Peruvian Chicken and Roasted Corn Salad

While in Peru, we ate well at every single meal. This one sheet pan meal is an easy, flavorful dinner that combines roasted chicken, potatoes, and a roasted corn salad all on one pan.

You will need:
Four chicken thighs or two chicken breasts
1 lb multi-colored fingerling potatoes
1 ear of corn (or 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and squeezed dry)
1 small onion
1 red bell pepper
2-3 jalepeno peppers
Chili seasoning and olive oil


Green sauce:
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch mint
1 lime
Oil, salt, pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice potatoes into quarters, toss with olive oil and chili seasoning and spread on one side of pan. Oil and season chicken, place in center of pan. Place pan in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Slice corn from ear, and chop remaining vegetables to the same size as the corn kernels. Toss with olive oil and chili seasoning. Remove chicken and potatoes from oven, spread corn and pepper salad on other side of sheet pan and return to oven for 20 minutes to cook the roasted corn/pepper salad and continue roasting the potatoes and chicken.

Place cilantro and mint leaves in blender. Zest the lime. Add the zest and juice of the lime to the blender. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle in olive oil while blending until sauce reaches desired consistency. Serve over roasted chicken and potatoes.

Roasted vegetables with creamy polenta

This meal feels perfect during the coronavirus quarantine. Made from pantry staples and fresh vegetables that keep well for weeks, this simple dish is full of flavor and deeply satisfying.

I use pre-cooked polenta, that comes packaged in a tube form. Mainly because I'm lazy, but also because I love to cut the polenta into thick slices and fry it for other meals. For this meal, I made the polenta, roasted the veggies, and stewed the the sweet peppers in a tomato sauce. A bit longer to prepare, but worth it. The stewed peppers are also a nice addition to an antipasto board served with brushetta.
For a quicker meal, skip the stewing step, and roast the peppers with the other vegetables before topping off with your favorite tomato sauce.

• 1 pkg precooked polenta
• cream, butter, and salt and pepper to taste
• 1 zucchini
• 1 large carrot
• 6 large white mushrooms
• 1 small red onion
• 6 small sweet bell peppers, red and yellow
• Olive oil
• Seasoning salt

Optional - if you choose to stew the peppers instead of roasting:

• Olive oil
• 4 anchovies
• 1 large sweet onion
• kalamata olives, pitted, and capers in brine
• 1 can roasted tomatoes
• salt

Prepare the polenta according to package directions. I break mine up into chunks in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, mashing and adding cream and butter until it is the consistency that I like. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chop up vegetables, except the peppers if you opt to stew them, and toss with olive oil and seasoning salt. Roast at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

To prepare stewed peppers: Heat the olive oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the anchovies. Cook and stir until they dissolve into the oil, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onions, and cook until they begin to wilt, about 4 minutes.

Add the peppers, and season with the salt. Add the olives, capers, and red pepper flakes, and get everything sizzling; then add the tomatoes, slosh out the can with 1 cup water, and add that to the pan. Cover, and cook until the peppers begin to droop, about 10 minutes.

Uncover, and cook until the peppers and onions are tender and the sauce is thick and flavorful, about 10 to 15 minutes more.

To serve: spoon polenta onto plate, top with vegetables and grated parmesan or asiago cheese.

Lentil Loaf

After a long day of weekend chores and hiking, this was exactly what I wanted for dinner tonight. Filling, delicious, easy, and cheap

I wanted traditional comfort food. Meat loaf fit the bill, but I'm working to reduce the plastic I buy, and since meat at the grocery store is all wrapped in plastic, we are trying to reduce the meat in our meals.

I was curious about lentil loaves, having read several recipes about them, it seemed simple enough. I perused through a few different recipes, and came up with this combination.

Canned lentils could be used in place of dry lentils. Dry lentils can be simmered in any type of liquid: broth or water would be just as good. I typically use a tomato sauce in my meatloaf mixture, so I opted to cook the lentils in a tomato sauce for this recipe.

Loaf 1/2 C dry lentils 1 C chopped mushrooms 32 oz tomato sauce 1 C water 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp chipotle powder 1/4 salt

Vegetables onion 2 carrots 2 celery stalks 1 zucchini olive oil salt and pepper 3 garlic cloves

Binder 2 eggs 1 C flour 1 C oats

Glaze 32 oz tomato sauce 3 T balsamic vinegar 3 T maple syrup

Place the loaf ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.

Finely chop vegetables and saute in olive oil for about 10 minutes, until onions are translucent. Finely chop garlic cloves and add to vegetable mixture, sauteing for another 2 minutes before removing from heat.

