Tortilla de Grelos y Jamon

Tortillas in Spain are almost always eggs and potatoes, with or without onion (and they will fight about it). I frequently see assurances that tortillas can be made with other fillings, but actual examples are very rare on the ground. 

This take is Basque in origin, and makes a very nice change. I find green vegetables a little short in supply in official Spanish cuisine, but given the number of little gardens clustering every small village, people must eat 'em. Any kind of spring green such as turnip greens or raab, or arugula maybe, could be used here. Spinach is probably most readily available here, but something a little more robust would be the best. Good Spanish ham is also ideal but hard to get. Good Canadian ham will work okay, but it too is hard to get these days - so much of it is soaked in brine and gelatine. Don't bother with that. Use a good bacon if you have to (also not soaked in brine... good luck).

2 to 4 servings

30 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

 

 

1 green onion OR shallot

300 grams (10 ounces) turnip greens OR spinach

150 grams dry ham or cooked bacon bits

6 large chicken eggs

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

 

Wash, trim, and chop the onion or shallot. Wash, trim, and chop the greens or spinach. Put them in a mixing bowl. Chop the ham and add it, or if using bacon, chop it and fry it until crisp but not browned. Drain the pieces of excess fat and add them. 

 

Break in the eggs, mixing them in one at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

 

Heat the oil (or you could use the bacon fat if you have it; but use it in a clean pan to avoid sticking) over medium heat in a large skillet. Once the pan is hot, spread the egg mixture evenly in it.  

As it sets, you can lift it up and tilt the pan to allow raw egg to flow underneath. When it is about half cooked - the top will still be not set - carefully flip it out onto a plate by placing the plate over the pan then turning them both over. Slide the tortilla back into the pan, and pour any raw egg remaining on the plate around the edges. Cook until the tortilla is set, but not dry. 

In Spain, this would be served at room temperature, cut into slices - in a sandwich, maybe - or cubes to be eaten as tapas, but you can eat it right away as you would any other omelette if you prefer.

 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Spinach & Mushroom Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing.

Tortilla de Pan

Essentially, this is a fancier French toast - Spanish toast, if you like - or a kind of pancake, more than an omelette, which is what Spanish tortillas usually are. Just to get distracted for a moment, I've come to realize by going through old cook books that what we now call French toast used to be referred to as German toast at least as often, but two world wars brought that to a definite end. Really, the first one was enough to do it. 

 

This will taste mostly quite familiar, although the touch of lemon zest along with the cinnamon is distinctive. I think it is best with fruit preserves, but have it with whatever you would normally serve with French toast or pancakes. Maybe some cream cheese and a drizzle of honey. Like the traditional Spanish tortilla of eggs and potatoes, it is customarily served at room temperature, which would make it a good choice for a breakfast or brunch buffet. If you prefer it warm, though, it will certainly be just fine that way.

 

6 servings

40 minutes - 20 minutes prep time

 

150 grams (5 ounces) stale bread

6 tablespoons milk or light cream

1 to 3 tablespoons sugar

the zest of 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil to cook

 

Grate or crumble the bread very finely into a mixing bowl. Drizzle the milk over the bread, and mix it in well. Let it sit for a few minutes to soak thoroughly. The bread should be moist, but not soggy - no puddles. 

In another bowl. mix the sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, and salt. Break in one egg and whisk it in thoroughly. Whisk in the remaining eggs. 

Fold the egg mixture into the soaked bread. Let it sit again, for a few minutes. Whisk it if the bread does not seem well broken up. 

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Scrape in the mixture and spread it out evenly. Cook it slowly until set and slightly browned on the bottom. Slide the tortilla out onto a plate, flip the pan over it, the flip it back to right side up with the tortilla in it. Cook the second side until set and slightly browned. All of this will require a fairly low temperature; adjust it early in the process if the tortilla seems to be browning faster than it is setting. 

Serve warm, or allow the tortilla to cool to room temperature before serving. 

Last year at this time I made Barley with Vegetables.

Digestive Biscuits

Late March oaty baking goodness, right on schedule. Actually, I've been making these somewhat regularly all winter because I'm kind of addicted to them. They are barely sweet enough to count as a cookie, and their high fibre count makes them really quite virtuous. Although we won't discuss the butter, sigh. I knew there was a reason I can't keep away from them.

 

My estimate of 1 hour baking time assumes they all go into the oven at once, and of course they will need time to cool. 

 

36 biscuits (cookies)

1 hour - 30 minutes prep time

 

1 cup quick cook rolled oats

1 cup whole spelt flour

1/2 cup oat bran

1/2 cup wheat bran

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Sucanat OR coconut sugar

2/3 cup cold unsalted butter

6 tablespoons light cream Or whole milk 

Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Grate in the butter, and work the mixture with your fingers until there is no powdery, floury material left; everything should be in buttery crumbs. Mix in the milk or cream to make a firm dough. 

