I have been meaning to make this jam for a while now. I’ll buy a bunch of jalape%u00f1os, then slowly, before I get to cooking them down,%u00a0end up eating them%u00a0all. But not today,%u00a0and the rewards are great, Fresh jalape%u00f1o jam. So much potential for the greatest of things%u00a0(I am thinking mango jalape%u00f1o sorbet%u2026 no, I am making jalape%u00f1o mango sorbet) And if you, like me are a jalape%u00f1o fan, this is going to make your life amazing. You will find yourself jamming up everything, or maybe just eating it with a spoon.
Whatever you want to do with it,%u00a0just make it.%u00a0
Honey and jalape%u00f1os.. All you need, well a little salt and water too, but that’s it.
What you need to do is remove the stems,, most of the ribs and half of the seeds removed. (You could remove all or none of the seeds depending on you heat preference)%u00a0Chop the peppers%u00a0into small chunks, toss into a pot,%u00a0sprinkle with a bit of salt, add in a splash of water. Place%u00a0the pot on medium heat. Top it with a lid, and give the peppers a good stir%u00a0every few minutes. While the peppers are cooking, you want to make sure the bottom isn’t sticking and buringin. If that starts to happen, just turn the heat down a bit and add%u00a0in a little splash more of water.
After about 20 minutes, the peppers are fully cooked and falling apart. The liquid is cooked down and the peppers are starting to caramelize on the bottom of the pan. When that happened, remove the pot from heat.
Now you can either blend the peppers, mash the peppers with a fork, or leave it chunky. Thats a choice Ill leave to you. ( I like to blend, but keep some%u00a0chunks)
And drizzle in a bit o honey. As little or as much as you like.
And scoop into a jar.%u00a0Eat the jam on anything you want. (I found myself eating it with a spoon)
Keep it Real!
-C
Makes about 1 1/2 cups of jam
10 large jalape%u00f1o peppers
a pinch of salt
About 1 tablespoon of honey, but add more if you like (And if you want to keep it vegan, use agave or sugar)
Wash, remove ribs and most seeds (the more seeds you leave the hotter it will be)%u00a0and dice jalapenos into small chunks. Place in a pot with a few%u00a0splashes of water and a sprinkle of%u00a0salt. Turn on medium heat and cover, stirring every few minutes. If the peppers seem%u00a0to be sticking %u00a0o the pot and burning, turn heat down and add another splash of water.%u00a0After about 20 minutes, the peppers should be really%u00a0tender and%u00a0falling apart. The liquid should be completely cooked out and the peppers will start to caramelized at the bottom of the pot. When that starts to happen, remove from heat. %u00a0Now%u00a0either mash with a fork, blend with a hand blender, or leave superr chunky. Drizzle in honey (or sweetener)%u00a0and stir.%u00a0
Eat right away or stick in a jar and store in the fridge for up to a week (It won’t last that long)
%u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0And that’s how I know that this is a winner.%u00a0As an awesome aunt, when I have any of my nieces or nephews, %u00a0I feel the need to make something special for dinner, something that the kiddos might not get very often, but also keep it on he healthy side. I have 2 littles for the night which gives me the perfect opportunity for a trash food recipe. You know trash food, things like boxed mac and cheese, beefaroni in a can, or, in this case, sloppy joes.
Sloppy yes, trashy, not so much. These are made with beans and bulgur. No meat.
And I figured it is nice enough out that I can make the kiddos some messy food and then just bring them out back and hose them off%u2026 I mean, why not right?
The stuff%u2026 We start with onion and green pepper, chopped into pieces. Black beans, bulgur, can crushed tomatoes. Chili powder, garlic powder, a bit o apple cider vinegar (which I forgot to picture) ,and some salt and pepper. Oh and cheese if you want%u2026 Plus a bun of some sort is necessary.%u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 Toss the chopped onion and peppers into a deep skillet or pot with a drizzle of oil. Cook on medium heat until tender and toss in the spices. Give a stir.%u00a0Add in the beans, bulgur, and tomato, a splash of vinegar. Stir it all up, cover, and let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the bulgur has absorbed the liquid and is nice and tender.
