Roasted Leg of Lamb (Sear and Bake Method)

Summary: 425 for 20 min, 350 for 30 (boneless) to 45 (bone in) = rare


Prep time:
Cook time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Marinating time: 2 hours
Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients
Quick rub (rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, sugar, just enough olive oil to make a paste)

Marinade
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup white wine
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
2 Tbsp of fresh chopped rosemary or 1 Tbsp of dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

Blend marinade ingredients in a blender, just a few pulses until well mixed.

Lamb Roast
One 6-pound leg of lamb, bone-in or boneless. (If boneless, the leg should be tied up with kitchen string by butcher.)

Marinade
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. If using rub, leave it on for several hours outside of the fridge, overnight or longer in the fridge. If marinating, marinate overnight, in the refrigerator. If refrigerating, bring to room temp. 

2 Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange two racks in the oven - a middle rack to hold the lamb, and a lower rack to hold a roasting pan with which to catch the drippings. Note that this arrangement of racks and pans, with the roast sitting directly on the oven rack, will create a natural convection of heat in the oven, causing the roast to cook more quickly than if cooked the traditional method in a rack in a roasting pan.

3 Remove the lamb roast from its marinade bag (you may want to temporarily place lamb in another roasting pan, just to make it less messy to work with.) Pat dry the marinade off the lamb with paper towels. Generously salt and pepper all sides of the roast. Arrange the roast fattiest side up, so while the lamb is cooking the fat will melt into the meat. Place the roast directly on middle rack of the oven, with a roasting pan on a separate rack a rung lower, to catch the drippings. You may also want to put some water in the bottom roasting pan, so that the drippings fall into the water instead of burning in the hot pan and smoking up your kitchen.

4. Roast at 425°F for 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350°F and roast an additional 30 minutes (for a 6 pound boneless roast) to 45 min - 1 hr (for a 6 pound bone-in roast). 

In general estimate 10-13 minutes per pound for total cooking time (for rare), including that first 20 minutes at high heat.

Note that the method of cooking directly on the oven rack will mimic a convection oven and the cooking time/oven temp needed will be less than you would need if you cooked the roast on a rack in a roasting pan. If you are cooking the roast directly in a roasting pan, rack or not, start the roast at 450°F and then reduce the heat to 325°F. Also, the shape of the roast will have an impact on the cooking time. Our roast was rather long and thin, so it cooked up fairly quickly. A thicker roast may take longer than expected.

Let stand for 25-30 minutes before carving. Cut away the kitchen string and slice with a sharp carving knife, 1/2 inch thick slices, against the grain of the meat.

5 While the roast is resting, use a metal spatula to scrape up the drippings in the roasting pan. Use the drippings to make a gravy, or use just the drippings themselves to serve with the lamb.

Chocolate Cake Recipe From Scratch

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/17981/one-bowl-chocolate-cake-iii/

Ingredients
1 h 24 servings

157 cals

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

Prep20 m
Cook30 m
Ready In1 h

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

FOR CUPCAKES FOR IAN'S BDAY: 350 for about 20 min

Pizza Pockets

25mins
PREP 10 MINS
COOK 15 MINS

SERVINGS 4UNITS US

2pre made pie crusts (packaged)
1 -2cup spaghetti sauce
1 -2cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1⁄2cup cooked chicken, cubed (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425.
Unroll one of the pizza crusts onto a cutting board.
Cut it in half.
On one part of the crust put enough sauce to your liking and to cover most of the crust, leaving a ring around the sides uncovered.
Add cheese to taste and toppings, but not so much that you cannot close the crust.
Fold the crust in half and seal with a fork.
Repeat with the other 3 halves of crust.
Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is flaky and done.
Let cool a bit and serve.

Scalloped Potatoes

1 h 15 m

6 servings

• 6 potatoes, sliced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 pinch paprika, or to taste

Prep15 m
Cook1 h
Ready In1 h 15 m

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 1-quart casserole dish.
Spread about 1/3 of the potatoes into the bottom of the prepared dish. Mix flour and salt together in a bowl; sprinkle about 1/3 of the mixture over the potatoes. Dot potato layer with about 1/3 of the butter. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the onion over the potatoes. Repeat layering twice more.
Stream milk over the potato mixture in the casserole. Sprinkle paprika over everything.
Bake in preheated oven until the top is nicely browned, about 1 hour.

Cream of Celery Soup

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/celery-soup-51246210

YIELDMakes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 chopped head of celery
1 chopped large waxy potato
1 chopped medium onion
1 stick unsalted butter
Salt
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh dill
1/2 cup heavy cream
Celery leaves
Olive oil
Flaky sea salt

PREPARATION

Combine 1 chopped head of celery, 1 chopped large waxy potato, 1 chopped medium onion, and 1 stick unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; season with salt.

Cook, stirring, until onion is tender, 8–10 minutes.

Add 3 cups low sodium chicken broth; simmer until potatoes are tender, 8–10 minutes. Purée in a blender with 1/4 cup fresh dill; strain. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream. Serve soup topped with celery leaves, olive oil, and flaky sea salt.

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes

These dense, gluten-free carrot cake cupcakes are topped with an easy cream cheese frosting and can be made up to 2 days in advance.

TOTAL TIME: 35 MIN
SERVINGS: MAKES 12 CUPCAKES OR 24 MINI CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups almond flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 cups grated carrot
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
BUY INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325º. In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and maple syrup. Stir in the carrots and 1/2 cup of the pecans and add into the dry ingredients. Stir to thoroughly combine. Pour the batter equally into a paper-lined cupcake tin. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, then set aside and cool in the tin for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl or stand mixer, whip together the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.
Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, spread with frosting and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of chopped pecans and serve.

MAKE AHEAD

Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Wheat-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Icing

Makes 12 cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with parchment or paper liners.

Ingredients:
3/4 rounded cup sorghum flour
3/4 rounded cup potato starch, cornstarch or tapioca starch
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 cup warm coffee (not too hot or it will make the starch gluey)
2 eggs
3 tablespoons organic canola or coconut oil
2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon light tasting rice vinegar

Instructions:
Whisk together the flours and dry ingredients.
Add in the coffee, egg, oil, vanilla and vinegar. Beat the batter for a full two to three minutes until all the ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth.
Using an ice cream scoop, plop the batter into the cups and smooth the tops.
Bake in the center of a preheated oven till done- about 20 minutes or so.
Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack (don't let them sit in the baking pan too long or they'll get soggy).
Frost when completely cooled. See recipe for coffee flavored icing below.


