Tracy's Living Cookbook

Whipped Ricotta

2024-07-08T11:59:00.000-04:00

We had this for dinner tonight and it was so very good! It would be excellent as a hearty appetizer also. Make sure you have the very best garlic toast, cut in big pieces, salty and garlicky, and crunchy.

The garlic toast is key!

Ricotta
Lemon zest
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper
1 T olive oil
A shake or two of dried thyme
Whip the above in your Cuisinart for a few minutes adjusting ingredients to taste
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, honey (don’t skimp) , pistachios, and some pretty green herbs…. I used parsley

Best Baked Tofu

2024-07-03T19:25:00.000-04:00

This is the absolute best way to use tofu! It’s chewy and flavorful, cheap and easy, versatile and healthy.

Use Nasoya brand organic super firm tofu if possible
Grate it with a box grater- your Cuisinart grater blade will create too much mush
Add 1C walnuts ground medium fine in the Cuisinart
Add 1-2 T tomato paste and about 1/2 cup water
Add other spices if you want (garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, taco seasonings, etc) Remember- tofu can handle lots of seasoning
Bake on parchment in 375 degrees for 20 minutes
Stir and flip around and continue this process until it’s browned and crispy.

Here you see a most delicious pita stuffed with baked grated tofu and a fake tzatziki sauce of ranch, dill and minced cukes.

Aunt Tracy’s Bean Bowl

2024-07-03T07:49:00.000-04:00

A revamped version of my favorite bean salad, Aunt Bebe’s Bean Bowl. Of course my Walmart had no wax beans (too fancy for Walmart?) which the original recipe calls for. I substituted canned beets and was pleasantly surprised! I could eat this stuff by the bowlful.

1 can green beans
1 can kidney beans
I can lima beans
1 can chick peas
1 can sliced beets
1 sweet onion sliced very thin
1/3 C sugar
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1/3 C vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Dissolve sugar in vinegar over low heat. Add oil, salt and pepper. Pour warm dressing over onions and bring to room temp. Add drained and rinsed beans. Salad is better the next day when it has had some time to marinate.

Stuffed Dates

2023-12-21T15:05:00.003-05:00

My wonderful neighbor gave me a huge amount of fresh dates. What a treasure! This is a recipe from an old Forks Over Knives magazine. If you tackle this recipe, I suggest working in small batches. Enjoy!

Chickpea, Lentil, and Roasted Veg Salad

2022-08-22T17:39:00.000-04:00

Simple, simple, simple. And nutritious! Serve room temp- no need to cool veg before tossing.

2 small yellow squash- cut in chick pea size
1/2 red onion, cut the same
Olive oil, garlic salt, pepper- broil the above till charred
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters
1/4 cup black lentils, cooked
Handful pumpkin seeds (a favorite ingredient of mine)
Dressing: 1/4 olive oil (best quality), 1/2 fresh lemon, 2T Parmesan, 1 t Dijon, 2 garlic cloves, 1 t apple cider vinegar

Isolation Bread Baking - Part 9

2020-05-09T09:20:00.000-04:00

Stay-at-Home # 12 Mustard and corn rolls from "The Handmade Loaf"

Into this little crack you drizzle a mustard glaze.

Very chewy and lots of flavor from the sour dough starter and the corn.

Isolation Bread Baking - Part 8

2020-05-08T08:31:00.000-04:00

Stay-at-home #11 Sour Dough

Oh, how I tried to create a sour dough by myself, but I got pretty discouraged and I hated using so much valuable flour to feed it every day. I don't know about your grocery, but we have literally NO flour anywhere in town. No frozen vegetables, no canned vegetables, no pasta, no rice, no paper products, no broth, no tomato soup, no yeast, no non-dairy milk.... I could go on.

After a week of trying to get a bubbly starter, I begged a cup off my neighbor and voila! You can see how healthy it is. Notice my scale? If you are going to bake bread, you should weigh everything in grams.

I won't bore you with the story about why one is perfect and one is burned.

We are lucky to have purchased a 50 pound bag of flour a few months ago when my guys started baking bagels and french bread. At the time, I thought they were crazy, but now I am so thankful to have it! We store the huge bag in a big air tight cooler, right in the middle of our kitchen!

This recipe is from Dan Lepard's "The Handmade Loaf." There was no kneading, just folding, turning, and lots and lots of resting and waiting. Literally, this bread took all day to make.

