Minestrone Soup (Take Two)

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Delicious Minestrone

I first posted this over 12 years ago! It’s still a favorite, especially during these cooler months. Enjoy!

Minestrone Soup

Serves 8

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Ingredients
  • ½ medium yellow onion, peeled and diced ½ inch
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small yellow zucchini, diced ½ inch
  • 2 large carrot, peeled and sliced ¼ inch
  • 1 small parsnip, peeled and sliced ¼ inch
  • 2 celery, sliced ½ inch
  • 1 cup cabbage, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup fennel root, diced ¼ inch
  • 1 medium yukon gold potato, peeled and cubed ½ inch pieces
  • 1 ear corn, kernels cut from the cob
  • 8 cups chicken broth (or water)
  • 2 cups fresh spinach, chiffonaded
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • ½ cup frozen or fresh shelled peas
  • ½ cup orzo pasta uncooked
  • ½ cup cooked fresh beans if available, or canned beans (I often use garbanzo beans or white beans)
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions

In a large, heavy pot, sauté onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables (except spinach, peas and beans) and sauté an additional 5 minutes.

Add broth or water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 15 minutes.

Add spinach, tomato pasta, peas, pasta and beans.

Cook briefly until orzo is done. Serve with fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top and some slivers of fresh basil (if it is summer).

A couple of cook’s notes:
  • I often add a bit of tomato paste to soups to deepen the flavor and so I buy a tube of tomato paste at the supermarket in lieu of a can. Napoleon makes a fairly generic version.
  • Sautéing the vegetables rather than just simmering them raw imparts a deep, sweet flavor.
  • Feel free to add vegetables such as green beans or parsnips when they are in season.
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Toffee Bars

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Timeless Toffee Bars

Growing up, my mom always baked a lot of great cookies and pies and other desserts.  Usually, these were simple but so so good.  We were allowed to eat this stuff any old time, morning, noon, or night.  

Some of her pastry concoctions were complicated but others were easy as can be.  Toffee bars were one of her very easy but always amazing cookies.  I’ve had lots of toffee bars in my life, but this recipe is the best. I only changed the type of chocolate chips (bittersweet, please).  Honestly, I don’t think dark chocolate was a “thing” back in my mom’s era, but I always always I opt for dark chocolate.  You can use semisweet chocolate if you aren’t in my dark chocolate camp.

This recipe is a compilation of my mom, my sisters, with  my own touches.

Toffee Bars 

Makes 30

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Ingredients
  • ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, room temperature
  • ½  cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ½ of an egg yolk
  • 1 c of all-purpose flour
  • ½  tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (6 oz) bittersweet) chocolate chips
  • ½ cup toasted chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans, depending on what you love)
Instructions

Preheat to 350.  Spray a 9 x 9 pan with Pam. Mix the dough ingredients (all the ingredients but the chocolate chips and nuts) and press evenly into the pan, evening it out the top with an offset spatula. 

Bake for 25 minutes., Remove and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.  Bake for another four minutes.  Spread the now-melted chocolate chips with an offset spatula and sprinkle with nuts.  Cut while it’s still a tad bit warm.

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One Skillet Turkey Snap Peas

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One Skillet Turkey Snap Peas

My Seattle family is always searching for new, easy, minimal-time-to-prep dinner ideas.  We all peruse food blogs, read newspaper columns, and send links to each other with recipes or ideas that sound good.  I first looked at this turkey snap pea one skillet dish in the New York Times, and got ready to send it to both my Seattle adult kids when VOILA!  Said recipe arrived via text message with a note from Jake that he tried it and loved it. 

I trust him 100% when he says something is good, so the next day I made this, had enough leftovers for several lunches, and then sent the link to Rachel who made a double batch for her family of five, who ate every single bite.  That’s what happens when you have two teenage boys and a girl , all great eater in the house.  

This preparation has a lot of Thai flavors with fish sauce, lime juice and red pepper flakes.  I toned down the spice for the two of us.  I have also used this formula with ground chicken since I often have a pound of it in my freezer.  I particularly loved this since the snap peas were fresh from the farmer’s market, and I had fresh herbs growing like crazy.   I served this over rice noodles because I was sick of plain rice.

One Skillet Turkey Snap Peas*

Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons
  • 1 pound ground turkey or ground chicken
  • Salt, as needed (taste first, I think this is plenty salty without adding salt)
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes), more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce, more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½  cup fresh torn mint leaves, more for topping
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or basil, more for topping
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced white and light green parts.
  • 1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped roasted cashews or peanuts (optional but highly suggested)
Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add the oil and red onion slices to the skillet and cook until soft and deeply brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Crumble in the ground turkey, breaking up the meat. Cook until crisp and dark brown, about 8 minutes.

