Nuit de Noël aux poires et spéculoos (Christmas Log) - Untested

https://www.regal.fr/recettes/desserts/nuit-de-noel-aux-poires-et-speculoos-12325

POUR LA PÂTE AUX SPÉCULOOS

250 g Beurre mou

250 g Vergeoise brune

350 g Farine

½ Sachet de levure chimique

5 g Sel

5 g Cannelle en poudre

5 g Mélange de girofle, muscade, vanille et gingembre en poudre

POUR LE DÉCOR DES MAISONS

300 g Sucre glace

1/2 Citron (le jus)

POUR LE GÂTEAU AUX POIRES

10 Poires mûres

2 Oeufs

50 g Sucre

20 g Beurre fondu

10 cl Lait

75 g Farine

25 g Maïzena

½ Sachet de levure chimique

1 Pincée de sel

Réalisation

1

Préchauffez le four à 180 °C (th. 6). Mélangez le beurre pommade avec la vergeoise brune, lorsque l’ensemble est bien homogène, ajoutez la farine, la levure chimique et les épices. Mélangez bien. Formez une boule de pâte, filmez et réservez au frais 2 h minimum. Au rouleau, étalez votre pâte entre 2 feuilles de papier sulfurisé pour obtenir une pâte de 3 mm d’épaisseur.

2

Déposez la pâte sur une plaque de cuisson, retirez la feuille de papier sulfurisé du dessus et faites cuire 10 min.

3

Immédiatement à la sortie du four, à l’aide d’un grand couteau découpez 16 maisons de 5 cm de large. Procédez rapidement car la découpe est facile lorsque la pâte est encore chaude et moelleuse. Si elle est froide, le biscuit devient cassant. Laissez refroidir complètement les maisons en attendant de les décorer.

4

Pelez et coupez les poires en tranches fines. Placez-les dans un grand plat creux. Dans un autre plat, blanchissez les oeufs et le sucre au fouet. Ajoutez ensuite le beurre fondu. Ajoutez enfin la farine, la Maïzena, la levure chimique et le sel. Puis délayez délicatement avec le lait. Versez la préparation sur les poires, Mélangez bien et versez l’ensemble dans un moule à charlotte préalablement beurré.

5

Faites cuire 1 h environ jusqu’à ce que la pointe d’un couteau ressorte sèche. Laissez refroidir complètement avant de démouler sur le plat de service.

6

Pour décorer les maisons, mélangez le sucre glace avec le jus de citron. Fouettez énergiquement pour qu’il ne subsiste aucun grumeau. Aidez-vous d’une poche à douille fine ou d’un cornet pour décorer les maisons. Si le glaçage est trop liquide, ajoutez un peu de sucre glace. S’il est trop sec, ajoutez quelques gouttes de jus de citron.

7

Dressez les maisons en pain d’épice sur la charlotte aux poires.

Tête en fromage - Untested

2 jarret de porc avec peau enlevée

1 oignon moyen haché

Couvrire d'eau et cuire. Refroidir. Enlever les os et le gras et couper en petit morceau. Mesurer le bouillon et ajouter de l'eau pour faire 4 tasses. Ajouter la viande au bouillon et ajouter 2 tsps canelle, 1/4 tsp clou, 1/2 tsp celery seed, 2 gousse d'ail haché, sel et poivre. Bouillir quelques minutes, verser dans des moules et réfrigérer

Tête en fromage

2 jarret de porc avec peau enlevée

1 oignon moyen haché

Couvrire d'eau et cuire. Refroidir. Enlever les os et le gras et couper en petit morceau. Mesurer le bouillon et ajouter de l'eau pour faire 4 tasses. Ajouter la viande au bouillon et ajouter 2 tsps canelle, 1/4 tsp clou, 1/2 tsp celery seed, 2 gousse d'ail haché, sel et poivre. Bouillir quelques minutes, verser dans des moules et réfrigérer

Feuilleté roulé à la noisette - Untested

https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/1230905/article/2022-09-20/recette-du-feuillete-roule-la-noisette

1 rouleau de pâte feuilletée pur beurre

100 ml de crème liquide

50 g de sucre de canne en poudre

100 g de noisettes concassées

1 pomme

Préchauffez le four à 180 ºC. Déroulez le rouleau de pâte feuilletée et disposez-le sur le papier-cuisson. Tapissez le fond de crème liquide, saupoudrez de sucre de canne, pelez, coupez finement la pomme, ajoutez-la à la tarte et parsemez de noisettes concassées.

Découpez le fond des bords vers le centre, comme si vous découpiez le feuilleté en 12 portions égales. Attention, n’allez pas jusqu’au centre de la pâte.

Comme sur la photo, roulez délicatement chaque part toujours vers le centre en faisant dévier un peu le sens du « rouleau ».

Enfournez le feuilleté 15 à 20 minutes dans le four chaud et sortez-le quand le dessus est bien doré.

Dressage

Servez 2 petites parts de feuilleté roulé par personne avec un thé ou un café.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies - Untested

https://www.coupdepouce.com/cuisine/desserts/recette/biscuits-aux-noisettes-et-au-chocolat-1

1 tasse de beurre ramolli

1/2 tasse de sucre

1/4 cuillère à thé de sel

1 oeuf

3 cuillères à table de poudre de cacao non sucrée

1 3/4 tasse de farine

3/4 tasses de noisettes grillées, hachées finement

6 oz de chocolat mi-amer haché

1/2 cuillère à thé de graisse végétale

Dans un grand bol, à l’aide d’un batteur électrique, battre le beurre, le sucre et le sel jusqu’à ce que le mélange soit crémeux. Ajouter l’oeuf et le cacao en battant. Incorporer le plus de farine possible en battant à faible vitesse. À l’aide d’une cuillère de bois, incorporer le reste de la farine, puis les noisettes.

Diviser la pâte en deux portions. Sur une feuille de papier ciré, façonner chaque portion en un rouleau de 11 po (28 cm) de longueur et envelopper chacun dans le papier ciré. Réfrigérer de 1 à 2 heures ou jusqu’à ce que la pâte soit ferme.

À l’aide d’un couteau de chef, couper les rouleaux de pâte refroidis en tranches de 1/4 po (5 mm) d’épaisseur. Mettre les biscuits sur deux plaques à biscuits tapissées de papier-parchemin en les espaçant d’environ 1 po (2,5 cm). Déposer une plaque à biscuits sur la grille supérieure du four préchauffé à 375 °F (190 °C) et une autre sur la grille inférieure. Cuire de 6 à 8 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que le dessus des biscuits soit ferme, sans plus (intervertir et tourner les plaques à la mi-cuisson). Déposer les plaques sur des grilles et laisser refroidir pendant 5 minutes. Déposer les biscuits sur les grilles et laisser refroidir complètement. Cuire le reste des biscuits de la même manière.

Dans une petite casserole, mélanger le chocolat et la graisse végétale. Chauffer à feu doux, en brassant, jusqu’à ce que le chocolat ait fondu et que le mélange soit lisse. Laisser refroidir légèrement. Mettre le mélange de chocolat fondu dans un petit sac de plastique (de type Ziploc), fermer hermétiquement et couper un des coins. Arroser les biscuits refroidis du chocolat en pressant délicatement sur le sac. Laisser reposer sur les grilles jusqu’à ce que le chocolat ait pris.

Chicons (endives) au jambon - Untested

http://www.produitsderegion.fr/magazine/recettes-regionales/les-chicons-au-jambon

Serves 4

For the sauce

Pour la crème

100g flour

100g butter

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 litre chicken broth

100g grated cheese

Salt

Pepper

For the endives

2kg endives

10g butter

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 litre chicken broth

4 slices ham

Salt

Pepper

 

Les chicons au jambon se préparent en trois étapes.

Première étape: cuisson des endives

Laver et découper les endives en petits morceaux.

Préparer 1 litre de bouillon de volaille. Utiliser 1/2 litre et garder le reste pour la crème.

Dans une sauteuse, faire fondre le beurre et y ajouter les endives coupées.

Bien mélanger et y ajouter 1/2 louche de bouillon de volaille.

Ajouter le sucre en poudre.

Faire cuire les endives pendant 30 minutes en ajoutant régulièrement du jus de volaille pour qu’elles n’accrochent pas.

Une fois cuites, réserver.

A savoir: A la fin de la cuisson, la quantité d’endives aura réduite de moitié.

Deuxième étape: préparation de la crème

Réchauffer le reste du bouillon de volaille.

Dans une casserole, faire fondre le beurre sans le colorer.

Une fois fondu, ajouter la farine en une seule fois.

Mélanger vivement et mettre à feu doux.

Ajouter une louche de bouillon et mélanger jusqu’à disparition du jus.

Ajouter une autre louche et ainsi de suite jusqu’à l’obtention d’une crème pas trop liquide.

Retirer du feu et ajouter le sel, le poivre et la moutarde.

Ajouter 50g de fromage râpé et mélanger.

Troisième étape: montage des chicons

Préchauffer le four à 200°C (thermostat 7).

Ajouter une moitié de crème aux endives et bien mélanger. Garder le reste de la crème.

