Buckwheat Crepes

I believe the original recipe is from Alton Brown, using just all purpose flour. I've been making these crepes for years, ever since I got back from studying abroad in France. Once, I even made crepes for an entire group of students on a mission trip when we were stumped about what to eat for dinner. Feel free to double or triple the recipe. If you want to make sweet crepes, just use normal flour and add 3 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract to the batter.

1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
3 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt

Savory Topping ideas:
ratatouille
cooked mushrooms, zucchini, peppers, spinach, onions
herbes de provence
fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary
swiss, mozzerella, or gruyere cheese

Sweet Topping ideas:
Nutella and banana
sugar and lemon juice
caramel and chocolate
fruit compote and chocolate
caramelized apples and cream

Mix the milk, eggs, and water together. Mix some of this batter into the melted butter. Then pour the butter mixture back into the batter. Then sift the flours into the batter, while stirring. There will be a few lumps left, but that's fine. Cover the mixing bowl and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
To make: Grease a caste iron pan with plenty of butter. Heat the pan over medium heat for several minutes. Pour a little less than 1/3 cup batter onto the pan and immediately spread the batter by swirling the pan. Cook just until the edges are dry and the crepe is golden brown. Use a spatula to flip the crepe. Use this time to place toppings in layers on one side of the crepe. I like to put veggies first and then sprinkle the cheese over the veggies. Then fold the crepe in half and serve.

Homemade Paneer

Last week during soup group, one of the girls made some delicious paneer to go along with some tomato soup. I was inspired to make it by how simple she made it sound. Just lemon juice and milk. I found some simple and easy to follow instructions on this site.

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon of milk (I used 2%)
2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Equipment:

Cheesecloth (got it at the East End Coop)
Strainer

1. Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth. Set the strainer over a large bowl to catch the whey.

2. Bring the milk to a rolling boil and then turn off the heat. (I somehow managed to burn some milk onto the bottom of the pan, so make sure not to do that. This is why there are some brownish chunks in the cheese at the end. Ideally, the cheese should be white but this was my first time making it so oh well.)

3. Add 2 tbsp of the lemon juice and stir until the curds and whey separate. It will be fairly obvious when this happens because there will literally be white chunks (curds) in yellowish looking liquid (whey). If the mixture does not separate, add another tablespoon of lemon juice.

4. Pour the mixture into the strainer and let cool. (At this point, this mixture is ricotta cheese!!!) Once it is cool enough to handle, squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the cheesecloth.

5. Set the cheese in the center of a plate and place another plate on top of it. Weigh down the top plate with some canned goods for about 1 hour to press even more liquid out of it. Now the cheese is ready to eat!

I fried my cheese in a saucepan until it was golden brown with some olive oil to give it some color. I also added some salt after it was cooked for more flavor since it is a mild cheese.

As an additional note, I used the whey to cook the lentils and split peas in for some extra flavor. This site tells you what you can do with whey so you don't have to throw it out. It is apparently full of vitamins and flavor.

Curried Red Lentil Soup

This recipe is from 101 Cookbooks which is a gorgeous blog with some delicious recipes. I changed it up a bit and served it with some homemade paneer and roasted butternut squash.

1 cup dried yellow split peas
1 cup dried red split lentils (masoor dal)
7 cups water (I used the extra whey from making the paneer instead for extra flavor)
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 heaping tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons butter
8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, diced
1/3 cup golden raisins (I used dried cranberries)
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
one small handful cilantro, chopped
cooked brown rice or farro, for serving

Bring the lentils and split peas to a boil in the 7 cups of water or broth.

Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the split peas are soft.
In the meantime, in a dry saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant. Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder, just toast it. Set aside.

Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions, the red onion, the remaining ginger, garlic, and cranberries.

Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.

Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk and salt.
Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or so. Add some water for a thinner soup or simmer longer for a thicker consistency. I kept the soup pretty thick and I kept cooking it over low heat for several hours. Sprinkle each bowl generously with cilantro and the remaining green onions to garnish. Serve over some farro.

Ginger Carrot Soup

This recipe was also featured in Bust and I pretty much followed it as is.

1 large yellow onion, diced
1-2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
1 head of garlic (yes, I'm serious- the whole thing)
8 large carrots, diced
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp ground cardamom

Saute the ginger and onions. (This mixture smells so good as it cooks!) Add the garlic once the onion is softened and cook for another minute. Add the carrots, stock and seasonings and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat and let simmer for 40 minutes until carrots are soft. Blend the soup to get a thick creamy mixture. Perfect for a cold day! Garnish with fresh parsley.

Bust Borscht

While reading our issue of Bust magazine (not a magazine about statues, but feminism!), I decided to make a couple of the featured winter soups. This borscht is vegan and I believe it is Eastern European in origin. It is a mild soup but since I love beets that is ok with me! I picked the beets this week while I was at the farm to plant tulips.

Vegan Borscht

1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
5 medium sized beets, chopped
2 medium potatoes, diced
1/4 head of cabbage, chopped
4-5 cups of water or vegetable broth
a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
fresh dill
fresh parsley

Saute the onion in a large soup pot for a couple of minutes.

Then add the celery, carrots, and beets and cook until tender.

Add the cabbage and saute for another couple of minutes. Then add the liquid and the potatoes. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 40 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.

Season with salt and pepper. I like to blend half of the soup so that it is still a little chunky. Serve with a spoonful of vinegar and plenty of dill and parsley.

