Baked white fish with Onions, Peppers and Olives

adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

2 or 3 white fish filets (Tilapia or Pollock for example)

1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup red pepper, diced finely

1/4 cup red onion, diced finely

1/4 cup green olives, diced finely

1/3 cup crumbled feta (optional)

1/2 Tbsp mayo (you can use lite, but not fat free)

Preheat oven to 425.  In a frying pan, saute onion and pepper in olive oil for about 3 minutes.  Add the olives and saute about 2 minutes more.  Pour vegetable mix into a bowl and mix in mayo.  Place fish in a prepared dish, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread the mixture over the fish.  It's ok if some of it falls off.  Bake the fish until it is white throughout and the topping is starting to brown (about 10-15 minutes).  Serve hot with rice.  

Spicy Thai Linguine

adapted from One Hot Stove

Ohhh, how I have learned to love these flavors mixed together.  Spicy and sweet, this pasta dish will satisfy anyone.  

1/2 lb linguine pasta

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic

1 red onion

1 red pepper

1 zucchini

1-2 carrots

4-5 green onions (optional as a garnish)

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

3 tsp red curry powder (or paste)

2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice

salt

Prep the veggies by washing them and dicing them into bite size pieces.  Saute vegetables together until barely tender.  Next, boil a large pot of water for pasta, and cook for 7-9 minutes until al dente.  Drain and set aside.  Add the coconut milk and spices to the vegetable mixture.  Simmer for about 5 minutes, and taste the sauce.  If it needs more flavor, feel free to add more curry or salt.  Pour the vegetable mixture over the sauce and toss together, adding lemon juice and green onions as a garnish.  Serve immediately.     

Zainab's Eggless Challah

from Arabic Bites

Challah bread is a special braided bread traditionally eaten during Jewish holidays.  When I first saw it I was struck with how beautiful it is and wanted to try it out.  

Makes 1 Loaf

3 cups flour

1/8 cup sugar

1/4 Tbsp salt

3/4 Tbsp yeast

1/8 cup olive oil

1 1/4 cup warm water

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, knead for 10 minutes until soft and pliable.  Cover and let rise for one hour.  If you know how to braid with 6 strands, divide the dough into 6 equal lumps.  If you feel more comfortable braiding with 3, divide the dough into 3 lumps.  Roll the lumps into slender ropes and braid them together.

If you want to see some great photos and video on how this is done, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.  

Once the braiding is done, cover and let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes.  Then bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  

Creamy Fish Soup

Adapted from Nami-Nami

6 cups fish stock (I used vegetable)

5 potatoes, diced 

5 carrots, chopped (optional)

1 onion, minced

7 oz (200 g) cream cheese

10 oz fish (salmon or trout)

3 tsp lemon pepper

dill

salt

Bring the fish stock to boil, add potatoes and simmer until tender.  Cut the fish into large chunks and set aside.  Lower heat and add the cream cheese and spices, stirring until blended.  Then, while the soup is still warm, add fish.  Depending on how hot the broth is, the fish should cook through anywhere from 2 minutes to 30 seconds.  

Sprinkle with dill and serve.   

Broccoli Crunch

adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Sauce:

1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup almond butter

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp honey

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp hot water

4-5 cups fresh broccoli florets (I also added a handful of fresh green beans)

2 crisp apples, cut into chunks

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup candied almond slivers

(2 tsp sugar + 1 tsp salt)

1/3 cup pan-fried crunchy shallots (or onions if needed)

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add a dash of salt.  Dump the broccoli in and allow to boil for less than 30 seconds, just to take the edge off.  The broccoli should be pretty crunchy.  Rinse with cold water and set aside to dry.

Make the dressing by smashing the garlic clove and chopping it up.  Repeat as necessary until it becomes a paste.  Warm the butter in a bowl and add the rest of the sauce ingredients, whisking until smooth.  

Toast the almonds in olive oil and and coat with salt and sugar, stirring constantly until almonds begin to brown.  Set aside to cool.  Then caramelize the shallots, cooking them in a bit of olive oil until soft and browned.  Chop the apples and red onion and add to the broccoli, adding the shallots and almonds just before serving.  Drizzle with the sauce, toss and serve.

How to cook a Turkey

from pioneer woman cooks

1.  First of all, you have to thaw out your turkey.  It needs to sit in the fridge for about five hours per pound.  This means you have to buy your bird several days in advance, so plan ahead!

2.  Once the bird has thawed completely, you can start the brining process.  This is where you soak the meat in a salty liquid beforehand and makes it moist and flavorful.  