If you are a bun toaster%u2026 toast while waiting. If not, just get the buns ready%u00a0And Then dump a good heaping pile right onto a bun. Add some cheese, or not..and eat with wild abandonment, %u00a0making sure to get as much on your face as you get in you mouth.%u00a0
Fantastic Friday!! Live it up.%u00a0
-C
Black Bean and Bulgur Sloppy Joes%u00a0
2 cups or 1 can cooked black beans
1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup bulgur
1/2 cup water
1 small onion
1 green pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder%u00a0
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper
a splash of apple cider vinegar
olive oil
4-6 burger or bulky buns
cheese (optional)
Dice the onion and the pepper and toss with a drizzle of olive oil into a large skillet. Saut%u00e9 on medium heat until veggies become tender. Add in the spices, stir in and let cook for a minutes, then add in the beans, the tomato,water and the bugler. Cover skillet and let simmer until bugler becomes soft.
When the slop is ready, either toasted or not, scoop a generous portions onto buns. If so inclined, add some cheese.%u00a0
Eat with hands%u2026 Sloppy is good.
Happy Friday!
A simple post for the simplest of soups.%u00a0Minimal ingredients, no fuss, fast to make but can be left all day to simmer%u2026%u2026. And oh so very very good.%u00a0
This has been one of my go to soups this winter. Warming, hardy, comforting%u2026.every kind of soft cozy feeling that I need when I can’t leave my house because it’s so cold out that all I want to do is sit on the couch wrapped up in a blanket, with a book, and eat hot soup. (That’s the my plan for the weekend) But it’s also good for any type of weekend activities you might have%u2026 it’t kind of the perfect soup.
The%u00a0Stuff. A%u00a0medium sized butternut squash, seeded and diced (no need to peel, but go for it if you want) About a pound of broccoli, (fresh or frozen) and a few shallots. Salt, pepper and a few cups of water.%u00a0
Note.. I didn’t add any spices to this batch because I really love the flavor without anything. With that being said, I have made this same soup with sage, rosemary, turmeric, even curry. Almost any flavor works in this soup.%u00a0
%u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0The chopped squash and broccoli go into a big pot with about 2-3 cups of water. Add about a tablespoon of salt and pepper. Lid up the pot and place on medium low heat for about a half hour, or unitl squash and broccoli is%u00a0fork tender. Now blend together with either a emulsion stick blender or place in a blender for 3-5 minutes until completely smooth. Add enough water to keep things moving. Add more water if you want a thinner soup, less for a thicker soup. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Once blended, place back in pot on simmer until ready to serve.%u00a0
When the soup is simmering, thinly slice the shallots and toss into a pan. Saut%u00e9 until soft and fragrant.%u00a0
%u00a0Finish off with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and top with the %u00a0saut%u00e9ed shallots.
Soup and a spoon. So simple, so good.
Have a great weekend%u2026..Try and stay warm!
-C
Butternut Broccoli Soup
The Stuff%u00a0
1 medium butternut squash%u00a0
1 pound of broccoli (crown and stem and can use frozen)
4 shallots
Balsamic Vinegar
salt and pepper
Split squash in half, remove seeds, and dice into chunks. %u00a0Place in big pot. Chop up broccoli and add to pot. (or just add frozen chopped broccoli) Add water until stuff is about half way summered. Place a lid on the pot and cook on medium low heat for about 30 minutes or %u00a0until squash and broccoli are fork tender. Blend together with either a stick blender or place in a blender. Add enough water to keep things moving. Add more water if you want a thinner soup, less for a thicker soup. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Once blended, place back in pot on simmer until ready to serve.%u00a0
When the soup is on simmer, thinly slice the shallots and place in a pan to sautee until soft and fragrant. %u00a0
To serve, ladle soup into bowl, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and top with saut%u00e9ed shallot.
