The entire menu is going to be shown on my other blog, the meat & fish dish one...
ChorleyCakes.Blogspot.com
The soups are
Hot & Sour mushroom & vegetable
Asparagus and coconut soup
Chicken and Vegetable with pot stickers soup
Roasted chicken
Turkey "Ants climbing a Tree" with soba noodles
Ginger-cucumber salad
Fresh fruit salad with Jicama, banana, pineapple, apple, orange & kiwi
Here is a wonderful dish...perfect for any winter or Fall menu.
Use whatever greens are available locally grown..kale, spinach, collards, broccoli rabe, turnip or beet greens, chard.
This recipe feeds 6-8
2tbsp neutral oil ( safflower/sunflower)
2 cups chopped onions
1 pound finely sliced mushrooms (any kind and any mix, if using shitakes, remove the stalks and use in stock)
5 cloves garlic smashed and minced
2tsp nutritional yeast ( optional)
2tbsp fresh chopped herbs or 2 tsp dried ( thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon, & etc.)
3 bunches or 4 cups cooked, chopped greens.(.blanched in boiling water with 1/4tsp baking soda-to retain color, then drained and liquid squeezed out and finely chopped).
1 cup part skimmed ricotta cheese
1 cup fresh brown breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup minced parsley
1/4 cup sweet sherry (optional)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable stock or water
In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil & add the onions, saute for 3 mins, then add the garlic and cook until onions are golden brown.
Add the fresh herbs, and sherry.
Remove from heat, stir in the chopped greens, cheese, ricotta, spices, parsley, vegetable stock or water, any dried herbs, breadcrumbs and eggs.
Mix well to incorporate all ingredients.
Allow to cool then refrigerate overnight.
PREHEAT OVEN 400F ..low setting for shelf, but not the last setting for self so it is not directly over the heat source.
In a 9 inch GREASED pie pan or dish.
pour the filling and smooth the surface.
Top with your favorite pastry or cream cheese pastry ( recipe follows).
Place on a cookie sheet.
Brush the pastry with egg or milk wash
Using a knife tip, make steam holes in pastry.
Place in hot oven and bake 35-40 mins or until top is golden brown and contents bubbling
remove from oven and wait 10 mins before serving to allow contents to settle.
Cream cheese, whole wheat pastry
In a food processor bowl:
Combine
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cold butter cut into chunks
2tsp dried herbs (whatever you are putting in the filling) or dry mustard
1/2 cup cream cheese or neufchatel cheese (low fat cream cheese)
Process to fine crumbs.
Add 1 large beaten cold egg and process to bring dough together,adding extra cold water by tbsp as needed.
Pat into a ball and wrap in wax paper and allow to rest for 1 hour or can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated (bring to room temp to roll out).
This makes enough to cover a 9inch pie plate.
Here is a simple side dish for just for snacking with a cold beer.
Simple to get wrong as well:
Cook in very hot oil (peanut, grape seed do not break down on high heat) and cook in small batches..overloading the pan can cause fire or soggy onion rings as it cools the oil too much.
4 large onions cut into 1/8th inch rings
3 cups nut milk
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup HOT red chile powder
2 tbsp + 2tsp corn starch
3 tsp sea salt
3tsp ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp crushed black pepper
Soak the onion rings in milk for 1 hour.
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a sealed plastic bag, shake well to mix.
Drain onion rings and dredge in flour mix well..shake in batches to cover, removing excess.
Place in smoking hot oil and fry in batches until golden brown*.
Remove and either drain on wire rack or paper towels..serve hot
* as this frying oil will be ruined by the hot spices, fry in a small pan so you don't use too much oil..unless you love these as I do and make them in a reg. pan, and strain the cold oil through paper towels when finished, to use again later.
These are great served with any dishes or just in a bowl for snacking
