pulp kitchen

2008-02-08T14:07:00.001-05:00

Sweet Anise Cake

A dense, moist cake with hints of anise and sesame. Made with olive oil, it improves with age. You'll love it even more on day 2 and 3.

Click here to find out where to buy one!

2007-12-03T19:21:00.000-05:00

Roasted Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts
Even if you never thought you'd like brussels sprouts, here the dish that converted me. This two veggies together are a great combo and this easy recipe is fool-proof. [Adapted from recipe a found in "Simply in Season" by Mary Beth Lind & Cathleen Hockman-Wert. This is a World Community Cookbook commissioned by the Mennonite Central Committee, published by Herald Press.]

1 head cauliflower
2 pints brussels sprouts
Olive Oil

Garlic, 2-4 cloves, minced.
Salt & Pepper
Rosemary

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Have ready two baking sheet pans and a very large bowl.

Cut cauliflower down to florets, even halving the bigger ones.

Clean sprouts by cutting off bottoms and discarding brown leaves.

Slice sprouts in half and combine with cauliflower in large bowl.

Toss with olive oil, garlic, rosemary and salt & pepper - all to taste.

Roast in hot oven for 20 minutes, stirring once.

2007-11-22T10:05:00.000-05:00

Raisin Pie

Pastry for double crust pie

3 c. raisins (one 15-ounce box)
3 c. water
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 425.
Place a cookie/baking sheet on middle rack.

Combine raisins and water; boil 5 minutes.
Blend sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt.
Add to raisins and cook, stirring until clear and thickened.
Remove from heat. Stir in vinegar and butter; cool slightly.
Pour into bottom crust.
Cut a 1" round hole into middle of top crust.
Wet edges of bottom crust using finger & water.
Cover with top crust.
Brush with milk.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Note:
Although I like to make things totally from scratch, Jiffy Pie Crust Mix is an inexpensive and indispensable resource to have on hand. Look for them in the baking aisle at the grocery store. A .75 cent box makes 1 double-crust pie shell.

2007-10-25T15:17:00.000-04:00

Rustic Olive Bread

A recipe adapted from a bunch i've read about, while trying to replicate an incredible loaf from a bakery in Brooklyn. The end result is pretty close to the one i dream about.

3/4 c. warm water
1 package dry yeast
2 T. rosemary, chopped
1 c. nice, black olives, pitted and chopped
1 T. salt
1 T. sugar
1/4 nice olive oil
3 c. flour
cornmeal for dusting baking sheet

Dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit until it appears creamy and has bloomed. Combine the rosemary, olives, salt, sugar and oil in a large bowl. Measure the flour out into another bowl.

Combine yeast with other ingredients except flour. Stir well. Stir in flour about a half of cup at a time until dough forms.

Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 8 minutes. Add more flour to the table if necessary to keep dough from feeling tacky. When properly kneaded, the dough should feel smooth, elastic and require no more flour.

Grease a large bowl. Plop in the dough. Turn the dough to grease it all. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise over an hour, until double in bulk.

Punch dough down and shape into an oblong or round loaf. Place on a baking sheet sprinkled generously with cornmeal and then cover it with damp kitchen towel. Preheat oven to 400 while the loaf rises for 30-35 minutes.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack.

2007-10-25T10:06:00.000-04:00

Spicy Ginger Cookies

I've made a lot of ginger cookies and found that these crinkles are the easiest to make and the best to eat.

Dry Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups flour
1 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper (yes, pepper)
1 T. cinnamon
1 T. allspice or ground cloves
1 T. ground ginger

Wet Ingredients:
3/4 c. vegetable or canola oil
1/4 molassas
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp fresh minced ginger root [optional]

Preheat oven to 375. Have two sheets pans and a small bowl of sugar ready at the side.

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients and stir well.
In a large measuring cup blend well all the wet ingredients.
Combine the two. The batter will be thick.
Use a rounded tablespoon to measure out uniform 1" balls.
Roll in the sugar and place 6 on each tray.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let sit for one minute.
Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.
Allow sheet pans to cool before starting the 2nd and 3rd batches.
Makes 2 to 2-1/2 dozen cookies.
The spices improve with age.

2007-10-24T14:01:00.000-04:00

Homemade Vanilla Yogurt
I don't know why but I like making your basic kitchen staples from scratch. Cheese is next, but I thought I'd try yogurt first - probably the simplest thing at which to attempt inoculating dairy with bacteria.

