ELLEN'S RECIPE OF THE MONTH ARCHIVE!

Pressure Cooker Brown Rice
And you thought pressure cookers were old-fashioned! I'm here to tell you otherwise - this is definitely the best kitchen appliance I've ever used (except for maybe my Cuisinart food processor). I researched it online for a long while before deciding which one to buy. I had heard all kinds of stories about pressure cookers exploding. Well, that might've happened with the older versions, but the new ones have all kinds of safety mechanisms built into them. I don't know if I spent more money than necessary - maybe there are pressure cookers that are just as good and cost less money. But because I'd never used one or seen one used, I thought it best to go with a top of the line model. The Kuhn-Rikon 7 Liter Turn-Top Pressure Cookers I bought was highly recommended. I ordered it from pleasanthillgrain.com. And I love it- I use it almost every time I cook. I've made stock (great for using those leftover vegetables that didn't get cooked and are beginning to wilt), rice, quinoa, chicken curry, fruit compote, steamed brussel sprouts (and other vegetables). It is a real time saver- the brown rice takes about 25 minutes, including the time it takes to bring the cooker up to high pressure. You can find all kinds of recipes for the pressure cooker online by simply googling "pressure cooker recipes".

1 ½ cups brown rice
5 ½ cups water
2 teaspoons of oil (I use olive oil)
2 teaspoons salt

Put all of the ingredients in the pressure cooker. Put the lid on the pressure cooker and bring it up to high pressure. Once it reaches high pressure, reduce the heat so that it doesn't whistle (or however your pressure cooker indicates that the pressure is too high). Cook for 15 minutes. Release the pressure with the quick-release method- I put the pressure cooker in the sink on a trivet and run cold water on the lid until the pressure releases (my pressure cooker whistles and lets out a final gust of steam when the pressure is completely released). Take the lid off, pointing it away from you to avoid steam hitting your face or hands. My pressure cooker cooks the rice perfectly in 15 minutes, once the cooker reaches high pressure.

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Moroccan Tagine
From The Bold Vegetarian Chef by Ken Charney
Adapted by Ellen Allard
(Read about this meal at Ellen's gluten free blog)

My favorite store, Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Market has a 2 for 1 sale every September on dried herbs and spices, so I always stock up. My shopping trip there this past Saturday inspired me to make this Middle Eastern recipe. Though it has a long list of ingredients, I have to say it was quite easy to make. And it was so delicious, especially reheated the next day. If you're in the mood to try something different, go for it - you'll be glad you did. From our kitchen to yours, bon appetit!

4 shallots, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and slivered
2 garlic cloves, slivered
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 32 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 15 ounce can cooked chickpeas
1 small butternut squash or sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into small bite-size chunks
½ fennel bulb, cut into 1 inch pieces
½ to 1 cup vegetable stock or water
½ teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
½ head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
6 ounces green beans, steamed until tender
3 ounces pitted kalamata olives
2 ounces pitted prunes, cut in half
2 ounces dried apricots, cut in half
½ cup slivered toasted almonds
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large flameproof casserole, cook the shallots, celery, ginger, garlic, and cinnamon stick in the olive oil over medium-low heat for 5 - 7 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.

Add the paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring for about 1 minute, until the spices are nicely fragrant. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, then add the chickpeas, squash, carrots, and fennel. Pour in just enough vegetable stock to cover. Mix well and add the saffron. Cover and bring to a boil.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Add the cauliflower and return to the oven for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender.

About 5 minutes before the tagine is done, stir in the green beans, olives, prunes, apricots, and almonds. Garnish with the parsley and serve hot over grain (originally recipe called for couscous, but I used basmati rice mixed with yellow lentils).

Whole Crock Pot Chicken
After you read this, I guarantee you will say, "NO WAY", you can't cook a frozen chicken in a crock pot. I thought the same thing until I tried it. I swear, it works! How convenient is this?!! And it's one of those meals that you will make over and over. It's easy and so yummy. If you try it, please email and let us know how it comes out. By the way, if you have an older crock pot, you might need to set it on medium or even high. Use your instincts when it comes to your crock pot. Otherwise, put it on a low setting.

