Halibut with Cream Sauce – 2 servings

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    1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons butter or margarine, cubed

    1/3 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings

    1/2 pound halibut or salmon steaks

    1/4 cup mayonnaise

    1/4 cup sour cream

    1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

    1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

    1/4 teaspoon dried basil

    1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

    1/8 teaspoon pepper

    2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons dry bread crumbs

    1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

  1. Place butter and onion on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 34 in. x 18 in.). Cut fish into serving-size pieces, removing and discarding the bones. Place over the onion.
  2. In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and seasonings. Set aside 1/2 cup for serving. Spoon the remaining sauce over fish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Fold foil around fish and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Halibut-with-Cream-Sauce/Detail.aspx

Beet Kvass – Sally Fallon

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kvass

This drink is valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid. Beets are loaded with nutrients. One glass morning and night is an excelent blood tonic, promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments. Beet kvass may also be used in place of vinegar in salad dressings and as an addition to soups.

  • 3 medium or 2 large organic beetroot, peeled an chopped up coarsely.
  • 1/4 cup whey made fresh from raw milk, leave raw milkon the bench it will turn to cheese and whey within a few days (if fresh whey is not available just add another tablespoon of sea salt)
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • filtered water

Place beetroot, whey and salt in a 2-quart glass container. Add filtered water to fill the container. Stir well and cover securely. Keep at rooom temperature for 2 days before transferring to refrigerator.

When most of liquid has been drunk, you may fill up the container with water and keep at room temperature another 2 days. The resulting brew will be slightly less strong than the first. After the second brew, discard the beets and start again. You may, however, reserve some of the liquid and use this as your inoculant instead of the whey.

Note: Do not use grated beetroot in the preparation of beet tonic. When grated, beets exude too much juice resulting in a too rapid fermentation that favors the production of alcohol rather than lactic acid.

Warm Chorizo Spinach Salad – Ensalada de Espinacas y Chorizo – Rick Bayless

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Warm Chorizo Spinach Salad – Ensalada de Espinacas y Chorizo –  Rick Bayless
Good sprinkled with Mexican queso fresco, goat cheese or blue cheese.
8 ounces (1 packed cup) fresh Mexican choirzo sausage, casing removed
1 medium red onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
2 tablespoons light-flavored vinegar (rice vinegar is very good here)
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt
An 8-to-9 ounce package (about 8 cups) salad spinach, long stems removed
1/2 small jícama, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1.   Cook the chorizo and onion.   In a very large skillet, cook the chorizo over medium heat for 4 or 5 minutes until it has rendered a good amount of its fat. Add the onion and continue cooking until the onion has started to soften but is still crunchy, about 5 minutes.
2.   Create the dressing, finish the salad.  To the skillet (still over medium heat), add the oil, vinegar, sugar and 2 tablespoons water.  Mix well, taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon.  Pour the warm mixture over the spinach, add the jícama, mix well and serve.  Serves 4.
Notes– I used 12 oz of sausage, less spinach and made half of the dressing.  Dad really liked it, suggesting we serve it to guests.  Not sure the queso fresco added much next time will try and different cheese.  Even good with Trader Joe’s soy chorizo.

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Good sprinkled with Mexican queso fresco, goat cheese or blue cheese.

8 ounces (1 packed cup) fresh Mexican choirzo sausage, casing removed

1 medium red onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick

3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

2 tablespoons light-flavored vinegar (rice vinegar is very good here)

2 teaspoons sugar

Salt

An 8-to-9 ounce package (about 8 cups) salad spinach, long stems removed

1/2 small jicama, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1.   Cook the chorizo and onion.   In a very large skillet, cook the chorizo over medium heat for 4 or 5 minutes until it has rendered a good amount of its fat. Add the onion and continue cooking until the onion has started to soften but is still crunchy, about 5 minutes.

2.  Create the dressing, finish the salad.  To the skillet (still over medium heat), add the oil, vinegar, sugar and 2 tablespoons water.  Mix well, taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon.  Pour the warm mixture over the spinach, add the jicama, mix well and serve.  Serves 4.

Notes– I used 12 oz of sausage, less spinach and made half of the dressing.  Dad really liked it, suggesting we serve it to guests.  Not sure the queso fresco added much next time will try and different cheese.  Even good with Trader Joe’s soy chorizo.

White Bean Soup with Asparagus and Peas – Cheryl Strasser

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6 c veggie broth

1.5 c farfalle pasta

¼ lb. asparagus, cut on the bias in 1.5� lenghts

½ c. peas

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

½ tsp finely chopped mint

1.5 tsp. Thyme and oregano

½ tsp grated lemon zest
1.5 tsp lemon juice
1 15 oz can cannellini or great northern beans
¼ onion

½ stalk celery

1 carrot

1 small bay leaf

1 sprig thyme and parsley

Pour broth into a large soup pot. Add onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, thyme and parsely. Bring to a boil add pasta and cook until almost al dente, about 10 min. Add the asparagus and bean and cook until the asparagus is crisp tender, about 3 min. Add the peas, herbs, lemon zest and juice. Simmer 2-3 min longer until the pasta and veggies are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

4-6 servings

Cucumber and Radish Pickles, makes 1 quart

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  • 2 cups seasoned rice-wine vinegar

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 2 tablespoons coarse salt

  • 2 tablespoons sambal chili paste

  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds

  • 3 kirby cucumbers, sliced and/or quartered

  • 3 breakfast radishes, trimmed and halved lengthwise

  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

  • Extra-virgin olive oil

  1. In a large saucepan bring 2 cups water, vinegar, sugar, salt, chili paste, and coriander seeds to a boil over medium-high heat.

