Pakistani Kima

From "More-with-Less"

3 Tbsp butter (I used 2 Tbsp)
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef (I used 3/4 lb ground turkey)
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp salt (I used 1 tsp and that was plenty for us)
dash pepper
dash each cinnamon, ginger, and tumeric (I omitted the tumeric since I don't have any)
2 cups cooked tomatoes (I used 20 oz diced tomatoes)
2 potatoes, diced
2 cups frozen peas or green beans (I used both)

Saute butter, onion, and garlic in skillet. Add ground beef and brown well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer 25 minutes. Serve with rice.

Try #1 - August 31, 2010
Great flavors! I didn't have any potatoes so I added some carrots instead. Still turned out great. This dish is a good twist on some standard ingredients I usually have around the house. I will make it again!

P.S. Equally as good (if not better) as leftovers!

Whole Wheat Herb Bread

From Panasonic Bread Bakery (my bread machine booklet)

3 cups (14 3/4 oz) whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbps dry milk
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp basil flakes
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 1/4 cup (10 fl.oz.) water
1 1/4 tsp dry yeast

Setting: Whole Wheat Bake Sandwich
Time: 5 hours (ok to use timer up to 13 hours)

Spinach Souffle

The actual name of the recipe is "Spinach Loaf," but I think that sounds kind of gross so I renamed it the more sophisticated (if not entirely accurate) "Spinach Souffle."

2 cups frozen spinach OR 2 qt.-saucepan fresh spinach, heaping full
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten (can increase number of eggs)
3 small potatoes, cooked and diced, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Cook spinach briefly and drain well. Make a white sauce with the butter, flour, pepper, salt, and milk. Combine spinach, white sauce, and eggs, and pour into a buttered casserole dish. Bake 35-40 minutes, until knife inserted comes out clean.

Options:
- Saute 1 onion, chopped, in butter when making white sauce.
- Add 3/4 cup grated cheese to white sauce.

Source: More-With-Less

Try #1 - August 23, 2010
I used fresh spinach. I was trying to make this as a main dish, so I added the extra "options" (onion and cheddar cheese), and also added one small potato (cooked and chopped). Next time I would add up to 3 potatoes (I only had one in my pantry tonight). I served it with whole wheat herb bread and a side of corn. We ate the whole thing... a kid-pleaser once again! Yay for kids eating spinach! :)

Try #2 (or 3?)
Changes I made: increased potatoes to 4 small gold. Incresed eggs to 4. This made the meal go much further (and included leftovers!). Note to self: 1 lb of spinach is too much (at least of TJ's fresh baby spinach). 1/2 lb spinach is about right.

Try #4 - January 11, 2011
Used 2 cups frozen spinach, 4 eggs, and 4 golden potatoes (cooked with the onions at the beginning). Added shredded carrots to the white sauce. Cooked it in a shallower dish this time (glass 8x11 pan). This may have been our best one yet!

Basic Corn Bread

From "More-With-Less"

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour (may use part or all whole wheat - we prefer whole wheat)
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup dry milk powder (optional)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil

Preheat oven to 400. Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, and dry milk. Make a well and add eggs, milk, and oil. Stir just until smooth. Pour into a greased 9x9 inch pan and bake 25 minutes.

Options:
- Reduce cornmeal to 3/4 cup. Add 3 Tbsp soy flour, 3 Tbsp wheat germ, 3 Tbsp bran.
- To use sour milk in place or sweet, reduce baking powder to 2 Tbsp and add 1 tsp baking soda.

Try #1 - August 22, 2010
We served this with Mexican Bean Bake. Perfect!

Sunny Summer Squash Soup

I found this recipe here.

1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small hot pepper, seeds removed and chopped
2 ribs celery, strings removed and chopped
2 medium (12-14 ounces) gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 pounds small yellow squash, chopped (or young zucchini)
1 pinch white pepper
4 cups vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 Tbsp tahini (optional)
salt and white pepper, to taste (optional)

Garnish: slivers of red bell pepper

Heat a large non-stick or enamel-coated pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, covered but stirring every minute or so, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes (add a little water if it tends to stick). Add the garlic and hot pepper and cook for another minute.

Add all remaining ingredients except the optional ones. Cover and cook until the potatoes are completely tender (they will mash if lightly pressed with a spoon), about 25-40 minutes.

