Recipe Repository

Worth the trouble!

Get a couple of bags of dried chilies at your coop or supermarket. Poblanos, Anaheims, and some of the tiny hot ones are good. The little red chillies are HOT, so be careful. A few go a long way. Remove the stems and seeds. You don’t have to get all of the seeds out. Reconstitute the chilies in warm water until they are soft. About 30 minutes or a little longer usually works. Put the chillies and a little of the soaking water in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

The rest of the ingredients can be added to taste. Cook some minced onion and/or garlic in a little oil, add some flour to make a roux. Cook until smooth and bubbly. Pour in the blended chillies. Add some salt, cumin, and a tiny bit of cinnamon. Simmer until the sauce is the consistency you like, adding more of the soaking water if necessary.

This will keep in a sealed jar in the fridge for at least a week.

A holiday hit that will please vegetarians and carnivores alike! Makes approximately 2 quarts of gravy.

Primary Ingredients:
6 cups vegetable stock (if buying prepared broth, get a low-sodium or no-sodium variety)
OR
6 cups water and 2-3 vegetable bullion cubes (no-sodium variety)
1/2 cup good wine (white or red)
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup flour

Optional Seasoning:
Black pepper
Sage
Thyme
Parsley
Tamari (soy) sauce

In a pan, heat the broth and wine on low until warm but not boiling, and maintain the temperature. In a seperate sauce pan, make a roux by melting the butter over medium heat. Then add the flour a little at a time. Cook over low heat until the flour is well mixed and toasted and the roux turns golden. It may begin to get stretchy and thick, which is fine.

Remove the roux from the heat for a few seconds and add a few tablespoons of broth. Mix well and return to heat, then repeat this process, mixing well each time. At first the gravy will look like library paste. Again, don’t worry. It is important to add the liquid slowly and mix each addition of broth thouroughly to avoid lumps. Gradually increase the amount of liquid until the desired thickness and consistency is reached, then season to taste with any combination of the optional ingredients.

Leftover gravy can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days and while it congeals when cold, it reheats nicely in the microwave.

This traditional stuffing is vegetarian-friendly and very savory. The use of a pre-packaged breading also makes it quick and easy. The recipe makes enough to fill a 9×13 inch baking pan, plus a little extra to stuff your bird or tofurkey. It can easily be scaled up or down for greater or fewer numbers of guests, as the breading mix is sold in a variety of sizes. Serves 9-12.

Ingredients:
1 small bag Pepperidge Farm bread stuffing mix
1 small bag Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing mix
1 large yellow onion
3 stalks celery
1 handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbsp. dried sage (rubbed to a powder)
butter and hot water (see breading package for amount)

Mince the onion and celery, and saute in a little oil. Add the parsley and sage and remove mixture from heat. Combine with the breading mixes, add the butter and hot water, and cook according to the directions on the back of the bag of mix.