Recipe Repository

This is a fairly standard stuffed pepper recipe, but I wanted to write it down with the proportions I used, since I just made this off the top of my head. This goes well with fresh guacamole and a little salad on the side. Serves 2-4.

Ingredients:
2 Poblano peppers (substitute bell peppers if you can’t find Poblanos or prefer a dish without any “heat”)
2/3 cup ground pork sausage*
1 cup cooked rice
3 scallions, white and half of green parts chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, minced (optional)
1 small tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 pinch cinnamon

Instructions:
Break up the sausage into small pieces and place into a non-stick frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat until the meat is browned. Add the chopped vegetables and spices, and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Turn off the heat and add the cooked rice, mixing well to combine. The filling can be stored in the refrigerator for a day or two if you want to make this ahead of time.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash the Poblano peppers and slice each in half from top to bottom. Carefully cut out the stem and pinch out the white ribs inside. Roll up four pieces of aluminum foil and form into rings. Place rings in a 9-inch square baking dish (or larger). Divide the filling into four equal portions and fill each pepper half. Place each filled pepper on one of the rings in the baking dish (this keeps them from tipping over during baking). Pour a little water in the bottom of the baking dish and cover the entire dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until the peppers are slightly tender and the filling is heated through.

*I used free-range, Certified Naturally Grown pork purchased directly from Walter Jeffries and his family at Sugar Mountain Farm. If you are using a pre-cooked sausage, cook the vegetables in a little olive oil first, then add the sausage and the rice together with the heat turned off. Vegetarians can substitute their favorite faux-meat product for the pork sausage.

Another recipe from our growing collection of Mexi-tarian dishes. This recipe is a favorite in our house because it can be pulled together quickly. To make it even easier consider prepping the cut vegetables ahead of time. This dish goes well with Spanish rice or with a simple side salad. Consider serving with a copper ale or lager.

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow or white onion, sliced
• 2 bell peppers of any color
• 2 packages of Morningstar Farms Chik’n Strips
• 1 package of Mission Foods tortillas (these come in 6 or 10 packs)
• Salsa
• Shredded cheese (we prefer sharp cheddar)
• Shredded lettuce
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 pinch cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Wrap the tortillas you will be using in aluminum foil and place them in a warm toaster oven or regular oven.

In a large frying pan sauté the onions for about 5 minutes, seasoning them with salt and pepper after they have been cooking for a few minutes. Add the bell peppers and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the frozen Chik’n Strips, season with chili powder and cumin, cover and cook for another 5 minutes (or until chik’n is tender) stiring often.

Remove warm tortillas from the oven. Spoon some of the meat and vegetable mixture onto individual tortillas, sprinkle with cheese, salsa and lettuce. Roll the tortillas and enjoy!

This is a veggie variation on a favorite soup of ours, and another excuse to make cornbread to go with it. Inspired by Jamie Oliver. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients
4 medium red potatoes (about 1 lb), washed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups vegetable broth (low sodium or salt-free)
4 small leeks (small ones are more tender)
1 14 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dry thyme
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

Preparation
To prepare the leeks, cut off the green leaves and about half of the pale green stalk. Keeping the root bottom intact, slice the leek in half from the trimmed end. Open the stalk and rinse thoroughly under running water to remove sand. Then finely slice the leek, discarding the root cap at the bottom.

In a soup pot, saute the leeks in olive oil over medium heat until tender (about 8 minutes). Then add the thyme, pepper, vegetable broth, and potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are completely cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Add the chickpeas when the potatoes are soft.

Next, decide what consistency of soup you want. You can serve it as-is for a chunky soup, or puree half of it using a puree wand or food processor, or do what I do which is puree all of it for a smoother, thicker consistency. When you are satisfied with the texture, stir in the parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

This recipe is adapted from one found in the Willams-Sonoma catalog. The quality of the soup depends a great deal on the quality of the faux sausage used. Of course, carnivores are welcome to use andouille sausage if they prefer. This soup is a great winter warmer, and can be served with the remaining wine from the recipe or a crisp hoppy IPA. Fresh garlic bread makes a nice accompanying side. Serves 6-8.

Ingredients
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb veggie sausage (Tofurky brand Kielbasa sausage)
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced (optional)
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 leek, diced (white portion only)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme (dried can be substituted, but only if add at the end)
6 cups vegetable broth (warmed)
1 cup water (warmed)
2 cups white beans (drained)
4 ounces Swiss chard, leaves cup into 1/2″ strips
Salt and fresh-ground pepper (to taste)
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Preparation
In a small saucepan, over medium heat, boil the white wine until reduced to 1/2 cup (7-10 minutes).

In a soup pot, over medium heat, warm the olive oil, and brown the sausage for about 3 minutes on each side (more if using real meat). Let the sausage cool; cut diagonally into 1/2″ slices and set aside.

