D is for Dopiaza

(double click to enlarge recipe)

Dopiaza means double and in cooking curries it means double onions. Well, I never met an onion that I didn't like let alone a recipe that asks for double onions! Our good friends from Cody Wyoming were here in town for a Bible Study Fellowship conference. They were able tomake time to see us on their last full day. Unfortunately Dave had too many full days and rested at the hotel while we took Toni to a local Lebanese Restaurant that we love. Hoda's is located in the Belmont area of Portland. http://www.hodas.com/

Meanwhile, once Toni and Dave got home they ordered this cookbook for us The Great Curries of India. They recommended this recipe found on page 106! Thank you Toni and Dave!

So here we go.......................

Two days later our house still has an odor of India in it-whew

so many onions made the house stink-it stunk so much we

opened up the house and lit many sticks of incense...man o man

that is a doozy of a recipe. It took about an hour of prep work

before I could really start making the dish-

But the food was delicious and well

worth the stench and work!

I served it with a big citrus salad of oranges and grapefruit

with dates, pecans and lettuce (no onions! )

All of us enjoyed it!

Carmelized Cumin Roasted Carrots

Our paper mache elephant in the early evening light...

Here's the last "C" recipe....next week "D" is for ???

Carmelized Cumin Roasted Carrots

from http://www.epicurious.com/

serves 6

Ingredients

Non-stick vegetable oil spray

12 med to large carrots, peeled, cut on diagonal in 1/2" slices

2 tablespoons EVOO

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons kosher salt (I think this is too much)

Pre-heat oven to 400. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with

non-stick oil spray (I used parchment paper)

Combine carrots and all remaining ingredients in large bowl,

mix thoroughly and spread in prepared baking sheet.

Roast carrots until tender and lightly carmelized,

turning carrots over once for a total of 20-40 minutes.

Enjoy...they were tasty with our Spanish Rice

and Rosemary Chicken

C is for Cinnamon Raisin Bread !

To make this recipe one must first make the starter dough

using the Buttermilk Bread recipe from the great bread book:

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

here's that recipe:

Buttermilk Bread

2 cups lukewarm water

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 Tablespoons granulated yeast

1 1/2 Tablespoons salt

1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

6 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

butter for greasing the pan

mix the yeast,salt and sugar with

the water and buttermilk in a 5 qt bowl

mix in the flour with a wooden spoon until totally mixed

don't allow any dry flour to show-it must be totally mixed

cover dough with a non-airtight cover for 2-3 hours.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and use up within 7 days.

NOTE: THIS MAKES ENOUGH DOUGH FOR 3 LOAVES

OR 3 BATCHES OF THE CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD

USE UP WITHIN 7 DAYS

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

• butter a 9x4x3 inch loaf pan
• take one cantalope size piece of the Buttermilk dough
• dust it with a bit of flour and quickly shape into a ballby stretching the surface of the dough around thebottom on all four sides-rotating 1/4 turn as you go
• with a rolling pin roll out the flour dusted dough to 8"x16"
• beat an egg with 1 T water and wash lightly over dough
• sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon over dough
• sprinkle 3/4 cup raisins evenly over dough
• rollup dough from short side jelly roll style- pinch edges and sides together- tucking the ends under
• place the loaf seam side down in the prepared pan and let rest for 1hr 40min
• preheat oven to 375 and bake for 35-40min
• allow to cool (if you can wait) before slicing....YUM

Dough ready to be rolled up...

I made two loaves at once!

Heavenly delicious.......and it toasts well too!
as Julia would say "Bon appetit!!"
These two loaves didn't last long.....

Recipe #3 for 2010- C is for Caulliflower!

I actually have NOT made this yet-but thought I should at least post it-perhaps someone else will want to try it out and let me know? I have been too busy making and eating!!!! Cinnamon Raisin Bread!

