Serve this traditional stew of pomegranates, walnuts, onions, and chicken seitan over steamed basmati white rice with saffron.

Ingredients
4 Tbsp (60mL) olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 package of chicken-style seitan

2 cups (240g) ground walnut

1/2 cup (115g) pomegranate paste in 3 cups (720mL) of water

1 Tbsp (15mL) lemon juice

1/2 to 1 cup (100 to 200g) sugar

1/4 tsp (1g) ground saffron

2 tsp (12g) salt (sea salt if on a corn-free diet*)

Directions
In a food processor, pulse walnuts until finely ground. (Don’t overdo it, or you will have walnut butter.) Set aside.

In a large pot, sauté onions and seitan in oil for about 5 minutes. Add ground walnut and mix well with the onion and seitan. Add the remaining ingredients at this time.

Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer for 1 hour. It’s only during this slow cooking process that the natural oil is released from walnuts, which creates this lustrous creamy sauce. Stir occasionally.

Serve over your favorite grain.

* Allergy notes: People following a corn-free diet should avoid iodized salt since it contains dextrose, which should be avoided by those allergic to corn.

(courtesy of Jayran. Recipe by Omid Roustaei

Noodles Diablo

2 cups bean sprouts
2 cups broccoli florets
4 oz. whole wheat udon noodles
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. roasted sesame oil
2 tbsp. black beans
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. finely chopped ginger
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. chile sauce
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup vegetable broth
8 oz. smoked tofu
2 tsp. black sesame seeds

1. Bring large pot of water to boil. Place sprouts in colander and plunge into boiling water for 10 seconds, then run cold water over them until chilled so they remain crisp. Add broccoli to same pot and boil 3 minutes, then transfer with slotted spoon to bowl of cold water. In same pot, cook udon (about 8 minutes). Rinse noodles under cold water and set aside.

1. In large, non-stick pan, heat both oils over medium high heat. Stir fry beans, garlic, ginger, onion and chili sauce unti onion softens. Pour in wine and broth. Boil until liquid reduces by about a third, then add the tofu, udon and broccoli, stir frying until heated through. Top with sprouts and sesame seeds and serve.

(courtesy Maya)

2 t olive oil, divided
1 t dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c cider vinegar
2 (16 oz) cans white beans - cannellini or whatever, rinsed and drained*
1 1/2 c diced plum tomatoes
1/2 c chopped sweet onion (and everyone knows Vidalia is the only option here)
1/2 c (2 oz) crumbled blue cheese
1/3 c chopped fresh parsley
1/2 t each salt and black pepper

Heat 1 t oil, saute oregano and garlic 30 seconds. Add vinegar adn remove from heat. Combine with beans and cover and chill 30 minutes. Add 1 t oil, tomato, rest of ingredients and toss well.

*The Bush's great northern beans I used this time weren't as firm as I would have liked. Starting with dried beans would certainly fix that, but maybe a different brand or a different bean would, too.

(courtesy Guppy)

Hummus

1 Cans Garbanzo beans (drained)
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons Tahini (Sesame butter)
1 - 3 cloves Garlic (chopped)
1 Lemon or lime
1/3 cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Sauté the chopped garlic in oil over a low flame.

2. Juice the lime or lemon.

3. Place all of ingredients in a food processor. Blend well. This could take several minutes. Your hummus will be thick and have a dry consistency.

4. Add good water and blend until desired consistency is achieved.

5. Set the hummus in a service bowl. A few branches of parsley placed on the hummus adds a nice look to the dish.

6. Just before eating make an indent in the center of the hummus plate and pour a small amount of olive oil into the indent.

6. You can eat it right away, but the hummus improves if it sits overnight in the refrigerator.

(courtesy Beth and These People)

Bagels
(14 or 15 bagels)

1 medium potato, boiled
2 cups water
1 package dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
4 cups unbleached white flour, sifted
1 tablespoon salt (optional)
1 whole egg
1 egg separated; reserve yolk for glaze
3 tablespoons oil
3 quarts water

Glaze:
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon cold water
coarse salt, poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

Peel 1 medium sized potato and cut it into fairly thick slices. Put the
slices in a saucepan and cover the potatoes with water, making certain
that you use at least 2 cups of water since some will evaporate with
cooking. Boil the potato slices about 15 minutes or until soft. Measure
out 1 cup of the water. The potatoes can be put aside and used for
dinner. Let the cup of potato water cool to about 90 degrees F.