Pour le montage, étaler une tranche de jambon sur une assiette et verser des endives au centre.

Rabattre chaque moitié de la tranche vers le centre.

Prendre délicatement l’ensemble et le disposer dans un plat allant au four.

Procéder de la même façon pour les autres tranches.

Une fois les tranches préparées et disposées dans le plat, ajouter de la crème par dessus et parsemer de fromage râpé.

Poivrer légèrement.

Enfourner pendant 25 minutes à 200°C (thermostat 7).

DÉGUSTATION:

Les chicons au jambon peuvent se déguster seuls ou avec une pomme de terre vapeur.

La Flamiche au fromage à pâte molle - Test 1

http://www.produitsderegion.fr/magazine/recettes-regionales/la-flamiche-au-maroilles

ALSO LOOK AT

https://www.mamiecaillou.com/2020/10/la-fameuse-tarte-au-maroilles-du-nord.c-est-ch-ti-c-est-sympa-et-c-est-bon.html

http://www.unecuillereenbois.fr/recette-chti-la-flamiche-au-maroilles-au-robot-de-cuisine/

https://cuisine.voozenoo.fr/2021/11/24/tarte-au-maroilles-chti/

https://cuisine.journaldesfemmes.fr/recette/331941-tarte-au-maroilles

1 - What a discovery! It's a recipe from Nord-Pas-de-Calais and is a cheesy baked bread. The consistency of the bread is reminiscent of brioche. I don't know if this is how it's supposed to go but the cheese all melted in a pool and kind of became a sauce I spooned over the pieces when I cut up the bread. The original uses the local Maroilles cheese, I substituted with Cambozola. It strikes me more as a side dish than a main, but I served it with lots of roasted veg and it went down really well.

NOTE: there is one detail I can't remember. In the original recipe it has you put the dough aside to rise once, then spread in the baking pan and put in the oven immediately. I wonder if I didn't spread the dough immediately in the pie plate to rise and then just put the toppings on before baking. I've used the recipe's version first for my next try.

3 Tbsps milk

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp dry active yeast

250g flour 

2 eggs

2 Tbsps olive oil 

1 generous pinch of salt

200g thick crème fraiche 

250g of Maroilles or other soft cheese like Cambozola or Brie

Salt and pepper, to taste

Butter to grease the baking pan

For the dough

1. Warm the milk. In a small bowl mix the milk, sugar and yeast. Allow to rest and proof for 5-10 minutes
2. Meanwhile, put the flour in a large bowl and make a hollow in the middle.
3. Add the eggs, oil and salt. Mix until completely combined, then add the yeasty milk.
4. Knead until the dough forms a ball, about 10 minutes. If it's too wet, add a meagre sprinkle of flour at a time until you obtain a smooth, slightly tacky ball of dough.
5. Cover and set aside in a warm place for an hour or two.

For the filling

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Grease a pie plate with butter and spread the dough in the pie plate from edge to edge.
3. Slice the cheese into 1/2" slices.
4. Evenly spread the crème fraiche over the dough, then layer on top with the slices of cheese.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Garnir la pâte de  épaisse.
7. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

DÉGUSTATION:

Pairs well with a crisp salad and/or roasted vegetables.

Speculoos - Test 1

http://sandrinita.canalblog.com/archives/2011/12/17/22949964.html

https://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_la-veritable-recette-de-speculoos-a-l-ancienne_343045.aspx

https://www.cuisineactuelle.fr/recettes/speculoos-a-l-ancienne-264067

https://www.ptitchef.com/recettes/dessert/la-veritable-recette-des-speculoos-fid-1428686

1 - Yum! I could still play with the spices as there is significant variation there, but so far, so good. I would like to know how crunchy they are supposed to be, but otherwise they work just fine. Some people want to decorate them, which I have no problem with. It did require almost double the amount of water to get it to the correct consistency though, so I've made that adustment.

300g flour (de farine)

180g brown sugar (de cassonade)

Good pinch of salt (Sel)

1 tsp cinnamon (de cannelle)

Pinch of ground clove (1 clou de girofle écrasé)

¼ de paquet 1 tsp baking powder (de levure chimique)

60g butter, room temperature (de beurre)

4 à 5 cl 2-3 3-6 Tbsps water (d’eau)

1. Combine in a large bowl the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and spices.
2. Pinch in the butter until well mixed in, fine like coarse sand.
3. Start with 3 Tbsps of water and slowly increase until a smooth ball of dough is obtained.
4. Wrap (I use beeswax wrappers) and refrigerate for 1 to 48 hours.
5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. 
6. Roll out the dough to 5mm thick, cut with cookie cutters (or if you have a cool Speculoos rolling pin, use that).
7. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lay the cookies on top. They can be relatively close to each other since they don't puff very much.
8. Bake until just starting to brown, or 15 minutes.

1. Dans un saladier, mettre la farine, la levure chimique, la cannelle, le clou de girofle, la cassonade, le sel.
2. Incorporer peu à peu le beurre en petit morceaux
3. Ajouter de l’eau par petite quantité pour obtenir une boule homogène.
4. Laisser reposer la pâte pendant une heure
5. Préchauffer le four à 180°
6. Etaler la pate (5 mm d’épaisseur), découper des motifs avec un emporte pièce
7. Mettre sur la plaque du four recouverte de papier sulfurisé Faire cuire pendant 15 minutes.

Pastador - Untested

https://culture-crunch.com/2021/01/04/pastador-grand-mere-pate-a-tartiner-au-chocolat/

https://www.cooking-chef.fr/espace-recettes/desserts-entremets-gateaux/pate-a-tartiner-pastador-maison

I recently discovered that my ancestors on my mom's side are from Nord-des-Pas-de-Callais, so I've started doing a deep dive on recipes from this region. I have to look back to see if they would have been in the region when chocolate was available but, nonetheless, I'll accept that my lineage springs from a people who have adopted this as a mainstay.

1 boîte de lait concentré sucré (396 g) froid

1 plaque de chocolat noir (200 g)

200 g de beurre doux ramolli

1⁄2 cuillère à café d'Arôme naturel de vanille bourbon

1. Casser le chocolat en morceaux dans une casserole.
2. Faire fondre le chocolat au bain-marie.
3. Une fois le chocolat fondu, ajouter le beurre mou et bien mélanger. Laissez refroidir 10 minutes.
4. Ajouter ensuite le lait concentré sucré.
5. Bien mélanger le tout jusqu’à obtenir un mélange lisse et homogène.
6. Mettre dans un pot ou un bol.
7. Envelopper de film plastique.
8. Mettre au réfrigérateur durant au moins 12h.
9. Sortir du réfrigérateur et déguster !

Roast Pork Picnic Sandwich - Untested

https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/picnic-loaf-roast-pork-recipe/wmqm9sov

1 Baguette or Crusty bread

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 cup tomato chutney

5oz roast pork

330g jar roasted red peppers, drained, thickly sliced

2oz baby arugula leaves

2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves

1. Cut the baguette lengthways if using, otherwise cut Crusty bread loaf into sandwich slices.
2. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard and black pepper in a bowl. 
3. Spread mayonnaise mixture over the baguette base. 
4. Spread tomato chutney over the baguette top. 
5. Arrange pork, capsicum, rocket and basil over the baguette base. 
6. Close the sandwich and cut crossways into quarters to serve. Enjoy.

Fried Pulled Pork over Beans - Untested

I like the idea of this recipe, but the original is a full on slow-cooker thing with a fresh pork roast. I'd like to make this using leftover pork. I just have to figure out what that looks like. I am taking the finishing instructions for the Pork Carnitas, figuring out how to make a sauce with the spices to fry the meat in, baking the beans separately and then maybe mixing all together at the end? Or maybe just serving the fried meat on top of the beans... mmm, that sounds right.

Cooking instructions for the beans : https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/58389/slow-cooker-homemade-beans/

3 cups dry Chili Beans

1½ cups beef broth

1 28oz can crushed tomato

1 28oz can diced tomato

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced.

1 tsp salt

2 lbs roast pork, bones removed and pulled

2 Tbsps brown sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp chilli powder

3/4 tsp dry oregano

dash of cinnamon

½ tsp cumin

¼ tsp cayenne 

1/2 cup beef broth

BBQ Sauce

1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce, Optional

1. Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water. Next day, drain and add to the slow cooker.
2. Add the broth, cans of tomato, onion, garlic and salt.
3. Cook in the slow cooker on Low for 8-10 hours.
4. About a half hour before serving, pull apart the pork using a couple of forks and set aside.
5. In a small pot mix together the brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne. Pour in the 1/2 cup of beef broth. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat.
6. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large non stick pan over high heat, then reduce to medium high (you could do the popcorn test). Place shredded pork into the pan, drizzle over some juices. Wait until the juices evaporate and the bottom side is golden brown and crusty. Since you are reheating the carnitas, flip and cook the other side briefly just to warm through. I really recommend only making one side crusty and leaving the other side juicy and moist.
7. Serve the pork on top of the cooked beans, with BBQ sauce and hot sauce on the side.

