"Tex-Mex"

I've never moved in winter before.
  
Haven't really moved without a job lined up either.

And this is the first time that moving coincided with a shift in diet. (Reduced gluten because of allergies in the household. Heart healthy because of reminders about genetics.)

All to say, this is a good time to explore recipes. What better place than a freshly passed down Sunday School cookbook? A new lentil soup recipe seems like the thing for cold weather.

I'm not sure what makes this Tex-Mex.  My best guess is that it's the vinegar.

You could just as easily call it Cajun. You'd be wrong. But then, well, maybe not any more wrong than the working title?

Whatever the title, it's a kicky lentil soup. Compared to Ms. Cutler, I use less bacon (you can leave it out all together), vegetable stock, and forget the tomatoes. (I legit forgot the tomatoes the first time I made the soup. Remembered them the second time, and while it added another serving worth of soup it wasn't nearly as kicky.) My roux was made with glutinous rice flour per Serious Eats gluten-free suggestion, but if you don't have a gluten concern sticking with the white flour should be fine.

Kicky Lentil Soup

2 slices of bacon
1.25 cups brown lentils
6.5 cups vegetable stock
1 onion
1 carrot
1 bell pepper
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons glutinous rice flour (aka sweet rice flour)
1 tsp salt
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

Cook lentils in 5 cups of vegetable stock. (I set the pressure cooker for 9 minutes.)
Cook the bacon, if you're using it. (I put mine in the oven at 400º.)
Chop the onion and start it sautéing in a pan with some oil. Consider adding some mushroom, even though it's not in the ingredient list. Next, peel and cut up a carrot. Add it to the pan. Then, the bell pepper. And maybe whatever hot pepper that's in the vegetable drawer and needs to be consumed....
When the vegetables are softened and the lentils are cooked, add the vegetables to the lentils. Crumble in the bacon--it's done cooking by now.
Let the soup simmer for bit.
While that's happening make a roux in the skillet that is empty again. Melt your butter over medium-low heat. Add in the glutinous rice flour (or white flour). Cook, constantly stirring, for five minutes. Turn the roux into gravy by adding the remaining 1.5 cups of stock, teaspoon of salt, and 2 Tablespoons of cider vinegar.
Stir the gravy into the simmering soup. Let the flavors meld as it cooks a bit longer.
Serve with an array of hot sauces and decide which is your favorite pairing.

Butter mints magic

The holy grail of butter mints

Betty McEachin's butter mints were legendary growing up. Our grandmother savored them and only spare us a taste. They were cool and buttery and melt-your-mouth magical.

For as long as I remember, we were told that the recipe was a family secret. I made butter mints growing up using a recipe from American Girl magazine. I'd dye the dough and sculpt snowmen, Santas, and the North Polar Bear. My creations may have measured up in creativity and design, but they didn't compare to Betty McEachin's in taste. When Mom suggested I make mints for the wedding preception, Grandmom said that she thought she could get Betty McEachin's recipe, and procure it, she did. She passed it along saying, "The real trick, as I'm sure Betsy knows, is a cold marble slab."

The American Girl recipe that got me started. It's a completely different technique than pulled butter mints.

I had no idea that a marble slab was required or even suggested and didn't own one. Marble slab made me think of the ice cream chain, not mints. Buying one ended up being the longest step in the process. We waited for the family store to get them in, but they kept being delayed. I considered calling up a contractor to see if they had any odd-sized pieces. In the end, I went the easy route and ordered online.

Leading up to the preception, I finally got my marble slab and made a practice run. They stuck all over my hands! I quickly discovered that the directions weren't joking when it said to butter your hands. I was apprehensive that I'd somehow pull them too much, so they ended up softening and not holding their shape after I cut them. Delicious nevertheless. Traveling with the mints didn't make much sense, so I planned to make some once I was in state for the preception.

A couple of evenings before the preception, I boiled up more butter, sugar, and water and began pulling and pulling the mints. Like before, the mixture stuck all over my hands. I wanted the mints to hold their shape this time, so I pulled and pulled. The mixture kept sticking everywhere, and then, suddenly it turned to sandy crumbs.

Huh? I was startled. Had I pulled it too hard? Was it something I said? I stuck the sugar crumbs back into the pot and added more water and boiled it back to a syrup again. This time, I didn't pull quite as long and began snipping off pieces before it turned too sandy. Once again, the mints didn't hold their shape, but they did soften and melted in our mouths. After a bit of research, I discovered that the problem was likely the humidity. It had poured that afternoon, and rainy days are suboptimal for candy making.

Last weekend, we had a master class with Betty McEachin. We learned not to stir the pot as the contents boil and that peppermint oil is the way to go. And we pulled and we pulled and we pulled.

Pouring the boiling syrup onto the marble slab.

Ingredients
3 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 Tbsp margarine*
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp oil of peppermint*
* Betty said that it's probably fine to do 100% butter instead of 50/50 butter/margarine, but to use oil of peppermint rather than extract. She often finds oil of peppermint at drug stores.

