Vegan Green Bean Casserole

 Sauteed with garlic and sliced almonds enough green beans to fill a 7 x 11 casserole dish. Chopped them up a little and laid them in the dish. Made this white sauce of which I used almost all following this recipe in part:

• 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
• 2 T cornstarch
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 clove garlic
• Freshly ground white pepper

I topped the "casserole" with thinly sliced onion and then drizzled melted vegan butter over that. If you bake for a half hour at 350, perhaps the onions will crisp up a little...? Or once it's hot and bubbly you could low broil the top for the same effect. 

Chimichurri Sauce

Oh, yeah. http://www.chow.com/recipes/28393-argentine-chimichurri-sauce

Olive Brined Pork

or, The Only Way to Cook Pork EVER

I've done several variations on this idea, but tonight's pork was the best it's been. My suggestion is to get a fatty cut of pork, though any kind of smallish roast or chops will do.

Make a wet rub with equal parts green olive brine and coarse ground dijon mustard, a clove or two of crushed garlic, and as much freshly ground black pepper as your wrist can handle.

Massage the marinade into the meat while heating a heavy skillet or dutch oven on high. When the skillet is smoking, quickly add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and immediately (the oil will burn if you don't act fast) the pork.

Sear all sides of the pork. Depending on your size and cut of meat, this could take up to 10 minutes. So preheat the oven while you're doing this, to 275ºF. When the pork is well browned all over the outside, cover the skillet and remove it to the oven.

Cook for 1 hour or until done. You should own a meat thermometer to tell you when that is. I do.

When the pork is done, there should be enough juices in the pan to make a nice gravy. If you choose to do this, remove the pork to a cutting board and let it rest. Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat.

In a small bowl, whisk 1 cup cold water with 1 tablespoon flour until there are no lumps. Then whisk the flour water into the boiling juices, pouring in a steady stream and stirring continuously. Boil until the gravy thickens to your taste, then turn off the heat.

Slice the pork (if you can––it should be falling apart by now) into half-inch thick slices and return to the skillet. Spoon the gravy over the pork and serve hot.

Chili Butter

This just in from Betty Francis. It sounds wonderful, so I'll try it soon. Maybe to be served with a foccacia made with cheddar cheese and mexicany instead of italiany...

Chili Butter: In a small bowl stir together 1/2 cup softened butter; 1/4 cup finely snipped fresh cilantro; 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped; 1 clove garlic, minced; and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Place on waxed paper; form into a log. Wrap well; chill for 1 hour or overnight. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 1 month.

Sesame Ginger Sauce

Here is the base for the Sesame Ginger Chicken Quesadillas, also good as a marinade for roasted chicken or a salad dressing.

1 c rice wine vinegar
1.5 c soy sauce
1 c canola oil
1 c sesame oil
1/2 c honey
6 T minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced

Whisk together all the ingredients until well blended. Stores in refrigerator up to 1 week. Yield: 4.5 cups

Pizza

Tonight it was some of the best ever. (Sorry, Peter.) I made the crust kind of focaccia type: 2 c white flour, 1 c whole wheat flour, 2.25 tsp yeast, 1.5 c warm water. Mix. 30 minutes later blend in 2 tsp. salt. (maybe a little too much). Knead just four or five times every 30 minutes for an hour and a half. Divide in half and roll out with olive oil.

1st pizza: Rest of some vodka tomato sauce (1/3 cup), sprinkle dried basil liberally and some red pepper flakes a little less liberally. Add lots of mozzarella, and top with yesterday's taco's ground beef and chicken leftovers. Bake 15 minutes at 425. Excellent.

2nd pizza: 1/3 c sour cream spread on unbaked pizza crust. Shred some pecorino/romano. Add fresh ground black pepper, mozzarella, parmesan, more pecorino, the rest of the jar of garlic roasted peppers, chopped, and the rest of the can of black olives, sliced. Bake just as long. The crust was incredible: crisp and crunchy and substantial yet thin.