Pork and Kale Soup - Testing

https://www.meatloafandmelodrama.com/leftover-pork-roast-soup/

1 - I was a little skeptical about this, but it turned out quite nicely. The others added hot sauce but, whatever. I thought just the lime was enough. I think I would like to try adding the lime to the soup instead of as wedges on the side. I standardized the amount of salt.

2 - I did not have cilantro and it seemed like it was missing something to balance the flavor of the kale. The leftover pork I used was from the lucky New Year pork roast, and so a mild pork which I cubed small (which worked fine). We used some hot sauce due to no cilantro to balance the strong flavor of the kale which worked fine. I would like to figure out how much lime to put directly in the soup which seems like a better way of doing things.

1 Tbsp mild oil or lard

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup corn kernels

1 cup dry Northern beans or cannellini beans

2 cups cooked pork, pulled apart

8 cups chicken broth

3 cups chopped fresh kale

1 tsp salt 

Pepper, to taste

Lime (how much?) Start with the juice from 1/2 lime and taste test.

Cilantro OR Hot sauce

1. Soak the beans overnight. Cook beans in boiling water until they are soft, at least an hour.
2. Once the beans are cooked, heat the oil in a large soup pot and cook the onion until soft. Add the corn and continue to cook until the corn kernels just slightly turn golden brown. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more or until the sharp raw garlic smell goes away.
3. Add the chicken broth, pork and the kale and stir to combine.
4. Cover and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to a simmer, add the beans and cook another 20 minutes. 
6. Add the lime before serving. 
7. Serve with fresh cilantro sprinkled on top.

Gâteau aux fruits de Noël des Noëls(de Tilly) - Untested

2 tasses raisins sans pépins (séchés)

1 tasse raisins (currants)

1½ tasses raisins (autre) Sultana

1½ tasses candied cherries coupés en moitiés

1 tasse dattes coupées

1½ tasses mixed candied fruit, coupé

½ tasse candied pineapple, coupés petits

1 tasse pécans

3 tasses farine sassées

1½ c. à thé poudre à pâte (Magic Baking Powder)

1 c. à thé sel

½ lb de beurre

1¼ tasse de sucre brun tassé

6 œufs

¼ tasse mélasse

1/3 tasse jus orange

1. Chauffer le fourneau à 275F. Mettre dans le moule un double de papier brun et un double de papier ciré. On se sert d’un moule à tube ou encore mieux une casserole ou deux de gâteaux.
2. Mélangez ensemble les fruits et les noix dans un large bol. Sassez la farine, mesurez et ajoutez-y la poudre et le sel. Mélangez ensemble avec les fruits, bien brasser afin que la farine soit bien mélangée aux fruits.
3. Crémez le beurre, ajoutez le sucre et bien brasser jusqu’à léger. Additionnez les œufs un à la fois battant bien après chaque addition, mettre la mélasse, brassez. Mettez l’addition de fruits et de la farine, alternant avec le jus d’orange, finissant avec fruits et farine.
4. Mettez dans les casseroles préparées et cuire 3 hrs à 3½ hrs.
5. Lorsque cuit, faites refroidir complètement ensuite enlevez le papier des côtés, laissez le fond. Trempez du coton à fromage dans du rum ou du brandy, ou l’eau de rose à peu près 3 onces.
6. Enveloppez bien le gâteau dans le coton à fromage et ensuite dans le papier aluminium (foil). Mettre dans une boîte dans un endroit frais pour plusieurs semaines. 
7. Si le coton devient sec, répétez l’opération.
8. P.S.   J’ai copié tel quel.

Pork Belly Confit with Pears (try apples) - Untested

https://www.elle.fr/Elle-a-Table/Recettes-de-cuisine/Porc-tres-confit-aux-poires-roties-2596845#xtor=CS5-90

1 - Since I don't currently have pears, I wonder if apple would do the trick. I suspect, since they require firm pears, that the apples we have would just turn to mush, that doesn't sound unappealing to me, therefore I shall attempt it this way.

1 kg de poitrine de porc fraîche

23 branches de thym

2 feuilles de laurier

4 petites poires fermes (or apples)

30 g de beurre

4 feuilles de sauge

1 cuillère(s) à soupe d'huile d'olive

1 cuillère(s) à soupe de miel de citronnier

poivre du moulin

1. Préchauffez le four sur th. 5/150°.
2. Placez la poitrine dans un plat allant au four, disposez par-dessus les branches de thym et les feuilles de laurier, donnez un tour de moulin à poivre et mettez au four pendant 1 h.
3. Au bout de ce temps, baissez la température du four à th. 4-5/130° et laissez confire pendant 2 h en arrosant de temps en temps.
4. 45 mn avant la fin de la cuisson de la poitrine de porc, lavez les poires et coupez-les en deux.
5. Faites fondre le beurre, l’huile et le miel dans une sauteuse puis ajoutez les demi-poires côté chair.
6. Parsemez de sauge et faites-les rôtir sur feu doux 30 à 40 mn en les retournant à mi-cuisson. Servez-les avec leur jus autour de la poitrine de porc confite.

L'ASTUCE

Prenez des petites poires bien fermes qui ne s'effondreront pas à la cuisson.

Grilled Zucchini Tomato Parmesan Pasta - Untested

https://www.laaloosh.com/2012/07/02/grilled-zucchini-tomato-parmesan-pasta-recipe/

8 ounces whole wheat pasta Ronzoni Smart Taste

4 small zucchini - cut into thin strips (about 2-3” long and 1“ wide)

4 garlic cloves - minced

3 Roma tomatoes - sliced

½ a small red onion - chopped

½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Juice from one lemon

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

 

1. Preheat grill to high heat.
2. Lightly mist tomato and zucchini slices with an olive oil mister, sprinkle with salt and pepper and brush with the minced garlic. Place veggies on the grill, and cook until grill lines form (about 2 minutes per side), and then set aside.
3. Prepare pasta according to package directions, and reserve some of the cooking water.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, Parmesan, onions, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
5. Transfer the pasta mixture to the yogurt mixture, and toss to combine.
6. Add the reserved pasta cooking water a tablespoon at a time, if necessary, to thin it. Gently toss in the grilled zucchini and tomatoes, and combine.
7. Divide evenly among four bowls and serve.

Knol Khol Poriyal (Kohlrabi Curry) - Untested

https://www.archanaskitchen.com/kohl-rabi-recipe-nol-khol-curry

3 cups Kohlrabi , peeled and sliced

1 Onion

1 Tomato , diced

1/2 cup crushed or diced tomato

1/4 cup fresh green peas (Matar)

2 Dry Red Chillies

1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)

1/2 teaspoon black Mustard seeds (Rai/ Kadugu)

1 teaspoon Black Urad Dal (Split) red lentils

Curry leaves , few

1 Bay leaf

? lime zest

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)

1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder

1 tablespoon Coriander Powder (Dhania)

2 tablespoons Dessicated Coconut

Salt , for taste

1. To begin making the Kohlrabi recipe, take kohlrabi and peel the outer fibrous part and cut into small squares.
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. When heated, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. When they splutter, add a teaspoon of black urad dal.
3. Saute until the dal tuurns brown. Now add in curry leaves, dry red chillies and turmeric powder. 
4. After 1 minute, add sliced onions and fry till the onion becomes soft.
5. Add tomato slices and cook till they become little soft. Add fresh peas followed by kohlrabi slices and mix everything.
6. Now close the lid and cook for some more time mixing at regular intervals
7. Add spices - coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt as per taste.
8. Add dry dessicated coconut, mix everything and cook for few minutes by closing lid.
9. Cook till kohlrabi slices become soft. Turn off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves. 

Split Pea Soup with Smoked Hock - Test 3

Adapted from the split pea soup with bacon, this one uses the pork hock instead of bacon.

1 - I added the hock while it was still a bit frozen and it was not cooked enough using the cooking time in the soup with bacon. Also, the hock is salty so I will reduce the quantity of salt. Otherwise, and excellent recipe.

2 - To make sure the hock is well cooked I decided to try the slow cooker, and have transformed the recipe to reflect this. If this works, I have a final test I'd like to do before calling it done - is it better to cook the oats in the last 20 minutes or can I mix them into the slow cooker? The changes I made were very good! It worked!

12 cups cold water

2 cups of yellow split peas

1 smoked pork hock (any size)

4 oz (about 1 generous cup) of quick cook oats

Optional: 1 sprig thyme, 1 bay leaf and/or 1 large carrot

1 Tbsp oil or lard

2 onions, chopped (12oz/340gr)

2 tsps of salt (to taste)

1 tsp of sugar

1⁄2 tsp of pepper

1. Put the peas, hock and any herbs in a slow cooker 8 or 9hrs before you desire to eat.
2. An hour before the slow cooker is done, add the oatmeal.
3. Then, heat the oil in your soup pot and cook the onion over medium heat until very tender (where you can easily cut it with a wooden spoon), about 10 minutes.
4. Season with the salt, sugar, and pepper. Cook a bit longer to allow the sugar to caramelize a bit. Remember, browning = more flavour!
5. Once the hock is very tender remove it from the slow cooker and set it on a cutting board.
6. Transfer the peas to your soup pot and bring to a simmer. 
7. Meanwhile, shred the hock, remove the bone, skin and fat and pop back in the good meaty bits.
8. Enjoy with fresh bread.

