Fig Spread

Our fig trees produced a lot of figs this year.

Putting up preserves is a big deal, if you want to store them and eat them later. I just cooked the batch up, and will keep it in the refrigerator.

Chop the figs in quarters. In a sauce pan, add a little wine, sugar to taste, cinnamon and thinly sliced lemons. Ginger would be good too.

Gently boil, stirring frequently. Keep it at a low flame (1 or 2 on the induction top) and stir frequently to prevent burning. 

At some point, you can use the immersion blender.

It turns amber and eventually cooks way down. The second batch I made, I didn't cook at as high a temp (as described above) and it didn't burn, but it also didn't turn amber. Each kind of fig will have a different color palette.

Put the spread/jam in a glass jar so you can admire the contents!

Naomi Klayman's Layered Fruit Salad

I often suggest to people, when they ask what to bring to a meal, to bring fruit salad. It's a lot of work to make!

Naomi brought this, and it was ingenious. The colors and contrast obviously make it beautiful, but the stripes are extra pretty.

She came up with the technique of holding the bowl horizontally, and layering it that way.

If you use a flat or slightly curved bowl/platter, you can do it directly. But her technique is a lot of fun.

I like "pretty food". This presentation qualifies! 

Pramila Jayapul's Tofu Satay

This fall during Kamala Harris and Tim Walz's fabulous campaign (which sadly did not result in their getting into office) Washington Rep Pramila Jayapal had a fun fundraiser - if you contributed, she'd send you her recipe, which I couldn't resist doing. It's the best tofu recipe I've tried. 

"I spent 10 years growing up in Indonesia and one of my favorite things was the peanut satay.

Recently, I found a super easy recipe for peanut tofu satay – and I have been obsessed with it since! This peanut satay is great served with brown rice or even a quick fried rice that you can make with day old rice and frozen veggies.

This recipe reminds me of growing up and has been some quick comfort food after long days – which are getting more and more common in this heated election year."

It's not easy - searing the tofu is a lot of effort, but once you have all the oddball ingredients in hand, the sauces are fast.

 

Peanut Tofu Satay

 

3 heaping T peanut butter

 

2/3 c coconut milk (you can freeze the remainder)

 

2 T maple syrup

 

1-2 T sriracha

 

1 T sesame oil

 

3 T soy sauce

 

1 to 2 T grated garlic

 

1 T grated ginger

 

1 lime, juiced - or use lime juice.

 

2 blocks extra firm tofu, drained, dried and cut into 16 evenly sized cubes

 

Oil, salt and pepper as needed

 

1 handful chopped cilantro

 

1/2 c crushed peanuts

 

1 t white and black sesame seeds

 

1 T chili crisp oil

 

Rice for serving

 

In large bowl, whisk together first nine ingredients (peanut butter, coconut milk, maple syrup, sriracha, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and lime) along with large pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.

Put 3-4 T neutral cooking oil in a cast iron pan on medium high heat and sear the tofu. Season tofu in the pan with large pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Sear on all four sides about 1-2 minutes per side or until each side is golden brown. (They don't need to be deep brown, as you pour sauce on them and it colors them nicely.)

Pour half the peanut sauce over tofu and continue to flip tofu for another 1-2 minutes per side or until desired texture and color.

 

Serve over rice, finish with remaining peanut sauce, cilantro, sesame seeds and chili crisp oil as well as salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

This campaign would not be possible without supporters like you — together we are building a stronger future.

Thanks again,

 

Pramila

Almond Horns - Mandelhörnchen

For Zeke's bar mitzvah, I wanted to bake something primarily for Zeke. I told him he didn't have to share his goodies with anyone. (For Ezra's, since we were a small group and we hung out at their house, I baked more generic things.) Zeke did share them, but received his own private stash and was quite pleased about it.

Since the Hausmanns are yekkehs on both sides, and indeed the boys already have German citizenship, I picked this treat, mandelhörnchen. I read about them in Smitten Kitchen, but ultimately went with the German version, video linked above. It uses marzipan, which I had in the house and wanted to try. 