Basic Brine ingredients:

1 cup Salt

1 cup Sugar

1 gallon Water

Seasoning    

You can choose any seasoning combination you like.  There are some with apples and cinnamon, lemons, brown sugar, it was hard to decide on just one.  

This is the one I used last time:

4 cloves Garlic (minced)

1 Tbsp Rosemary

1 Tbsp Sage

1 Tbsp Thyme

1 Tbsp Parsley

10 Peppercorns     

Put the water in a pot with the spices and let boil for about 10 minutes.  Then remove and let it cool down, once it is at room temperature get it into the fridge until cold.  Next, open up the turkey and remove the bags of giblets and neck.  If the legs are tucked into the skin, let them loose and carefully rinse the entire bird.  Put the entire bird into a large plastic bag (something thick so it wont leak) or bucket (if you can find one that will fit in your fridge) and pour the spicy water into the bag.  Close it tightly, trying to get as much air as possible out of the bag.  Then put it back in the fridge for another 16-24 hours.  Rotate it every once in a while to make sure all sides of the turkey are getting a proper brining.  

3.  Cooking the turkey takes several hours (about 15-20 minutes per pound), so be sure to start your bird early so it is finished in time for the meal.  Preheat the oven to 275 F.  Take the bird out of the brining bag, dump out the contents and rinse the bird off really well inside and out.  Tuck the legs together and tie them up with kitchen string.  (This is only for aesthetic reasons)  Wrap the turkey entirely in tin foil and place on the oven rack with a deep pan underneath to catch all of the juices (also drop in a 1/2 cup of water to prevent burning).  For right now you will bake this turkey at this temperature for about 10 minutes per pound.  (so a 20 lb turkey would go for 3 1/2 hours, while a 15 lb turkey would go for about 2 1/2 hours)  There is more cooking time after this first segment, but you will up the temperature.  Leave the turkey in the oven and start getting other things done.  

4.  When it's time to remove your turkey, melt a stick of butter in a small bowl (you can add spices if you wish).  Remove the turkey from the oven and take off the foil (save it for later!).  Increase oven temperature to 375 F.  Using a basting brush, cover the bird with butter.  This will give it a golden color, so be generous!  Next, insert your meat thermometer into the thigh area, near the hip joint.  You will take out the bird about every 30 minutes or so to baste it again with butter.  The skin will slowly begin to turn a lovely golden brown, but it is not finished until the internal temperature is somewhere between 165-170 F.  It is important to get it up to this temperature to make sure it is cooked all of the way through.  Once it is up to that temperature, pull the turkey out and peer inside.  If the juices are pinkish, put it back in for a few more minutes.  If not, the turkey is done.  Congratulations!  Wrap it in foil to keep it warm until time to eat.  

5.  Next it is time to make the gravy.  

Ingredients:

Turkey drippings

5-6 Tbsp Flour

1 cup Chicken or Turkey stock

Take the deep pan that has been collecting juices while the bird was baking.  Pour the liquid into a bowl and set aside.  The pan should be flecked with little flavorful bits.  Stick the entire pan on the stove (it may cover two burners) and turn them on to low heat.  

Once the fat has separated from the liquid drippings, drop 3-4 Tbsp into the pan and skim off the rest of the fat to put in a separate bowl.  Next add 5-6 Tbsp of flour into the pan and with a whisk, stir the flour up with the fat, being sure to scrape up the bottom and get all of the flavor loose.  It will turn into a paste (If it looks to oily, add flour.  Too dry?  Add more fat)  Cook on this low heat, stirring constantly, until flour begins to brown.  Then add the stock (low sodium is best) stirring to mix all of the lovely flavors together.  Lastly, you will add the drippings (with the fat skimmed off) and pour them into the mixture.  Now you will cook the gravy for several minutes in order for the gravy to thicken.  If it is too thick, slowly add more stock or water.  If it is too thin, mix a couple of tablespoons with flour until smooth and pour it into the gravy.  Sprinkle with pepper and enjoy -- you are ready to eat!         

Blueberry Pie

adapted from Simply Recipes

1 double Pie Crust

6 cups Blueberries, fresh or frozen

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1/4 cup Flour

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

2 Tbsp Butter

Egg Wash:

1 Egg

1 Tbsp Milk

Prepare crust, roll it out to two 1/8 inch thick circles and drape dough over a 9" pie pan.  Put in the fridge to chill while you prepare the blueberries.  Preheat oven to 425 F.  

Combine berries, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice, sugar in a bowl.  Take the pie crusts out and press one into place at the bottom of the tin.  Then place the berries in the pie crust and dot the top with butter chunks.  Then cover the pie with the second dough circle and trim around the edges. Crimp the ends with a fork or your finger to seal shut.  Place in the fridge to chill.