Roll the dough into a cylinder in parchment paper, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the cylinder of dough into 36 even slices (I find a serrated bread knife the best for this) then lay them on a parchment-lined baking tray (or two, if needed). They don't expand much but should not be overcrowded. I find it best to pat and press them down to an even thickness and shape by hand. Alternatively, you could roll the dough out with a rolling pin and cut them that way. 

 

Bake the prepared biscuits for 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F, until dry and slightly browned. Store in a dry, air-tight container for up to 2 weeks. 

Last year at this time I made Hot Cross Naan.

Polish Egg Cutlets

This is the time of year when people often find themselves with a lot of hard-boiled eggs left over, and it's always nice to have something a little different to do with them. These are quick and simple, and who doesn't like cutlets? (Yeah, I know - somebody doesn't. Not me though; I just love them.) 

 

Eat them plain or put them in a sandwich. Have them for breakfast or lunch. Add a little sautéd garlic andd/or mushrooms. Bind them with a little leftover mashed potato instead of the flour. There are lots of possibilities with these. 

 

5 or 6 cutlets - serves 2 or 3 

30 minutes prep time

4 large eggs

1 or 2 green onions or 1/4 cup minced chives

salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon barley or wheat flour

1/4 cup grated firm cheese, optional

1 large egg

1/3 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons mild vegetable  oil

 

Put the 4 eggs in a pot with water to cover and bring them to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then cover the pot and let them sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. Rinse under cold water until they are cool. 

 

Peel and mash the eggs fairly finely. Season them with salt and pepper to taste. Add the flour, and the cheese if you are using it. Break in the raw egg, and mix to smooth mash. 

Spread the breadcrumbs on a plate. Divide the mixture into 5 or 6 equal portions, and flatten each one into a patty. Press each one into the breadcrumbs on both sides. 

Heat the oil over medium heat. Fry the patties until golden-brown on each side; about 3 minutes per side. Serve at once. 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Carrot & Sauerkraut Soup.

Date & Apple Cake

I like to kid myself that things made with dates are "low sugar" but I'm afraid they are mostly just delicious. Still, this has a lot less sugar than most cakes.  

Like quite a few cakes with a lot of fruit in them, this can be a bit awkward to mix at the end, because the fruit seems so excessive to the quantity of batter, hence the slightly odd instructions for a combination of layering and mixing. It all works out fine in the end though, and this makes a tasty end to a meal, a good snack, or even a breakfast treat. 

Because of the amount of apple chunks in this it will not store outstandingly well. As usual, I can't say I find that a problem... it just has to be eaten. Too bad; so sad.

 

12 to 16 servings

1 hour - 15 minutes prep time

 

1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/3 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons honey

2 large eggs

1/2 to 1 cup diced dates

4 medium apples

1/2 cup milk or light cream

Measure the spelt flour and mix in the baking powder and salt. Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and beat in the honey. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Chop the dates, discarding the pits, if any. Peel, core, and dice the apples fairly finely. 

Mix about half the flour into the creamed butter etc. Mix in the milk or cream, then the remainder of the flour. Mix in the dates. Because of the very large quantity of apples going into this, I found it easiest to spread about 1/3 of the batter over the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1/3 of the apples over this, and press them gently in. Mix the remainder of the apples into the batter and scrape it all into the pan. Spread it out evenly, pressing down slightly to remove any air gaps. 

Bake at 375°F for about 45 minutes, until lightly browned and firm to the touch (done). Let cool 5 minutes then remove from the pan to a rack to finish cooling. 

Keeps for several days well-wrapped and refrigerated.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Roasted Onions with Sherry & Vinegar. 

Honey Baked Pears

Scale this recipe up to however many pears you wish to bake. They will keep in the fridge for several days so you might as well do a good few. They are perfect for dessert, and also for breakfast - maybe with cottage cheese, although I had mine with yogurt and thought that was a great combination. 

 

I do think they are best slightly warm or at room temperature. It's easy to take the chill off leftovers with a few seconds in the microwave - just enough to soften the butter, right on up to quite warm, if that's your preference.

 

I used cranberry juice, but any pure fruit juice will likely be fine. I can also see using rum or sherry instead, if you are feeling fancy. If you use Bartlett or Anjou pears I suspect they will bake more quickly - check them at 15 minutes and half an hour. 

 

per serving

1 hour - 15 minutes prep time

 

1 pod green cardamom

a little freshly grated nutmeg

even less ground cloves

1 large ripe Bosc pear

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon butter

1 tablespoon fruit juice

Crush the pod of cardamom and discard the green papery husk. Grind the remaining seed and mix it in a small bowl with the nutmeg and cloves - remember, this is per pear. 

