Raised on the Farm

Walnut and Pinto Bean Air Fryer Chimichangas

Sonoran style flour tortillas are seriously addictive. The Spanish brought wheat flour to the area in the 1500’s. The natives began preparing soft thin breads, considerably more flexible than corn tortillas. Over generations, Sonoran cooks perfected large, paper-thin flour tortillas, with layers that puff and crisp when heated. They remind me, however inexplicably, of the crisp layers of a beautifully laminated croissant. Yet they contain only flour, water, oil and salt.

I have observed the “tortilla lady” at my local Mexican restaurant take a biscuit sized ball of dough and toss it back and forth repeatedly between her hands, somehow stretching the dough out until paper thin and slapping against her forearms. She tosses it onto the hot comal with nary a wrinkle, flips it seconds later and then it’s done, chewy with puffy crisped spots. Have I tried this? of course I have. Unfortunately I am not the tortilla lady… and am more than happy to pay for someone else to make them. They are a prime ingredient of my air-fryer chimichangas.

While you should definitely try a Sonoran style flour tortilla given the opportunity, I caution you about the consequences. Because you’ll never again be happy with what you can buy at the grocery store. I discovered these babies decades ago, when in graduate school at the University of Arizona. After graduation I moved back to Ohio, but the tortillas continued to call. As did my friends; I returned for spring break visits many times. A trip out west always involved a trip to a local tortilleria, where I’d purchase a bag of freshly made flour tortillas. Smuggled home in my suitcase, a cheese crispy would be bubbling in my home oven that evening no matter the lateness of my flight.

It was also in my relatively thin grad school days that I tried my first chimichanga, basically a deep fried burrito. Legend has it that in the 1920’s, Monica Flin of the well-known Tucson based El Charro restaurant accidentally dropped a burrito into the deep fryer. And a star was born. Crispy, golden and flaky with whatever fillings you might desire. Given my ever present digestive difficulties, I had not enjoyed a chimichanga for many years; all that fat would simply take up residence in my stomach, leaving me quite uncomfortable. Not to mention the addition to my thighs…

And then the air fryer arrived. The tortilla wrapped package is lightly coated with cooking spray and popped into the air fryer. The hot convection currents partner with the tortillas to make magic- a crisp and golden, yet light, chimichanga. One that I can not only digest, but that is also much better for me than the deep fried version. I most often fill them with a meaty mixture of seasoned walnuts, mushrooms, pinto beans and cheese. Chopped meat of choice can be added, if desired. Store bought flour tortillas will still offer up a crisp exterior, but may be too thick to easily wrap around the filling. If so, the filling can be spread over one half of the tortilla, with the other half folded over it before air frying or griddling, to make a quesadilla. They will still bubble and crisp in the air fryer.

Really, I’d enjoy these tortillas with just about any vegetable forward filling-but this is my favorite of the moment. Crisp, spicy and cheesy. All of my favorite things.

Print Recipe

Walnut Pinto Bean Air-Fryer Chimichangas

Light, crisp golden chimichanga with walnut, mushroom and pinto bean filling.

Prep Time30

Cook Time8

Total Time38

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: pinto beans, vegetarian, walnut

Ingredients

6 thin, 12-inch flour tortillas
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
small handful cilantro leaves
2 tsp water
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
pinch salt and pepper
1/2 cup onion, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 14-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
Cooking oil spray

Instructions

Place the walnuts, lime juice, cilantro, 2 tsp water, the chili powders, salt and pepper into the work bowl of the food processor and pulse til the mixture is cru
Saute the chopped onion and mushrooms together in the tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat until the onion is softened and the mushrooms have given up their liquid. Add to the bowl with the nut mix and stir to combine.
Place the pinto beans, chipotle pepper, vinegar, water and salt into the work bowl of the food processor and blend until it’s a smooth puree.
Put the tortillas out flat on a work surface. Place scoops of both the bean and nut mixtures down the center of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Top with a tablespoon of grated cheese. Fold in the sides, then roll to enclose the fillings. It should look like an burrito.
Spray each chimichanga on all sides with oil. Place in the air fryer basket, as many as it will hold, depending on the style of your air fryer. Air fry at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes, flipping halfway through. The chimichangas are done when brown and crispy. Serve right away with your salsa of choice.