There are many discussions of the merits of almond paste vs. marzipan. I took the sprinkles idea from Smitten Kitchen. These are not something Eric ever mentioned, but they are German classics.

This is a European metric recipe translated into American measures, so a little odd. 

7.05 oz marzipan
0.89 cups almond meal or almond flour
1 egg white for the dough
0.83 cups confectioners sugar (= powdered sugar)
2 t lemon juice
1 egg-white for dipping
4 oz sliced almonds
1 cup dark chocolate (more or less)


Put the marzipan, almond flour, confectioners sugar, egg white, and lemon juice into a bowl and mix it all together.
With wet fingers, shape 6 Crescents from the dough. (these would be huge. I did 9 and would go smaller still).
Dip each crescent first into the egg white and then turn it in the almond slices until it's well covered.
Set on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the almond crescents for 10 to 15 minutes or a little longer if you want them more crisp.

Let them cool and in the meantime, melt the chocolate on the induction Melt setting in a frying pan.
Once the almond horns have cooled completely, dip the ends of the horns into the chocolate. [Sprinkle on the jimmies!]
Let the chocolate set and then enjoy.

Not bad for a first try, and they were well-received!

Becca's Charred Broccoli

We all love Becca's broccoli. 

I cut the broccoli florets in vertical slices to give it more surface area, like they do to make cauliflower steaks, but much smaller.

Using our 9" Lodge cast iron, heated to 8 on the induction, I put in about 2 T. olive oil, let it heat, and dumped in the broccoli.  I let it singe for about a minute, then stirred it for another minute or two. Then turned off the burner, covered it, and it steamed. Just added salt, as Becca directed.

8 minutes later: perfect!

Moroccan Vegetable Stew

 This recipe is quite quick and basic. What's the difference between stew and soup? For stew, leave it chunky and put in less liquid. For soup, more liquid and a little bit of immersive blending.

This is very flexible. Nothing much needs prepping! Serve with a grain like couscous or even mashed potatoes. 

1 T olive oil
1 medium  onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 t cumin
1 t cinnamon
1 t ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 1/2 cups organic low sodium vegetable broth
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 cups cubed butternut squash - easily found, in season, at the market already prepped

optional or alternative vegetables: cubed sweet potatoes, carrots
1 c green lentils
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
fresh juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/3 cup chopped cilantro or parsley

In large pot (skillet or pot, with a cover) heat the oil and saute the chopped onion and garlic until softened.

Add the spices and cook for about a minute.

Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, chickpeas, butternut squash, lentils, salt and pepper. Cook until the lentils are done and the vegetables are soft - 30 minutes or so.

Squeeze in the lemon before serving.

Throw in Lots of Tomatoes Sweet Potato Soup

I make a lot of soups with tomatoes, and lots with sweet potatoes, but this combination is a little lighter, not using any coconut milk. 

It's great for a glut of tomatoes like this fall, thanks Micah! 

Loosely based on this recipe. The sweet potato thickens the soup when blended, and packs it with nutrients.

2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
Afew cloves chopped garlic
A bit of grated ginger

2-3 stalks chopped celery

3 peeled carrots, chopped
1 t. cumin
1 t. turmeric
1 chopped hot pepper like jalapeno (use a plastic glove when mincing)
2 peeled large sweet potatoes, diced
4-6 chopped tomatoes, diced
8 c. vegetarian broth

Optional: In a small container, take a few tablespoons broth to a chunk of peanut butter, mix to loosen, and add to soup.

Pour oil into large soup pot and add onion, garlic, ginger, celery, and pepper, saute until soft.

Add chopped sweet potatoes, tomatoes and broth. Boil for about 40 minutes. Use an immersion blender but leave some vegetables chunked. Add thinned peanut butter for a protein boost.

