Lemon Basil Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (approximately one large lemon)
• 1/2 to 1 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and extra for garnish
• 2 large dollops of Gourmet Garden's® Basil Paste
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, and extra for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon of McCormack's® Peppercorn Medley
• 1/2 teaspoon Redmond's® Real Salt

Directions:

Drain the chickpeas, but reserve the liquid.  Set both aside. Peel and mince your garlic clove, using no more than a clove.  [I used approximately 3/4 of a large, round, fat clove from the outside of a garlic bulb.]  Set aside.

In a food processor, add the tahini and the lemon juice.  Process to create a smooth mixture, almost like whipped butter.  Then add in the olive oil, basil paste, cumin, smoked paprika, pepper, and salt.  Process again until smooth.

Add in the chickpeas, starting with half a can.  Process a bit, scrape the sides of the bowl, and then add the rest of the chickpeas.  Process until all the chickpeas are mixed in and no longer discernable.  At this point, the hummus will look and taste a bit grainy, not quite like what you get in a grocery store or a restaurant.  Allow the hummus to process on high for a couple of minutes.  Then, use the reserved liquid from the can of chickpeas to smooth out the hummus.  Slowly add enough for your desired texture.  I used just over 1/8 cup, added in three increments.  The video recipe uses water instead of the liquid and recommends 2-3 tablespoons, but I preferred the liquid from the can of chickpeas.

Place in a dish and swirl the top.  Drizzle on a bit of olive oil and then sprinkle with a bit of paprika.  Serve with pita bread cut in wedges, pita chips, or your favorite vegetables.


Myrtle's Note:  This is a bit of a melding of two recipes because my first attempt at making lemon basil hummus was not quite truly successful.  I went searching on YouTube for help, found a regular humus recipe, and combined the two.  The second attempt was exactly what I wanted.

Sources:  http://www.simplyscratch.com/2015/09/lemon-basil-hummus.html  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQlMXudBGT4

Herbed Vegetable Sticks

Ingredients:

• 1 bag Green Giant Fresh® Cauliflower Crumbles (16 ounces of chopped cauliflower)
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 1/2 cup + 3/4 cup (for topping) Italian mix shredded cheese
• 4 leaves fresh sage
• 6-8 stems fresh thyme (leaves)
• 1 large or two medium stems of rosemary (leaves)
• 1-2 large dollops of Gourmet Gardens® Minced Garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon McCormack's® Peppercorn Medley
• 1/2 teaspoon Redmond's® Real Salt
• Marinara sauce for dipping (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Directions:

In a mini-food prep or regular processor, pulse the cauliflower into tiny crumbs ("rice" texture).  Place in a container (such as a pyrex bowl) and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

While the cauliflower is cooking, mince the fresh herbs together and set aside.

Line a bowl with a flour sack towel and dump the cauliflower atop the towel.  Gather the edges together so that the cauliflower forms a ball in the center of the towel.  Twist the gathered cloth until the liquid from the cauliflower come out from the bottom of the towel.  The size of the ball of cauliflower will shrink by about half if you do a good job of squeezing!

Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Empty the cauliflower from the towel back into the mixing bowl.  Add egg whites, 1/2 cup cheese, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper.  Mix thoroughly.

Pat the cauliflower mixture into a rectangular shape, approximately 1/4 inch thick (perhaps 9x7 or 10x8) on a baking sheet.  Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown on top.  The original recipe stated 18 minutes, but it took me 24 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and top with 3/4 cup cheese (or enough to make a complete layer of cheese on top).  Return to the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Slice in half lengthwise and then make strips.  Serve with warm marinara sauce if desired.


Myrtle's Note:  These are originally titled "breadsticks," but they are not bread in any fashion.  So, I took the liberty, for my peace of mind, to just change the title to something that was more fitting.  Not owning a regular food processor, I started not with a head of cauliflower, but with a bag of chopped cauliflower.  [In case you are considering it, do not try to pulse cauliflower in a NutriBullet.]  The recipe intrigued me, even though the idea of using cauliflower did not sound very palatable to me.  I liked how they turned out.  I did not have marinara sauce, but I could imagine they would be good with that as the original recipe suggests.  I think was made them more tasty in my mind is that I switched from Italian herbs to fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage.  And I added garlic.  So, really, I essentially tweaked the recipe to fit my own tastes.  Finally, I will note that I cooked them on a baking stone, not being a parchment paper person.  They did stick a bit, but I think part of that is because I needed to do a better job of squeezing out the liquid from the cooked cauliflower.  Not being a bread maker at all, I am unsure as to which type of baking surfaces are best.  I might try metal next time.  Because they were a bit soft on the bottom, after moving them to the cooling rack, I returned them to the oven for an additional 2 minutes.