Remove half of the soup and put it into a blender and puree at high speed until completely smooth. (Be careful--hot liquids can erupt from your blender; I always remove the center cup from the lid and cover the opening with a kitchen towel.) Once it's blended, pour the soup into another pot. Add the remaining soup to the blender, along with any optional ingredients you choose to use, and blend well. Add to the other half of the soup, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls, garnish with slices of red bell pepper, and serve.

Try #1 - August 19, 2010
Delicious! I like potato-thickened creamy soups. We had a huge yellow squash from Nathan's parent's garden, and this was a great way to use it. We didn't use any of the optional ingredients. I almost never peel potatoes for recipes, and when the unpeeled red potatoes I used went in the blender, it produced a red-flecked soup - which was very aesthetically pleasing, in my opinion. :)

Sausage-Sweet Potato Bake

1 pound bulk sausage
2 medium raw sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 medium apples, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

1. Brown sausage in skillet. Break up large pieces and drain excess fat.
2. In a 2 quart casserole, arrange sweet potatoes, apples, and browned sausage.
3. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and water, and pour over.
4. Cover and bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes, or until potates and apples are tender.

Source: More-with-Less

Try # 1 - August 9, 2010
Soooooooooooooooooooooo good. Definitely an autumn-tasting meal, though, so I will wait until fall to make it again. But soooooooooooooooooo good.

Zucchini Provencal

From allrecipes.com

1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 medium zucchini, cubed
2 plum tomatoes, peeled, quartered and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
Pasta (optional)

1.In a small skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley.
2. Serve with pasta, if desired.

Try #1 - August 18, 2010
Ok, so this really isn't any different than something I would make on my own... basically stir-fried vegetables with tomato sauce and pasta. I added a splash of red wine and some basil, and cooked the pasta right in the skillet. Good way to use up some zucchini.

Zucchini Casserole with Parmesan

From Angela's blog

4-6 medium zucchini, grated
4 eggs
1/3 cup light cream (15%) (can use whole milk)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2-3 Tbsp Parmesan

Spread the zucchini in a large baking dish. In a bowl, beat the eggs then add cream, salt and Italian seasoning. Mix well and pour over zucchini. Stir gently to coat.

Bake in preheated oven at 350° for about 25-30 or until the egg mixture sets. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake another 5 minutes.

Serve warm. (Reheats well.)

Try #1 - August 21, 2010
Easy... healthy... delicious... we ate the whole thing! This was a real crowd pleaser - Abby and William (not to mention Nathan) gobbled it up! I added a smidgen of frozen spinach. I think you could also add shredded carrots.

Peach Salsa

From Angela's blog

4 ripe but firm yellow peaches, chopped (skin on or off, your choice, skin on makes for better color)
2-3 Tbsp chopped shallots or onions
2-3 jalapenos, chopped (stem, seeds and ribs discarded)
Juice of a lemon
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsp grated ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and black pepper to taste

Put the chopped peaches, shallots, and jalapeños in the bowl of a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients. Pulse 2-3 times, just enough to get most the pieces small and to well combine the salsa. Do not liquefy it. Blender ok to use.

Place salsa into a bowl and cover. Let stand for an hour before serving to give the ingredients time to meld.

Serve with chips, fish, pork, or chicken.

Makes about 2 cups.

Greek Salad Dressing

From "Extending the Table"

Combine:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Let stand 15 minutes. Add gradually:
1 1/2 cup olive oil

Store in refrigerator.

Make a large tossed salad of leafy lettuce, crumbled feta cheese, chopped tomatoes, sweet onions, fresh black olives, and chopped or sliced cucumber. Add salad dressing to taste, toss, and serve.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

From "Extending the Table"

1 lb chicken pieces, deboned (I used 2 chicken breasts)
3-4 cups cabbage, chopped in thin slices
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
3 green onions, chopped (I used walla walla sweet onions)
3 sprigs cilantro or fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup peanuts or cashews, coarsely chopped (optional) (I used peanuts)
black and ground red pepper to taste

1. Cook and debone chicken, chop into pieces.
2. Place cabbage in a serving bowl. Rub salt into cabbage and let stand a few minutes.
3. Add chicken and remaining ingredients. Mix and serve.

