Easy Pasta with Greens, Goat Cheese and Oregano (Gluten-free or not)

This is something that I make when I am to stressed out to spend time on cooking (Like the final week before Christmas vacation).  It’s fast, comforting, nourishing and can easily be adapted depending upon what I have on hand.  This recipe calls for dried greek oregano which is the kind that is in leaves…

Gumbo Z’herbs and Skillet Cornbread (Gluten-Free)

I got this gumbo recipe from an old copy of The American Heritage Cookbook.  Gumbo Z’herbs is an old creole recipe for Lent, when you are not allowed to eat meat.  However this recipe includes meat stock and sausage or smoked ham bone for flavouring, so that is confusing to me…..  Maybe this is only…

Potato, Celeriac, Fennel and Leek Gratin

There are so many ways to make a gratin.  You can use any kind or combination of root vegetable (winter squash, mushrooms and artichokes are also good).  Traditionally a gratin is topped with parmesan or gruyere cheese, but any delicious, aged, hard cheese will work.  I am currently in love with Midnight Moon aged goat gouda which…

Pressure Steamed Vegetables with Ume Plum Vinegar

When I was growing up on Maui I liked the food article in the Maui News by Bonnie Mandoe.  I remember clipping out and trying her recipes for potato pancakes and a delicious chicken stir fry with peppers, green olives and fresh Maui fruit.  She moved to the mainland when I was in high-school and published…

Cranberry Brisket with Parsnip & Carrot Latkes and Spiced Cabbage

My Cranberry Brisket is adapted  from Sheila Lukins  recipe for  Shaker Cranberry Brisket in her USA cookbook.  I have added wine to the recipe and I am pretty sure that Shakers don’t drink so…… I also skip the cloves and add five spice powder instead.  Either one is good.  Brisket is a tough but flavourful…

Boston-Style Steamed Brown Bread & Baked Beans

This week, I present two very different cooking styles than what I’m used to. I made a happy experiment of cooking traditional Bostonian food last weekend. That’s baked beans with steamed brown bread. The bread is cooked in old coffee cans, sealed and steamed in a big pot. The beans were what started this whole…

Long Cooked Broccoli

So this is yet another amazing recipe from Chez Panisse Vegetables.  I was taught that broccoli was supposed to be eaten barely cooked, so that it is still bright green, sweet and nutty.  Broccoli is delicious lightly steamed.   I am pretty sure that I tried this recipe initially out of curiosity.  Long cooked broccoli…

Curried Turkey Pot Pie (Gluten-free or not)

Some years I entertain the idea of skipping Thanksgiving Turkey.  As I have mentioned before,  the process of roasting turkeys stresses me out.  However,  I am very attached to making this dish out of the leftover meat, so I make the turkey. Sometimes I even make a turkey for Christmas or New Years so that…

Thanksgiving Entrées for Herbivores and Carnivores

WILD MUSHROOM COBBLER This is a vegetarian entrée from The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas (more info under the cook book tab).    It is supposed to serve 6-8 but I double the recipe for 8 people because everyone loves this and goes for seconds and I don’t mind having some leftovers at all.  I have sadly…