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel the pear(s) and cut them in half. Carefully slice out the stem and core from each half. Put them in a shallow baking pan which will hold then snugly in a single layer. Dot them with the honey, butter, and fruit juice.

 

Bake them at 350°F for about 20 minutes, then baste them with the juices accumulated in the pan. Bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes, until tender. Serve warm or at room temperature, perhaps with yogurt, ice cream, or custard. 

Last year at this time I made Polish Seasoning Blend. And - yes, really - Gingerbread Poached Pears.

Indian Railway Omelettes

Somebody described this in a Guardian food column, and it sounded so good. When I searched for it, up came a number of versions. This one has it elaborately folded into 4 slices of light toast, like a cross between a club sandwich, a toasted Western, and origami. A toasted Eastern, maybe, and all the better for the extra flavours. People generally do seem to eat them in a sandwich, perhaps with sliced tomato or cheese, perhaps with Green Chutney, although honestly, ketchup gets mentioned much more often.

 

I did my usual (now) thing and put in a little potato starch for better holding and folding, but you don't have to. Most versions seem pretty unspiced for an Indian dish, just calling for salt and pepper, but a little cumin and turmeric will liven it up if you feel deprived. Some versions just put the raw vegetables straight into the eggs, but a few minutes spent softening them up beforehand will definitely improve it. Really, it's a pretty straightforward omelette but the combination of onions, chiles, and cilantro is delightful. I wouldn't pass up on the tomato either, but make sure it's a fairly dry one (or use the juice in place of the water) AND chop it very finely, or it won't set properly.

 

2 omelettes

30 minutes prep time

 

Prepare the Vegetables:

1 small onion OR 2 shallots

1 small hot green chile

1/4 yellow or red sweet pepper

1 small tomato (optional)

1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons mild vegetable oil

 

Peel and chop the onion or shallots. Wash, trim, de-seed, and mince the chile and sweet pepper. Core and chop the tomato, and drain it well if watery. Peel and mince the garlic. Wash, dry, trim, and chop the cilantro. 

 

Heat the oil in a flat griddle or skillet over medium heat. Add the onion (shallots) and peppers. Cook until softened and slightly browned; several minutes. Add the garlic and mix it in, then add the tomato. Cook until the tomato is just softened, then stir in the cilantro. Transfer the vegetables into the bowl of whisked eggs, and mix them in. Wipe the skillet with a piece of paper towel to clean off any remaining bits. 

Make the Omelettes:

3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon potato starch (optional)

4 large eggs

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

While the vegetables are cooking, whisk the water and potato starch in a small mixing bowl. Break in the eggs, whisking after each one goes in. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and turmeric. 

Heat half the oil in the cleaned skillet, and pour in half the egg mixture with the vegetables mixed in. Cook until mostly set, then fold it in half. Press gently to work any uncooked egg to the edge of it to finish cooking. Transfer it to a plate. Wipe the skillet again, add the remaining oil, and repeat with the remaining egg and vegetable mixture. Serve at once. 

Last year at this time I made Peperoni con la Mollica.

Vegetable Whole Spelt Soda Bread

It's taken me 3 years to post this; I kept thinking I was close, but for there being too many too wet vegetables in it. Finally I have cut them down to the exact number to have a loaf bursting with them but not soggy in the middle. I still say drain that zucchini as well as you can. If you can't squeeze it well enough in your hands, press it in the strainer until it's quite dry. 

This loaf is delightful with butter and cheese; ham or chicken would be good. Maybe tomatoes and mayonnaise. Or just plain, as far as that goes. 

It won't keep very well, and although I rarely put bread in the refrigerator, this one went in. It did last for 3 days, and the vegetables kept it fresher tasting than most soda breads after that amount of time.

 

8 to 12 servings

1 hour 30 minutes - 30 minutes prep time

 

1 1/2 cups drained grated zucchini - see instructions

1 1/2 cups grated carrot

1/4 cup finely minced chives or green onions

2 tablespoons finely minced parsley3 1/4 cups whole spelt flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste (lots!)

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

 

Wash, trim, and grate the zucchini - you should start with about 2 cups of it. Put it in a strainer in layers sprinkled generously with salt, and allow it to drain for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly, squeeze it dry in handfuls, loosen, and re-measure. It's okay to be a little short; better than to be over.

Meanwhile, peel and grate the carrots. Wash, dry, trim, and chop the chives and parsley. Put all the prepared vegetables into a mixing bowl. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9" x 5" loaf pan with parchment paper, or butter and flour it. 

Measure the flour and mix in the baking powder, salt, and pepper (and some other dried herbs if you like). Mix well, then mix into the vegetables until they are evenly coated. Break up any lumps of the zucchini, in particular. 

Break in the eggs, add the buttermilk, and mix briefly but well. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and smooth it out evenly. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until it tests done with a toothpick. Let cool for at least 15 or 20 minutes before cutting; to room temperature is better. 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Yogurt Baked Bulgur & Vegetables. 

