Breakfast Custard

This recipe is very flexible. I have used many different flours, milks, and fruits. It does not disappoint. There is just something about lemon zest in the morning . . .

Serves 6:
3/4 c flour (I use 1/2 c rice, 1/4 c rye)
1/4 c sugar
zest of 1 lemon
6 pinches salt
6 eggs, beaten
1 T vanilla
2 c heavy cream (I use coconut milk)
1 qt berries or cherries

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a casserole dish or individual ramekins. Dust with sugar.

2. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and vanilla. And then the cream.

3. Put berries in dish and pour custard over top. Bake for 25-45 minutes (depending on the size of dish you chose) or until the center jiggles only a bit and edges are golden. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Egg Tart with Mustard

I found this one at bonappetemt.com (slightly adapted). Lovely, no? It is very flexible, too. The tart works well with various vegetables and can be enjoyed fresh and warm or as leftovers from the fridge.

First, make a crust. I  used this one:

2 c rye flour
2 T coconut flour
1 t salt
1 egg
1/2 c lard
1-2 T ice water

Mix the dough and chill well. Press into tart pan or pie plate and prick holes in it. Chill further. With beans and parchment, parbake crust in 400F oven for 20 minutes.Take the beans out and bake the crust 5 minutes more. Cool on rack while you make the filling.

For the filling, you'll need:
3 carrots, cut into matchsticks
3 leeks, cut into matchsticks (celery or parsnips would work)
2 rosemary sprigs (or thyme)
8 eggs
2-4 T dijon
2-4 T whole grain mustard
3/4 c rice milk (or heavy cream or milk)

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Set up a steamer basket and steam vegetables and herbs until tender (10-15min). Drain and pat dry.

2. Whisk egg, mustard, milk, salt, pepper. Lay the vegetables in the crust like spokes on a wheel. Slowly pour the filling over. Bake 30-45 min or until golden brown and puffy and a knife comes out of the center clean. Rest 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Korean Keema with Turkey

Dear Nigella,

When I want quasi-Asian/Indian fare, I know which white Englishwoman to ask! Thank you. This dish is so easy and so delicious.

Sincerely,
Holly

serves 4:
2 c sushi rice
1 lb ground turkey (any ground meat would do)
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 c frozen peas
2 t oil
4 T rice wine
4 T cilantro, chopped


For sauce:
1 t sriracha (or similar hot sauce)
2 T honey
2 T rice wine
4 T soy sauce

1. Cook rice
2. Whisk together the sauce and stir in turkey.
3. Heat up frying pan to med. When pan is hot add oil, peas, and scallions. Cook for 5 min.
Add meat and 2 T rice wine and cook for another 5 minutes or until cooked through.
4. Serve with rice and extra cilantro.

Bibimbap!

I am hooked on this. I am posting this so that if I ever become unhooked, I can remind myself to make this for lunch again and rehook myself.

The plate in the picture is comprised of:
sushi rice, with a touch of sesame oil
seaweed, dressed in rice wine vinegar
frozen snap peas, thawed
sardines, canned in oil
kimchi
a gently fried egg, over-easy
hot sauce, ties the room together

It is the best way I have found to incorporate kimchi into my life. Ditto for little fishies. Ditto for seaweed. And it is easy to whip up in a pinch, with whatever you might have in your pantry. And kids seem to like the compartmentalization of it all.

Buckwheat Pound Cake

This recipe is adapted from one I found at casayellow.com. It is only slightly sweet and pretty nutritious, as far as cakes go, anyway. We enjoyed it for breakfast with canned plums. I thought it was really something special.

1 c buckwheat
1 t sourdough starter
1/2 c milk
1/2 c unbleached flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 lb butter, soft
3/4 c sugar
4 egg yolks
1 egg
1 t vanilla
3 T nocino, or booze of your choice

1. About 12hrs before baking, mix buckwheat, sourdough starter, and milk. Leave at room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 350F.

3. Add white flour, salt, and cinnamon to buckwheat.

4. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add vanilla, nocino, and egg. Add buckwheat mixture and blend well.

5. Smooth batter into cake pan and bake for 40-45 min.

Jamaican Beans

This recipe is slightly adapted from Sally Fallon's book, Nourishing Traditions. And it was quite tasty and comforting.