If the batter "climbs" the beaters, slow down the speed and slightly lift the beaters to encourage the batter to move back down into the bowl. Move your beater around the bowl in figure eights, at a slight angle. Practice your technique- soon you'll be winging around gluten-free vegan baking like a pro.


Vegan Coffee Icing Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
2-3 tablespoons Spectrum Organic Shortening or vegan margarine
2-4 ounces cold coffee, as needed
1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla

Instructions:
Starting with the least amount of liquid, beat the sugar to incorporate the shortening, coffee and vanilla. if you need more liquid, add a small amount at a time. beat for two minutes or so until smooth.
If you need to stiffen the frosting, add a little more confectioner's sugar.
Chill the frosting before using it. I chill it, covered, for roughly an hour.
Frost the cupcakes. Cover in an air-tight container until serving. best eaten the first day. If making ahead of time, chill frosted cakes briefly in the freezer before wrapping individually and freezing.
Cook time: 1 hour, total
Yield: Serves 12

Roast Chicken Guidelines

1 5-6 lb chicken

425F for 1 hour to 1 hr 15 min (check periodically and tent with foil if necessary) 

Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate (at least 65 percent cacao)
Parchment paper
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt


PREPARATION

Heat oven to 375° and set racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. In a food processor or blender, pulse 1 1/4 cups oats until very finely ground. Add cornstarch and baking powder; pulse briefly. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in chocolate and remaining oats. Drop dough by tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Try: 350F for 9 min

(original recipe yields very crispy, brown cookies)



http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/flourless-oatmeal-chocolate-chunk-cookies-51236040

pumpkin panna cotta

INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups milk
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup pureed pumpkin, squash or sweet potato
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Nutritional Information





PREPARATION
Put 1/2 cup of the milk in a 6- or 8-cup saucepan, and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, blend together the remaining milk, cream, pumpkin, sugar and cinnamon. The mixture should be perfectly smooth, so it is best to use a blender.
Turn the heat under the saucepan to low, and cook the milk, stirring occasionally, until the gelatin dissolves. Pour in the cream mixture, and turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until steam rises. Turn off the heat, and ladle or pour the mixture into 8 4-ounce ramekins or other containers.
Chill the panna cotta until firm, and serve, with creme fraiche or whipped cream if you like.

Oat Bran Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 to 2 Teaspoon(s) Sugar
2 Teaspoon(s) Baking Powder
1 Cup milk
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 egg white, slightly beaten

Preparation: 

 

Heat griddle over medium-high heat (375°F electric griddle); lightly spray with vegetable oil cooking spray or oil lightly. Combine dry ingredients. Add combined milk, oil and egg white; mix well.* Pour scant 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto prepared griddle. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Turn only once. 

NOTES: Batter will thicken upon standing. For best results, cook pancakes immediately after mixing

Serving Tips: Fruit Pancakes: Fold in 1 cup chopped fruit just before cooking.

COOK NOTE: TIP: To keep pancakes warm: Heat oven to 250°F. Place pancakes in single layer on ungreased cookie sheet; cover tightly with foil. Keep in warm oven up to 10 minutes. To freeze pancakes: Stack with waxed paper between each pancake. Wrap securely in foil or place in freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze. To reheat frozen pancakes: Unwrap 3 pancakes; wrap in paper towel. Microwave at HIGH about 1 minute 30 seconds or until warm.

Strawberry Oat Bran Muffins

(Based on Ina Garten's recipe)

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup oat bran (Ina: 3 cups all-purpose flour)
me: Ground flax seed, approx 1/8 cup

1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I omitted b/c I used salted butter)
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (I round up to two)
me: 2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups milk (I added a tiny bit extra)
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 cups diced fresh strawberries (Ina: 2 cups diced fresh strawberries )
1 cup sugar (Ina: 1 1/2 cups sugar)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Stir with your hand to be sure the ingredients are combined. In a 2-cup glass measure, combine the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture, pour the wet mixture into the well, and stir until just combined. There will be some lumps but don't overmix the batter! Add the strawberries and sugar and stir gently to combine.

(Note: I added sugar to other dry ingredients and only mixed in the strawberries at the end.)

Using a 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, spoon the batter into the muffin cups to fill the liners. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops are nicely browned.

2012, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/strawberry-muffins-recipe.html?oc=linkback

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NOTES: despite the whole wheat, oat bran and flax, these muffins turned out pretty fluffy. 

Cheerios Bars

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 (10 1/2 ounce) bagminiature marshmallows(6 cups)
• 5 cups Cheerios toasted oat cereal

DIRECTIONS

• In large bowl, microwave butter and marshmallows uncovered until smooth (about 2 minutes). Stir every minute.
• Immediately stir in cereal until evenly coated. Press mixture firmly into sprayed pan.
• Cut into 24 bars.

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup (1 stick) of butter
• 1 cup of white sugar (I used a little less than 2/3 cup, which was just about right) 
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1½ cups flour (I used AP whole wheat, which worked fine) 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
• Add in the pumpkin and vanilla, beat all ingredients until light and airy.
• Whisk together all dry ingredients in a separate bowl, excepting chocolate chips until incorporated completely.
• Slowly, little by little, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix thoroughly.
• Add in the chocolate chips and mix until they are spread evenly through the batter.
• Fill lined muffin tins to ⅔'s full. ** Mine resulted in approx 22 muffins, but since the batter doesn't rise much, fewer muffins, filled more would be a good idea next time. I estimate about 18.
• Bake at 350 degree for 17-20 minutes, until the muffin tops spring back to the touch or a tester inserted comes out clean.
• Cool on racks.

General Fruit Crumble / Crisp Guidelines

For a crisp that serves six to eight, a good place to start is with 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter: then add equal parts light brown sugar (1/2 cup) and two parts flour (1 cup). **Note: I sub almond meal, quinoa flour, oats, etc... for flour. 

Add a generous pinch of salt, and a pinch of cinnamon and/or nutmeg. If you want to add rolled oats or slivered almonds, mix these in now, too—you can add just a little, or up to as much as the amount of butter used.

Apple Crumble

Ingredients

Filling:

• 4 large Golden Delicious apples (about 3 pounds)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:

• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch fine salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving, optional

Directions

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Peel, core, and slice apples into 1/4-inch slices. Place apples in a large mixing bowl and toss with sugar, lemon juice, flour, and cinnamon. Pour into a lightly greased 9 by 13-inch baking dish, and spread out into an even layer. Set aside.