  2. Place cucumbers and radishes in a medium heatproof container; pour hot liquid over cucumbers and radishes; weigh down with a plate to submerge. Cover and transfer to refrigerator until chilled, at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.

  3. Drain and toss with cilantro leaves. Drizzle with olive oil before serving.

    I used regular cukes because kirbys were not in the market.  Added many more radishes.

White bean and red onion salad

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1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained

Dressing:

2 cloves garlic

2-3 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 c. olive oil

1 c. thinly sliced red onion

1/2 c. chopped cilantro

Make dressing– mince garlic fine and in a large bowl stir together well with lemon juice and oil.

Add beans to dressing.  Toss and season with salt and pepper.  Stir in onions and cilantro.  Serve at room temp.  Makes about 5 c.

Buttermilk Fresh Cheese, Lee brothers

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  • 1 quart whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups whole or low-fat buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt
  1. Cut out three pieces of cheesecloth into 12-inch squares. Line a colander or medium strainer with all three layers of cheesecloth. Set colander in sink.
  2. Combine milk, buttermilk, and salt in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, and heat over medium-high heat until mixture has separated into white curds and translucent whey, about 8 minutes. If using lowfat buttermilk, separation occurs at about 180 degrees and the curds will clump together readily. If using whole buttermilk, separation occurs closer to the boiling point, about 212 degrees, and the curds are finer-grained. When using whole buttermilk, let curds and whey stand off heat for about 3 minutes after separation, so the curds cling together and facilitate the straining step.)
  3. Ladle the contents of the saucepan into the prepared colander. Let the whey drain, 1 to 2 minutes. Lift the four corners of the cheesecloth and gather them together. Gently twist the gathered cloth over the cheese and press out any excess whey.
  4. Cheese can be unwrapped immediately and served warm, or let stand until cooled to room temperature, about 10 minutes more. To serve a firmer cheese, transfer cheese, in its cloth, to a small flat-bottomed dish or pie plate; refrigerate until cool, about 10 minutes. Unwrap cheese and gently invert onto plate; discard cloth. Tent cheese with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated up to 2 days. Remove from refrigerator and let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

    Flavorings

Pepper-add 1 tsp of pepper in step 2

Lemon -add 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest in step 2

Herb – add1 teaspoon dried herbs, such as tarragon, oregano, or basil in step 2

Vanilla -add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla ext in step 2

Makes 1 6-ounce round; serves 4 as a snack with crackers

Buttermilk Pudding Cakes – Serves 8, Lee brothers

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  • 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup whole or low-fat buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 9 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) fresh raspberries
  • Whipped cream, for serving (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees with a rack positioned in the top third of the oven.
  2. Sift together flour and baking powder in a large bowl. In another large bowl beat eggs until creamy and yellow. Whisk in buttermilk, vanilla, 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar, and butter (mixture will look curdled and broken). Slowly add flour and whisk until batter is smooth and combined.
  3. Spray 8 standard-size (3-ounce) nonstick muffin pan cups with nonstick cooking spray. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin pan cups, filling about two-thirds full. Transfer to oven and bake until sides of cakes are evenly browned (check by inserting a knife tip between the rim of cake and muffin cup, pulling gently to expose side of cake), about 9 minutes. If cakes are not evenly browned, they will not hold together when inverted. Continue baking, checking every minute, until evenly browned.
  4. Meanwhile, place raspberries in a medium bowl; add remaining 4 tablespoons sugar and gently toss to coat.
  5. Invert cakes onto eight individual plates. Place berries on top and alongside cakes; serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Roasted Potato Wedges – Makes 6 servings per Lidia

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4 medium size Idaho potatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds), scrubbed
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Freshly ground black pepper


Preheat the oven to 475 F.
Pat the potatoes dry and cut them in quarters lengthwise. In a bowl, toss the potato wedges with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the salt and rosemary. Arrange the wedges skin side down without touching in a heavy baking pan or two cast iron skillets. Bake until the potatoes are tender and well browned, about 30 minutes. Turn the potatoes once or twice so they brown and cook evenly. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the garlic, parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.

When the potatoes are done, press each wedge gently so that it cracks in the middle, then transfer them with tongs to a large bowl. Add the oil and garlic mixture and fresh pepper to taste. Toss gently but well until the potatoes are coated with the seasoned oil. Remove the garlic and serve.