Vindaloo Stu

I got this recipe from a man named Stu that I met on the street corner.

Naw, not really. Mike pouted until I named it “Stu.” Seriously, this recipe is based on a Vindaloo recipe I picked up at the Savory Spice Shop on 15th & Platte in Denver.  If you get the chance to stop by that place, it’swonderful! Excellent smells and excellent people–though I’m not sure the two are related…

What you need

• 3 tbsp of vindaloo paste (equal parts oil, water, vindaloo powder)
• olive oil
• 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• dash garlic salt
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup cooked potatoes (or canned potatoes)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 6 oz stewed (plain) tomatoes
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 package of Denver Tofu extra firm
• a pinch or two of sea salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• fresh cilantro
• crusty bread for sopping and moping (unless you have pita, tortilla, or naan)

What you do

1. Make vindaloo paste and set aside
2. Cut tofu into 1/2″ cubes, cook in pan with oil and a dash of vindaloo powder and a dash of garlic powder
3. Once the tofu seems firm and a little bit browned, set it aside
4. Chop onion and brown in pan with oil
5. Add celery, carrots, and broth, and cook it down
6. Add tomatoes, potatoes, sea salt, vinegar, and vindaloo paste. Mix well.
7. Mix in tofu
8. Cover and cook with water for 15 min
9. Before serving, add yogurt and mix well
10. Serve in a bowl on top of rice (optional) , top with finely chopped cilantro

cranberry turkey panini

what you need

• 1/2 can cranberries (preferably actually berries, not just the jelly)
• 1 fuji apple (peeled, chopped)
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 sm red onion
• fresh basil leaves (4 per sandwich)
• sliced turkey breast
• sliced cheddar cheese
• french bread sliced for sandwiches

what you do

1. warm your panini press. if you don’t have a press, warm the skillet you plan to use the grill the sandwich.
2. in a pan with EVOO, sautee onions & apples with ginger
3. once the mixture is soft, add cranberries, turn down heat and let it come together for a few minutes
4. assemble your sandwich: turkey, cheese, basil, onion mix
5. brush bread top and bottom with EVOO or use spray olive oil
6. grill sandwich in pan or panini press until golden brown
7. cut in 1/2 and enjoy
8. this makes about 4 sandwiches

greens & beans

what you need

• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tomato
• 1 can great northern beans, rinsed
• 1 tbs basil
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• red chard (about 8 leaves)

what you do

1. add EVOO, crushed garlic, and diced onions to pan
2. when the onions are beginning to soften, add the red chard
3. cook down for 5 min then add basil, beans (rinsed), tomato, and sesame seeds
4. cook until it looks done, eh? or just about 7 min more…

buttercup squash & sausage gumbo

what you need

• 1 buttercup squash
• 1 yellow onion
• 3 small fuji or gala apples
• 1 hearty clove of garlic
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp dried chives
• 2 precooked sausages2 small kilbasa or sausage or your choice (hot dog size),  i like chicken sausage with apples and feta, but even brats are just dandy
• a skillet and a big ol soup pot
• about 1/3 cup of water

what you do

1. cut the squash in 1/2, removed seeds, and bake face down in a dish with 2 inches of water (1 hr, 350F)
2. crush garlic and add to skillet with olive oil (medium heat)
3. chop onion and add it to the skillet
4. peel and chop apples into dice-sized cubes, add to the skillet
5. cut the sausage in 1/2 lengthwise, then slice it into 1/2 moons, add to the skillet
6. add ginger and chives
7. cover and cook for about 20 min then turn off the heat– you don’t want to overcook it the onions
8. when the squash is soft, peel it with a potato peeler
9. scrape the stringy stuff out and dice the rest of the squash
10. add a little olive oil to the bottom of the soup pot and toss in the squash
11. with the heat on low, use a masher to mash the squash completely. you may need to add a little water
12. add the skillet contents and stir
13. eyeball it, you may want to add a little water. we’re shooting for gumbo, not stew
14. cover and continue to heat on low for 20 min
15. serve with a nice green (like fresh green beans) and a crusty bread

best breakfast sandwich ever

Okay so here’s the deal. I wanted a hot breakfast this morning that was a little more exciting than oatmeal. what? oatmeal’s not exciting? um, no. so i pillaged the fridge and found some leftovers and staples that came together quite nicely.

what you need:

• one egg
• some sandwich meat (turkey, ham, chicken) or bacon
• paprika
• sesame seed hamburger bun
• sliced cheese

what you do:

