Malted Pumpkin Gingerbread

• 6 T. unsalted butter
• 65 g. dark brown sugar
• 100 g. golden syrup, agave syrup or maple syrup
• 3 T. molasses
• 1/8 t. ground cloves
• 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
• 1 t. ground ginger
• 3/4 t. baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. pumpkin puree or applesauce
• 1 1/2 T. malted milk powder
• 130 g. whole-wheat flour
• handful of candied ginger, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 21 cm loaf tin with a little sunflower oil and then line it with baking parchment.

In a large saucepan over a medium heat, gently stir the butter, sugar, syrup and molasses together until the butter is melted.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cloves, cinnamon, ginger and bicarbonate of soda. Beat in the egg and pumpkin purée, then the malted milk powder, and finally stir in the flour. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 10 minutes. Quickly pull the tin out of the oven and sprinkle the candied ginger down the centre, then return it to the oven to continue cooking for a further 35 minutes. Let the loaf cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 1 loaf.

VERDICT:  I couldn't taste the malted milk powder, which was disappointing.  On the plus side, this was the most consistently-cooked gingerbread I've ever made, and I love the melt-it-together method of mixing.  I used agave syrup, light brown sugar, and applesauce.  From Top with Cinnamon.  Keep.

Beet Hash with Eggs

• 1 pound beets, peeled and diced
• 1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 4 large eggs

In a high-sided skillet, cover beets and potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain and wipe out skillet.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add boiled beets and potatoes and cook until potatoes begin to turn golden, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add onion, and cook, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes. Adjust seasoning and stir in parsley.

Make four wide wells in the hash. Crack one egg into each and season egg with salt. Cook until whites set but yolks are still runny, 5 to 6 minutes.

 

Serves 4.

 

VERDICT:  Delicious and super easy--I'm back to beets.  Keep!

 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces, or 115 grams) butter, softened
• 2/3 cup (125 grams) light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt (I often use a half teaspoon, but I like more salt in my baked goods)
• 1 1/2 cups (120 grams) rolled oats
• 3/4 cup (120 grams) raisins
• 1/2 cup walnuts (65 grams), chopped (optional)

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts, if using them.

At this point you can either chill the dough for a bit in the fridge and then scoop it, or scoop the cookies onto a sheet and then chill the whole tray before baking them. You could also bake them right away, if you’re impatient, but I do find that they end up slighly less thick. Either way, heat oven to 350°F (175°C) before you scoop the cookies, so that it’s fully heated when you’re ready to put them in.

The cookies should be two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes (your baking time will vary, depending on your oven and how cold the cookies were going in), taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Yield: about 2 dozen.

VERDICT:  I put some craisins (successful) and some leftover chocolate chips in these (not so successful) in these along with the raisins.  No walnuts!  The recipe makes a nice, not-overwhelming, number.  Keep.

Black Bean, Hominy, and Kale Stew

• 2 poblano chiles
• 8 ounces tomatillos, husks removed and halved (about 4)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans unsalted black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (8-ounce) bunch kale, tough stems removed, leaves chopped (about 4 packed cups)
• 1 (15-ounce) can hominy, rinsed and drained
• 6 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 ounces shredded sharp white cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat broiler to high.

Place poblano chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 7 minutes on each side or until blackened and charred. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel chiles; cut in half lengthwise. Discard seeds and membranes; coarsely chop. Set aside.

While poblano chiles roast, place the tomatillos in a food processor, and process until smooth. Set aside.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and jalapeño; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cumin; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tomatillos, broth, and next 4 ingredients (through kale); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add roasted poblanos and hominy; cook for 2 minutes or until heated through. Ladle into each of 4 shallow bowls; top evenly with sour cream and cheese. Sprinkle with cilantro.
 
Serves 6 (1.25 c.); 240 calories.

VERDICT:  Pretty bland, and more watery than I expect something called stew to be.  Toss.

Indian-Spiced Bean and Tomato Soup

• 1 tablespoon safflower oil
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons minced garlic (from 4 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
• 1 or 2 green Thai chiles, jalapeno chiles, or other fresh chiles, finely chopped, plus more, sliced, for serving
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 can (15 ounces) peeled plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with juice
• 4 cups cooked beans, plus 2 cups cooking liquid
• Pinch of coarse salt
• Yogurt, cilantro sprigs, and pita chips, for serving

Heat oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and golden, about 8 minutes. Add ginger, chopped chiles, and spices; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and their juice, beans and their liquid, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
 

Coarsely mash a third of the beans in pot using a potato masher or an immersion blender; stir to blend into soup.
 

Top with yogurt, cilantro sprigs, and sliced chiles, and serve with pita chips. 

 

Serves 4.

 

VERDICT:  Good, especially with lots of yogurt and pita chips.  Keep.

 

Farro with Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale, and Pomegranate Seeds

• 1 cup semi-pearled or regular farro
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Medium onion, halved and halves cut into 1/4 inch wedges
• Salt
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into half-inch cubes (about 2 1/4 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/3 cup shelled, raw walnuts
• 3 cups packed, roughly chopped kale (stems removed before chopping)
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• Fresh Meyer lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Combine farro with 4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until grains are nearly tender (about 20 minutes). Add one teaspoon salt, stir and simmer until grains are tender (another 10 minutes or so). Drain excess water, then place grains into a large bowl and allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss onion with enough oil to lightly coat, but not soak. Spread across a baking sheet and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Toss sweet potato with oil in a similar fashion and spread on a separate sheet pan. Sprinkle with cumin, coriander and a pinch of salt. Place both baking sheets in the oven and roast until vegetables are tender and onions have begun to brown. The onions will be done before the sweet potatoes. Stir and turn vegetables at least once during cooking.

When vegetables are nearly done roasting, spread walnuts on a third sheet (or in an oven-safe dish, if you've run out of baking sheets) and toast until they have darkened in color and are fragrant (place your nose close, but not too close, to the pan to take a whiff), about 5 to 8 minutes. Keep a watchful eye on the nuts as they will quickly burn in a hot oven. If you prefer, wait until vegetables have finished cooking and been removed from the oven. Turn the temperature down and toast the nuts. When nuts are done, cool completely, then roughly chop into small pieces.

While vegetables and nuts cook, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add kale and garlic and lightly sauté until kale has wilted but is still bright green in color. Stir to cook evenly. Scrape cooked greens mixture into the bowl with farro. Add sweet potato and onion. Fold the ingredients together, then drizzle with a bit of fruity extra virgin olive oil to moisten (a tablespoon or so) plus lemon juice to taste (about one tablespoon, or less if you are using ordinary lemon juice). Taste and add more salt as needed, plus a few grinds of fresh pepper. Gently stir in walnuts and pomegranate seeds.

Serves 3-4.

VERDICT:  I cooked the farro according to the package directions, put the onion and sweet potato on one pan, and roasted the walnuts in the microwave, and everything turned out just fine.  I had somewhat more farro and sweet potato than called for ended up with WAY more than four servings.  Good hot, also not bad cold. Keep.