Eat with a spoon
%u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0 Before we get to the fries, I just want to mention that %u00a0yesterday was one of those fantastic winter days that reminds me why I love living in Vermont. %u00a0Pretty white snow everywhere, the sun was out, and 20 degrees without a gust of wind. The trash dog an I were even able to go for a little hike. %u00a0It was so nice and soooo sooo needed!%u00a0 Anyways, the other day as me, my sister and the mister where putting together %u00a0one more piece of Ikea furniture, (I am the master at Ikea assembling!) %u00a0a little runs into the room and presents the mister with a Dominos pizza. Yup, a whole pizza just for him. Why you might ask? Well I guess my sister was %u00a0delivered the wrong pizza and the place didn’t want it back and she didn’t want it, so she gave it to him.
A whole pizza to himself. I didn’t mind too much..he was just going to be eating it for lunch and dinner until it was%u00a0out of the fridge. But for dinner I did want him to eat something of the vegetable matter that didn’t come out of a box. I was going to make him a big salad, but then realized that would mean%u00a0sharing the last of the greens that I had for MY%u00a0dinner and I was not about to do that, so I made him parsnip and carrot fries instead. No biggy, just some slicing, a little tossing and a bit of time in the old oven. And I figured I might as well make a nice sauce for those fries because I be so very nice.
The biggest problem that I ran into when I made these fries was that I didn’t make enough, so you should probably make twice as many as you think you will eat. If you end up not eating them all (which you probably will), well then you now have a great start for a soup or a nice addition to a salad. Either way, you will eat them because they are amazing and addicting%u2026 and as healthy as can be!
The carrots and the parsnips are all sliced up into big matchsticks and ready to be baked to crispy browned perfection. %u00a0I added the oil to the pan to toss the fries in and then sprinkled with a fair amount of salt and pepper. %u00a0If you don’t have and or want to use a cast iron pan, a baking sheet works just the same.
%u00a0 %u00a0Oh saucy sauce stuff. Tomato puree, sriracha, and yellow mustard. Add a little bit of honey to lighten it up (can use brown sugar if keeping it vegan), a splash of apple cider vinegar and a couple minced cloves of garlic. Topped off with the smokey delightful spice of cumin. I cold eat this on everything%u2026and I kind of did.%u00a0
All mixed up in an oven safe dish, I stuck it into the oven for a about 8 minutes until it got a little bubbly, just to let all the flavors fuse together%u2026
Fries are done, Sauce is ready. Served in super cute tea cups.(from now on I want to serve everything in tea cups.) A perfect side dish, snack, or even a light meal. %u00a0It lead the mister to ask the question…What pizza?%u00a0
Happy Day!
-C
Parsnip and Carrot Fries with Smokey Sriracha Sauce
Wash%u00a0and trim%u00a0carrots and parsnips and cut into large matchsticks%u00a0(any shape is good, just make them all uniform) Toss with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on cast iron pan or baking sheet and stick in oven for 30 or so minutes, and rotating after about 20. The fries are done when %u00a0crispy and brown.
For the sauce. Mince garlic and add to all the sauce ingredients in an oven safe bowl. stick into oven for about 8 minutes until slightly bubbly and hot.