While the turkey is cooking, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, red pepper flakes, torn mint leaves, cilantro, and scallion whites, and light green parts. Pour the sauce into the skillet and toss until combined. Cover, turn off the heat and let the snap peas steam until tender and cooked through but still bright green, about 3 minutes. 

Taste and add more fish sauce, salt, and lime juice as needed to make everything bright and savory.  Top with more torn mint leaves, chopped cilantro and nuts.

*Adapted from Melissa Clark’s New York Times recipe

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Lemon Bars

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Luscious Lemon Bars

I didn’t think I was a lemon bar fan.  I used to make lemon bars at times for dessert trays when I had my catering business and they definitely were not my favorite cookie.

Then my son-in-law, who started cooking when he married my daughter, made these while Rachel was away for a few days with the kids.  He gave me a few to take home and I have to admit, I was shocked and awed and ate most of what he gave me without sharing! They are very very lemony and the crisp crust plus the acidy lemon filling and lemon zest in the crust  “spoke” to me.

Since there were quantities in cups and in weight, I translated everything into grams (of course – my preference).

Lemon Bars*

Makes 12

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Crust Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 10 tbsp /140 grams unsalted butter), melted and cooled
  • 45 grams granulated sugar (less than ¼ cup)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 to 4 lemons (I zested 3 for the crust)
  • 1½ cups / 200 grams all-purpose flour
Lemon Layer Ingredients
  • 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup / 33 grams all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice (from the lemons above) I measured and used 3 ½ lemons which yielded over ⅔ cup juice
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional-I did not use this)
Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square metal pan with foil. Lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Finely grate in the zest of three lemons (reserving the zested lemons for the lemon layer), then mix until well combined. While stirring, gradually add the flour and stir just until the dough comes together into a mass. It is a very soft dough.  Scrape into the prepared pan and gently press the dough into an even layer. I used a bench scraper to do this and pricked the crust with a fork all over.  

Bake until the center is dry, and the edges are golden, ~15 minutes. I watch the crust and if it starts to bubble up, I open the oven door and prick it again in the places it has bubbled so it is flat. 

While the crust bakes, make the lemon layer. Squeeze ⅔+ cup juice from the zested lemons and more fruit if needed. In the same bowl used for the crust, whisk the sugar and flour. Whisk in the eggs until smooth, then whisk in the lemon juice just until incorporated.

When the crust comes out of the oven, immediately turn the oven down to 300 degrees.  I took my plastic bench scraper and shimmied the crust down the four sides to release the crust from the edges.  

Whisk the lemon mixture again and gently pour it over the hot crust. Put the pan back into the oven right away.  

Bake until the lemon layer is set around the edges and jiggles a tiny bit in the center, about 20 minutes.

Cool completely in the pan, then refrigerate uncovered until cold and fully set, at least three hours. Carefully cut the bars into 12 pieces (personally I would cut them in half again – they are buttery and rich) and put them on a serving platter.  Serve cold or at room temperature. The bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to five days.  I generally serve these with some raspberries for color!

*Adapted from Genevieve Ko, New York Times

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Broccoli, Bean, and Cheddar Soup

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Broccoli, Bean, & Cheddar Soup

I love broccoli.  I love beans of any kind.  I love cheese.  So, when these three things are all in one recipe, I’m in.  I found a version of this soup published by Ellie Kreiger several years ago, and I made a few tweaks and changes to suit my taste.

I think this soup is seasonless since fresh broccoli is easy to find year-round.  Beans, whether canned or packaged in my freezer, and cheese?  I always have these things in My Global Kitchen.  I also must say this soup works super well with my trusty immersion blender. If you do not have one of these in your kitchen, please consider adding this small, not-very-expensive appliance.  You can thank me later.

Such Simple Ingredients!

I served this soup with fresh homemade flour tortillas topped with a crumble of goat cheese and diced vegetables, and a grapefruit-orange-avocado salad on the side.  Yum yum.  Although I didn’t do this in the photo, when we had this for dinner, I drizzled amazing Italian olive oil on top and squeezed a slice of fresh lemon in the soup as well.  Garlic croutons, homemade of course, would be so good sprinkled on top.

My husband just had a colonoscopy and requested this soup be in the fridge for his first post-procedure meal.

