balsamic butter dressing for wilted greens

2.5 tbsp butter
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp marsala or red wine

Place all ingredients in saucepan. Heat on medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat.

Wilt greens (spinach, tatsoi, or a combination) by lightly steaming or sauteeing with 1/2 tbsp butter. Place dressing over greens, sprinkle with a bit of salt.

kohlrabi pancakes

I used about a tbsp of finely chopped cilantro instead of the coriander, used canola oil instead of butter/olive oil, and topped with a dollop of a mixture of labneh/sriracha. You could probably use cream cheese instead of the labneh.

http://www.sustainabletable.org/485/real-food-right-now-and-how-to-cook-it-kohlrabi
Ingredients:

4 small purple or green kohlrabi, peeled and trimmed of woody bits (see “Pro Tip” above)
1 small onion, very finely chopped or grated on the large holes of a box grater
1 small green chili, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped or 1⁄4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1⁄4 cup (or more) all-purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Procedure 
1. Grate the peeled and trimmed kohlrabi on the large holes of a box grater. Wrap the grated kohlrabi in a clean dishtowel and squeeze until most of the excess moisture has been removed.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the shredded kohlrabi, chopped or grated onion, optional chilies or chili flakes, beaten egg, flour, coriander and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until just combined. Add additional flour by the teaspoon if batter seems too wet (mixture should be somewhat firm).
3. In a large, heavy frying pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil and the butter over medium-high heat until the butter stops foaming. Add ladlefuls of the pancake batter (about 1⁄3 of a cup at a time) to the pan, gently pressing down on the cakes with the back of a spatula. Cook kohlrabi pancakes until crispy and golden brown on each side.

Indian fried rice with cauliflower

From Julie Sahni's "Classic Indian Cooking."

It turned out a little saltier than I would have liked.

matar paneer

From Julie Sahni's "Classic Indian Cooking"
I used chickpeas instead of green peas, and cooked them ahead of time. I was feeling lazy, so I didn't fry the paneer pieces.

almond butter breakfast bread

• ½ cup creamy roasted almond butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
• ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, with a hand blender, mix almond butter until creamy
2. Mix in eggs, honey, vanilla and stevia
3. Add salt, baking soda and cinnamon
4. Mix well with hand blender until all ingredients are combined
5. Transfer batter into a well greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish
6. Bake at 325° for 12 to 15 minutes.

I removed the stevia from the original recipe, and like the sweetness just fine.

http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-breakfast-bread/

shortcake biscuits

Biscuits

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• Pinch cinnamon
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 7/8 cup (1 cup minus 2 Tbsp) heavy whipping cream
• 1 large egg*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 425, 12-15 min.
• Makes 8 biscuits

From http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/blueberry_shortcake/

Thai crunch salad with peanut dressing

Based on http://www.onceuponachef.com/2013/07/thai-crunch-salad-with-peanut-dressing.html

Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing

Servings: 4

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

For the Thai Peanut Dressing

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1-inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

For the Salad

• 4 cups chopped Napa cabbage or shredded coleslaw mix (I like to toss in a little shredded red cabbage for color)
• 1 cup prepared shredded carrots
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 cup cooked and shelled edamame
• 2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients except for the cilantro in a blender and process until completely smooth. Add the cilantro and blend for a few seconds until the cilantro is finely chopped. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. For the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. If serving right away, drizzle the peanut dressing over top and toss; otherwise, serve the dressing on the side so the salad doesn't get soggy.

Sesame Jasmine Rice With Soybeans

Based on http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sesame-Jasmine-Rice-with-Soybeans-105369

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice or long-grain white rice
• 1 pound frozen edamame
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• A few drops of chili oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Preparation

Combine 2 cups water, rice, and salt in large saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. 

While rice is boiling, heat a wok to medium-high heat with the oil. When oil is hot, add edamame and stir fry about 10 minutes.  

When rice is tender, remove from heat. Stir in edamame and sesame seeds; season with salt and pepper.

1/8/2014 - Mexico!