Cranberry, Apricot, and White Chocolate Blondies

Laura, Brittany, and I picked up this reciped during the cookie tour. We didn't get to try these bars since Jay Design Studios (who got the recipe from the Cookie Bible) ran out, but I knew I had to make them! I ended up finally getting the apricots later in the week and making them just in time for girl dinner. They were a success. The flavors worked together perfectly. I used the leftover fresh cranberries from making Laura's cranberry crumb bars.

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 2/3 cups white chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup apple cider or orange juice (I used apple cider)
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

Grease a 9 inch baking pan and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. I used Brittany's gorgeous Le Creuset pan. That pan has seen so many great desserts.
Anyways, stir in 1 cup of white chocolate chips into the melted butter and let sit for 1 minute. Stir until chips are melted.
Beat eggs in a separate, large bowl until foamy. Add granulated sugar and beat until pale yellow. Add flour, juice, melted chips, and stir until just combined.

Spread half of this batter into the pan. Bake for 15 minutes until the crust is just lightly browned at the edges.
Take out of the oven. Mix cranberries, apricots, and the rest of the chocolate chips into the remaining batter.

Spread over the hot baked mixture.
Sprinkle the nuts and the brown sugar on top of this mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes more until the edges are lightly brown. Cool and then cut into bars and enjoy!

Girl Dinner

I first had this soup during a monthly soup group dinner which was started by my friend Melody (who also made this dish). Basically a bunch of girls rotate making soup for each other and during these dinners there is time to reflect and pray together. It is a great tradition, and one that inspired me to start weekly dinners with my group of friends too. This week I was hosting and made this stew and banh mi sandwiches. Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that includes all or just some of the following ingredients: cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrot and daikon radish, jalapeno, pork, mayonaise, and pate. At least the ones that I have eaten. I know that there are a ton of varieties. I decided to make a tempeh version marinated in teriyaki sauce. If you are curious for more information, check out the New York Times. They have done a bunch of articles on this delicious sandwich.

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart's version.
 Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

• 2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds total), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 fresh tomato, chopped
• 1 medium red onion, diced medium
• 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• Fresh oregano
• Plain yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a baking pan, toss together eggplant, tomato, onion, garlic, and 4 teaspoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Leave a wide strip of empty space at one end. Transfer chickpeas to empty space on sheet. Roast until eggplant is golden and cooked through and chickpeas are slightly crunchy, about 35 minutes.
2. Set chickpeas aside. Peel garlic and add to a medium pot, along with eggplant, onion, and broth. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high. With a potato masher or back of a wooden spoon, mash some eggplant until soup is thick and chunky. Stir in chickpeas and season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, top with fresh oregano and plain yogurt, if desired. Makes about 7 servings.

Banh Mi

• 3 French baguettes, cut into thirds and sliced in half
• 1 large cucumber sliced thinly into strips
• pickled carrots and daikon radishes (see below)
• mayonaise or for an extra kick,aioli
• Bragg's liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
• 4 jalapenos, sliced (seeds not removed)
• 2 packages of tempeh, sliced and marinated in teriyaki sauce for 1 day
• Fresh cilantro

1. The tempeh and the pickles should be done in advance. Cook the marinated tempeh until lightly browned and crispy.
2. Spread a good amount of mayonaise onto one side of each baguette
3. Drizzle some liquid aminos or soy sauce onto the other side of the bread
4. Layer the sliced cucumber, pickled carrots and radishes, tempeh, cilantro, and jalapenos into the baguettes and enjoy!


Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radishes
(more thorough instructions are here)

1/2 lb. carrots -cut into thin match-like strips.
1/2 lb. daikon radish – cut same as carrots.
3 cups water
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar, depending on how sweet you want your pickles
3 tablespoons salt, depending on how salty you want your pickles

Place the sliced carrots and radishes into a large mason jar or a large tupperware container. This recipe makes a lot of pickles. Boil the liquid ingredients and pour over the vegetables. Let cool and then place in the refrigerator to pickle. Let pickle at least for 1 day before eating. The longer you let them pickle, the more delicious they get. They stay good for about a month after pickling. Just keep them refrigerated!

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Today is the Halloween parade in Bloomfield! So in honor of halloween, I'm going to be making pumpkin soup for all the girls who are coming over to see the parade. We're also going to be having greens and beets seasoned with caraway seeds and sesame oil, fresh radishes, and to finish- lavender pound cake : )

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

1 large white onion, diced
4 carrots unpeeled, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1 inch section of ginger peeled and diced
3 medium sized red potatoes unpeeled, diced
3 cups of pureed pumpkin (see directions below)
2-3 cups homemade vegetable stock depending on how thick you like soup
1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons of dried herbes de provence
1 tablespoon of fresh sage, chopped
2 teaspoons of dried rosemary

Saute the onions and the carrots over medium heat until translucent and almost golden brown. Then toss in the chopped garlic and ginger and let cook for about 1 minute. Add the vegetable stock, herbs, pumpkin, and the potatoes and bring to a boil. Bring down to a simmer and cook the potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Let it cool a little and then put it in a blender to get a smooth, creamy soup. Reheat on the stove. Serve with a sage leaf garnish and a drizzle of rosemary infused olive oil.
This version is vegan, but if you want a creamier version just add 1/2 cup of heavy cream after blending.

To roast the pumpkin:

Note: I used a pie pumpkin because there is more meat and it is sweeter and more flavorful than conventional pumpkins. However, conventional pumpkins are definitely edible and I'm sure would work just fine.