Yield:  16 sticks.

Adapted from:  http://ifoodreal.com/cauliflower-breadsticks-recipe/

Apple Cider Donut Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

For the Cider Glaze:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/8 cup hard cider

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Directions:

Spray a bundt pan with Pam's baking spray and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring chopped apples and cider to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until apples are fork tender. Remove pan from heat, cool for a few minutes, then pulse in a food processor or blender until pureed. Measure out 1 cup apple mixture and stir the milk into it. Set the apple/milk mixture aside for later.  NOTE:  You will have more than a cup of the apple mixture leftover.  You can either try to halve this part of the recipe or freeze the leftovers for the next time you make the cake.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.  It will still be granular. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Add the oil and mix well. 

Add the flour mixture and apple/milk mixture alternatively in three additions, scraping the bowl as needed and mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat once more, just to combine.

Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the cake in its pan on a cooling rack for ten minutes before removing the cake itself to a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes.

While the cake is baking, combine sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl and set aside for later.  NOTE:  There will be leftovers from this.  You can either try to halve this part of the recipe or use the leftovers for another cake or perhaps cinnamon toast!

While cake is cooling, prepare Cider Glaze. Melt butter, sugar and water over medium high heat. Bring mixture to a boil and let boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately add the cider, stirring to combine.

Place baking sheet under wire rack. Using a pastry brush or marinate brush, cover cake with glaze. Do this in several passes, letting one application of glaze sink in and then going back over the cake with another and another until the cake is soaked with glaze.

Then, sprinkle the warm, glazed cake with cinnamon sugar, using fingers to rub it onto the sides of the cake.


Myrtle's Note:  This recipe has leftover ingredients!!  I found that odd and a bit frustrating and so noted that above.  The recipe is adapted from another recipe and changed to coconut oil. I changed that right back.  ICK!  The cake is rather moist and tasty, so it is definitely worth the bake, however it leaves you with a disaster zone of a kitchen!

Yield:  12 wedges

Source:  https://leaandjay.wordpress.com/2014/11/07/apple-cider-donut-cake/

Myrtle's 15-Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of 15 beans
• 8 strips Wright's Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon
• 2 cups diced smoked ham
• 8 cups water
• 1 bottle Honey Lager
• 3 springs fresh rosemary
• 2 bunches fresh thyme
• 1 handful fresh sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 teaspoon savory
• 1 teaspoon tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 2-3 bay leaves (depending on size)
• 1 stick butter
• 1 onion
• 4 dollops Gourmet Garden® Minced Garlic
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon McCormick's® Ancho Chili Pepper
• 1 teaspoon McCormick's® Peppercorn Medley
• 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon Redmon's® Real Salt

Directions:

Soak the beans overnight in beer and enough water to cover the top of the beans.

Drain the beans and set aside.  Mince onions and set aside.  Cube ham and set aside.  Mince fresh herbs and set aside.  Put marjoram, savory, and tarragon in a prep bowl and set aside.

Cut bacon into 1/4 inch strips with kitchen shears and cook in a stock pot.  Once browned, scoop to a paper towel lined plate and pour off the rest of the bacon grease.  Do not clean the pot.

Over medium low heat, add the butter and allow it to begin to brown.  Add onions and cook until the onions turn translucent.  Add the garlic, salt, peppers, and smoked paprika mid-way through the onion cooking.

Then add the brown sugar, bacon, cloves, and ham and stir thoroughly.  Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes.  Next add the beans and the water, stirring again.  Finally, add the bay leaves and stir once more.

Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour and 45 minutes.  Add herbs and cook 30 more minutes.  Raise the temperature to bring the soup back to a boil, uncover, and cook 15 more minutes to reduce the soup a bit.

Myrtle's Note:  I wanted to make 15-Bean Soup without the flavoring back.  As you can see, I cast a wide net for my flavoring.  The end result was better than I hoped, a bit smokey, savory, and a hint of sweet.