This is adapted from a recipe found online:

-1/2 gallon whole milk, homogenized
-1 c. sugar
-1 T. vanilla
-a 7-ounce carton of greek yogurt

Combine milk and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until sugar dissolves and milk comes to a boil. [This takes some time to stir, but it's important to ensure the milk doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan].
Once boiled, transfer milk to a glass or earthenware bowl. [I use the ceramic insert of my crock-pot slow cooker].
Using a thermometer, let milk cool to 105-110 degrees. This take about an hour.
Use a little of the warm milk to dilute and smooth out the real yogurt, which is acting as our "starter" since it already has all the beneficial bacteria, aka live cultures, that we need.
Cover yogurt with plastic wrap and set up on warm place for at least 4 and up to 12 hours. All this time depends on the tartness you prefer, but the yogurt at least need to "set", aka firm, so you know the cultures are active.
Refrigerate.
Makes 2 quarts.

2007-10-22T08:11:00.000-04:00

Homemade Cereal
Why make your own cereal? Because why shouldn't we? It's cheaper, more nutritious, requires NO COOKING, and YOU control the taste.

Food Processor highly recommended, but this can be tossed by hand, as well.

1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup of flaxseed, or ground flaxseed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
-----
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Process or mix all the ingredients. Store is sealed container. Serving size 1/2 cup with 1/2 cup of milk or soy milk.

Additions & Substitutions

-use honey instead of brown sugar
-increase volume with another 1 cup of oats
-add 1/2 cup of raisins last
-omit walnuts to cut down the fat
[not recommended due to the nutritional value and "good" fat of walnuts]

Nutritional Profile
[approximations only]

Serving Size: 1/2 cup with no milk
Calories: 275
Protein: 10 grams
Fat: 10 grams
Fiber: 10 grams

2007-10-22T07:50:00.000-04:00

High-Fiber Morning Muffins
My new favorite way to start the day, these naturally moist muffins get you off to a healthy start with whole grains and fiber.
Recipe adapted from one provided by the fine folks at Hodgson Mill.

1 cup HODGSON MILL MULTI GRAIN HOT CEREAL
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar, or brown sugar
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup apples, shredded with peel
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat Oven to 400º. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease muffin cups. Blend together dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix until blended. Batter will be thick; spoon into muffin cups. Bake 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 12 muffins.

Nutrtional information per muffin:
Calories 209; Protein 5 g; Carbohydrates 26 g;
Total Fat 10 g.; Saturated Fat 1 g; Cholesterol 36 mg;
Sodium 241 mg; Total Dietary Fiber 3 g; Sugar 11 g.

2007-10-22T07:27:00.000-04:00

Roasted Eggplant Lasagne
A simple way to seque into the Fall, this hands-on, free-style lasagne allows you to be as creative and resourceful as you'd like. Try it without all the melted cheese. Try it without lasagne noodles and use the eggplant as your "pasta". Use leftover tomato sauce, or just slices of tomatoes.

1 large eggplant
1 T. salt
-----
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 T. Italian Seasoning
-----
1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 handfuls fresh spinach leaves
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup of grated cheese (romano or parmesan), optional
a few dashes nutmeg
-----
tomato sauce
no-cook lasagne noodles

Slice eggplant 1/4" thick. Lay slices on wire racks.
Generously salt and let sweat for 30 minutes.
Blot off water, turn over, resalt and let sweat.
Blot again.
Meanwhile preheat oven to 375. Combine oil and herbs.
Brush each side of each slice with the seasoning.
Lay flat on baking sheets and roast eggplant for 30-40 minutes.
Let cool.
[I do the roasting one day, refrigerate the eggplant and make lasagne the next day.]
-----
Wash spinach. Shake off excess water. Cook in pot over medium high heat until just wilted.
Drain in colander. Let cool. Squeeze out excess water.
-----
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and then add ricotta, spinach, nutmeg and salt & peper to taste.
Combine well. Add grated cheese if you want here [or don't and save lots of calories and fat].
-----
Layer the lasagne:
-Pour one cup of tomato sauce into bottom on a loaf pan
-Lasagne noodles
-Ricotta mixture
-roasted eggplant
-more tomato sauce
-more noodles
-more ricotta
-more eggplant
-and a little more sauce
-cheese, if desired

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
Allow to cool for 10 on a wire rack.