Recipes

Makes 8 or more servings

Yes, another cole slaw! I am particularly fond of this one, so I am sharing …

1 large head cabbage, quartered, cored, and shredded
2 cups yellow onions, peeled and sliced paper-thin
1/4 cup sweetener (or to your taste)
1/4 cup mild honey
2 teaspoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2/3 cup bland oil (such as grapeseed)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seeds

1. Place cabbage in a very large bowl and arrange the onion slices on top of the cabbage.
2. Sprinkle with the sweetener and drizzle with the honey, without stirring.
3. Combine the brown sugar, salt, dry mustard, oil, vinegar, and celery seeds in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over the cabbage and onions. Stir everything together and let sit at least 4 hours.

As slaw marinates, its apparent volume will shrink by at least half. Transfer to a glass dish and store in refrigerator, covered and use as needed. It will keep 2 weeks.

Makes 1 cake

This recipe was in the new Edible Monterey Bay magazine and I just had to share it with you — it is soooo GOOD! Hope you enjoy it; it is worth the work!

1 1/2 cups raisins
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons brandy
2 cups persimmon pulp (see above recipe for making puree)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 – 1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 pinch cloves
1 pinch fresh grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk
1/4 cup egg whites (whites from two separated eggs)
1 handful sugar (about 1/4 cup)

Brandy Sauce:
1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup cream
1/2 cup brandy
pinch of sea salt

1. In a small glass or ceramic bowl, combine the raisins with the brandy, making sure all the raisins are submerged. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 3 hours or (preferably) overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and lightly flour a bundt pan; set aside.
3. Puree the persimmon pulp in a blender, then strain into a large bowl, using a ladle to force as much through as possible.
4. Add the sugar, vanilla, cloves and nutmeg, stirring well until blended.
5. Stir in walnuts and the raisin-brandy mixture.
6. Combine the baking soda and salt, and gradually add the persimmon mixture, stirring until well mixed. Stir in the milk, blending well, then set aside.
7. Place egg whites in a small mixing bowl. With an electric mixture set at low speed, beat the whites for 30 seconds, then increase speed and add sugar a little bit at a time every 30 seconds or so, until sugar is incorporated and stiff peaks form.
8. Carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the persimmon mixture until just barely blended.
9. Gently spoon the batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake in the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until done (i.e. just starting to brown and no longer “jiggling”. You can test for doneness by inserting a toothpick or bamboo skewer; if it comes out clean, it’s done). Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
10. While cake cools, make the brandy sauce: Whisk brown sugar into the butter. Boil for 1 minute then turn off heat. Add brandy, salt, and cream, whisking until smooth.
11. Turn cake out of bundt pan onto a serving plate. To serve, cut into slices, spooning brandy sauce over slices and then sprinkling with a little nutmeg.
12. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 – 8

There is no chicken meat in this soup, only chicken stock. You can use vegetable stock instead if you like. You can also substitute kale for the chard; just remember that kale requires longer cooking times. In this recipe, the Lacinato kale would work better than the Red Russian.

2 bunches chard (about 1 1/2 pounds) (can substitute kale)
1/4 cup butter
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
6 – 8 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
3/4 cup Basmati or short-grained rice (I use brown Basmati or short-grained brown rice — so much better!)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
sea salt and pepper to taste
More Parmesan cheese for garnishing

1. Wash chard well and cut leaves into strips and chop stems. (If using kale, omit stems.)
2. In a 4 – 5 quart pot, melt the butter. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until softened.
3. Add the chard and stir to coat with the butter. Cover the pot and heat for 4 – 5 minutes to wilt the chard.
4. Add 6 cups stock; bring to a boil and add the rice. Cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
5. If soup becomes too thick, add more stock.
6. When the rice is done, add fresh Parmesan and parsley. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.
7. Serve piping hot sprinkled with more cheese.

Serves 6

This soup can be served cold, or both soup and sauce can be reheated and served hot.

