Fig leaf syrup

Ingredients 

3-4 fig leaves

2 cups water

1.5 cups sugar

Method

Mix all ingredients in medium sized pot. Bring to boil, stirring so sugar dissolves. Once boiling, turn off heat and let leaves steep for an hour. Strain syrup and bottle.

Chia seed puddings

 

Ingredients 

2 tablespoons chia seeds

½ cup unsweetened coconut milk or milk of choice

1 tablespoon sweetener (honey, maple syrup, fig leaf syrup, etc) optional

Fruits for topping (frozen blueberries are excellent)

Method

Mix all ingredients in jar, make sure chia seeds are mixed well with no clumps. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (I am an overnight person as I generally have these as breakfast). Add more fruit or granola if you'd like when serving!

Quick Lamb Ragu

Lamb is not that popular in the US, which is a shame because I think it's delicious and usually not subject to some of the dubious practices we use to raise cows, pigs and chickens. Regardless, when I realized my local grocery store (H-E-B!!) carries ground lamb, this recipe was immediately bookmarked. It comes together quickly, and is so full of rich meaty flavor - A and I were delighted to have leftovers and looked forward to having it again. Next time - A's asked for tagliatelle as a pasta option, so that's been purchased and if I remember, I'll update this post to note which pasta option I think is better!

Quick Lamb Ragu

Adapted from the NYTimes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• Pinch of red-pepper flakes
• 2 tsp anchovy paste
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 16 ounces cooked rigatoni for serving
• A good hunk of Parmesan or pecorino, for serving

Method

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have become translucent and have totally softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add a pinch of red-pepper flakes and anchovy paste and cook for a minute or two, just to toast the spices and melt the anchovy paste.
2. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring occasionally so it has a chance to stick to the bottom of the pot and caramelize a bit, 2 or 3 minutes.
3. Add lamb and season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, stir lamb until the fat starts to soften and the meat begins to break down. Continue to cook, stirring rather frequently until the lamb begins to brown and sizzle in its own fat, 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, stirring to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pot. Fill the tomato can halfway with water and swirl around to get all the remaining tomato, then add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until sauce is thickened and insanely flavorful, 25 to 30 minutes.
5. Serve sauce mixed into and over pasta with plenty of cheese for grating over the top.

White Bolognese with Rigatoni (Vegetarian)

The original recipe was definitely not vegetarian, but I had various veggie meat substitutes (Impossible, Beyond, Gardein, etc.) and gave it a whirl and it was a hit with A. 

White Bolognese with Rigatoni (Vegetarian)

Adapted from the NYTimes

Serves: Recipe says 4 servings but we probably got 6-8 out of this?

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound mild Italian pork sausage meat, removed from casings (or in my case, 1 lb veggie breakfast sausage)
• 1 pound ground beef (not lean) (or in my case, 1 lb veggie ground meat)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water and finely chopped
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• 1 pound rigatoni
• ¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Method

1. Add enough oil to a large, deep sauté pan to coat the base and place over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté until glassy and just tender, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the sausage and beef to the pan, breaking it into walnut-size pieces, and brown well.
2. Then pour in 2 cups chicken broth and lower the heat to medium. Simmer gently, uncovered, until the bouillon is nearly gone, stirring now and then. Meanwhile, chop the rehydrated mushrooms into small pieces, reserving the liquid.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add mushroom liquid to the sauce to cover the meat halfway (about 1 cup) along with the mushrooms and continue simmering until the sauce is loose but not soupy, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper; it should be highly seasoned. When the consistency is right, fold the cream in. Remove from the heat and cover.
4. When the pasta water is at a full boil, add the rigatoni and cook until still firm, but not hard, in the center. When the pasta is almost done, scoop out 1 cup of pasta water and reserve. Drain the pasta and then return it to the pot. Pour the pasta sauce on top and fold in with a wooden spoon. The pasta should not be dry. Add a little pasta water or mushroom liquid to loosen it. (It will continue to soak up sauce on the way to the table.) Serve in one large bowl or in individual bowls, passing the cheese at the table.

Red Lentil and Cauliflower Soup

I get the Washington Post's "Eat Voraciously" newsletter every day and I'd say at least once every couple of weeks, I see a recipe that I want to try. This one is a really excellent mix of things I typically keep around the house - the cupboard and fridge/freezer contain almost everything on a regular basis, so it's great in a pinch and makes for a delicious and healthy lunch. I swapped a few things (frozen cauliflower instead of fresh, curry powder instead of turmeric) and made an accidental omission, and it was still great - even A was keen to have soup. So posting this now for my future reference when I make it again this weekend (and will add a picture if I can manage a decent picture of soup.

