Yogurt Commons Bread

Over the years I've made modifications to the Commons Bread. Recently I've wanted more fiber in my diet but I still prefer the taste of the white flour over whole wheat. Psyllium husks seem to do the trick quite nicely. I've also started to make labneh, or yogurt cheese, and used the whey in the bread. I found that it changed the texture of the bread really nicely, and I even feel like it even keeps the crumb of the bread moist for longer. Since I don't always make labneh or have whey on hand, just plain yogurt does the same thing.

SLOW

Experience cook 4 hours

Novice cook 4 hours

3 cups flour (450gr)

¼ tsp instant yeast (yes, really, that's all!)

1¼ tsps. salt (12gr)

1½ cups water

½ cup yogurt or liquid whey

1 tsp psyllium husk powder

Mix the flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the water and yogurt to thoroughly blend into a very wet dough that'll look more like a sticky batter. Cover the bowl and let it rest in a warm place for at least 12 and preferably up to 24 hours. It’s ready for the next step when the surface is dotted with bubbles. It is crucial that the dough be kept warm, otherwise the little bit of yeast won't be able to propagate in your dough - if you don't have a warm place, put in the cold oven and turn on the light; this should keep it plenty warm to rise. If you don't have a warm place at all, the key is to watch for the little bubbles on the surface, which will take longer to appear in a cold place.

Flour a work surface and dump the dough out onto it, cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, layer a bowl with some parchment paper - when the dough has finished rising you will pick up the whole thing to deposit into your hot dutch oven.

Using only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers, shape it into a ball and deposit it into your parchment-lined bowl. Cover and in the same warm place, let rise for about 2 hours. When ready, the dough will be more than double in size.

Put a large cast iron pot or Dutch oven (cocotte) inside to heat (I use a 1 3/4 quart CorningWare dish) and turn on the oven to heat to 450°F\230°C. 

When the dough is ready, remove the pot from the oven, lift the parchment-lined dough out of its bowl and into the pan. Shake the pan to settle the bread evenly. Cover with the lid, and bake 30 minutes. Remove the lid, and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until the loaf is nicely browned. Cool on a rack.

Rustic Lyonnais Onion & Lardons Layered Soup

This charming baked soup evokes a rustic French kitchen with its slow caramelized onions, and the kind of earthy, unapologetic rich aromas perfuming the hearthside. It feels “authentic,” a culinary story, a lineage.

Number of portions, 7 servings

Serving size ~350 g

Calories per serving ~445 kcal

Speed: Slow

Experienced cook (active time) 50–55 min

Novice cook (active time) 60–75 min

Total elapsed time 2–2.5 hours

4 oz fatty bacon cut into lardons

6 small onions (2lbs), thin sliced

1 to 2 sprigs thyme, minced

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

⅓ cup white wine

3½ cups rich beef broth

8oz very thin slices of day-old/stale bread

7 to 8oz Parmesan cheese, sliced thin

¼ + cup cream 

CROUTONS

2 slices of crusty bread (about 1 cup)

2 Tbsps butter

1. Render the fat from the lardons in a saucepan over medium heat until they are evenly golden. 
2. Remove the rendered lardons and set aside.
3. Drain all but 2 Tbsps. of the fat. 
4. Slowly cook the onion in the fat, until it turns a deep brown and is falling apart - all the sweetness of the onion will come out at this point. If using a cast iron or stainless steel pan (recommended), a 'fond' will start to develop as the sugars in the onion begin to caramelize and stick to the pan. Don't avoid this stage, but enter it joyfully - this is where your flavour will come from.
5. Add the thyme, mixing it in.
6. Season with the salt and pepper
7. Stir in the wine and cook down for a few minutes.
8. Add the broth. Scrape up all that wonderful fond and continue simmering for about 30 minutes.
9. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
10. In an oven-ready pot or earthenware casserole dish, make consecutive layers of: 
• thinly sliced bread
• thinly sliced Parmesan
• 1 Tbsp of cream
• some of the bacon
• and repeat, continuing with another bread layer, until the casserole is half full.
11. Last but not least, pour the onions and their stock over all this. 
12. Bake in the oven, covered, for 1 hour.