Dip fries in sauce
One of the best things about winter is that I can have something in the oven at any time and not worry about how hot the house is going to get. %u00a0I get to spend my free time (or my in between free minutes) baking up all the thing that I would not dare bake in the summer. (lots of bread and cakes) Yeah,%u00a0I might complain a little about how cold it is outside (to my defense, -20 is kind of a bitch) but then I think of the super hot humid days that come during the summer and cringe. %u00a0At least when its cold out I am able to get warm, (que oven) %u00a0but when its super hot and humid, I just turn into something that border lines a wet towel and the rabbit animal%u2026 Not so pleasant. %u00a0 I much prefer cooler weather. So no big surprise%u2026.I made bread.. or focaccia to be exact. And now you should too because first off, you want to eat it, and secondly, you can probably whip this up faster then it would take to get all of you winter warmies on and leave the house. Don’t leave, just turn the oven on.%u00a0 The stuff, which isn’t a whole lot%u2026 Flour and salt. %u00a0A mixture of honey, water, and yeast. And olive oil. Its pretty much my pizza dough recipe, tweaked with the addition of oil, less flour and no kneading.%u00a0 Mix together the wet and dry%u2026I used my nifty dough whisk, but a wooden spoon or even your hand works. Mix mix mix. The dough should %u00a0be really slack and sticky. %u00a0And guess what.. no need to knead! Just make sure the dough is uniformly incorporated%u2026hehe.. uniformly incorporated%u2026 sounds weird.%u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0Drizzle the dough (don’t worry about making it into a ball, a blob is good) with a little oil and place in a nice warm place topped with a towel to rise for about an hour or until dough has doubled in size. Once is has fully risen, drizzle 2 tablespoons oil in two 9 inch cake pans. %u00a0Divide dough in half, and kind of smoosh dough into pans. Cover and let rise for another 20 minutes or so. When dough has finished its second rise, drizzle each %u00a0with another tablespoon of oil and with your fingers, fill out the pan and indent the dough, kind of like%u00a0playing a piano or tickling a puppy(?)%u2026.Then layer your toppings (if you want any) %u00a0Start with any herbs, then the veggies. Then last, any cheese you got. I used thyme, cracked black pepper, tomato, onion, topped with parmesan cheese. And the other one is just plain old salt.%u00a0 Pulled from the oven when nice and golden brown..set on a wire rack to cool for a few minute and removed from the pans. The mister was practically salivating waiting for a slice%u2026 and he was so not disappointed. Crispy outside with soft airy insides%u2026 Everything a perfect focaccia should be. The one with the toppings was the favorite for the first night, but for a peanut butter and cheese panini for lunch the next day%u2026plain is the way to go.. My suggestion, do what I did, jazz one up and leave one plain. And then make more if you need too because the forecast call for another week of below zero!!! Oh the things that I’ll get to make! (me being positive) Stay warm! -C
Focaccia with out without stuff
3 cups all-purpose flour%u00a0
1 tablespoon salt plus 2 teaspoons for topping (can use more or less if you want)
2 teaspoons active yeast (or one package)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon honey (or sugar if vegan)
6 tablespoons olive oil
Optional toppings
Fresh cracked pepper
Thyme or any other spices
Thinly sliced tomato
Thinly sliced onion%u00a0
Parmesan Cheese%u00a0
Anything you want!
In a bowl or jar, mix honey (or sugar), yeast and warm water together and let sit for about 5 minutes or until yeast is activated and starts to foam In a large bowl, whisk together flour and 1 tablespoon of salt. With either a wooden spoon, dough whisk, or if you have one, a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix the yeast mixture with the flour. The dough is going to be really sticky so mixing might get a little gloppy, but keep at it until everything is full incorporated.. for about 3-5 minutes and don’t be afraid to use your hand%u2026 you can wash it off. %u00a0Once mixed drizzle with oil and cover with a towel. Let rise for about an hour or until dough has dubbed in size. When dough has double, coat%u00a0two 8 or 9 inch cake pans each with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Dump dough onto floured surface and cut in half. Take each half a place in pan. cover and let rise again for another 20ish minutes. preheat over to 400 degrees After second rise, lightly take your fingers and push down dough, making little indents all over the surface. Drizzle each with another tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle each with a teaspoon of salt. If using spices or any other toppings, nows the time to layer them on. And do any cheese last! Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. When done, place on a wire rack and let cool a bit before removing %u00a0from pans. Done!!%u00a0 To store, place in a paper bag.. best eaten within a few days!
What a way to start the day, with a mouth full of c words%u2026%u2026.Caraway, cauliflower, chick peas and cabbage%u2026What did you think I meant?