Notes

Nutrition Information (calculated using HappyForks.com)

Calories: 407
Fat: 20 g, 3.5 saturated
Cholesterol: 17 mg
Carbohydrate: 43 g, 6.5 g fiber
Sodium: 750 mg
Protein: 16 g

Farro and Walnut Stuffed Mushrooms

Mushrooms are having a moment. Fresh, dried and powdered. Mushroom tinctures, sodas and cocoas. Even the most plebeian grocery carries a variety of fresh mushrooms. Beyond plain white buttons and Crimini, we regularly enjoy portobello, lion’s mane, oyster, shiitake and maitake. There are of course hallucinatory ones. And I’m doing something as simple as stuffing them…

Back in the day on the farm, though, cooking with mushrooms meant going to the store and picking up a can. Yes, a can of mushrooms. Which of course was nothing like the fresh mushrooms we enjoy today. Shrunken, wet and spongy. Mom certainly knew what to do with them when a windfall would drop from a mushroom hunting friend. Those would be the elusive and wildly delicious morels. She would thickly slice and bread the mushrooms, then panfry them slowly until they were tender and crisply golden, a rare treat. She would have loved the wide variety of them that I have at my fingertips now.

But I seldom use the magic of breading and hot fat these days. Mushrooms are in heavy rotation in the cooking of anyone who eats heavy on the plants (actually fungi,) used as an ingredient in stir fries, vegetable stuffings, grain bowls and in combination with nuts and herbs in homemade “meat” crumbles. But today I’m preparing whole Criminis, stuffed with grain and nut filling as a side dish for a holiday gathering.

Stuffed mushrooms became a “thing” when fresh ones were more widely available, usually stuffed with buttered breadcrumbs and bits of the mushroom stem. I’m hanging onto some of the stems for the filling, but combining them with farro, walnuts, vegetables and a smidge of cheese. These stuffed mushrooms provide filling fiber and protein, which I expect these days, even from my appetizers and side dishes. They are also delicious, full of rich nutty flavor and chewy texture. The stuffed mushrooms with farro and walnuts recipe garnered compliments, and the pan came home clean. That’s the best endorsement a recipe can get.

Print Recipe

Farro and Walnut Stuffed Mushrooms

Roasted Cremini mushrooms, stuffed with a rich, nutty grain and walnut filling.

Prep Time40

Cook Time32

Total Time1 12

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mushrooms, rustic, vegetarian, walnut, warm

Servings: 15

Ingredients

15 medium Cremini mushrooms
1 green onion, chopped
1 4-inch stalk celery, chopped
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1 pinch garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 ounces asiago cheese, diced I used Sartori
1/2 cup cooked whole grain farro
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato bits
2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pan spray a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the mushroom caps in a single layer.
Clean the mushrooms by briefly rinsing and wiping off any dirt. Pull out the stems, and finely chop half of them. Discard the remainder, or reserve for another use.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems, chopped onion and celery and stir to combine. Add the basil, rosemary, and remaining seasonings. Saute until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts, cooked farro and tomato bits. Cool for several minutes, then stir in the diced bits of cheese.
Evenly stuff each muffin cap, using all of the filling. Arrange in the prepared pan and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Nutrition Facts 15 servings
59 calories
4.7 g total fat, .9 g saturated
2 mg Cholesterol
88 mg sodium
3 g total carbohydrate
2 g protein

Pumpkin Walnut Bread with Brandied Currants

And the Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch…

Only to land with a thump on my kitchen counter. Yes, the annual event has come round again, the hefty orange orb awaiting my attention in the kitchen. And it’s been patient… I’m running a little late this year. However, the seeding, roasting, peeling, pureeing, draining and straining of the pumpkin has commenced, to make packages of smooth pumpkin puree for the freezer.

Fortunately, I’ve built up a few go-to recipes for using pumpkin, including the Spicy Buckwheat Pumpkin Bread, Warm Pumpkin Smoothie and Pumpkin Walnut Soup found right here on my website. And let us not forget the fall favorite pumpkin pie. But pumpkin is versatile, easily inspiring new ideas for recipes, like my Pumpkin Walnut Bread with Brandied Currants.