4-6 servings
10 hours

One 3 lb.- 4 lb. frozen whole chicken (or one that fits in your crock pot)
10 oz. container of mushrooms, quartered
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
3 cloves garlic, whole
½ tbsp. dried rosemary
½ tbsp. dried oregano
½ tbsp. black pepper
½ tbsp. kosher salt (or regular if you don't have kosher)
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. onion powder
3 tbsp. softened butter
2 tbsp. honey
2 cups water or chicken stock

1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Place it in the crock pot and pour the mushrooms over it. Set the crock pot to low.

2. Place all the other ingredients (except liquid) in a food processor and blend into a paste.

3. Pour the paste over the chicken and mushrooms, add two cups of chicken stock or water, cover with the lid, and let it cook for about 10 hours, peeking periodically to marvel at the smell and ease with which dinner was made!

NOTE #1:The chicken will be very tender when it's done, so be careful when you are taking it out of the crock pot, as it will fall off the carcass.

NOTE #2: I added the liquid to the original recipe. I'm not sure if it's necessary, but my instincts told me to do so and it ended up making a nice gravy.

NOTE #3: Today, I added about 1/8 cup of balsamic vinegar along with the liquid. I love balsamic vinegar and would bathe in it if it didn't make me smell like salad dressing for days! One of these newsletters, I'll share my popular secret salad dressing recipe.

NOTE #4: When I froze the bird, I forgot to take out the paper bag that has the liver etc. in it. I began cooking it in the crock pot WITH the paper inside it. After about an hour, I was able to remove the paper bag from the bird.

NOTE #5: In addition to adding the balsamic vinegar, today I tried something different. Instead of making a paste with the butter and herbs, I just dumped everything into the crock pot. Haven't tried it yet, but it looks and smells divine.

Not Your Average Meat Loaf
This is one of those recipes for which I never measure the ingredients, so I'll do my best to guesstimate. This is a winner!!!

1 ½ pounds chopped meat
¾ cup bread crumbs**
1 egg, beaten
Salt & Pepper
Worcestershire Sauce (I like Lea & Perrins)
Ketchup (Heinz is best)
Green Peppers, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced
Onions, sliced
Water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine chopped meat with bread crumbs, egg, S&P, about 4 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce (guessing the amount). Mix well.

Shape into loaf and put into pan. Do not grease, as meat has enough fat in it to grease the pan. I like to pat it down into a flat loaf, maybe about 2 inches high at most.

Spread sliced green peppers, mushrooms, onions on top of meat loaf, enough to cover the entire surface.

Pour about 1 ½ cups of water into a measuring cup. Add about ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce and ¼ cup ketchup. Mix well. Pour over meat loaf.

Squeeze some more ketchup and Worcestershire sauce over entire thing, zigzagging it over the meat loaf. Not sure of amount.

Bake for about 1 ½ - 2 hours, or until veggies begin to carmelize (they will blacken, but that is ok). During the baking time, baste it with the sauce in the pan, at least once or twice.

**For those readers needing gluten free bread crumbs, try:
Van's© waffles
Dried herbs like basil, oregano
Olive oil

Toast 2 or 3 waffles, break them apart and process them in food processor, pulsing on and off until they resemble bread crumbs. Add in a few dashes of dried Italian Herbs, or basil, and drizzle in some light olive oil. Pulse the crumbs again briefly, until they are moist and begin to stick together a bit.

Jane Grant's Tantalizing Toffee Bark
My sister-in-law Jane Grant makes this fantastic Toffee Bark every year during the holiday season. No matter what holiday you're celebrating, this stuff is beyond delicious! Try it, you'll love it!