In another large bowl, mix together the nuts, flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the topping. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, gently work in the cold butter until pea-sized lumps are formed.

Top apples evenly with mixture and bake until apples are bubbly and topping is golden brown, about 45 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking.

Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe courtesy of Dave Lieberman

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/apple-crumble-recipe.html?oc=linkback

German Apple Cake

(this is a fantastic recipe. I used half the sugar + a bit of honey for the scent)

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 3⁄4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar (I used 1 cup + 1-2 tablespoons honey; cake was plenty sweet, could reduce further) 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour 
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon (used more like 1.5 tablespoons, also added nutmeg)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups peeled chopped apples (chopped approx 1/2 inch dice)
• (I also added a packet of TruLemon for flavor + a handful of raisins) 

Directions

In large bowl, beat eggs and oil until smooth.

Add next 6 ingredients and mix well.

Fold in apples.

Pour into greased 9 by 13 pan. (I used two smaller pans and bake time was still the same; very moist cake)

Bake at 350F degrees for 50-55 minutes.

Almond Meal Pie Crust

Ingredients

• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 large egg

Instructions

1. Place flour and salt in food processor and pulse briefly
2. Add coconut oil and egg and pulse until mixture forms a ball
3. Press dough into a 9-inch pie dish
4. Bake at 350° for 8-12 minutes

Blueberry Pumpkin Muffins

Prep15 m
Cook20 m
Ready In40 m

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
2/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, thawed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.

Mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a mixing bowl until evenly blended. 

In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, egg, and butter. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, just until all ingredients are moistened. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling to the top.

Bake in preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.

Torta di Riso

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
3 cups chopped leeks
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked rice
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked spinach, squeezed dry
3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush a pie plate with 1 tablespoon olive and dust with 1 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir leeks with a pinch of salt in hot oil until leeks are soft and sweet, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir garlic into leeks and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir leek mixture, rice, spinach, 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, eggs, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Transfer spinach-rice mixture to the prepared pie dish and smooth the surface with a spatula; dust the top with remaining 1 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven until torta is lightly browned around the outside and firm to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes.

*** Notes: I doubled the recipe, used different vegetables (1 large red pepper, 1 large green pepper; about 2 cups of peas, 1 large onion in place of leeks), and subbed some shredded cheese for about half of the parmesan. I also added some milk (w/o measuring) since the rice looked too dry. It probably totaled about 1/2 cup to 1 cup. The results were very good. I think the dish would have been much too dry without the milk. 

Shakshuka Recipes

New York Times Version

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
⅛ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1 (28-ounce) can whole plumtomatoes with juices, coarsely chopped
¾ teaspoon salt, more as needed
¼ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 large eggs
Chopped cilantro, for serving
Hot sauce, for serving


PREPARATION
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook gently until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes; stir in cumin, paprika and cayenne, and cook 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in crumbled feta.
Gently crack eggs into skillet over tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with hot sauce.

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Dave Leibovitz's Shakshuka

3 to 4 servings

Adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi and Secrets of the Best Chefs by Adam Roberts.

I’ve made Shakshuka a number of ways; in individual baking dishes, so everyone gets their own portion, to using a large skillet, so folks can eat communally. I’ve given indications for how to do both.

Because everyone likes their eggs cooked differently (which is why when I was cooking in restaurants, I refused to work breakfast shifts – talk about stress!), keep an eye on the Shakshuka as its cooking and use the times indicated as guidelines; various factors can affect cooking times and it’s hard to say precisely how long they will cook. When served, the eggs should be still runny so that the yolks mingle with the spicy sauce.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 – 1 chile pepper (or to taste), stemmed, sliced in half and deseeded, finely diced/minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika, smoked or sweet
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed, or 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 pounds (1kg) ripe tomatoes, cored and diced, or two 14-ounce cans of diced or crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon red wine or cider vinegar
• 1 cup (20g) loosely packed greens, such as radish greens, watercress, kale, Swiss chard, or spinach, coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces (about 1 cup, 115g) feta cheese, cut in generous, bite-sized cubes
• 4 to 6 eggs

1. In a wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and wilted. Add the chile pepper, the salt, pepper, and spices. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly, to release their fragrance.

2. Add the fresh or canned tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, and vinegar, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened somewhat but is still loose enough so that when you shake the pan it sloshes around. (Fresh tomatoes may take a little longer to cook than canned.) Stir in the chopped greens.

3. If you want to finish the Shakshuka on the stovetop, turn off the heat and press the cubes of feta into the tomato sauce. With the back of a spoon, make 6 indentations in the sauce. Crack an egg into each indentation, then drag a spatula gently through the egg whites so it mingles a bit with the tomato sauce, being careful not to disturb the yolks.

Turn the heat back on so the sauce is at a gentle simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes, taking some of the tomato sauce and basting the egg whites from time-to-time. Cover, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until the eggs are cooked to your liking.

4. To finish them individually, preheat the oven to 375ºF (180ºC.) Divide the sauce into 6 baking dishes and press the feta cubes into the sauce. Set the baking dishes on a baking sheet, make an indentation in each, and crack and egg into the center. Bake until the eggs are cooked to your liking, basting the whites with some of the sauce midway during baking, which will take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes – but begin checking them sooner to get them just right. If the yolks begin to get a little firm on top before the whites are cooked, drape a sheet of foil over them, but avoid having it touch the yolks.

Serve with lots of crusty bread for scraping up the sauce.

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Saveur's Version
This classic Israeli breakfast, a dish of Libyan origin, can be served as a main course for any meal of the day.

SERVES 4-6

Ingredients

• 5 Anaheim chiles or 3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
• 8 eggs
• 1⁄2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Warm < a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Pita-Bread">pita, for serving
• 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.
Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1⁄2 cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Season sauce with salt.
Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce's surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle shakshuka with feta and parsley and serve with pita, for dipping.

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The Simplest Recipe...

Ingredients

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
1 cup cubed tofu or feta (optional)
6 eggs
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, roughly diced
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 lbs fresh tomatoes, unpeeled and cut in quarters, or one 28 oz can

Directions

Place the tomatoes, garlic, salt, paprika, tomato paste, and vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, over low heat until thick, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ladle the tomato sauce into a greased 12″ frying pan. Bring to a simmer and break the eggs over the tomatoes. Gently break the yolks with a fork. If adding feta, tofu, and parsley, sprinkle them on top. Cover and continue to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the eggs are set. Bring the frying pan directly to the table. Set it on a trivet and spoon out the shakshuka.