Eggs with Peas

This recipe is adapted from Colette's Best Recipes, a French (for English cooks) cook book from the 1920s. Like most cooking of that time, it's not exactly bursting with exotic flavours, but it made a pleasant riff on our usual breakfast of eggs on toast and also used some of the peas currently pouring into the kitchen. I am ready for something else to be ready even though I love peas. 

 

Colette wanted you to cut your bread into little stars, fry them, then use them to garnish the eggs. Uh, no. Toast is just fine, thanks. I used a mix of broth and milk as I had some of both to use up, but Colette just used water. I think a little extra flavour couldn't possibly hurt this, but obviously water will do. You could also slide a slice of cheese onto the toast before you put on the eggs and peas; I promise not to tell.

I used 3 eggs, as they were extra, extra large, being duck eggs. And yes, I am eating quite a lot of eggs these days.

 

2 to 4 servings

20 minutes prep time NOT including shelling the peas

 

 

2 cups shelled peas

2 tablespoons flour

2 green onions OR 3 tablespoons minced chives

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup unsalted broth OR milk OR water

4 extra large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 or 4 slices of bread, toasted

 

Boil some water and put the shelled peas in a colander. Pour the boiling water over them, and let them drain. When they are drained but still damp, toss them with the flour. 

 

Meanwhile wash, trim, and finely chop or mince the green onions or chives. Whisk the eggs in a bowl with the salt and pepper.

Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, and cook the green onions or chives just until softened. Add the broth, milk, or water. Add the peas and stir well to keep the flour from forming lumps. Bring up to a simmer and simmer until the peas are cooked close to your liking. Now is the time to start toasting the bread. 

Slowly whisk the eggs into the simmering peas. Continue whisking or stirring until the mixture thickens - ideally this is sort of a cross between a rich sauce and scrambled eggs; it should not get too curdy. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as they thicken, as they will continue to cook a little more. Keep stirring for minute or so after they are off the heat.

Serve the eggs and peas over the toast. 

Last year at this time I made White Beans with Bacon, Turnip Greens & Onion.

Hot Cross Naan

After the extreme local popularity of the Rye & Spelt Naan, I thought about other things I could do with naan. With Easter coming up, how about Hot Cross Naan? EVEN MORE DELICIOUS. Seriously. 

 

Of course these do have some sugar in the form of the dried fruits and peel mixed into them, which always makes things a treat. They are a bit more solid and chewy, but it's quite amazing just how much like hot cross buns these actually taste. I won't say they are easier, really, but they take much less time to make. (And if you want a more traditional hot cross bun experience, that recipe is here.)

 

24 to 32 pieces (6 to 8 naans)

3 hours - 1 hour prep time

Make the Starter:

1 cup lukewarm water

1/2 teaspoon fast acting yeast

1 1/4 cups whole spelt flour 

Measure the water into a mixing bowl, and add the yeast. Let work for 10 minutes until foamy, then mix in the flour thoroughly. Cover the batter and leave in a warm (room temperature) spot for 1 hour.

 

Finish the Dough & Cook: 

1/4 cup lukewarm water

1/4 teaspoon fast acting yeast

2 1/2 cups whole spelt flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon green cardamom pods, ground

1 teaspoon dried ground orange peel (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup total raisins, mixed candied peel and/or other dried fruit

2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

1/2 cup buttermilk OR thin kefir

about 1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil to cook 

a little more butter if desired

Measure the water into a small bowl and add the yeast; set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. 

Meanwhile, mix the remaining spelt flour, salt, and spices. (First crush the cardamom, remove the green papery husks, and grind the remaining seed.) Mix in the raisins, peel, etc. (I used raisins, mixed peel and candied ginger, but you could replace the mixed peel and ginger with other dried fruits, chopped to the size of the raisins.)

Add the butter and buttermilk to the starter, then stir in the new bowl of yeast and water. Then mix in the flour with a wooden spoon, beating it thoroughly for a few minutes; as long as you can stand. It should become a bit stretchy and bouncy (the gluten has developed). Cover the dough and let it rise for another hour. 

When you are ready to cook the naans, heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat. Brush the surface with a little oil. Using a wet spoon, scoop out 1/8th or 1/6th of the batter and plop it on the griddle. The spoon being wet will help keep the batter from sticking to it. Using a wet hand, immediately pat it out into a flat circle, about 1/2" thick or a little thinner. Immediately slice it into quarters with a pizza cutter, but do not separate the pieces - allow them to cook back together.

 

Cook for about 3 minutes (maybe less if you get them thinner), until the top looks mostly dry. Turn the naan over - the bottom (now top) should look lightly browned and flecked with darker spots. Cook for another 2 minutes, then transfer the finished naan to a plate. Brush the tops with a little butter, if you like.