Create the egg wash by whisking egg and milk together.  Take the pie and brush the top with the egg wash to give it a glossy finish.  Then make small cuts in the crust to release steam while cooking.  Bake with tin foil on the edges for 30 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 F, remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes.  

Apple Pie

from Dee Smith

This is such an easy recipe and so delicious.  It never lasts long at our house, so I usually make two and freeze one for later.  

One 9" double Pie Crust 

8 Apples (Granny Smith or other tart apples are best)

2/3 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Flour

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Cloves

1/4 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Peel and core the apples and cut them into little chunks.  In a small bowl, stir together sugar, flour, and spices.  Mix the apples and dry mixture together and place into a prepared pie crust.  Cover apples with the tip curst, press edges with your fingers or fork tines to seal, and then pierce holes in the top crust to allow the steam to escape.  

Paint the top of the crust with an egg wash and place foil around the edges of the pie.  Bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.    

Sweet Potato Pie

from the Perfect Pantry

Finland does not sell pumpkin puree (or pumpkins for that matter...) and at first I was really disappointed that we wouldn't have pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.  Then I did some investigating and learned that sweet potato pie is very similar in taste and texture, so I gave it a whirl.  

The only thing I would do differently is cover the crust edge with foil for the first 30 minutes of baking.  As you can see, my crust got a little burnt...  

One 9-inch Pie Crust

3 large Sweet Potatoes

3 Eggs

11 Tbsp Butter (about 1/3 lb)

2 Tbsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Ginger

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Honey

1/2 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1.  Preheat oven to 425 F.  Press the prepared pie crust into a pie tin and crimp the edges.  Next you will "blind bake" the crust, which means to pre-bake it for a short time so it will be semi firm before putting the filling in.  To do so, cover it with tin foil and pour rice or beans inside so the crust won't bubble up.  Bake for about 10 minutes, and remove.

2.  Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into large chunks.  Place them in a pot filled water until they are totally submerged.  Boil until potatoes are soft, then drain the water and mash them.  Add baking powder, spices, brown sugar, honey and condensed milk and whip together until smooth.    

3.  Then raise the heat to 405 F, and pour the sweet potato mixture into the pie shells.  Cover just the edges with foil and bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil to bake the final 15 minutes.  Before removing, check to make sure the pies are firm and not soupy, if they need a little more time, just keep it in until firm.  Serve with whipped cream.    

Lemon Chickpea Stir Fry

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Ahhh, this stirfry was so light and lemony!  I made enough for 6 and we ate the whole thing, which means Ben definitely liked it.  

8 oz Chicken pieces (may substitute tofu)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt
1 small Onion
1 clove Garlic
1 cup cooked Chickpeas (aka Garbanzo Beans)
1 cup Kale, chopped
1 medium Zuchinni
1 tsp Lemon Pepper
1 Lemon, using the zest and juice

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and saute chicken until cooked through.  Remove from pan and set aside in a large bowl.  Next saute onion and garlic, add a pinch of salt, the lemon pepper and the chickpeas.  Saute until chickpeas are golden and crusty, then add the chopped kale and cook for a minute more.    Remove mixture from heat and combine with chicken in the large bowl.  In the same skillet heat olive oil and saute zucchini for two or three minutes, just until they start to get soft but still have a bite to them.  Add to chicken mixture, stir in lemon juice and zest, and salt (if needed).  Serve with rice.     

Orange Chocolate Cookies

adapted from Baking Delights

A tangy twist on a classic recipe.  I love the blend of chocolate and orange.  

1 c Butter

3/4 c White Sugar

3/4 c Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla

1 Orange, grate the rind and squeeze in the juice

2 1/4 c Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

Dark Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream the butter and sugars, add orange juice and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Combine dry ingredients with the rind shaving and stir into the creamy mixture.  Fold in chocolate chips and chill for 20 minutes.  Drop rounded spoonfuls onto a prepared baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until starting to brown on the edges.  They should be soft in the middle.  

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies

Sweet Potato Wedges

adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

Sweet Potatoes (one per person)

Olive Oil (1/2 Tbsp per potato)

Spice Mix (about 1/2 tsp per potato) 

You can use any spice mix you like, here are a few options to experiment with:

Option 1: garlic, rosemary, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper

Option 2: cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, allspice, salt, brown sugar

Option 3:  Salt, pepper

Preheat the oven to 425.  Peel potatoes and cut into strips about 3 inches long and 3/4 inches thick.  In a bowl, toss potatoes with olive oil and spice mixture.  Place on a non stick cookie sheet in a single layer.  Roast for 30-40 minutes, turning every ten minutes.  The potatoes will be soft and lightly browned when they are finished.  Serve hot.