Proof yeast in 1/2 the potato water with 1/2 teaspoon of the honey. Sift
the flour into a large bowl and add the salt. Stir the yeast mixture into
the flour and add the whole egg, the remaining egg white, balance of the
potato water, remaining honey and oil. Blend with flour to make a firm
dough, adding more flour if necessary.

Turn out onto a floured board or counter and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, or
until dough springs back when touched. Place dough in an oiled bowl, coat
top with a small amount of oil to keep from drying out and cover with a
towel. Place bowl in a warm, draft-free place and let the dough rise to
double (about 1 1/2 hours). Dough is ready when you push down with 2
fingers and the indentations remain. If they spring back, let it rise a
bit longer.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Boil the 3 quarts of water in a large pot.

Punch down the dough and knead for about 2 or 3 minutes. Pull off or cut
dough into about 14 or 15 pieces. Roll each piece between floured hands
until it is about 7 inches in length and 3/4 inches thick. Coil each
length into a ring, moistening the ends so that they stick when turned
onto each other. Let the rings stand about 10 minutes on an oiled board
or pan.

Using a slotted spoon, slide each bagel into the pot of boiling water,
being careful not to crowd them too much. They will float.

Boil 2 minutes on each side. Remove with the slotted spoon and place them
on oiled cookie sheets. They will be very slippery.

Mix the remaining egg yolk with the 1 teaspoon of water and glaze each
bagel with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with coarse salt, and poppy or sesame
seeds, if desired.

Bake ~25 minutes until golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool.

(courtesy Katy)

Note: this is written as requiring a stand mixer, but I don't have one and make it by hand instead. My hand mixing notes are in parentheses.

Rustic Italian Bread (from Cook's Illustrated, Jan. 2003)
Biga
2 cups bread flour
1/4 teaspoon rapid rise/instant yeast
1 cup water at room temp

Dough
3 cups bread flour, plus extra as needed
1 teaspoon rapid rise/instant yeast
1 1/3 cups water at room temp
2 teaspoons salt (a bit more if you use kosher)

1. For the biga: Combine flour, yeast, and water in bowl of standing mixer (or medium bowl). Knead on lowest speed until it forms shaggy dough, 2-3 mins (or stir with wooden spoon for 2 mins). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temp until it begins to bubble and rise, about 3 hours. Refrigerate biga at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

2. For the dough: Remove biga from refrigerator and let stand while making dough. Combine flour, yeast, and water in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook; knead on lowest speed until rough dough is formed, about 3 mins. (Or stir with wooden spoon for same amount of time.) Turn mixer off and cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let dough rest 20 minutes.

3. Remove plastic, add biga and salt to bowl, and continue to knead on lowest speed about 4 minutes. Increase mixer speed to low (2 on KitchenAid) and knead until dough forms cohesive ball, about 1 minute. (If mixing by hand, a spoon won't work here. Use your hands to squish the biga and dough together directly in the bowl. You'll be able to tell when they're incorporated when the texture is uniform. It takes about 4 minutes and is nice and messy.)

Transfer dough to large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until slightly risen and puffy, about 1 hour.

4. Turn dough by lifting each edge with a spatula and folding it into the middle. Replace plastic wrap, let rise another hour. Turn dough again, replace plastic wrap, and let rise 1 hour longer. (Note: I've skipped the last rise without the bread seeming much different.)

5. To shape the dough, dust work surface with LOTS of flour. Scrape dough out of bowl, dust with more flour, and pat gently into an 8 to 10 inch square. Fold top corners diagonally and roll dough into a log from top to bottom. Tuck the edges under and slide onto a sheet of parchment paper. Cover loosely with plastic, let rise until doubled, about 1hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500 degrees.