Blackberry Coulis - PUBLISHED

https://www.savorythoughts.com/blackberry-coulis/

NOTE: I wonder if this works for any kind of fruit or just berries or just blackberries? Also, consider the spice recommendations from Dorothy Hartley for the older blackberries.

1 - I made this just the once and the first go was very good, even with the reduced amount of sugar. I used frozen blackberries and simmered it for 10 minutes to good effect.

2 - This is just the right amount of sweetness. Someone had it for the first time and thought it was just really sweet blackberry.

10oz fresh blackberries

1/4 cup white sugar

juice from ½ lemon

1. Over medium-low heat, add the blackberries, lemon, and sugar to the saucepan. Stir to mix well.
2. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes (up to 10 minutes if using frozen fruit to help excess moisture to evaporate).
3. Either press through a sieve or use a blender to crush the fruit and strain out the juices. 

Plain old Tomato Spaghetti Sauce for - PUBLISHED

In my younger days I made this sauce countless times (pg 66, I still remember). Trying it again tonight for the first time in probably 20 years.

from Moosewood Cookbook, pg 66

1 - It's as good and easy to make as I remembered. I'm going to indicate that the fresh tomato is optional.

2 - Made it with fresh herbs and have added the quantities for this option. Uh, in re-reading this, I think I actually used 2 x 28oz cans of tomato! Woops, but the flavor was really nice. Now this was with fresh herbs, would that work with dry? I may have to halve the fresh herb quantity. To try next time, which means this remains at Test 1.

3 Tbsps. olive oil

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

OPTIONAL ½ lb. mushrooms AND/OR 1 chopped green pepper

2 tsps. dry basil OR 2 Tbsps. fresh basil, minced

1 tsp oregano OR 1 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced

2 bay leaves

2 tsps. salt

28oz canned tomato, diced or purée 

6oz tomato paste

2 Tbsps. red wine, to taste

¼ tsp black pepper

Optional - 1 medium tomato, chopped

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion to sauté. While the onions cook, chop and/or add the garlic, green pepper, optional mushrooms, basil, oregano, bay leaves and salt. Continue to cook until the onions transparent and very soft.
2. When the onions are cooked, add the tomato purée and paste, red wine, fresh tomato and pepper.
3. Cover and simmer on low to medium low (a very slow simmer) for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Before serving add the parsley.
5. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan

Cooking an old bird

https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/07/cook-old-chicken.html

https://morningchores.com/cooking-tough-chickens/

1 whole rooster or stewing hen, plucked & gutted

Water (to cover the bird; count the # of cups to know the amount of salt to add)

Herbs of your choice (sage, rosemary, thyme, etc) fresh or dried

2 bay leaves

Salt/pepper to taste (1 tsp salt per cup of water)

More herbs, seasonings, and your choice of veggies (onions, garlic, carrots, celery) to make stock (if desired)

1. Cover the bird loosely (I used wax paper to allow the carcass to breathe–avoid plastic wrap) and place in the fridge to age for 4-7 days [I am soaking mine in water which I will change every day before brining]. This is a crucial step for an old bird, as the extended aging process allows the muscle fibers to relax and tenderize. Don’t skip it!
2. After the aging process, place the bird in a large stock pot and cover it with water. Season if you like (I tossed in some salt, pepper, rosemary, parsley, and an onion for good measure) and cover. Simmer for 6-12 hours.
3. Remove the bird from the pot and allow it to cool so you can handle it comfortably. Remove all of the meat from the bones.
4. At this point, you can set the bones aside (we’ll be using them to make chicken stock), and toss the meat back into the broth to make chicken soup. (Just add the vegetables of your choice, noodles, and seasonings to taste, removing the bay leaves before you serve it. I don’t have an *exact* chicken soup recipe, since it’s different every time I serve it.

No-Churn Ice-cream - Untested

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/no-churn-vanilla-ice-cream-3364776

https://www.foodiecrush.com/how-to-make-easy-no-churn-ice-cream/#recipe

https://www.spendwithpennies.com/3-ingredient-vanilla-ice-cream-no-churn/#wprm-recipe-container-159449

2 cups heavy whipping cream

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip the cream until stiff peaks occur, be careful not to over whip. The cream will be done when you pull the beaters out and the cream stands at attention.
2. In another large bowl, whisk the vanilla into the sweetened condensed milk. Gently fold in the whipped cream with a spatula, slowly incorporating the two mixtures together so it stays light and aerated.
3. If making individual flavors, scoop the cream mixture into smaller bowls and gently fold in your desired mix-ins, or if making just one flavor, mix the ingredients directly into the cream mixture.
4. Transfer the mixture to an insulated tub or paper containers and freeze for 4-6 hours.

Vegetable Bread Pudding - Untested

https://www.seriouseats.com/irish-cheddar-and-vegetable-bread-pudding

8 cups (about 1 lb) stale country bread, cut into 1-inch squares (If your bread isn't yet stale, you can toast it in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden)

2 1/2 Tbsps olive oil

3/4 cup carrots in 1/4-inch dice

1 onion, diced

20 oz greens (spinach, swiss chard or arugula)

10 eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

7 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and sauté until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add spinach and sauté until leaves are wilted, adding them in two batches if necessary. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
2. In a medium bowl, lightly beat together eggs, milk, and whipping cream.
3. In a large bowl, combine bread, spinach mixture, cheese, and thyme. Add egg mixture and toss to coat. Pour filling into baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Bake until filling is set and bread at top is golden, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly before serving.

Green Tomato Chutney - Untested

From Helen Witty's "Fancy Pantry" (from Sarah Shephard)

Makes about 8 cups.

3 lbs completely green tomatoes

2 lbs firm tart apples

2 cups raisins

1.5 cups diced onions

2 tsp finely minced garlic

2 cups or less packed light brown sugar

1 cup or less white sugar

2 tsp pickling or other non-iodized salt

1.5 cups apple cider vinegar

3-4 tbsp finely minced ginger

1.5 tbsp mustard seed

2 tsp coriander

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp finely minced fresh hot red pepper, or .5 tsp pepper flakes, or .25 tsp cayenne

1. Chop tomatoes into half-inch chunks--there should be about 8 cups. Put in a preserving (large sturdy) pan. Peel and core the apples, chop and add them. Add raisins, onion, garlic, brown and white sugar, salt, and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat and boil slowly uncovered for 30 minutes.
2. Add ginger, mustard deed, coriander, cinnamon, pepper, return to a boil, and cook at a slow boil until it holds a mounded shape in when lifted in a spoon. Taste and adjust ingredients, remembering it will mellow with age.
3. Ladle into hot clean pint or half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Seal with lids and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Let mellow for a few weeks before serving.

How to Make Chickpea Flour

https://www.alphafoodie.com/how-to-make-chickpea-flour/

https://calbeans.org/homemade-bean-flour/

Baked Feta with Greens - Untested

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/baked-feta-and-greens-with-lemony-yogurt

6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, sliced

2 bunches hearty greens, such as collard greens and/or Tuscan kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves sliced

1½ tsp. curry powder, divided

2 tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 (½-lb.) block Greek or Bulgarian feta, sliced ½" thick

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed

½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Toasted rustic bread (for serving)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large heatproof skillet over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6–8 minutes. Add greens in handfuls, letting wilt before adding another handful, and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add ½ tsp. curry powder; season with 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper. Stir to combine, then add 1 cup water. Lay feta over greens and transfer skillet to oven. Bake until feta is soft, 10–12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 4 Tbsp. oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant and just beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 2 minutes. Add chickpeas, season with 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper, and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and crisp around the edges, 8–10 minutes. Add remaining 1 tsp. curry powder and toss to combine.
3. Stir yogurt and lemon juice in a small bowl; season with a pinch of salt.
4. Scatter chickpeas and toasted garlic over greens and feta. Dollop with seasoned yogurt. Serve with toast alongside.

Jewish Apple Cake - Testing

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/7969/jewish-apple-cake-i/

https://www.askchefdennis.com/jewish-apple-cake/

1 - It was so beautiful! Until I removed it from its mold and realized the middle wasn't cooked at all! I should use a long wooden skewer to check next time. It was good, but I tried substituting the orange juice and zest with lemon and lime and it was a very harsh flavour and not pleasant to my palate.

2 - Success! I used mandarin oranges and I baked the cake for 90 minutes, then turned off the oven and left it for another 15. I really don't know why it didn't bake last time. Anyway, it was perfectly done, and the milder mandarin flavor was much better. Next time, I'll use half the sugar because it seemed too sweet to me, leaving that slightly sour aftertaste of too much sweet. The mystery currently is why the apples seemed to all float up to the top of the cake while baking...