CROUTONS

1. Cube the bread to make croutons.
2. Over medium heat melt the 2 Tbsps. of butter in a small pan (level of butter should be 1/4 inch) and allow it to heat up completely so that when a cube of bread is put in, it will quietly sizzle.
3. Add the bread cubes and fry, stirring constantly so they brown evenly, about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. 
4. Burns easily!
5. With a slotted spoon remove the croutons. You can use any leftover fat as the base of your next cooking project.
6. When the casserole is baked, remove the dish from the oven, sprinkle the croutons on top and return to the oven to broil until the top is gently bubbling and the croutons nestled in.

Leftover Pasta Casserole

Whenever I can, since this recipe has come into my life, I try to make too much pasta when cooking other recipes. So far, no matter what I make, the Herbes de Provence just elevate the whole thing. Such a creamy, unctuous, delicious concoction that helps reduce waste. I keep a container in my freezer I add little bits of leftover pasta and blam! When I have 32oz, into the oven it goes to make this little wonder. There may be combinations of pasta recipes that won't work together, but I haven't found it yet. If the leftover pasta is overly milk, like a Pasta con Aglio et Olio, you can add a TBSP or 2 of marinara sauce or of pesto and that should do the trick.

Number of portions: 6 servings
Serving size: ~310 g
Calories per serving: ~490 kcal
Speed: Everyday Dish
Experienced cook (active time): 25–30 min
Novice cook (active time): 35–45 min
Total elapsed time: 55–65 min
LHSS Score: 3.7 / 10

32oz/900g leftover pasta (if using dry pasta, dry-to-cooked is roughly 1:2) 

1/4 cup (2oz/58gr) butter

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup (30g) flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided (80+80)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided (20+20g)

1 tsp herbs de Provence

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp Salt 

1/2 tsp pepper 

(if using plain pasta, add 2 Tbsps. to 1/4 cup tomato sauce or something else)

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a gratin dish.
2. Cook the pasta; drain and set aside. If you have leftover pasta to use, see NOTE
3. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the flour until smooth.
4. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and milk, stirring until smooth. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened. Reduce heat and add half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Season with herbs de Provence, nutmeg, salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Combine the sauce with the cooked linguine and toss to coat well. Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh parsley for garnish.
7. Serve with a green salad.

NOTE: If you have leftover pasta, weigh it to subtract that amount from the dry pasta you'll cook to make up the difference, if needed. 1lb dry pasta = 455g, while 114g pasta = 4oz. Once cooked, this amount of pasta turns into 910g (2lbs), 228g (8oz).

Table d'hôte #3

I found this by accident, with no idea I had ever saved it. I made this when Ben and I were first together, living in the West End, and I'd invited Barry over for dinner. The star of the meal was the Rotoli. The original recipe link I had saved was on a laptop that had been stolen when our apartment was robbed, and some 16 years later I am almost positive I managed to find the same recipe I'd used, after years of wondering and intermittent searching.

Starter - Cream of Cilantro Soup

Main - Chicken Parmesan

Side - Rotoli-di-pasta

Dessert - Berry Fool (look at Experimental)

Thumbprint Cookies

Cookies like these feel like the kindness and indulgence of my grandmother. I can't remember if she ever made cookies like these, but the story is more powerful than the reality. Browning the bottom of the cookie is really important to the flavor, otherwise the cookie just tastes like dough - in writing this, I realize that this is perhaps attractive to some people, but I prefer that toasted, browned butter flavor that seems to accentuate the buttery-ness of the cookie.

