Saturday

tofu reubens w/ russian dressing

apologies for the lack of photos ~ when i prepare something for dinner guests i feel a bit snooty photographing the grub as they wait in hunger. you'll just have to take my word that these are super tasty, really easy to prepare and go nicely with a simple tomato soup!

tofu reubens for 6
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup honey
1 tbls grated fresh ginger
1 package (20 oz) wildwood organic extra firm tofu
(you can sub with other tofu...i prefer the taste and the firmness of this brand)
slice the tofu lengthwise into 6 equal rectangles and set aside.
mix all your marinade ingredients and whisk together.
place tofu in either small dish or pan ao that the marinade completely covers the tofu ~ put in fridge for at least 2 hours & up to overnight.
russian dressing
1/2 cup veg oil
1/4 cup catsup
2 tbls honey
juice of half a lemon
1/2 tbls vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp celery seed
1/2 tbls worchestershire sauce
2 tbls grated fresh onion
put all in a mini prep and blend ~ refrigerate to chill.
make your samitch...
when you are ready ~ preheat the oven to 250 and place 12 pieces of RYE bread on two seperate cookie sheets. place them in the oven to start toasting.
meanwhile, have your swiss cheese slices ready and your saurkraut (make sure to drain it well & squeeze out all excess moisture) your russian dressing & dijon mustard.
on the stove top on med/high heat in a large non stick skillet place your slices of tofu (you should be able to fit all 6 pieces if you are using a 12 - 14 inch skillet) (and save the marinade for another use)
brown one side then flip.
once flipped, put on the kraut & top with cheese. put lid on and watch 'er melt.
when almost melted, pull out your one sheet of 6 slices of bread and slather on the mustard. then put a peice of tofu and drizzle on the russian dressing, then top with the last toasted slice of rye bread.
and eat it.

Thursday

organic white chocolate cream cheese w/ dark chocolate shavings


i made this chocolately treat for bagel friday tomorrow. A white chocolate cream cheese spread w/ rich dark chocolate shavings throughout! Perfect for a toasted bagel or atop a tightly crumbed cupcake.
yeilds just shy of 2 pounds
8 oz organic cream chesse @ room temp.
2 (3.5 oz) bars Green & Black organic white chocolate
2 (3.5 oz) bars XOXO organic rich dark chocolate (65 %)
in a double boiler melt your white chocolate over a simmer, do not let top bowl containing chocolate to get to hot or touch the simmering water.
gently fold with cream cheese until slightly incorporated.
In batches, blend in a mini prep or food processor until whipped & creamy.
put back in bowl and mix in finely chopped dark chocolate.
serve at room temp.

Tuesday

warm southwestern potato salad

serves 4 - 6
2 pounds potatoes, such as red cream, german yellow or yukon gold
dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbls vegetable oil
2 tbls finely minced shallot
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup white balsamic vin. or cider vinegar
1 tbls fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
3 tbls minced fresh parsley
2 tbls chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste
mixed greens, optional
* scrub and cube your potatoes into 3/4 inch cubes. put in a large pot with salted cold water to cover. bring to a boil, reduce, cover and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes..until just tender
* meanwhile mix all dressing ingredients into a small bowl
* when potatoes are done, drain them in a colander then toss with dressing in a serving bowl.
* serve right away straight from the bowl or individually over mixed greens

my breadboard dough

breadboard pizza dough
makes one big cookie sheet sized pizza
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/3 cup hot water (115 degrees)
1 tbls honey
pinch of wheat flour
1 cup fine, whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups white all purpose unbleached flour
1 tbls sea salt
1 tbls fresh cracked pepper
olive oil for the bowl
1) mix the yeast, honey & generous pinch of flour into the water, stir and let sit for 5 minutes - until frothy.
2) in large bowl, whisk your flours, salt & pepper
3) make a well and add in the yeast mixture, stir until combined and dump out on the counter to knead for 10 minutes, no less.
4) in a clean large bowl, add a small amount oil just to coat and place dough inside. cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place to rise. (an oven with a pilot light works well) let rise for an hour, until doubled in size.
5) remove from bowl and place on baking sheet, stretch to fit and cover with plastic wrap, set in a warm place to rise again, for another hour.
6) preheat oven to 350* and dimple to the top of the dough with your fingers.
7) add sauce and bake 20 minutes, then add cheese & toppings and bake 5-10 minutes more.
bob and i adore pizza and the millions of variations with dough, sauce, cheese etc. I have been toying around trying to find the best "breadboard" style crust that is sturdy for the heft of toppings, but still spongy & light. This is perfect ~ the little bit of wheat flour gives it a rustic taste and bit more texture. It's sturdy enough to lift, but not to hard that you chip a tooth.

