I never claimed to be a photographic genius.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Oatmeal-Apple Crisp

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, divided
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 cup chilled butter
6 cups (2 1/2 lbs) Granny Smith apples, chopped and peeled

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. To make topping: mix flour, oats, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a medium bowl.  Cut in butter.
3. In a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and apples.
4. Arrange apples in a 9x13 pan coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle topping over the apples.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until apples are tender.

Friday, June 29, 2012

Roasted Garbanzo Beans and Garlic with Swiss Chard

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Garbanzo-Beans-and-Garlic-with-Swiss-Chard-241110

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Bing Cherry Pancakes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup non-fat milk
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup Bing cherries

1. Preheat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-low.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
3. In another medium bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, non-fat milk, honey and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing them only enough to combine them. Fold in the cherries. The batter will be somewhat lumpy.
4. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to ladle the batter onto the griddle or skillet. Flip the pancake when the top is bubbling and golden brown on the bottom. Then cook until the other side is golden brown.
5. Serve with real maple syrup and more fresh in-season berries like strawberries!

Source: Tiny's Organics Newsletter, June 27, 2012

Monday, June 25, 2012

Aprium Jam

2 cups diced apriums
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Once mixture reaches a rolling boil, continue to boil it for 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent it from sticking.

Source: Tiny's Organic Newsletter, June 23, 2010

Try #1 - June 25, 2012
So, I totally overcooked this... pretty much carmalized the sugar.  I tried to thin it out by adding hot (almost boiling) water to the jar, but we'll have to see... It still tastes good, but will probably have to be warmed to make it less viscous. Probably will be better in oatmeal than on toast.

Navruz Salad

1 small head of lettuce, such as Boston lettuce
2 Kirby cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
8 radishes, diced
3 scallions (white and green parts), diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp coarsely grated Muenster cheese

1. Wash the lettuce and tear it into small pieces.
2. Add the cucumbers, radishes, scallions, and eggs.  Stir in the sour cream, blending until mixture is smooth.
3. Stir in dill, parsley, and coriander, and add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place salad in a bowl and sprinkle with the cheese.

Note: If you are not going to serve the salad immediately, mix together all the ingredients except for the cheese and sour cream. If the sour cream is added too long before serving time the radishes and cucumbers will start giving off water, and the salad will be soggy. If you are preparing the dish in advance, add the sour cream at the last minute and then sprinkle with the cheese.

Source: The Art of Uzbek Cooking, by Lynn Visson

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Spring Garlic Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts or thighs
2-4 spring onions, finely sliced
4 spring garlic bulbs
Salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 Tbsp hot chili paste (optional)
1 Tbsp organic soy sauce
3 Tbsp oil

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Cut the spring garlic bulbs into quarters and leaves into 2-inch lengths.
3. Heat the cooking oil in a wok. Add the chicken and stir fry until the edges are lightly browned. Add the spring garlic and onion. Pour in the chili paste and soy sauce. Stir fry for about a minute.

Source: Tiny Organic's "Fresh from the Farm," June 20, 2012

Try #1 - June 22, 2012
Pretty good.  I added about 1/8 tsp of hot chili sauce... and it tasted pretty spicy to me (full disclosure: I'm a spice wimp.).  Also, it was a bit too salty with the salt added to the chicken plus the salt in the soy sauce.  But I think the salt added to the chicken helped keep it from drying out, so I might do it again anyway, with slightly less salt (or slightly less soy sauce).  I served it with Cherry Wild Rice and Quinoa Salad.

Arugula and Radish Salad

1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 to 5 bunches arugula (1 1/4 lb total, thick stems removed), washed well and dried
1 bunch radishes, sliced

In a large bowl, whisk together mustard and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper. Whisk in oil. Add arugula and radishes to bowl, toss to coat. Serve salad immediately.

Source: Tiny Organic's "Fresh From the Farm" Newsletter, June 20, 2012

Try #1 - June 21, 2012
This was pretty good, although nothing super special... I added some spinach and leftover romaine to the salad, so it wasn't just arugula.  Easy to make, fresh-tasting.

Cherry Wild Rice and Quinoa Salad

3/4 cup wild rice
1/2 cup quinoa
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fruity vinegar
Salt and pepper
2 cups halved pitted fresh cherries
2 stalks celery, diced
3/4 cup diced aged goat cheese, smoked Cheddar, or other smoked cheese
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add wild rice and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Add quinoa and cook until the rice and quinoa are tender, about 15 minutes more. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool to the touch; drain well.
3. Meanwhile, whisk oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the rice and quinoa, cherries, celery, cheese, and pecans and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Source: Tiny's Organic "Fresh from the Farm" Newsletter, June 20, 2012

Try #1 - June 22, 2012
Delicious!  This one's a keeper!  I used apple cider vinegar.  I also omitted the cheese since I didn't have any aged or smoked cheeses... but I think it was still great without it!  Oh, and I just realized I forgot the celery... but that would have been good too!  Next time! :)

Cherry Oatmeal


Cherries, rinsed, pitted, and thinly sliced
1 to 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar, firmly packed, or agave syrup
1 3/4 cup almond milk or any other type
1 3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups quick-cooking oats (or old-fashioned are fine too)
1 Tbsp sour cream (optional)

1. In a small bowl, toss cherries with sugar. Let sit at least 5 minutes to bring out the juices.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm water, milk, and salt. Stir in 2 cups oats; cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy, 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Ladle oatmeal into bowls. Top each serving with 1 Tbsp sour cream and some of the cherries.

Source: Tiny's Organic "Fresh From the Farm" Newsletter, June 20, 2012

Try #1 - June 21, 2012
The kids were so excited to try cherry oatmeal, and between the 3 of us, we ate the whole thing!  Note that this is almost twice as much oatmeal as I usually make. I'd call this recipe a success!