Cucumber, Melon, and Watermelon Salad

This sweet and tangy salad was a recent kitchen synchronicity: I happily realized I had all the necessary ingredients already on site. While it's very good exactly as written, this recipe can also serve as a general flavor guide, with room for negotiation on amounts and ingredients. 

My maternal grandfather used to salt cantaloupe and watermelon, so generously that it seemed gross to me as a child. But I suppose I understand now. The salt and feta here blend so well with the sweet melons. 

print

 Cucumber, Melon, and Watermelon Salad

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015022-cucumber-melon-and-watermelon-salad
Serves 4

4 c mixed diced watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe (or use just one type)
2 c diced cucumber, seeds removed (not necessary on English cucumbers)
salt to taste
1 teas lemon or lime zest
2 T freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
1-2 teas chopped fresh mint
1 oz feta cheese, crumbled
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/4-1/2 teas Aleppo or Turkish red pepper, or chili powder (to taste) or 1 serrano chile, minced (optional, and those of you who know me will not be surprised to know that I've never added the heat)

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix gently together just before serving.

This is best just after mixing but leftovers can sit for a day in the fridge.

Overnight Blueberry Almond Oatmeal

It's not really oatmeal season anymore, but a slight drop in temperatures for a few days recently, down into the 60s, was enough of an excuse for me to make this oatmeal again. Plus the aforementioned huge bag of frozen blueberries is still taking up space in my freezer. 

This recipe came from a cookbook that belongs to my 12 year old. Yes, it's for young chefs, but it also has some excellent recipes that are simpler than many that come from the Cook's Illustrated franchise. Not everything is a slam dunk, for me or the kids (I don't like the chocolate chip cookie recipe, they don't like the sesame noodles with snow peas and carrots), but the simplicity is certainly appealing to this adult. 

print

Overnight Blueberry Almond Oatmeal

Source: The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs from America's Test Kitchen
Serves 4 

3 c plus 1 c water, separated
1 c steel-cut oats
1/4 teas salt
2-3 T packed brown sugar, depending on your sweetness preferences
2 T almond butter
1/2 c blueberries
1/2 c sliced almonds

In the evening, boil 3 c water in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in oats and salt. Cover saucepan and let sit overnight. 

In the morning, stir 1 c water into the saucepan with the oats and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the oats are tender but chewy and the mixture is creamy.  (Original recipe says 4-6 minutes, but at my elevation I went several minutes longer.) 

Remove from heat. Stir in the brown sugar, almond butter, blueberries, and almonds, and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

Slow-cooker Roasted Mississippi Roast

I cooked this several weeks ago and became an instant fan; the pepperoncini make it especially tasty but not particularly hot.

print

Slow-cooker Roasted Mississippi Roast

Adapted from: NY Times Cooking
Serves: 8-10

1 boneless beef chuck roast or top or bottom round roast, 3-4 pds (if you choose to use a bone-in roast add an extra 1 to1 1/2 pds to compensate for the bone)
1-2 teas kosher salt
1 1/2 teas freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c AP flour
2-3 T neutral oil
4 T unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, (if you have a fat cap on your roast, you can cut this butter down, or remove the fat cap)
8-12 pepperoncini (I like even more since they didn't seem to retain heat in slow cooker)
2 T mayonnaise
2 teas apple cider vinegar
1/2 teas dried dill
1/4 teas sweet paprika
1 teas buttermilk, optional
chopped parsley, for garnish

Rub the roast with the salt and pepper all over. Then sprinkle the flour over all and rub it into the flesh with your fingers.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high to high, heat the oil until it shimmers and threatens to smoke. Set the roast into the pan and cook on all four sides until you have a well-browned crust. Remove from the pan and put the roast into the slow cooker. Drop in the butter and the pepperoncini peppers and turn on the cooker to low.

Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, dill, and paprika in a small bowl. Stir in the buttermilk and pour all into the cooker spreading over the roast. Replace the lid and continue cooking for 6-8 hours without disturbing it. I found 6 hours was sufficient. At any rate, after 6 hours take the lid off to see if the roast is easily shredded by pulling it apart with 2 forks. If it isn't tender, replace the lid and continue cooking for another 1-2 hours.

When tender continue shredding and mix with the gravy in the cooker. Top with parsley to garnish and serve with buttered noodles, rice, or potatoes (my preference). I used some of my leftovers for pulled beef sandwiches.

Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake

One of my pandemic activities was to sort through my old recipe card file boxes as well as those I inherited from my mom. I hadn't baked this since returning to the Mountain West and higher altitudes. It's not terribly fancy but quite homey and comforting with it's oatmeal and chocolate flavors. Pouring the custard sauce over the top makes this cake reminiscent of oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies with milk, but better. 

print

Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake

Source:  A church women's luncheon years ago

Makes a 9X13 pan

Adjustments for altitudes of 4000-5500 feet:

Reduce each sugar by 1 tablespoon

Increase the flour by 1 1/2 tablespoons

Reduce baking soda to 3/4 teaspoon

Increase vanilla to 2 teaspoons

Use room temperature eggs

1 1/4 c boiling water

1 c oats

1/2 c butter, at room temperature

1 c granulated sugar

1 c light brown sugar

1 teas vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 c flour

1 teas baking soda

1/2 teas salt

3/4 teas cinnamon

1 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet or bittersweet

Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a 9X13 pan by greasing and flouring bottom and sides.  

Heat water, pour over the oats and cover; let stand 10 minutes. Beat the butter until creamy and add both sugars gradually; continue beating until somewhat light. There is so a high proportion of sugar it won't be as creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla.  Beat well. Stir in the oatmeal and blend well. Add sifted dry ingredients and stir until incorporated. The batter will be thick. Use a spatula to move it to prepared pan. Smooth the top and sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips. 

Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven when a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool a bit. 

Custard sauce:

1 c evaporated milk

1 c sugar

2 egg yolks

1 cube butter

1 teas vanilla

Combine the ingredients in a saucepan and cook slowly until thickened. Allow to cool 10 minutes. Pour pieces of cake and serve. 

This cake can be served warm or cool with the sauce poured over, although I like it best with the sauce warmed up.

The cake can sit at room temperature for a couple of days but leftover sauce must be refrigerated. Use it within 4-5 days.

Sesame Blossoms

 These taste even better than peanut butter blossoms, and are, I think, prettier.

print

Sesame Blossoms

Source: Washington Post

Yields about 30

Altitude adjustments for elevations from about 4000-5000 feet:

Add 2 T flour

Subtract 1 T sugar

Scantly measure the baking soda 

Generous 1 3/4 c AP flour

1 teas baking soda

7 T unsalted butter, at room temp

2/3 c packed light brown sugar

1/4  granulated sugar

1/2 teas salt

1 large egg, at room temp

2/3 c well-stirred tahini

1 teas vanilla extract

1/2 c untoasted sesame seeds, for coating

approximately 30 chocolate kisses (I highly recommend dark chocolate, if you can find them)

Stir the flour and baking soda together in a small bowl. Beat the butter, sugars and salt together on low speed in either a stand mixer or using a hand mixer and a bowl. After a few seconds raise the speed and beat at medium for about a minute, just until completely combined. However, the mixture shouldn't be fluffy.

Add the egg, tahini and vanilla, and mix at medium just until smooth. Scrape down after 15 seconds and then beat for another 15 seconds or so until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. 

Stir in the flour mixture and mix at low until the dough just comes together. Try not to overmix and stop when there are no dry patches. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula and using a folding motion, mix by hand to ensure there are no unmixed portions. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for between 1 and 24 hours. 

After chilling, place the oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 375F. Prepare 2 rimmed baking sheets by covering with parchment paper.

Measure the dough into portions using a heaping tablespoon full or a number 50 ice cream or cookie scoop. If you have a scale, the cookies should weigh about 20 grams. Roll each ball generously in the sesame seeds and roll once more to make sure the seeds adhere. Place them on the parchment paper about 2inches apart. You can place 12 on each sheet.

Cook one sheet at a time for approximately 10 minutes, just until the cookies puff up somewhat and are light brown and a little crackly. Pull the pan from the oven and set a chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie, pushing gently to embed it slightly. Return the sheet to the oven and cook for an additional 2 minutes until cookies are golden brown and somewhat flatter. The chocolate kisses will have softened but will hold their shape. 

Slide the parchment off the pan carefully and let the cookies cool on top of the counter. After a couple of hours the chocolate should have firmed up somewhat but they shouldn't be hard. 

Napa Cabbage Salad

print

Napa Cabbage Salad

Source: Cook's Country Magazine Feb/Mar 2020

Serves 6-8

4 slices bacon, sliced in half-inch strips

3 oz blue cheese

1/4 c olive oil

2 1/2 T lemon juice

1 teas pepper

3/4 teas table salt

1 small head napa cabbage (1 1/2 pds) cut into 1 1/2-in pieces

8  oz grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 English cucumber, halved or quartered lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise

1/2 c thinly sliced red onion or shallot, rinsed. or to taste

1/4 c chopped fresh basil, optional

Cook bacon and allow to rest on a paper-towel lined plate or baking sheet.

Place the cheese, oil, lemon juice pepper, and salt in a large bowl and whisk for about 10 seconds until slightly creamy with chunks of blue cheese. To the bowl add the cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, 

onion, basil, and bacon. Toss and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed and serve.

Notes:

Crumbling the blue cheese yourself, instead of buying pre-crumbled cheese, will result in a creamier dressing,

Other vegetables can be substituted for the cucumber if you don't have one. I used celery but I'm sure you could use raw zucchini, carrot, tiny florets of cauliflower--whatever you have.

I have used some fresh oregano leaves instead of basil and that works, too.

Buttermilk Brown Sugar Waffles

You wouldn't think we need another waffle recipe (see zucchini, cornmeal, Mr. Spackman's, and chocolate). But we do! I accidentally quadrupled this new recipe the first time I made it, so I was glad that they were tasty. This waffle combines a pleasing nutty flavor with the lovely crunch of cornmeal waffles and the ease of preparation of Mr. Spackman's. 

print

Buttermilk Brown Sugar Waffles

Adapted slightly from https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9062-buttermilk-brown-sugar-waffles
Yields about 8 waffles

2 eggs
1 3/4 c buttermilk
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3/4 c all -purpose flour
3/4 c white whole wheat flour
1/4 c wheat germ
2 T light brown sugar
2 teas baking powder
1 teas baking soda
1 teas salt
butter, for greasing the waffle iron

Whisk eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients together, then add to egg mixture and whisk until just combined. Let the batter rest while you heat the waffle iron. Butter the waffle iron and cook, then enjoy! 

print

Buttermilk Brown Sugar Waffles (Quadrupled)

Adapted slightly from https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9062-buttermilk-brown-sugar-waffles
Feeds my family of 6 for several days

8 eggs
7 c buttermilk
4 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 c all purpose flour 
3 c white whole wheat flour
1 c wheat germ
1/2 c light brown sugar
8 teas baking powder
4 teas baking soda
4 teas salt
butter, for greasing the waffle iron

Whisk eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients together, then add to egg mixture and whisk until just combined. Let the batter rest while you heat the waffle iron. Butter the waffle iron and cook, then enjoy!