Using an immersion blender, mash lentil/mushroom mixture, or put in a food processor. Add binding ingredients: eggs, flour, oats, and mix until well blended. Combine lentil mixture with vegetables. Place  into loaf pan and bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.

To prepare glaze, place tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup into sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes to reduce sauce. When lentil loaf has baked for 40 minutes, remove from oven, spoon glaze over top, and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes or until glaze starts to caramelize (brown).

A love affair with Fennel

This article originally appeared in the Methow Valley News on 8 August 2018

Most of our dinners are planned around what is available this time of year. Last night, our dinner consisted of a roasted vegetable sauce smothered over potatoes and scrambled eggs. A side salad of cucumbers and fresh picked tomatoes still warm from the sun rounded out the meal. The sauce is a favorite of ours, made of eggplant, garlic, onion, and tomato – chopped into rough chunks, tossed with olive oil and salt, and roasted at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. After roasting, I blend the vegetables in a food processor with more olive oil, basil, and oregano until a hearty sauce emerges. This sauce is great with pasta, or as a dipping sauce for pita chips.

This year, we planted fennel for the first time. I love how the entire fennel bulb bursts out of the soil, the layers looking like a fashionable wrap, the feathery fronds waving in the breeze - like a confident model strutting down the runway. Big hair, don’t care!

Last year around Thanksgiving, I nestled two fennel bulbs in my grocery cart at Hank’s. As I strolled through the aisles, the fennel fronds bounced and waved. Three different people stopped me and motioned to the fennel in my shopping basket, wondering what I planned to do with it. For fennel lovers, the variety of recipes are endless, and we’re always curious to share new ways to enjoy fennel.

Fennel has a fabulous licorice flavor that is excellent in almost every dish – savory or sweet. Roasted with meat and root vegetables, the fennel remains firm to the bite and adds flavor. Paired with cold fruit, the crisp fennel adds a satisfying crunch with a burst of flavor. A bouquet of fennel fronds, chive blossoms, and chamomile flowers in a vase of water fills the kitchen with the smells of summer.

Fennel is an excellent source of dietary fiber, calcium, vitamin c, and is a natural source of estrogen. All of the nutrients in fennel support bone health, boost the immune system, and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Instead of cans of soggy spinach, Popeye could have been popping crunchy stalks of licorice-tasting fennel - reduces waste and keeps you regular!

To make roasted chicken with fennel, you will need boneless chicken thighs, one large fennel bulb with fronds, one large carrot, one large potato, and one onion. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop fennel bulb and stalks, carrot, potato, and onion into equal-sized pieces. Toss vegetables with olive oil, fresh thyme, and Hannah’s Popcorn seasoning. Spread vegetables across bottom of roasting dish, cover with white wine. Coat chicken thighs with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Hannah’s popcorn seasoning (that stuff should be included in your to-go bag during fire season, it makes everything delicious). Layer the chicken on top of the vegetables and roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes. Top with chopped fennel fronds before serving.

To make a fennel and nectarine salad with honey-orange dressing, layer thinly sliced nectarines and fennel bulb. Whisk together a quarter cup of orange juice with a tablespoon of honey until well combined. Pour over the sliced nectarines and fennel. Top with chopped almonds and fennel fronds.

Libby Creek herbalist and author, Rosalee de la Forêt, shares several creative and delicious fennel recipes through Learning Herbs.  Visit https://learningherbs.com, and select the ‘Remedies’ category from the upper right corner of the home page. Enter ‘fennel’ into the search bar. There are a wide range of informational pages on fennel and recipes, like fig and fennel soda bread, fennel and candied ginger, and many more.

If you haven’t tried fresh fennel, give it a taste – you may be pleasantly surprised.

Easy, Savory Ratatouille

After watching the experts on America's Test Kitchen show off their savory version of Ratatouille last night, we decided to give it another try.

I've tried Ratatouille before, and never thought it was anything special. Just some overcooked, soggy, roasted vegetables. But, there's another way! A more delicious endeavor! Let the eggplant be a sauce - it's so obvious, I can't believe I hadn't thought of it myself.

You'll need:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 onions
6 cloves garlic
Herbs de Provence
Red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1 large eggplant - peeled and cut into chunks
12 roma tomatoes - peeled and seeded
bay leaf
1 large zucchini - cubed
Yellow bell peppers - sliced into large chunks
Mushrooms - cut into large chunks
Fresh parsley and basil

Start off with an oven safe, lidded pot - I used our iron dutch oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Pour olive oil into dutch oven and set on stove top at medium heat.
Chop onion into large chunks and place onion and peeled, whole garlic gloves into warm oil. Heat until translucent, for about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle a generous amount of herbs de provence into the pot, along with red pepper flakes to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and simmer for another minute while herbs bloom.