Madjula's Sweet Potato Chocolate Mousse

This is from a Indian cooking website, Manjula's Kitchen, I started watching during the Pandemic when I was cooking a lot and up for learning more about Indian techniques. Though this recipe is thoroughly Southern California American. I found home cooking videos were good company. Eyal and Nadav are very down with this dessert!

1 large sweet potato, boiled
½ cup coconut milk full fat, chilled - 

    or a 4 oz can of evaporated milk

    or 1/3 c. powdered milk + water or milk. Amount is flexible. 1/3 to 1/2 c does it.
4 Tbsp cacao powder
4 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp cinnamon powder

Peel sweet potato. In a bowl, add cocoa, sugar, coconut milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Use an immersion blender or potato masher until smooth.
Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Serving Suggestions from Madjula
When it is fully blended, scoop the Pudding into the individual serving bowls and refrigerate for an hour. Remove the Pudding from the refrigerator after it has chilled. Serve the Pudding with your choice of topping. I like to garnish with sliced almonds. You may top with fresh fruit, or seeds. Also, chocolate pudding tastes great as a dip or spread.

Chetna Makan's Masala Potatoes

 I have become very attached to Chetna's YouTube Channel, and she has taught me some basic Indian cooking techniques.

This is her filling for masala dosa, which I have made a few times on the tawa I purchased. The dosas are quite a potchke, but the potatoes are pretty easy and really good by themselves as a side dish.

2 large potatoes

Oil (she uses safflower)

1 t. mustard seeds

curry leaves (I bought them at an international store)

dried chili (if you have one)

1 t. tumeric

1 t. salt

1-2 large onions, diced

Boil the potatoes. Let them cool. Peel and dice.

In a deep fry pan, heat the oil. Throw in the mustard seeds, chili, and curry leaves and let sizzle for a minute. Add the onions and spices and cook until soft. Add the diced potates, stir (they will turn a beautiful yellow from the tumeric) and heat through, about 5 minutes. These are filling and delicious.

Moroccan Spinach Chickpea Soup

 https://www.greenprophet.com/2013/01/eat-like-a-sustainable-moroccan-chickpea-and-spinach-soup-recipe/

Pretty simple, hearty soup, not that thick - yet another combo of spinach, tomato, chickpea, onion, garlic....  Modified with less chickpeas and added carrots

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste

2 cups diced fresh or crushed canned tomatoes (1 can)

3 carrots, diced

1 can chickpeas,drained (2 cans)

3 to 4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 cups fresh spinach, rinsed, drained, and chopped

Choose a large pot. Heat the olive oil in it and add onion, garlic, cinnamon, paprika, cumin and cayenne.

Cook, stirring occasionally 5 minutes or until the onions wilt.

Add tomatoes, chickpeas, vegetable broth and sugar.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Just before serving, place equal quantities of spinach into 6 soup bowls. Ladle hot soup on top of the spinach.

Magical Tri Melon Soup

This soup is August in a bowl. It's a Jane Brody recipe - she credits Gourmet magazine.

Because the mixtures have different densities (apparently something you can do with other types of soups, too), they don't mix when you put them in the bowl.

I added a third and it works perfectly - watermelon chunks  puréed with mint and squeezed lemon juice.

1 cantaloupe, ripe

2 lemons

1 honey dew melon, ripe

2 T. lime juice (or a fresh lime)

1/2 seedless watermelon, cubed

lots of mint

salt and agave to taste

Peel and cube the first melon. This is labor intensive - use a large cutting board. First cut in half, and scoop out the seeds. Cut in 1/8s and then slice each along the curve of the melon, leaving the flesh. Cube and throw in a powerful blender, like the ninja. Or, buy it cubed!

Squeeze in the juice of the lemon and a little salt. Empty into a pitcher.

Repeat with the honey dew, adding mint, lime juice, and salt. You can add a little agave if you like it sweeter.

The watermelon is less dense but will still hold its shape. Same procedure. 

Chill.

To serve, use flat soup bowls. Put a scoop of honey dew to the side of the bowl. Gently pour the cantaloupe into the open space, and also the watermelon. If you're lucky, it will create a crescent shape. So pretty.