I loved raisin bread from the first bite taken as a child. As I’ve said in past posts, raisin bread was a treat offered at my grandmother’s house; she used sweetened hot roll mix with plentiful amounts of raisins dotting the loaf. It certainly hit the sweet spot of my youthful sweet tooth. I have come though to appreciate breads that aren’t so sweet. The currants in this loaf, along with a touch of honey, provide the primary sweetness. It’s a delicious loaf, with the depth of whole grains, the richness of ground walnuts and the warmth of pumpkin and fall baking spices. Slices of this bread make wonderful buttered toast. One of our favorite breakfasts is this toast served with several varieties of sliced cheese, toasted nuts, dates and fresh fruit. A bit like a breakfast charcuterie board.

I should probably mention that this recipe is technically not mine any longer. I entered it into the 2023 National Festival of Breads contest, where it received an honorable mention award. It is honestly one of my favorite, most frequently made recipes. Yes, it is yeast bread, with multiple steps and stages, but it is not difficult and I don’t think it will prove too challenging for most bakers. If it seems like more than you’re up for, remember, I started out with hot roll mix and raisins…

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Walnut Bread with Brandied Raisins

A delicious loaf, with the depth of whole grains, the richness of ground walnuts and the warmth of pumpkin and fall baking spices.

Prep Time6

Cook Time40

Course: Bread, Breakfast

Keyword: currants, pumpkin, walnut

Servings: 22 slices

Ingredients

Starter

1/2 cup bread flour
1/2 tsp Instant yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup milk I use almond milk

Dough

2 cups Unbleached white flour
1 1/4 cups spelt or whole wheat flour
1 cup water
1 Tbsp honey
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tbsp brandy
1 cup currants
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped/ground walnuts I use the food processor
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp coriander

Instructions

Mix together all of the starter ingredients in the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, or if mixing by hand, in a large mixing bowl. Let sit, covered, for 1 hour.
Meanwhile stir the brandy through the currants in a small bowl and macerate while the starter rests.
With the mixer on low, add the remaining Dough ingredients and mix well. Add in the currants. Using the dough hook knead the dough for 5 minutes, or til smooth. If mixing by hand, add and blend the dough ingredients. Remove dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Cover and set aside to rise until double, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Remove the dough and place on lightly floured surface. Shape into desired loaf shape and place on greased baking sheet to rise. Alternately, the dough can be shaped and placed in a greased loaf pan. Cover the shaped dough and let rise until double, around 1-1 /2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until fully risen and browned. (An instant read thermometer should read at 200 degrees F. when it is done.) Remove to a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Nutrition
142 calories
Total fat: 3.7 g
Sat fat: .4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 186 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 25 g
Dietary fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 8 g
Protein: 4 g

Cheater’s Patatas Bravas

I planted my little raised bed garden this week with cool weather vegetables, mostly greens and herbs. These will grow nicely with the cooler temps of a desert southwest autumn. But on the farm, the garden would be winding up now for the season. Daddy would dig up the rows and rows of root vegetables that would overwinter in the “basement,” really more of a root cellar. Plentiful amounts of onions, a few carrots and a boatload of potatoes were hauled down and stored with straw in baskets. Those potatoes would be baked, roasted, braised, mashed and escalloped throughout the fall and winter.

I don’t eat as many potatoes as we did on the farm, not because I doubt their health benefits; there are just too many other root vegetable and grain options. Potatoes have reasonable calories and are high in vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium and manganese. However, they get into serious trouble when they are peeled and hang out with fatty friends, like deep hot oil and copious amounts of butter. Which is why I eat true patatas bravas only when I am at a fine tapas restaurant. (I’m looking at you, Bolero.)

Patatas Bravas is a tapas potato dish redolent of Spain, fried in olive oil and drizzled with Bravas sauce. The sauce includes yes, more olive oil along with tomato, smoked paprika, crushed pepper and sherry vinegar. The rich smoky sauce is accented by the slight acidity of the sherry vinegar, and it is to die for. But I don’t need that much rich fatty trouble with my potatoes on a regular basis at home… hence, my cheat.

First, the potatoes are scrubbed but left unpeeled and cut into chunks. I coat these very lightly in olive oil and season liberally with herbs, chili flakes and smoked paprika. Into the air fryer they go, until they are crisply golden. As they emerge from the oven, they get a quick toss with oil packed sun-dried tomato bits and sherry vinegar. And that’s it. Serve ‘em up beside roasted veggies, mushrooms or perhaps a filet of grilled fish. Or whatever else you nestle your potatoes up to!