Yield: 8 servings

Source:  Myrtle

Blue Corn Flour Tortillas

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 cups Red Bob Mill's Blue Cornmeal, Medium Grind
• 3 teaspoons of baking powder
• 2 teaspoon of salt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1½ cups warm milk
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

• Mill the cornmeal to create a softer meal.  I use the milling blade on a NutriBullet Pro.
• Mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, nutmeg, pepper, and salt.  Microwave the milk for 2 minutes and then whisk in the oil.  Dump the steaming milk and oil mixture into the flour and stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold over and knead the dough ball in the bowl for no more than  two minutes.  Dough should be firm and soft and still warm from the milk. Do not over knead.
• Place dough in a bowl, cover with a cloth dampened with hot water, and let rest for 20 minutes in a warm place, such as an oven that was turned on briefly.
• After the dough has rested, break off or cut sixteen sections, place on a plate or flexible rolling board (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with the cloth re-dampened with hot water10 minutes.  It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.
• If making for the freezer, put each cut piece in a strip of wax paper, rolling up from one end for one complete turn, then wrapping both sides inward before rolling the rest of the way.
• If cooking immediately, after dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook or roll out each one before cooking.
• In a dry iron skillet, flat frying pan, or electric griddle, heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.  They will draw up in size in the pan.  
• Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.
• Tortillas can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame, or in the oven wrapped in foil.  You can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.

Myrtle's Note:  I wanted to try making a hybrid tortilla, but worried about the proportions given the difference in density between cornmeal and flour.  After reading lots of Internet advice, I decided to use the 3/4 to 1 cup ratio, but to then make up that 1/4 with flour and increased the baking powder to help compensate for the change in ingredients.  I also used a bit of spices that I found common in corn tortilla recipes.  The result was a light, fluffy tortilla, a bit denser than a flour tortilla and tasting of cornmeal.  I am very pleased with the result.  I used the blue cornmeal because it has more protein than yellow cornmeal.


Yield:  16

Source:  Myrtle, modified from Texas Flour Tortilla recipe.

Blue Cornmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup Red Bob Mill's Blue Cornmeal (medium grind)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon or more sugar (up to 1/4 cup will work for sweeter muffins)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees


Directions:

Grease muffin pan and set aside.  I very much adore, for baking, Pam's happy baking spray.

Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and oil in a bowl or glass measuring cup. In larger bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir into dry ingredients.

Fill the muffin tins, leaving about an eight inch or so from the top.  Bake for 16-20 minutes (my oven finished them in just 16 minutes).  Remove from pan immediate.  Best served warm.


Myrtle's Note:  I made them using just 1 teaspoon of sugar, for the traditional version.  However, I plan to also make them with 1/4 cup sugar to have the sweet version.  I found them to be light and with much texture.  I was surprised at the crunchiness of the cornmeal.  I had them plain.  Some folk recommend serving them with salted butter or honey butter.  I think they would be great with chili or stew.


Yield:  18 muffins

Source:  http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/blue-cornmeal-muffins/3377a166-8c1e-4285-bb21-714d7e9148b4

Coconut Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs chicken breast 
• 4 medium red potatoes
• 1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk
• 1/4 cup yellow curry paste
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 onion
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 large dollops Gourmet Gardens® Ginger
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of Redmond's Sea Salt

Directions:

Dice chicken and set aside.  Cut potatoes into small cubes and set aside.  Mince onions and garlic and set aside.

In a large sauteuse pan, melt the butter on medium low.  Add the curry paste and cook for approximately five minutes.  Add onions and cook until translucent, approximately 10 minutes, adding in garlic, ginger, and brown sugar mid-way through.

Add in the chicken and cook until the outside is white (approximately 10 minutes), adding potatoes in mid-way through.  Add coconut milk and stir thoroughly.  Once a vigorous simmer is reach, cover and simmer for approximately 30-35 minutes, turning the heat to low if need be.

For a thicker sauce, after 25 minutes, remove cover and let simmer for 10 more minutes (the photo below was taken before reducing the sauce).

Myrtle's Note:  I read and read and read about curries, but never found exactly the recipe I wanted.  Having bought the yellow curry paste some months ago, I decided I would start with that and followed suggestions I found in the comments of recipes I browsed.  The repeated advice is to cook your spices (in this case primarily the curry paste).  I found it interesting that, in curries, the spices and onion mixture is considered to be the broth.  Traditionally, this would also have fresh tomatoes in this, but I am not a huge fan of tomatoes.  Be warned, yellow curry paste is spicy!


Yield:  4 servings

Source:  Myrtle (ideas gleaned from reading commentary on making curries)