12/30/15

Lefse

It's a Scandinavian potato crepe, made as a treat here in Canada, usually for Christmas or Easter.

Lefse (Mom's recipe)

3 c cooked, riced potatoes (you need a ricer to get the right texture)
4 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
1 c flour
1 tsp sugar

Mix ingredients well. Take a large tablespoon of dough and roll in hands to a round shape. Roll as thin as you can on a well-floured board. Bake on top of grill, electric frying pan or on top of a wood stove. Bake on both sides until brown spots appear.



In my family, we spread a thin layer of butter on it and a sprinkle of sugar, then roll it up.
Other families might put jam on it, or even meat or cheese.

11/22/15

Basically Best Meat Loaf

2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1 c milk
½ c onion, finely chopped
¼ c parsley, finely chopped
1½ tsp salt (I don’t put that much, just a good sprinkling of it)
1½ c rolled oats OR 2 c soft breadcrumbs
¼ tsp oregano (or thyme)
½ tsp chopped garlic

Beat egg and add milk.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Form into loaf and place in shallow baking pan.
Place a few cloves and bay leaf on top.
Bake at 350F for 1½ hours.


From Eat, Drink and Be Healthy, by Agnes Toms

11/16/15

Cheese Roast

2 cups cooked navy beans
1 tsp chopped parsley
3 tbsp finely diced celery
2 c grated cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 c soft bread crumbs
2 tb butter

Drain and mash beans and combine with parsley, celery, cheese and seasonings. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Brown crumbs in butter and add to cheese mixture until it is thick enough to shape into a loaf. Roll in remaining crumbs and bake in moderate oven (350F) until nicely browned, 25-30 minutes.

Serve with any desired sauce.

***
I didn't have enough bread crumbs (and what are "soft" bread crumbs? I didn't even know there is such a thing) so I tore two slices of fresh bread into tiny pieces. It worked like the dickens because when browned they were nice and crunchy.
I packed the mixture into a loaf pan and we ate it without any sauce.

11/10/15

Chocolate Fudge


½ c butter or margarine (melted)
1½ c brown sugar
1/3 c milk
½ c cocoa
1-1/3 c icing sugar
¼ c chopped walnuts

Bring first four ingredients to boil over low heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add last two ingredients, put into greased pan, voila.


I usually double the amount of nuts, and if there’s a teaspoon of brewed coffee left from the morning, add it when you add the nuts. Make sure the nuts are at room temperature; I once put them in shortly after taking them from the freezer, and the moment I added them to the hot fudge, it got so hard it wasn't pourable or spreadable. 

If you can, make fudge on a clear blue sky day. This recipe works out (i.e. hardens) most every time, but still ... why not hedge your bets. 

2/22/15

Homemade Diffuser Oil


1/4 cup rubbing alcohol (vodka works too)
1/4 cup hot water
20-25 drops essential oil 
Swirl to mix.
Use any essential oil you love:

• Eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender reduce tension • Peppermint energizes • Lemon, lemongrass, and thyme purify • Lavender, orange, peppermint, cedarwood, frankincense, and jasmine inspire a positive mental state and combat depression

2/15/15

Sourdough Starter

1 tb Fermipan instant yeast (if using regular yeast, mix with the honey and 1/2 c of the water and let sit 15 minutes before combining with remaining water and adding to dry ingreds)
2 tsp honey
2&1/2 c whole wheat flour
2&1/2 c warm water



Using a wooden spoon, combine dry ingredients and add combined wet ingredients.
Place in large crock or gallon glass jar. Do not use any kind of metal container because the starter will react chemically with the metal.
Cover container with a damp cloth secured with a rubber band.
Keep the container at room temperature for 5 days. Stir it down each morning.
On the 5th day, add 1/4 c more warm water and 1/4 c more whole wheat flour. Let it stay at room temp till the 6th day.
It is ready to use or refrigerate on the 6th day. To store, place in a small crock or jar (no metal here either)) and refrigerate.
When you use 1 cup starter, replace it with 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup water. Even if you do not use the starter weekly, be sure to discard 1 cup and replace it as above at least once a week to keep the starter fresh.
Use a wooden spoon to stir down the starter daily. Stirring daily is advisable, but not altogether necessary.

*From Recipes for a Small Planet, by Ellen Buchman Ewald

I just add the starter to my dough mixture; I don't adjust the bread ingredients.