Serves 6:
1 c kidney beans, soaked
1 can coconut milk
3 cloves garlic, mashed
2 t dried thyme
1 t red chili flake
2 t salt

Cover beans with just enough water to cover and bring to boil. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer, covered for 4hrs or until tender. I served it with rice, avocado, sliced hot dog (leftovers that needed a home! Don't knock it . . .!) and chopped chives.

Blueberry Cobbler with Sourdough Rye Biscuits

You know, for breakfast. Of course.

I made it with very little sugar and a high fruit to grain ratio. Plus, the lemon is a nice wake-me-up.

Make it easy on yourself and the night before, toss 2 qt blueberries (in the baking dish) with the zest and juice of 1 lemon and a good sprinkle of flour and sugar and keep it in the refrigerator.

Then, make the biscuit dough. This is how I did mine:


4 T lard
1 c rye flour
1 T sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 c sourdough starter

Cut the fat into the dry ingredients and stir in the sourdough starter. Keep dough in the refrigerator, too.

In the morning, drop big spoonfuls of dough onto the berries and put into oven. Bake for about 50min.

White Wine Braised Chicken

This may not look like much to you (am I always saying this? Haha.), but it sure was wonderful.

1 whole chicken, pieced (I used 4 large hindquarters instead)
1 c white wine
1 c tomato sauce
1 onion, diced
1 leek, sliced
4 T cream (I used coconut milk)
1-2 bay leaf (I used one dried and 1 fresh)
flour for dusting chicken

1. Flour chicken pieces and fry in oil in a large dutch oven until golden.

2. Pull chicken out of pan for a few minutes, while you deglaze the pan and scrape up bits with the white wine. Put the chicken back in and add the rest of the ingredients except for the cream. Cover and simmer gently for 2 hrs.

3. Uncover, add cream, and boil gently to reduce the sauce to your liking. Serve with rice and chopped parsley.

Bacon-wrapped Black Eyed Pea Patties

This recipe is taken from nourishedkitchen.com (slightly adapted).
I made a double batch and the leftovers keep well and reheat well. Next time I am going to make extra patties and store them in the freezer for a rainy day. Each one is just right for a single dinner serving and would be great next to a salad or sweet corn.






Serves 6:
1/2 lb black eyed peas, soaked
1 sweet potato (or an equal amount of carrot), 1/4 inch dice
1/2 t salt
2 T arrowroot powder (or 4 T flour, or 2 T cornstarch)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 c chopped collard greens (any leafy greens will do)
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t cayenne
6 slices bacon

1. Boil peas until tender and drain. Roast sweet potato at 425F for 30 min.
2. In cast iron pan saute onion in oil or lard until translucent. Add greens and cook until tender.
3. Mash peas, greens, onion, arrowroot, and seasoning in a bowl. Fold in sweet potato. Form into 6 patties and wrap in bacon.
4. In cast iron pan, fry the patties for 5 minutes on each side, or until the center of each patty is hot.

Sourdough!

There are many ideas and methods out there, but here's what I did, with great results. This bread has a crispity crust and big air pockets inside.

In a very large, 4 qt bowl (you'll have 3 qt of starter in the end), mix 2c rye flour with 2c filtered water. Then cover the bowl with a thin towel and a rubber band to secure. Leave it at room temperature.

The next day, and every day thereafter, for a total of seven days, whisk in 1c rye and 2/3c-1c water (enough to keep it runny). The starter is then ready for use and whatever you do not use right away can be stored in the refrigerator.

For the bread pictured (1 loaf), use:
1c starter
3 1/2c unbleached flour
3/4 c water
2 t salt

1. Mix the ingredients together to form a wet shaggy dough. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for 12hr.

2. Scoop and fold the dough in over itself a couple of times and let rise 4hr more.

3. Flour hands and gently shape dough into loaf and place on a baking sheet that is dusted with cornmeal. Cover and let rise 2hr more.

4. Preheat oven to 450F and set kettle on stove for boiling water. Place cast iron pan on bottom rack and set rack for bread in the middle of oven.

5. When oven is hot, place bread in, pour hot water in cast iron pan (without giving yourself a steam burn) and shut the door. Turn oven down to 325F and bake for about 1 hr.