While the naan cooks, wash the spoon and ready it to repeat the process. Brush the pan with a little oil, and cook another naan, as above. Continue until all of them are finished. 

These can readily be reheated by popping them back into the skillet and covering them for a few minutes; turn and move them around to heat them evenly. Serve warm. (Although they are not half bad cool, either.) 

Last year at this time I made Beet, Prune, & Walnut Salad.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Happy New Year, everyone. How about we start with a delicious treat for breakfast? 

 

These lovely biscuits, with a touch of natural sweetness from sweet potatoes, are no harder to make than any other biscuit - once you have the sweet potato prepared. Roast an extra one or two for dinner the night before, and you are good to go. 

 

I do recommend that you roast the sweet potatoes, and don't cook them any other way. I'm calling for more sweet potato than most recipes for these, and for them to succeed it needs to be quite dry. My sweet potatoes were the easily grown Georgia Jet, which are an uninspired dull yellow inside. If you use orange fleshed sweet potatoes, the biscuits should have an attractive orange shade to them. You should need to add very little milk to pull these together, maybe even none if your sweet potato is on the damp side.

 

12 biscuits

30 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

NOT including roasting the sweet potatoes

 

 

2 cups roasted, peeled, and mashed sweet potatoes 

2 cups whole spelt flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cold unsalted butter

1 to 2 tablespoons buttermilk or milk, as needed

The sweet potatoes should be peeled  and thoroughly mashed. If you want really smooth biscuits with no lumps, you should put them through a food mill or food processor. Measure and put into a mixing bowl. 

Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking tray with parchment paper. 

Measure the flour and mix in the baking powder and salt. Add to the sweet potatoes, but don't mix yet. Grate in the cold butter. 

Mix, using a thin, flat spoon to make chopping and turning motions, until the flour is well distributed throughout the other ingredients and nothing looks particularly dry. You may wish to use a pastry cutter for this if you don't have a spoon that works well. If it becomes clear that this won't happen without overworking the mixture, add a bit of buttermilk or milk to help bring it together, but the dough should not become at all soft, just workable and cohesive. 

At this point press it into a ball with your hands. Pat it out to 1/2" to 3/4" thick, and cut it into biscuits. I tend to save all the tedium of cutting out round biscuits, re-rolling and cutting, etc., by cutting them into squares and either leaving them square or patting them into a disk (keeping the same thickness). Use a little flour or keep your hands cold and wet to prevent the dough from sticking to them.

Place the biscuits spaced an inch or two apart on the prepared baking tray, and bake on the top rack of the oven at 425°F for 14 to 16 minute. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then serve.  

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Broiled Pork Tenderloin. 

Banana Gingerbread

Ridiculously easy, and only a little molasses as the sugar (plus natural sugars in the bananas to be sure) and so, so, tasty! The first time I made this I had intended to put an egg into it, but I found the egg on the counter when I was cleaning up while the gingerbread baked; oops. The results were so good anyway that now it's official - no egg. I've made this baked in a tin as a cake, and I've made it as muffins -it's awfully good either way.

How long does this keep? I suspect not more than a few days, given how moist the banana makes it, but who would know for sure? It is very unlikely to last that long.  

And now it's time to take a little break. See you after Christmas, such as it will be, what with no family gathering, etc. Hope you and all of yours stay well.

8 to 12 servings
1 hour - 20 minutes prep time

 

Mix the Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg (about 1/10 of a medium nutmeg)

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9" x 9" pan with parchment paper.

Measure, and put into a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.

Mix the Wet Ingredients & Finish:
2 cups (4 medium) very ripe bananas
2 to 3 tablespoons fancy molasses
1/3 cup mild vegetable oil

Peel and mash the bananas thoroughly with the molasses.  Add to the dry ingredients, along with the vegetable oil, and mix well. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until firm and springy, or it tests done (no sticking crumbs) when tested with a toothpick.

If you wish to make muffins with this, it will make 9 old fashioned ones (not too huge, in other words), and they should bake in 20 minutes. 

Let cool for at least 10 minutes before removing it from the pan, and let it cool completely before serving. Muffins should be removed from the tin to cool after 5 minutes. 

Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal

Does this look very much like the Spiced Apple Baked Oatmeal Pudding I made early this year? It should; it's basically the same recipe with mashed squash (pumpkin) or sweet potato instead of the apples. As just about always, feel free to add more sweetener than I do! 

And like the Spiced Apple Baked Oatmeal Pudding, I think this is best served with something to moisten it; cream, yogurt, custard, ice cream... it's up to you. We did eat some of this with ice cream, and I actually thought the contrast in sweetness levels was too intense. This is definitely a bit on the oatmeally, stodgy side, and I think it is best as a breakfast dish rather than a dessert, unlike the apple version. We had the leftovers with coffee cream, and that worked very well.