For the soup:
3 pints vegetable stock (6 cups)
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of ground coriander
1 head Romanesco cauliflower, coarsely chopped
1 pint cream

For the red pepper sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 red peppers, deseeded, trimmed and chopped
1 red chili pepper, de-seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and grated

1. Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot. Add the nutmeg, coriander, and seasoning.
2. Add the chopped cauliflower and simmer for 20 minutes. Cool, blend to a smooth puree, then add the cream.
3. While cauliflower is cooling, make the red pepper sauce. Heat the oil in a pan, add the red peppers, chili, ginger, and some salt. Cover, and cook over a very low heat for 20 minutes.
4. Let cool and then blend to a thin sauce which will emulsify a little.
5. To serve, pour the soup into individual bowls. Carefully pour the red pepper sauce into the soup, starting in the center and making a thin spiral. Serve at once.

Serves 4 – 6

2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons ginger, grated
2 – 3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 red chili pepper, de-seeded and sliced
1 tablespoon each: crushed cumin seeds, crushed cardamom seeds and crushed coriander.
1 bunch chard or kale, de-stemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces (if using chard, cut the stems into bite size-pieces and use as well)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon sweetener

1. Heart oil in a pan and add the ginger, garlic, chili, spices, and chopped chard stems. Stir-fry until the spices darken and the garlic browns; by then the stems should be softened. If you are using kale, just stir fry the spices.
2. Now add the torn leaves of chard or kale and stir-fry rapidly for about 1 minute (2 – 4 minutes longer for the kale).
3. Add the salt and sugar, stirring again to season. When the greens are wilted to your liking, place them in a serving dish and serve immediately.

Makes 16 tamales

This is from an old Rick Bayless cookbook, One Plate at a Time.

Equipment:
Steamer basket
Pots
Bowl to soak corn husks
String
Scissors
Forks
Saucepan
Measuring cups and spoons
Bowls for mixing

Ingredients:

1 8-oz package of corn husks (or a package that contains at least 16 husks!)

…for dough:
2 cups diced butternut squash
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup diced scallions (white and green) (from about 6 scallions)
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilies
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups masa harina
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil

…for filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small bunch scallions
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 chipotle chiles in adobo, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 cup Spanish olives with pimentos, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup capers
1 cup vegetable stock
1 scant teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
hot sauce for serving

Prep Work:
First immerse husks in a bowl with hot tap water and weight down with a plate to keep submerged. Soak for at least 30 minutes. (It’s okay to just leave them in the water until you’re ready to use them.)

For the dough:
1. Put butternut squash in a pot with broth, scallions, adobo sauce, garlic, salt, and cumin. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove squash with a slotted spoon, reserve broth. Set aside half the squash for the filling, then mash the remaining squash in a large bowl.
3. Mix in the masa with a fork. Slowly pour the reserved broth over the dough, mixing with a fork (or hands) until smooth. Stir in oils, a little at a time until dough is soft and moist. Cover and set aside.

For the filling:
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, garlic, chiles, cumin, and salt and cook until soft, about 1 minute.
5. Add reserved squash, plus the olives, raisins and capers and cook, stirring gently, until well combined. Add broth and orange zest and cook, stirring occasionally, until broth is slightly absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Remove from heat.

Assembly Instructions:
1. Cut 16 strings 8 inches long.
2. One at a time, spread out a soaked husk and place about 1/4 cup of dough in center of each husk, leaving enough husk free to enclose tamale. Pat down. Spoon 2 – 3 tablespoons filling on top, then cover filling with 2 – 3 tablespoons more dough, gently patting to cover filling.
3. Wrap husks around the filling and twist and tie ends with reserved string.
4. Lay tamales in a steamer basket, cover and steam until husks get slightly transparent, about 50 minutes.
5. Remove tamales from steamer, let rest 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons oil
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
½ onion, finely chopped
2 potatoes, cut into ¾-inch cubes
¼ teaspoon ground tumeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons garam marsala
4 tomatoes, chopped (or substitute 8 – 12 oz preserved whole tomatoes)
1 large romanesco, cut into florets
3/4–inch piece of ginger, grated
1 teaspoon sweetener