This sourdough loaf is from the King Arthur site. It's my new favorite bread. Slices well, and only took a few hours to make. I kneaded it in my stand mixer.

Food Photos - Part 2

2020-05-07T08:10:00.000-04:00

Potato Curry, Chana Masala, Mango salad

Stay-at-home # 10 Food Photos - Just photos, no comments. Delicious meals everywhere.

Stuffed potato skins

Baked tofu and pineapple rice

Grilled mushroom sandwich - my favorite way to eat a portobella

Isolation Bread Baking - Part 7

2020-05-06T17:27:00.000-04:00

Stay-at-Home #9 Challah Bread

I am getting lots of inspiration from King Arthur during these quarantine days. They are hosting great classes every Friday at 2:00 (eastern time zone) and watching them knead, shape, discuss, explain, teach, and coach the home baker has been so supportive! Plus, their recipes are 100% the best. No fuss, no fancy measurements, etc.

A few things I've learned from King Arthur: home bakers often don't let their dough fully ferment and rise completely....relax and allow the magic to happen! Don't rush!

I've also been convinced that using a scale to measure the dry and liquid ingredients is essential. I now weigh everything in grams.

Also - home bakers usually remove their bread too soon from the oven because they are afraid of an overly brown crust. And I think I was guilty of that on these challah loaves. Although they were absolutely delicious and perfect, they were a tiny, tiny bit weak in the middle..... I bet 5 more minutes in the oven would have solved that.

This was one serious dough - 6 eggs and 7 1/2 C flour. Lots of kneading and waiting. I'm proud of my kneading - not too bad considering it was my first time.

Food Photos - Part 1

2020-05-05T17:00:00.000-04:00

Indian

Stay-at-Home #8

.... cleaning out old photos from the computer ....just wanted to save these meals and share. No recipes, just pretty plates.

home made tamales

Asian tofu

black rice stuffed mushrooms

lentil shepherd's pie

gluten free canillini bean sausage, lemony polenta and lemony chick peas

Isolation Bread Baking - Part 6

2020-05-03T16:54:00.000-04:00

Stay-at-Home #7 (our stay at home has been extended to May 15)

Above you see Rice Bread from Dan Lepard's book "The Handmade Loaf." This would be a great loaf for a beginner baker - it was pretty much fool proof. It made the BEST garlic toast and grilled cheese! Oh, how I wish I had a Pullman pan for this loaf..... when the quarantine is over, and Amazon shipping is not so slow, I'm treating myself to this fun loaf pan. Check it out on the internet and see if you agree with me ..... I deserve it....right?

See the grains of cooked rice on top? Weird, but effective.

Isolation Bread Baking - Part 5

2020-05-01T16:42:00.000-04:00

Stay-at-Home #6

These are lentil rolls which tasted as unusual as they look. I found the recipe in "The Handmade Loaf" by Dan Lepard. I chose this recipe because it's one of the few in the book that doesn't call for a sourdough starter (more about sourdough later in this series of blog posts.) It calls for a bit of rye flour, but I swapped out white with no problems. I also used some great black lentils that were hidden in my pantry. (I used those in a black lentil soup that was so good!)

Because of the heaviness and moisture of the lentils, these did not rise much, but you can see that they still turned out surprisingly light.

These rolls were very hearty and chewy and a bit sweet which was nice. Perfect with a bowl of soup and some cheese. We ate them toasted for breakfast also.

Creamy Chickpea Curry

2020-04-29T12:50:00.000-04:00

Stay-at-Home #5

If we eat with our eyes, then feast on this colorful array. You probably have everything you need in your pantry. One trip to the grocery for some 'essential' cilantro and you're good to go.

Here's what you need:

1/2 large Vidalia onion, chopped

2 jalapenos, chopped (seeds are optional, I usually remove them)

1/2 C raw almonds (cashews would work here too)

5 Roma tomatoes, rough chop

1 t curry powder

1/4 t allspice

1 can coconut milk

1 can garbanzo beans

1 carrot, peeled and cubed

1 C frozen peas

large handful chopped cilantro

Here's what you do:

Saute the onions, peppers, and nuts in a bit of oil until the veg is soft. Look at that color!

Add tomatoes and spices and cook until tomatoes are soft. Blend all this well in a high speed blender. Return to the pan. Use the coconut milk to clean out the blender. Add the the milk to the pan to create your sauce.

Add the garbanzo beans and carrots and simmer until carrots are tender. Add peas and cilantro just before serving. Serve over rice or potatoes.

