Earl Grey Hot Chocolate

This is a drink that we will feature in the fall. We ended up grating dark chocolate and using freshly squeezed orange juice but here's the original recipe.

Serves 2

If you can’t find pure orange oil, add about 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest to the tea and steep as usual.  strain before serving.

6 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa
¼ cup agave nectar
2 tablespoons loose-leaf premium Earl Grey tea
2 cups boiling water
1-2 drops pure orange oil (optional)

1. Place cocoa and agave in a heatproof pitcher.  Place tea in a second pitcher or bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water over it.  steep for about 3 minutes.  strain over cocoa and agave nectar and add orange oil, if using.  Whisk until slightly frothy.  Pour into two cups and enjoy  

Gnocchi with Shiitake Sauce

Remarks: Great sauce- we used dried sage and added some during the saute process and some during the simmer process.  Arugula was wonderful.  Great recipe. This sauce would probably go well with Orzo.

Gnocchi with Mushroom Sauce
Gnocchi:
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 2 medium)
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of grated nutmeg
7 tablespoons (about) all purpose flour

Mushroom Sauce:
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1 3/4 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

3 cups coarsely chopped arugula
1/2 teaspoon (about) white truffle oil (optional)*
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

*Available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores and some supermarkets.

For gnocchi:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Pierce potatoes with fork. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Cool slightly; cut potatoes in half and scoop pulp into large bowl. Mash potatoes well. Mix in egg yolk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix in enough flour to form firm, slightly elastic dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Gently roll 1 portion between hands and work surface to form 1/2-inch-thick rope about 18 inches long. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Roll each piece over tines of dinner fork to make grooves in gnocchi. Arrange gnocchi in single layer on floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining 3 portions of dough.

Working in small batches, cook gnocchi in large pot of boiling salted water until gnocchi rise to top and are tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to large baking pan. (Gnocchi can be prepared ahead. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.)

For mushroom sauce:
Cook butter and olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat until butter begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and shallots and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add stock and sage; simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add gnocchi to sauce in skillet and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Add arugula and stir until wilted. Divide equally among bowls. Drizzle with truffle oil, if desired. Sprinkle with cheese.

Lentil Soup

I paired this soup with sweet potato muffins.

2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS garlic, (minced)
1 TBS fresh ginger, minced
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, choped
4 c. vegetable broth
4 c. water
1 lb lentils
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp basil
1 tsp curry, optional
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c. kale, thinly sliced
1 c. celery leaves

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the olive oil to a light simmer. 
Throw in the garlic and ginger; keeping them in constant motion (if they sit too long they will burn). 
Once the garlic and ginger start to brown, you have done enough. Add the onions to the pot; keep them moving and cook them until they become transparent. 
Next you should add the carrots and celery; put a lid on your pot and let it sit for about a minute to allow the flavors to mingle.  
Now, pop open the pot and toss in your water and broth. Toss in your lentils and spices then stir until combined. 
Place the lid back on the pot and keep it on medium heat until it starts a light boil. Stir the soup again, reduce to low heat and cover it for at least one hour. Toss in the kale 5-10 min before serving and use the celery leaves to garnish each bowl.

Baked Sweet potato fries

 

4 servings

1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon oregano 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 medium sweet potatoes 3 tablespoons olive oil Directions: Combine all spices in a small bowl. Set aside. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Wash potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Do not peel them. Slice each potato into french-fry-like wedges (about 10 fries per potato, depending on the size of the potato). Toss fries in a large bowl with olive oil until well-coated, then toss with spice blend. Spread fries evenly on a non-stick baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 8 minutes. Turn fries over and bake an additional 7 minutes, or until tender. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your fries. Make sure you don’t over-bake them, or they’ll be soggy.

Directions:

1. Combine all spices in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Wash potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Do not peel them.
3. Slice each potato into french-fry-like wedges (about 10 fries per potato, depending on the size of the potato). Toss fries in a large bowl with olive oil until well-coated, then toss with spice blend.
4. Spread fries evenly on a non-stick baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 8 minutes. Turn fries over and bake an additional 7 minutes, or until tender. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your fries. Make sure you don’t over-bake them, or they’ll be soggy.

Hearty Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper (I also added one yellow zucchini)
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 (26 ounce) jars pasta sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 (15 ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese (BUT I USED ONE BLOCK OF TOFU)
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Rinse with cold water, and drain.
2. In a large saucepan, cook and stir mushrooms, green peppers, onion, and garlic in oil. Stir in pasta sauce and basil; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Mix together ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, and eggs.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread 1 cup tomato sauce into the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer 1/2 each, lasagna noodles, ricotta mix, sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering, and top with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Oven-roasted Vegetable Dinner

I preheated the oven to 425 degrees and baked the vegetables in this order:

At 30 minutes:

Baby red potatoes 

At 20 minutes:

Leeks and bell peppers

At 10 minutes:

Asparagus

Recipe for Baby red potatoes:

Approx 1lb Baby Red Potatoes
2Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1Tsp Salt
1Tsp Pepper
2Tbsp Onion Powder
2Tbsp Garlic Powder 
1Tbsp Four

5 1-cup Servings

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
2. Wash and halfpotatoes (leave skin on) and place on cookie sheet.
3. Coat potatoes with EVOO, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and flour. Toss gently.
4. Cook potatoes for about 30 minutes or until done. (fork will go through when done)

Number of Servings: 4

Classic Leeks Vinaigrette

for the leeks
4 leeks, trimmed, halved and washed thoroughly
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt

for the vinaigrette
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (I left the oven on 425 and this came out fine). Prep the leeks, coat with oil and spread out evenly on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 20 minutes until the leeks are tender, not mushy, and the edges have browned.

