Favorite Side Dish

I love potatoes; all 160+ varieties of potatoes. Potatoes are the ultimate food, originally from the Andes Mountain region in Peru. The Spanish recognized its value in that it has long term storage and can grown in many areas and has good nutritional value.

Lemon-Pepper Red Potatoes

6-8 red potatoes, quartered
1 tbsp butter, sweeter tasting butter is best
1 tbsp lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 cup feta cheese

Boil 1 quart of water and add quartered potatoes. Cook until fork tender. Drain and return to pan. Add 1 tbsp of butter, 1 tbsp lemon-pepper, and 1/4 cup of feta cheese. Stir to combine. Cheese should melt slightly and the butter should melt completly. Serve and enjoy! The sweeter butter complements the tangy taste from the lemon-pepper. I don't add any salt to this dish because there is plenty of salt in the lemon-pepper and feta cheese. Adding addtional salt would make it taste like salt. If you have non-salt lemon-pepper seasoning then add 1/4-1/2 tsp of salt to the water as the potatoes boil.

Vegan Pancakes

I've been making these pancakes for years. I started making them in college when I didn't have eggs or milk one day, didn't want to go out to the store and still wanted pancakes. It uses a 12 grain flour mix which is also home made and that recipe follows the pancakes. Most recently I was forced to show my older brother how to make vegan pancakes and used this version.

Vegan 12-Grain Pancakes
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup 12-grain flour mx (you can find great mixes from Trader Joes and other places, but they are usually less then 10 grains)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cornstartch
1 tbsp safflower oil (or other veggie based oil)
1 cup soy, rice, oat, or barley milk
1 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

Stir together the lemon juice and "milk" to make a faux buttermilk. Let stand while...
In a seperate bowl, whisk all the dry ingreidents together.
Add the oil and the faux buttermilk. Mix together, batter should still be lumpy. Add additional water if needed.
Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1/4-1/3 cup of batter to the skillet. When bubbles form on the top, flip over.

12-Grain Flour Mix
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup corn flour or cornmeal
1/2 cup rolled oats,
1/2 cup barely flakes or flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup white or brown rice flour.
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup quinoa four
1/2 cup rye flour
*1/2 cup almond meal (optional: its cheapest tobuy blanched and slivered almonds and grind in a coffee grinder)

Whisk all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dry location. If you add almond meal, store in the rerigerator or freezer. Makes 6 cups.

Blueberry Poppy Seed Waffles

Nothing better then waffles on a Sunday morning for breakfast.

Blueberry Poppy Seed Waffles
Ingredients:
1/3 cup white flour
1/3 cup whole wheat
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup millet flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup barley flakes
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer (or 2 eggs)
1 1/3 cup milk
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp safflower oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp poppy seed
1 1/4 cup dried blueberries

Directions:
1. Mix Ener-G Egg replacer according to package directions and set aside.
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to blend thoroughly.
3. In a separate bowl mix all the wet ingredients. Stir to combine.
4. Add egg replacer and wet ingredients into dry and mix to combine completely. Fold in dried blueberries.
5. Laddle 1/4-1/2 cup of batter into waffle pan according to your waffle pan.
Makes: 10 Belgian waffles or 12 regular waffles

Arugala Brushetta Salad

I realize my title probably makes no sense but thats what it is arugala brushetta salad. I made this for father's day and it turned out insanely awesome. I had 2/3 total fresh ingredients which just made it even more spectacular. So here it goes,

Arugala Brushetta Salad
1 french loaf, sliced 1/4"-1/2" thick
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 finely chopped shallot
1 small clove, finely chopped
1/4 olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped oregano
1 tbsp parsely
3 tbsp sweet basil
2 cups tomatoes, cut in a fine dice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper or to taste
5 tomatoes, sliced fairly thin
salt/ pepper
4-6 cups arugala
2 oz chunk parmesan
2 oz fresh mozzarella

For the vinegrette:
In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice, shallots, and garlic. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to form an emulsion. Add chopped herbs and stir in the diced tomatoes. Mix well. Season with salt & pepper.

Toast the slices of french bread topped with 1 thin tomato slice.

To arrange: Place the toasted french loak slices with the tomato slice on a large plate, overlapping slightly. Toss the arugala with the vinegrette. Arrange arugala on top of the loaf slices and season with salt and pepper. Add shavings of parmesan and chunks of mozzarella.

Homemade pasta

mmmmm......pasta, need I say more? oh yeah this recipe is technically vegan and 1/2 tbsp = 1.5 tsp. And one last comment, because this is 100% wheat based, it does have a slightly different taste and texture.

Pasta Dough

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2.5 tbsp amaranth flour
2.5 tbsp white flour
1/4 tsp salt
2.5 tbsp water (except when making spinach, use 1-2 tbsp)
2 tbsp spinach puree, drained/butternut squash puree/tomato paste
1/2 tbsp olive oil

1. Whisk all the dry ingredients and form into a volcano shape on a floured surface. Add the wet ingreidents and knead with hands until all incorporated.

2. shape into a ball and place in a bowl covered with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

3. You can use either a rolling pin or a pasta roller to roll out the dough. Its obviously a hell of a lot easier to use a pasta roller, but use what you have. If using a rolling pin, use popsickle sticks to help make the right thickness and keep the thickness even all a long the length of the noodles. Then use a pizza cutter to cut the pasta into strips.

If using a pasta roller, follow your pasta roller directions and then the cutting directions.


Let the dough dry for 30-60 minutes. Then either cook or refrigerate for later use. You should try to use it within 2 weeks.

The photo is the three versions (L-R: spinach, butternut squash, and tomato).

This makes about 1/2 pound of noodles.

Amish Friendship Bread Experiment #1

Ok so 10 days ago, I know because today is supposed to be the day I cause my friends to deal with fermenting starter in their kitchens for ten days and mine is ready to be cooked. Well, if you have ever gotten this stuff then you know the original recipe calls for 1 cup of oil. ONE CUP OF OIL! hell no. And its wheat based. BOOOOORING. So since you are supposed to spread the luv of friendship bread, i decided to to experiment a bit with different recipes. Here's #1. Oh and i'm saving at least 1 cup to complete the cycle again so that I can make more experiments.


Millet Friendship Bread
1 cup millet flour
1 cup whole wheat
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp safflower oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup friendship bread starter
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 325F.
Easiest directions in the wold: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
Pour into one greased loaf pan and bake at 325F for 60 minutes.