Isolation Bread Baking - Part 4

2020-04-27T11:40:00.000-04:00

Stay-at-Home #4

My current obsession: scouring Instagram for beautiful bread art. I am totally inspired and in love with these. The sky is the limit as far as decorations go - in fact I made a few with chocolate chips, fresh strawberries, and pecans. I used Peter Reinhart's famous 'Pain a l'Ancienne' recipe from "The Bread Baker's Apprentice," which made these more like vegetable pizza or chewy bread. Most bread art I've seen on Instagram has been with focaccia, so I need to try that also.

Warning: if you try this at home, be prepared to share the kitchen with everyone who will want to try their own designing. It's hard to stop!

Isolation Bread Baking - Part 3

2020-04-26T11:23:00.000-04:00

Stay-at-Home #3

The process of making English muffins is a bit time consuming, but as you can see, it's worth it. Especially if you eat them right out of the oven. I wish I could describe the crunch and chew of the crust. By the second day, they were not as satisfying to eat, maybe because they hardened and compacted a bit, but we choked them down.

They'd be difficult to make for breakfast because they need two 90 minute rises, plus kneading and resting times. They are fun to make though, because first you 'bake' them in a hot skillet, and then you pop them in a hot oven. You're supposed to wait 30 minutes before eating them, but that's not practical!

I made them a second time and served them with pea soup for lunch which was perfect. We were doing one of our many 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzles that day. Classic quarantine activities: puzzles and bread baking and soup.

I used the recipe found in Peter Reinhart's "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" and was not disappointed, although as with all of his recipes, it took some concentration to decode and apply the steps.

Isolation Bread Baking - Part 2

2020-04-25T11:08:00.000-04:00

Stay-at-Home #2

Homemade flour tortillas. Homemade flour tortillas. Homemade flour tortillas.

These beauties were from an on-line recipe.....just search around and choose the one with the 4,000 5 star reviews. Nothing difficult at all and the end result, as you can probably see, was excellent! Chewy and warm, we stuffed them with perfect avocado slices and hot sauce.

You'll need a cast iron skillet or other pan that can reach very high temperature. You'll also need a rolling pin. See that one on top, with the tiny fold? Try to avoid that. See the third one down, with the tiny bubbles? Try to attain that. My technique improved as the stack grew.

You could start these right now and they'd be ready for dinner. If your town is anything like my town during these days of hoarding, you can't buy tortillas anyway.

Isolation Bread Baking - Part 1

2020-04-24T10:43:00.001-04:00

Stay-at-Home #1

If I hear one more person say, "....during these unprecedented times....," or ".... we are all in this together.....," I will scream. Yes, we are experiencing a stay-at-home order, but why such drama? Must everything be such hyperbole?

I decided that when I'm not wallowing on my couch in pure boredom and frustration, I would learn how to make bread. And gain weight.

I started with a very easy recipe from Peter Reinhart's masterful cookbook "The Bread Baker's Apprentice". You can find the recipe on line or you can purchase the book for yourself. Warning: it's quite a serious cookbook including lots of scientific explanations and lengthy techniques, but I know you have time on your hands during these unprecedented times......

One major suggestion is to roll the dough two times as large as the recipe suggests. Reinhart calls for one sheet pan and it will easily roll to fit two sheet pans. You'll get a better, crispier cracker.

Here you see various seeds and paprika. Delicious. I also made a batch with Middle Eastern spices (curry, cumin, harissa, mustard seed, etc) and it was out of this world! Be sure to include black pepper and/or salt.

Red Lentil Soup with Pea Puree

2020-03-18T11:16:00.000-04:00

I never, ever, tire of soup. This one was created using stuff in my pantry, vegetable drawers, and freezer. I used harissa just for fun, but paprika would work here just as well.

1 C red lentils
4 C veggie broth
4 small Yukon potatoes, chopped
1 small onion and 3 garlic cloves sauteed in a drop of oil
2 carrots
1 red bell pepper
1 t harissa or paprika

Cook until soupy and whirl in a blender.

In the meantime:
1 C frozen peas
some basil and parsley
salt and pepper
1/4 C sour cream
2 T milk

high speed blender : add milk until it's pouring consistency.

Broiled Grapefruit

2020-03-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

I have been eating lots of red grapefruits this winter! They are such a treat in the dark months here in the north..... and with just a few minutes under the broiler, they become a super comforting breakfast. The cherry and brown sugar don't hurt either.