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Einat Admony's Recipe (Taim and Balaboosta Chef / Owner)

EPICURIOUS FEBRUARY 2014

In Israel the word shakshuka is synonymous with breakfast. It's best with a slice or two of challah bread to sop up the juices. This is a version of my dad's recipe, except that he used to mix the eggs together, because my older sister refused to eat the egg whites. Here is the recipe I prefer.

YIELD: Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 1 large jalapeño chile, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 7 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground caraway
• 1/2 bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped, or spinach
• 8 to 12 large eggs

PREPARATION

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the bell peppers and jalapeño and cook just until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and sauté for another 2 minutes.

2. Slowly pour in the tomatoes. Stir in the bay leaf, sugar, salt, paprika, cumin, pepper, and caraway and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. Layer the Swiss chard leaves on top.

3. Crack the eggs into the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are no longer translucent.

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Panna Cotta Recipes

(From Smitten Kitchen)

Yogurt Panna Cotta with Honey and Walnuts
As far as panna cottas go, this is on the soft side but will still slice or hold a form. For a firmer panna cotta, reduce the milk or cream by 1/2 cup. I used this recipe as my starting point but altered the proportions so it used one container, not one plus a fraction of another, always irksome, of yogurt. I significantly reduced the sugar; I recommend 1/2 cup for a standalone but not achingly sweet yogurt panna cotta that could be served with fresh berries or just a drizzle of honey. If you’d like to fully drape or coat the panna cotta with honey, I recommend dropping the sugar to 1/4 cup to compensate. I also replaced most of the suggested cream with milk, using 1 1/2 cups milk with 1/2 cup cream; you can use all cream, all milk, or anywhere in-between but I found that at least a small amount of cream added a richness that stretched far. As for the yogurt, I used, and highly recommend a full-fat Greek yogurt. The dish will work with others (lower fat and non-Greek yogurts) but it is astronomically more delicious with the real deal. If you only have regular yogurt but want to approximate the richness of Greek yogurt at home, you can set yours to strain in a fine-mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter or layers of cheesecloth over a bowl in the fridge for a few hours or up to a day until the yogurt on top thickens.

[Updated 4/29/13 to move the lemon juice addition to the end, as some people were experiencing curdling when it was heated. So sorry for any trouble.]

Yield: 1 9-inch round panna cotta or 7 to 8 1/2-cup servings*

Panna cotta
Neutral oil such as canola or safflower
4 tablespoons (60 ml) water
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 packet or 1/4 ounce or 7 grams) unflavored gelatin
2 cups (460 grams) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 cups (475 ml) milk, heavy cream or a combination thereof (see note up top), divided
1/4 to 1/2 cup (50 to 100 grams) granulated sugar (see note up top)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)

To serve
1/3 to 1/2 cup (110 to 170 grams) honey
1/2 to 3/4 cup (55 to 85 grams) walnuts, toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped

If you plan to unmold the panna cotta later, lightly coat the inside of a 9-inch round cake pan or smaller dessert cups with the oil. (No need to if you will scoop it from its cups.)

Place water in a small bowl. Stir in gelatin and set aside until the gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk all of yogurt and 1 cup of milk, cream or a mixture thereof. In a small saucepan, bring remaining milk or cream and sugar to a simmer. Stir in water-gelatin mixture (it will dissolve immediately) and remove from heat. Whisk this mixture into the yogurt mixture, then stir in lemon juice at the end. Pour mixture into cake pan or smaller cups and chill in fridge for at least 2 hours for small cups and up to 8 for a large pan. It’s best to do this the night before you need it, to be safe.

To unmold the cake pan, fill a larger baking dish with 1-inch boiling water. Dip panna cotta cake pan in it for 10 seconds, then flip it out onto a flat round platter. (A curved one will cause the panna cotta to appear sunken in the middle.)

To unmold smaller dishes, bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer and dip the bottom of a small panna cotta cup in one for five seconds, then invert it onto a plate. Repeat with remaining cups.

Right before you serve the panna cotta, sprinkle it with walnuts and drizzle it with honey. This needs to be done right before you serve it because the honey will (unfortunately) become liquidy and roll off it it sits on the panna cottas for too long.

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David Leibowitz's Panna Cotta

• 4 cups (1l) heavy cream (or half-and-half)
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 2 packets powdered gelatin (about 4 1/2 teaspoons)
• 6 tablespoons (90ml) cold water

1. Heat the heavy cream and sugar in a saucepan or microwave. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

(If using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds from the bean into the cream and add the bean pod. Cover, and let infuse for 30 minutes. Remove the bean then rewarm the mixture before continuing.)

2. Lightly oil eight custard cups with a neutral-tasting oil.

3. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a medium-sized bowl and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Pour the very warm Panna Cotta mixture over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

5. Divide the Panna Cotta mixture into the prepared cups, then chill them until firm, which will take at least two hours but I let them stand at least four hours. (Judy told me American refrigerators are colder than European ones. )

If you’re pressed for time, pour the Panna Cotta mixture into wine goblets so you can serve them in the glasses, without unmolding.

6. Run a sharp knife around the edge of each Panna Cotta and unmold each onto a serving plate, and garnish as desired.

Skirlie (Scottish Oats Recipe)

Spring Skirlie (Non traditional)
I use a non-stick pan, with enough room to stir the spinach in which can take up a lot of space before it wilts down.

Serves 2 - 3 as a side dish


100g, about a cup, of rolled oats (also called old-fashioned oats, oatflakes and flaked oats)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 large handfuls baby spinach, washed and roughly shredded
Hot water
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the spring onion and cook for for five minutes, taking care not to burn.

Add the thyme leaves. Reduce the heat and stir in the oats. Cook on a low heat for five minutes. The oats will absorb the oil and develop a toasty flavour.

Add a small splash of hot water and continue cooking for a couple more minutes . The oats should soften slightly but keep their shape. Add a little more water if desired.

Stir in the spinach and warm until the spinach has wilted into the oats.

Serve immediately, ideally in warmed bowls.


http://www.mostlyeating.com/skirlie-fast-savoury-oats




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Skirlie with Onions

4 servings

• 4ounces bacon fat (may substitute vegetable oil) or 4 ounces beef suet (may substitute vegetable oil)
• 2onions, finely chopped
• 4 -6ounces chicken stock
• 8ounces old-fashioned oatmeal, lightly toasted (do not use instant or quick-cooking oats)
• salt and pepper

Melt the fat or heat the oil in a large frying pan.
Add the onion and cook until soft and golden.
Add the oatmeal and mix in well.
Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the stock and allow it to be absorbed by the oatmeal.
Season well and serve with light creamy mashed potatoes.
(Skirlie may also be used as a stuffing for any kind of game bird or poultry. It is also a very good accompaniment to rich meaty and gamy stews).

