John teased me that this looks like a “part of this complete breakfast” ad.  And it does.  Waffles look so lonely by themselves.  I had to add in some extras.

Either that or make him stand there and pour syrup down on the plate while I photographed it.  That’s just too labor intensive for a Sunday morning brunch.

I’ve made these waffles several times for groups and they always go over well.  They have a heartiness from the oatmeal that makes them distinct, and the sweetness from the honey means you barely need syrup.

This last time I actually forgot to put the butter in the batter and they still tasted good.  So if you’re going for low fat, apparently that’s an option.

Hearty, healthy, and far superior to frozen waffles.  Part of this complete breakfast, indeed.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups skim milk
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

I wore two different socks to Thanksgiving dinner.

One had a whole in the bottom.  The other was John’s.  Neither matched.  True story.

What can I say, the laundry hadn’t been done all week and I was scraping the bottom of the barrel.  I didn’t think anyone would be looking at my feet.  Wrong.

At least they were clean.

I guess I have become that family member at the holidays – the one that dresses like a mess (and not in an ironic hipster kinda way.)  Maybe I was always that family member.

Hmm.

Regardless of my fashion faux pas, I still managed to contribute to dinner.  I brought the stuffing (always a favorite) and this tasty pear dish.  It’s a nice savory side dish that makes a great potluck contribution.  I’d recommend using less ripe pears for this, as their crispness actually lends a lot to the texture of the dish.  Allow them to roast uncovered for a while to get a nice caramelized flavor.

For the next family get together I’ll keep my shoes on so no one will know what a mess I am.  Or actually do some laundry.  Either way.  :)

Ingredients

Cooking Indian food seems impressive.  And hard.  Impressively hard.

Super secret truth?  It’s not.  At all.  You just need one or two kinda wild spices in your drawer, and you are set.  Hit up Penzey’s and you can be making Indian food for dinner.

You could be impressing people tonight.

Word to the wise, though: don’t surprise dinner guests by making Indian food.  People like to have a warning if they are eating ethnic.  If you don’t ask them upfront and make sure they are on board, it could get ugly.  That’s the opposite of impressive.

Serve this with yesterday’s Tikka Masala and rice, or just with homemade naan or chapatis and some sliced pear.  So good.  So easy.

Ingredients

1 cup dried red lentils, washed and picked over
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 cardamom pods
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 cloves
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
salt to taste
2 tablespoons cold butter (optional)
chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

Combine the lentils, ginger, garlic, cardamom, mustard seeds, cloves, and pepper in saucepan and add water to cover by about 1 inch.  Cook at a steady simmer until the lentils are quite soft, 20-30 minutes.  Salt to taste as lentils soften.

Remove the cloves and cardamom pods.  Stir in the butter if using it.  Taste to adjust the seasoning and garnish with cilantro to serve.

Source:  How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

It’s time!  Thanksgiving is over!  You can let out your holiday spirit!

Put up the Christmas tree!

Start buying gifts!

Blast Pandora’s Holiday Station!

Make Indian food!

That’s right, I said Indian food.

What?  It doesn’t have to be all sugar cookies and holiday ham from now until the end of the year.  Put a little curry in your Christmas spirit.

True, there isn’t actually any curry in this recipe.  But it is full of all kinds of flavors and spices you didn’t overindulge on at Thanksgiving, and there is no turkey in sight.  It should be a welcome guest at your dinner table this week.

We ate this tikka masala with basmati rice and dal (recipe coming soon.)  It was delish.

Go make yourself an Indian feast.  And eat it under the Christmas tree. It’s that time of year.

Ingredients

Masala Paste:

2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp garam masala

Everything Else:

4 Tablespoons olive oil
5 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 and 1/2 sweet onions, finely diced
1 large tomato, finely diced
1/2 cup water
salt
2 medium russet potatoes, diced
1/2 green cabbage, sliced into thin strips
2 cups frozen peas
yogurt

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients for the Masala Paste together.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods for just a few seconds to add fragrance to the oil, then remove them.  Add the onions and stir until they are browned.

Add the masala paste and stir for a minute, then add the tomato and stir for another minute, then add the water and bring it to a simmer. Salt to taste.

Add the chopped potatoes, cabbage, and peas. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes and cabbage are tender and a fork can slide easily through the potato pieces.  Add yogurt to taste–the yogurt will create a sauce.

Serve over basmati rice.

Source:  Melissa Ray Davis

Year of the Noodle: Week 46

Please excuse this horrible image.

We went to Dillon for the weekend, and I forgot my camera.  I had to use my iPhone to take this one.

I am fully aware that it is kinda blurry.  And that it’s taken at an odd angle that makes the casserole dish look lopsided.

Forgive me.

Once you get over how bad the image is, get into how good the recipe is.  Yumtastic.  Lots of good flavors melding together.  I think it would even be great without the noodles for a veggie side dish.

Hearty and filling, and excellent after a cold day in the snow.

Ingredients

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
2 medium leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced, well washed
3 garlic gloves, minced
1/2 medium head of cabbage, cored and shredded
1/2 cupvegetable broth or water
1 1/2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
16 fresh sage leaves
12 ounces dried fettuccine, broken into 3-inch segments
4 ounces fontina cheese, cut into tiny cubes

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for cooking the pasta.

In the meantime, in a separate pan, cover the potatoes with water and a few big pinches of salt. Simmer until just tender, somewhere between 30 – 45 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain well, then slice into 1/4-inch rounds, toss gently with a bit of salt. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until soft, a few minutes. Stir in the garlic. Stir in the cabbage, and then the broth. Season with salt and cook, covered, for a few minutes, or until the cabbage is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the mustard, then 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and half of the slivered sage leaves. Taste, adjust the seasoning if needed, and set aside. It should taste good on its own, with an assertive mustard flavor at this point.

Cook the pasta in generously salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Generously butter a 9 x 13-inch (23cm x 33cm) baking dish, or equivalent. Arrange 1/2 of the noodles evenly in the bottom of the dish. Layer half the cabbage mixture, half of the potatoes, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, and half of the cubed cheese on top of the noodles. Arrange the remaining noodles over the cheese and cover with the remaining cabbage, potatoes, and cubed cheese. Finish with the remaining Parmesan and slivered sage.

At this point you can cover and refrigerate the casserole for up to a couple days, or bake in a 400F degree oven for 45 – 60 minutes – until the top is nicely golden, and it is hot throughout. Serve hot.

Source: 101 Cookbooks