Broccoli, Bean, & Cheddar Soup

Makes 4 servings (makes about 6 cups in total)

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Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium brown onion, diced
  • 1 large head of broccoli, florets, and tender part of stems, chopped (about 6 cups)
  • 3 cups chicken broth (I often opt for Better than Bouillion)
  • 1 cup canned, no-salt-added Great Northern or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • ½ cup whole milk or lower fat if that is your milk of choice.
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
  • 1 teaspoon powdered mustard
  • Salt to taste
Instructions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, stir in the onions and cook for about four minutes, until tender but not browned.

Add the broccoli, broth, and beans; increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Let the soup cool for 15 minutes, then puree it right in the soup pot with an immersion blender.  

Put the soup back on medium heat and when it is bubbling at the edges, reduce the heat to low. 

Stir in the milk, ¾ cups of the cheese, the powdered mustard, and ½ teaspoons of salt. Cook until just warmed through.

Taste and add more salt as needed. Divide among individual bowls or deep mugs, and garnish with portions using the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. Serve hot.

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Rhubarb or Plumb Snacking Cake

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Rhubarb Snacking Cake

As I mentioned in my previous post about Rhubarb Galette, I planted two rhubarb plants this spring in my smallish garden, imagining that it might take a couple of years to have them produce a lot of rhubarb.  Lo and behold I got very, very lucky and have been harvesting rhubarb for over a month now. 

Rhubarb – Even Green It’s Delicious!

After the rhubarb galette, I made a lot of rhubarb crisps, rhubarb salad dressing, and stewed rhubarb.  Then about a month ago I happened upon a recipe for a small (9” x 9”) cake.  I initially made it mostly as written, proceeded to make it with lots of changes, and after at least six attempts, I got it like I wanted it. More rhubarb, sparkling sugar on top, and less sugar overall. You know me, you know I like big flavor and don’t like overly sweet stuff. This should all make sense, right?  

Last month, I was about to leave town for a few weeks, and I had half of a cake left over.  At the last moment, I wrapped it in heavy-duty foil and froze it.  When I came back to my house almost three weeks later, I defrosted the cake.  Guess what?  That freezing process made this cake better than ever – almost like a dense pudding cake.  From now on, the freezing and defrosting steps will be my “go-to” method.  

If you have access to rhubarb, this recipe makes a terrific dessert, mid-afternoon nibble, or even a breakfast pastry. Everyone who has tasted it – from neighbors to friends to relatives – has gone bonkers over the flavor and texture. My husband even told me it’s the best cake I make. 

I call it a “snack cake” because it is a simple baked cake without frosting or embellishment.  It is easy to make and a little different from other fruity cakes.  I still have a lot of rhubarb, so I picked it, chopped it finely, flash-froze it, and put it into a ziplock bag.  Each recipe takes about 2 ½ cups of chopped rhubarb, and I have at least five cakes worth of rhubarb in my freezer.  The rhubarb I planted produces mostly green stalks with just a little reddish color. I would have preferred red rhubarb, but the taste is the same! If you are using frozen rhubarb, just measure what you need and go from there.  Do not defrost it ahead of time!  Trust me, this works

Rhubarb Snacking Cake

Makes 12 servings

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Ingredients 
  • 1/2 cup  buttermilk (kefir is good if you have that too)  
  • 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • ½ cup  (equals one stick) salted butter at room temperature
  • 3/4  cup granulated sugar 
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (remove approximately 1 Tbsp to toss with rhubarb or plumbs)
  • 2 tsp double-acting baking powder
  • 2 ½ cups (pack the cups tightly) thinly  sliced rhubarb or diced 1/2 inch plumbs
  • Sparkling coarse sugar for the top (I use about 1 Tbsp, and this gives it a nice crunch)
Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F.  I use my toaster oven.  Line the 9”x9” pan with parchment paper with overhanging ends so I can easily lift out the cooled cake for cutting. Oil or spray the parchement paper along the bottom and sides of the pan.

Stir the egg, and vanilla into the buttermilk and set aside.

Cream the soft butter and sugar with electric beaters, until it is pale yellow. Take 1 Tbsp of the flour to mix with the diced fruit and toss well. This prevents the fruit from clumping

In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining flour and baking powder

Add half of the liquids to the bowl and blend in. Add all of the flour mixture and mix well.  Next, add the rest of the flour mixture and blend just until combined, don’t over-mix. Fold or barely mix in the fruit

Spread the very thick batter into the prepared pan and even it out with a bench scraper or knife.  

Sprinkle the top evenly with sparkling sugar.  Bake for about 40 minutes or until the cake is turning golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for 20 minutes in the pan, remove it to a rack with the parchment, and let it cool completely. Cut and eat it when it is slightly warm or let it totally cool and freeze for up to two months.  When you are ready to eat it, remove it from the freezer, wrap it well, and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.  I prefer this cake when it is kept refrigerated, and it lasts an entire week this way!