Makes about 20 x 1oz balls

¾ cup (6oz/169gr) butter, softened

½ cup (4oz/115g)white sugar

2 egg yolks

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

approximately ½ cup fruit preserves, any flavor, and/or soft caramel

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and egg yolks. Mix in flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms. 
2. Wrap and put in the refrigerator and rest for one hour or up to 72 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
4. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. If dough is too soft, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Place balls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets (do not use parchment paper which prevents, in my oven at least, for browning on the bottom). Use your thumb or an instrument of similar size to press down in the middle of the ball of dough to make a well in the center of each cookie. I use the teaspoon measuring spoon to make the indentations. Fill the hole with 1 teaspoon of preserves.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Aloo Sabzi (Potato curry)

I've started draining the oil that separates on my natural peanut butter to use in recipes. The taste is a bit pronounced, but in this recipe it just becomes part of the rich and layered flavouring.

6 servings

160 calories per serving

Quick

Experienced cook: ~30 minutes

Novice cook: ~45–50 minutes

3 Tbsp. peanut oil (or any cooking oil)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 pinch asaphoetida

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch ginger root, grated

1 onion (6oz/170gr) sliced

3 potatoes (24oz), cubed (peeled or unpeeled)

½ tsp turmeric powder

¾ tsp red curry powder (Kashmiri blend is good)

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder 

1 tsp garam masala

1 + ½ tsp Salt 

¼ cup cilantro, chopped 

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom wide shallow pan, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds.
2. Once the seeds pop, add the asaphoetida, ginger, garlic and onions along with 1 tsp salt.
3. Sauté on medium heat until the onions start to soften.
4. Add the potatoes to the pan and cook until fork tender. Add a few Tbsps. of water when it starts to stick.
5. Add all dry spices and salt and gently toss until all the potatoes are evenly coated with the spices. 
6. Cook for 2-4 minutes more, covered, to allow the spices to flavor the potato.
7. Serve immediate with chopped cilantro sprinkled on top.

Table d'hôte #2

I have made this combination many, many times. Generally all the savory dishes are served buffet style for diners to combine into burritos, but each element can also stand on its own, with the ensalada as the starter, the refried beans as the main, and the rice an tortilla shells as the sides.

Starter - Ensalada de col

Main - Refried Beans

Side - Red Rice and Flour Tortillas

Dessert - Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Tart

Poudre Douce Spice Mix

Poudre Douce is a spice mix used in Medieval and Renaissance cookery and is a blend that varies from cook to cook. This is my version. It's used in apple desserts to very good effect.

3 Tbsps. ginger

2 Tbsps. sugar

1 1/2 Tbsps. cinnamon

1 tsp clove

1 tsp nutmeg

1. Mix together and keep in a jar.

Pumpkin Pancakes

This recipe is from Natalia, a lovely Mexican pastry chef who made them for us with some of our pumpkins. Flavorful and fluffy.

¼ cup (52 g) butter, melted 

¼ cup (52 g) brown sugar 

4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

1 cup (226 g) pumpkin puree 

2 eggs

2 cups milk 490 g

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour 250 g

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1. Melt the butter and set aside.
2. In a large bowl thoroughly combine the sugar and spices. 
3. Stir in the butter and the pumpkin puree and mix until well combined. 
4. Add the eggs, whisk until smooth. 
5. Stir in the milk and vanilla.
6. Whisk in the baking powder and the baking soda.
7. With a wooden spoon add the flour and fold in just until the batter is smooth and no pockets of flour remain.
8. Ladle in ¼ cup of the batter into the pan at a time. Cook for roughly 2 minutes, or until you see bubbles in the middle of the pancakes and the edges are dry enough to get a spatula under the pancake. Flip and cook for 1 more minute on the other side, or until cooked through. Serve with maple syrup. Eat.

Jacques' Lentil Salad

This is a slightly adapted version of a recipe in Julia Child and Jacques Pepin's collaborative cookbook "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home." With lettuce growing in the garden and tomatoes finish ripening as summer starts to cool late in the season, this is a delicious way of taking advantage of the season. Truth be told, I also cheat and freeze fresh tomatoes for the off season so I can make dishes that require fresh tomato.