Try #1 - August 19, 2010
I was pleasantly surprised with this dish. I didn't really know what to expect with the ingredient combination, but it was light and flavorful. I definitely would not make the nuts optional - it added a lot to the dish. I didn't think it was going to be enough for dinner, though, so I served it with summer squash soup.

Ethiopian Lentil Salad

2 cups dried lentils (or a 1 pound bag)
5 cups water
3-4 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
3 Tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup red shallots or onions, cut in thin strips, 1/2 inch long
1-2 hot green chili peppers, cute into thin strips, 1/2 inch long

1. In large saucepan, combine lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low heat until tender, but still somewhat firm, about 25 minutes. Drain.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.

Prepare this salad a day ahead of time to mix flavors. Use pieces of Ethiopian flat bread to scoop up the salad, which can be used as a side or main dish.

Try #1 - August 20, 2010
This is really good! Really fresh tasting. The lentils were the perfect consistency - the 25 minutes was right on. I used half lemon juice, half vinegar. Easy to make, and great with Injera. I will definitely make this again!

Note: 2 cups of lentils is just under a 1 pound bag. Next time I will use a whole bag, and maybe increase the lemon juice/vinegar and oil a bit.

Bean Soup with Eggs

From "Extending the Table"
Nicaragua

1 lb. black or red beans, presoaked
2 qt. water (2 L)
1 tsp salt
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
salt to taste
2 Tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup milk (optional)
1/4 cup sour cream (optional)
4-6 eggs (1 per person)

Combine beans, water, 1 tsp salt, and garlic in large saucepan or pressure cooker. Cook until beans are tender. Remove beans from saucepan. Return 2-3 cup beans to broth along with butter, onion, green pepper, salt, cilantro, milk, and sour cream. Bring soup to a boil and carefully break in eggs. Cook over medium heat without stirring until eggs are cooked. Dish into soup bowls, placing one egg in each bowl. Serve with tortillas and salad.

*Options:
- Instead of cooking eggs in soup, chop hard-cooked eggs and sprinkle over soup.
- Instead of stirring sour cream into soup, add a dab of sour cream or yogurt to each bowl at the table.

Serve leftover beans with rice.

Country Bean Soup

From "Extending the Table"
Serbia

2 cups white or pinto beans
2 quarts water (2 liters)
8-10 slices bacon or end of ham bone
1-2 carrots, thickly sliced
1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp paprika

1. Soak beans in water overnight. Add carrots and salt. Cook 35-40 minutes until carrots and beans are tender.
2. In small frypan, melt butter. Stir in flour an paprika. Add flour mixture to soup. Cook until thick. Serve with fresh bread.

*Slow cooker option:
Soak beans in water overnight. In morning, add bacon, carrots, and salt. Cook on high 1-2 hours, followed by 8-10 hours on low. Or cook 5-6 hours on high, or 10-12 hours on low. Add flour mixture 1 hour before serving.

Belizean Chicken Stew

From "Extending the Table"

3 Tbsp oil
2-3 lb chicken, cut in pieces (bone-in)
2 quarts water (2 liters)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
3 whole cloves
2 tsp oregano
1/4 cup vinegar
2-3 whole hot chili peppers (optional)
1 lb onions (about 4 medium onions)

In large soup pot, brown chicken in oil. Add all other ingredients except the onions. Bring to a boil, then simmer until chicken is tender, about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut onions into rings. Soak in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and add to other ingredients. Cook for 2 minutes. Serve with tortillas.

Creamy Carrot Soup (Germany)

3 Tbsp butter
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp curry powder or more to taste
2 cups chicken or beef broth
salt to taste
1-2 Tbsp sour cream or yogurt
2 Tbsp white wine (optional)

1. Melt butter in large saucepan. Add and saute carrots. Sprinkle sugar over carrots to glaze.
2. Add flour, curry powder, and broth. Bring to a boil while stirring and cook until carrots are tender.
3. Remove from heat and puree in blender until smooth. Add salt, sour cream/yogurt, and white wine.
4. Pour into soup bowls and serve immediately.

*Option: Swirl a dab of sour cream or yogurt decoratively on top of each bowl instead of adding it to pot.

Source: Extending the Table

Try #1 - October 18, 2010
YUM! Rich, creamy, delicious. I followed this recipe pretty much exactly as it was written, except I increased the amount of carrots (and the other ingredients, proportionally). I don't think the two medium carrots would have fed my whole family. As it was, we ate it all!