Garnish with fresh mint. Do not serve to the Rosen clan. They don't like melons!

One Bowl Blueberry, Strawberry Rhubarb, or Cranberry Crumble Bars

I saw these online and had a real craving for them - I knew they would be similar to the datebars of my youth, but way easier. It's a quick recipe and perfect when blueberries are abundant.   In 2022 when we gathered in Chestertown for Thanksgiving, Zach and Becca brought several quarts of CSA cranberries that people had failed to pick up, or left behind. We experimented making Cranberry Crumble bars (fun to say!) and they were such a hit I made a second batch. Super easy, and so pretty.

You make the same dough for the bottom layer as the streusel topping - super easy. I cut the sugar, as my first version seemed sweeter than needed.

Crust and Crumble Topping
1/2 c (1 stick) butter, melted (microwave on low power, in a big bowl that you then use to mix the dough). For vegans, use parve margarine.
1 c flour (half WW, half regular, as I always do)
3/4 c old-fashioned whole-rolled oats
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c light brown sugar, packed

salt to taste

Blueberry (or Cranberry) Layer
1 pint washed blueberries or 12 oz. cranberries (1 1/2 c)
1/3 c granulated sugar
For blueberries: 2 T lemon juice (1 lemon's worth) - omit for cranberries
2 t cornstarch

• Preheat oven to 350. 
• Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with a parchment paper sling.
• Altrnatively, to make individual tarts (as I just did during COVID), spray a silicone muffin tin. I made 12. You could make 16, just use 2 trays and leave 8 empty. It's a little more work but a dozen big wows! Wait until cooled to remove, by popping them out from the bottom of the tray.
• In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter.
• Add the flour, oats, sugars, optional salt, and stir to combine. Mixture will be dry and sandy with some larger, well-formed crumble pieces.
• Set aside 1 heaping cup mixture for the top crumble layer.
• Transfer remaining mixture to prepared pan, and using wet fingers, pack the mixture to create an even, smooth, flat crust; set aside.
• In the large mixing bowl (same one!), add blueberries, lemon juice (not for cranberries!), sugar, and cornstarch, stirring to combine. If sugar hasn’t dissolved fully that’s okay because it liquifies while baking.
• Evenly distribute blueberry mixture over the crust.
• Sprinkle with the reserved heaping 1 cup crumble topping mixture. squeezing the mixture to shape bigger crumble pieces.
• Bake for about 45 minutes (in the Breville), or until edges are set and center has just set. Crumble topping should appear set and very pale golden. 
• Place pan on a wire rack and allow bars to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. If you try to slice bars before they’ve cooled completely, they’ll be extremely messy and could fall apart. 
• To cut when cooled, pull out with the sling onto a flat cutting board. Cut 4 x 5 or even 5 x 5 with a pizza cutting wheel or sharp, wet knife. These are messy-ish, so small bite-size bars are great.

another scrumptious, spring version: Strawberry Rhubarb

Same recipe, but a pint of strawberries and about two stalks of rhubarb, both finely chopped. Include sugar. It is DELICIOUS. Very distinct flavor profile.

Make double like I did here!!

Oh She Glows Red Lentil Kale Tomato Soup

This is lighter than most of the lentil soups I make. It comes together fast.

Spiced Red Lentil, Tomato, and Kale Soup

1 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 sweet onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 t ground cumin
2 t chili powder
1/2 t ground coriander
1/2 t smoked sweet paprika, to taste
1/8 t cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 (14-ounce/398 mL) can diced tomatoes, with juices
5 to 6 c (1.25 to 1.5L) low-sodium vegetable broth, as needed
1 c uncooked red lentils, rinsed and drained
Fine grain sea salt and pepper, to taste
3 handfuls destemmed and chopped kale leaves or baby spinach (in small bunch lacinato)

In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil for about 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat. 

