Will's Thoughtstream

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts
  
• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• salt
  
• pepper  

1. Remove loose outer leaves of brussel sprouts, then cut the brussel sprouts in half.
   
2. In saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
   
3. Add the brussel sprouts and fry, stirring occasionally, until very dark brown, almost charred, but NOT burnt.
   
4. In the last couple of minutes of cooking, add the garlic and stir in to combine. Turn down the heat to avoid burning the garlic.
   
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Posted by will hertling at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

1 green pepper (w/o seeds)
3 small sweet peppers (w/o seeds)
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
3 cilantro leaves
1/2 tsp oregano

1. Heat olive oil on medium and add bacon and ham. Discard bacon and add chopped ingredients, cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add capers, tomato, olives, chorizo, tomato sauce, pimentos, and mix.
3. Add chicken and salt and when it boils reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Add hot water and mix, change to high until it boils.
5. Add rice and mix, cook on medium for 10 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to low and cook until it is soupy 20 minutes, add more water to taste.
7. Add petis pois and cook 5 minutes.
8. Serve with asparagus tips on top.
   

Posted by will hertling at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

1. two eggs (or egg replacer if vegan pie is desired)
2. 2 tbsp molasses
3. 1/2 cup maple syrup
4. 2 tbsp Jack Daniels boubon (optional, but desirable)
5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
6. 1/8 tsp salt
7. 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
8. 1 cup chocolate chips
9. 4 whole pecans
10. 1 frozen pie crust

Posted by will hertling at 6:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is a favorite recipe we acquired from Dianne on one of our trips to Cortes Island in Canada.

Nutritional Yeast Dressing by Dianne West

Ingredients: 

Instructions:

1. Place first 4 ingredients in blender and blend.
2. Add nutritional yeast flakes.
3. Add oil to mixture in blender.  There is enough oil when funnel closes in blender.

Our notes: 

This recipe makes 1 gallon but it is easy to quarter the recipe.  This dressing tastes great on salad, rice and veggies and just about anything else you can think of.  The dressing lasts for several months in the refrigerator.

Posted by will hertling at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Shepherd's Pie

From back of Original Mashed Potatoes box 
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 lb. ground beef
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 can (14.4 ounces) Italian stewed diced tomatoes, drained
• 2.5 cups fresh green beans, cooked
• 8 servings prepared Idahoan Original Mashed Potatoes
• 1 egg, beaten

 Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large frying pan, brown onion, garlic and beef.  Add salt and pepper.
3. Drain meat and place in ½ quart casserole dish.  Pour tomatoes over meat, top with green beans.  Mound potatoes on top and brush with egg. 
4. Bake for 30 minutes.  Broil for 1 minute to brown top.

Our Notes:

1. You can substitute fresh green beans for one 15-ounce can green beans drained.
2. We used frozen green beans which we cooked first and then put into the recipe.
3. I took the garlic cloves out at the end.  I think I will just chop the garlic next time and leave it in.
4. This is super yummy comfort food.

Posted by will hertling at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This delicious recipe is from the January 2006 Gourmet magazine. It is originally a 1992 recipe. The sirloin is a wonderful texture-rich alternative to traditional chili meat.

Black-Bean and Sirloin Chili

Adapted from Fog City Diner, San Francisco

Serves 8

Active time: 30 Min

Start to Finish: 2 HR

2 lb boneless sirloin steak, cut into 1/2 -inch cubes

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 medium)

1 TBSP finely chopped garlic

5 fresh jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped (1/2 cup)

3 TBSP chili powder (not pure chile)

½ tsp cayenne

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ cup masa harina (tortilla flour)

3 ½ cups beef broth (28 fl oz)

½ cup water

2 cups cooked black beans (drained and rinsed if canned)

