Lamb Ribs
Lamb Ribs
If you haven’t tried these before, lamb ribs are a fun and easy dish to make. They are often a lot less expensive than other cuts of lamb. They are frequently labeled as lamb riblets. A slab of lamb riblets run about 2 pounds and will feed two. You can treat them a lot like other ribs. I marinated these in a little apple cider vinegar for a couple of hours. To cook them I rubbed them all over with Ethiopian seasoning-recipe follows- and I added some pink salt. I started them out at 400 degrees for about an hour and then turned them down to 300 for 30 minutes more. They were juicy and pretty tender.
Ethiopian Seasoning
1 T. paprika
1 t. each cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder and ginger
1/2 t. allspice
1/4 t. cinnamon
You probably won’t need all of the seasoning for 1 rack of ribs. Refrigerate the rest for later use.
Lamb Riblets fresh out of the oven
Peanut Soup
Peanut Soup
I taught a vegetarian cooking class yesterday at the Nature Center for the University of Mount Union. One of the dishes we had was a peanut soup. Rich and flavorful it was a big hit with the students. I think you will like it, too. A different way to eat peanut butter for a lot of us. You could use almond butter or cashew butter instead of the peanut butter, if you like.
Peanut Soup
2 c. chopped onions
1 T. oil
cayenne pepper to taste
1 t. grated fresh ginger
1 c. chopped carrots
1 c. chopped sweet potatoes
1 c. chopped white potatoes
5 c. vegetable stock or water
1 c. tomato sauce
1 c. smooth peanut butter
1 c. chopped green onions
Sauté onions in oil until tender. Add seasonings and carrots and sauté 3 minutes more. Add potatoes and stock and simmer until vegetables are tender. Puree soup in blender in batches until smooth. Return to pot and add tomato sauce and peanut butter. Warm gently and serve with green onions on top. Serves 6-8.
Pea Sprout Stir Fry
Pea Sprout Stir Fry
I’ve been sprouting seeds and loving it. Made a tasty stir fry with some pea pods I had in the freezer, onions, sweet peppers and pea sprouts. It ended up tasting pretty darn good. I find when I stir fry veggies I eat more of them. More than a side dish, I can almost make a meal out of them served over rice or pasta.
Pea Sprout Stir Fry
2 T. oil
1 onion, sliced thin
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 c. pea pods, fresh or frozen
2 c. pea sprouts*
1 c. sliced sweet pepper
1 T. soy sauce, or to taste
1 T. hoisen sauce
1 t. sesame oil
hot pepper sauce to taste
In skillet or wok heat oil and stir fry onion over high heat until wilted. Add garlic and pea pods and stir fry 2 minutes longer. Add pea sprouts and peppers and stir fry a few minutes longer, just until sprouts are tender. Add seasonings and serve. I like this over rice. 3-4 servings.
* If you don’t have fresh pea sprouts, mung bean sprouts would also work in this dish.
Fresh Pea Sprouts
Applesauce Fruit and Nut Muffins-Vegan
Applesauce Fruit and Nut Muffins
I had a request from a friend recently for more vegan baked goods. Came up with this recipe today and they came out moist and light. I also have a LOT of applesauce that I canned so looking for things to do with it other than just eating it.
Applesauce Fruit and Nut Muffins
2 c. applesauce- I used unsweetened
1/2 c. oil
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour Note: You can use all purpose, I used whole wheat pastry flour.
1 c. rolled oats
2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking powder
1 c. dried cranberries or raisins
1 c. chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners or grease lightly. Set aside. Combine applesauce with the oil and stir in sugar and vanilla. Add flour, oats, soda, cinnamon and baking powder. Stir to mix well. Stir in fruit and nuts. Spoon batter in to muffin cups filling just over half-full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Makes 24.
Banana Bread
Banana Bread
Checking the freezer I found some frozen bananas so I opted to make banana bread. It’s really my favorite way to eat them, other than fresh. The recipe is simple and this bread freezes well so why not make a few and freeze some for later? Also a great thing to do with bananas that are overripe.
Banana Bread
1 ¾ c. flour
1½ t. baking powder
¾ t. salt
½ t. baking soda
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
2 T. milk
1 c. mashed ripe banana
¼ c. chopped nuts, optional
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Combine sugar with butter and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs. Beat in eggs until mixture is smooth. Beat in flour mixture alternately with bananas. Fold in nuts, if desired. Pour batter into greased 9×5 -inch loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 60-65 minutes. Use toothpick to test for doneness. Cool in pan 10 minutes before placing on rack to cool. Store in plastic wrap to preserve moisture. Makes 1 loaf.
Gardening Classes
I will be doing a series of Thursday evening gardening classes for the Wellness Center. Located at 3035 Wooster Rd., in Rocky River, the Wellness Center is operated by Fairview Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic hospital.For more information, or to register for classes, visit fairviewhospital.org/wellnesscenter or call 440-356-0670.
Here are the topics and dates.