3 5 apples - peeled, cored and sliced (70-100 gr per apple or 350 - 500 gr of apple))

Cinnamon sugar (2 tsps ground cinnamon + 5 tsps white sugar)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp baking powder

2 1 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

¼ cup orange juice

1 Tbsp orange zest

2 tsps vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour one 10 inch tube pan. 
2. Combine the ground cinnamon and the 5 tsps of sugar together and set aside.
3. Prepare the apples, then toss together with the cinnamon sugar and set aside while make the batter.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and 2 cups of the sugar. Stir in the vegetable oil, beaten eggs, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Mix well.
5. Pour a quarter of the batter in a thin layer at the bottom of the pan, then a third of the apples. Pour another layer of batter, don't worry if the apples in the lower layer show through, and NOTE that the batter is quite thick, don't worry about making it look neat. Repeat the operation a third time and top with the remaining batter.
6. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1/2 of the sliced apples and sprinkle with 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour the remaining batter over the top and layer the remaining sliced apples and cinnamon sugar.
7. Bake at 350F for 70 to 90 minutes. Check with a long wooden skewer than the middle is cooked.
8. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes - if the cake is too hot it may break apart. If it's too cold it may stick to the pan.

Savory Bread Pudding - Testing

https://foodwastefeast.com/recipes/2018/4/15/savory-bread-pudding-with-greens-and-roast-veggies

The Rough Recipe

Serves 6-8, with sides, and takes about an hour and twenty minutes (only 20 of that is active time though).

You'll need the following:

About 8 cups bread, cut into chunks (the version pictured uses both a slightly stale baguette and some frozen brioche rolls leftover from a dinner party)

Roughly 4 cups whole milk, or 2 cups milk and 2 cups cream, or a combination of milk and stock - enough to moisten all your bread

2 eggs

1 cup (or more, don't let me stop you) of whatever cheese you might have in the fridge, crumbled or shredded

Butter or olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan

About 4 cups of diced vegetables, ideally an allium such as an onion or scallions and a few cloves of garlic, and then any combination of leafy greens, roasted vegetables, fresh herbs, or whatever you like. Keep already cooked items separated from those that need some time to saute. 

Kosher salt and black pepper, if desired

leftover frozen bread, stale bread, leafy green, kale, onions and blue cheese

If you want to add meat, I usually use something with a lot of flavor and some fat, like bacon or sausage. I dice the meat and cook it in the pan first, then remove the meat and saute my vegetables in the bacon or sausage fat. 

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Whisk the milk and eggs together in a large bowl, then add the bread chunks. Mix in the cheese, and make sure all the bread is submerged so it can soak up the milk.

Heat the butter or oil into a large skillet over medium heat (or cook your meat and remove it from the pan). Once the butter is melted, add your alliums like garlic and onions and anything that needs a while to saute, like kale stems, and cook until softened. This could take 5 minutes, or more like 10 if you have tougher veggies or stems. Once those are tender, add any leaves or already-cooked vegetables and stir to combine and cook another 3 minutes, until wilted and warmed.

You can cook different kinds of veggies separately if you want, just make sure they are all cooked before you add them to the bread. I did the scallions, onions, and kale stems from the below picture together, then tossed in the chopped kale leaves. 

Remove the veggies from heat and let cool a few minutes before adding to the bread mixture. Add a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper and stir to combine thoroughly.

Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and pour in the bread and vegetable mixture evenly. Bake until the top is puffed and golden brown, about 50 to 60 minutes. Serve hot. Cool and refrigerate any leftovers – it’ll reheat well in the microwave.

golden brown delicious bread pudding

 

leafy greens, herbs, bread, eggs, milk, cream, broccoli stems, kale stems, chard stems, kale, chard, scallions, onions, cheese

ATTEMPT #1

550g diced bread (buns and baguette)

2 cups milk

2 cups vegetable broth

2 eggs

3 slices bacon cut into lardons

1 leek, sliced

5 crushed garlic

2 broccoli stems peeled and diced

8oz mushrooms, sliced

a few leaves of chard or beet leaves

4 oz cheddar

pinch of salt and pepper

1. Dice the bread.
2. In a very large bowl, whisk the eggs and mix in the milk and broth.
3. Weigh down the bread to keep it submerged under the milky mixture for the next hour or so.
4. Render the lardons until they are perfectly crispy. Remove the crispy lardons and set aside.
5. In the hot fat, cook the leek, garlic, broccoli, mushrooms and chard stems.
6. Once softened, add the leaves and cook until tender and bright green.
7. Preheat the oven to 350F.
8. Allow the vegetables to cool a few minutes.
9. Meanwhile, mix the cheese, salt and pepper with the soaked bread. 
10. Add the vegetables and toss well.
11. Butter a gratin dish and pile in the mixture.
12. Bake in the oven for 1hour 15 minutes or until golden and puffed up and the center has solidified.

Plum Basil Gin Fizz - Untested

https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Plum-Basil-Gin-Fizz/

1 ripe plum, pitted, half diced and half sliced

5 large basil leaves

2 oz. gin

1 oz. simple syrup

Seltzer, to top drink

Lime wedge, for garnish

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the diced plum and basil leaves. Fill the shaker with ice; add the gin & simple syrup. Place on the shaker lid and shake for 1 minute. Pour into a glass filled the sliced plum. Fill glass to the top with seltzer and garnish with lime wedge.

Water cake - Testing

https://kirbiecravings.com/water-cake/

1 - I did not take notes, but I remember it being good. I needs a coulis I feel, or syrup or something moist. But I can't quite remember so I'm leaving it for now.

2 - It's a good white cake and surprising. I am curious about trying either potato flour or oat flour because I find the crumb a bit tough with only the all-purpose. I could try getting soft wheat flour for cake.

3 - I tested with half oat flour and the consensus was that it had a better texture. I will also try with the potato flour, next time. I also topped the cake with a Rhubarb Coulis which was a good match, but also discovered that plain yogurt is also good with it, but perhaps mixed with a bit of sugar.

4 - Made it with oat flour again and really, it's fine. It's more to have something for people on a vegan diet, but I don't think I'd make it just for myself. The oats I think increase the moistness, and I still wonder what it would be like with potato flour.

2 cups all purpose flour (try half potato flour, half oat flour)

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable, canola or olive oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp lemon zest optional

OPTIONAL: top with Rhubarb Coulis or plain yogurt mixed with sweetener like sugar or syrup. Hmmm, I wonder about yogurt with a sprinkle of crystalized sugar on top, for the look as well.

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the interior of an 8 inch round springform cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, add flour, baking powder, sugar. Whisk vigorously with a whisk until evenly combined.
3. Add water, oil, vanilla and lemon zest (is using). Whisk until batter is smooth and no lumps remain.
4. Pour cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the surface of the cake is a light golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cake cool before slicing and serving. You can dust cake with powdered sugar if desired.

NOTES

Recipe slightly adapted from Manu's Menu

You can make this in an 8 inch or a 9 inch cake pan. Do not use a pan smaller than 8 inches because the cake will be too thick. If you are using a 9 inch pan, your cake will be much thinner and will likely require less baking time.

The is a very simple basic cake recipe and won't have much flavor on its own. The lemon zest does help add flavor. You can also add cinnamon for a cinnamon version, espresso powder for a coffee version or orange zest instead of lemon zest.

Basic Polenta - Testing

https://epicure.com/en-us/recipe/basic-herb-polenta

https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/amazing-grains/basic-polenta/

4 cups water

1 tsp salt 

1 tbsp butter

1 1⁄2 cups cornmeal

1. Salt the water and bring to a rapid boil. 
2. Add cornmeal in a steady stream while rapidly stirring. 
3. Add the butter and continue to stir for 3 - 5 minutes or until polenta begins to pull away from the sides of the pot as you stir.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 - 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and polenta is tender.

Lentil Something - Untested

1 - I have no idea with this is or where it comes from. I assume it's a soup. But maybe not since the last step suggests draining the extra water.

3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

2¼ cups French lentils

1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add oil. When hot, add chopped vegetables and sauté until softened, 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 2

Add 6 cups water, lentils, thyme, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a fast simmer.

Step 3

Simmer lentils until they are tender and have absorbed most of the water, 20 to 25 minutes. If necessary, drain any excess water after lentils have cooked. Serve immediately, or allow them to cool and reheat later.

Lentil Basil Stew - Testing

https://www.thefullhelping.com/tess-masters-gentle-lentils/

1 - I really want to get rid of the silly BASIL IS THE BOMB SAUCE name. Don't care for it. But the recipe is pretty good. While I found the broth too thin, I also used yogurt instead of having creme fraiche to try with it. Until I have that missing ingredient, it will stay in the Testing phase.

2 - Where did all that liquid come from? I mean, in the first version I said I thought the sauce was thin but that's just ridiculous, it was like a soup! The basil sauce is really what makes it stand out, but I don't think it needs to be kept separate. I think it could just be mixed in at the end and then served with sour cream, creme fraiche or yogurt.