Are they the real thing? Heavens, no! But the crisp texture and rich flavors are there, which is all I need- until I hit up another tapas restaurant.

Print Recipe

Cheater’s Patatas Braves

Spicy, smoky air fried potatoes with herbs and sherry vinegar

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Spanish

Keyword: smoky, spicy

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb potatoes Yukon golds are great
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp chili flake
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp sherry vinegar

Instructions

Cut the potatoes, unpeeled, into 1/2-inch cubes, and toss with the olive oil to coat. Mix the dried herbs and seasonings together, then toss into the potatoes, stirring to distribute evenly.
Spread the potatoes out in the air fryer basket. Air fry the potatoes for 20-25 minutes, checking for doneness after 20 minutes. When crisply tender, remove from the air fryer and pour into a bowl. Mix the tomato bits and vinegar together, then pour over the potatoes and toss to distribute the flavor. Serve hot.

Notes

Italian Salad Pita Sandwiches

Autumn is my favorite season, and September is right around the corner. My midwestern persona rejoices in the upcoming cooler weather, while my Arizona persona reminds me that cooler weather just might arrive by mid-October here in the Sonoran desert…yes, it’s that time of year when the heat just keeps on giving, and “cooking” becomes more like “assembling.” I like pulling cool, crisp salad meals together, more from a template than a recipe. And preferably from what’s already in the pantry and fridge. When warm weather menus require actual cooking, my new-ish toaster oven/air-fryer has been a real hero, keeping the kitchen much cooler than turning on my oven.

Mom was a big fan of the toaster oven. I never really got hold of her enthusiasm; the toaster oven took up considerable counter space, and seemed to duplicate other appliances already in her kitchen. But after seven long hot Arizona summers I finally get it, though it took the toaster oven/air-fryer combination to convince me to buy one. But I am now sold. I’m sure Mom is having the last laugh, but I’ll take it since I have turned on my large oven no more than three or four times all summer. Today an easy, quick roast of eggplant and Lupini beans made a great addition to my Italian Salad Pita Sandwiches. And the rest came straight from the fridge.

I saw a template for an Italian chopped salad in the newspaper several years ago. We’re both fans of Italian antipasti, and I figured if I could add enough heft, it just might pass as dinner. The best thing about it is that the components are negotiable. While I’m inserting a “recipe,” it’s seldom the same from one time to the next.

Lettuces, tomato and olives are staples that make up the base of the salad. I’m using Lupini beans today, but it could just as easily be a can of chickpeas or cubes of pancetta. I love the hard Italian cheese cubes, but mozzarella is delicious too. Vegans might use tofu feta in place of the cheese. It’s roasted eggplant today, but jarred marinated artichokes might fill that spot next time. Pepperoncini and half a sweet red pepper are waiting to be eaten, and in they go. Crispy packaged chickpeas and walnuts add crunch. The final salad is lightly dressed before being stuffed into split pita breads.

When asked what’s for dinner, I’m always surprised at the enthusiastic reception these sandwiches get. I guess that something this simple really can be dinner.

Print Recipe

Italian Salad Pita Sandwiches

Cool, crisp Italian antipasti dinner salad stuffed into whole wheat pita breads.

Prep Time30

Total Time30

Course: Entree Salad, sandwich

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Sandwiches

1 small eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 cup jarred brined Lupini beans, in their skins
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt
6 cups lettuce, coarsely shredded I used mix of romaine, spring mix and radicchio
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup thickly sliced jarred pepperoncini
2 oz hard Italian cheese, cut into cubes I used Grana Padang
1/2 cup sweet red pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup packaged crispy chickpeas
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
4 whole wheat pita breads, halved and pulled open

Dressing

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp Italian herb mix basil, oregano, fennel seeds
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili flake

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, using an air fryer or convection if possible. Toss the cubes of eggplant and Lupini beans with the olive oil on a sheet pan, and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the eggplant is tender and the Lupini beans slightly crisped. Set aside to cool.
Toss the remaining salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the eggplant and Lupini beans. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and toss with the salad. Divide the salad between the halved pita breads, and serve. Two pita halves per serving.

Notes

I’m skipping the nutritional value this month, as it will vary considerably with different combinations of ingredients and different brands of pita bread.