Toffee:
2 sticks regular butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup sliced almonds (crush them a bit)
1 tablespoon (light colored) Karo syrup
1 teaspoon cold water

Topping:
Before making the toffee, mix 1/2 bag milk chocolate chips & 1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips in one bowl.
Put 1/4 cup sliced almonds in another bowl.

To make the toffee, combine butter, sugar, almonds, karo syrup, and water in a small heavy-duty pot over medium heat. This process caramelizes the sugar. Keep stirring the mixture to keep it from boiling or burning. It will change from a buttery, thin, light color to a thick, caramelized color. When it turns a caramel color, test by dropping a tiny piece into a glass of cold iced water - let it sit for a minute, then taste. It should be crunchy, not chewy. If chewy, keep toffee on burner and continue stirring. Final product gets pretty thick, but be careful not to burn the toffee.

Using a spatula, quickly pour the toffee mixture onto a cookie sheet that has been lightly greased first. Flatten toffee across cookie sheet with a spatula and spread out evenly. It cools rather quickly, so you've got to do this part fast and efficiently.

Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top of the toffee surface. Let it sit until the chips melt. This will only take a minute or two. Then take an icing spreader and spread the melted chocolate mixture evenly across surface. Sprinkle the almonds evenly across the top of the melted chocolate. Put the bark in the refrigerator and let it harden for at least 1 hour. Then take it out and break it into small pieces.

Apple Crisp
I have been searching for years for the perfect apple crisp. By taking a recipe that I had in my files and adding crystallized ginger and dried cranberries, I think I scored! Try it and let me know what you think.

Topping:
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces (take out of frig about 30 min. before using, to soften)
½ cup packed light-brown sugar (I've used dark as well)
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup rolled oats
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Apple Mixture:
2 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch cubes
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
*3 tbsp. crystallized diced ginger (optional, can get at Trader Joe's)
*½ cup dried sweetened cranberries (optional)
Vanilla ice cream or heavy cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 inch square baking dish.

For topping, combine the butter, sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon in a bowl. Work together with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Toss in nuts; set aside.

Toss apples with lemon juice. Mix optional ginger and/or cranberries with apples. Spoon into the baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over the apples. Bake in center of oven for 1 hour or until bubbly and the apples are tender. Let cool slightly. Serve warm, topped with ice cream or cream, if desired.

*Though the crystallized ginger and dried cranberries are optional, I think they make all the difference in this recipe.

Bundt Noodle Kugel

Just shortly before this September newsletter was emailed to all of our friends and fans, I made this new noodle pudding or kugel for our Rosh Hashanah dinner tonight. I usually include already tried-and-true recipes in our email newsletter, but this is one I never made before. However, I just took it out of the oven and it looks and smells delicious! We invited 10 people to come and celebrate with us, as we prepare our hearts and souls for this most important Jewish holiday. It is a time for us all to look inside, to examine, to turn and continue to grow and be the best that we can be. May you all be inscribed in the book of life. Peter & I wish you the very best new year! Shana tova! Yield: about 12 servings

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted, divided
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
4 eggs beaten
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup applesauce
1 package (16 ounce) medium egg noodles, cooked and drained

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 12 cup bundt pan with non stick vegetable spray. Pour 1/4 cup melted butter into bundt pan. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter in pan, then sprinkle chopped walnuts over the brown sugar.

In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup melted butter, salt, eggs, cinnamon, granulated sugar, sour cream and applesauce. Stir in cooked and drained noodles; mix well.

Turn mixture into prepared pan; bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until brown. Remove from oven; turn upside down on serving plate. Remove bundt pan. Serve hot.

Note: to make it lower in fat, use non fat sour cream and Egg Beaters equal to 4 eggs. You can use regular noodles instead of egg noodles if you have to watch cholesterol.

Teriyaki Marinade

We grill quite often in the summer. This is one of my most favorite marinades. It really is worth the 10 minutes of putting it together to have homemade marinade. Double the recipe, put the extra in a jar and use later in the week. I'd refrigerate the extra. Bon Appetit!