1. Combine all of the ingredients except the oil of peppermint in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil, and let it boil without stirring until mixture reaches 260-265 degrees F. This is hard ball stage. You can confirm the consistency by putting a bit on a spoon and then sticking it into a bowl of water.
2. While waiting for the mixture to reach temperature, liberally butter your marble slab. If it's a hot day, you should have already cooled down your marble slab by places ice cubes on it to chill the marble and then wiping it dry. If it's winter and cold out, no need to chill your marble beforehand.
3. When the mixture reaches 260-265, turn off the heat and pour the syrup over the marble, being sure to spread it over the surface.
4. Dab the peppermint across the surface of the syrup.
5. Butter your hands. Stretch the edges out to increase the surface area and allow the mixture to cool faster. As the edges cool, fold them back over the mixture and pull out areas that haven't yet cooled.
6. Once it has cooled enough to handle, start pulling. A single twist per each pull in order to create the ridges. See video for what it looks like.
7. Keep pulling until it begins to get hard. Then, lay your cord out on wax paper and begin cutting with kitchen shears. The cord should be ~1 inch thick and you should aim to cut the mint pieces ~1/4 inch thick. (I had always imagined that it was the reverse.) Do not let the cut mints touch on the wax paper once they're cut. Otherwise, they'll stick together.
8. Pack in airtight container with wax paper between the layers. Again, spread the mints out so that they don't touch.
9. It will take a day or so for the mints to cream, though no one will blame you if you go ahead and try one or three while they're still in their taffy state. ;)

Tips

• Too hard means that the mints were overcooked. Sandy means that the mints were under cooked.
• Do not stir the boiling mixture. Don't do it. I know you'll want to fuss over it.
• You can stir in food coloring right before pouring onto the marble if you like.
• Keep mints at room temperature. Can freeze in an airtight container. Let warm up to room temperature before giving away.
• You can't compete with the master who has been making these for decades. Her touch will always be the epitome of butter mints.

Packing the cut mints away, and maybe snitching a couple tastes, too.

Fridge breakfast, pantry dinner

Let's assert the premise that I like to travel. But that completely disrupts routine. And sometimes you get back from a visit and realize there's only a few days before the next trip and you can go to the grocery store, but really don't need to stock up on things. And I'm not as good at market shopping of only buying for that day's meal. Especially when I'm tired from traveling.

Repeat this every week or two for a season.

Then have your first weekend at home in a month. Decide you want to cook. Determine you don't really want to go grocery shopping. Invite friends over for breakfast. Open the pantry and see what you have.....

Breakfast: Kaiserschmarrn

It's been 6 years since I was first introduced to kaiserschmarrn. My notes describe it as, "It's like an omelet met a pancake. Sweet, but not cloyingly so. Unless you add jam and syrup and sugar. But then you're asking for the sweetness. Perfect for weekend mornings."  Here's this morning's adaptation:

Ingredients (served 3, lightly)

• 4 eggs (large)
• ~1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 heaping Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• Handful of raisins
• Pouring of orange juice
• 2 peaches from travels to Carolina
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• (Forgot the salt. Didn't notice it. But should add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon.) 
• Maple syrup

Directions

1.  Put the raisins in a small bowl and pour orange juice over to soak them in.
2.  Beat the eggs, yogurt, vanilla, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
3.  Slowly add in the flour, whisk until everything is smooth and even.
4.  Pull out the large skillet. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add in a bit more butter if what you tried first doesn't cover the pan.
5.  While the butter is melting, peel and slice the peaches.
6.  Once the butter is melted, add the raisins and orange juice to the batter. Pour the batter into the pan. Make sure the raisins are evenly distributed throughout. Arrange peaches in the batter.
7.  Cook undisturbed for for several minutes. Then start lifting the edges to let batter run underneath. Once the bottom is set, use the spatula to cut strips that you can flip over. Let the other side brown. Keep cutting into bite-size rectangles.
8.  Serve with maple syrup and a additional peach slices. (And iced tea in wine glasses to feel fancy.)

Dinner: Enfrijoladas

Enfrijoladas were a recent discovery after I cooked a passel of beans in the crockpot. While I do not always have fresh cooked beans that need to be used, I definitely keep a can of beans in the pantry. And now a jar of chipotle peppers too. (Hint: freeze extra peppers in mini muffin tins.) Last night's adaptation:

Ingredients

• 6 corn tortillas
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 cup of vegetable broth
• 3 chipotle peppers
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 cup of frozen spinach
• Cheddar cheese, grated
• Olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Slice the onion. Heat olive oil in skillet and saute onion over medium heat until translucent.
3. Drain the can of beans. Rinse beans and put in blender with broth, chipotle peppers, and garlic cloves. Blend away into a sauce.
4. Heat the spinach. Squeeze out excess water. Add spinach to onion.
5. Pour a bit of the bean sauce into the bottom of your baking dish (last night was the cast iron skillet).  Pour some more bean sauce into a pie plate. 
6. Take a tortilla and dip it into the bean sauce. Flip it over, getting it thouroughly covered. Fill with the spinach-onion mixture and cheddar cheese. Roll closed and place in the baking dish, seam side down.
7. Repeat with other tortillas until you're out of space.
8. Pour some more sauce over the dish. Top with extra cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is at your desired level of meltedness.
9. Serve immediately. (Extra sauce can be frozen.)

