Spring had Sprung. Yes?

No matter. We still went hunting for snow, even if it meant driving up to the Summit and a short hike in a forest. We were pretty sure the bears were still hibernating.

Armed with snow gears and a snow saucer,

and a red nosed baby all bundled up,

we found what we were looking for.

It didn't matter that a lot of it had melted and there was no good place to sled.

There was snow.

It was like having truckloads of modeling clay.  They started with the base,

then the paunch.

The feet were next.

Up came the tiny head to hold the

hair,

the eyes,

the nose,

 and more hair. The arms stretched out.

Then there was the smile.

Tortillas of Love

According to Rosalind, our Greek Mythology scholar, bad people go to Tartarus.
People who are just okay go to the Asphodel Meadows.
Only good people go to the Elysian Fields, where everybody gets to eat handmade tortillas, everyday.

Flour Tortillas aka Tortillas de Amor

This is based on a recipe from lookimadethat. 

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

6 Tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening

3/4 cup warm milk

Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Using your hands, cut in the shortening until the flour mixture resembles cornmeal. Stir in the warm milk with a spoon.    

The mixture should eventually ball up and clean the sides of the bowl.

Knead the dough (for about a minute) until smooth and somewhat elastic.

Shape into a ball.

Cover with plastic and let rest for about 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 12 pieces for a soft taco size. Shape each pieces into balls then flatten into circles. Cover with plastic. Let rest for at least 10 minutes.

Using a rolling pin, roll a piece of dough into a circle around 6 inches in diameter.

Cook the tortilla on a hot skillet, about 30 seconds on each sides.

Yeast Pancakes

Also known as: overnight pancakes. The batter is mixed and then refrigerated overnight for the yeast to slowly work its magic. Nothing can be more convenient because all you have to do in the morning is plop globs of goo on a hot skillet. But here's the rub: to have these fluffy goodness for breakfast, you need to be a person who plans ahead.

This might be problematic if, like me, you mostly cook on a whim. But do not despair. The situation is not completely hopeless if the night has come and gone and the batter is still waiting to be mixed. We can bully the yeast into working harder and faster by not refrigerating the batter. We just have to wait an hour or so for breakfast. Or if there's an immediate need to break the fast because grumpiness is setting in, we might just decide to have the pancakes for dinner.

This recipe (which is very similar to the one at Allrecipes) is adapted from sweetfineday. Since I didn't have overnight to let the batter rise, I just kept the batter at room temperature and it was ready to cook in about an hour.


Yeast Pancakes

1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg

2 1/4 cups flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons salt

Measure out the milk in a glass measuring cup and warm up in the microwave (just slightly hot to the touch, about 110F). Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and let sit for 10 minutes. Add oil and egg.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry.

Whisk together just until incorporated.

Cover with plastic and let rise for about an hour.

The batter will almost triple in volume.

Heat a pan/griddle/skillet over medium heat. Lightly oil the pan and scoop the batter onto the pan to whatever size or shape you want. Cook until golden brown then flip over and cook the other side. It will take each side about a minute or two to cook.

A Bread Pudding By Any Other Name

What had been missing in our lives these past nine years was a nice hearty casserole. Besides the rare appearance of a pan of enchiladas on our dining table, I can't remember ever having a casserole since Rosalind was born.

Consequently, a feeling of inadequacy overcame me when Steve came home from school and Rosalind screamed: "Daddy, we're having a casserole!" She was jumping-up-and-down excited about it. All I could think of was that I had deprived this kid of her Midwestern roots and I sincerely hoped that the breakfast casserole I had thrown in the oven would not disappoint.

Maybe it was the exotic nature of a one-dish-meal (carbs, protein and veggies all in one pan?) that created such a stir. In any case, Rosalind devoured her first serving and then asked for a second and then a third helping. She ate everything, even the usual suspects that all too often got shoved in a corner of her plate: spinach and bell peppers. So of course I have made the "casserole" a few more times since then. Now when she talks about "casserole," she means a breakfast casserole.

My old chef would call it savory bread pudding. Similar to Rosalind's casserole, dear old Chef's savory bread pudding consisted of day old bread and a custard base to tie the whole thing together.  But I must say that Chef's version always involved sauteed red onions with white wine, fresh thyme and Gorgonzola. Rosalind's casserole has never been the same dish twice because I just use whatever type of cheese, veggies, and/or meat I scrounge up from the fridge.