6. To bake, cut slit 1/2 inch deep along top of loaf; spray lightly with water. Slide parchment sheet with loaf onto a hot baking stone (or if you don't have one, an inverted cookie sheet). Bake 10 minutes and reduce oven temp to 400. Bake about 35 more minutes until deep golden brown, rotating loaf as needed. Transfer to wire rack and cool 2 hours.

(courtesy Spinny and Cook's Illustrated)

honey wheat bread

ingredients

2 cups warm water (approx 110 degrees)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup vegetable oil
5 cups all-purpose flour

* dissolve yeast in warm water for about 5 minutes
* add honey and stir well.
* mix in whole wheat flour, salt, and vegetable oil.
* slowly add white flour.
*put dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 or so minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.
* place dough in oiled bowl. flop the dough around so all sides are coated with oil. cover the bowl with a damp cloth.
* let rise until doubled in bulk. (it took about 55 minutes for me)
* punch down the dough and let rest 5 minutes
* shape into loaves and put in well-greased pans.
* let the dough rise again, until it is about an inch higher than the pan. (my pans are a bit big, so there's no way it would have risen this high-- I just let it rise about 25 more minutes)
* bake at 375 for 30 minutes. (Dark pans need a little less time-- I checked it at 25 minutes and took it out after 27.)

(courtesy Velata)

Sage Pasta

1/4 stick butter
20-30 fresh sage leaves OR 1 T dried whole sage leaves
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 pound pasta (cut pasta and noodles are both recommended)
1 C freshly grated Parmesan

1. Boil water
2. Melt butter in saucepan. Add sage, salt, and pepper. Cook about 10 minutes. Butter should be light brown.
3. Salt the water & cook the pasta until it's tender but firm. Spoon 2-3 T of the cooking water into a warm sering bowl. Drain the pasta and toss it in the bowl with the butter mixture, more pepper and half the Parmesan. Pass the other half of the cheese at the table.

(courtesy Nita and Mark Bittman)

And Variations

Pasta with Olive Oil and Sage
Substitute olive oil for all or part of the butter. A peeled, crushed garlic clove does nicely here, added along with the sage and removed before it becomes too brown. The cheese is optional.

Fettuccine Alfredo (Pasta with Butter, Eggs, Cream, and Parmesan:
Reduce the butter to 2 T. and melt it gently (if you have a few threads of saffron add them for a lovely color and aroma); eliminate the sage. In Step 3, while the pasta cooks, warm a large bowl in the oven or by filling it with hot water; when its warm, add 2 eggs, 1/2 c heavy cream, and 1 cup grated Parmesan; beat briefly. Season with pepper. When pasta is cooked, toss it with the cheese-egg-cream mixture, adding a little of the cooking water if necessary to keep the mixture moist. Drizzle with the butter and serve immediately.

Six Simple Additions to Pasta with Butter and Parmesan
Remove the sage from this basic dish and add, as you like:
1. Any minced herb of your choice or a mixture of minced herbs.
2. crisp-cooked and crumbled bacon
3. minced ham
4. cooked sweet peas.
5. cooked, drained and minced spinach
6. sauteed onions or shallots

In original this has different name (karask) from bread (leib). Of course, for estonians anything else without rye in it is not bread either (sai).

BARLEY BREAD

1 litre of buttermilk
3-4 cups of barley flour
1-2 cups of wheat flour
2 tea spoons of soda
salt, sugar
¼ cup of oil
caraway seeds

Bake the batter for around 20 minutes. And the batter should cover the pan quite thinly. Best eaten hot, drowned in butter.

(courtesy Guilty)

ANADAMA BREAD
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons butter or shortening
1/4 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup boiling water
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

This is a do-in-stages recipe, good for a day while you're doing other things. It makes a sweetish bread with an unusual and fairly heavy texture that is really good for breakfast.

1. Combine the cornmeal, fat, molasses, salt, and the boiling water in a small bowl. Let that cool until it's lukewarm.

2. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a LARGE bowl and let it sit for five minutes. (This will be the final mixing bowl and needs to be able to hold everything. It's better to mix in the yeast bowl than the cornmeal bowl. Don't ask me why, it just works better.)