This week has been nippy, no, its been chilly%u2026..nah, it’s been freaking freezing! Yeah, freezing cold. When I woke up this morning to walk the pup, it was 5 degrees. So needless to say, when it gets this cold, I like to keep inside. Tying not to be a complete lazy bones, I went to town on my spices%u2026 refilling jars with all the little baggies scattering the kitchen, screwing on lids, and wiping down the shelves. Not a bad accomplishment for a day. While cleaning I came upon a little bag or caraway seeds, %u00a0Not enough to warrant a jar on the wall, but defiantly enough for one dish. %u00a0
When I think of the bright, somewhat sweet and peppery caraway, I think cabbage.(anything cabbage and I am sold) A big pan cabbage, added cauliflower for the mister,(his favorite) creamy chick peas because we need %u00a0protein and they be tasty, and of course mustard, because everything tastes better with mustard.(I’ll let you in on a little secret.I eat a lot of mustard, I am kind of obsessed. Mustards of all kind; grainy, homemade, dijon%u2026but usually just plan old yellow. And I eat it on everything.. but my go to is French’s yellow mustard and carrots%u2026don’t judge) A warm, bright and filling dish, perfect for a freezing cold evening stuck inside. You can eat it as main dish or add a pile of quinoa or wild rice, or even a big plate of greens. What ever say you eat it, you and your stomach will be happy.(If your worries about cabbage bloat..don’t be. Cooking cabbage helps breaks down the enzymes that create gas, plus caraway has anti bloating properties%u2026WIN!)%u00a0
Cabbage, cauliflower,(fresh of frozen%u2026.I used frozen in this recipe) pre-cooked or canned chick peas, caraway seeds, yellow mustard, and salt..(I added pepper too)
Chop the cabbage and toss into a lightly oiled pan with the rest of the stuff. Heat pan with everything but water %u00a0for a couple of minutes.. to warm the caraway and give everything a cooking head start, then add the water. Stick a lid on it and let simmer.%u00a0After about 15 minutes, give it a stir or two and do a taste test. At this point, it’s up to you%u2026how cooked you want the veggies? I kept mine cooking for another 10 minutes. I also added another 1/2 cup of water. Not enough water and the pan will burn, a little extra water is good, it creates a yummy broth.
When you are happy with the flavor and doneness, eat it. I made myself a %u00a0bowl with a heap of pickled beets(holy yes!). I am sorry if you don’t have any pickled beets, but the dish is still amazing without them. %u00a0Fresh ground pepper really does the trick too!
So there you go, make it tonight, it will make you warm,smart and happy
-C
serves 2-3
1/2 small head of green cabbage(about 2 cups chopped)
2 cups cauliflower(fresh or frozen)
1 cup cooked chick peas
1 1/2 -2 cups water
1 tablespoon caraway seed
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Lightly oil a medium sized skillet and add all ingredients except water. Heat for a few minutes to warm up veggie and caraway seeds then add a 1 1/2 cups of water. Keep on medium heat with a lid and stir on occasion If water evaporates completely out, add another 1/2 cup. %u00a0Dish is done when veggies are tender.. about 20 minutes%u2026.but whenever tastes best to you!
Can’t wait until my lover comes home! I chopped him a pepper heart.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
November 12, 2019 by maximios • Blog
I have been meaning to make this jam for a while now. I’ll buy a bunch of jalape%u00f1os, then slowly, before I get to cooking them down,%u00a0end up eating them%u00a0all. But not today,%u00a0and the rewards are great, Fresh jalape%u00f1o jam. So much potential for the greatest of things%u00a0(I am thinking mango jalape%u00f1o sorbet%u2026 no, I am making jalape%u00f1o mango sorbet) And if you, like me are a jalape%u00f1o fan, this is going to make your life amazing. You will find yourself jamming up everything, or maybe just eating it with a spoon.
Whatever you want to do with it,%u00a0just make it.%u00a0
Honey and jalape%u00f1os.. All you need, well a little salt and water too, but that’s it.
