french breakfast puffs

muffin/doughnuts sounds great. smells good so far, too.

1/3 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 oz butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F

With a paddle attachment in a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy (about a minute) and add the egg, mixing together. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and a 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix flour blend into sugar and egg mixture alternately with milk, on low speed. Add the vanilla last, mixing to blend together. Fill greased muffin tins two-thirds full. Bake until barely golden brown, 25 minutes. Immediately loosen the puffs from the tins (use a butter knife around the edges first).

Now, working very quickly, dip top and sides into melted butter; then roll in mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Serve hot, at once, but honestly these are still delicious the next day!

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vintage recipe discovered and posted by the kitchy kitchen

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whoops. didn’t read the recipe very closely. tried to make sixteen. they didn’t come out “puffy,” so make sure to fill the tins 2/3 full. they were like a lighter version of banana bread – not gooey or sticky in the middle, not as dense as pound cake, but denser than birthday cake. i think i’d just as soon have banana bread. not my favorite, but would be good to bring to a party if you want to make sure to bring something unique.

louisiana red beans and rice (+ vegan version)

scroll down for a vegan version!

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meaty cajun red beans and rice

1 pound dry kidney beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 stalks celery, chopped
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced, or 1 smoked ham hock
4 cups water
2 cups long grain white rice

Rinse beans, and then soak in a large pot of water overnight.
In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes.
Rinse beans, and transfer to a large pot with 6 cups water. Stir cooked vegetables into beans. Season with bay leaves, cayenne pepper, thyme, sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Add hamhock, if using. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
Stir sausage into beans, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the rice. In a saucepan, bring water and rice to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve beans over steamed white rice.

modified from here

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vegan louisiana red beans and rice

1 medium onion
1/2 green pepper
2 ribs celery
3 cloves garlic
3 15-ounce cans light red beans (no sugar added), drained and well-rinsed
1 15-ounce can can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt (optional or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 – 1 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper (to taste)
2 teaspoons hot sauce, plus more to serve
Smoked salt or Liquid Smoke seasoning (optional)
cooked brown rice, to serve

Begin heating a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat.
Cut the onion into quarters and pulse it in the food processor to mince; add it to the heated pan. Cut the pepper into quarters and chop it finely in the processor; add it to the pan. Cut the celery into 2-inch long pieces and chop it and the garlic in the processor; add it to the pan.
Stir the vegetables well and add 2 tablespoons of water. Cook until soft, about 6-10 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, rinse the beans well. Put half of them (1 1/2 cans) into the food processor with half of the can of tomatoes. Process until all the beans are coarsely chopped, just short of pureed.
When the vegetables are soft, stir in the blended beans, remaining whole beans, remaining tomatoes, and all seasonings except smoked salt. Cover tightly, reduce heat to very low, and cook for at least 30 minutes. Stir every 5 or 10 minutes and add water as needed to keep beans moist but not soupy. Like regular red beans, these taste better the longer they cook, so consider 30 minutes the bare minimum and cook them longer if you can, adding water as necessary.
Just before serving, sprinkle with smoked salt or a little Liquid Smoke. Stir well, and serve atop rice with more hot sauce on the table.

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from the fat-free vegan kitchen

sick broth

boil water or homemade stock
add roasted or minced raw garlic, minced ginger, bouillon, oregano, a small drop of schmaltz, and cayenne or chili-garlic sauce
remove from heat
pour into a mug
add lemon juice and a little miso

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if it tastes like the best thing in the world, chances are i’m coming down with a cold.

medicinal in a number of ways:
– cayenne has more vitamin c than lemon, and the two of them build the immune system!
– garlic, ginger, and oregano are anti-microbial, and beat out the invading microbes before they have a chance to turn you into their playground!
– miso is probiotic, which means that it is living food (the opposite of antibiotic!) and the microbes in it help strengthen your microbial defense against the invading cold or flu!

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this is a hearty and tough winter version of sick-tea.

candied fruit peel (fruites in sirrop, 1597)

“A goodlye secret for to condite or confite Orenges, citrons, and all other fruites in sirrop”, a recipe from Thomas Dawson, THE SECOND PART OF THE GOOD HUS-WIVES JEWELL, 1597.