3. Add the egg, the cornmeal mixture, and half the flour to the yeast bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon until the flour is incorporated, then mix in the other half of the flour. After all the flour is incorporated, you'll probably want to dive in and start working the dough with your hands to get it really mixed; it'll have begun to fight the spoon at this point.

4. Shape into a ball, put in a buttered bowl, turn it to coat the surface of the ball with butter. Cover with a towel and let rise (don't refrigerate) until doubled in size.

5. Punch down. Turn out into a well-greased loaf pan. Cover again and let rise until doubled again. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6. Sprinkle the top of the dough with cornmeal. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

(courtesy Columbine)

Cranberry Brownies

I made these twice, and everybody loves them, so I'll share the recipe I googled up somewhere.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups sweetened dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.
Place sugar, oil eggs and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer to combine. Add flour, cocoa and baking powder.
Mix on low speed for about one minute, gradually increasing to medium speed until dry ingredients are combined. Add cranberries, mixing well.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool completely before cutting.
Makes 9 brownies.

(courtesy Prudence)

I have made this twice now with all the carrots I have lying around from the winter (I was getting tons of them in the veg delivery). I never make the garnish stuff or use the sugar (I don't see a need and there has to be a damn good reason for sugar in non sugary things, in my book), and this last time I made it I didn't measure anything and skipped the celery because I didn't have any around (I added a little extra pepper). It sounds insane, but it is really good, you can play around with it a lot.

Szechuan Carrot Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
a 3/4-inch piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and sliced thin
1/8 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
3 cups chicken broth (I used vegetable)
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 cup milk (you could skip it, or use coconut milk)

Garnish: 1/4 cup sour cream mixed with 2 tablespoons heavy cream

In a large heavy saucepan cook onion, celery, and garlic in oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until onion is softened. Add carrots, gingerroot, red pepper flakes, and broth and simmer, covered, until carrots are very tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and in a blender purée mixture in batches (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return soup to pan and heat over low heat until hot, being careful not to let boil.

Serve soup drizzled decoratively with sour cream mixture.

(courtesy Pink)

Sourdough starter and things to make with it.

I cheated and used yeast to make my starter. The wild yeasts around here are erratic and I was more likely to get some funky black or red mould than yeast. This starter should be used once a week, so it is perfect for making sunday morning pancakes/waffles, which is the recipe I am giving below.

Starter:

1 c. milk
1 c. flour
1 tbsp yeast

Keep in a warm spot until it begins to sour and bubble -- 24 to 48 hours. Keep the starter in the fridge in a covered container, allowing room for expansion. Each time you use it, replenish it by adding equal quantities of flour and milk and let stand for about 24 hours. If you have to go away on a trip or something, stick it in the freezer and when you come home, leave it out 24 hours again to get the yeast action started again.

Sourdough pancakes/waffles/buns

1/2 c starter
2 c milk
2 c flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda

Blend starter, milk and flour, and leave at room temperature for an hour or two (overnight is ok too). Then add eggs. sugar, salt, and soda and mix well, but don't beat it. To make pancakes, drop spoonfuls onto a greased griddle. Turn over when top is full of broken bubbles and is not glossy. Good with real maple syrup and fresh fruit. Feel free to adjust the quantities to your own taste, the recipe I give makes fluffy pancakes but with substance, not flabby or mooshy.

Waffles: Use same batter but add 2 tbsp oil to mixture. Make sure iron is well greased.

Hot rolls: To at least 1 1/2 c. pancake batter or the whole recipe, stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out on a floured board and knead until smooth and shiny. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour. Punch it down and roll out to 3/4" thickness. Cut out with a round cutter, brush top and bottom with melted butter and place in greased baking pan. Cover, let rise until doubled (probably an hour or so) Bake in a 375 oven for about 30 minutes (check them). Serve warm and buttery.

Or, I like making english muffins: dip tops and bottoms of rolls in cornmeal, let rise until doubled and bake on a frying pan or griddle for about 8 minutes each side.