Add by leaf, eggplant, and tomatoes. There is no need to salt or tenderize the eggplant - it will break down during roasting, and we'll mash it into a sauce later. Place the dutch oven, uncovered, into the preheated oven and roast the veggie mixture for 45 minutes. Leaving the lid off will help the liquid evaporate while cooking.

After 45 minutes, remove pot from oven and, using a potato masher, mash vegetables until a thick and chunky sauce forms. Place zucchini, bell peppers,  and mushrooms into pot. Season with more salt and pepper. Return to oven, uncovered for another 25 minutes.

Remove from oven, and place lid on pot. Let sit for 10 minutes while the vegetables finish steaming.
Serve with chopped fresh parsley and basil.

Squash Pie

2 c squash
1/4 c sugar/ honey
1/8 c molasses
1/4 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger pwd
1/4 t cardamom
1 T. Fresh grated ginger
1/2 c cream
1/2 c sour cream
2 eggs yolks ---egg whites set aside

Blend everything (except the egg whites) in a food processor.
Whip the egg whites in separate bowl and fold into the pie mixture.
Spread evenly into prepared crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30-45 minutes.

Single crust pie recipe:

5 T cold butter
3 T cold coconut oil
1 cup white flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 t salt
1 t sugar (optional)
4 T ice water

Cut butter and coconut oil into small cubes. Whisk together flours, salt, and sugar. Cut butter and coconut oil into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using fork, toss flour/butter mixture with water, one tablespoon at a time until dough comes together. Using floured hands, roll into ball, then flatten on lightly dusted work service. Evenly roll out dough before transferring to pie pan. Par-bake for 10 minutes before adding filling. 

Blueberry Apricot Pie with Walnut Topping

This pie was so incredible that Husband began eating it straight from the pie pan with a spoon before the dinner guests arrived. After dinner, the guests who normally don't indulge in dessert took second and third helpings. There is no more pie. Truly, this should be called, Incredible Pie. Or, the Incredible Shrinking Pie. Or, just pie. Delicious pie.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Filling
1 quart canned apricots
2-3 cups frozen blueberries
1/4 cup quick tapioca
juice of one lemon
2 inches fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Place fruit in bowl, sprinkle with tapioca, lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon, and sugar. Set aside while preparing crust. 




Crust
1/2 cup graham flour
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Place all the dry ingredients in food processor and pulse until mixed. Add the coconut oil, two tablespoons at a time, pulsing well each time. Scrape down sides of mixer as needed. Mixture will be crumbly. Turn out the crumbly pie crust mixture into a pie dish and using spatula, spread the mixture evenly along the bottom and sides. Use a jar to press and flatten the dough. Place the pie crust into the heated oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Topping
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place the walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt into the food processor. Pulse until nuts are ground, and ingredients are well mixed.

Remove the pie crust from oven. Spread apricot and blueberry mixture into the crust, top with the walnut mixture. Place pie back in oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until fruit is bubbly and topping is lightly browned.

Apple Galette w/ Almond Crust

Is there anything better than fall and apples?
No, there is not.

Galette Dough
2 cups flour
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup frozen, unsalted butter - cut into small pieces
1/3-1/2 cup ice water as needed

Combine dry ingredients in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until well mixed. Sprinkle in the ice water by tablespoon and toss with a fork until you can bring the dough together in a ball. Press dough into a disk and refrigerate for one hour. For the galette, roll dough onto a lightly floured surface, forming a 14 inch circle, 1/8 inch thick. Roll onto the rolling pin and transfer to a baking stone or parchment lined baking sheet. Dough will be larger than the pan.



Apple Pie Filling
2 lbs apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
Juice of one lemon
4 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Gently toss all ingredients in a bowl until apples are fully coated with sugar and seasonings. Mound apples onto center of galette dough, leaving a 3 inch border. Fold the edges of the dough over the apples. Brush top of dough with melted butter, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 45 minutes, until crust is golden brown and apples are tender.

Apple Muffin Cookies

Perfect breakfast: tea, fruit, and a muffin in 'cookie' font!