The lentils

1 1/2 cups French green lentils

3 1/2 cups water

1 onion (6oz/170g) chopped

1 or 2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 tap salt

1 pinch ground cloves

The dressing

2 Tbsps. white-wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp Dijon-style mustard

Tabasco sauce

1 large ripe tomato, cored, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

1/3 cup finely chopped shallots, green onions, or onion

2 tsps. minced garlic

2 Tbsps. chopped fresh chives, for garnish

For the lentils:

1. Combine lentils, water, onion, thyme, bay leaf, salt and cloves in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. 
2. Cook at least 25 minutes, until lentils are cooked through but hold their shape. 
3. Let cool to lukewarm; drain any remaining liquid. 
4. Pour lentils into a mixing bowl. Discard thyme and bay leaf.

For the dressing: 

1. Whisk together vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, mustard and Tabasco. 
2. Stir in chopped tomato, shallots and garlic.
3. Pour the dressing over the warm lentils; fold in gently. Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle with chopped chives.

Rösti (simple and delicious browned potato pancake)

Similar to a latke, but without the onion. I'm constantly amazed at all the different ways of making potatoes delicious. This is surprisingly light and the mouthfeel has a sense of luxury similar to pasta - all these little pieces reassembled to make a mouthful. Excellent with eggs, the unctuous yolk dribbling over the browned potato.

1kg/ 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled or skin on, grated (can split with Jerusalem Artichoke, up to 1lb)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsps. mild veg oil

1+1 Tbsp. (½ oz/14gr+½ oz/14gr) butter

1. Squeeze out excess liquid from the potatoes by taking handfuls of the grated stuff and squeezing out as much liquid as possible. The more dry the raw potato is, the easier it is to have a crisp pancake.
2. Toss thoroughly in a large bowl with salt, pepper and oil.
3. Melt 1 Tbsp. of the butter in a large fry pan, allow it to froth and wait for the frothing to quiet down like when you make browned butter. 
4. Add the potato just as the milk solids in the butter starts to colour. Don't pack the potato down and make sure to distribute it evenly. You should have about 1" of raw potato. Take the time to tidy the edges a bit.
5. Turn down the temperature to low and start checking after 7 minutes to make sure you don't burn the potato. 
6. Meanwhile, lightly butter a plate. 
7. When the bottom of the rösti is brown, make sure it's loose from the pan, perhaps by running a spatula underneath it or shaking the pan. Upturn the plate on top of the rösti, hold firmly down with your hand, grab the handle of the pan and flip the rösti onto the plate. Remove the pan. The rösti should just drop onto the plate
8. Melt the second Tbsp of butter in the pan and do the frothing thing again.
9. Slide the rösti into the pan and cook for another 7 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy. 
10. Remove from the pan, cut up and serve immediately.

Other Possible toppings

• 2 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
• Fried, poached, or soft boiled eggs
• Crème fraîche, sour cream, or Greek yogurt
• Applesauce
• Smoked salmon
• Sliced avocado
• Thinly sliced ham or prosciutto 
• Grated gruyere or other firm cheese
• Goat cheese, feta, or other soft cheese
• Minced fresh chives, dill, basil, parsley, or mint
• Cooked and crumbled bacon
• Sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, cornichons, or kimchi 
• Bratwursts or breakfast sausages
• Hot sauce, Sriracha, or chili crisp

Greens inna pan

 If you have a profusion of greens you can't use up in a recipe, or you're just looking for a side dish to increase your intake of greens, this is a delicious option. It goes well as a base for eggs in a brunch or breakfast plate.

Number of portions 2 

Serving size ~244 g

~295 calories per serving

QUICK

Experienced cook 15 minutes

Novice cook 22 minutes

LHSS Score 7.1 / 10

1 bunch greens (8oz) (beet tops, chard, spinach, and turnip greens), stems sliced thin, leaves cut into strips

1 small onion (4oz/115g)

¼ cup vegetable oil (olive, whatever)

Pinch of salt

½ cup stock (chicken, vegetable, whatever)

Juice from ½ lime

OPTIONAL a pinch of red pepper flakes

1. Poach the onion in the oil until it becomes soft. Add the sliced stems (if there are any).
2. Note that any browning at this stage is good - it will add flavour.
3. Once the stems are soft add the leaves and the pinch of salt. Sautée until the leaves wilt, then add the broth. Keep stirring until a quarter of the broth has evaporated.
4. Squeeze over the lime, toss one last time, then serve immediately.