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Turkish Salad Recipes

http://www.turkishcookbook.com/2005/03/turkish-salad-recipes.php

Chickpea Salad
(Nohut Salatasi)

1 can chickpeas (540 ml), rinsed
14-15 grape tomato halves
1/4 red onion, sliced
100 gr feta cheese, cut in cubes
8-10 black olives

Dressing:
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dry mint
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
Pepper for taste

Put all the ingredients in a salad bowl. Whisk dressing ingredients and toss.

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Cauliflower Salad(Karnabahar Salatasi)

2 serving cauliflower florets
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
Crushed pepper, as you like

Dressing:
1 1/2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, mashed with salt
1 pinch sugar
Salt
Pepper

Boil the florets for about 8-10 minutes in the water with salt in a medium sized pot. Drain and place them in a salad bowl. Whisk all the dressing ingredients. Immediately pour all over them. Sprinkle the parsley and crushed pepper, toss. Wait until it cools down.

2 servings.

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Cabbage Salad


1/4 head of white cabbage
2 small carrots, peeled, grated

Sauce:
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon juice
1 tbsp, and 1 tsp salt
Pepper

Remove and throw away the white centre of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage in thin slices (julienne cut) on a wooden board. Place into a large sieve. Sprinkle 1 tbsp salt all over and squeeze the cabbage pieces with your hands.

Wash, drain and place on a service plate with the carrots. Pour the sauce all over and toss.



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Red Cabbage Salad


1/2 head of red cabbage

Sauce:
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon juice
1 tbsp, and 1 tsp salt
Pepper

Remove and throw away the white centre of the cabbage. Cut it in thin slices (julienne cut) on a wooden board. Put into a large sieve. Sprinkle 1 tbsp salt all over and squeeze the cabbage pieces with your hand. Put aside for at least half an hour. This way the cabbage will soften and won't be bitter.

Wash, drain and place in a service plate. Pour the sauce on top and mix well. This salad will taste even better if you let it rest for another half hour.


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Roasted Eggplant Salad(Patlican Salatasi)

1 eggplant
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 medium-sized tomato, seeds discarded and diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice or 1 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
Salt
Pepper

Before putting in the oven, make holes on the eggplant with a fork so that it will soften and cook better. Then place on an oven tray and roast for about 35 minutes on broil. Alternatively, you can barbecue it until softened. Then peel it, remove any seeds and place in 2 cups of water with 1/2 lemon juice. Leave in for about 10-15 minutes. After draining, cut into small pieces with a knife. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a spoon. Place in service plate and keep refrigerated.

If you don't want to bother with roasting the eggplant, you can skip the step above and instead just use approximately 350 gr of Roasted Eggplants in a jar. Just mix all the ingredients together and you're good to go.

This recipe goes well with any kind of meat, Kofte or Kebap on the side.

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Kidney Bean SaladPiyaz

1 can white kidney beans (540 ml)
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, chopped
1 small cubanelle pepper, chopped
1/4 red onion, sliced

Dressing:
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
3 boiled eggs, cut in four pieces
Black olives

Wash and drain the kidney beans. Mix with all the main ingredients and place on a service plate.

Pour the dressing ingredients on top and then garnish with eggs and black olives.

You can try serving this salad with Kofte, fried chicken or beef.

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How to Grill Lamb Chops and Asparagus

1 inch lamb chops

High heat on gas grill (about 450 F) for about 4 minutes on the first side, 3 min on the second side to achieve medium to medium rare temp. 

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Pencil asparagus about 4 minutes at high heat. 

Pumpkin Muffins / Cakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/4 cup almond meal
cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger powder and allspice to taste
dash of salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 can pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

350 F
3 miniature loaf pans
Baked for 35-40 minutes

Pea Soup

Ingredients

3T butter or olive oil
1 head butter lettuce, chopped
2 lbs petite frozen pean
4 C water or water & vegetable broth
1 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
fresh chopped thyme
hot sauce (optional)
croutons for garnish

Directions

Heat the oil in large pot over medium heat. Add lettuce and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes
Add peas, cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add liquid, thyme, and hot sauce, simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.
Puree with stick blender. Add salt and pepper.
It's amazing how these few ingredients make such a good soup.

Irish Potato Pancakes (Boxty)

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake that contains a mixture of mashed and grated potatoes, resulting in a unique texture that’s part pancake, part hash brown. While suitable on an Irish breakfast or supper table, boxty pairs well with so many cuisines. For example, try topping it with smoked salmon and crème fraîche for a fun twist on blini.

2 pounds (3 to 4 large) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
3/4 cup whole milk
1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt, plus more for seasoning the potatoes before cooking
1 large egg
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions

1Heat the oven to 200°F.
2Chop half of the potatoes into large dice, place in a medium saucepan, salt generously, and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the potatoes uncovered until fork tender, about 8 minutes.
3Meanwhile, grate the remaining potatoes on the large holes of a box grater. Toss with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and place in a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl; set aside.
4When the boiled potatoes are ready, drain them, return them to the pot, add 1/4 cup of the milk, and mash until the potatoes are smooth.
5With a plastic spatula, press the grated potatoes against the sides and bottom of the strainer to remove any liquid. Add the grated potatoes to the mashed potatoes (no need to stir though).
6Place the egg, remaining 1/2 cup milk, flour, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and whisk until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the potatoes and stir until evenly incorporated.
7Heat a large nonstick frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Test to see if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling a couple of drops of cold water in it: If the water bounces and sputters, the pan is ready to use; if it evaporates instantly, the pan is too hot.
8Once the pan is ready, add enough butter to lightly coat the bottom when melted. Drop 3 dollops (about 1/4 cup each) of the batter into the pan and spread each to about 1/4 inch thick. Cook until the pancake bottoms are golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes more. Place on a baking sheet and set in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter. Serve warm.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt
1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In separate bowl mix dry ingredients such as garlic powder, oregano, cumin, coriander, thyme and salt. Stir mixture with a fork until all the ingredients are well combined and they form a seasoning. This will be used as a rub to ensure the pork is well seasoned throughout. Sprinkle the rub over the tenderloin with a dry hand, then rub the pork with the seasoning over both sides of the meat, pressing gently so the seasoning adheres well to the tenderloin.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat. Add the minced garlic and saute, stirring, for 1 minute. Put tenderloin in the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, searing each side using tongs to turn the meat. Transfer meat to a roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes. Slice and serve.