Basil sauce:

½ cup 120ml extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups 50g loosely packed basil leaves

¼ cup 20g finely chopped green onion (white and green parts)

1½ Tbsps fresh lemon juice

2 tsps minced garlic about 2 cloves

¼ tsp apple cider vinegar

¼ tsp salt plus more to taste

Optional 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, plus more to taste

Lentil Stew

2 Tbsps.' grapeseed oil or olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup (170g) onion, diced

1 cup (132g) celery, diced

1 cup (160g) carrot, diced

1 tsp salt, to taste

2 cups (370g) dry green lentils

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme plus more to taste

½ tsp ground black pepper

8 ? cups vegetable broth

Fresh lemon juice

1 cup (240ml) Basil-Is-the-Bomb Sauce with the red pepper flakes booster

Pea sprouts

Sour cream or Crème fraîche

1. To prepare the basil-is-the-bomb sauce, throw everything into your blender, including any boosters, and blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth and emulsified. Tweak the salt and pepper flakes to taste. This is best served immediately, but will keep, sealed and chilled, for about 5 days. Makes 1 cup.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and sauté the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and ½ teaspoon of the salt for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften slightly. 
3. Stir in the lentils, thyme, pepper, and broth. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring the mixture to a lively simmer (not a full boil), and cook for about 5 minutes. 
4. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are tender but not mushy. Add salt to taste.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls and add about ¼ teaspoon lemon juice to each serving. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the Basil-Is-the-Bomb sauce over the top of each bowl and serve with a dollop of sour cream, and some of the pea sprouts. Pass the remaining Basil-Is-the-Bomb sauce and more lemon juice at the table.

Baby Potato Salad - Testing

1 - I wonder where this came from? It's pretty good, though. I didn't halve the potatoes, I just dumped all the ingredients in the blender and I also just dumped the vinaigrette all on the potatoes in one go and served it in a bowl for people to take what they wanted. It worked well.

1-3/4 lb. small red potatoes, scrubbed

1/2 cup packed basil leaves

1 small clove garlic

3 Tbs. red-wine vinegar

1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2/3 cup canola oil

1. Boil or steam the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. 
2. In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. With the machine running, gradually add the oil until completely incorporated. 
3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve or quarter them, depending on their size. Put them in a serving bowl and drizzle with about 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette. Serve warm, with extra vinaigrette on the side, if you like.

Clafoutis aux cerises - Untested

https://fr.chatelaine.com/recettes/desserts/clafoutis-aux-cerises/

400 g pitted or whole cherries, fresh or frozen 

3 Tbsps eau-de-vie or krisch

3 eggs

pinch of salt

110 g (1/2 cup) sugar

100 g (3/4 cup) flour

300 ml (1 1/4 cups) milk

1 tsp grated lemon zest

2 tsps vanilla

1. Combine the cherries and kirsch in a bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Grease a glass pie dish in advance.
3. Beat the eggs with the pinch of salt until starting to foam. Whisk in the sugar and flour.
4. Gradually add the milk, whisking until you obtain a smooth consistency. 
5. Mix in the zest and vanilla.
6. Drain the cherries and add the liquor to the batter. 
7. Arrange the cherries in a single layer on the bottom of the greased pie dish.
8. Pour the batter over the cherries - they should all be under the batter and they may move as you pour, so it's no big deal to nudge things back into place afterwards.
9. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the batter is nice and golden.
10. Allow to cool before serving, either at room temperature or cold.
11. Optionally, you could powder the surface with icing sugar.

Mushroom Taragon Omelette - Test 1

https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/sauteed-mushroom-omelet

1 - Very tasty if perhaps a bit salty. And I may prefer the longer cooked thick sliced mushrooms, which I will try next time.

2 - The reduced salt is right, and could potentially be reduced some more. Thick sliced over thin sliced is definitely the way to go. I'm graduating it to the testing phase.

3 - It was very good, again, but there was too much stuffing. I'm going to change the quantity to recommend a range by preference, of 8oz to 12oz. Currently at 12oz only.

The filling

1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) vegetable oil

1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter + more as needed

8oz to 12oz cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced thick (4 to 6 slices per mushroom depending on size)

2 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp salt

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ tsp ground black pepper

The omelet

6 to 7 eggs

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon 

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp butter

½ cup (2.1 oz/60gr) grated Fontina or Gruyère

1. For the filling, heat the oil and butter until the butter starts to froth. Sauté the mushrooms in the oil and butter until mushrooms are tender and browned so they have a bit of a crust of browning on them, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. This is just to cook away that sharp raw garlic flavor.
3. Remove from heat, stir in the salt, pepper and parsley.
4. For the omelet, 
5. Thoroughly heat a 10" oven-proof fry pan or omelet pan over medium-low heat (if stainless steel, for about 4 to 5 minutes dry).
6. Meanwhile, combine the eggs, salt and pepper and whisk until frothy.
7. Stir in the tarragon.
8. To the hot pan add first the oil, swirl around the pan to cover, then add the butter.
9. Pour the eggs into the hot pan; you may want to increase the heat to medium. As the egg cooks, lift the edges and tilt the pan to let the uncooked egg get underneath.
10. With the oven rack in the middle, turn on the broiler to heat up (or use a salamander if you're so lucky to have one).
11. When the egg has half cooked, spread the mushroom mixture evenly over it. 
12. While the egg is still a little under-cooked on the surface, (not just slithery but actually jiggly), spread the cheese and slip the pan into the oven to broil
13. When the egg is set and the edges puff up a little, take it out of the oven and carefully fold the omelette, plate and serve as you will.

Pasta With Basil, Parsley And Lime - Testing

https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/pasta-side/elbow-pasta-with-basil-parsley-and-lime.html

1 - Another good recipe, and I'd like to add hot pepper flakes to it to see.

2 - Good again, but I'd like to figure out how much salt. I mean, adding salt is fine, but I'd like to get closer to the actual amount that makes the flavors start to pop. I also want to know if there is a name in Italian for these kinds of noodles-in-oil type dishes.

4 garlic cloves, chopped

A pinch of red pepper flakes

4 Tbsp olive oil

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1lb spaghettini

12 oz macaroni, elbow

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 lime, juiced and rind grated

salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring the water to boil. 
2. Add the pasta. While the pasta cooks, everything else can get prepared.
3. Heat the garlic and red pepper flakes in the olive oil until golden, then remove from the heat and add the basil.
4. The basil should wilt in the hot oil and go bright green and glossy.
5. Cook the pasta until al dente then drain.
6. Toss with the garlic, basil mixture.
7. Add the fresh parsley, grated lime and the lime juice.
8. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Leftover Roast Potato Soup - Testing

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/baked-potato-soup/

1 - Used home fries Paz brought home from work. It worked pretty well, Ben liked it, and some brightness is needed, like a fresh side salad. Just on its own I personally find it a bit stodgy.

3 large baking potatoes or leftover baked potatoes (about 900gr)

40 g butter (3 Tbsps)

1 onion (6oz)

1 Parmesan rind , whatever size you have in the fridge, optional

5 cups + 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

sour cream Yogurt

1 small bunch of fresh chives

1. If you’re using leftover baked potatoes, skip these first 3 steps. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4. Wash the potatoes and dry well, then prick each one with a fork and wrap in foil.
2. Put on a rack in the middle of the oven and cook for about 1 hour 15 minutes. The exact time depends on the size of your potatoes, but to check, give them a quick squeeze, bearing in mind they’ll be hot: the potato should just give under your fingers.
3. Remove from the oven then, when cool enough to handle, cut them into quarters. Leave to cool completely.
4. Peel and dice the onion. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat and cook the onion for 10 minutes, or until soft.
5. Cut the potatoes, skin and all, into 2cm chunks. Add the potato and Parmesan rind to the pan, season, then cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add 1.25 litres of stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Remove the rind, then purée the soup until smooth with a stick blender or in a liquidiser. Return to the pan, check the seasoning, and thin with the remaining stock, if you like.
8. Serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream, snipped chives and a pinch of black pepper. Delicious with crumbled Lancashire cheese and crisp, crumbled bacon on the side for the whole baked potato experience.

Osso Buco - Testing

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/insanely-good-oxtail-stew/

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/osso-buco-recipe-2013380

https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipes/recipe/4608/beef-osso-buco

https://themodernproper.com/osso-buco

1 - I did not cook these long enough, the meat was not falling off the bone, and without that, the meat is very difficult to get at. The flavor of the stew was good, but otherwise the results are so far inconclusive.

2-3lbs cross-cut beef shanks 

2 generous Tbsps flour

2 tsps olive oil

1 kernel popcorn

Salt and pepper

1 medium onion (160g)

1 small pinch celery seed

2 medium carrots (120g)

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

a few sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves

400 g of diced tomatoes

3/4 cups porter or red wine

2 cups beef stock

Worcestershire sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Dust the meat with the flour. 
3. Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat until the popcorn pops. 
4. Brown the beef on all sides in batches to achieve a good browning; remove from the pot and set aside.
5. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Add onion, carrot and celery to stockpot, cook until vegetables are crisp-tender. 
7. Add wine; cook until browned bits attached to stockpot are dissolved. Cook an additional 5 to 8 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. 
8. Stir in tomatoes and stock.
9. Return beef to stockpot and bring to a boil. 
10. Cover tightly and cook in the hot oven for a.5 to 2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender.
11. Once cooked, remove the beef, skim fat from the cooking liquid and reduce the liquid to 2 cups. Season with salt, as desired. Return beef to cooking liquid. 
12. Serve with herbed grits or mashed potatoes.