Monday

spicy country crackers



for the dough:
3 cups unbleached all purp. flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup plus 2 tbls cold water
for the topping:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp crushed dried chilis
kosher salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional, i opted out)
in a medium size bowl, combine flour and talk. Mix in water until just incorporated, then knead a few times on the counter to gather into a ball. flatten into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes.
meanwhile, warm olive oil in a saucepan, then remove from heat. add in the chili flakes and let steep for at least 30 minutes.
adjust racks in oven to the lower & upper positions, preheat to 350*
divide dough in half and return one half to the fridge. on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough (in two or more pieces) out to 1/16 inch thickness...you should be able to see the countertop through the dough.
transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet & brush with the chili oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme & cheese. Repeat with remaining dough, rolling out as much as you have baking sheets for.
bake for 15 minutes until lightly bwoned and crispy. Halfway through, rotate the baking sheets to ensure the crackers bake evenly.
allow to cool and break into pieces.

jerk party spread for 6

sorry, no pics for this one! but in the spirit of fat tuesday i had a little dinner gathering and prepared a meal around some alaskan wild caught lingcod and some flavors from the south.

jerk marinade for fish
1 tbls grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup chopped red onion
1 - 2 fresh green chiles, seeded for a milder hot
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3 tbls veg. oil
2 tbls unsulphered molasses
1 tbls red wine vinegar
1 tbls soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. marinade your fish, meat or tofu for at least an hour. yeilds one generous cup & will keep for up to 3 weeks in fridge.
cajun dirty rice & beans
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice, jasmine or basmati
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp plus 1 tbls olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups mock-chicken stock
2 cups minced onion
1 cup minced bell pepper, any color
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned w/ juices
1-2 cups cooked red kidney beans
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1 tbls soy sauce
pinch of cayene or splash of hot sauce
salt & pepper to taste
1) combine rice, thyme, 2 tsp of oil and half the garlic in a heavy pot with tight lid. cook for 2 minutes on medium heat, stirring. Add the stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to low & cover. Let cook undisturbed for 20 minutes or so. then check to see that liquid is absorbed.
2) Heat remaining oil in a large skillet. Saute onions, bell peppers, celery, salt & rest of garlic on med/hi heat for 10 -15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans and spices and cook for 5 more minutes.
3) stir in soy sauce and season with hot sauce & s&p.
to serve i used a large platter and spread the rice along the bottom, then placed the beans & veggies in the middles and then placed the sauted jerk fish over the top with the remaining marinade & let everyone serve themselves....very good!
mango jimama salad
zesty orange dressing
1 tsp fresh grated orange peel
3 tbls orange juice
3 tbls veg. oil
2 tbls lemon juice
1 tbls sugar
3/4 tsp salt
salad
1 cup cubed mango (1/2 inch peices)
1 cup peeled & cubed jicama
1 cup cubed red bell pepper
2 tbls sliced green olives
2 tbls finely chopped scallions
8 ounces arugula
1) whisk dressing in a small bowl.
2) in a serving dish, combine salad ingredients MINUS the greens & pour the dressing over and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
3) when ready to serve, arrange ontop of arugula

blue ribbon peanut butter cookies




peanut butter cookies

by Marjori Johnson


1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbls vanilla

3 tbls milk

1 egg

1 3/4 cups all purp. flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda


in a stand mixer, cream shortening, peanut butter, sugar & vanilla for 5 mintues on medium speed, until creamy. add milk & egg, scraping down the sides and blend 1 minute more. Combine flour, salt & soda in a seperate bowl. Add into peanut mixture slowly to mix. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Make 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a ungreased cookie sheet. Press down with a fork in one direction, then again in the other to make the standard crisscross pattern.

Bake 10 - 12 minutes in a preheated oven at 375*


yeilds - 48 cookies