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over low heat. Add the mustard seeds, cover the pan and wait for the seeds to pop. Add the onion and potato and fry until lightly browned.
2. Add the tumeric, cumin, coriander, and garam marsala to the pan and cook for a couple of seconds.
3. Add the tomato and stir until the spices are well mixed. Add the romanesco florets and stir until thoroughly coated.
4. Stir in the ginger, sweetener, and ½ cup water, increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
5. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Uncover pan and if the sauce is too runny, simmer, uncovered, for 1 – 2 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 – 8

1 Butternut squash, seeded and a halved (other winter squash, like Delicata or Kubocha, can be substituted)
1 onion, cut into medium dice
2 large leeks, washed well and cut into half-moons
2 stalks celery, cut into thin slices
2 parsnips, cut into diagonal slices about 1/4 -inch thick
1 apple, thinly sliced
1/8 – 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
coconut oil for sautéing
chicken or vegetable broth , enough to cover the vegetables, about 6 – 8 cups
½ – 1 teaspoon curry powder of choice (or more to taste)
1 can of whole coconut milk
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
a bit of maple syrup to round out the flavors

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Rub squash with coconut oil to lightly coat. Place on a baking sheet, cut side down, and roast until tender, at least 30 minutes. Remove from oven when very tender and set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat the coconut oil and sauté onions over medium heat, until caramelized, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the leeks and continue to sauté until they are tender, about 5 – 7 minutes. Add the celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until celery is tender, about 2 minutes. If the vegetables are sticking, de-glaze the pan with a little of the stock.
4. Add the parsnips and sliced apple, sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
5. De-glaze the pan with the apple cider vinegar and cook down.
6. Scoop out the squash from the skin and add it to the soup pot. Mash it in with the rest of the vegetables.  Add the curry to taste. Season with sea salt and pepper.
7. Add the broth to cover. Bring to almost a boil, and reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered.
8. Cook for about 20 – 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.  Add the coconut milk and stir to combine well. Simmer for a few more minutes to heat thoroughly.

Taste – if the flavors aren’t there and it tastes a little bitter, add a few drops of maple syrup. (Remember a little goes a long way.) This is a little trick of mine to round out flavors – plus, it always tastes good!

Serves 6

This variation of cabbage soup with egg dumplings has a buttery taste without the butter. The trick? Using unrefined, cold–pressed corn oil, available in health food stores and gourmet specialty shops. If you don’t have it, substitute unrefined sesame oil.

DUMPLINGS:
1 egg and 1 tablespoon water (or ¼ pound firm tofu and 4 tablespoons water)
1 cup sifted whole wheat pastry flour or barley flour
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
¼ teaspoon sea salt

SOUP:
½ head cabbage
¼ cup water plus 1 teaspoon oil
6 – 8 cups boiling water
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon soy sauce or to taste
Chopped scallions (green and white parts for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

Dumplings:
1. Beat together the egg and water, or blend tofu with the water in a blender, until smooth.
2. Sift together the dry ingredients. Stir in the egg or blended tofu. Knead 1 minute, then form into ½ inch balls. Set aside.

Soup:
Mince the core of the cabbage and shred the leaves finely.
1. Heat the water-oil mixture in a large pot. Add the cabbage and sauté over medium heat until golden.
2. Add the water and bay leaf, and return to a boil. Drop the dumplings into the boiling soup. Bring to a boil again, cover and simmer until the cabbage is tender and the dumplings float to the top, about 10 – 15 minutes.
3. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add the soy sauce to the soup and simmer 5 minutes more.
4. Pour the soup into 6 soup bowls and garnish with the scallions.

Serves 6

2 large potatoes, sliced thinly
3 apples, cored, halved and sliced thinly
1 onion, sliced very thinly
½ cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1 cup whipping cream
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Note: To prevent potatoes and apples from browning before assembling the dish, put them in a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice.  Drain and pat dry before using.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large, shallow baking dish.
2. Make alternating layers of the potato, apple, and onion slices in the prepared dish, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Sprinkle evenly with cheese then pour the cream over the mixture.
3. Sprinkle with fresh grated nutmeg and black pepper to taste. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.