Notes

Because I have a very enthusiastic plum tree that produced over 100 pounds of plumbs this summer, I made the cake with plums.  I actually prefer this to rhubarb although both are good and satisfying.

FYI the top of this cake is a little craggy and cracked and sometimes bits of rhubarb or plums poke through.  Once it is cut and presented with either a dollop of whipping cream or berries, it looks appealing.

 

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Rustic Rhubarb Galette

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Rustic Rhubarb Galette

Back in 2015, I published a recipe for mini rhubarb galettes, which are little individual pies.  These are good, but my ginger-averse husband always prefers less (or ideally zero) ginger.

Rhubarb Abounds!

Fast forward to 2024: I planted two rhubarb plants in my garden, and they thrived and produced a lot of wonderful rhubarb.  What to do, what to do?  Cake? Add to a chicken dish?  Scones?  Pie?  Nope, I decided a large, rustic galette was in order.  I had a disc of pie crust I made a while ago that I defrosted, and everything else was in my pantry.  On top of it all, it was my grandson Asher’s 13th birthday, so I killed two birds with one stone and offered to bring the dessert for his birthday dinner celebration.  

Asher & His Birthday Galette!

This turned out to hit the mark on the first try.  It was so easy to make, there was just the right amount of crust, and I didn’t sweat making a pretty fluting or anything like what one does with a pie.  I didn’t have vanilla ice cream or whipping cream on hand, but truly, this tasted great unadorned.  I would highly suggest you try this when rhubarb is available wherever you live.  

Rustic Rhubarb Galette

Serves 8-10

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Ingredients
  • One pie crust rolled out to about 10-12 inches
  • About 3 ½ – 4 cups diced rhubarb, cut about ½ inch thick.  (I cut the thick stalks in half lengthwise first)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • Dash vanilla extract
  • Sparkly sugar for the top right before baking
  • 2 tsp unsalted butter right before baking
Instructions

Place the rhubarb in a medium bowl.  Add everything but the sparkly sugar and butter, and stir well until the sugar liquifies.  I leave this on the counter for a few minutes.

Roll out the pie crust to an 11” circle and place it on a parchment-lined rimmed cookie sheet.  Put the rhubarb mixture in the center, leaving about a 2” edge without fruit on it. Fold the dough over and pinch to enclose the rhubarb, leaving the center part with the rhubarb open. 

Sprinkle crust and top with about 1 teaspoon of sparkly sugar.  Dot the butter over the rhubarb.

Bake for 35 minutes until the crust is browned and juices are bubbling.  (Note, some of my rhubarb juice ran out of the galette while baking and it still was so good, so don’t worry about this.)

Leave the galette on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes then gently lift the parchment onto a rack to cool.

Once cooled completely store covered in the fridge.  Serve cold or reheat gently.  Enjoy!



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Hector’s Salad

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Hector’s Salad (My Version)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: one of my superpowers is being able to order just the right thing at a restaurant – dishes that I simply love and want to re-order over and over again.  Being a little restaurant averse these days (I always think I can make a dish better than the restaurant), I try to analyze whatever I love, jot down notes, go home, and try to replicate said dish.  

Such is the case with “Hector’s Salad.”  Hector’s Bistro is in Antigua, Guatemala, where I stay for a month at a time several times a year.  I always order a massive Hector’s Salad and share it with a friend or my husband. The only salad on the menu, it is particularly notable for the intense basil dressing that contains a LOT of fresh basil.  

It’s interesting that I love this salad. It has cherry tomatoes as well as thin apple slices, and I usually don’t love tomatoes and fruit combined in my salads. However, this salad contains just the right balance of herbs, lettuce, and toasted candied nuts for crunch, so I can overlook the pairing.  

I nailed this “copycat” recipe exactly right on the first try! An added bonus for me is that I am able to use my homegrown mix of lettuce I planted this spring, cherry tomatoes from my garden, fresh basil that I grew for culinary purposes, and even apples from my trees..  For me, there is nothing more wonderful than growing your own food! 

Everything in this salad is what is in the OG Hector’s salad, but I think the ingredients can be switched out very easily: grapes for apples, shaved parmesan, sweet pepper, toasted pumpkin seeds, etc. You catch my drift.