Red Lentil and Cauliflower Soup

Adapted from the Washington Post

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion (12 ounces), chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder (originally turmeric but I ran out)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed and picked through to remove any stones
• 7 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
• 16 oz frozen cauliflower florets
• 1 cup light coconut milk, plus more for optional garnish (I totally forgot to add this and the soup was still great - obviously I will try again and see what difference this makes)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

Method

1. In a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until aromatic, 30 seconds more. Stir in the cumin, curry powder and cayenne pepper until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste to incorporate, followed by the lentils. Add the broth and salt, and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. If the lentils have absorbed most of the broth, add more as needed — start with 1 cup — for a thick but soupy consistency. Add the cauliflower and return the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat so the soup is at a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is soft, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from the heat and, using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. (Or, you can puree the soup in batches in a blender: To prevent spatters, be careful to not fill it more than halfway, remove the center ring from the lid, and hold a kitchen towel over the lid as you blend.) Stir in the coconut milk and lemon juice, then taste, and season with additional salt, if desired.
3. Ladle the soup into individual bowls, garnish with a drizzle of coconut milk, if desired, and serve hot.

Coconut Curry Chickpeas With Pumpkin and Lime

I am continually looking for high protein recipes, especially if they use vegetarian protein sources like chickpeas. This hit the spot and was absolutely delicious. I made some substitutions to fit what I typically have at home, and to bump up the spicing a bit. Loved it, would eat over and over again.

Coconut Curry Chickpeas With Pumpkin and Lime

Adapted from the NYTimes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 Thai red chilies, seeded or not, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 knob ginger (about 1 inch), minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1.5 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 lb dried chickpeas, cooked (approx 8 cups)
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk (do not use light coconut milk)
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can pumpkin purée
• 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed 
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder for even more flavor (optional)
• ¾ cup chopped cilantro, more for serving
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
• Cooked rice or couscous or quinoa, for serving (optional)

Method

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in onion, chilies and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden on the edges, about 8 minutes.
2. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in curry powder, garam masala, cumin and turmeric; cook for an additional 30 seconds.
3. Stir in chickpeas, coconut milk, pumpkin, 1 cup water and 1½ teaspoons salt. Add chicken bouillon powder if using. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let the flavors meld. (Add more water if it starts to look too thick.) Stir in cilantro and lime juice to taste. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
4. Serve over rice or couscous or quinoa if you like, and top with more cilantro and lime wedges on the side.

Five spice crackle cookies

I have had a jar of Chinese five spice around for a while. Usually I use it on duck, but that isn't on regular rotation at home. When I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit I saved it immediately. It's a hit!

Five Spice Crackle Cookies

From Bon Appetit

Makes 16–18

Ingredients

• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) salted butter
• ⅔ cup (packed; 133 g) dark brown sugar
• ½ cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
• 2 Tbsp. Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 2¾ cups (344 g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup (83 g) powdered sugar, sifted

Method

1. Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 375°. Cook ¾ cup (1½ sticks) salted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it foams, then browns, about 4 minutes. Immediately transfer to a large heatproof bowl, scraping in any brown bits stuck to bottom of pan. Add ⅔ cup (packed; 133 g) dark brown sugar, ½ cup mild-flavored (light) molasses, and 2 Tbsp. Chinese five-spice powder and whisk vigorously until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth and emulsified, about 2 minutes. (It will look oily at first, but keep whisking.)
2. Add 1 large egg yolk and 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract; whisk vigorously until combined and slightly lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Add 2¾ cups (344 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. baking soda and mix with a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms and no pockets of dry flour remain.
3. Place ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar in a small bowl. Using a #20 cookie scoop (about 3 Tbsp.) and working one at a time, scoop out portions of dough and roll into smooth balls. Roll balls in granulated sugar to thoroughly and generously coat, then divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing at least 2" apart (about 9 per sheet). Roll dough balls in granulated sugar again to create an even, thicker layer and return to baking sheets. Freeze, uncovered, 15 minutes.
4. Place ¾ cup (83 g) powdered sugar, sifted, in a small bowl. Working quickly and one at a time, coat balls in powdered sugar, rolling and pressing in slightly between your hands to create an even, generous layer that covers the entire exterior (like you are making a snowball); place back on baking sheets, spacing at least 2" apart.
5. Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until puffed slightly and cracks have formed, 12–14 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheets. (They will deflate a bit as they sit.