Breakfast Casserole

6 cups bread (cut up into small pieces, about 1 inch cube)
5 eggs
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups grated cheese or thereabouts

Suggested ingredients to mix and match:
chopped spinach
chopped bell peppers
chopped cooked sausage, ham or bacon
artichoke hearts
broccoli
sauteed onions and garlic
olives
pepperoncini
chopped tomatoes
chopped basil
feta cheese
sauteed mushrooms
green onions
Or whatever you fancy in your omelet (probably not avocado)

Whisk together  milk, eggs, nutmeg and salt and pepper. In another bowl, mix together cheese and bread. Pour the milk mixture over the bread. If time permits, refrigerate mixture for an hour or more to allow the bread to soak in the custard.

Mix in additional ingredients. Dump everything in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or greased casserole pan. Bake at 375F for about 40 minutes or until the center is set.

Let sit for about 10 minutes.

Just in case there's not enough carbs in the casserole, we serve ours with roasted potatoes.

Meatless Most Days

  

I like to do what everybody else is doing. These days, vegetables are all the rage. Veganism is the new Atkins. Since I don't usually reach for the skies, vegetarianism will do for me, part-time, that is.

Much to Rosalind's chagrin, we have jumped on the bandwagon of Meatless Mondays. Actually, Meatless Most Days is more like it. This is not because of some virtuous concern for the environment or the animals involved. I'm not going to take credit where credit is not due. It hasn't even been a conscious decision. All of a sudden, we just find ourselves consuming less and less meat.

The bottom line is that I don't like to touch raw meat; I abhor it actually. In this household, I cook most of the meals, so somehow or other, I need to be in contact with the animal flesh if I want to have it for dinner. So there I said it. I'm a meat-eating hypocrite. I don't mind eating meat as long as somebody else prepares it. That is a very depressing thought so let's not talk about that anymore. Instead, let's focus on the wonderful world of vegetables.

Vegetables are so much fun! And beans! And legumes! You can cook them in myriad of ways. With mixing and matching, the possibilities are endless. Vegetables brighten up a plate like no other so wouldn't you say that they deserve to be the main attraction instead of being pigeonholed in their usual supporting role? Vitamins and fiber are good too, if you're into that kind of thing.

What has brought this renewed interest in plant life, you ask.  Two compound words: Moosewood Cookbooks. Last summer, my sister Rachel has been so good as to reintroduce me to Molly Katzen and the world of Moosewood and boy, am I a changed cook. It has been more than a decade ago but I still remember watching Molly Katzen's cooking shows on PBS and admiring how much she gets a kick out of her fruits and vegetables. It has almost made me a herbivore. "Almost" is the operative word because at that time, I have been very foolish and thought meself invincible. So much so that brownie for breakfast, Snickers bar for lunch, and nachos for dinner have been the norm. I'm not foolish anymore, being no longer a spring chicken and all that. Nowadays, I turn to Molly Katzen and the Moosewood Collective as my guides in giving my leafy greens the attention they deserve.

So without much ado, I present the first installment of our Meatless Days series: Tamale Pie.  This recipe is adapted from none other than Moosewood Restaurant New Classics. Being my first tamale pie ever, I have no point of comparison. But I must say, this is a pretty darn good casserole.



Tamale Pie

1 cup polenta
4 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt

15 oz can pinto beans with the liquid
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup tomato salsa
1 tsp dried cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese, or Jack or Colby Jack



Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add salt. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in the cornmeal a little at a time. Turn the heat to low. Whisk continuously for the first few minutes to avoid any lumps. Cook for about 10 more minutes, whisking often, until all the water is absorbed and the mixture has thickened.

Pour the soft polenta on an oiled 9" by 13" baking dish. Let cool while you mix the toppings.

Pour all the beans along with the liquid in the now empty saucepan. Put back on the stove (medium heat) and mash with a potato masher or a whisk while heating. Bring just to a boil then add the corn, tomato salsa, herbs, salt and pepper. Mix and spoon over the somewhat cooled polenta.

Top with cheese.  Bake for about half an hour, until bubbly.

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.