Mom’s Whole Wheat Biscuit with Spiced Fig Butter

Mom's Whole Wheat Biscuits with Fig Butter — Mom’s Whole Wheat Biscuits with Fig Butter

My mom’s biscuit was probably not yo’ mama’s biscuit… no AP flour, no shortening or butter, no flaky layers, no poppin’ tube. No, hers was a whole wheat biscuit, made about as healthy as one can make a biscuit, with whole meal flour and unsaturated vegetable oil. Not my childhood favorite, but it’s the biscuit I wanted when I whipped up some Spiced Fig Butter this morning. On the farm, we often piled deliciously spicy apple butter on those wheaty biscuits. And suddenly I’m rooting through my recipe box for that weathered recipe written in her hand.

The fickle fig has returned this year, following its non-appearance last summer. Figs seem to be a feast or famine fruit; there either are none, or I’m drowning in them. And due to their short shelf life, they must be eaten quickly or preserved in some fashion. Thus far, they’ve been eaten out of hand, frozen into fro-yo, roasted savory style with onions and fennel and simmered into today’s fruit butter.

Fruit butters are different from jams and jellies. Smooth, less sweet spreads that glide over a biscuit or slice of toast like butter. The fruit is lightly sweetened and cooked to sauce consistency. Spices are added, and the sauce is simmered to reduce, caramelize the sugars and concentrate. Finally the mixture is blended to that smooth buttery consistency. Apple butter is probably the best known fruit butter, which takes long slow watchful cooking. Having made it many times, I was surprised how quickly and easily the fig butter came together. Figs are soft fruits which cook down into sauce and concentrate into fruit butter very quickly. They are also natural partners for the flavors of port, honey and warm spices.

This fig butter has remarkable versatility. While I’m showcasing it on biscuits, it’s delicious stirred into yogurt, oatmeal or chia pudding. I suspect it would be an enthusiastic member of a charcuterie board, or as a side to savory roasted dishes. I’m going to run out before I exhaust its many applications… time to search out more figs!

Print Recipe

Mom’s Whole Wheat Biscuits with Spiced Fig Butter

Biscuit with mild, nutty flavor of whole wheat, topped with port infused spiced fig butter.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Breakfast, Quick Bread

Keyword: cinnamon, figs, Whole Wheat

Servings: 9

Ingredients

Spiced Fig Butter

9 fresh figs, stemmed and quartered
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp port wine
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp anise seed
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/4 cup water
1 pinch salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Whole Wheat Biscuits

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil I used avocado oil

Instructions

In a small saucepan, combine the figs, honey, port, spices and water; stir in the pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, or til the fruit is soft. Cool slightly, then blend to a smooth consistency with an immersion blender or blender. Stir in the vinegar and chill. Makes 1 cup fig butter.

Biscuits

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan or cookie sheet. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the almond milk and oil, and add all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir lightly into a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 9 biscuits and place into the prepared pan/baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Notes

1 biscuit with 1 tablespoon fig butter:

Calories: 203
Total Fat: 8.5 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 283 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 28
Fiber: 1.75 g
Sugars: 8.8 g
Protein: 2.8 g

Tortellini Pasta Salad

Pasta salad wasn’t on the farmhouse menu. It simply wasn’t a dish that Mom made. While I might see it at a pot luck, it undoubtably used mayonnaise, so I’d give it a pass. But lighter, fresher versions came around and suddenly I’m all in. My tortellini pasta salad combines fresh tortellini pasta with all the yumminess of an Italian antipasto plate. It also includes a relatively new-to-me ingredient called lupini beans. But as it turns out, most Italians along with others of the Mediterranean basin are quite familiar with these beans.

I’m always on the lookout for plant sources of protein to “beef” up my plant based menus, so to speak. Thinking I knew all the usual suspects-beans, lentils, tofu, seitan, nuts, seeds and grains-I was surprised to hear Mark Bittman hawking Brami lupini beans on his podcast, Food. High in protein and fiber, low in fat and carbs, full of vitamins and minerals, with an almost crisp texture and very neutral flavor. Not remotely what I think of as a bean.

Lupinis are a bit high maintenance to prepare; they must be boiled, then soaked and drained repeatedly until the bitter alkaloids have soaked out, much like preparing fresh olives from scratch at home. I’ve done this… and I prefer buying them already prepared and brined in bottles. A visit to my local Italian market or Mediterranean store always results in several bottles of lupini beans being added to the order.