What you need to do is remove the stems,, most of the ribs and half of the seeds removed. (You could remove all or none of the seeds depending on you heat preference)%u00a0Chop the peppers%u00a0into small chunks, toss into a pot,%u00a0sprinkle with a bit of salt, add in a splash of water. Place%u00a0the pot on medium heat. Top it with a lid, and give the peppers a good stir%u00a0every few minutes. While the peppers are cooking, you want to make sure the bottom isn’t sticking and buringin. If that starts to happen, just turn the heat down a bit and add%u00a0in a little splash more of water.
After about 20 minutes, the peppers are fully cooked and falling apart. The liquid is cooked down and the peppers are starting to caramelize on the bottom of the pan. When that happened, remove the pot from heat.
Now you can either blend the peppers, mash the peppers with a fork, or leave it chunky. Thats a choice Ill leave to you. ( I like to blend, but keep some%u00a0chunks)
And drizzle in a bit o honey. As little or as much as you like.
And scoop into a jar.%u00a0Eat the jam on anything you want. (I found myself eating it with a spoon)
Keep it Real!
-C
Makes about 1 1/2 cups of jam
Wash, remove ribs and most seeds (the more seeds you leave the hotter it will be)%u00a0and dice jalapenos into small chunks. Place in a pot with a few%u00a0splashes of water and a sprinkle of%u00a0salt. Turn on medium heat and cover, stirring every few minutes. If the peppers seem%u00a0to be sticking %u00a0o the pot and burning, turn heat down and add another splash of water.%u00a0After about 20 minutes, the peppers should be really%u00a0tender and%u00a0falling apart. The liquid should be completely cooked out and the peppers will start to caramelized at the bottom of the pot. When that starts to happen, remove from heat. %u00a0Now%u00a0either mash with a fork, blend with a hand blender, or leave superr chunky. Drizzle in honey (or sweetener)%u00a0and stir.%u00a0
Eat right away or stick in a jar and store in the fridge for up to a week (It won’t last that long)
%u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0
%u00a0And that’s how I know that this is a winner.%u00a0
As an awesome aunt, when I have any of my nieces or nephews, %u00a0I feel the need to make something special for dinner, something that the kiddos might not get very often, but also keep it on he healthy side. I have 2 littles for the night which gives me the perfect opportunity for a trash food recipe. You know trash food, things like boxed mac and cheese, beefaroni in a can, or, in this case, sloppy joes.
Sloppy yes, trashy, not so much. These are made with beans and bulgur. No meat.
And I figured it is nice enough out that I can make the kiddos some messy food and then just bring them out back and hose them off%u2026 I mean, why not right?
If you are a bun toaster%u2026 toast while waiting. If not, just get the buns ready
%u00a0And Then dump a good heaping pile right onto a bun. Add some cheese, or not..and eat with wild abandonment, %u00a0making sure to get as much on your face as you get in you mouth.%u00a0
Fantastic Friday!! Live it up.%u00a0
-C
Black Bean and Bulgur Sloppy Joes%u00a0
Dice the onion and the pepper and toss with a drizzle of olive oil into a large skillet. Saut%u00e9 on medium heat until veggies become tender. Add in the spices, stir in and let cook for a minutes, then add in the beans, the tomato,water and the bugler. Cover skillet and let simmer until bugler becomes soft.
When the slop is ready, either toasted or not, scoop a generous portions onto buns. If so inclined, add some cheese.%u00a0
Eat with hands%u2026 Sloppy is good.
A simple post for the simplest of soups.%u00a0Minimal ingredients, no fuss, fast to make but can be left all day to simmer%u2026%u2026. And oh so very very good.%u00a0
This has been one of my go to soups this winter. Warming, hardy, comforting%u2026.every kind of soft cozy feeling that I need when I can’t leave my house because it’s so cold out that all I want to do is sit on the couch wrapped up in a blanket, with a book, and eat hot soup. (That’s the my plan for the weekend) But it’s also good for any type of weekend activities you might have%u2026 it’t kind of the perfect soup.