(courtesy Kate)

Tomato Tart

1 tub of ricota cheese (i think i get it in approx 500 ml tubs)
1 egg
1/2 cup of grated parmesan (you can skip this if you don't have it - not a big deal)
handful of basil cut into thin strips
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the above and turn out into either a shallow pie shell, or a baking dish layered with packaged filo pastry. Or puff pastry if you are feeling fancy.

Lightly press into the surface of the ricota some:

sliced tomatoes sprinkled with salt and pepper or
halfed or quarted roma tomatoes roasted or
cherry tomatoes sliced in half and tossed with olive oil and oregano or
sliced tomatoes and grilled eggplant slices or...

Basically any combination of things you might put in a quiche or fritatta. My favourite is the roasted tomatoes.

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until the cheese has set. Broil for a minute or two to get the top crispy.

Shave parmesan on top. Drizzle with olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar.

(this one is mine all mine. with a nod to Donna Hay)

Sesame Noodle Sauce

This is the sauce I use for Cold Sesame Noodles. Toss the drained warm pasta with some sesame oil, slivered scallions, and chopped cilantro. Refrigerate until cool. Toss the refrigerated noodles with the peanut sauce, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and more cilantro.

6 garlic cloves
1 large bunch of cilantro, leaves and upper stems only
1 1/2-ounce piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 heaping tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1/2 cup peanut putter
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Whirl the cilantro, garlic, and ginger in a food processor until they are finely chopped. Add the oils, peanut butter, soy sauce, and sugar; process until well combined, scraping down the sides a couple of times. Add the vinegar. Taste and add more soy sauce if you want. This will keep for months in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.

(courtesy Monkeytoe. who we all love.)

Asparagus with Sesame Seeds
2 lbs asparagus (thick asparagus is better than thin in this dish.)

6 Tbs. light soy sauce
2 Tbs. sugar
4 Tbs. sesame seeds

Wash and snap off asparagus bottoms. Cut into 1-1 1/2inch lengths. Put into large pot of boiling water for about 90 seconds. Rinse in cold water and drain.

Put sugar into soy sauce. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved.

Toast in frying pan, shaking constantly, until very light brown. Grind about 1/3 of seeds in food mill or crush with mortar and pestle. Stir into soy sauce mixture. Pour mixture over asparagus and stir well. Chill in refrigerator, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with whole sesame seeds when ready to serve.

(courtesy Jo)

Beth's Split Pea Soup

1 large carrot, diced very fine
1 stalk celery, diced very fine
1 medium onion, minced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive or other oil

1 bouquet garni (herbs tied up in cheesecloth) containing 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, fresh parsley, and a dozen peppercorns. (You can substitute dried herbs in or out of cheesecloth, and I also threw in some marjoram)

8 cups cold water, or 4 cups chicken stock and 4 cups water
1 smoked ham shank or ham hock, or 1 cup minced ham, or 1 large smoked sausage (chopped), or skip the meat altogether
1 pound split peas
Salt to taste

Rinse the peas but don't soak them. Sautee onion and garlic in oil at the bottom of a heavy dutch oven until the onions turn translucent. Add other ingredients, including the bouquet garni, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally. (I think it needs at least 3 hours but some people don't like it so mushy.) Remove ham bones and skin and bouquet garni; discard. Serve soup with parmesan cheese.

If you don't use stock and you don't cook it with a bone, you may want to thicken it with some butter and flour mixed together. Or take the cover off for the last half hour and cook it down a little. Split pea soup is very, very forgiving.

(courtesy Beth

Pink's Citrus Vinagrette

-6 garlic cloves, skins on
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp honey
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil (I use less)
salt and pepper to taste

Roast the garlic until soft. Squish out (crush it up some) into a small saucepan that has the OJ in it. Bring to a boil and cook five minutes, stirring constantly (watch out, it gets bubbly). Strain into a bowl, and whisk in the honey, vinegar, and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Really good on greens with baked tofu (or roasted beets) and crumbled goat cheese.