1 1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup peeled, finely chopped apple
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Stir in oats, apple, and raisins.
In separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar, honey, oil, milk, and egg. Mix together wet and dry ingredients until a smooth batter forms. Stir in walnuts.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop batter by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer muffin cookies to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Mexican Chocolate Cake and Cinnamon-Chocolate Mousse

A beautiful torte-like cake packed with healthy ingredients

1 large zucchini, finely grated (about 2 cups)
1 (1-pound and 2.25-ounce) package chocolate fudge cake mix (recommended: Betty Crocker Super Moist)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 large egg
2 large egg white
3/4 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup applesauce
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Lightly coat with cooking spray the bottom only of a 9 x 13 inch glass cake pan.
Set grated zucchini in a mesh strainer over a bowl and lightly press with a spatula to release water. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, cinnamon, chili powder, eggs, egg whites, yogurt, and applesauce. Beat on low speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Fold in drained grated zucchini. Pour into prepared cake pan.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Top cake with this thick and decadent Cinnamon-Chocolate Mousse

• 1 (12-ounce) package soft silken tofu
• 1 (3.9-ounce) package instant chocolate fudge pudding (recommended: Jell-O)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (8-ounce) package whipped topping (recommended: Cool Whip Lite) 

Combine tofu, pudding mix and cinnamon in a bowl. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes with an electric mixer. Fold in the whipped topping with electric mixer on low speed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Zucchini Latkes

Ahhh, zucchini season. Anyone else might tell you this is "pumpkin spice" season, or, "back to school" but for gardeners, this time of year is "what the #$^* am I going to do with all this zucchini?" season.

Here's a list of what we've done with all our zucchini so far:
Veggie Crisps
Stuffed with lamb, rice, and other veggies
Sauted, Roasted, Grilled
Breaded
Baked
Pickled
Snuck into cakes
Doorstops
Fall decor
Housewarming gifts
Birthday gifts
Surprise, you left your car door unlocked gifts

But one of my favorite ways to enjoy zucchini (besides in Mexican Chocolate Cake), is zucchini latkes. Cook up a bunch for dinner one night, enjoy for breakfast the next morning topped with eggs, or stuff into a pita pocket with sliced tomatoes for lunch. These zucchini latkes are tasty, colorful, and yet one more way to enjoy an overabundance of zucchini.

2 cups shredded zucchini
1 small red onion, chopped fine
2 medium carrots, chopped fine
Dill and fennel fronds
garlic and onion powder, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
2 eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Olive oil

Shred two medium sized zucchinis into a colander, sprinkle with salt, and let drain over a bowl for about ten minutes. Squeeze out the extra water and mix in the other vegetables and herbs. Sprinkle seasonings to taste. Gently fold in the eggs and bread crumbs.

In skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Drop spoonfuls of latke mixture into oil and flatten with back of spoon. Brown on one side for 3 minutes, flip and brown other side for another 3 minutes.

Shrimp and Veggie Summer Rolls with Garlic Sesame Noodles

An easy meal perfect for hot summer days. The only cooking required is to boil water in a kettle!

Thin rice noodles
Rice paper wrappers

Spinach leaves
Basil leaves
Red or yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
Carrot, sliced thin
Cucumber, sliced thin
Avocado slices
Cooked shrimp, sliced in half lengthways

1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
6 tablespoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 cloves garlic, grated

Sliced green onion and black sesame seeds, for garnish

Place thin rice noodles in large bowl, cover with boil water and let soak for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Thinly slice all vegetables, and line up at work station, forming an assembly line. Place pie plate of warm water beside work area.

Submerge two rice paper wrappers under water and soak for one minute. Gently press wrappers together under water with fingers.

Place the two wet wrappers on work surface, keeping one on top of the other.
Layer spinach and torn basil leaves down the center of the rice wrap, top with noodles, thinly sliced vegetables, and shrimp.
Gently roll,tucking in sides as you roll up. With a sharp knife, slice roll into 2 equal pieces.
Repeat with remaining ingredients.

In small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, canola oil, sesame oil, vinegar, and grated garlic. Pour 1/2 of the sauce over the rice noodles, gently tossing to coat noodles. Top with green onion and sesame seeds.

Serve remaining sauce with summer rolls as a dipping sauce.

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar
1 cup finely shredded unpeeled zucchini (or finely shredded apple)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350° F

In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in zucchini, oil, egg, lemon zest, and walnuts. Mix well.
Spray a 8x4x2 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust the oiled pan with the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack in pan. After pan has cooled remove bread from pan and cool thoroughly on a wire rack. Wrap tightly with saran wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Lemon Garlic Sauce and Vegetables

Last week I was in a morning rush and forgot to pack a lunch for work. A quick jog down the freezer aisle yielded a Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli frozen meal.