Feb. 27: Seed Starting: There are advantages to starting your own seedlings. You can save money, especially if you normally buy a lot of plants. The real benefit, though, may be growing unusual varieties not found at the local greenhouse. Exotic and heirloom varieties, when available, go for premium prices. In class you’ll learn the basics of starting seeds indoors, using grow lights, hardening off and much more. Handouts provided.
Mar. 6: Organic Gardening: If you are among the growing number of people who want fresh vegetables and fruits grown without pesticides check out this class. You’ll learn about organic controls from physical barriers to Eco-friendly sprays. Topics discussed will include integrated pest management, resistant cultivars and how timing of planting can help control pests. Handouts available in class.
Mar. 20: Herb Gardening: Have you ever thought about growing your own herbs? Fresh herbs are easy to grow and most require little maintenance. In class you’ll learn how to plant and maintain an herb garden and we will discuss many specific herbs and their uses. Harvest and storage will also be discussed. Optional text will be available in class.
Apr. 3: Vegetable Gardening: In this class you will learn the basics of starting a vegetable garden. Among the topics discussed will be site selection, planning, soil preparation and improvement, recommended varieties, mulching and space saving techniques. Handouts will be available.
Apr. 17: Composting: Leaves, grass clippings and some kitchen waste can be converted into “black gold” through composting. In class we’ll cover the basics of starting and maintaining a compost pile, the role carbon and nitrogen play and composting no-nos. Composting saves money, improves your garden soil and helps the environment, too. Handouts.
Food Not Lawns Seed Swap
If you are in need of seeds, or have some to share please stop by at the 4th Annual Food Not Lawns Seed Swap this Saturday, February 22. The event runs from 11-3 at Grace Lutheran Church at 13001 Cedar Rd. in Cleveland Heights. This is the event that had to be rescheduled because of snow on the original date.
I will be there along with City Rising Farm and other groups. Mari Keating has put together a fun day- with Chris McClellan, of Natural Cottage Project, doing a demo on rocket stoves. Seriously, there are a lot of seeds available- even if you don’t have any seeds to share you can pick up some for your garden. They are non GMO and Mari really out does herself with the selection. Note- nothing is for sale- seeds are free. There is also a potluck you are welcome to participate in and a Freecycle table, too.
I will have my books and herbs for sale and will be answering gardening questions. I had a lot of fun at last year’s seed swap. Hope you can stop by to join us. Let’s all start thinking about Spring and gardens!!!!
Also let me know if you are in need of pots. I have a pretty good supply of pots in the 2-4 gallon range and I will happily bring them along.
Butternut Squash Saute
Butternut Squash Saute
If you have some winter squash around here is a great way to prepare it. You can make this dish with butternut squash, pumpkin or acorn squash. It is a simple side dish with a lot of flavor.
Butternut Squash Sauté
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 cups cubed fresh butternut squash, acorn squash or pumpkin
1/2 cup grated carrot
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onions begin to brown. Stir in the squash, carrot, soy sauce, salt, and pepper; cook, covered, another 5 to 7 minutes, until squash is tender. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.
Veggie and Pasta Skillet Dinner
Veggie and Pasta Skillet Dinner
We had this dish in class last night. Lots of yummy veggies. Colorful, tasty and very simple. Thanks to all who braved the snowy night to get together to cook.
Vegetable and Pasta Skillet Dinner
1 (16 ounce) package whole wheat rotini pasta, cooked
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
3 T. oil
3 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms, use whatever mushrooms you can find
1 cup shelled edamame (green soybeans), organic
3/4 cup cashews
In a small bowl, mix the 2 tablespoons sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and honey or sugar. Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the broccoli, carrots, pepper, mushrooms, shelled edamame, and cashews. Sauté 5 minutes. Mix in the sesame oil sauce. Add pasta and cook 5 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender but crisp and pasta is heated through. Serves 4-6.
Pink Applesauce
Pink Applesauce
Inspired by some of my canning friends who add all sorts of other fruits to their applesauce I decided to mix things up a little by making applesauce with cranberries.I still had a quite a few apples from Fall harvest and decided to can more applesauce the other day. It came out a pretty shade of pink. The cranberries also added nice tartness to the mix. Doing it over I would add another bag of cranberries, perhaps. The nice thing about applesauce is you can make any amount, depending on how many apples you happen to have. You can also freeze the mixture if you don’t want to can it.
Pink Applesauce
60 apples
12 oz. cranberries
water
1 c. lemon juice
sugar to taste
Peel and core apples. Put in water with some ascorbic acid, citric acid or lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Place apples in a pot with enough water to prevent sticking and add the cranberries and lemon juice. Cook over medium high heat until soft. I wanted smooth applesauce so I ran the cooked apple mixture through a food mill on the medium blade. Return apple mixture to pan and bring to a boil. Sweeten with sugar, if you like, or leave unsweetened. Have water bath full of boiling water and have hot, clean canning jars and lids and rings ready. Ladle hot applesauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe rims and apply lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes for pints or quarts. Yield: 8 quarts 0r 16 pints.