Bacon and Spicy Mac 'n Cheese with Cauliflower


Ingredients:

• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling


• 4 thick slices of smoky bacon chopped into 1/4" dice


• 1 head cauliflower trimmed and cut into bite size florets


• salt and pepper


• 4 T butter


• 3 T flour


• 3 cups milk


• 1/4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg


• 1 pound rigatoni


• 3 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese-divided


• 3 rounded Tablespoons spicy hot mustard (or horseradish)


• 1/4 cup chopped chives or scallion tops

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. While the water comes up to a boil, heat a bit of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-hi heat. Add the bacon and crisp-5 minutes. Drain on paper towel and reserve. Salt the boiling water and add the cauliflower. Cook for 4-5 min-remove from the pot with a strainer and reserve the pot of boiling water. Run the strainer of cauliflower under cold water to stop cooking process. Place a medium size pot over med heat. Melt butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for 1 min, then whisk in milk and seaon with salt ,pepper and nutmeg. Cook for a couple of minutes until thickened. Preheat the broiler. Drop the pasta in the same boiling water you used for the cauliflower and cook til just shy of al dente. While the pasta cooks, remove the sauce from the heat and add 2/3 of the shredded cheese and the mustard or horseradish to taste, the bacon and chives/scallion tops. Stir to combine. Drain the pasta over the cauliflower to reheatwith the hot water. Place the pasta and the cauliflower in the hot pot and add the cheese sauce. Stir to combine. Transfer to a baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Place under the broiler to brown the top. Serve with a spinach salad and some crusty bread. Enjoy!

It's February already???

A picture is worth a thousand words

and this picture only begins to tell the tale

of the huge blizzard in the Mt Sasta area of California.

Granted-they need the snow-but the destruction

was not an added bonus.

Our friends in Weed are digging out and revving up

their chain saws to take care of trees on barn roofs

and on their acreage. Good thing they have a woodstove!

Meanwhile- here in Oregon we are enjoying

finding new places for a sip or two and

several bites of yummy food.

This photo was taken at Prost. A new German pub

in a beautifully renovated house on N Mississippii
in North Portland.

http://www.prostportland.com/

And finally....we had out of town guests from Baker City

last weekend-so I tried out a Sticky Pecan Caramel Rolls

recipe from the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

cookbook.....delicious and we ate the whole thing!

http://artisanbreadinfive.com/
YUM! and very easy!

Next on my list of breads to try is the Buttermilk Bread

and the Cinnamon Raisin Bread......burp....pardon me!

Ewana's delectable dessert

I guess I could have entitled this blog entry "dessert and a movie",

but I didn't

Instead, it's all about this delicious dessert and it's recipe....

p.s. Do go see Blind Side-it's great! Now here's the recipe:

*~THE ULTIMATE TURTLE CHEESECAKE~*

2 C Chocolate Graham Cracker crumbs
3 pkg (8oz each) cream cheese
6 T butter melted
3/4 C sugar
1 T vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 C milk
1 bag (14oz) Kraft caramels
2 squares Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 C Pecan pieces

MIX: crumbs and butter-press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9" springform pan. Place caramels and milk in small microwavable bowl.
Microwave on HIGH 3 minutes or until caramels are completely melted, stirring after each minute. Pour 1/2 of the caramel mixture into crust.
Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Set aside remaining caramel mixture for later use.
Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until
well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over caramel mixture in crust.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until center is almost set if using a silver spring form pan. (Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour 5-10 minutes or until almost set if using dark non-stick spring form pan) Run knife or metal spatula around side of pan to loosen cake-cool before removing side of pan.


Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Top with remaining caramel mixture and pecans just before serving. Melt chocolate as directed on package and drizzle over cake.

Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Makes 16 servings.



Yummy interior of cake...

OOOOOOOOOOOh is that for me??? YUM!
This cake and recipe is from our good friend
Ewana. She and her husband live in Weed, California.
We met them originally in Sayulita, Mexico, and
since then we have worn a path back and forth
between our homes visitng and having great times!
As you can see Ewana is a fabulous cook!
Enjoy!

Roasted Brussell Sprouts with Pears-2nd recipe for 2010

Above are the raw ingredients.... I tried this recipe
during Christmas- and everyone liked it.......but this
time Russell wasn't crazy about it and I think it had to
do with the freshness of the sprouts.....not quite as tasty...






Roasted Brussell Sprouts With Pears

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh brussell sprouts trimmed and halved
2 firm red Bartlett pears cored and cut into 1/2 " wedges
6 shallots quartered
10 fresh thyme sprigs
3 T olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 T fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425

On two large rimmed baking sheets toss brussell sprouts, pears,shallots,

thyme and oil-season with salt and pepper.

Roast until brussell sprouts are just tender and lightly browned-about

25-30 minutes-rotate pans halfway thru. Toss with lemon juice and serve warm. Yum

Brussell sprouts just out of the oven.....


Complete dinner...Meat loaf, mashed potatoes
and the beleagured Brussell sprouts.......
can't win 'em all!