 

6 to 8 servings

45 minutes - 15 minutes prep time 

NOT including cooking the squash OR cooling

Mix the Dry Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup maple syrup OR 3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

 

Measure the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix them. 

Finish the Baked Oatmeal:

1 1/4 cup whole milk OR light cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large egg

2 cups cooked mashed pumpkin (squash) OR sweet potato

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Measure the milk into a microwave-proof measuring cup, and add the 2 tablespoons of butter; heat for 30 seconds to a minute until the butter is melted. Once it has cooled enough not to set the egg, break the egg in and mix well. Mix this into the dry ingredients. 

Be sure the pumpkin, squash, or sweet potato is well mashed and free of any skin or seeds. Mix it in to the other ingredients. The mixture should be a fairly soft batter - if it seems too stiff, mix in a little more milk.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8" x 10" or other shallow 2 quart baking pan with the remaining butter. Scrape the mixture into it and smooth it out evenly. Once the oven is hot, bake the pudding for 30 to 35 minutes, until set. The reason the oven goes on so late is to allow the batter to rest for about 10 minutes before it goes in. 

Serve the pudding warm, at room temperature, or chilled. As ever, a little cream over top would not go amiss. 

Last year at this time I made Quinoa Salad with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes, & Shallots.

"Gingerbread" Poached Pears

Fruit cooked with just a little sweetener makes an excellent dessert, and we really enjoyed these. Having said that, they would be even better with custard, whipped cream, pudding, or ice cream. 

 

There isn't as much sugar in the poaching liquid as is usual in recipes for poached fruit, so although I boiled it down to thicken it a bit, it did not get particularly syrupy. I can see these sliced over sponge cake to sop up the juices, and topped with cream and custard as a kind of trifle. We just slurped them up though, and were perfectly happy.

 

4 servings

40 minutes - 20 minutes prep time

 

 

 

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon molasses

2" stick of cinnamon OR 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

4 whole cloves OR 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves  

a pinch of salt

4 quarter-sized slices of fresh ginger

1 1/3 cups water OR apple cider or juice

4 large ripe but firm Bosc or Bartlett pears

2 tablespoons rum OR sherry, OPTIONAL

Measure the honey and molasses into a pot which will hold the pears snugly, but which can be covered firmly as they cook. Mix in the spices and salt. Wash and slice the ginger, and add it, and slowly stir in the water or juice until the honey and molasses are mostly dissolved. Put a rack or something to keep the pears off the bottom of the pan into it; I used a trio of canning jar rims which worked fine. 

 

Peel the pears, and core them as much as possible from the bottom, leaving them whole. 

Bring the poaching liquid to a boil. Arrange the prepared pears onto the rack, which is there to keep them from sticking to the bottom and scorching. Cover the pot and cook the pears - they will not be covered by the liquid and will mostly steam - for 12 to 20 minutes, until just tender. Exact time will depend on the size and the ripeness of the pears. 

When the pears are done, remove them to a serving dish or storage container. Strain the cooking liquid, pressing to extract all the liquid, and discard the solids, including the rack (into the sink for washing, presumably). Return the liquid to the pot and boil it until reduced by one-third. Pour it over the pears and chill them until serving time. 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Brussels Sprouts Hash.

Graham Muffins

I was trying for the flavour of graham crackers in a muffin, and I feel like I have succeeded, but I have to admit that without the texture of a graham cracker it reads pretty much as a bran muffin. With which there is nothing wrong! This is a very nice bran muffin, with a real fibre kick to it. It may seem like it calls for a lot of cinnamon but I find using ground flax really muffles the flavour of other things; I may try putting in even more next time. 

12 muffins
30 minutes - 10 minutes prep time

Mix the Dry Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole spelt flour
1 1/4 cups wheat bran
1/2 cup ground flax seed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Measure the dry ingredients and mix them in a mixing bowl. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and put 9 muffin pan liners in a muffin pan. 

Mix the Wet Ingredients & Finish:
1/3 cup mild vegetable oil
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons molasses
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg

Measure the oil, and mix in the honey and molasses. It may help to heat it very slightly in the microwave to allow the sweeteners to dissolve, but don't overdo it.

Measure the buttermilk in a 2 cup measuring cup. Break in the egg, and stir it in.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until completely blended, but do not over-mix. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups, and bake for 20 minutes until set and firm. Let cool to at least warm before serving.

Frittata di Pane e Pomodori

Almost every day we have toast with cheese and poached eggs. This is almost that breakfast... with a few additions. The first ripe tomato of the season was the most notable of them. Putting stale bread right in the frittata is surprisingly good, and something I would like to do more often.

The bread should be a good one, but fairly stale is fine, in fact an improvement. I can't say exactly how much milk to use; with the tomato it should be sufficient to dampen and soften the bread, without making it soggy. You'll have to use your judgement. If you can let the mixture sit for a few minutes before cooking, you should have a good idea how it's looking and you could add a little more as needed, so as ever it's better to be conservative to start with.

