Authentic Naan

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1/4 cup butter, melted
Coarse sea salt

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 Tbsp sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in remaining sugar, milk, egg, salt, baking soda and flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

2. Punch down dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. Melt butter and add garlic. Let soak for 10 minutes.

4. Heat a skillet on the stove over medium heat. Roll one ball of dough out into a very thin circle. Place dough on dry skillet, and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with garlic butter, sprinkle with sea salt and turn over. Brush cooked side with garlic butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet, place on a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm. Wipe off skillet between each piece. Continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

Makes 24 pieces (about 5" round).

Notes:

The original recipe calls for grilling the naan on medium-high heat, directly on grill rack. This stove-top method is a good option for the cold winter months. You can also make this without brushing with butter for a healthier version. This recipe is best served fresh when it is still light and fluffy.

You can also put extra dough balls in a ziplock bag and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Just remove from refrigerator, roll out and cook like normal - there's no need to warm up to room temperature. I'm also experimenting with freezing dough balls.

Chicken Wild Rice Cranberry Soup

8 T. unsalted butter
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 c. onion, finely chopped
6 T. flour
6 c. chicken stock
3 c. cooked wild rice
2 - 12.5oz cans of chicken (or about 2 cups cubed or shredded chicken)
1 c. dried cranberries
2 c. milk or half-and-half
4 T. dry sherry
Few dashes of Worchestershire sauce
S & P to taste

Melt butter in Dutch overn over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrot is tender, about 8 minutes. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Gradually add the stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken, rice and cranberries. Reduce heat; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries are softened and plumped, about 15 minutes. Stir in all the reminaing ingredients. Stir occasionally until warmed through. Season to taste.

Serves 6-8.

{From Michael's cousin Marija}

Curried Lentil Salad

DRESSING:
1/4 cup+ corn oil (or any other light oil, I used grapeseed oil)
1/4 cup+ wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon mace (I haven't been able to find this so I just omit it)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

SALAD:
1 pound dried lentils
1 cup dried currants (I soaked mine to soften them up)
1/3 cup capers
1 finely chopped red onion

In a large bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients and set aside.

Wash lentils. Cook them in boiling water for 5-6 minutes or until just tender (test after 2 minutes). Rinse and drain well, combine with the dressing and let sit overnight. Add a bit more oil and vinegar if it seems dry. At least 2 hours before serving, add the currants, capers and onions to the lentils. Let marinate for several hours.

Mushroom Casserole

Use any cooked grain you like. Feel free to use low-fat cottage cheese or sour cream if you prefer.


1 pound (2 containers) brown mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 large onion, well chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
a bit of fresh tarragon, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Rub a medium-large baking dish with a bit of olive oil or butter and set aside. The pan I use is slightly smaller than a classic 9x13 baking dish - just grab for something in this ballpark.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat saute the mushrooms in a glug of olive oil sprinkled with a couple pinches of salt. Stir every minute or so until the mushrooms have released their liquid and have browned a bit. Add the onions and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute and remove from heat. Add the rice to the skillet and stir until combined.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, and salt.

Combine the rice mixture and cottage cheese mixture in a large bowl, stir until well combined and then turn out into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 2/3 of the Parmesan cheese, cover with foil and place in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 or 30 minutes more or hot throughout and golden along the edges. Sprinkle with the chopped tarragon, and the remaining Parmesan and enjoy

Wild Rice with Dried Fruit and Nuts

• 8 scallions
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2.25 cups uncooked wild rice or wild rice blend (any seasoning packet discarded)
• 4 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 cup dried cherries or cranberries
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 
  

1. Add wild rice and cook according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, thinly slice scallions, separating white and green parts. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add scallion whites and cook, stirring often, until soft, 3 minutes; drain out excess oil; season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, dried cherries, and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce to a simmer and cook until vinegar is almost absorbed, 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add rice, cooked scallions whites, scallion greens, and chopped pecans. Stir well to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8 (side dish portions)

{adapted from Martha Stewart}

White Bean and Lamb Soup

1/2 pound dried great Northern beans, sorted and rinsed


1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/4 pounds ground lamb
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 1/2 cups canned roma tomatoes, with liquid
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste
6 cups chicken broth

1/2 pound baby spinach leaves
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled


Soak the dried beans in water overnight. After soaking, drain off remaining water, and rinse.

In a large stockpot, cook the onion in oil over low heat until just beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium, and add lamb; cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in carrots and celery, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, and season with parsley, thyme, oregano, and with freshly ground pepper and salt to taste. Add beans and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 - 2 hours hours, or until beans are tender.

Rinse spinach, and then place in a saucepan. Place over medium heat, and cook until wilted. This will only take a short time, and you will not need to add more liquid to the pan.

Top each serving of soup with wilted spinach and crumbled feta cheese.

 
Notes: When I made this, I used leftover lamb roast, cubed. I also used some chopped kale in place of the spinach (just tossed it in raw half an hour before eating) since kale holds together when cooked where as spinach gets slimy.

Caramel Sauce

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/3 cup water, boling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Put sugar in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until all of the sugar melts and becomes a caramel color. Add water (will sizzle/boil up), followed by butter and cream. Continue heating over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Add vanilla and salt. Allow to cool at least 30 min before serving.