Asian Beef with Carrot Salad

Here's another hit from Nigella (adapted slightly). She and I are on a roll.



serves 6:
2 onion, quartered
1x2" piece of ginger, sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 t coriander seeds
1 c red wine
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c brown sugar
2 qt beef broth
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
2 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
8 lb beef shank, on bone

(for carrot salad: 2 carrot (shredded), juice of 1 lime, 1 T fish sauce, lots of cilantro)

1. Preheat oven to 300F. In mortar and pestle or food processor, grind garlic, ginger, and coriander. With a little oil and the onions, add to pot over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes.

2. Pour in wine, soy sauce, sugar, broth, and vinegar. Bring to boil and add cinnamon and anise. Add beef and bring back to a boil. Put lid on and into oven for 4 hours or more.

3. When beef is tender, take it out of pan and keep warm in oven.Vigorously boil sauce until reduced by half. Pour sauce over beef and serve with white rice and carrot salad.

Sprouted Barley Casserole

I sprouted something! Apparently, grains and seeds contains little nutrition before sprouting, but through the magic of germination, nutrients like vitamin C, several B vitamins, and carotene suddenly appear. And that's just the beginning. The benefits of sprouted grains, seeds, and nuts seem to be endless.

But the important thing is that it was delicious, little labor was involved, and . . .  I did it! This is how I felt when I made sauerkraut for the first time. Now sauerkraut is old hat. And soon sprouting things will be old hat, too. And hopefully my body and the bodies of my family will thank me.

Serves 4:
2 cups barley
3 cups chicken stock
1 t salt
fresh herbs (I used sage, thyme, and rosemary-a couple sprigs of each)
1-2 apples, small dice
1-2 cup mustard greens, blanched, chopped

1. Start to sprout the barley 3 or 4 days before you want to eat this casserole. Put grain in a bowl and cover with filtered water and soak overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse barley. Spread wet grain out on a platter. Rinse grain and return to platter at least twice a day. Stop rinsing when sprouts have reached 1/4 inch. Sprouts can be refrigerated at this point until you are ready to use them.

2. Preheat oven to 250F. In a dutch oven, on the stove, bring sprouted barley and stock to boil, and skim foam. Add herbs and continue to boil until the liquid has reached the level of the barley. Transfer to oven and bake for at least 6 hours or until grain is tender. When the barley is almost done to your liking add apple and greens, and continue to bake for 30 minutes more.

Meat Loaf

This recipe is a no-brainer. My toddler could pull this one off. I love how it feeds 8 with a small amount of a cheap cut of meat. It has become one of my regulars.

1 lb ground beef
3/4 cup fine oatmeal
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1 cup tomato juice
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 t salt
1 t black pepper

Heat oven to 350F. Mix all the ingredients together and pack firmly into a standard loaf pan. Bake 1 hr, 15min. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.  Serve with a generous amount of ketchup. Serves 8.

Lemon Almond Polenta Cake

I found this recipe in one of Nigella's cookbooks. I love this cake. The almond meal makes it a bit marzipan-like. And the glaze does not hurt things either. We had it for breakfast with blueberries and milk!

14 T soft butter (I used a mixture of lard and coconut oil)
1 c fine sugar
2 c almond meal
3/4 c fine cornmeal
1 1/2 t baking powder
3 egg
zest of 2 lemons

for the glaze (juice of 2 lemons, 1 c powdered sugar)

1. Line a springform pan with parchment and grease it. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

3. Mix almond, cornmeal, and baking powder. Add 1/3 of this into the butter mixture, followed by an egg, and continue beating. Repeat. Repeat. Beat in lemon zest.

4. Pour into pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. The center may be soft, just make sure the sides have pulled away from the pan.

5. While the cake rests on a cooling rack, make glaze. Boil lemon juice and powdered sugar until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cake and cool completely before removing the outer ring of the pan.

Cuban black beans

About an hour before dinner, put 3 pots on the stove.

One pot for the beans. To 1lb of black beans that have been soaked overnight, add a finely chopped onion, 6 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 t marjoram, 1/4 t cayenne, salt to taste, and water just to cover. Cover, bring to boil, then simmer on low heat.

One pot for boiled chicken. Salt 6 drumsticks and sear them in oil. Then add about 1in of water or stock. Bring to boil, then cover, and simmer on low heat.

And one pot for rice. I like a long grained rice for this.

When beans are tender and the water has been absorbed (if not, mash some of them against the side of the pan and cook a bit longer to thicken), take off heat and add the zest and juice of 2 limes and some olive oil. Check for salt.

Plate up and garnish with lots of cilantro.

P.S. Thank you, Robin, for the inspiration!