The traditional sweetener for Teriyaki is mirin (sweet rice wine), but if it is unavailable, use sake, sherry or white wine and increase the sugar slightly.
3 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced (optional)
1 tbsp. minced peeled ginger root
¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup mirin (I use cooking sherry which I buy at the liquor store)
2 tbsp. maple syrup or brown sugar
1 ½ tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. honey
Combine scallions, garlic, chilies (if using) and ginger in a bowl. Whisk in soy sauce, mirin, maple syrup or sugar, sesame oil, olive oil, honey. Use with beef, lamb, poultry, seafood, tofu. Makes 1 cup marinade. Note: Measure the honey after the oil. It'll be easier to pour the honey out of the measuring spoon if you've measured the oil with the measuring spoon first.

Soy Salmon

Marinade:
1/3 cup soy or tamari sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 - 4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Grated zest of 2 limes
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 - 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
4 pounds salmon

Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place fish in a ziplock bag. Pour the marinade into the bag. Refrigerate for 3 - 6 hours. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. If desired, broil for a few minutes at the end, to brown. Transfer fish to platter and spoon the sauce over the fish. Serve immediately. Serves 8 - 10.

Notes:
1. I've adapted this recipe from one given to me by our good friend Lorraine Arcus. THANKS LORRAINE! It's now my favorite fish recipe. And Peter loves it, too!

2. Though the recipe calls for 4 lbs. of fish, I've made this with 2 lbs. of fish, but I use the same amount of marinade as called for when making 4 lbs. The fish "swims" (no pun intended!) in the marinade, but it is worth it, because the sauce really soaks into the fish.

3. BEFORE you squeeze the limes, zest them. I highly recommend buying a microplaner for zesting lemons and limes, grating ginger. It is one of my most favorite cooking tools. It's a long metal grating thingamajiggie, kind of shaped like a 12 inch ruler, with a handle; you can find it in any good kitchen supply store (or in the big mega stores like Linens N' Things).

4. Limes are hard to squeeze, but they are essential to this recipe.

5. I'm not sure if the recipe intends to have you cook the fish in the marinade; when making other fish recipes, I drain the fish before cooking it. However, in this case, I like cooking the fish right in the marinade.

6. Though the recipe includes scallions, I make it without them. Just my own preference.

7. I've made this with less time for the fish to marinate (I recently marinated it for about an hour) and it works just fine.

American Chop Suey
(Featuring Peter, guest dad cook)

A classic "Dad's cooking tonight" recipe; Peter learned this from his mother, however!

1 medium onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
One pound chopped meat
One jar of spaghetti sauce (your favorite brand)
One pound elbow macaroni
Salt & Pepper as needed
Olive oil

1. Sauté onion and pepper in a skillet in small amount of olive oil, then set aside in bowl.
2. Sauté chopped meat in same skillet.
3. When the chopped meat is fully cooked, add onions, peppers, and sauce to the skillet.
4. Mix, adding salt and pepper as needed. Simmer while you cook the macaroni.
5. Cook macaroni, drain, and combine with meat sauce.
6. Enjoy, this is even better the next day!

Black Bean, Roasted Corn & Mango Salad

2 cloves garlic, minced
6 ears corn (cut off the cob or use frozen kernels)
2 cups ripe mango
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/3 cup lime juice

Saute garlic & corn in oil until corn is slightly brown (about 8 minutes). Remove to bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients. If you want to add a little heat to it, add a finely chopped jalapeno pepper. TIP: Make sure the limes are at room temperature before squeezing. And if you microwave them for about 30 seconds on high, they'll be even easier to squeeze.