ACCOMPANIMENTS: grated mild Cheddar; finely chopped red onion

v     Pat beef dry and season with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper

v     Heat oil over moderately high heat in a wide 4-quart heavy pot until hot but not smoking, then brown beef in 3 batches, transferring as browned with a slotted spoon to a bowl, and about 3 minutes per batch.

v     Add onions, garlic, and fresh chiles to fat remaining in pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add remaining spices and ¼ tsp pepper, then cook mixture, stirring, 3 minutes. Add masa harina and cook, stirring, 2 minutes (mixture will be dry).

v     Add broth, water, and beef to masa harina mixture and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and scraping with a wooden spoon or spatula (more frequently toward end to prevent scorching), until meat is tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in beans and simmer 10 to 15 minutes to meld flavors.

Chili can be made 3 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled in an airtight container. Reheat chili slowly (to avoid scorching bottom), thinning with water if necessary.

Our notes: As specified, this recipe is incredibly hot. The jalepeno chilis can be left out entirely, or only one or two used, and the heat will still be ample. If you can't locate masa harina tortilla flour, then regular white flour can be used with success.

Posted by will hertling at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

• 1 cup black rice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk, stirred well
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Posted by will hertling at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I love chocolate. I love buying organic. Buying organic chocolate is expensive. But in my local supermarket, organic chocolate chips are the least expensive way to get delicious organic chocolate. So I've invented a few ways to eat them.

1. Add chocolate chips to your favorite ice cream: Every ice cream can use a few more chocolate chips!
2. Make instant hot fudge: Pour a handful of chocolate chips into a microwave safe cup. Add milk or soy milk until the milk is just visible in the chocolate chips - not covering the chocolate chips. About halfway as high as the chocolate chips is right. Microwave for about 30-40 seconds, keeping an eye on the cup; as soon as the milk starts to bubble and froth, shut the microwave off. Stir the chocolate milk mixture until it is very even and smooth, about 20 seconds. Pour over ice cream (regular or non-dairy). The result is very chocolatey, rich, smooth, and works great with non-dairy milk.
3. Urban S'Mores: Put graham cracker on plate. Put chocolate chips on top. Put marshmallows on top. Put another graham on top of that. Microwave for about 20 seconds until the marshmallows begin to inflate, and then shut off the microwave. Delicious (and very, very hot.)
4. Urban S'Moreos: Open up chocolate sandwich cookie(s). Set aside cookie with icing on it. Put plain cookie(s) on plate, and cover with 4-8 chocolate chips per cookie. Microwave cookie with chocolate chips until chocolate melts, about 20 seconds. Place cookie(s) with icing on top of cookie with chocolate, and let cool several minutes.
5. Chocolate chip cookies: The very best chocolate chip cookie is from How It All Vegan. I've made this recipe probably a hundred times. For our annual ice cream sandwich cookie party, I've made as many as 200 of these cookies at a time. I consistently get raves and requests for the recipe. Here it is:
   ¾ cup sweetener
   ½ cup margarine (I normally use butter)
   ½ cup oil (I normally use olive oil)
   3 tbsp water
   2 tsp vanilla extract
   2 ¼ cups flour
   1 tsp baking soda
   ½ tsp salt
   1 ½ cups chocolate chips
   
   Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the sweetener, margarine (or butter), oil, water, and vanilla extract. It can help to microwave the margarine or butter first to make it easier to mix in. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the contents of the wet bowl into the dry bowl, and stir. As the mixtures begin to combine, add the chocolate chips and optional walnuts. Stir until just mixed.
   
   Using your hand or spoon, drop cookie sized amounts onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in oven for approximately 11 to 14 minutes. Makes about 24 cookies.
6. Mint chocolate chip cookies: At this year's ice cream sandwich party, mint was the big hit. Every year mint is popular, but this year even more so. Every last mint chocolate chip cookie and every bit of last mint chocolate chip ice cream was eaten before the party was over. To the above recipe, simply add one teaspoon of mint extract to the wet ingredients. Or, you can use two teaspoons for "surprisingly strong chocolate chip cookies".