I'd say the garlic and fresh basil are optional, except that really, they're not. This wouldn't have been half so good without them.

1 to 2 servings
20 minutes prep time

1 medium ripe tomato OR 6 to 8 cherry tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1 sprig of basil
1 cup diced stale Italian bread, crusts trimmed
1 to 2 tablespoons milk OR cream
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 to 4 large eggs
2 tablespoons grated or finely diced melty cheese of your choice
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil OR olive oil

 Blanch the tomato or tomatoes, and peel them. Dice them and put them in a mixing bowl. Peel and mince the garlic. Wash, dry, and shred the basil. Add both to the tomatoes.

Cut or break up the bread, and sprinkle it with the milk to soften it. Add it to the tomatoes and mix in well. Season with salt and pepper. Break in the eggs and mix them into the tomatoes thoroughly. Let the mixture sit for 5 or 10 minutes if possible.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (usual temperature for cooking eggs). Turn on the broiler. When the pan is hot, scrape in the eggs and tomatoes and spread the mixture out evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the frittata. When the bottom of it is well set, place the pan under the broil and cook until the top is set, then serve.




Last year at his time I made Zucchini & Tomato Salad with Basil & Balsamic Vinegar. Apparently mid-August brings out the Italian in me...

Eggs with Peas, Chinese Style

This is based on a dish I posted way back in the dawn of history, or at least the dawn of this blog. That was Eggs with Tomatoes, Chinese Style.  You'll never guess that I pretty much substituted peas for the tomatoes. I didn't add the sugar though, not just because I'm avoiding it, but also because peas are sweeter than tomatoes and I thought it could do without it. A little pinch could go in, though, to help balance the vinegar.

I think I like the tomato version just a bit better, but this was a really nice way to have our breakfast eggs while trying to use up some of the peas that are flooding into the kitchen at the moment. Because peas lack the acid kick of the tomatoes, it's a good idea to have a heavy hand with the pepper to balance some of the other elements in the dish. Or, next time, I might add a half teaspoon or so of finely grated ginger. Pinch of hot pepper flakes or a little chile-garlic sauce? Maybe.

Meanwhile, a slightly different take on our usual breakfast eggs. Ideally serve it with fresh steamed rice. We had it with leftover quinoa, which was actually just fine.

2 servings
15 minutes prep time

2 cups snap OR snow peas
2 green onions
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon water
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
4 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

Wash and trim the peas. Clean and trim the onions. Mince the onions, keeping the white and green parts separate.

 In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch, (sugar), sesame oil, water and vinegar. Whisk the eggs.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and when hot, add the whites of the onions[ cook for just a minute. Add and cook the eggs, breaking and turning them as for scrambled eggs. Remove them from the pan when they are mostly set, back into the bowl in which they were whisked.

Add the peas and green onions to the pan, with a splash of water. Cook until they change colour to a bright green; stirring and turning them to cook them quickly and evenly - the whole process won't take more than a minute. The water should be mostly gone. Give the starch-vinegar mixture a little stir and mix it into the peas. As soon as it has thickened - seconds should do it - return the eggs to the pan and mix them into the peas, but try not to break them into curds which are too small; you want the eggs a little chunky. Heat through and serve. Best, no doubt, on steamed rice but steamed quinoa isn't half bad either.

Balkan Yogurt Soda Flatbreads

Versions of this have been showing up all over the internet for a while as Two-Ingredient Flatbread, which it could be if you used self-raising flour and omitted the oil. However, even as 5 ingredient flatbread, it's quick, easy, and excellent.

As ever, I changed the flour to be whole spelt. The proportions of flour to yogurt have varied wildly in the recipes I've seen, but this is the version that works for me. If you want to scale it up or down, note that basically you are using 2 parts flour to 1 part yogurt. I found the dough a little soft and sticky, but I didn't want to put in more flour because flour is the stuff I'm trying to keep down to a dull roar. I did need to use a certain amount to coat the dough as I patted it out; maybe close to another quarter cup in total. In theory, it could be rolled out, but it's soft and easy to pat thin so I just did that. Parchment helped keep it moveable. Once it hits the pan it cooks up very quickly.

I made it into 4 breads this time, as seen in the picture, and they were the right size to add some sliced turkey with mayonnaise and greens, and eat it as a - I want to say wrap, but it was too small to wrap - giant taco is perhaps the right description. Smaller breads will probably not work quite so well for that.

4 to 6 flatbreads
45 minutes - 25 minutes prep time

1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup thick yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
mild vegetable oil to cook
a little more whole spelt flour to roll out

Measure the flour and mix in the baking soda and salt.