In the same pot, over medium-low heat,cook the onion, celery, carrot and leek until soft (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and thyme (only if using the fresh stuff!) and cook for 2 minutes. Add the reduced wine, vegetable broth and water and simmer on medium-high heat for about 15-20 minutes. Add the sausage, beans and Swiss chard and cook until the chard wilts (5-8 minutes). Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

I love savory pancakes, and these are a great Korean version. They are tasty served hot or at room temperature. Serves 6. [Inspired by: Flavors of Korea by Deborah Coultrip-Davis and Young Sook Ramsay.]
Spicy Dipping Sauce
3 Tbsp Gochujang*
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water
Whisk ingredients together.

Mild Dipping Sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp white or rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
Whisk ingredients together.

Pancake Ingredients
12 oz. fresh mung or soy bean sprouts
1 bunch (approximately 7) scallions
2 Tbsp Gochujang
1 egg
3/4 cup rice flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1-2 cups water
vegetable oil for cooking

*Gochujang (pronounced: go-chew-jang) is a seasoning paste commonly used in Korean cuisine. It is made from fermented rice and Korean hot pepper powder, and has an earthy and mildly spicy flavor. You can purchase it in any Korean market, and many other Asian markets (ask for it by name if the products for sale do not have English writing on them). If you can not find Gochujang, you can substitute brown miso paste mixed with a little bit of Cayenne pepper powder, but I recommend searching for a Korean market. If you live near a large city it should be easy to find one and it’s a fun adventure to see all the different items that you can’t get at a regular supermarket. Plus, the produce is usually high quality and very inexpensive.

Preparation
Heat a pot of water to boiling. Rinse the sprouts and add them to the boiling water and cover immediately (use a light-weight lid so steam can escape, and turn down the heat to prevent spill-over). Boil the sprouts for 2 minutes, then drain and shock in a bowl of cold water, and drain again.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg and add one cup of the water and the two flours. Mix well. This mixture should be thin like pancake batter. Add more water if necessary. Rinse the scallions and trim off the top 2 inches of the green parts and the roots, then slice finely. Add the scallions and Gochujang to the batter and mix well. Finally, add the cooked sprouts and mix until coated with the batter.

Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large skillet for several minutes until the pan is hot. Use a 1/3 cup measuring scoop to ladle out the pancake mix. As soon as you place a scoop of batter in the pan, use the back of a wooden spoon to spread the mix out and flatten. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the edges are brown and begin to crisp, then flip the pancake and cook for about 2 minutes more. If your pan is large enough you can cook two or even three pancakes at once. When all pancakes are cooked, stack them in piles of 2 or 3 on a cutting board and chop them into pieces approximately 1-inch square. This makes them easier to handle with chopsticks. Serve with the dipping sauces.

This Korean side-dish is cool and crisp, a great accompaniment to any spicy meal. The recipe may seem complicated, but the steps are quite easy and this dish can be prepared with little effort while you are making the main part of the meal. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients
5-6 small pickling cucumbers, OR 3 large
1/3 cup kosher or sea salt (NOT iodized table salt)
3 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
a pinch of dried chili flakes for garnish (preferably the mild Korean pepper found in Asian markets)

Preparation
Wash the cucumbers thoroughly to remove any wax on the skin. If using the large cukes, slice them lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Slice the cucumbers into paper-thin wafers. (A slicing mandolin makes the work faster, but always remember to use the guard as the blades on these are very sharp and dangerous.)
Fill a large bowl with filtered water and add the salt. Stir to dissolve, then add the cucumbers. Let sit for 2 hours, or until the cucumbers are wilted and flexible.

To remove the excess salt from the cucumbers, rinse them in a collander and then rinse out the bowl. Refill the bowl with fresh water and add the cukes to the unsalted water. Let stand for about 15 minutes. The excess salt will migrate into the water and leave the cukes unsalted. Taste one to make sure the salty flavor is gone. When the cukes are ready, pour them in a collander and rinse one more time, then rinse out your bowl again.

Next, grab a handfull of the wilted cuke slices and squeeze out the extra water. Don’t be affraid to squeeze hard! Remove as much water as you can and put the cukeball into the bowl. Continue in this way until you have wrung out all of your cukes. Add the vinegar, sugar and chili flakes to the bowl, then stir well to dissolve the sugar. Taste and adjust the ratio of tart to sweet to your liking. Transfer to a serving dish; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This dish may be made ahead of time as it keeps well in the fridge for several days.

Normally I am not a box-of-this, can-of-that type of cook, but sometimes you hit upon a shortcut that is truly tasty and healthy. I hope you enjoy this as much and Rick and I have. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients
1 box Fantastic Foods “Instant Black Bean” mix
[This is essentially refried beans that have been dehydrated. It comes with some spices already mixed in, so you can use it for dip, as a veggie filling for tostadas, etc. I found it in my local health-food oriented grocery store but some major chains are starting to carry the Fantastic Foods line now.]