Chocolate Macaroons

4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
14 oz. bag coconut
pinch of salt

Beat egg whites until stiff. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Fold in melted chocolate and the rest of the ingredients to the stiff egg whites. Bake on brown paper bag 350 degrees. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Note: This recipe was given to me by my dear friend Phyllis Spool, who got it from a friend named Grace, when she lived in Revere, Massachusetts. She has always made the macaroons by baking them on brown paper bags cut and fit onto a cookie tray. However, they can be made directly on a cookie sheet, or on silpat sheets, which make for easy removing from cookie sheet.

Best Dinner Rolls,
makes 12 - 18 rolls

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (I like King Arthur)
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 ¼ cups milk
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup shortening (Crisco) or butter (I used butter)
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
2 tbsp. butter, melted

Put all ingredients EXCEPT 2 tbsp. butter into bread machine and set for dough cycle. Check dough after a few minutes; you may need to add a little more liquid (milk or water) to make a smooth dough. When finished with dough cycle, punch dough down and let stand 10 minutes. Lightly grease 9 x 13 glass baking pan. Pull off 12 - 18 plops or balls of dough, and place in pan. You can definitely make 18 smaller rolls. The dough is sticky, so don't try to roll smooth balls. The rolls will smooth out when they rise and bake. Let rise in warm place, about 30 - 40 minutes or until doubled in size. Drizzle melted butter over top of rolls. You may use more butter if you like (up to 4 tbsp). Bake in 400° oven for 10 - 15 minutes, until golden.

SPICED MANGO LASSI

When we are in the thick of these long winter days, we drink this yummy spiced mango lassi (it's really just a smoothie), to help us remember that warm breezes will soon be upon us!

1 1/2 c. diced peeled pitted mango (about 1 ½ large)
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 cup ice cubes
1/4 cup low-fat 1 % milk
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
2 mango wedges or slices for garnish

1. Combine diced mango, yogurt, 1 cup ice cubes, milk, honey, vanilla
2. Extract, ground cinnamon, and ground cardamom in blender.
3. Puree until smooth.
4. Pour smoothie into 2 glasses. Garnish each glass with mango wedge and serve.
Per serving: calories 195, total fat 1 g, fiber 2 g

Parmesan Turkey Meat Loaf

(8 servings)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 ¼ lbs ground skinless turkey
4 slices whole wheat bread, made into fine crumbs
½ c. fat free (or low fat) milk
1 egg white, lightly beaten
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp garlic powder (or 1 fresh garlic clove minced)
½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; spray an 8 x 5" loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small non-stick skillet, heal the oil. Sauté the onion until tender, 4 - 5 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the onion, turkey, bread crumbs, milk, egg white, ketchup, cheese, garlic powder, basil, thyme, and pepper; blend well. Shape into a loaf and transfer to the pan.
4. Bake until browned and cooked through, 50 - 60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
(Peter here- this is delicious! Good thing I love to eat, because Ellen is a great cook!)

Ellen's Chicken Soup

This recipe is adapted from "Slow Cooker Cooking" by Lora Brody. Please note that you don't have to use a kosher chicken, but in my opinion, the soup is far superior when you do. It's much less fatty - you don't even need to let it sit overnight in the frig for the fat to congeal. You can add thin noodles (gluten free for us) just like mama used to add. If we have some gluten free matzah, we make matzah balls!

1 cut up kosher chicken (3.5 - 5 lbs.)
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into small pieces
1 medium onion, peeled and cut roughly into quarters
2 teaspoons dried dill weed (or use a fistful of fresh dill)
1 large handful fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste
4 cloves
6 - 8 cups water (or enough to cover ingredients - original recipe called for using chicken stock, but I use water and add bouillon cubes for flavor if necessary)

Place chicken, carrots, parsnips, celery, onion, dill, parsley, salt, pepper, and cloves in the insert of the slow cooker. Cover with water. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours, until chicken is extremely tender. Use slotted spoon to remove chicken & vegetables, put in 2 separate bowls. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones, shred into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones and skin. If the broth is fatty, you can chill it overnight & remove fat the next morning. Reheat broth, adding chicken and veggies, add additional salt and pepper to taste.