• toast your hamburger bun
• brown the meat in a pan on the stove. depending on the greasiness of the meat, you may need to add a little oil to the pan to avoid burning.
• scramble the egg in a liquid (glass) measuring cup. add a dash of paprika and pop it in the microwave, covered, for about 1.5 minutes.
• the egg will be a round disc when it’s done. drop it in the pan to lightly brown the top & bottom.
• melt the slice of cheese on top of the egg patty.
• assemble your sandwich. mmmm.

pumpkin pie

a variation of the Libby’s recipe

what you need:

• 16 oz fresh pumpkin
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 10 oz can evaporated milk
• unbaked pie crust (bottom only)

what you do:

1. cut pumpkin in half and bake in a baking dish, face down, with 1.5 inches of water for 1.5 hours on 350F
2. once the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop out seeds and strings
3. use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin off of the pumpkin
4. cut into 1″ cubes and mash and whip until smooth
5. you’ll need about 1/4 of the pumpkin to make 16 oz, depending on the size of the pumpkin
6. set the oven to 450F
7. press the pie crust into a 9″ pie dish
8. in a separate bowl, mix all pie filler ingredients EXCEPT the milk
9. add milk slowly, a couple oz at a time
10. your mixture will start to look a little watery, so stop adding at about 10 oz
11. if you’re concerned that you added too much milk, add a little dry milk and flour to balance it
12. remember, the eggs will make it set up to be more firm that it appears right now
13. mix well and pour into pie crust
14. bake for 15 min on 450F
15. bake for 60 min on 350F
16. let it cool before serving

meatloaf

what you need:

• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup cabbage (2 leaves), finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/8 cup grated parmesean cheese
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed

what you do:

1. preheat the oven to 350F
2. cook down all of the vegetables and herbs in a little olive oil
3. add cheese to the meat
4. once the vegetable mix is translucent, turn off heat and let it cool
5. once the vegetables are cool enough to touch, mix into the meat
6. form the new mixture into a loaf
7. bake for about an hour

pierogies

what you need

• 2 medium potatoes
• 4 leaves of cabbage
• 1 large sweet onion
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• chicken or vegetable stock
• pasta dough (see recipe. omit nutmeg for peirogies)

what you do

1. add olive oil to the bottom of a big soup pot
2. crush garlic, add to pot
3. finely chop potatoes, add to pot
4. turn on medium heat and keep the lid on the pot
5. add 1/4 cup broth
6. finely chop cabbage and add to pot
7. add more broth if needed
8. finely chop onions and add to pot
9. close lid and let it cook down until it is all soft
10. in the meantime, start the dough
11. once it is cooked down, mash and whip it into a good filler consistancy
12. add more broth during the mashing process if needed
13. fill little pockets of pasta dough and drop into boiling water for about 3-5 min (depending on altitude). be careful not to overboil or they will break open, and frankly, that’s no good. 
14. serve with butter and parsley

chombat

chombat is an italian a vegetable stew. usually pretty spicy, it is a collection of whatever is growing in the garden, so there are plenty of variations.

what you need:

main dish:

• zucchini
• yellow squash
• onion
• tomatoes
• green pepper
• bell pepper
• crushed red pepper
• garlic
• olive oil
• .25 cups broth or water

accessories:

• crusty bread
• parmasean cheese

what you do:

1. cut all of your vegetables into bite-size bits
2. lightly coat the bottom of a soup pot with olive oil
3. on medium heat, crush and sautee the garlic with the onions
4. add peppers
5. add zucchini, squash, and tomatoes
6. add broth
7. cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes
8. keep an eye on the moisture level so it doesn’t burn and stick to the pot

spinach quiche

what you need:

• 5 eggs
• 1.5 cups ricotta cheese
• .5 cup dried parmasean cheese
• 1.5 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• .5 cup dry milk
• .5 onion
• .25 lb bacon, cooked & chopped
• pie dough and 8-9 in pie dish

what you do:

1. preheat oven to 350F
2. cook the bacon and set aside
3. cook the onions (in the bacon grease or olive oil) and set aside
4. crack 5 eggs into a bowl and whip with a fork until they’re a little bit bubbly
5. mix in ricotta, parmasean, and dry milk
6. mix in onion, spinach, and bacon
7. place pie dough in dish, form to edges
8. pour mixture into dish and flatten into place
9. place in oven at 350F for 65 min
10. it should no longer look wet when it is done, but don’t overdry it. oooh finesse.