Put the yogurt and olive oil in a smallish mixing bowl, and mix. Stir in the flour to make a soft dough. It should form a ball. Set it aside and let it rest for 20 minutes to half an hour.

Oil a cast iron griddle or skillet and heat it over medium heat - a bit lower than you would use to cook pancakes or eggs, but not too much lower.

Sprinkle a little flour on a clean counter or sheet of parchment paper. Divide the dough into 4 or 6 evenly sized pieces. Pat or roll each one out as thin as you can reasonably get it; about 1/4" thick. Transfer them to the griddle as there is room for them, and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until set and lightly browned. Stack them on a plate as they are cooked.

You should be able to keep up a fairly smooth operation of rolling or patting each flatbread out while the previous one cooks. You may need to add a little oil in between flatbreads. It's best just to wipe it on with a paper towel to avoid using too much.

They are lovely when warm and fresh, and if they have gotten cold they can be quickly reheated by another quick pass over the griddle.




Last year at this time I made Rhubarb Ile Flottante. 

Strawberry Crisp

I seem to always post a strawberry recipe around now. It's too early for fresh ones from the garden, but as ever, our freezer is still full of last years. (We seem to have made a serious dent in the ones from the year before, I'm happy to say.) Right now, our strawberry plants are all flowering and it looks like it will be a good summer for them.

Also, you know what this is! It's another entry in the series "classic fruit desserts made better with strawberries". Because let's be frank: strawberries are the best berries. We were all happy with the amount of sugar I put in this, because we have all adjusted, but if you wanted to put in twice as much nobody could stop you. Like all fruit crisps, this would be lovely with cream, custard, or ice cream.

6 to 8 servings
1 hour 30 minutes - 30 minutes prep time

Make the Topping:
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup finely ground almonds
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix the oats, ground almonds, flax seed, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Grate in the butter, stopping to gently mix it in every so often so that it does not end up in a single massive clump again. Sprinkle the extracts over it, and mix by hand until the butter is well distributed throughout and the texture is crumbly. 

Make the Filling & Finish:
6 cups hulled strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons arrowroot

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Wash, drain well and hull the strawberries. They should be thawed if you are using frozen ones; include the juice. Cut them in half if they are large. Put them in a 9" x 13" baking (lasagne) pan. Toss the sugar and arrowroot into them until evenly coated.

Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the strawberries and bake for 1 hour at 350°F until lightly browned and bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.




Last year at this time I made Sorrel, Leek & Green Onions Spanakopita.

Kaygana (Turkish Omelette)

I've never much explored the borderlands between omelettes and pancakes. Crepes might be there, given their high egg content, but somehow they are firmly in pancake territory. This Turkish egg dish, on the other hand, is much more ambiguous about its identity.

If you look on line, you will see all kinds of Kaygana, some of which are clearly omelettes and some of which are clearly pancakes, and some, the ones that caught my attention, rather hard to call.

I used 2 tablespoons of chick pea flour. I read that corn flour was the traditional flour used, but most people seem to be using wheat flour these days. Being an omelette (or a pancake?) it is probably more flexible than most pancakes (or omelettes?) At any rate, I tried a second time with 3 tablespoons of potato starch, and thought that was even better. But either works, and both quantities gave me Kayganalar that were still fairly omelette-like, but a bit pancake-y.

People put all kinds of things in their Kayganalar and you can too, but at this time of year the first spring herbs are showing up, green onions for sure and maybe a very little spinach or sorrel. At any time I am apt to think those are the best things to put in omelettes, but dill, cilantro, parsley, and mint are typical Turkish herbs and would all be good too.

2 to 3 servings
20 minutes prep time

2 green onions or similar in fresh herbs
2 to 3 tablespoons chick pea OR corn flour
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Aleppo pepper to taste, or similar mild red chile flakes
salt if needed (see: cheese)

5 large eggs
2 to 3 tablespoons milk OR yogurt
1/4 cup drained and crumbled feta cheese
butter for cooking

Wash, dry, trim, and very finely chop 2 green onions, or a small handful of other fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro, or dill, or some combination of the above. 

Measure the flour, seasonings, and prepared green onions and/or other herbs into a small mixing bowl. Break in the eggs and add the milk.

Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat - a little lower than you usually cook your omelettes, but not by much - and add a bit of butter to the pan; let it melt and heat through.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and milk into the rest of the ingredients until well blended. Crumble in the cheese. You may wish to heat the oven to 200°F to keep the finished Kayganalar warm as they are cooked.

Use a gravy ladle to form each omelette; in other words, make them fairly small. You should expect to get about 6 little omelettes. Cook them until set and very lightly browned on each side. Handle them carefully; they are a bit delicate. I found it helpful to pop a lid over the pan while they cooked. Be sure they are completely loosened and firm enough to hold together before you flip them.





Last year at this time I made (ha ha, very funny) Turkish Celeriac Salad.