Dahl Makhani (curried bean and lentil dal)

A very flavorful dal, served with savory rice. Excellent on the second day with an egg on top.

2 Tbsps mild oil

1 medium onion (6oz/170g) chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated 

1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and membranes removed, minced (or a pinch of red pepper flakes)

1 ½ tsp garam masala

½ tsp ground cumin 

½ tsp ground coriander 

1 tsp salt 

Ground black pepper

1 can (14oz/398mL) diced tomatoes, with their juices

1 cup uncooked French lentils

1 can (19oz/540mL) kidney beans, rinsed and drained OR; 2 1/4 cups cooked kidney beans OR; 3/4 cup dry, soaked overnight

5 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp lime juice, plus additional lime wedges for serving

Serve with:

Plain yogurt

Chopped fresh cilantro

Lime wedges

1. In a large pot heat the oil and gently cook the onion, garlic, ginger and jalapeño, until softened, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Stir in the garam masala, cumin, coriander and salt. Season generously with black pepper. Cook, while stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 more minute, while stirring. 
4. Add the lentils, kidney beans, water and bay leaf. 
5. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking, uncovered,  until the lentils are tender. Stir occasionally. About 45 minutes or until the beans and lentils are very thoroughly cooked.
6. Remove the bay leaf. 
7. Either mash roughly with a potato masher or ricer, just enough to thicken the broth OR; transfer 2 cups of the mixture to a blender and process until smooth, being careful to avoid the hot steam escaping from the blender lid. Transfer the blended mixture back to the pot and stir to combine. 
8. Add the lime juice and adjust the seasoning. 
9. Serve in bowls.
10. Pass around the yogurt, chopped cilantro and lime wedges. 

NOTE: Good make-ahead dish, the flavors mellow very nicely. Very good as a lunch with a soft fried egg or a soft poached egg on top.

Onion Flatbread

These make a tasty snack on their own, or go well with hummus. It's tricky to get an even layer of the batter onto the cookie sheet, which is why you'll get gummier parts that might need a bit more time. You should do this only after cutting up the sheet of baked flatbread since the parts that are done will over crisp.

1¾ cups (410g) water 

¼ cup (50g) olive oil + extra for drizzling 

1⅔ cups (200g) flour 

1 tsp salt

2 onions (17oz/500g), sliced thin

⅓ cup (40g) grated parmesan 

2 Tbsps. (20g) cornmeal 

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (or 400?).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the water, flour, olive oil, and salt until the mixture is smooth and forms a fairly liquid batter.
3. Stir in the onions to coat. Let sit for a half hour, up to overnight.
4. SEE NOTE 3 ABOVE Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and pour the batter into the tray, holding back or setting aside the onion (I used a collander). Use a spatula for spreading the batter out evenly.
5. Arrange the onion pieces evenly across the pan.
6. Combine the parmesan and the cornmeal in a small bowl and evenly sprinkle on top.
7. Drizzle a little olive oil on top to give extra flavor and crispness.
8. Bake for 60 to 90 minutes or until golden and crispy on the edges.
9. Serve warm (not hot!), cut into wedges or rectangles.
10. NOTE: if there are any pieces still too squishy, put them back in the oven for 15 minutes or until the desired doneness is achieved.

Potato Leek Soup

This is my favorite potato and leek soup! The flavours are rounded and soothing, a real comfort food for blustery cold days. It's easy to increase for larger groups - I've added the quantities below.