Add in the celery and sauté for a few minutes more.
Stir in the bay leaf and the spices (cumin, chili powder, coriander, paprika, cayenne).
Stir in the can of tomatoes (including the juice), broth, and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then simmer, uncovered, for about 20 to 25 minutes, until lentils are tender and fluffy.
Stir in kale or spinach and cook until just wilted. [Run the immersion blender til desired consistency]

Becca's Beloved Fried Chickpeas

Here's a flexible, easy prep from Bon Appetit. Becca makes it often. It's very flexible. I just paired it w chopped fresh snap-peas instead of herbs.

2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed (I don't bother to dry them) and DRAINED. The drier the chickpeas are, the better.
4 garlic cloves, crushed
⅓ cup olive oil
salt, freshly ground pepper (other recipes have a wide variety of spicing)
2½ cups chopped mixed tender herbs (such as parsley, cilantro, chives, and/or basil)

Place chickpeas in a large skillet or Dutch oven and add garlic and oil; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are crisped and some have split open (these will be the most delicious ones), 10–15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in herbs.

Sweet Potato Peanut Chickpea Soup

West African Peanut Soup - for a one dish light dinner. Gorgeous color, and lots of superfoods (greens, sweet potato, chickpeas).

This recipe is from the Love Real Food cookbook by Kathryne Taylor of Cookie + Kate - this blogger made some small adjustments to the ingredients and instructions, and so did I.

Here are some endorsements from the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020. We sent a few items left behind to Nomi and Micah via Lyft, and included a quart of this elixir.

1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium-large sweet potato (mine was about 3/4-lb.), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed; finely chopped
salt
2 T fresh grated ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 T)
5 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
1/4 cups water
3/4 cup unsweetened creamy peanut butter*
6 oz tomato paste
1 medium bunch of lacinato (dino) kale**, ribs removed & leaves chopped into bite-sized pieces (about 2 cups packed)
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1/2-1 T Sriracha or other hot sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Garnishes:
1/2 cup roughly chopped peanuts
1 handful of chopped fresh cilantro or other herbs (I used leftover parsley)

In a dutch oven or very large pot, warm 2 T of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, sweet potato, jalapeño and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the sweet potatoes are beginning to soften - 10-15 mins. (If the onions are starting to brown, you can turn the heat down a bit).

Add the grated ginger, garlic and 1 tsp of salt, and the 5 c of broth. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 min or until fragrant.

Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer (beginning to bubble - this may take a while). Once simmering, cook for 15 mins, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. Use an immersion blender at this point if you want a smoother soup.

Meanwhile, take 1/4 c hot water in a 2 c. measuring cup, and dump peanut butter until it registers 1 c. Combine with the tomato paste. Mix until smooth, and then pour into the soup and mix well.

Continue cooking for about 10-15 minutes, or until the soup has thickened.

Add the chickpeas and chopped greens, and continue cooking for another 5-10 mins. Add Sriracha to taste. You can also add a bit more salt to taste. Serve topped with chopped peanuts and herbs.


**I really like how lacinato/dino kale holds up in this and other soups, but regular curly kale or collard greens work, too.


West African Peanut Soup https://chefshiv.com/west-african-peanut-soup/

Blue Zones Butternut Squash Leek Soup

So far in our year of bringing dinner to 412 on Wednesday nights, Micah says he likes this soup the best. Since it's the easiest, yay! It's from the BlueZones Cookbook - featured on Instagram.
It serves about 6. It's a beautiful color, fun to garnish.

The recipe is vegan. In brackets, some modifications.

1 lb. peeled, chopped butternut squash [can include carrots and sweet potatoes]
1/4 c. sliced leek [or onion]
2 T. vegetable oil [or butter]
1 quart soy milk, unsweetened OR 1 can coconut milk + 2 c. vegetable broth [or a 12 oz can of evaporated milk + the water from steaming, + vegie broth to taste]
2 t. cumin
2 t. turmeric
2 t. salt (to taste)
Ground pepper to taste

Steam squash in about 2" of water until soft, about 15 minutes.