Snow pea pasta - Testing

https://whatsgabycooking.com/snap-pea-pasta/

1/3 cup combined butter and olive oil

1lb sugar snap or snow peas, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp salt

Salt and black pepper to taste

1/3 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more to finish (or parmesan cheese) 

1 lemon, zested and juiced

10 ounces pasta 

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the snap peas, garlic, shallot red pepper flakes and salt; sauté for 4-5 minutes until garlic is fragrant and the snap peas are lightly sautéed. Season with salt and pepper. 
2. Turn heat off and add cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest. 
3. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the snap peas. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

Leftover Rice and Lentil Soup - Testing

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/leftover-lentil-rice-soup-50013046

Broadbeans and lemon pasta FAIL

https://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/dinners/dinners-pasta-rice-noodles/broad-bean-and-lemon-pasta1

1 - Nope, not interesting. I used pesto instead of basil leaves (didn't have any) and still not interesting. The broadbeans were flavorless grainy bits of blandness.

400G ORECCHIETTE

1 TABLESPOON EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 

2 CLOVES GARLIC, SLICED 

¼ CUP (60ML) LEMON JUICE 

1 TABLESPOON FINELY GRATED LEMON RIND 

½ CUP (125ML) SINGLE (POURING) CREAM 

SEA SALT AND CRACKED BLACK PEPPER 

2.4KG BROAD BEANS, SHELLED, BLANCHED AND PEELED+ 

1 CUP (80G) FINELY GRATED PARMESAN 

2 CUPS BASIL LEAVES

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 10–12 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and rind, cream, reserved water, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cook for 2–3 minutes or until slightly thickened. 

Add the beans and pasta, stir to combine and cook for a further 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir through the pecorino and basil. Divide the pasta between 4 bowls and serve topped with the extra pecorino. Serves 4. 

Broadbean Carbonara - Untested

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pappardelle-broad-bean-carbonara

170g pancetta salt pork belly, small cubes

200g podded and skinned broad bean (about 400g unpodded)

4 egg yolks

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsps wholegrain mustard

1lb chunky pasta such as pappardelle pasta

100g parmesan, grated

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. While the water boils, heat a frying pan and sizzle the pancetta for 8 mins until crisp, then throw the broad beans into the pan with the pancetta fat. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with the cream and mustard, then season with lots of black pepper.
2. Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Drain the pasta, saving some of the water, and toss through the pancetta in the frying pan. Tip in the egg and cream mix, and stir to coat, adding a splash of the reserved water, if needed. Toss half of the grated Parmesan through, so the sauce clings to the pasta, then scatter with the remaining Parmesan.

Pork belly with lemon pasta and broadbeans - Untested

https://kitchen.nine.com.au/recipes/crisp-pork-belly-lemon-rice-with-broadbeans/bb5930b0-4435-452a-b361-53e602cc7c18

https://www.giverecipe.com/shelled-fresh-fava-beans/

Sometimes I right away see which changes I want to make. I'd like the pork belly to accompany, not be the main theme, and I want noodles instead of rice. Let's make this magic happen!

Rock salt, to rub

2kg pork belly (ask butcher to score skin)

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 cup dry sherry

1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced

12 oz dry spaghetti

200g fresh or frozen broadbeans

Juice of 2 lemons

2 bunches green onions, thinly sliced

1 bunch coriander (or parsley?), leaves chopped

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Rub in garlic and cumin into the skin of the pork. 
3. Measure out ½ cup good olive oil. From this, take 2 Tbsps of oil and put it into a roasting pan (an over-ready fry pan works well). Add the pork, skin-side up and roast for 30 minutes. 
4. Reduce the heat to 300°F and cook for 2½ hours. At the end of this time, place under the grill if the crackling is not crisp. 
5. Meanwhile, remove the broadbeans from their pods and make a small slit on each bean.
6. Fill a saucepan with boiling water. Add in a good pinch of salt and stir to dilute.
7. Soak the beans in this hot salty water for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water and then they easily peel out of their shells. Set aside.
8. Once the pork has baked, rest it on a wire rack to drain. 
9. In the roasting pan, leave all but 2 Tbsps of fat. Place over medium-low heat and stir in the sherry and the thyme and cook for a few minutes, scraping up any browned bits. 
10. Once you can handle it, cut the pork into cubes.
11. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti, drain and toss it with a little of the reserved oil, just to coat. 
12. To cook the broadbeans, bring a pot of salted water to a roiling boil. Toss in the broadbeans. When water returns to a boil, the beans should be cooked; drain and rinse them.
13. On a large serving platter start with a base layer of spaghetti. Arrange the broadbeans on top of this. Drizzle the , remaining oil, juice, green onion and coriander. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with pork.

Pork Stew - Test 2

https://www.food.com/recipe/slow-cooker-pork-chop-stew-487079

https://www.hintofhealthy.com/slow-cooker-pork-stew/

1 - This was a very good frankenstein, and if I can reconstruct it, we'll be on a roll.

2 - Cooked it on high because I rarely remember to start it for the low settings! Again, very good.

1lb pork loin, cubed

2 Tbsps flour

1-2 Tbsps oil

1 pound potatoes

3 carrots

1 onion

5 small garlic cloves

½ cup garden peas (fresh or frozen)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 cups beef stock

⅓ cup red wine

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1. Trim fat from loin and cut into cubes. Coat with 2 tablespoons flour. Brown chops in oil over medium heat.
2. Place potatoes, onion, garlic, carrots and peas in slow cooker. Sprinkle remaining flour over and toss to coat.
3. Layer over potato mixture salt, pepper, pork, stock, wine, bay leaves, tomato paste, Dijon mustard, Italian seasoning. 
4. Cover and cook on high 3 1/2-4 hours or on low for 7 - 8 hours.

Slow Baked Beans - Testing

https://www.thespruceeats.com/crock-pot-baked-beans-with-salt-pork-or-bacon-3054521

1 - Woops, I put in all the ingredients in one go except for the salt. I'm also trying out the Borlotti-ish beans we have from last year's Bean Collective, but they are too big so that it isn't as nice a mouth feel as smaller beans might. 

2 - The flavor is very good, and now it's to discover the right bean. Tried Swedish Browns, and they are very firm and hold their shape too much. I'm looking for a bean that will keep its shape but soften.

1 lb dry white beans

1/3 cup molasses

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

A pinch of ground cloves

1 cup onion, chopped

1/4 pound salt pork, rinsed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, or diced bacon

Water to cover (about 6 cups)

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, or 1 tsp dry mustard powder

Salt, to taste

1. In the slow cooker, combine the soaked beans, molasses, brown sugar, onion, salt pork or bacon, and water. If needed, add more water to cover the beans.
2. Place the lid on and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally.
3. Add the Dijon mustard, taste test, and season with salt to taste. Stir well and continue cooking for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If the liquids are thin, turn the slow cooker to HIGH and leave the cover ajar.
4. Once the beans are thick and creamy and the cooking time has passed, serve immediately with your favorite sides.

Beef and Barley Skillet - Testing

https://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/quick-and-easy-beef-and-barley-skillet-dinner/

1 - I'm going for a little 1970's chique with this one. Adding the lovage and harissa is a cool twist.

1 to 1lb 8oz ground beef

1 onion, chopped (160g)

1 clove garlic

Optional - 1 medium green pepper, chopped (130g)

1 can (14oz/398mL) diced tomatoes with liquid

1 and 1/3 cups beef broth

1 cup water

3/4 cup pearl barley

1 Tbsp brown Sugar

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp minced lovage

4 tsps harrissa paste

12 oz chunky pasta (shells work great)

1. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef with onion, garlic and optional green pepper until the meat is no longer pink; drain.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about and hour. The barley should be very tender.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta so that it's ready when the barley is cooked. Combine all together and serve.

Gâteau au fromage blanc - Testing

https://www.ptitchef.com/recettes/dessert/gateau-au-fromage-blanc-super-facile-fid-1507834

http://cuisinemicheline.com/gateau-au-fromage-blanc/

1 - There were a couple of factors. One is that I used a (f*$&@ing) fat-free yogurt to make my cheese. Oh, right, and I did not use 'fromage blanc' but yogurt cheese (strained yogurt). The other is that I used Arrowroot powder. Next time, I'll use full fat yogurt cheese, and I will use regular wheat flour. It may simply be that I have to add baking soda or powder but I'll try this first.

4 eggs

500g fromage blanc or yogurt cheese

100g sugar

90g flour OR Arrowroot powder OR Cornstarch

Zest from 1 lime or 1/2 lemon

OR

1 Tbsp vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a large bowl combine the cheese and the sugar.
3. Separate the eggs and mix the yolks in to the sweet cheese mixture. 
4. Add the flour/powder to the bowl, then the lemon zest or vanilla. Set aside.
5. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently combine with the cheese mixture.
6. Generously grease a spring form pan (20cm? 30cm?) and pour in the batter.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, then allow to cool for 1 hour before taking it out of the mold.

Brown butter thyme mushroom pasta - PUBLISHED

https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/brown-butter-mushroom-pasta/

https://kitchengoodies.wordpress.com/2020/06/08/pappardelle-with-mushrooms-and-thyme/

1 + 2 - I've made this twice now, and it's a great quick pasta dish, very flavorful. The only question I have is whether it is also good with spaghetti-style pasta, or if it's only best with chunky pasta.