“(1) Take Cytrons and cut them in peeces, taking out of them the iuice or substance, (2) then boyle them in freshe water halfe an hower untill they be tender, and when you take them out, (3) cast them into cold water, leave them there a good while, (4) then set them on the fire againe in other freshe water, (5) doo but heate it a little with a small fire, for it not seeth, but let it simper a little (6) continue thus eight daies together heating them every day inn hot water: (7) some heat the watre but one day, to the end that the citron be not too tender, but change the freshe water at night to take out the bitternesse of the pilles, the which being taken away, (8) you must take suger or Hony clarified, wherein you must the citrons put, (9) having first wel dried them from the water, & in winter you must keep them from the frost, (10) & in the Sommer you shal leave them there all night, and a day and a night in Honie, (11) then boile the Honie or Sugar by it selfe without the orenges or Citrons by the space of halfe an hower or lesse with a little fire, (12) and being colde set it againe to the fire with the Citrons, (13) continuing so two mornings: if you wil put Honnie in water and not suger, you must clarifie it two times, and straine it through a strayner: having thus warmed and clarified it you shall straine and (14) sett it againe to the fire, with Citrons onely, making them to boyle with a soft fire the space of a quarter of an houre, (15) then take it from the fire & let it rest at every time you do it, a day & a night: (16) the next morning you shall boyle it again together the space of half an hower, and (17) doo so two morninges, to the end that the Honie or Suger may be well incorporated with the Citrons. All the cumuing (sic) consisteth in the boyling of this sirrope together with the Citrons, and also the Sirrope by it selfe,and heerein heede must be takken that it take not the smoke, so that it savour not of the fire: In this manner may be drest the Peaches, or lemmons Orenges, Apples, green Malnuts, and (18) other liste being boile more or lesse, according to the nature of the fruits.”

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modern interpretation:

Remove the peel from lemons/limes/grapefruits/oranges with as little of the pith as possible.

Place the peels in water in the refrigerator.

Change the water every day for 5 days.

Drain the peels and place in a pan of sugar syrup (1 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup water).

Boil the the peels gently for 1/2 hour.

Allow to cool and place in the refrigerator overnight.

For another 1-2 days, repeat.

Drain the peels sift, sugar over them and allow to dry.

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from the Fort de Chartres Heritage Garden, which is from this clump of recipes from mediaeval times

rolled oats ragged robins

another strange vintage american recipe – this one from a 1918 text “Foods that Will Win the War and How to Cook Them”

they appear to be oat biscuits.

ever read the invisibles? ragged robin is a pretty compelling character. never knew she was named after a kind of biscuit.

Ingredients
•1 1/2 cups rolled oats
•1 cup bread flour
•1 1/3 teaspoons salt
•1 1/3 cups milk
•2 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
•4 tablespoons fat
•1 1/4 teaspoons soda

Instructions

Sift dry ingredients. Cut in the fat. Add liquid and drop by spoonfuls on greased baking sheet. Bake in hot oven 12 to 15 minutes. These may be rolled and cut same as baking powder biscuits. (If uncooked rolled oats are used, allow to stand in the milk for 30 minutes before making recipe.)

lentil puff

another vintage beauty from vintagerecipes.net.

this one comes from lentils and their preparation, Women’s Institute of Cookery, Volume 2. published 1928.

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29. LENTIL PUFF.–A decided change from the usual ways of preparing lentils can be had by making lentil puff. Black lentils are used for this preparation, and they are made into a puree before being used in the puff. If the accompanying recipe is carefully followed, a most appetizing, as well as nutritious, dish will be the result.

LENTIL PUFF
(Sufficient to Serve Six)

1-1/4 c. lentil puree
1-1/2 c. riced potatoes
2 Tb. butter
1/2 c. milk
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 eggs

Soak the lentils overnight in water that contains a pinch of soda,
parboil them for about 10 minutes, and pour off the water. Put them to
cook in cold water and cook until they are tender, allowing the water to
evaporate completely, if possible, so that the puree made from them will
be dry. However, if any water remains when the lentils are done, pour it
off and use it for soup or sauce. Make the puree by forcing the cooked
lentils through a colander. If it is found to be too wet, less milk can
be used than the recipe calls for. Cook several potatoes and rice them
by forcing them through a colander or a ricer. Combine the lentils and
potatoes, and to this mixture add the butter, milk, salt, and pepper.
Separate the eggs, and beat the yolks slightly and the whites until
stiff. Stir the yolks into the mixture and, just before putting the puff
into the oven, fold in the whites. Pour into a buttered baking dish, set
in the oven, and bake until the puff is set and the surface is brown.
Serve hot.

beef liver and onions

scored some locally raised beef liver for an absurdly cheap price.

nervous; i’ve never made beef liver before…

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wash liver in water, cut into slices, then soak in milk for an hour or two.

melt butter and saute onions.

dredge liver in flour + seasoned salt and fry on med-high heat, like steak, until mostly cooked through and browned on both sides.

might saute mushrooms and add a little sherry.

EDIT:

uh.. wow. it’s like chicken liver x100. i don’t prefer beef liver to chicken, that’s for sure. really intense. but delicious. (although i didn’t climb the ceiling like the cat did after he tasted it.) i eat hardly any beef at all, and this didn’t change my mind. i’ll probably avoid beef liver in the future, unless i find another sale with lick creek beef, our local chemical-free, hormone-free cow folk. $1.99/lb!!!!