In a small fry pan, stir-fry leeks in oil until soft but not browned, about 3-4 minutes.

Remove the steamer. Add the leeks and soy milk to the steamed butternut squash, add the spices, and simmer for another 15 minutes. [The original recipe says to dump the steaming water, but it seems to me is has some nutrients in it, so just add to it.]

Blend in pot with immersion blender.

Fundraiser Vegie Chili

We hosted a Sunday aft 1:00 J Street fundraiser featuring Rep. Dwight Evans. We are all experiencing political fundraiser fatigue - the menu is usually a beautiful spread of finger food and sweets. I thought at 1:00 on a chilly autumn Sunday, it would be nice for everyone to walk into a house smelling of chili and cornbread, and it was tremendously well-received. Food brings people together.
Thanks for the pot, Nomi and Micah!

This is modified from The Endless Meal. It's vegan and feeds about 16-20. David calls it a vegetable stew, not really chili. :-)  :-(

• 4 T oil
• 2 large onion, diced
• 8 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 2–6 T chili powder (more will be spicier, of course)
• 4 T cumin 
• 2 t oregano
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1 lb. peeled, cubed butternut squash
• 4 medium carrots, diced
• 6 celery stalks, diced
• 4  28-ounce cans whole tomatoes and their juice 
• 4 15-ounce cans beans, drained and rinsed (kidney and white beans give a nice color contrast)
• 4 c frozen corn (you could use fresh but frozen is easy and works great)*
• 1 pkg Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles (10 oz)
• Salt, to taste (about 2 teaspoons)
• 
  
• Optional toppings: sour cream, cheddar cheese, cilantro, diced avocados or green onion. (Obviously not vegan!)

Heat oil in a large pot (at least 8 quart) over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and poblano and stir for about 30 seconds.

Add the squash, carrots, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they just start to soften. Add tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer. Once the chili begins to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low. You want the chili to be at a low simmer with the lid off.

Continue to cook the chili, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add beans, corn and the Beyond Meat Crumbles, and let the chili return to a simmer. Cook for 5 more minutes or until the corn and beans have heated through.
Generously salt to taste.

Serve on its own or topped with one (or all!) of the delicious toppings. It goes well with warm cornbread. It doesn't really need any rice or grain.

* If you make corn-on-the-cob, shell and freeze any leftover corn for this recipe.

And here is Zach and Becca's go-to Chili from Cook's Illustrated. Doubled, it still fits in a 6 quart pot.

Serves 4 to 6

We prefer to use a combination of pinto, black, and dark red kidney beans in this chili. The texture of the pureed diced tomatoes with their juice is very important here—do not substitute crushed tomatoes or tomato puree.

Ingredients

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 (15-ounce) cans beans, (see note) rinsed

2-3 t minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (this is a small fraction of the contents of even a small can)

2 t sugar 

Salt and ground black pepper

2 T vegetable oil

1 onion , minced

3 T chili powder (this is correct!) 

2 t ground cumin

3 garlic cloves , minced

1.5 cups frozen corn , thawed

2 T minced fresh cilantro 

Optional: 1/2 bag Beyond Meat ground beef style, or Crumbles

Instructions

1. PUREE TOMATOES: Pulse tomatoes and their juice in food processor until slightly chunky, about 5 pulses.
2. HEAT TOMATOES WITH BEANS: Bring tomatoes, beans, chipotle chile, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil, covered, in large saucepan. Reduce to simmer and continue to cook until needed in step 5.
3. SAUTÉ AROMATICS: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, chili powder, cumin, and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. COMBINE AND SIMMER: Stir in tomato-bean mixture, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
5. FINISH CHILI: Stir in corn and cilantro and the optional meat-substitute, and return to brief simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
6. 
   

Green Doula Soup

I like the sound of this, Green Doula Soup, named for the day I handed off some of this soup to Micah to finish it before Passover, and your doula was coming for dinner.

