Cosmic Rhino

I’ve been meaning to put this one up for a while. My sisters and I made a double batch of this a couple months ago and enjoyed the leftovers all week.

Ingredients

• 3 small dried chipotle peppers
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 lbs extra lean ground turkey breast (this is a lot of meat; can use less)
• 1 cup sweet onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 lb fresh tomatillos, husk discarded and skin rinsed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

This is a delicious alternative to regular milk and pretty easy to make.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup raw almonds
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup raw oats
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla
• 2 tbsp raw agave nectar (optional)

Instructions

1. Blend almonds, sea salt, coconut and oats to powder.
2. Add vanilla and agave nectar
3. Add a little water to blend.
4. Add more water to make 1/2 gallon of milk (8 cups).
5. Strain through cheese cloth.
6. Lasts about 1 week in the refrigerator.

Seriously, everyone needs to try this today. It may be my favorite new recipe of the year. My friend Jeff made it for us last month. He took leftover grassfed steak and did a quick pan fry–like fajitas. He served the steak with the pickled peppers below with corn tortillas. Fantastic.

Ingredients

• 3 red and 3 yellow peppers
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 1 cup apple vinegar
• 2 garlic
• 4 T sugar
• 1 T salt
• oregano

Instructions

• Pan roast peppers but keep firm. To pan roast, heat a skillet to medium-high heat, lightly brown each side and remove from pan.

My sisters and I made this for breakfast this morning and honestly, I can’t think of a better way to get anyone to eat a boatload of spinach. It’s like a quiche except that it has no crust and has more spinach than a typical quiche.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for dish
• 6 shallots, thinly sliced
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup half and half
• 4 10 oz packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 cups (8 oz) grated gruyere (or jarlsberg)

It always seems like such a challenge to find dinners that are fast, healthy and delicious. It seems like you can always get two of the three (simple and quick but not healthy or healthy and quick but not tasty, et). But here’s one we stumbled on. My sweet husband came up with this recipe one night when I was away.  When he went to make it for me last week, I was dubious but now I love it.

Ingredients:

• 3 fresh or frozen chicken breasts
• 1 cup broth (water ok too but add a little salt)

The past two week’s I’ve received celery root in my Beachgreen’s produce delivery and I must admit, it didn’t make me excited. But my lack of enthusiasm is due to my lack of experience with this tasty little vegetable.  What made me change my mind? This recipe which came from Aliye, owner and chef extraordinaire, at Beachgreens. I tried it yesterday and it is so darn good (Warning: if you are a celery-hater, this isn’t one for you). It’s fast and easy and perfect for a rainy day like today.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 stick butter (I used 2 TB plus 1 TB olive oil)

My friend Jeff, who knows volumes about wine, asked me a very good question - he asked me why I was picky about quality fruits, vegetables, oils, meats, etc., but just drank the wine that was on the shelves at Trader Joes. My excuse was my complete lack of knowledge. His recommendation?  Just go to the stores that carry the quality wine and ask them for help. That’s why they’re there.

I am very excited to have yet another entry from the legendary Ma Homan - Rhubarb Strawberry Crunch. I am particularly excited about this because I love rhubarb and just don’t see it used much anymore. So support the local rhubarb farmers and make yourself some homemade happiness.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 cups sliced fresh rhubarb  (you can use frozen, too)
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, halved
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

For a long time now, I’ve been meaning to experiment with making granola. I used this recipe from Martha Stewart’s website, but slightly modified it based on ingredients I had in the kitchen. Voila! It was that easy and beats any store-bought version I’ve tried. Here’s the recipe for about 6 cups:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup honey

This recipe is from the kitchen of Mrs. Homan who is a legend in my family (her cherry cake is to die for!). It’s a real treat when we get an actual recipe from her because most things she just whips up without a recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium cucumber, sliced thin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek-style yogurt)
• 1 tbsp vinegar (omit if using yogurt - see note below)
• 1 to 2 drops Tobasco sauce
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 1 tsp dill seed
• dash of pepper