3 - I tried it with spaghetti, and it continued to be good. And fresh parsley really is such a good finisher.

4 - Browning the butter and NOT cutting the mushrooms too thin are two really important elements. I did it this way tonight and it made a difference.

5 - I think this is right on track. 

1lb pasta (chunky pasta or spaghetti-style)

1⁄2 cup pasta water

1⁄2 cup butter

1lb cremini mushrooms, sliced thick (4 to 6 slices per mushroom depending on size)

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp thyme, minced 

Splash of balsamic vinegar

Good pinch of salt

1⁄4 tsp black pepper or to taste

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For serving: chopped fresh parsley, extra Parmesan cheese, optional

1. This is a recipe all about timing. In theory you should be able to put the water on to boil, start prepping and cooking the other ingredients, pop the pasta in the boiling water and cook for everything to be ready at the same time. But man plans and god laughs. Stoves are all different and conditions change. Getting the two parts - the pasta and the mushrooms - ready at the same time to be combined is aspirational. Good for you if you succeed, but if not, it's better to have the mushroom mixture ready before the pasta is cooked to avoid soggy pasta.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and drain.
3. While the water is heating up, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter stops crackling and starts to foam and smells slightly nutty, this should take about 3 to 4 minutes. This step is essential to get right - not browned enough and the sauce is just greasy, and browned too much and the milk solids in the butter burns. The key is to listen to the butter, and when is stops crackling, look to the milk solids on the bottom of the pan and let them get a nice golden brown then immediately add the mushrooms. The mushrooms will quickly absorb the butter and stop any browning of the butter as they begin to cook.
4. Add the mushrooms and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and browned, about 10 minutes. Then you'll have the mushrooms filled with browned butter, and the mushrooms themselves with has a crust of browning on them, too, for additional flavor.
5. Add the garlic and thyme, cook for 2 more minutes. This is just to cook away that sharp raw garlic flavor.
6. Add the splash of balsamic and cook for another minute or two, until it has mostly evaporated. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
7. These next steps are also rather quick - you don't want the sauce to evaporate. 
8. First, add the pasta to the skillet and toss well. Then, stir in the reserved pasta water. 
9. Turn off the heat and slowly mix in the Parmesan cheese, stirring gently until melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
10. ASAP, get the pasta out of the pan. Transfer the pasta to a serving plate or individual plates or bowls and garnish with parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.

Barley Kichadi - PUBLISHED

https://www.plattershare.com/recipe/barley-khichdi/?utm_campaign=yummly&utm_medium=yummly&utm_source=yummly

1 - Very good flavour but I ended up cooking the barley and lentils by accident (just wanted to speed up soaking but the water was too hot) and the end result was a very soupy consistency. In recognizing my mistake, I looked at cooking instructions for the barley and even though I didn't follow them, they were a bit weird so I went back to my Ayurvedic cookbook and made some changes to try for next time.

2 - This time, I did not soak the barley and lentils first, but I did use the revised cooking time. I also used tinned tomatoes instead of fresh. For the first, the consistency was much better, but while Ben and Paz liked it, I felt that it was a bit dry, so next time I'll soak the barley for an hour, first. Secondly, the tinned tomatoes worked just fine, therefore I'm indicating that fresh (preferred) or tinned tomatoes can be used. Oh, finally I used lemon balm (3 sprigs) and it seemed to work.

3 - I will graduate this to a Test 1 even though I didn't do the actual cooking. Paz made it, and it turned out quite nicely. I soaked both the barley and the lentils and it worked well.

4 - This has become a standard recipe, therefore is ready to graduate La Mouffette Gourmande.

1 cup pearl barley  (soaked for an hour then drained)

1/2 cup yellow mung dal OR red lentils

2 Tbsps mild veg oil or ghee 

1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

1/2 tsp cumin seeds  

1 onion, finely chopped 

10 curry leaves 10 OR lime zest (from 1 lime?) OR fresh lemon balm

A pinch of asafoetida (aka hing)

1/2 inch fresh ginger, grated or chopped finely

3 to 4 green chillies, chopped finely

1/4 tsp turmeric powder 

2 tomatoes, finely chopped (or 10oz tinned)

3 cups water 

1 tsp salt or to taste

Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

2 Tbsps lemon or lime juice 

OPTIONAL: carrot, peas, fresh beans or any other vegetable of your choice

1. Soak barley and pulses for at least 1 hour in plenty of water. Drain the water away before using in the recipe. 
2. Heat ghee in a large saucepan over medium flame.
3. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they pop, add chopped onions and sauté.
4. Add curry leaves, hing, ginger and green chilies. Stir fry for up to 2 minutes, or until onions become translucent.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till they become soft.
6. Add the soaked barley and moong dal and mix well. 
7. Add 3 cups of water and salt. Allow the water to come to a nice boil.
8. Lower the heat and cover to cook.
9. Cook for 15 to 20 50 minutes to an hour or until the barley is well cooked and the water is fully absorbed.
10. Add more water if required, if you feel the barley is not cooked enough. 
11. Remove from heat and serve, sprinkled with lemon juice and garnished with chopped coriander leaves.
12. Serve barley khichdi with yogurt or as it is.

Wheat free Cornbread - Untested

 https://lamouffettegourmande.blogspot.com/2021/11/straightforward-cornbread.html

Try substituting flour for barley flour.

Pumpkin Chutney - Untested

https://www.pumpkinlicious.com/pumpkin-chutney.html

1 cup malt vinegar

1/2 - 3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup vinegar extra

1 onion - approx 70g chopped

Dates - 50g chopped in half

Pumpkin - 300g chopped in small dice

1 tablespoon cornflour

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon powdered mustard

1. Make a paste with the cornflour and spices by adding the extra 1/4 cup vinegar and mixing until there are no lumps.
2. Heat the vinegar and sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the onion and pumpkin. When they are soft, add the dates and cook until they are soft too, stirring often.
3. Add the spice mixture and simmer until the chutney thickens.
4. Pour into hot jars and cover.

Pork Belly with Lentils - Untested

https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/laura-calder/pork-belly-with-lentils-1959261

For several years I've avoided Laura Calder recipes, and I'd like to exorcise that demon. It's attached to feelings of shame and disappointment. When we were still living in downtown Vancouver, I was so excited about her show, really the only cooking show I've ever really liked. I so much enjoyed her take on things, at least the take presented by the persona in the show. Ben encouraged me to send her a fan letter and to invite her to dinner if ever she was in Vancouver. I doubted anything would come of it but I thought, meh, why not give it a try? A while later, in my fandom I looked for interviews with her, and found one done in Montreal II think), where she described receiving an invitation by a guy in Vancouver and described it as 'creepy' because it was an invitation to his and his partner's home. I have no idea if she was referring to me, but ever since, I've felt this shiver of shame run down my spine to think that my invitation might have made someone feel uncomfortable. I mean, I get it, some strange man inviting her to his place for dinner and all, but anyone who knows me would be, like, 'grrrrl, really?!?' I wish I'd followed my gut feeling and never sent that letter. Anywho, I continue to enjoy her recipes when I come across them, and I enjoy preparing the variations I've come up with from the ones I've already adopted. I suppose I should focus on that, on the gift she's given us with her lovely ideas.

This is a recipe of hers I've never made before, which I remember finding interesting on her TV show. Given that I have a lot of pork belly to work with at the moment, it seems like a perfect opportunity to try it.

For the belly

1 (3-pound) pork belly (not cured)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 lrg carrots (280gr), peeled and cut into large chunks on the bias

3 onions (500gr), quartered

1 cup apple cider

Few fresh thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

6 black peppercorns

1/4 cup honey

2 Tbsps Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

For the lentils

1 cup French green lentils (du Puy lentils)

1 shallot

1 bay leaf

1 fresh thyme sprig

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Score the fat on the belly and season both sides with salt and pepper. Make a bed in a roasting pan with the carrots and onions. Lay the pork belly on top, skin-side up. Pour over the cider and a cup of water. Cook 30 minutes to get the fat running. Stir together the honey and Dijon with a spoonful of water. Brush the mustard mixture onto the fat, and lower the heat to 325 degrees F. Continue cooking, basting occasionally with the honey, for 3 hours.
3. An hour before the belly is done, start the lentils. Rinse the lentils in cold water, drain, and put in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water, the shallot, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer gently until tender, 30 to 40 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure no more water is needed. Drain the lentils, and season with salt, and pepper. Set aside to reheat later.
4. Remove the belly from the oven when it's done, and transfer to a baking sheet. Return it to the oven at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes to crispen the skin.
5. Meanwhile, drain the juices from the roasting pan into a measuring cup, reserving the vegetables and keeping them warm. Pour the fat off the juices, using some to moisten the lentils and saving the rest for another use. Deglaze the roasting pan with the vinegar and reduce to a glaze, then add the cooking juices and cook down for a minute or two. Reheat the lentils gently.
6. Slice the belly and serve with the vegetables, and with the pork-fat moistened lentils.