Welcome to September's last hurrah. And we continue the lost and not yet found, still seeking this morning any and all favorite vegan recipes and a reasonably healthful dipping sauce for fresh artichokes.
FAMILY FAVORITE
Lynnetta Iles of Hixson sent a recipe "used often for my family. We prefer salmon over tuna, but either can be used for this recipe. It is from the Nov. 18, 2009, Holiday Cooking section of the Times Free Press."
Salmon Salad
1 can Double Q salmon, drained and dark skin removed
2 boiled eggs, chopped
1 to 2 celery stalks, diced
3 to 4 sweet pickles, chopped (or use 1 tablespoon sweet relish)
1 to 2 tablespoons diced pimientos
2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (Hellmann's)
1 teaspoon mustard
Black pepper to taste
Paprika
Combine all ingredients except paprika, and mix well. Put in serving dish, and sprinkle with paprika.
You may use this to make sandwiches, stuff celery stalks or enjoy as a salad.
SPANISH STEW
Thanks to you, Nicholas Aspen, for a second disputing of the notion that chocolate and onions don't mix.
Catalan Beef Stew or Estofado de Ternera a la Catalana
This stew, from thespruceeats.com, is easy and has a unique flavor, due to a surprise ingredient - chocolate. While the stew simmers, prepare a pot of white rice to accompany it.
4 cloves garlic, cut into halves
2 onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1 stick celery, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1/4 cup Spanish olive oil
2 pounds stew beef, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon flour
8 ounces red wine
1 ounce baking chocolate (unsweetened)
Pinch of cinnamon (about 1/4 teaspoon)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups beef stock
This recipe can be made in either a large stockpot or a pressure cooker. If using a pressure cooker, cooking time will be reduced to about 30 minutes.
Chop the garlic, onions, tomatoes, carrot, celery and leek.
Pour the olive oil into a large pot with a heavy bottom or into a pressure cooker.
Heat the oil, and add the cubed stew meat. Brown the meat for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the flour, and stir. Add the wine, and stir. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the garlic, onions, tomatoes, carrot, celery and leek to the pot, and stir ingredients.
Cut the square of baking chocolate in half, and add to the pot along with a pinch of cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add beef stock to the pot, stir and broil to a boil.
If you are using a standard pot, partially cover and lower to a simmer. Then allow to simmer for an hour to an hour and a half or until the meat is tender. If you are using a pressure cooker, put on lid and lock. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow pressure to drop naturally. This may take 10 minutes. Remove lid and simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes to thicken the stock.
Serve with French-style bread on a bed of white rice.
MINESTRONE WITH PESTO
Pam at Sidewalk Shoes.com, great lover of pestos of all kinds, included this pesto-plus-entrée combination in a recent missive.
Borlotti Minestrone With Arugula Pesto
This healthy Borlotti Minestrone is so easy to make, and it gets a burst of fresh flavor from the arugula pesto.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
Salt
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut in half
2 cups cooked borlotti beans in their broth
Freshly ground black pepper
In a soup pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, fennel and pinch of salt, and saute until the vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the cabbage, stir to coat with oil and cook until it's wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, another pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Add the green beans and the borlotti beans, and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Arugula Pesto
3 cloves garlic
1/4 pound baby arugula leaves
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
Salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Fresh ground black pepper
Put the garlic, arugula, parsley and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Process until well chopped. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Add the Parmesan and the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls, and top with a dollop of pesto. Store any leftover pesto in the fridge for up to a week. (I froze some of mine).
LEGACY CASSEROLE
Alison Sexter wrote "to share one of my childhood favorites. I still call my mother every time I make it, to ensure I have the ingredients in the right proportions and the oven time and temperature correct. It's a simple and easy casserole, good for busy weeknights, and you can add favorite spices and condiments to taste. My husband says a little shake of Cholula hot sauce makes a perfect addition."
Simple Kielbasa Casserole
1 kielbasa (I usually use Hillshire Farms Polska kielbasa, but the beef kind works too)
2 bell peppers (maybe 3 if your peppers are on the small side; see note)
8 red potatoes
1 big or 2 little yellow onions
Less than 1/4 cup olive oil
Cracked black pepper
> Note: You can use two green peppers, but I like to use peppers of different colors, to make the dish prettier.
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Chop the kielbasa into 1/2-inch pieces. You can further cut the rounds into half moons, or leave them as is.
Wash and core and clean out the peppers. Chop into roughly 1-inch pieces.
Wash, peel and chop the potatoes into 1-inch pieces.
Divide the onion into eighths, then chop each wedge in half to make roughly 1-inch chunks.
Place all prepped materials into a 2 1/2-quart oven dish, and drizzle over it a little olive oil; grind black pepper over it all. Toss gently to combine everything.
Cover the dish, and bake in the oven for an hour. Let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes when it comes out of the oven. Ladle into bowls, and make hot sauce of choice available for each diner to add as desired.
Blessings on you, all of you, and on the work of your hands, and the work of your kitchen.
REQUESTS
* Vegan recipes
* Dipping sauce for artichokes
TO REACH US
Fare Exchange is a longtime meeting place for people who love to cook and love to eat. We welcome both your recipes and your requests. Be sure to include precise instructions for every recipe you send.
Mailing address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
Email: chatt fare@gmail.com
Jane Henegar