I usually keep my expectations low with frozen meals, especially anything with the words "lean", "healthy", and "low fat" on the packaging. This meal, however, was a pleasant surprise of delicious flavor - light, clean, and satisfying. I decided to try and recreate the experience at home.

The resulting dish was so good, there was none left to memorialize in a photo. Husband went back for seconds, and around forkfuls declared his desire to keep this recipe in rotation. A perfect mix of steamed veggies, firm pasta filled with creamy butternut squash, and a zesty, savory lemon garlic sauce made for a filling dinner.

1 package frozen butternut squash ravioli
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 large carrot
1 red pepper
1 small zucchini
1/4 cup frozen peas
Fresh oregano and basil, for garnish

Gently boil ravioli in salted water according to package directions. Slice vegetables into narrow strips, and steam.

In small saucepan, slowly melt butter over low heat. Add garlic and let flavors infuse butter for one minute. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, chicken broth, and herbs. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Sprinkle cornstarch over sauce and whisk until thickened. Top ravioli with veggies and sauce, and garnish with torn fresh oregano and basil leaves.

Grandma Jean's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've always lived far far away from my Grams, but she made it feel like we were so close. There was always something in the mail: cards, letters, small puzzles, pressed flowers, a comic strip clipped out of the paper, lace edged handkerchiefs, and once in a great while, a box of home made cookies.

Her chocolate chip cookies were superb, like none other. I thought it might all be in my head, since Grams made these, they just HAD to taste better than any other cookie. I never thought to ask why.

One day, my aunt handed me the recipe card. I had not asked for it, she just thought it was important enough to hand down - thank god she had the presence of mind to pass down a recipe I didn't even know I needed. As I glanced through the ingredient list it was as if the heavens opened and a glorious beam of radiance filled the kitchen, along with the chorus of angels. Grams chocolate chip cookie recipe was indeed different from all other I had ever known - she made her cookies with pudding. My god. Pudding in a cookie. Genius!

Of course she would want me to put my own spin on it, so I've experimented all around and my favorite alternate mix is using chocolate pudding with walnuts seasoned with cinnamon and chili powder.

Grandma Jean's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4c. flour 
1 tsp. baking soda 
1 c. butter, softened 
1/4 c. white sugar 
3/4 c. brown sugar 
1 tsp. vanilla 
1-4 oz. box instant vanilla pudding 
2 eggs 
1 pkg. choc. chips 
Cream butter and sugars together. Blend in eggs, vanilla, soda, and pudding.Then, mix in flour. After well blended fold in the chips. Bake at 375 for 8-10 min.

Irish Stew and Soda Bread

 March. They say it blows in like a lion and out like a lamb.
So far, March is still roaring like a lion. Rain, snow, flash floods - all this has wrecked havoc in our area, washing out roads and taking down power lines.
Even though the weather has technically warmed up, enough to start the spring thaw, the cold drizzle and winds makes me want to cuddle up with a bottle of wine and a bowl of stew.
This is one of our favorite meals - easy and delicious, filling and warming. Enjoy!

Irish Soda Bread

3 C flour
1 T baking powder
1/3 C sugar
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 egg
2 C buttermilk
1/4 C melted butter
Combine ingredients - will be quite sticky. Mound dough onto greased and floured baking sheet or a bare baking stone. Bake at 325° F for 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Guinness Stew

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 lb beef stew meat, cubed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1lb yukon potatoes,cubed
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 32 ounces beef broth
• 1 bottle Guinness
• 1 cup red wine
• 4 oz tomato paste
• 2 tablespoon molasses
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and Pepper
• frozen veggies: green beans, corn
• chopped fresh parsley

Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Lightly salt the beef pieces. Brown the beef without stirring, until browned on one side, then use tongs to turn the pieces over. Continue to cook until all sides are browned, about 5 minutes. Add butter, potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes.Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Discard bay leaves before serving.

Honey Oat Breakfast Biscuits

While vacationing in Tanzania, we indulged in dense, oat-ey, slightly sweet biscuits served with tea and cream each morning and afternoon. I remember both the biscuits and the lions with equal fondness.

Just look at those happy kitties - bellies full of breakfast biscuits...or breakfast gazelles.

So after several years, I decided to try to recreate the tea biscuits. I had several different flours on hand, and tried to use the different mixtures to get a full bodied biscuit with a pleasing flavor, and filling texture.