(courtesy Pink)

Nigella's Slow Cooked Chicken

Chicken (I used 6 thighs, but her recipe calls for a whole chicken cut into pieces)
2 lemons cut into eighths
1 head of garlic broken into cloves but not peeled.
Thyme (recipe calls for fresh, I didn't have any on hand, dried worked nicely)
Olive oil and some white wine.

Toss the chicken, lemon pieces and garlic cloves in olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with thyme and some black pepper.

Sprinkle some white wine over (3 or 4 tbsps.)

Cover tightly with foil and bake in 160 (350f?) oven for 2 hours.
Remove foil and turn oven up to 200 (420f?) for another 30 minutes.

The chicken was fork tender and the lemons were roasted and carmelized and very mellow tasting.

(courtesy Nigella Lawson)

Carrot Cake

2 cups unbleached flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs (lightly beaten)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups cooked pureed carrots, cooled (about a one pound bag, steamed)
1 cup shredded coconut
3/4 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained

Preheat oven to 350 F. LIne a pan with wax paper and grease the paper and sides of the pan. It seems it will work with a 13 x 9 inch pan, two 9" layer pans, or (what I did) two 8" round pans and as many mini pie pans as I needed for the rest of the batter. (It does rise in baking)

Sift flour sugar, baking soda and cinnamon into a bowl. Add oil, eggs, vanilla, beat well. Then add carrots, coconut and pineapple. Stir it all together.

Pour into pan(s) and bake for about 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the sides draw away from the pan.

It originally called for walnuts (1 cup), but I don't like them so left them out. My mother says she used to make it with raisins. It also is supposed to have cream cheese frosting, but I was lazy and it didn't seem to need it. (I am pondering a few variations, but haven't tried any of them yet).

edited to add: If the carrots are cooked enough, you can puree them with a Braun handblender, in the cup it comes with (they like to escape in a larger vessel). The plastic cup may end up stained slightly orange, but such is the price of cake.

(courtesy Ashley)

Chard Pasta

1 small onion
Around 1 bunch chard, cleaned, destemmed, and chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
about a half box of pasta (shapes work better than spaghettilike stuff for this)
2 tbsp shaved parmesan

Saute the onion in a little butter, over medium heat, until soft (maybe 5 mins). Toss in the chard and cook until cooked and soft, about 15 more minutes.

While you cook the chard, heat up some water and salt it and boil the pasta. Once everything is happily cooked, combine the chard mixture and pasta in a pot and toss with the cream, red pepper, and nutmeg, and cook for a minute over medium heat. Mix in the parmesan and add salt and pepper to taste.

It may not be the healthiest thing but it is pretty tasty.

(courtesy Pink)

Gabby's Sweet Potato Crack

A nice twist on the traditional sweet potato is the following recipe, found last year in an issue of Martha Stewart Living:

Slice sweet potatoes into 1-inch tall rounds

Mix in a bowl with freshly minced garlic (the more the better frankly), olive oil, kosher salt (to taste) and thyme.

Put into baking pan (I think that ceramic white works best but this might be because my oven is, it seems, nuclear powered) and bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until tender.

(courtesy Gabby. And god love her for it)

Isabelles Amazing Asian Chicken

In a large pot put:
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups soy sauce
1 1/4 cups rice wine
2 cups chicken stock
3-4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
6 or so thick slices of ginger (no need to peel it)
couple of tsp szechuan pepper corns (or just plain black ones)

bring this to the boil, turn it down and whack in the chicken, breast side down. Put on the lid and leave it for half an hour. Turn the chicken over and cook for another half to three quarters of an hour, depending on the size of your chook.

Take the chicken out, cover it in foil and leave it for 20 mins.

Take out a couple of ladles of the cooking liquid and put it in a smaller pot and bring it back to the boil and reduce it until it's thick to make a sauce to pour over the chicken, once you've cut it up and stuck in on some rice.

It's really nice served with chinese greens cooked in a little sesame oil, sesame seeds and oyster sauce.