Try #2 and 3- December 2012
We rediscovered this delicious soup and made it twice this month.  In order to make it more substantial, I doubled the recipe and, on a whim, added one cup of cooked couscous at the end.  The couscous was a great addition, because the amount of butter makes it a fairly rich soup.  The couscous balanced it out a bit, plus gave it some texture.  I didn't use the white wine.  I also froze some of this soup (minus couscous) and gave it to Lucy (7 months) - she loved it!

Note: When doubling the recipe, it's probably not necessary to double the butter... in general, the amount of butter could be decreased.

Zucchini Soup

From "Extending the Table"
Germany
Recommended as an appetizer or luncheon soup, served hot or cold.

1/4 cup butter (I used 2 Tbsp butter)
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/4 cup zucchini, shredded
2 cups vegetable stock or chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp basil
dash of pepper
1/2 cup wine (optional) (I used 1/4 cup white cooking wine)
1/2 cup yogurt

Melt butter in saucepan. Add and saute onions and garlic. Add zucchini and stock/broth. Simmer 12 minutes. Add salt, basil, pepper, and wine. Place soup in blender and puree until creamy. Add yogurt.

Try #1 - August 9, 2010
This was a surprisingly rich and flavorful soup, yet also light and fluffy (if you can describe soup that way...). My husband said "I never would've guessed it was zucchini!" A great way to use the abundance of summer zucchini.

Easy Pumpkin Soup

From "Extending the Table"
Venezuela

1 Tbsp butter
2 cloves minced garlic, or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 cups chicken broth
5 cups fresh pumpkin, pared and cut in 1 inch cubes

1. Melt butter in large saucepan. Add garlic and saute.
2. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
3. Add pumpkin. Cook 10-15 minutes until pumpkin is transparent. Puree for smooth soup, or serve with pumpkin chunks, adding water if soup is too thick.

*Tip: To quickly process pumpkin, cut whole pumpkin in 8 pieces. Scoop out fiber and seeds. Cut each piece, shell side down, into 1 inch cubes. Cut shell from cubes.

*Options: Substitute other winter squash for pumpkin.

Kentucky Corn Bread

From "Extending the Table"
This basic recipe does not use eggs, oil, or sugar.

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients together to cake-batter consistency. Pour into greased 8x8 inch pan or greased muffin tins. Bake 30-35 minutes. Serve warm with butter.

Try #1 - September 2, 2010
This corn bread was ok, but definitely not my favorite. I like my cornbread a little sweet, and since there is no sugar added, it was kind of bland for my taste. However, it was much improved with the addition of butter and honey! :) This would be an acceptable substitute if you are out of eggs, oil, or sugar, but otherwise I would probably stick with Basic Corn Bread.

Native Biscuit Bread (Bannock)

From "Extending the Table"
Canada

4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
5 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine ingredients and mix to form stiff dough. Knead on floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary. Form into round or oblong loaf about 1-inch high. Bake on greased baking sheet approximately 30 minutes, or fry in frypan in a little hot oil. Serve warm with butter and jam or honey.

Mexican Flour Tortillas

From "Extending the Table"

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup lukewarm water

Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender. When particles are fine, add water gradually. Toss with fork to make stiff dough. Form into ball and knead thoroughly on lightly floured board until smooth and flecked with air bubbles. To make dough easier to handle, grease surface, cover tightly, and refrigerate 4-24 hours before using. Let dough return to room temperature before rolling out.

Divide dough into 8 balls for large tortillas, 11 balls for 8-inch size. Roll as thin as possible on lightly floured board or between sheets of waxed paper. Drop onto very hot ungreased griddle. Bake until freckled on 1 side, about 20 seconds. Lift edge, turn, and bake on second side. Wrap in clean tea towel to keep warm. Refrigerate or freeze leftover tortillas in airtight wrap.