Lupinis have evidently been a staple food in Italy, the Middle East and South America for centuries. Today they are apparently eaten mostly as a healthy snack, sold as street food or at fairs. But they offer up everything I am looking for in a protein ingredient. And into the pasta salad they went, along with all the antipasto, some arugula, and cubed Manchego. (You might have noticed that cheese is my not even remotely plant based Kryptonite.) Tossed with a simple vinaigrette and fresh herbs, this sits quite comfortably in the center of my plate for a delicious, refreshingly cool summer dinner.

As is the case for most pasta salads, you can modify to your heart’s content using what you might have on hand. In a meatier state of mind? Replace the lupini with small cubes of pancetta. Use tortellini with other fillings, or use a totally different pasta. Substitute a dried and cooked pasta for the fresh type. Sub in Italian style giardiniera, cubes of zucchini or steamed broccolini. Make it vegan using vegetable filled tortellini and plant based cheese. Make it your own! But do make it.

Print Recipe

Tortellini Pasta Salad

Cool summer pasta salad entree with Italian antipasti and herbed vinaigrette.

Prep Time45

Total Time45

Course: Entree Salad, Salad side dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: antipasti, tortellini

Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz fresh tortellini pasta filling of choice
3/4 cup chopped tomato or halved grape tomatoes
6 large bottled artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered
2/3 cup bottled lupini beans, rinsed and drained, popped out of the peels
1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup sliced Kalamata olives
1/3 cup sliced red onion
2 cups fresh arugula, packed
1/2 cup Manchego cheese, cubed into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup finely sliced fresh basil

Herbed Vinaigrette Dressing

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp finely ground pepper
1/2 tsp Chili flake
1/2 tsp each dry basil, oregano and dill

Instructions

Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing
Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss to coat.

Gingerbread

The apple doesn’t always fall near the tree. Take my proper mother and her decidedly less proper mother. Grandma owned a small brick ranch house in the little town nearest our farm, and I spent a great deal of time with her. She was the best antidote I had to the isolation of farm living. Grandma was my main confidante, listening to my childhood sob stories as though they were enthralling tales. (They were not.) She was the very image of the grandmother who goes above and beyond to spoil her granddaughter.

Grandma was, I suspect, a woman born far ahead of her time. She lived her life during times challenging to be a woman; but she devised clever ways to detour around the obstacles to her benefit. She was also my first role model of a single woman who lived happily and independently. Grandma had a lovely group of friends with whom she spent time chatting and playing cards. Watching her daily “story,” (aka soap opera) was top priority. She was wont to spout her thoughts openly, generously sprinkled with German curse words and colorful expressions. (My favorite of these has always been “well, shit and box it.”)

Unlike Mom, Grandma was not a cook. Don’t get me wrong, she had cooked her entire life for her family. She made a mean pot roast, with all the trimmings. But living alone, I suspect she was done with the whole cooking schtick. She embraced convenience foods as manna from heaven. A Sara Lee cheesecake lurked in her freezer at all times. While she would make or buy me any unhealthy dish my heart desired, I seldom saw her eat much herself. She appeared to survive to the age of 93 on coffee, cigarettes and a nightly bedtime tonic of gin. But there were a few family recipes that were hers, with a decided Amish influence.

Grandma would tell you that she was of German heritage. Recently, I’ve tracked her ancestry to Alsace Lorraine, an area which changed borders between France and Germany a number of times through history. Her great grandparents were born in Germany and died in France, without ever moving! Her grandfather came to the new world and married a woman from eastern Pennsylvania, home to a large Amish community, hence the recipes. One of my favorites is her gingerbread.

Grandma’s gingerbread was a frequent dessert on the farm. While light and spicy, I felt the recipe could benefit from a few swaps. It called for melting shortening in boiling water, but the shortening of Grandma’s era was full of trans fats, no longer on the market. Shortening still exists, but the trans fats have been replaced with saturated fats, not much of an improvement. I decided to use a touch of butter for flavor and oil for the remaining fat. A mix of half all purpose flour and half whole grain spelt flour wasn’t even noticeable in the finished cake. But the real surprise was the molasses. While Grandma and Mom both used the lightest grade of molasses, I had only blackstrap molasses in my cupboard. When I pulled the cake from the oven, it was a bit sunken in the middle, like a flourless chocolate cake. And indeed, this gingerbread had a deep, almost smoky essence of molasses, with a moist, fudgy crumb. It was both different and delicious.

