, stems removed

In a stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, and garlic. Bring to boil. When sugar dissolved, add tomatoes. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, or until toms are tender but not mushy. Strain toms, reserving liquid in one container and toms in another. Add tarragon to liquid. Refrigerate both until cool, then combine. Spoon into lidded glass containers and refrigerate for up to 3 months.

Zesty Salsa (adapted from Ball Blue Book of Preserving)
Yields about 7 pints
13 c. chopped tomatoes (about 8 pounds)
1 c. chopped onion (about 1 large)
10-15 cloves garlic
1 1/2- 2 c. fresh or roasted peppers such as jalapenos, Anaheims, serranos, etc.
1/2 Tbsp. salt

Sterilize jars, lids, and rings. If you want thicker salsa, cook tomatoes for about one hour. Place in food processor: onions, garlic, and peppers, and chop. Remove from processor. Put tomatoes in processor, chop. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix thoroughly. Taste for spiciness. Ladle salsa into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe jar lip clean with wet paper towel. Adjust two piece caps. Process pints 15 minutes in a boiling water canner (for Helena elevation). Variations: Use 8 c. chopped tomatoes and 5 c. tomatillos (process tomatillos by placing in a large saucepan, cover with water, boil, and remove from heat); puree in either a blender or food processor.

Cucumbers and Squash

Dill Pickles (from Ball Blue Book of Preserving)
Yield about 7 pints

8 pounds 3-4 inch pickling cukes (I like using whole small cukes; also could cut in 1/2 or make spears if you have larger cukes)
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. canning salt
1 quart white vinegar
1 quart water
PER JAR:
Horseradish leaves (3-4" leaf piece)—leaves keep cukes crisp
one fresh dill head
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp peppercorn (I like multi-colored)

Wash cukes; drain. Combine sugar, salt, vinegar, and water in a large saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes or nearly boiling. Sterilize jars, lids, and rings. Place horseradish, dill, garlic, mustard seed, and peppercorns; pack whole cukes tightly in each jar leaving 1/4 inch head space. Ladle hot liquid over cukes, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe jar lip clean with wet paper towel. Adjust two piece caps. Process pints 15 minutes in a boiling water canner (for Helena elevation). Variations: bay leaf, hot pepper.

Root Veggies

Orange-Glazed Carrots
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground ginger
½ c orange juice
¼ c margarine or butter
3 c sliced, cooked carrots

Combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and ginger in a saucepan. Add orange juice and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles. Boil gently for one minute. Stir in margarine or butter. Pour over hot, drained carrots and toss. Serves 6.

Carrot Casserole
3 c fresh carrots, finely shredded
1/3 c celery, finely diced
1 tsp onion finely chopped
½ c fine bread crumbs
1 c shredded cheese
1 ½ c basic white sauce
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
3 eggs, separated

Combine all ingredients except the egg whites. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture. Pour casserole into a well-greased baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes at 350. Serves 4-6.

Turnip Souffle
4-5 medium turnips
3 Tbsp butter
4 tsp sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
¾ c soft bread crumbs
2 eggs, separated
1 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. In a food processor, finely chop the raw turnips. Combine chopped turnips with remaining ingredients except the egg whites and butter. Whip the egg whites until they form peaks and fold into turnip mixture. Grease a straight-sided baking dish with the melted butter and spoon in turnip mixture. Bake for 35 minutes, until top is slightly brown. Serves 4-6.

Turnips in Sour Cream
6 white turnips
1 Tbsp caraway seeds
¼ c nonfat sour cream
1 Tbsp dried basil
Paprika
Lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. Cook turnips in boiling water with caraway seeds for 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Peel and slice the turnips and place in a buttered casserole. Add the sour cream and basil, cover and bake until turnips are tender, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika and a little lemon juice and serve hot. Serves 6.

Glazed Parsnips
6 medium parsnips
2 Tbsp melted butter
¼ c maple syrup or brown sugar
½ c apple cider
1 tsp salt

Slice the parsnips and parboil them. Drain thoroughly. Arrange parsnips in a shallow baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over the parsnips. Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated 400 oven. Baste occasionally. Serves 4.

Potato Cheese Soup
2 Tbsp. butter
4 oz. lean ham, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
8 cups peeled and coarsely chopped potatoes (russets or Yukon golds, about 3 pounds)
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or water
1 cup beer
3/4 cup (3 oz.) grated Gruyere cheese
3/4 cup (3 oz.) grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add ham, onion, and carrot. Saute 5-10 minutes. Cook, covered, 10 minutes. Add potatoes and broth. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Pour half the soup into a food processor and process until smooth. Return to saucepan. Add beer and cheese and cook until cheese melts. Add milk until desired consistency is reached. Makes 11 cups, serves 7.

Desserts

Chocolate-Covered Figs
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
12 fresh or dried figs
¼ tsp coarse salt

Melt chocolate chips either on the stove or in the microwave. Make sure it doesn’t burn. Holding fig by the stem end, dip in melted chocolate and set on wax paper lined tray. Sprinkle with salt. Let stand until chocolate is set. Serves 12.

Philadelphia Style Apple Cake (KOSHER!)
Be sure to grease the Bundt pan really well, and avoid cooking spray as it could cause the cake to stick.
6 c peeled and thinly sliced Granny Smith apples (about 3 large)
1 ½ c plus 5 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
4 tsp cinnamon
3 c all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
½ c light brown sugar
1 c vegetable oil
½ c orange juice
2 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease, sugar, and flour a 10 inch Bundt or tube pan. Combine apple slices with 5 Tbsp granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat eggs with remaining granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add vegetable oil, orange juice, and vanilla; beat well. Gradually blend in flour mixture and mix until well blended (about one minute). Pour 1/3 of the batter into the pan. Top with half the apple slices, draining off any liquid. Pour in half the remaining batter and top with remaining apple slices. Top with remaining batter, making sure the apples are covered. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until the top turns golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes in pan. Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Serves 16.
Per serving: 320 calories, 15 g. fat, 55 mg. cholesterol, 4 g. protein, 47 g. carbs, 2 g. fiber, 190 mg. sodium.

Vegan Apple Crisp
3-4 Red Delicious Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 Lemon
1C All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend.
1/4t Xanthan Gum
1C Oats
2/3C Earth Balance buttery sticks
1/4t Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4t Cardamon
1/4t Vanilla
1/4C Agave

Put apples in 8” baking pan and squeeze lemon over top.
Put water in pan, enough to cover bottom.
In bowl mix all other ingredients
Spread mixture over apples

Bake 35-40min at 350