(courtesy Isabelle

Hazeli's Tomato Sauce

1 28-oz can whole or chopped tomatoes, drained (Hazeli recommends imported San Marzanos or Muir Glen chopped)
4-5 tbls. butter (not margarine! very important!)
1 whole onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste
Fresh basil if you wish

Combine tomatoes, butter, and onion in a pan over medium heat; bring to a simmer until the butter melts and combines. Lower heat so it simmers gently. Cook 45 min, discard the onion, and blend. If you like, a little fresh basil toward the end wouldn't hurt. Salt lightly at the beginning, then adjust at the end.

(courtesy Hazeli)

Place water and sugar in a small saucepan. If you want it to be somewhat thick and very sweet, follow proportions for a simple syrup (2 parts water to 1 part sugar).

I prefer it lighter, so I just wing it based on how much fruit I've got and how sweet it is. This time I probably used 1 cup water and about 1/4 cup sugar at most. If you don't mind it being thin, it really doesn't matter - you can always add more water or more sugar to taste.

Next, take a 1 inch knob of fresh ginger and slice thin. No need to peel. Peel the zest of one lemon in wide strips. Add to the water-sugar mix and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for ten minutes or until slightly reduced and tasting nicely of ginger and lemon.

Let cool, strain, and pour over fruit of choice. If you have time to let the fruit sit in the syrup for a while, it will marinate and take on more flavor.

Bonus: syrup that pools in the bottom of the bowl can be re-used for other fruit or to flavor drinks of choice!

(Oh, and I used to make a version of this that included fresh mint, but the mint always ended up tasting stewed. Now if I want mint or other herbs - basil would be cool - I just chop them up and add later.)

Three-Grain Vegetable Salad with Cilantro Cream

Salad:

1 cup long grain brown rice
1/3 cup pearled barley
¼ cup wild rice
2 ½ cups vegetable stock or water
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
2 small yellow zucchini, cut into a ¼-inch dice
2 small green zucchini, cut into a ¼-inch dice
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into a ¼-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Cilantro Cream:

1/3 cup tahini
¾ cup water
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or fresh dill
1 small serrano chile, seeded and chopped
½ tablespoon light sesame oil or French olive oil
salt
cayenne

Place the rice, barley, and wild rice in a saucepan and rinse under running water until the water runs clear. Drain, cover with the stock, set aside for ten minutes. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the liquid has been absorbed, about thirty minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for ten minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool to room temperature. (May be prepared one day ahead, covered, and refrigerated.)

Blanch the zucchinis in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a strainer, rinse under cold water, and drain. Add the zucchinis, cucumber, and lemon juice to the grains and toss to mix.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until creamy. Just before serving, add the dressing to the salad and toss to mix.

Southwestern Asparagus, Corn, and Tomatillo Soup (with cashew cream)

2 yellow onions sliced into thin crescents
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp canola or light olive oil
1/4 cup sherry
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 bunch asparagus, tough stems removed, sliced into 1" lengths
2 ears of corn, kernels removed from cob
4-6 tomatillos, peeled
2 quarts vegetable stock
4 Tbsp yellow or white miso
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
1 Tbsp fresh marjoram or oregano
salt to taste

In a soup pot, saute the onions and garlic in the oil over medium heat until softened and light brown, about five-seven minutes.

Add the sherry followed by the cumin and bay leaves.

Add the asparagus, corn, tomatillos, and vegetable stock. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. The asparagus and tomatillos should be very soft.

Add the miso and cayenne and puree the soup in batches, adding the cilantro, parsely, and oregano to each batch.

Return the soup to the pot or to a serving bowl and adjust the salt. Serve each portion with 1 Tbsp cashew cream (see below).

Millennium uses cashew cream spiced a million different ways in their dishes. Don't be lazy and not make this part... it's really good and makes the soup, which is already amazing, even better!

Cashew Cream

1/2 cup raw cashews
2/3 cup water
1 Tbsp yellow or white miso
1 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth (I usually don't add all the water at once, so I can keep it a little thick, since you want it to be like thick cream). This will keep in the fridge for a few days. You can add chipotles, or basil and garlic, or sesame and wasabi, or pretty much whatever you want to this to make it have the flavors you want if you want to use it for other dishes (but it is really nice plain, too).