2006, Ellie Krieger, All Rights Reserved

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/pork-tenderloin-with-seasoned-rub-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Ligurian Farinata

Ingredients:

• 250 g (2.72 cups) chickpea flour
• 700 ml (3 cups) water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt

1. Put the chickpea flour in a bowl and add the water very slowly, a little at a time, stirring continuously with a fork in order to avoid clumps. (Be patient. I used to dump all the water in at once and spend ten minutes smashing all the clumps with a fork.)
2. Let the batter rest for one hour.
3. Add oil and salt and mix well.
4. Pour into one or two pans (depending on the size of the pans) which have been greased with oil. The batter should be around two-thirds of a centimeter high.
5. Bake between 210-300°C (410-572°F), depending on how hot your oven gets, for around twenty minutes but the time varies. Check it frequently. When the top is golden and the edges start to brown and come away from the sides of the pan, but the inside is still soft (not too soft and raw but not too solid and cooked either- check with a fork), then it is done.
6. Eat it right away with ground black pepper on top.

Update: serves four. If I make the entire recipe, I pour the batter into two 10 x 11.5″ (25 x 29 cm) pans, to give you an idea of how much batter should go into one pan (if there is too much batter, the farinata is too high and doesn’t turn out right). I usually cook for two, halve this recipe, and use one pan.

Farinata goes well with rosemary, so feel free to add a sprig of fresh rosemary to the batter while it’s resting and then take it out, or add fresh or dried rosemary to the batter and leave it there while baking. There are also many versions of farinata, with “toppings” added to the batter a bit like pizza. You can experiment (zucchini goes very well), but I’ve never felt much need since the traditional recipe is so good.

It’s not as good leftover, but if made right I doubt you’ll have much trouble finishing it.

Buon appetito!

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Ligurian Farinata (Savory Italian Pancake or Flatbread)

Prep Time: 8 mins
Total Time: 23 mins
Serves: 1, Yield: 1 Farinata

"Every Italian region has its comfort food, its local dish imbued with memories, tradition, and nostalgia. In Liguria, the region flanking Genoa along Italy's northwest coast, that dish is Farinata. A deceptively simply street food, Farinata is somewhat like a large chickpea crepe. Crisp and golden on the top, soft and moist on the inside, glistening with fragrant olive oil on the bottom, Farinata is a finger-lickin' food that nourishes the soul. Farinata, just like pizza, can be stuffed or garnished with any vegetable, cheese, or sauce; Or it can be eaten plain, right out of the oven!"

Ingredients

2/3 cup italian chickpea flour
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup mineral water
rosemary (optional)

Directions

In a large bowl, add the flour to the water, a little at a time, mixing and seasoning with salt until all of the flour and water has been absorbed; Add Optional Rosemary at this point.

Let it rest for 4 hours (Or even better overnight).

After this time, a layer of foam will have developed on the surface - Scrape it off with a spoon.

Add the olive oil and remove the Rosemary (Optional) - Stir until all the Oil is absorbed.

Pour into an olive oil well greased baking pan - the right one is called testo, made of "tinned copper" It should be about an eighth of an inch thick, perhaps a little more - a small deep dish Pizza pan will do (We used an iron skillet).

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Remove from the oven when one of the corners (or the edge) starts to appear dark and has turned a golden color.

Sprinkle plenty of pepper and eat immediately.

***It is of paramount importance that the pan is perfectly flat and level when in the oven, otherwise one of the corners will be thicker and will be undercooked when the opposite corner starts to darken. It tends to stick if you do not use enough oil. Also use parchment paper.

Grilled Pizza Tips

Instructions

1. Heat the grill: You should heat it quite hot; my grill was about 600°F with the lid on while baking this particular pizza. Aim for at least 550°F. If you have a choice on your grill between direct and indirect heat, set it up so the pizza is over direct heat.
2. Gather your ingredients and toppings: Set up a table or bench near the grill so you have easy access to everything. Good grilled pizza is as much about the organization and logistics as it is about actual cooking!
3. Also have your tools close to hand: You will want a pair of long metal tongs. A spatula may be helpful, although not absolutely necessary. You may want a hot pad or oven mitt if your grill lid gets hot.
4. Prep your dough: It should be stretched or rolled out into a thin circle. (Circle-ish — as you can see, my pizzas usually resemble continents more than they do the moon!)
5. Brush the dough with olive oil: Brush one side of the dough with oil; this is the side you'll lay down on the grill.
6. Grill one side of the pizza: Take the lid off the grill. Lay the dough round on the grill with the olive-oil side down. Brush the top of the dough with a thin layer of olive oil, too. Let the dough cook for about 3 minutes, with the lid off, or 1 to 2 minutes with the lid on. Use the tongs to lift up the dough from time to time, checking on how it is doing. You want grill marks on it, but you don't want the dough to get crispy; it should be just set.
7. Top the pizza: Flip the dough over with the tongs or spatula. The dough should come up easily and flip without tearing. Now is where your organization comes in! You need to top the pizza quickly. Spread on a thin layer of sauce, some cheese, and toppings. It shouldn't be too heavily loaded, or the pizza won't cook well.
8. Cook the pizza: Put the lid on and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Use your sense of smell; if the pizza smells like it's scorching, take the lid off and move the pizza to a cooler part of the grill or turn the heat down.
9. Remove the finished pizza: Remove the lid and check the pizza. The edges should be crisp and well-done, and the cheese should all be melted. Drag the pizza off with the spatula or tongs. Let cool for 3 minutes, then cut into pieces and eat!

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How to Grill Pizza


Make pizza dough from scratch using our pizza dough recipe. Alternatively, you may be able to find prepared pizza dough, in the frozen foods section, at your local supermarket.

Ingredients
Pizza dough (if using our pizza dough recipe note that it makes enough dough for 2 pizzas)
Olive oil
Standard toppings of tomato sauce, herbs, cheese (mozzarella is the best), and maybe some thinly sliced onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, or pepperoni
Some flour or corn meal for dusting the cookie sheet or pizza peel


Method


1 Make the pizza dough or use prepared pizza dough.

2 Prepare the grill for high direct heat. Prepare a small bowl with olive oil for greasing the grill grates and for brushing the pizza. Prepare the toppings so they are ready to go on the pizza—tomato sauce, cheese, and anything else you wish.