Posted by will hertling at 8:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is one of my favorite recipes - it's simple, inexpensive, very tasty, and involves rice and beans. I'm a big fan of rice and beans. The only thing Indian style about this is the choice of primary seasonings; cumin and tumeric. It just makes for a good name. This makes enough for about eight large servings:

• 1.5 cups of brown lentils
• 5 cups of water
• 1 bullion cube
• generous sprinkling of cumin
• very generous sprinkling of tumeric
• 1 to 3 Country Natural Beef hot dogs, 1/4" rounds
• 1/2 to 1 onion, diced (optional)
• assorted vegetables or greens, such as carrots, spinach, swiss chard, etc. (optional)

Country Natural Beef hot dogs are a particular brand of all natural beef hot dogs available in natural food stores on the West Coast. They have a wonderful smoky flavor that adds substantially to the this dish. I've tried substitutes, but the result was never as good. The franks are important for the flavor of the dish, but the quantity can be adjusted to suit your budget and desire.

Wash the lentils, add water, bullion cube, spices, and optional onion, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 35-45 minutes. Add hot dogs at the 15 minute mark. Add other vegetables and greens after a suitable amount of time: carrots should cook for about 10-15 minutes, greens for only a minute or two, etc.

Serve over white or brown rice. If you like a mild spicy flavor, I highly recommend The Wizard's Organic Hot Stuff Piquante Sauce, which seems to complement the other flavors in this dish very well. Or a sprinkling of cayenne powder after cooking is good if you're looking for straight up spiciness.

Posted by will hertling at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

• Peel yams*, and warm in microwave
• 1/2 - 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• sprinkle nutmeg
• 1 stick butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• sprinkle of salt
• 1 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir ingredients together. Place in baking dish. Cook for 30 minutes in oven, then add marshmallows and cook for 15 minutes until marshmallows are nicely browned.

Delicious! Good for dinner or dessert.

*Yams are the ones that are orange, and sweet potatoes are the ones that are like regular potatoes but bigger. Most supermarkets sell yams, but mislabel them as sweet potatoes.

Posted by will hertling at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion or 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery
• 8 slices toasted bread, torn into pieces
• 1 egg (not beaten)
• thyme
• fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth or water.
• dash of salt IF using water instead of broth

1. If baking seperately from bird, cook covered until last 15 minutes, then remove cover. This keeps the stuffing moist, while still letting the top of the stuffing dry out a little. I'm not sure about cooking times, since I've done this only when I had extra stuffing, and then I adjust the time depending on how much extra stuffing there is.

Posted by will hertling at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound turkey or chicken, cooked,  in bite sized pieces
• 1 1/2 cups gravy, leftover or improvised (see below)
• 3 carrots, cooked
• 2-3 potatoes, cooked
• other vegetables as desired (adjust quantities of potatoes and carrots as needed)
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 pie crusts (store bought frozen crusts)

1. Cook the carrots and potatoes in the microwave for ease. Carrots can be diced and microwaved on the potato setting (use "1" potato).
2. To use store bought frozen pie crusts, remove the pie crusts from freezer about 10 minutes before use. One pie crust will be used as the bottom crust. The other crust will be used as the top crust. Take a knife and slide it around the rim of the top pie crust. Carefully work the pie tin away from the pie. Slide the crust partially out of the tin. After filling the bottom crust, invert the top crust over the bottom crust. By then, the crusts will soften, and you can crimp the edges of the two crusts together.
3. If you are looking to double the recipe for an easy second meal, instead of baking and freezing the entire pot pie, consider doubling the filling and freezing only the second portion of filling. Then when you're ready for the second meal, just reheat the filling instead of making the filling from scratch.

• 2 tablespoons minced shallots or onion
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup red wine (dry Marsala)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• Leftover drippings or additional tablespoon butter
• Salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Posted by will hertling at 7:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)