1 cup graham flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vanilla powder (powdered sugar with vanilla flavoring. Can substitute with 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavoring)

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Stir in the liquid ingredients until just combined. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and with a rolling pin, roll out dough to a 1/2 inch thickness. Using cookie cutter, punch out shapes in the dough and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Back at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, cool on a wire rack.
Top oat biscuits with nutella, jam, peanut butter, or fruit.

The Way To A Man's Heart Is Through a Braised Lamb Shank

Joe loved this one.

Two lamb shanks
Olive Oil
Sweet onion
1 quart broth
1 quart tomato sauce
1/2 bottle red wine
Tablespoon garlic powder
Tablespoon onion powder
Tablespoon celery salt
2 Tablespoons italian dried herb mix
1 bunch fresh rosemary sprigs

Sear meat on top of the stove on high heat in a dutch oven.
Remove meat, add olive oil and cook onions until brown and translucent.
Add broth, tomato sauce, wine, and seasonings. Return meat to pan, bring to a boil.
Transfer open pot to preheated oven, bake at 350 degrees for two hours.

Cashew Butter

My favorite snack.
Who am I kidding? I eat this as a meal. Creamy cashew butter spread on a whole wheat tortilla, and rolled up with thinly sliced apples. Oh, so good!
As an appetizer or dessert, this has always been my go-to crowd pleaser: a bowl of cashew butter surrounded by crisp grapes, crunchy apple slices, and juicy orange sections.


Fast and easy, and incredibly decadent.
In a blender:
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Blend all ingredients with 1/2 cup water on high speed in blender until smooth and creamy.

Pumpkin Chili with Scones

Original Methow Valley News column, Lower Valley: November 11, 2015

By Joanna Bastian

I had planned a column featuring all autumn quotes, such as this gem from Jack Kerouac: “Swinging on delicate hinges the autumn leaf almost off the stem.”

But then it snowed. Writing about autumn suddenly felt passé, like pumpkin spice latte.

Speaking of pumpkins — we roasted a pumpkin earlier this week and mashed up the softened flesh with a bit of butter, rosemary, sage and sea salt. The sweet and savory combination gave me an idea: pumpkin scones with turkey pumpkin chili.

You’ll need a total of three cups of pureed pumpkin for both recipes. Select a small- to medium-sized pumpkin and slice off the top. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour, or until skin is browned and knife easily inserts into pumpkin. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Scoop out seeds, peel off skin, and mash pumpkin flesh in a bowl.

Photo by Joanna Bastian

Pumpkin rosemary sage scones are an
excellent companion for pumpkin chili.

Pumpkin rosemary
sage scones

1 stick of butter

10 fresh sage leaves

1 fresh rosemary sprig, leaves removed from stem

1 shallot, minced

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup whole milk

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 oz applewood-smoked Gruyere cheese, cut into small cubes

Finely chop the rosemary and sage. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan just until frothy. Stir in the fresh herbs and cook until just crisp and fragrant — about two minutes. Line a bowl with a paper towel and scrape the buttery herbs out of the pan and into the bowl to drain.

Melt another tablespoon of butter in the pan and cook shallot until translucent. Add pumpkin, salt, pepper, and ½ cup of the heavy cream. Stir in the herbs. Cook over low heat until excess liquid evaporates — about 5-10 minutes. Place in refrigerator to chill for one hour.

In large bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Using two forks, cut in 4 tablespoons of chilled, cubed butter. When mixture resembles coarse crumbs, add cheese, and toss to coat.

Add the rest of the heavy cream, milk, and chilled pumpkin mixture. Stir until just combined. Turn dough out onto floured surface and with floured hands, pat evenly into a 1-inch thick disc. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut scone dough into wedges and place on baking sheet. Melt the last two tablespoons of butter and brush over the top of the scones. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.

These flaky lightweight scones go well with a hearty stew like turkey pumpkin chili. Warm two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a deep-sided pot over medium high heat. Add one red onion, one green bell pepper, and four cloves of garlic, all roughly chopped. When onion is translucent, crumble one pound of ground turkey into the pan and cook until brown. Add two cups of pureed pumpkin, a cup of frozen corn kernels, and 8 ounces of fire-roasted tomatoes. Season with a generous handful of chili powder, and a dash of salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, until extra liquid from pumpkin has evaporated.   

I don’t know how many calories are in the savory pumpkin scones. I’m a writer, not a mathematician. But there is an entire stick of butter and a respectable amount of cheese. Just run a turkey trot marathon after eating a batch and you’ll be fine.