Note.. I didn’t add any spices to this batch because I really love the flavor without anything. With that being said, I have made this same soup with sage, rosemary, turmeric, even curry. Almost any flavor works in this soup.%u00a0
When the soup is simmering, thinly slice the shallots and toss into a pan. Saut%u00e9 until soft and fragrant.%u00a0
Soup and a spoon. So simple, so good.
Have a great weekend%u2026..Try and stay warm!
-C
Butternut Broccoli Soup
The Stuff%u00a0
Split squash in half, remove seeds, and dice into chunks. %u00a0Place in big pot. Chop up broccoli and add to pot. (or just add frozen chopped broccoli) Add water until stuff is about half way summered. Place a lid on the pot and cook on medium low heat for about 30 minutes or %u00a0until squash and broccoli are fork tender. Blend together with either a stick blender or place in a blender. Add enough water to keep things moving. Add more water if you want a thinner soup, less for a thicker soup. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Once blended, place back in pot on simmer until ready to serve.%u00a0
When the soup is on simmer, thinly slice the shallots and place in a pan to sautee until soft and fragrant. %u00a0
To serve, ladle soup into bowl, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and top with saut%u00e9ed shallot.
Eat with a spoon
%u00a0 %u00a0
%u00a0 
Before we get to the fries, I just want to mention that %u00a0yesterday was one of those fantastic winter days that reminds me why I love living in Vermont. %u00a0Pretty white snow everywhere, the sun was out, and 20 degrees without a gust of wind. The trash dog an I were even able to go for a little hike. %u00a0It was so nice and soooo sooo needed!%u00a0 Anyways, the other day as me, my sister and the mister where putting together %u00a0one more piece of Ikea furniture, (I am the master at Ikea assembling!) %u00a0a little runs into the room and presents the mister with a Dominos pizza. Yup, a whole pizza just for him. Why you might ask? Well I guess my sister was %u00a0delivered the wrong pizza and the place didn’t want it back and she didn’t want it, so she gave it to him.
A whole pizza to himself. I didn’t mind too much..he was just going to be eating it for lunch and dinner until it was%u00a0out of the fridge. But for dinner I did want him to eat something of the vegetable matter that didn’t come out of a box. I was going to make him a big salad, but then realized that would mean%u00a0sharing the last of the greens that I had for MY%u00a0dinner and I was not about to do that, so I made him parsnip and carrot fries instead. No biggy, just some slicing, a little tossing and a bit of time in the old oven. And I figured I might as well make a nice sauce for those fries because I be so very nice.
The biggest problem that I ran into when I made these fries was that I didn’t make enough, so you should probably make twice as many as you think you will eat. If you end up not eating them all (which you probably will), well then you now have a great start for a soup or a nice addition to a salad. Either way, you will eat them because they are amazing and addicting%u2026 and as healthy as can be!
All mixed up in an oven safe dish, I stuck it into the oven for a about 8 minutes until it got a little bubbly, just to let all the flavors fuse together%u2026
Happy Day!
-C
Parsnip and Carrot Fries with Smokey Sriracha Sauce
The Stuff
For the Fries
For the Sauce
Preheat oven to 425.
Wash%u00a0and trim%u00a0carrots and parsnips and cut into large matchsticks%u00a0(any shape is good, just make them all uniform) Toss with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on cast iron pan or baking sheet and stick in oven for 30 or so minutes, and rotating after about 20. The fries are done when %u00a0crispy and brown.
For the sauce. Mince garlic and add to all the sauce ingredients in an oven safe bowl. stick into oven for about 8 minutes until slightly bubbly and hot.