1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
4-5 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced (white parts and about 5 inches of green parts)
1 14oz. can diced tomatos (fire-roasted preferred)
1 Tbsp. chile powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
4-6 cups hot water

Optional Toppings
sour cream
salsa (smoked jalapeno is a nice match)
chopped cilantro
sliced scallions
your favorite hot sauce

Preparation
In a soup pot, saute the onions, garlic and carrot in the oil until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, scallions, chile powder and ground cumin, and cook for another minute. Next, pour in 4 cups of hot water, toss in the bay leaves, and sprinkle in the box of bean mix. Stir thoroughly so that the beans get completely rehydrated in the water (no clumps).

It will take about 8 minutes for the beans to soak up the water and start to thicken the soup. If it starts getting too thick, add a little more water. Taste the soup and add some salt if you wish. Continue cooking for at least 15 minutes over low heat, to give the flavors a chance to combine. Wait until just before serving before you add the cilantro; you don’t want to overcook the fresh herbs. Serve with any of the optional toppings and fresh cornbread.

Most vegetarian enchiladas are simply cheese and onion. These enchiladas are stick-to-your-ribs hearty because of the faux meat. This is a dish that can easily be made early and popped into the oven for a quick meal. Great with a lager or ale. Serves 6.

Ingredients:
6 6″ flour tortillas (Whole wheat, regular flour or some other if available. We prefer Mission brand.)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper (any color)
1-2 green onions chopped
1 whole package Gimme Lean! faux beef (or other crumble-style)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of fresh black pepper
1 Tbsp chili powder
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp crushed red chili flakes.
15 oz can black beans
2 cups enchilada sauce*
1/4 pound grated sharp cheddar cheese (preferably from Vermont, of course)

Preparation
In a skillet or saucepan, over medium-high heat, heat the oil, add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion softens. Add the salt and pepper, and faux meat. Break up the meat and continue to stir the mixture for about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, pepper flakes and black beans to the mixture and continue to cook. Add about 3/4 of the enchilada sauce, and allow to simmer and reduce a bit. Add the diced bell pepper just before you are ready to start filling the tortillas.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degree Farenheit.

Spoon some of the mixture into the center each of the tortillas, and add a little grated cheese, and fold. Folding methods varies, but the key is to not overfill the tortilla. Pour a little of the sauce into the bottom of a 9″x13″ glass casserole dish and then place each enchillada into the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchilladas, making sure that all of the tortilla is covered but not saturated. Sprinkle the tops with enchilladas with the remaining cheese and some chopped green onions.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven carefully, remove the foil and continue to bake for additional 10 minutes or until the tops begin to brown.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with dollops of sour cream or guacamole (optional).

* If you can’t find enchilada sauce, look for a can of adobo sauce and wisk in vegetable broth. Or make your own some other way.

This easy side dish is a great way to hike up the nutrient content of any meal without adding extra calories. You can also substitute other hearty greens such as collards, spinach, bok choi, or chard. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients
2 large bunches kale (or other greens)
1 large white onion, medium dice
2-3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Wash the kale thoroughly, removing all of the sand. Then tear out the central thick stem from each leaf and discard (this woody stem does not soften when cooked). Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and pile them into a deep 14-16 inch, heavy-bottomed frying pan. Heat over medium-low heat and add a couple tablespoons of water to steam the greens. Sprinkle the onion on the top of the pile of greens to weigh them down. Cover the pan and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes.

Check the greens and if they have wilted enough, toss the greens with the onion (you may have to cover the greens again and cook for a few minutes until the pile has shrunk enough to allow you to stir). Continue to gently sauté the greens and onion for several minutes and add a little salt and pepper to taste. Pick out a leaf and taste to see if it is tender enough. When the kale is tender, remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the vinegar over the kale, then toss and taste again, adding more vinegar if you wish. DO NOT put the pan back on the heat as this will cook the vinegar and make it taste bitter.

NOTE
If using collard greens, remove the center stem as noted above. For spinach, bok choi, and chard just chop the stem into one inch pieces and cook with the leaves.

I first had this dish when Josh made it for his pre-Thanksgiving party. It was so easy and delicious I had to make it again a week later. It’s a great twist on traditional mashed spuds – the perfect way to perk them up for the holidays. Serves 4-6, and can be easily doubled for more guests.

Ingredients
2 lbs. red or roasting potatoes, scrubbed
2 heads garlic, peeled (cloves left whole)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk (more or less)
2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Quarter the potatoes and add them and the garlic cloves to the boiling water; cook 25-30 minutes, until tender. Drain completely and return to the pot. Slightly mash the potatoes before adding the sour cream and horseradish. Mash a bit more and then add enough milk to get the consistency you like. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve warm.

Keywords
potatoes, garlic, sour cream