3 Shape the pizza dough by flattening it with your hands on a slightly floured surface. Either use your fingers to stretch the dough out, or hold up the edges of the dough with your fingers, letting the dough hang and stretch, while working around the edges of the dough.



Once you've stretched the dough, let it sit for 5 minutes and then push out the edges with your fingers again, until you have a nice round shape, about 12-inches in diameter. Do not make a raised rim, it will interfere with the grilling process.



Note that if you are preparing the pizza dough for a party, you can make several pizza dough rounds, stack them separated by parchment paper, and keep them in the refrigerator for up to two hours before cooking.

4 Once the grill is hot (you can hold your hands an inch over the grates for no more than 2 seconds), dip a tightly folded up paper towel in olive oil and use tongs to wipe the grill grates. Then place a pizza dough round on a lightly floured (or you can use cornmeal) rimless cookie sheet (or pizza peel if you have one). Let the dough slide off the cookie sheet onto the hot grill grates. Close the lid of the grill and let cook for 2 minutes.



5 After 2 minutes, open the grill and check underneath the dough to see if it is getting browned. If it is on one side, but not another, use a spatula or tongs to rotate the dough 90 degrees and cook for another minute. If it is not beginning to brown, cover the grill and continue to cook a minute at a time until the bottom has begun to brown. It should only take a couple minutes if you have a hot grill. The top of the pizza dough will start bubbling up with air pockets.



6 Once the pizza dough has browned lightly on one side, use your cookie sheet or pizza peel to remove it from the grill. Use a spatula to flip the dough over so that the grilled side is now up. Keep the grill covered so it retains its heat for the next step.



7 Paint the grilled surface of the pizza with a little olive oil, then cover with 1 ladle of sauce – no more, or you'll end up with a soggy pizza. Sprinkle on your toppings, ending with Mozarella cheese (if using), and if using meat, put that over the cheese. Remember to go light on the toppings, or your pizza will be heavy and soggy.



8 Slide the topped pizza back onto the grill. If you are using a gas grill, reduce the heat. If working with a charcoal grill, close the vents on the cover almost all the way. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes more, or until the bottom begins to char and the cheese is bubbly. Pull off the grate with a spatula onto a cutting board or other flat surface and let rest for a couple minutes before cutting into slices.

Slice and serve!

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_grill_pizza/#ixzz3fkLwO4dO

Mititei (Romanian Beef Sausages)

Makes 40 sausages

Ingredients

• 2lbs lean ground beef
• 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3garlic cloves, peeled and crushed into a paste
• 2teaspoons baking soda
• 1⁄2teaspoon dried thyme
• 1⁄2teaspoon red pepper flakes, crumbled
• 1⁄2teaspoon paprika (hot or sweet(your choice)
• 1teaspoon caraway seed
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine beef, oil, garlic, baking soda, thyme, red pepper, paprika, caraway seeds, and 2 tablespoons water in a large bowl.
Season with salt and pepper and knead for 5 minutes, wetting your hands frequently to help keep mixture moist.
Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
With wet hands, roll meat, 1 tablespoons at a time, into small balls, then shape balls into sausages about 3'' long and 1'' thick. Heat a grill pan over medium heat.
Cook sausages in batches, turning frequently, until well browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Serve as an hors d'oeuvre or with potatoes as an entrée.


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More involved recipe...

• 1 kg(2.25lbs) beef chuck
• 3 tsps summer savory(or regular savory, if you can't find summer savory)
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp Turkish cumin (or caraway?)
• 1/4 tsp star anise, ground
• 1 tsp+a pinch kosher salt
• 2 tsps freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp baking soda ( I used 2 1/4 tsp)
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Liquids:

• 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup beef stock

1 head of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup warm water


Day 1:

1. Get your beef and spices all ready, along with the lemon juice and baking powder.
2. Grind beef 3 times. Yes, 3 times...ok, if you insist 2x (but I did mine 3x)! That is very important. Do not cut any fat out! The fat plays a very important role by making the mititei tender and juicy.
3. Place the meat in a large bowl.
4. Combine spices including salt and set aside.
5. Combine gelatin and beef broth and set aside to dissolve.
6. After it has dissolved, warm the gelatin broth to about 140 deg F...to activate the gelatin. Don't allow to boil, as boiling will deactivate the gelatin and it won't work properly. You just want the broth to get hot.
7. Let gelatin mixture cool slightly... setting it aside.

8. Add the lemon juice to baking soda. Let it sizzle.

9. Add baking soda mixture to the ground beef.
10. Mix the meat with your hands to incorporate the baking soda. (or do this in a mixer)
11. Add spices and 1/2 cup of previously warmed beef -gelatin broth( that has been cooled down a tiny bit) ... a little at a time as you mix the meat mixture with your hands.

12. Continue mixing and adding spices/broth for 30-40 minutes. Yes your hand will hurt! But this step is very important. The meat mixture will begin to stick to your hand. You will eventually feel the meat sort of become like a "bread dough", if you can imagine that(I've contemplated on doing this in a mixer, haven't personally done it so... I've used the mixer to knead the meat and it works wonderful! I use the paddle attachment and beat on medium for 10-15 minutes. Highly recommend the mixer!).

13. Cover the bowl well with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
14. Place the rest 1/2 cup gelatin broth in the fridge as well....it will solidify in the fridge.

Day 2:

1. Take meat out and let it come to room temp. Warm( don't boil) the gelatin broth until it is liquefied (it should have become gelatinous from sitting in the fridge overnight).
2. Crush whole head of garlic.
3. Add warm water to the crushed garlic and let it sit for a half hour.
4. Strain garlic and reserve the garlic-water.
5. Mix meat with your hands while adding the rest of the broth a little at a time. Do this for 15 minutes. 6. Add the garlic water little by little and mix again for another 15 minutes.
7. Cover meat well and refrigerate for another day or for another few hours. In case you do this in the morning, and want to fire the grill in the evening.
8. Otherwise, let sit in the fridge until next day.