Dip fries in sauce
Focaccia with out without stuff
Optional toppings
In a bowl or jar, mix honey (or sugar), yeast and warm water together and let sit for about 5 minutes or until yeast is activated and starts to foam In a large bowl, whisk together flour and 1 tablespoon of salt. With either a wooden spoon, dough whisk, or if you have one, a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix the yeast mixture with the flour. The dough is going to be really sticky so mixing might get a little gloppy, but keep at it until everything is full incorporated.. for about 3-5 minutes and don’t be afraid to use your hand%u2026 you can wash it off. %u00a0Once mixed drizzle with oil and cover with a towel. Let rise for about an hour or until dough has dubbed in size. When dough has double, coat%u00a0two 8 or 9 inch cake pans each with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Dump dough onto floured surface and cut in half. Take each half a place in pan. cover and let rise again for another 20ish minutes. preheat over to 400 degrees After second rise, lightly take your fingers and push down dough, making little indents all over the surface. Drizzle each with another tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle each with a teaspoon of salt. If using spices or any other toppings, nows the time to layer them on. And do any cheese last! Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. When done, place on a wire rack and let cool a bit before removing %u00a0from pans. Done!!%u00a0 To store, place in a paper bag.. best eaten within a few days!
What a way to start the day, with a mouth full of c words%u2026%u2026.Caraway, cauliflower, chick peas and cabbage%u2026What did you think I meant?
This week has been nippy, no, its been chilly%u2026..nah, it’s been freaking freezing! Yeah, freezing cold. When I woke up this morning to walk the pup, it was 5 degrees. So needless to say, when it gets this cold, I like to keep inside. Tying not to be a complete lazy bones, I went to town on my spices%u2026 refilling jars with all the little baggies scattering the kitchen, screwing on lids, and wiping down the shelves. Not a bad accomplishment for a day. While cleaning I came upon a little bag or caraway seeds, %u00a0Not enough to warrant a jar on the wall, but defiantly enough for one dish. %u00a0
When I think of the bright, somewhat sweet and peppery caraway, I think cabbage.(anything cabbage and I am sold) A big pan cabbage, added cauliflower for the mister,(his favorite) creamy chick peas because we need %u00a0protein and they be tasty, and of course mustard, because everything tastes better with mustard.(I’ll let you in on a little secret.I eat a lot of mustard, I am kind of obsessed. Mustards of all kind; grainy, homemade, dijon%u2026but usually just plan old yellow. And I eat it on everything.. but my go to is French’s yellow mustard and carrots%u2026don’t judge) A warm, bright and filling dish, perfect for a freezing cold evening stuck inside. You can eat it as main dish or add a pile of quinoa or wild rice, or even a big plate of greens. What ever say you eat it, you and your stomach will be happy.(If your worries about cabbage bloat..don’t be. Cooking cabbage helps breaks down the enzymes that create gas, plus caraway has anti bloating properties%u2026WIN!)%u00a0
Cabbage, cauliflower,(fresh of frozen%u2026.I used frozen in this recipe) pre-cooked or canned chick peas, caraway seeds, yellow mustard, and salt..(I added pepper too)
Chop the cabbage and toss into a lightly oiled pan with the rest of the stuff. Heat pan with everything but water %u00a0for a couple of minutes.. to warm the caraway and give everything a cooking head start, then add the water. Stick a lid on it and let simmer.%u00a0After about 15 minutes, give it a stir or two and do a taste test. At this point, it’s up to you%u2026how cooked you want the veggies? I kept mine cooking for another 10 minutes. I also added another 1/2 cup of water. Not enough water and the pan will burn, a little extra water is good, it creates a yummy broth.
When you are happy with the flavor and doneness, eat it. I made myself a %u00a0bowl with a heap of pickled beets(holy yes!). I am sorry if you don’t have any pickled beets, but the dish is still amazing without them. %u00a0Fresh ground pepper really does the trick too!
So there you go, make it tonight, it will make you warm,smart and happy
-C
serves 2-3
Lightly oil a medium sized skillet and add all ingredients except water. Heat for a few minutes to warm up veggie and caraway seeds then add a 1 1/2 cups of water. Keep on medium heat with a lid and stir on occasion If water evaporates completely out, add another 1/2 cup. %u00a0Dish is done when veggies are tender.. about 20 minutes%u2026.but whenever tastes best to you!