This gingerbread is quick and easy to make, a good dessert to have in the recipe box. Make it to your taste with light, medium or blackstrap molasses. I like it served with lemon curd, but whipped cream and chocolate sauce are other possible toppings. But you might also find that it’s delicious served warm from the pan, just plain.

Print Recipe

Gingerbread

Deep dark gingerbread, redolent with the smoky essence of dark molasses, with a moist and fudge crumb.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time55

Course: Dessert

Keyword: cake, Molasses

Servings: 12

Ingredients

1/2 cup boiling water
2 tbsp butter
6 tbsp avocado oil
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole grain spelt flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8-inch around cake pan, or line with parchment paper.
Pour the boiling water over the butter to melt, then add the oil. allow to cool several minutes, then add the molasses, brown sugar and eggs. Beat well to combine.
In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring well to mix. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Calories: 157
Total Fat: 9.5 grams
Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
Cholesterol: 21 mg
Sodium: 245 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 30 grams
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 2.1 g

Hot Cross Buns

TBH, I’d planned my next post to present a vegetable side dish of broccoli. But yesterday the hot cross buns- Mom’s hot cross buns-emerged from the oven, all puffy and glistening, pushing all thoughts of broccoli right out of my head.

Easter on the farm was much like other religious holidays; 20% religion and 80% traditional cultural practices. You know, the fun stuff. My youthful priorities for the holiday were:

1. Wearing my new Easter outfit, if it was warm and dry enough. (It wasn’t.)

2. Running to check for the early arrival of the Easter Bunny. (Guaranteed.)

3. Eating hot cross buns for breakfast. (More than likely, yes.)

Actually, hot cross buns pre-date Christianity, originating in pagan religions. But they seemed such a fine fit for Good Friday, that they were co-opted as a symbol of Easter. But no matter how you view them historically, they remain a delicious holiday staple.

I have no idea where this recipe came from, simply a hand written recipe card with no credit given. But Mom’s hot cross buns were, and remain today, the best ones I have ever tasted, and I have tasted a few over the years. Beautifully risen, puffy and light, with just the proper amount of spice.

They are a bit of a splurge at our house, given the butter, white flour and icing. I will admit to trying to make them healthier in years past, but the quality is not the same and ultimately not worth it for a one time a year indulgence. This year I did have the remains of a bag of finely milled farro flour from my favorite local grains purveyor, Hayden Flour Mills. I blended the farro flour into my Sonoran white wheat for both flavor and color, but Mom used plain old all purpose flour, and that’s fine. And of course, I macerated the currents in brandy, of which Mom would not only approve, but would wonder why she didn’t think to do so herself…

Given the lateness of my inspiration, if you bake the buns it won’t be in time for Easter. But neither the holiday nor the buns will mind if they hit the table a bit late. I don’t think you’ll mind much, either.

Print Recipe

Hot Cross Buns

Puffy, tender sweet roll spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, with a criss-cross of vanilla icing.

Prep Time2 30

Cook Time20

Total Time2 50

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: English

Keyword: Easter

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 packet active dry yeast 1 packet is 2 1/4 teaspoons
1/4 cup very warm water
1/4 cup butter, unsalted
1/3 cup milk I use oat milk
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup currants, dried
1 tbsp brandy optional
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Icing

1 1/2 tbsp butter, unsalted room temperature
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
milk

Instructions

Sprinkle the yeast into the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Set aside to proof.
If using the brandy, mix into the currants and set aside to macerate.
Melt the butter, then stir in milk, sugar and salt, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cool, then stir into the yeast.
Beat the egg. Measure and reserve 1 tablespoon for brushing the buns before baking. Stir remaining egg into the yeast mixture, along with the currants.
Mix the flour with the spices. Add gradually to the yeast mix, adding just enough to make a soft dough. If additional is required, add by the tablespoon until the dough can be kneaded.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding only enough flour to keep from sticking. The mixing and kneading can be done using a strong mixer with dough hook.
Place the dough into a lightly buttered bowl, brush top with butter and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Turn out and divided evenly into 8 pieces. Shape each piece lightly into a ball. Place the balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and set aside to rise, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the risen rolls lightly with the reserved beaten egg.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and brown. Cover with a sheet of foil if the rolls are browning too quickly.
Remove rolls from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Beat the confectioner's sugar into the butter with the vanilla. Add milk by drops until spreadable consistency. Additional confectioner's sugar may be added as desired for a stiffer icing for piping. Spread or pipe onto the warm rolls.