Day 3 (or Day 2 evening):

1. Take meat out and bring to room temp.
2. Shape the mititei into about 3 inch long by 1 1/2 inch thick.
3. Brush with oil on all sides.
4. Heat up grill on high.
5. Oil the grill so that the mititei will not stick.
6. Place mititei on the hot oiled grill....still on high heat.
7. Turn mititei about 3-4 times, a total of about 6-7 minutes (as per my grill during winter time). You can brush the mititei with a garlic water(similar to the one that is added to the meat mixture)... as you grill them(I skipped that). Just be careful and don't burn them or overcook them. If need be test one for doneness.
8. Serve with a side of fries and a bit of Dijon mustard. You can likewise serve them with some fresh french bread, accompanied by some Dijon mustard.We absolutely loved the mititei! Hope you enjoy yours as well.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings Romanian Sausages

• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 to 9 finely chopped garlic cloves or to taste
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes or to taste
• 1 tablespoon hot Hungarian paprika or to taste
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

Place 1 pound ground chuck, 1 pound grou7nd pork, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons water, 3 to 9 minced garllic cloves, 2 teaspoons thyme, 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon hot Hungarian paprika, 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, 1 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl and mix thoroughly, wetting your hands frequently to keep the meat moist. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

Using slightly dampened hands, divide mixture into 18 equal portions and form into oval sausages about 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick.

Grill, broil or pan fry 7 minutes per side or bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Serve with tomato and green onion salad,sour cream sprinkled with paprika, baked potato or french fries, or rice.

"Mititei" make great appetizers and are wonderful cold the next day in a sandwich.

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Saveur's version

SERVES 6–8

INGREDIENTS

2 lb. ground pork
2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 tbsp. hot paprika
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. caraway seeds
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1½ tsp. crushed red chile flakes
9 cloves garlic, minced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl until evenly combined, and form into about twenty-two 3"-long, ¾"-thick wide sausages.

2. Heat a cast-iron grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat, and brush with oil. (Alternatively, arrange an oven rack 4" from broiler and heat broiler to high.) Working in batches, add sausages, and cook, turning once, until lightly charred in spots and cooked through about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, place sausages on a foil-lined baking sheet, and broil, turning once, until lightly charred and cooked through.)

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Gluten Free Berry Cobbler

YIELD: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS

Filling:

• 1-1/3 cups frozen blueberries
• 1-1/3 cups frozen blackberries
• 1-1/3 cups frozen raspberries
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping:

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
• 1 cup gluten free quick oats
• 1/3 cup gf flour blend
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Filling:
Mix berries, sugar, cinnamon and corn starch in a large bowl.
Add water and lemon juice. Pour mixture into a 8-inch square baking dish.

Topping:
Combine butter, brown sugar, quick oats, gf flour and cinnamon
in a medium sized bowl with a pastry blend er until butter is in small pieces. Sprinkle over top of berries.

Bake for 45 minutes until fruit is bubbly and topping is browned. Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

** NOTES: Made with all wineberries. Seems like topping amount is excessive. 

How to Grill Sausage and Drumsticks

Drumsticks: 350 (medium heat) on grill for 25-30 min

Sausages (Italian): indirect heat, also about 350, for 25 min

Both drumsticks and sausages can be zapped in microwave for about 1 min (high power; or 2 min low power) before grilling. 

Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 2 cups watermelon, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 large tomato
• 1 serrano chili (or sub red chili powder to taste)
• 2 tbs vinegar (cider + balsamic)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbs chopped cilantro
• 1/2 green bell pepper 
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• salt to taste 

Reserve 1/4 cup diced watermelon. Blend remaining ingredients until mostly smooth with small chunks or per your preference. Serve garnished with diced watermelon.

Waffle Recipes

Gluten Free (or Whole Wheat) Waffles
Yield: 4 large waffles or 8 small

Ingredients
1 and 1/4 cup brown rice flour (or whole wheat flour if not GF)
1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup orange juice + 3 tablespoons orange zest (juice/zest of 2 large oranges)
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon honey



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Whole Wheat Waffles
Serves: 4 - 5

Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 ¾ cups milk
¼ cup oil or melted butter
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour (I used King Arthur’s organic white whole-wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS


Preheat your waffle iron.


In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, honey, cinnamon, and baking soda until well combined.


Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk together just until the large lumps disappear.


When the waffle iron is hot, dab it with a little butter and then ladle some batter onto the center of the iron. Follow the instructions that came with your waffle maker to know how long it should be cooked (mine takes about 3 - 4 minutes each).


Serve with syrup, honey, powdered sugar or fresh fruit.


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Gluten Free Waffles Total Time: 35 mins

Active Time: 15 mins

Makes: 6 to 8 waffles

For these gluten-free waffles, a mix of almond flour, rice flour, and tapioca starch (plus a mashed ripe banana) keeps things crisp, light, and naturally sweet. Fresh or frozen blueberries baked into the batter offer the perfect flavor and textural contrast.

1 cup almond flour
1 cup brown or white rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 large very ripe banana
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
4 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozenblueberries
Cooking spray
Salted butter and maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

1Heat the oven to 250°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and place it in the oven.
2In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, rice flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt to break up any lumps.
3In another bowl, mash the banana, then add the melted butter, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until the ingredients are moistened and just combined. Stir in the blueberries.

Gluten Free Garbanzo Bean and Brown Rice Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

(makes approx 28 cookies)

Ingredients

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/8 cup almond flour (approx) 
• 1 tbs flax seed
• 1/2 cup sugar (1/2 cup results in very lightly sweetened cookies; could use up to 3/4 cup if you prefer your cookies sweeter; approx 1 cup would yield conventionally overly sweet cookies)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, esp. if using commercial peanut butter with salt added) 
• 1/2 cup peanut butter or other nut butter 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix all dry ingredients (up to salt) in a large mixing bowl. Stir in peanut butter, vanilla and egg until mixture is crumbly. Slowly add milk, stirring to incorporate evenly. Mix until batter is thick and uniform. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop batter by 1 tbs mounds onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, leaving approx 1 inch between each cookie. (Batter is thick and will not run during baking.) Try to flatten each cookie slightly unless you prefer cake-like cookies.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned. 

Cool completely before eating.

Gluten Free Almond and Brown Rice Flour Pancakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 8 pancakes

Ingredients

2 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup milk
½ cup sliced fresh strawberries or other fruit
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup almond flour
¾ cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, chopped fruit and vanilla extract.

Add in the flours, baking powder and salt and stir together until combined.

Add enough oil to a skillet to coat the bottom and heat to medium.

Measure ¼ cup of pancake batter and pour on the skillet. A 12” skillet will cook 3 pancakes at a time comfortably.

Allow the pancakes to cook until the edges firm up and small bubbles rise to the top.

Flip and cook on the other side an additional minute or two until pancakes are cooked all the way through.