Shakshuka

I am not a tomato person. Once, over dinner in college, Nick accused me of being "the type of person who likes tomatoes." I'm not entirely sure what that means. I know plenty of wonderful people who love tomatoes (hi, sis!), so I assume that it's not an insult, yet it's not me.

All the same, I've begun to tolerate tomatoes more. Chalk it up to dying taste buds, or burying them in spices. I'll still remove tomatoes from sandwiches, but I'll eat a reasonable portion of tomato sauce on my spaghetti. I'll happily devour fresh salsa all summer long, provided there are enough peppers (both hot and sweet) in it, and I've learned that shakshuka is an easy, healthy, comfort meal.

Here's my shakshuka variation from tonight. Not exactly traditional, but it used ingredients on hand and was quick and warm.

Shakshuka

• Couple tablespoons olive oil
• Half a chopped onion
• Copious diced garlic
• Half a can diced tomatoes
• Frozen beet greens (if on hand)
• 1 tsp paprika
• Pinch tumeric (hey, I figured the health properties were good in winter)
• Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
• Black pepper
• 1 or 2 eggs
• Za'atar

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Saute the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the paprika, tumeric, and red pepper flakes followed soon by the tomatoes and beet greens. Bring to a simmer. Depending on the level of salt in the tomatoes, add a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Crack the egg into the middle of the sauce, and cover the pan. When poached to your desired consistency (~a few minutes), scoop into bowls and sprinkle za'atar on top. Eat with bread or toast.

Kale stem pesto

Last fall Julia taught me the trick of freezing your kale stems after you've torn the greens off. You can then later grind the kale stems into pesto. Use the whole leaf! The pesto is a bit icy if you use the kale stems straight from the freezer and serve it immediately, which can be nice for a cold bean salad in summer. Otherwise, plan to let the pesto warm up to room temp before serving.

Kale stem Walnut Pesto

a bunch worth of frozen kale stems
a handful of walnuts, toasted
1-2 garlic cloves
lemon juice
olive oil
parmesan (optional)

Throw everything into a food processor and blend. Add olive oil until you're happy with the consistency. Yesterday, I also added a few mint leaves to enliven the flavor a bit.

And so the year goes...

2015 was a busy year. We moved, started new jobs, and cooked a lot, but we didn't write much. Well, one of us wrote quite a bit, but it wasn't food related.

We ate our hoppin' john and collards earlier today. Then celebrated with doughnuts, eggnog, bananagrams, and laundry. In recent years, our family has been scattered on New Year's Eve or on the road. New Year's food traditions fell by the wayside. I can't remember the last time that I had eggnog. I'm pretty sure that the last time we made it, I was too young to help with the cooking. (It's non-alcoholic, so that was never a concern.)

Our recipe comes from Barb. She and Mel were neighbors in all senses of the word, to the point they count as family. As mom said earlier today, if either of us ever get married, we have to invite Mel and Barb. Here's the recipe in Barb's handwriting:

Preparation notes: it's really sweet. I'd cut the sugar a bit. Even if not serving with doughnuts.

Here's to 2016 and the delicious food to come! As far as blogging goes, we'll see...

Sicilian Cauliflower

My friend Laurel knew exactly what she wanted for her 21st birthday dinner: Sicilian meatballs a la the Seattle Times. Now that she could buy wine, she could make the sauce correctly.

While flipping through Moosewood Restaurant New Classics one day, I happened upon a similar recipe but with cauliflower. Thrilled to find a vegetarian alternative, I decided to blend the two recipes together for dinner with my friend Mabel, alongside an arugula salad with chickpeas, a baguette, and pistachio cardamom cake (also from Moosewood New Classics).

Sicilian Cauliflower

• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2-3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 15 oz tomato sauce
• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the wine.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and pine nuts for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic, diced tomato, and cauliflower. Sauté for a few more minutes. Then, stir in the raisins and wine, and bring to a boil.

Add the tomato sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes, until it thickens slightly and the cauliflower softens.

Pistachio Cardamom Cake 

from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

Cake:

• ½ cup unsalted butter at room temp
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup semolina flour
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted pistachios
• ½ cup nonfat plain yogurt

Syrup:

• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 7 by 11 baking dish.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the semolina, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Grind ½ cup of the pistachios in a spice grinder to the consistency of a coarse meal and stir into the dry ingredients. In alternating batches, add the yogurt and the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition, to form a smooth batter.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

About 5 minutes before the cake is done, combine the water, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for about 2 minutes and then remove from the heat and set aside.

When the cake is ready, cut in half lengthwise and then cut it into thirds crosswise to form six square pieces. Cut each square on the diagonal to make 12 triangular pieces. Pour the syrup evenly over the cake.