I've been really into lemon shake-ups this summer. They're simple and delicious -- but you've really got to shake them. The ice isn't optional, and the sugar can't be cut back too much.
| Ingredients | Step |
|---|---|
| ice cubes ½ lemon, washed scant ¼ c. sugar 6 oz. water |
Place ice in container with lid. Squeeze lemon into it, then drop in rind. Add sugar and a splash of water. Shake! Pour into glass and top with water to taste. |
This beautifully pink recipe works particularly well in late May/early June, when there are still some end-of-season lemons and the raspberry bushes are laden with harvest. I wouldn't recommend sourcing this recipe in a grocery store trip; it'd probably be both excessively expensive and not nearly as tasty as when a neighborhood/friend group is drowning in lemons and raspberries.
If you start with 1¾ c. fresh-squeezed lemon juice (5-12 lemons), you will get 7 cups of lemonade. Alternative ratios are below recipe.
| Ingredients | Step |
|---|---|
| lemons that will produce 1¾ c. juice (5-12) | Roll lemons. Then squeeze into a large liquid measuring cup until you have 1¾ c. lemon juice. (If you have an alternate amount of juice, scale everything else accordingly — see ratio below recipe.) |
| 2 c. raspberries (8 oz., or half a metal camping bowl) ½ c. lemon juice |
Puree in blender, then strain through a sieve into a bowl. Discard solids (the seeds). |
| 1¼ c. lemon juice 1 c. white sugar 5 c. water raspberry-lemon juice |
Combine in a pitcher that can hold at least 8 cups. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust as needed (remembering there will be ice). |
| Serve over ice, possibly with a sprig of mint. Sugar rims are nice; salt rims are not (even after yardwork). |
The scaling ratio is: For each ¼ c. lemon juice, use ¼ c. raspberries, ⅛ c. sugar, and ⅔-¾ c. water. Each root unit makes a single serving (8 oz. lemonade plus ice yields a 12-16 oz. serving).
Source: Once Upon a Chef
A basic but solid French toast recipe. The original recipe had a picture boasting heart-shaped food!
| Ingredients | Step |
|---|---|
| 2 eggs⅛ c. milk 1 T. sugar ½ t. cinnamon dash nutmeg¼ t. vanilla |
Whisk well, then pour into a shallow dish. |
| egg mixture 5 slices bread |
Fry in buttered skillet, flipping when needed. |
Source: FoodNetwork
The best seitan recipe I've made. Works acceptably alone, or even better in chicken noodle/chicken rice soup or as bbq chicken. Tastes best if browned in some oil before using. If you're making soup, you can re-use the seitan boiling broth as its base.
Don't overtax your food processor's motor. You may need a new one if you make this recipe often....
To make a nice seitan, the broth must NOT be too hot. The technique below sets a "skin" first — otherwise you get seitan brains.
Makes 4 pounds, so you'll probably use it for 2-3 recipes. The weight/volume ratio is 2 c. shredded to 8 oz. weight. It freezes well after being pulled apart.
| Ingredients | Step |
|---|---|
| 2 c. water1 T. olive oil 2 t. apple cider vinegar1½ t. salt (truly)2 t. onion powder1 t. garlic powder½ t. pepper⅛ t. turmeric (for color) | Whiz together in food processor. |
| ¼ c. nutritional yeast ½ c. pea protein powder (aka pea isolate aka pea flour — nothing but "yellow peas" on label) |
Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. |
| 1½ c. vital wheat gluten | Pulse in, until incorporated. Then process on low about 5 minutes. Give your motor a break as needed! |
| 10 c. chicken-y vegetable broth (can stretch with water) 8 bay leaves |
Bring broth to a boil in a large pan. |
| 4 9" double-layered squares of cheesecloth twine |
Divide the dough into 4 pieces, trying not to overhandle it. Roll each into an 8-inch roll, fold in half, give a twist, and pull to 6-inches. Wrap in cheesecloth, snugly but not tightly, and tie with twine. If you have loose cheesecloths threads, try to keep them away from the seitan-touching edge. Leave a wee bit of slack in the wrap so the seitan can plump up (be able to pull the cheesecloth away by about ½ inch once wrapped). Let them rest until all bundles are prepared. |
| After the broth is at a low boil, lower the heat so it isn't boiling at all (but is still very hot). Add the seitan bundles, which will cause another drop in temperature. Bring the heat up slightly and let the seitan cook for 20 minutes in that hot broth without boiling. Then raise the heat to achieve a low boil, and let the seitan cook for 45 more minutes, lid ajar. Turn the bundles every ~15 minutes. | |
| Turn off the heat. Cool completely in broth to room temperature, either on the stove or in a cool place. (Likely this takes an hour or more.) | |
| Pull apart. |
Source: Isa Chandra's Post Punk Kitchen
A lovely salad that works as a side dish for omnivores and an entree for vegetarians (easily vegan-izable).
Substituting other herbs and sweeteners works well. Thyme and maple syrup, for instance, is another nice combination.
Have it ready a bit before serving; it improves as it sits.
| Ingredients | Step |
|---|---|
| scant ¼ c. olive oil heaping ⅓ c. shallot, very thinly sliced |
Saute briefly, just enough to take off the raw onion edge. |
| warmed shallots and oil 3 T. lemon juice ¼ c. dill, chopped scant ¼ t. salt |
Combine and adjust dressing to taste. Don't sweeten yet. Set aside. |
| 4 carrots, sliced (~2 c.) olive oil |
Saute the carrots in batches so they stay in a single layer, until deeply browned (~12 minutes per layer). |
| 3 c. white beans (2 cans) | Add. Cook about 5 minutes, until the beans are heated through. |
| dressing ~2 T. honey |
Stir dressing in. Sweeten to taste (consider the carrots). |
| ⅓ c. sliced almonds, toasted | Serve with toasted almonds. |
Source: Heidi Swanson (101 Cookbooks)