Native American Fry Bread

From "Extending the Table"

We had some of this up at the Lummi Reservation... soooo good. We'll have to see if this recipe measures up. :)

3 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp dry milk powder (optional)
1 1/3 cup warm water (or slightly less)

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and dry milk in a large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in water. Mix until dough forms ball and comes clean from edge of bowl. Knead on lightly floured surface until well mixed and elastic. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll into balls. Using palms of hands, pat into circles about 1/2 inch thick. Heat 3/4 inch oil to 450 degrees in frypan. Carefully slip rounded, flat piece of dough into hot oil. Bread will start to rise to top of hot oil. When underside of bread is brown, turn over and brown other side. Drain well on paper, then place in baking pan in 200 degree oven and cover with damp towel to keep warm and chewy. Repeat with remaining dough.

Indian Flat Bread (Chapati)

From "Extending the Table"

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp butter, melted
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (or more, but less than 3/4 cup) lukewarm water

1. Combine flour, butter, and salt. Gradually add water.
2. Knead until dough is soft. Cover with damp cloth and let rest 1 hour.
3. Divide dough into 10 pieces. On floured surface, roll each piece into 4-inch circle, 1/4 inch thick.
4. Heat heavy ungreased frypan. Cook each Chapati until it starts to bubble on bottom, turn, try other side, and remove. Stack in tea towel to keep warm.

*Options:
- Substitute white flour for half the whole wheat flour.
- After turning Chapati, rub with a few drops of butter or oil. When second side is finished, turn over again and cook briefly on first side. Rub oil on second side and fry briefly.

Ethiopian Vegetable Stew (Alecha)

From "Extending the Table." Pronounced ah-LEE-chah.

2 Tbsp butter or oil
1 clove garlic (1/2 tsp minced)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup water
3 medium potatoes, chopped in large pieces
2-3 carrots, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric (I omitted this because I don't have any)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb cabbage, chopped (about 1/2 or 1/3 of a cabbage)
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
1 green chili pepper, seeded and quartered

1. In large saucepan, combine oil, garlic, and onion. Saute until onions are soft, but do not brown.
2. Add 1/2 cup water, potatoes, carrots, 1/2 tsp salt, and spices. Cook about 10 minutes until potatoes and carrots begin to soften.
3. Add cabbage, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 tsp salt, and green chili. Cook until vegetables are tender. Stir gently to combine, taking care not to mash vegetables.
4. Serve with Ethiopian flat bread or rice.

Try #1 - August 7, 2010
Turned out great! I used red potatoes (instead of our normal russet) and red cabbage, because a friend had given us some. The flavor of the stew was delicious, and just a hint of spice with the green chili. It went great with the Injera flat bread. I'll definitely make this again!

The whole stew (not counting chopping the vegetables) takes about 45 minutes to an hour to cook. This was just the right amount of time to simultaneously cook the flat bread.

All told, the stew and flat bread took about 3 hours, start to finish. Not difficult, just time consuming.

Ethopian Flat Bread (Injera)

From "Extending the Table"

3 cups self-rising flour** (or 3 cups all-purpose flour + 4 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1 1/2 tsp salt)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal or masa harina
1 Tbsp active dry yeast (1 package)
3 1/2 cup warm water

Mix. Let set in a large bowl, covered, an hour or longer, until batter rises and becomes stretchy. It can sit as long as 3-6 hours. When ready, stir batter if liquid has settled on bottom. Then whip in blender, 2 cups of batter at a time, thinning it with 1/2 to 3/4 cup water each time. Batter will be quite thin.

Cook in nonstick frying pan without oil over medium or medium-high heat. Use 1/2 cup batter per Injera for 12-inch pan or 1/3 cup batter per Injera for 10-inch pan. Pour batter in heated pan and quickly swirl pan to spread batter as thin as possible. Batter should be no thicker than 1/8 inch. Do not turn. Injera does not easily stick or burn. It is cooked through when bubbles appear all over top. Lay each Injera on a clean towel for a minute or two, then stack in covered dish to keep warm. Finished Injera will be thicker than a crepe, but thinner than a pancake.







To serve, overlap a few Injera on large platter and place stews on top. Or lay 1 Injera on each dinner plate, and ladle stew servings on top. Give each person 3 or more Injera, rolled or folded in quarters, to use for scooping up the stews. Try with Ethiopian vegetable stew.


*Option: For a more authentic Injera, add 1/2 cup teff flour and reduce whole wheat flour to 1/4 cup.