(courtesy of Pink)

Coconut Curry with Tofu and Lime

1 carton soft or firm tofu
1 can coconut milk mixed with ½ cup stock or water
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon tamarind paste, dissolved in ½ cup hot water
2 large garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
1 heaping tablespoon finely chopped ginger
12 grape tomatoes, quartered, or 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 scallions, including the firm greens, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Mushroom soy, to taste
Chopped cilantro

Drain tofu, then dice into ½-inch cubes

Combine the next ten ingredients in a ten-inch skillet. Bring to a boil and simmer for one minute. Add the tofu, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for ten minutes. Add the tomatoes and scallions, and simmer for another five minutes.

Add the lime juice. Season to taste with a teaspoon or more mushroom soy. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro.

Pasta Estiva
2 baskets cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram leaves
4 salt cured olives, pitted and finely chopped
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¾ pound fresh mozzarella, drained on paper towels
1 pound dried short pasta shapes

Stem the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half, or if they are large, in quarters. Place the tomatoes in a small bowl along with the garlic, herbs, olives, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss. This mixture can be used right away or can rest for several hours at room temperature.

Cut the mozzarella into small dice.

Cook the pasta, in salted water, until al dente. Put the pasta into a serving bowl, sprinkle the mozzarella over the top and toss quickly. Add the cherry tomato mixture and toss again until ingredients are evenly distributed. Correct the seasonings and serve.

(courtesy of Monkeytoe)

Asian Coleslaw

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
2 cups shredded napa cabbage
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 carrots, julienned
6 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic.
2. In a large bowl, mix the green cabbage, red cabbage, napa cabbage, red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro. Toss with the peanut butter mixture just before serving.

(recipe courtesty of Pink)

African Groundnut Stew

Makes 6 servings, serve over rice

1 T olive oil
1 diced medium onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 or 2 hot chilis, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 t grated fesh ginger
1/2 T brown sugar
3/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds winter squash, such as butternut or buttercup, seeded, peeled, and cut into bite sized cubes (about 3 1/2 cups) (I'm sure sweet potatoes would work too)
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups (1 can) black-eyes peas
1/2 cup chopped, unsalted roasted peanuts

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, chilis, ginger, brown sugar. cinnamon, and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Add the squash and stir to coat with the spices. Add 1 1/4 cups of the water and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.

Put the peanut butter in a small bowl and slowwly add the remaining 1/4 cup water, stirring until smooth.

Stir the peanut butter mixture into the stew, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the black-eyed peas and peanuts and simmer until heated through. Before serving, taste to adjust the seasonings.

(recipe courtesy of Christina)

Buckwheat Noodles with Shitake Mushrooms, Bok Choy, Ginger and Scallions

¼ pound fresh shitake mushrooms (can’t imagine you would go wrong with any sturdy *wild* mushroom like portabello, cremini, etc.)
½ large or two small heads of bok choy
Salt
6 ounces thin dried buckwheat or soba noodles
2 Tbls light vegetable or peanut oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tbl grated fresh ginger
1 or 2 jalapeño chilies, halved lengthwise and finely sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 Tbl toasted sesame oil
2 Tbls mirin (a Japanese sweet cooking wine, I am sure you could sub a little sugar)
2 Tbls soy sauce
2 Tbls cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Remove the mushroom stems and cut the caps into ½ inch slices. For small heads of bok choy, slice the stem lengthwise, leaving stem and leaf together. For a large head, slice the stems diagonally, ¾ inch thick, and slice the leaves into 2-inch-wide ribbons.

When the water boils, add 1 tsp salt. Add the noodles and cook as directed on the package, normally 8 to 10 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan; add the shitake mushrooms and ¼ tsp salt. Sauté over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger, chilies, and bok choy and sauté for 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta in a colander when it is just tender. Reduce the heat under the sauté pan and add the scallion, sesame oil, mirin, and soy sauce. Quickly add the noodles, taking care not to overcook the bok choy. Remove from heat; toss the noodles with the vegetables and cilantro, and season with salt to taste. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

(Recipe not mine -- it's courtesy of Monkeytoe)