Servings: 12

1/2 cup butter (4oz/114gr)

4 large leeks (24oz/680g), white and light green parts only, roughly chopped (about 5 cups)

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into ½-inch pieces

7 cups water or chicken or vegetable broth

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

3/4 cup buttermilk (OR yogurt) and 1/4 cup heavy cream (OR just 1 cup heavy cream)

Chives, finely chopped, for serving

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. 
2. Over low heat add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and wilted. This will take a while but it's important that the alliums don't brown but just poach in the butter.
3. Add the potatoes, water/broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
4. Fish out the thyme sprig and bay leaves, then purée the soup until smooth. 
5. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until thickened. If it's too thick, add water or stock to thin it out. 
6. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

Double

228 Grams butter

1.36 Kilograms leeks

6 garlic

1.816 Kilograms potato

3.312 Liters broth

4 bay leaves

6 thyme sprigs

12 Grams salt

4.6 Grams pepper

339 Grams yogurt

119 Grams Cream

Triple

342 Grams butter

2 Kilograms leeks

9 garlic

2724 Grams potato

4.968 Liters broth

6 bay leaves

9 thyme sprigs

18 Grams salt

7 Grams pepper

509 Grams yogurt

179 Grams Cream

Ham and bean soup

A hearty, flavorful soup great to use up leftover ham.

1 lb. dry soup beans (or 2.5lbs canned)
3 Tbsps. oil (leftover fat from the skimming when boiling a ham is choice)
1 onion (6oz/170g) chopped
4 carrots (12oz) chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6-8 cups chicken stock
OPTIONAL: ham bone
(14oz/398mL) diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dry oregano

1 tsp dry basil

1 tsp dry thyme 

a generous pinch of hot pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper, to taste
2 cups (5oz/150g) shredded cabbage or kale
2 to 3 cups (350-400gr) diced cooked ham
1 tsp salt, to taste

1. Soak beans overnight then rinse.
2. In a large soup pot sauté the onion and carrots in the oil for 4-5 minutes or until the onion starts to soften. Add the garlic and sauté one more minute.
3. Add the beans, the chicken stock, the ham bone, the tomatoes, bay leaf, herbs and pepper. NOTE: if using kale, add at this point.
4. Bring to a boil then reduce and simmer, covered lightly, for 90 minutes or until the beans are soft.
5. Add the ham and cabbage (if using) and cook for 15-20 minutes more. Adjust the seasoning. Discard the bay leaf and serve.

Coleslaw with vinaigrette

Goes nicely with Pierogi Casserole or Cornmeal Souffle.

1 lbs. cabbage (recommended is ½ green cabbage and ½ red cabbage), finely sliced

2 large carrots (6oz/170g) grated

2 scallions, finely sliced

¼ cup (60g) Tbsps vinegar white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp (25g) Dijon mustard

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp pepper

½ cup (100g) good olive oil

1. Prepare all the vegetables and mix in a large bowl.
2. Put the remaining ingredients in a small jar, screw on the lid tightly and shake until emulsified, just a few seconds.
3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix together thoroughly.

Potato and Daikon Curry

Daikon is an easy winter vegetable to grow and it is great for soil building, so I want to keep it around and find ways of using it for food. I came across this little gem, which is surprisingly tasty. The grated daikon kind of melt into a sauce, showcasing the potato and flavoring the dish.

2 Tbsps. almond meal

1” piece of fresh ginger, grated fine

2-3 hot green chiles, seeded and chopped OR ½ tsp chilli flakes

OPTIONAL: 1+2 Tbsps. cilantro, washed and chopped, in all

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/3 cup water

¼ cup veg oil

½ tsp caraway seed

1 tsp cumin seed

¼ tsp asafoetida powder

1 lb. potato, cut into ¼ inch dice

½ lb. daikon, peeled and shredded

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsps. ground coriander

1 tsp salt

2 tsps. lemon juice (subst. 1 tsp white wine vinegar)

1. Start by making a paste by combining flour, ginger, chilli, optional cilantro, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in the water. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a heavy pan over high heat until almost smoking. Add in the caraway and cumin seed and stir fry, stirring constantly, until they begin to brown, about 20 seconds. 
3. Add in the asafoetida resin, stir fry for a few seconds, and then add diced potatoes. Sir fry for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Add the shredded radish and the paste. Stir fry for another 3-4 minutes. 
5. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the turmeric and coriander. 
6. Continue stir-frying until the potatoes are tender. Add in a few tablespoons of water at a time when the spices begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. 
7. Remove from heat and mix in the remaining chopped cilantro and lemon juice.