**To substitute all-purpose flour for self-rising flour: For each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt.

Try #1 - August 7, 2010
This is relatively easy, just time consuming. Notes on cooking Injera:
- Wait until pan is hot before pouring batter in.
- Spread around quickly!
- Wait until Injera starts to curl up on edges before removing from pan, about 2 minutes. If you do it too soon, the bread will stick to the pan. When done, it should slid easily from the pan with the help of a spatula.
- Stir batter periodically while you're cooking the Injera.
- This takes a long time! It's fun, but you definitely need to set aside at least an hour just to cook them all... figure 2 minutes per Injera, times about 30 that I made in a 10 inch pan... that's a full hour. Maybe next time I will use a 12 inch pan, or halve the recipe. The good thing is that if you pre-chop all the vegetables for the stew, you can make and cook the stew in about the same time it takes to cook the Injera.

Carrot Orange Juice

From "Extending the Table: A World Community Cookbook"
Honduras

4-5 medium carrots, uncooked, cut in 1-inch chunks
3 1/2 cups water
4 1/2 cups orange juice (1.1 liters)
2-4 Tbsp sugar (optional)

Place carrots and water in blender. Blend until pulverized. Strain if desired. Combine with orange juice and sugar. Chill and serve. If unstrained, serve with a spoon to eat the carrot pulp.

Crusty Mexican Bean Bake

Crust:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt (increase flour by 2 Tbsp if using yogurt)
1 egg, beaten

Stir together. May be slightly lumpy. Spread thinly with back of spoon on bottom and sides of shallow greased 2-qt. casserole. (Crust may be stirred together in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.)

Filling:
Brown in skillet:
3/4 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
Add:
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
2 cups undrained cooked kidney beans
3/4 cup (6 oz) tomato paste

Spoon into crust and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle over or serve alongside:
1/2 cup grated cheese
1-2 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped raw tomatoes

Source: More-With-Less

Try #1 - August 5, 2010
This was very good. I used whole wheat flour and yogurt for the crust, and ground turkey for the filling. Otherwise I followed this recipe to the letter. :) I actually wasn't crazy about the crust, but the filling was really good, and the shredded lettuce and grated cheese went really well with it. A good alternative to this would be to make the filling without the crust and serve it with tortilla chips, like a taco salad.

Try #2 - August 8, 2010
Made this for a potluck without the crust. Served with tortilla chips, lettuce, tomatoes, and shredded cheese. Good with yogurt too!

Try #3 - August 23, 2010
Can you tell we like this dish? We omitted the crust again and this time served it over corn bread - much better, I think.

Italian Chicken Skillet

From allrecipes.com
I took a few liberties with this recipe, based on what I had...

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed (I used 2 breasts)
2 cloves garlic, chopped, or to taste (I used 2 tsp. minced garlic)
1/2 cup red cooking wine (I used Ruby Port wine)
1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes (I used one 14.5oz can diced tomatoes)
8 ounces small seashell pasta (I used 8 oz penne pasta)
5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped (I used 8 oz chopped frozen spinach)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat, and cook and stir the chicken and garlic until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, 5 to 8minutes. Pour the wine and diced tomatoes with their juice into the skillet, and bring to a boil over high heat while scraping any browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
2. Stir in the shell pasta, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the shells have cooked through, but are still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Spread the spinach over the top of the pasta, cover, and simmer until the spinach leaves are cooked, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the skillet, and simmer until the cheese has melted and the pasta is bubbling, about 5 minutes.

Try #1 - August 3, 2010
I was a little nervous with all the substitutions I made, but it turned out great! Super easy recipe. I followed the directions and cooked the pasta in the skillet, which I think made it soak up the flavorful juices from the wine and tomatoes really well. I added some Italian seasoning and salt to make up for the plain old diced tomatoes and the regular wine (as opposed to cooking wine which has added salt). And even though I used penne instead of shells, it cooked to firm in the 10 minutes. I didn't layer the spinach on top, I mixed it right in. I also added several leaves of chopped fresh basil. I will definitely make this again!

Raspberry Tart Bars

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup oats
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup fresh raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9x9 pan.
2. Combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. Cut in the butter. Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Mash the raspberries to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top, and lightly press it into the fruit.
3. Bake for 35 minutes in preheated oven. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

Source: Frugal Momma's Cooking

Try #1 - August 4, 2010
YUM!!!!!!!!! I want to try this with blackberries too.