Hector’s Salad – My Version 

Serves 2

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Salad Ingredients
  • About 5 cups of soft mixed leaf lettuces, washed and dried and torn into small pieces
  • ¼ cup English cucumber, sliced 
  • 8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • ¼ apple of your choice, cored and sliced very thinly with the skin left on
  • 2 Tbsp candied nuts, chopped coarsely
  • 3 Tbsp crumbled goat cheese
Dressing Ingredients*
  • 6 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (3 oz)
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 ½ Tbsp minced fresh basil
  • 2-3 tsp of pure maple syrup, or to taste
  • ½  cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 10 grinds of fresh white or black pepper

*For the dressing – this makes enough for about six salads.

Instructions

Put everything into a tall narrow container and use an immersion blender to puree it all together. Or, if you have a Nutribullet, use it to blend everything together.  Cover and store in the refrigerator for a week or longer.

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 Kasha Bowls with Onions, Mushrooms, and Egg

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Kasha Bowl with Onions, Mushrooms, and Egg

I am all about kasha and I’m here to say it is an unsung hero.  Kasha is just another name for buckwheat which is NOT a type of wheat.  It’s a gluten free seed that cooks like rice. Kasha has such a great nutty flavor and it tastes amazing when added to pasta, to vegetables, to almost anything.  Maybe it’s my Eastern European heritage that makes me adore buckwheat. Regardless, I urge you to try it.

I was reading The Washington Post and came across Ellie Kreiger’s recipe. I changed the ingredients a bit but the gist of this is the same as her recipe.  In a bowl, there is a layer of oven-baked kasha.  Next a generous helping of slowly sauteed onion and crimini mushrooms, and finally a fried or poached egg with a runny yoke.  Chopped fresh dill and cherry tomatoes are the final enhancement and they bring a little color to this otherwise brown dish.   

Leftover kasha and the onion-mushroom mixture can be refrigerated, in separate airtight containers, for up to three days. We ate this for dinner and the next day I mixed the kasha, mushroom/egg topping with steamed broccoli and carrots for a hearty lunch.

Kasha Bowls with Onions, Mushrooms, and Egg

Serves 4

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Ingredients
  • 1 cup (6 3/4 ounces) coarse cut kasha
  • 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing the dish
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided, plus more to taste
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 2 tablespoons oil, such as grapeseed or avocado oil
  • 1 large onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced into half moons
  • 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced into ¼ inch pieces
  • ¼  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 1 cup diced tomato (I used cherry tomatoes cut into quarters)
  • Extra good olive oil to drizzle over the kasha
Instructions

Position a baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. I do this in my toaster oven. 

In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the dry buckwheat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and darker brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Lightly grease a 1 ½ quart covered casserole dish with butter. Add the toasted kasha and half a teaspoon of salt and stir to combine. Pour the boiling water over and dot the top with the butter. Cover and place in the oven. Bake until the liquid is absorbed; mine took about 20 minutes in the toaster oven so taste yours to be sure it isn’t too crunchy.  Fluff the buckwheat with a fork, then cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

While the buckwheat is baking, wipe out the skillet and return it to medium heat. Add the oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens and becomes lightly golden, about 10-15 minutes. Add the mushrooms, the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and the pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their water and it has evaporated, and the mushrooms and onions are nicely browned, about 12 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Return the pan to medium heat, add the eggs and cook them sunny-side-up, over-easy or however you like. Next time I will poach my eggs for the appearance and texture.. 

To serve, divide the kasha among four bowls. Top each with a quarter of the mushroom-onion mixture, place an egg on top, and then garnish with dill and cherry tomatoes.  If desired, season to taste with additional salt and pepper, and drizzle with more olive oil.

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Jojos (Baked Potato Wedges)

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Jojos!

Chicken burgers, fish burgers, veggie burgers, lamb burgers, sloppy joes…all these foods taste great with baked potato wedges, or Jojos on the side.  I am a huge potato lover, and Jojos are in my wheelhouse in a big way.

I prepare them without a lot of fanfare but in a specific way. 

Jojos (Baked Potato Wedges)-serves 6

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Ingredients
  • 4 medium or large-sized russet potatoes, skin on
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Scrub potatoes, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut into wedges (around 10-12 wedges per potato).

Soak potato wedges in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and dry very well with a kitchen towel or paper towels.

Toss potatoes with remaining ingredients until well coated.

Coat a rimmed baking sheet with brushed-on oil

Place potatoes, skin side down, on a large baking pan and bake until tender and browned, about 45-50 minutes.  Eat with ketchup if you are like me!

Notes:

Soaking the potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes (or up to a few hours) removes starches.

Once soaked, dry the potatoes well so they don’t steam.

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