Hope to do more sour cream pizzas. This was awesomeness.

Cranberry sauce

Wash one bag of whole, fresh cranberries.

Place in medium saucepan with one cup water and one cup sugar.

Bring to boil and remove from heat once cranberries are popping well.

Cool and serve warm or cold.

Excellent topping for Baked Oatmeal

Really Good Pizza Sauce

I find most canned pizza and pasta sauces way too sweet, so I made my own today. Sauteing all the seasonings first releases the flavors a lot better.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. minced onion

3 cloves garlic, crushed

dash cayenne pepper

1 T. dried oregano

2 tsp. dried basil

black pepper

sea salt

12 oz. tomato sauce

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat, saute onions and garlic until fragrant (2-3 minutes), add spices and herbs and cook 30 more seconds, stirring constantly to avoid scorching. Add tomato sauce, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Jennifer's Teriyaki Sauce Marinade

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 t. ginger
• 1 t. salt
Mix and marinate chicken before grilling.

Mayonnaise

First came across this in Julia Child and I love it better (almost) than Hellmann's. It sure is helpful to have when you run short and can't run out!

Blend in electric blender on high for 30 seconds
1 whole egg, 1/4 t dry mustard, 1/2 t salt

Add 1 T lemon juice, or vinegar and blend for 10 seconds

Uncover blending jar and blending at high speed SLOWLY pour up to 1 cup of olive or salad oil in to center of mixture in a very thin stream of droplets. The sauce begins to thicken after 1/2 c. has gone in. Sometimes this is where I stop. If it blends too far it gets thin again and you'll have to make salad dressing out of it. If the blend is too thick, blend in a few more drops of lemon or vinegar.

Spoon into a wide mouthed jar and chill.

Ferg's Meatballs

2 # lean ground beef
1 c cornflake crumbs
1/3 c dried parsley flakes
2 eggs
2 T soy sauce
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1/3 c ketchup
2 T instant onion flakes

Combine ingredients in a large bowl, mix well with hands. Forminto small balls about the size of a large walnut and place in 13x9 baking pan. Makes about 60 meatballs.

Make sauce of
1# can jellied cranberry sauce
1 12 oz. bottle chili sauce
2 T brown sugar
1 T lemon juice

Combine over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until smooth and cranberry sauce is melted.

Pour over meatballs and bake uncovered for 30 minutes in 350 degree oven.

Dr. John Ferguson, Susan's organ teacher at St. Olaf College was kind enough to give her this "secret recipe" for us to make for her & Mike's Florida reception last January. I think he serves it to his student parties and writes "We like this because each batch can be baked separately (during the 7 pm visit time the 8 pm batch is baking) thus things stay warmer. We often make the meatballs and pour the sauce over them a day ahead and keep refrigerated, then less to do the day of the open house. I hope all this is clear. It's nice to think that we can participate in your celebration while being physically far, far away. Have a great party."

Honey-kissed chicken wings Marinade and Sauce

Got this from the Neely's cooking show on television last week. Made them Sunday and though I still prefer Frank's, this is a nice marinade for chicken. Might be good on ham, as well.

Equal parts (I used 1/2 c each for about ten pounds of chicken)
BBQ sauce
Dijon mustard
Hot sauce
Orange zest
Honey

Marinate chicken for at least a half hour; I marinated our wings overnight, then took them out before we went to church so they were closer to room temp when we grilled them.

When chicken is nearly done, brush with crisping sauce of
Equal parts
melted butter
honey
dijon mustard

Mmmmm.

Sandi Moede's Enchilada Sauce

1/2 c. chili powder

2 T flour

Pinch salt

1-2 T sugar

8 oz. tomato sauce

2 c water or broth (beef or chicken)

Mix the dry ingredients, add the broth and sauce and simmer until thickened.

I use this to top our favorite Black Bean Enchilada recipe that my sister, Marcia, served us back in 1990 or so to be shared at a later date.