This soup is from a plant-based diet advocate, the Happy Healthy Long Life Librarian, whom Nancy turned me onto. The original of the recipe is called Healing Cream of Greens Soup, a recipe by Chloe Coscorelli. I modified it some.

2 T olive oil, divided
1 onion, diced
1 apple , peeled and diced
4 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 t. grated ginger
5 cups (1 pound) broccoli florets
3 cups (5 ounces) baby spinach or kale

4 cups vegetable broth

Freshly ground black pepper, salt to taste

• [option: add a grain like cooked quinoa or rice]
  
  1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat and, add the onion, apple, ginger, and garlic . Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.
  
  
  2. Add the broccoli, spinach, and broth . Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and the spinach has wilted.
  
  3. Remove the pot from the heat and purée directly in the pot using an immersion blender; return the soup to the pot. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of oil.
  
  4. Serve in bowls topped with some pepper. 
  This soup is also tasty chilled.

Sweet Potato Beet Apple Gypsy Soup

In the 90s I made a soup for Rosh Hashanah that I found in the Nutrition Action Newsletter, which I subscribed to for a time. I loved the soup but lost the recipe. I even went so far as to look at back issues online, but no luck. I think that's the only recipe I ever lost and longed for! It is a version of the Moosewood Gypsy Soup, I have since discovered.

I made it for Rosh Hashanah because of all the sweet ingredients: sweet potatoes, beets, ginger, and apples. It is super nutritious since it also has chickpeas.

Yael Kalman posted a similar Instant Pot version which I tweaked and I think this is now pretty close to the original.

It makes a giant pot of gorgeous color soup. The beets contribute their color to the collective; it's not as thick as lentil or split pea based soups. If you have Indian ginger-garlic paste, it saves some effort.

2 T oil (or butter if you don't mind it being dairy)
1 large onion, diced
2-3 ribs celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 t. ginger paste or finely grated fresh ginger
1 t. salt
1 t. paprika
1 t. cumin (ground)
½ t. turmeric
½ t. coriander
1 t. cinnamon
2 largish sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 or 2 peeled, chopped apples
2 or 3 peeled, chopped beets (you can now find these vacuum packed, a time saver - if you like beets, just use the whole package)

1 can chickpeas, drained
2 -3 whole carrots, diced
1 can chopped tomatoes (petite saves time)

optional: a few stems of chopped kale
6 cups vegetable stock (Telma/Israeli + hot water is fine)
Lemon and/or lime juice (about 2 T.)
brown sugar or agave -  about 1 T

hot siracha or other heat, optional
Parsley or cilantro for garnish


In a large soup pot, heat the oil and saute the onions, garlic, celery, and ginger until soft and transparent.

Add the spices til incorporated.

Add tomatoes, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, apples, and beets.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cook about 40 minutes, or a few hours in the Wonderbag.

Add the lemon or lime juice and sugar, and the kale, if you decide to include. 

Using an immersion blender, process until it's thicker but leave lots of chunks of vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Red chili flakes or chili sauce, if you like, to give a little heat.

Serve with chopped parsley or cilantro.

Bunny's Yekkeh Style Savoy Cabbage

Here she dictated "grated" cabbage - she probably used the food processor. I just chop it thinly in strips.

Savoy Cabbage

I cook the cabbage in a little oil in a large covered frying pan. It takes quite awhile for the liquid to start accumulating. I saute the onion in a little oil in a separate pan, add the flour to thicken it a bit, and then add it to the lightly cooked cabbage,stir, and turn off the heat.

It would probably be really good with butter. The trick here is to not overcook it or you will have what Uncle Steven refers to as "the wurst dish ever." (I presume Bunny served it with wurst, sausage?) This is  pleasant and super nutritious.  The flour and nutmeg make it quite delectable. IMHO.

There is now a German Jewish Cookbook out.


I bought it, looked it over, and sold it to a happy purchaser on Amazon. Blech. But, I have always liked Bunny's very simple prep for shredded Savoy cabbage. It is around in the fall.