Sunday

birthday lefse




lefse making at home...thanks to my family!
i'd like to believe that life can really be as simple as lefse & string cheese.
when living in mpls my husband bob and i would stock the fridge with Country Side Lefse and string cheese from our local co-op...a great combo that can easily be altered with bell peppers, field roast, greens and other tasty condiments. After we moved to Port Townsend, Washington ~ not a package of lefse was to be found, nor did any west coast local know what we were speaking of. drats!
going back to visit mpls, my sister was on the ball and had her fridge nicely stocked with my once favorite snack variety of lefse, string cheese and fixin's. In addition to that lovely surprise, we then recieved a case of frozen lefse in the mail from Wisconsin...mmmmmmm,
seems like our family members knew our addiction better than we did.
In may i was presented with the at home ~ make your own darn lefse kit & caboodle.
and so i have...here is the first experience and certainly not the last!

lefse making

instant potatoes are the way to go...easier to control liquid/dry ratio than the ever changing moisture content of fresh potatoes. Also available is boxed Lefse mix, although they are preserved with bht. making from scratch is a breeze, and you can get all natural organic potato flakes at your co-op.




lefse ~ oh yea!

lefse making kit available at House of Jacobs, Spicer, Mn
a DAMN fine gift!
on the bethany non-stick griddle
cooling on the cozies

macrina lemon butter cake with fresh strawberries & lemon cream



made by bob for my 31st b-day!
another amazing creation assisted by leslie mackies Macrina Cookbook!

chicago style spinach & mushroom deep dish




makes one deep dish pizza, serves 2 - 4
pizza maker's sauce ~ makes about 3 cups
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
pinch of crushed red pepper
3 tbls olive oil
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
sea salt
1. in large skillet, cook garlic & red pepper in the olive oil over medium heat until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. add in tomatoes, oregano & salt to taste. bring to a simmer.
2. cook, stirring ocassionally, until thickened...about 10 -15 minutes. allow the sauce to cool completely before spreading it on pizza.
this will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to a month.
deep-dish pizza dough ~
1 pakage active dried yeast or 2 1/4 tsp
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 tbls olive oil
3 to 3 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp sea salt
1. sprinkle the yeast over the water, stir until dissolved, stir in oil
2. in large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, the whole wheat flour & salt. Add the yeast mixture and stir into a soft dough. Knead for 10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary, until smooth & elastic.
3. lightly oil a large bowl, add the dough, turning it once to oil the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about an hour, until doubled in bulk.
4. when ready, punch downt the dough and divide in two for two pizzas.
spinach & mushroom deep dish ~
1 cup prepared pizza maker's sauce
prepared dough for one - 9 inch deep dish pizza
1 pound fresh spinach
10 ounces mushrooms
2 tbls olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
salt & pepper
4 ounces sliced asiago or provolone
4 ounces slices fresh mozzarella
2 tbls grated pecorino romano or parmesan
1 tbls chopped fresh basil, optional
1. wash the spinach and place in a large pot, cover and bring to a simmer. cook until the spinach has wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. place in a strainer and press out the juice as much as possible. chop the spinach on a board and set aside.
2. in a large skillet, cook mushrooms in the oil over medium heat until liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are beginning to brown. add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stir in spinach and salt & pepper to taste. remove and let cool.
3. preheat oven to 400* oil and a 9x11/2 inch layer cake pan or deep dish pie pan.
4. roll the dough out to a 13 inch circle. arrange the dough in th prepared pan, patting it up the sides.
5. place the slices of asiago in the bottom, right ontop of the dough. spread a layer of the spinach/shrooms. make a layer of sauce. arrange the mozzarella slices on top, sprinkle with pecorino
6. bake until crust is crisp and the filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes. sprinkle with basil and serve.

Saturday

tofu vindaloo




made by bob & josh. serves 4
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/2 tbls peeled & chopped fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardomom
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp cayene
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 tbls olive oil
12 - 16 ounces extra firm tofu, drained & diced
salt & pepper to taste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, halved lengthwise & cut into 1/4 inch think half moons
1 small red bell pepper, diced
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 cup water, or more as needed.
1- in a blender or mini prep, combine garlic, ginger, cardamom, coriander, cumin, mustard, cayene, cinnamon, turmeric, and 1 tbls of olive oil, process until smooth.
2 - heat 1 tbls olive oil in large skillet over medium-high. add the tofu and cook until golden, 6-8 minutes. season with salt & pepper, transfer to bowl and set aside.
3 - heat remaining 1 tbls olive oil in skillet over medium heat. add onion, carrot & cover & cook until soft, about 5 minutes. ass in bell pepper, cover & cook another 5 minutes. add in the blended spice paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. stir in tomatoes, peas & water and bring to a boil, reduce to low and season. cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.then add in tofu for yet another 10 minutes
4 - serve with brown basmati rice which you should start cooking just prior to making this dish.
variations include adding in garbanzo beans and reducing the amount of tofu.