In a bowl, combine the mustard and red wine. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately by placing the leeks on a small plate and drizzling with the vinaigrette.

For the Bell pepper and asparagus, I had left these marinating in seseme-ginger dressing for two days.  WONDERFUL full flavor.  Excellent meal.  

Creamy Roasted Corn Soup (Vegan)

Creamy Roasted Corn Soup

Ingredients

• 2 large ears of sweet corn
• 1/4 cup low-heat pepper  (I used green chili sauce)
• 1/4 cup yellow squash/carrots/green beans
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1/3 cup rice

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400˚. To prepare corn, hold ear of corn vertical to the cutting board. With a sharp knife, remove the kernels from the cob and cut the cob in half, set aside. Dice the peppers (remove seeds if you like less heat), squash, and garlic. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper then place in oven to roast for 30-35 minutes.
2. While corn mixture is roasting, in a medium pot saute onion and garlic in olive oil.  Add broth, water, rosemary (leave on sprig), white rice and corn cobs. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let sit until corn is done roasting and rice is cooked. (this is also when I added carrots and green beans which were what I had on hand)
3. Remove cobs and rosemary spring from broth and add in the roasted vegetables (save 1/4 cup to have corn for garnish.) Working with an immersion blender (regular blenders work too), blend mixture until has very few chunks left. If your mixture is still too thick, add a little more water. At this point your can either serve right away or return to the stove to let simmer until ready to eat.
4. Garnish with cilantro, lime juice and/or chips.

Mikko's Mochi Brownies

 

Makes 8x8 Pan

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Mochiko
• 1/2 c. cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1 c sugar
• 1 1/s tsp baking powder
• 5 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 12 oz milk (I used oat milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 T dark chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, add mochiko, cocoa powder, sugar and baking powder. Whisk together until evenly mixed.
• In a large bowl, add melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until evenly combined and no egg streaks remain. Add in dry ingredients. Mix until evenly blended.
• Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle surface with chopped chocolate.
• Bake 60-70 minutes or until mochi is set. A toothpick inserted should come out mostly clean. Let mochi cool completely before slicing and serving.

NOTES

• Make sure to let the mochi cool before cutting. When it is still hot, it will be very sticky and difficult to slice.
• Mochi can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature up to 2-3 days.

Vegan Blueberry Almond Tart

For the crust:

2 cups almond meal

3 T maple syrup

1 T coconut oil, melted

1/8th tsp salt

For the filling:

1 cup blueberry juice

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 T cornstarch

1/3 cup maple syrup

Juice of 1 lemon (2 T lemon juice)

*1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a nine inch springform tart pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients and mix with fingers until clumpy. Pour mixture into tart pan and press down to create crust. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. (Next time, I'd like to try this with half the amount of crust- it was a little to much)

Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup of the blueberry juice with the cornstarch and whisk well. Set aside. In a small saucepot, whisk together the other half cup of blueberry juice, 1 cup blueberries, maple syrup and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the juice/cornstarch mixture and keep whisking until mixture is thick. This will take about 6-8 minutes. Once thick, add the remaining blueberries.  Pour into the finished crust and refrigerate until chilled and set—about 1-2 hours. 

*I omitted the toasted slivered almonds and instead served this for breakfast with a dollop of Greek yogurt.  

Almond Tofu with snow peas

• 
  
• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 1/3 cup almond butter
• 2 tablespoons Tamari or Bragg's 
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup 
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1-2 tablespoons neutral oil, I used grape seed oil

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the tofu into 1/4-inch thick strips. Combine the almond butter, soy sauce/bragg's, maple syrup, and sesame oil and whisk until smooth. Oil a baking sheet with half the neutral oil and lay the tofu strips in a single layer, then spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the almond butter mixture on each piece. Spread it out to paint the top and bake the tofu for 25 minutes, then flip the pieces and coat them with the same amount of almond butter mixture. Bake for an additional 25 minutes.

   
   

   *Corey used the tofu as filler in the raw spring rolls we had for dinner.  He included snap peas, harusame, nori, avocado, tomatoes, almond tofu and cilantro.  We dipped this in sweet Thai chili sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. 

   
   

   The original recipe used the tofu in a soba dish in this way:

   
   

   • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
   • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
   • 2 cloves garlic, minced
   • 3 cups snow or snap peas, ends trimmed and halved
   • 8 ounces soba noodles
   • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
   • 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
   • Sriracha or other hot sauce (optional)

   
   

   1. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients. When the tofu is done, remove and cut into strips. Heat the remaining neutral oil in a wok or large skillet until shimmering and add the scallions. Cook for a minute, then add the tofu. After a minute, add the garlic and 1/2 cup water and stir well while cooking. Spoon in the remaining almond butter mixture and stir well to combine. Cover.
   2. 3
      In the meantime, cook the soba noodles in salted boiling water, adding the snap or snow peas for the last couple minutes of cooking. Drain and add to the stir-fry pot along with the rice vinegar and cilantro. Toss to combine and serve.