Notes

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 256
Total Fat: 5.1 g
Saturated Fat: 2.6 g
Cholesterol: 55 mg
Sodium: 169 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 47.7 g
Fiber: 1.9 g
Total sugars: 19.8 g
Protein: 5.8 g

Farro Minestrone

“What should we have for dinner?”

For many, this is one of life’s toughest questions. With her well stocked freezer and pantry, my mom seemed to always know what we’d be eating, perhaps one day in advance. I never saw her write it down; she would simply get an item from the freezer to defrost each night. Once she returned to work, she left me with daily instructions for getting dinner started before she got home. But she was planning meals that revolved around the standard meat-starch-vegetable meal pattern. Easier than a plant based meal pattern.

No matter my meal pattern of the moment, I’ve always been a write-it-down person. When friends see my neatly scripted menu plans for the week, they either think I’m a genius or a nutcase! But an hour’s worth of planning time eliminates daiIy 5:00 pm anxiety, keeps the food waste to a minimum, and prevents those desperation “out to eat” days. (Well. Mostly.)

I have shelves packed tightly with cookbooks. Several of my favorites, particularly those of Mollie Katzen and Anna Thomas, include menus. While I might not prep those menus verbatim, they offer insights into how to combine mostly plants into satisfying meals. New winter meal patterns have become my go-tos: legumes and vegetables, soup and salad, stir-fries and curries, pasta and salad. And much like most folks’ classic meal rotations, I find that certain plant based dishes have become keepers, appearing relatively often.

Today’s Farro Minestrone fits that niche. The recipe includes a sofrito, broth and tomato base, with additional vegetables and cannellini beans. The nutty, chewy whole grain farro replaces the typical pasta. Dried mushrooms and smoked paprika provide umami, along with an optional stealth ingredient, a piece of parmesan cheese rind. The hardened cheese rind becomes soft and melty with slow simmering. Once softened, the rind can be removed or chopped into small pieces and aded back into the soup. If the cheese is omitted, the recipe is vegan. (I pretty obviously wouldn’t do this…) But it’s all about personal preference.

I once had a much younger, tech savvy friend inform me that I was sitting on a gold mine; that people would buy my menu plans. Sure enough, menu planning services have popped up online-for a fee, of course. I missed the chance to laugh my way to the bank…so in adding a Menus page to my blog, I’m offering up a freebie. The inaugural edition features cool weather menus. There are countless ways in which to eat a plant based diet, but this will give you a peek into how we do it at our house.

No matter how you figure your menus, slot this soup into one of your evening meals. I think it’s a keeper.

Hearty, satisfying Italian soup with farro, beans and porcini and parmesan.

Print Recipe

Farro Minestrone

Hearty, satisfying Italian style soup with farro, cannellini beans, porcini mushroom and parmesan.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1

Total Time2

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: farro, minestrone, soup

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1/2 ounce dried Porcini mushroom
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 medium piece Parmesan cheese rind
1 quart broth or stock vegetable or chicken
3/4 cup whole grain farro
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium zucchini, cut into small cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped plus extra for garnish

Instructions

Place the dried Porcini mushrooms in a medium bowl. Cover with 1 1/4 cups boiling water and set aside to hydrate.
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Stir in the onion, carrots and celery and cook for several minutes to soften. Add the seasonings, broth, farro and cheese rind. 1/2 teaspoon of salt can be added at this point, depending on the saltiness of the broth being used. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Simmer for approximately 45 minutes, or until farro is tender.
Add tomatoes with their juices, drained beans and zucchini. Drain the mushrooms, adding the mushroom broth to the pot. Chop the mushrooms and add to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes, until zucchini is tender. Stir in the parsley and balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fish out the cheese rind and either chop finely to return to soup, or omit.
Serve, topped with extra chopped parsley sprinkled on top.

Notes

Nutrition Facts
Calories per serving 320
Total Fat 18 g; saturated fat 3.5 g
Cholesterol 6 mg
Sodium 310 mg
Total Carbohydrate 29 g; fiber 8.5 g; tota sugars 3 g
Protein 11.3 g