Separate the sections of the grapefruit with a sharp knife, (go around the circumference and also between all the pithy parts), sprinkle lightly with brown sugar, add a maraschino cherry for fun, broil for a few minutes.

Artichoke and Spinach Rolls with Lemon Bechamel

2020-03-11T10:49:00.000-04:00

There is a nice difference in presentation between regular lasagna and these lasagna rolls. It made the entire meal nicer somehow. However, I think this recipe would work fine in a more traditional lasagna presentation. Try it, and let me know :)

Here's what you need:
1 box lasagna
16 oz ricotta
3 14oz cans artichokes
1 C mozzarella
1/2 bag fresh spinach (about 3 oz)
4 C non-dairy milk (I used rice milk)
1/2 C fresh lemon juice
4 T butter
4-6 T flour (I used 6 because rice milk is a bit thin)

Here's what you do:
Cook the noodles according to the box. Rinse, drain, set aside.
Chop the artichokes and spinach. Mix veggies and cheeses together.
Working with one noodle at a time, place some filling down the center of the noodle. Roll up gently. Place in a greased casserole. Keep going until the filling is gone and the kitchen is a mess.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the flour all at once, whisking constantly until the flour has had a chance to cook and thicken a bit. Add the milk, whisking constantly. Add fresh lemon juice to taste, making sure this is a predominate flavor. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour sauce over the rolls and bake until bubbly. This will freeze well. So good and pretty simple even for a weeknight dinner.

Creamy Carrot Pasta

2020-03-08T13:58:00.000-04:00

Look at those amazing colors! You know when food is that vibrant it is going to be packed with flavor. You're looking at carrot puree, cashew cream, roasted garlic, and fresh sage leaves. Simple and delicious.

Here's what you need:
1 C carrot puree : Approximately 3 large carrots and 1 cut water in a high speed blender
1 head garlic
6 fresh sage leaves plus for more garnish
1 C vegetable broth
1/2 C raw cashews
1/2 C walnuts

Here's what you do:
Cut off about 1/4 inch of the top of the head of garlic and remove the loose outer skins. Wrap in tin foil and before sealing it, drizzle with olive oil. Close the bundle tightly. Roast 350 for about 45 minutes. When cool, squeeze the cloves out using a fork or other sharp instrument.
Make the carrot puree. Add it to a medium pot. Make the cashew cream by blending the nuts with about 1/2 C water. Add it to the carrot mixture. Add the garlic and sage leaves and simmer until thick, being sure to smash the garlic with a fork. Thin with the vegetable broth to taste. Remove the sage leaves after about 15 minutes.

Garnish with walnuts and fried sage leaves. (1/4 C oil, fry for 5 seconds, drain on paper towel)

Curried Brown Rice Salad

2020-03-05T13:33:00.000-05:00

A most delicious and unusual rice salad found in "The Abundance Diet" by Somer McCowan. I had to swap out a few ingredients, but this salad is full of flavor! This makes a super lot! Maybe cut the recipe in half for a more reasonable amount for your family meal.

Here's what you need:
4 C cooked and cooled brown rice (that's about 2 C raw rice)
4 ribs celery, diced 1/4 inch
2 carrots, diced 1/4 inch
1 red pepper, diced 1/2 inch
1 small bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 C roasted cashews
1/2 C cilantro, chopped
1/2 C dried cranberries

Dressing:
3 T white wine vinegar
2 t dried curry powder
1 t dried cumin
1/2 ground ginger
1/2 garlic powder
1 T peanut butter

Also add to the dressing 1/3 C date paste: 1/3 dates, 2/3 water, high speed blender.

layer by layer, row by row

2019-12-04T09:13:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for something special for a young person in your life? Now is the perfect time to own a copy of this little gem of a book (written by yours truly). The winter months are not down times for gardeners - we plan and dream and imagine our perfectly laid out rows and rows - harvesting colorful veg and feasting on the bounty of our labor.

As you can see, the focus of "Layer by Layer, Row by Row" is to get young people interested in gardening. The method presented was developed by my friend Pat Lanza, based on her book "Lasagna Gardening." My father-in-law and I decided to pare down Pat's method and together he and I created this charming book about a simple and effective way to garden. Perfect for kids of all ages, really!

You may purchase the book directly from Amazon or you may contact me at woodtracy3@gmail.com to purchase directly from me. ($12.00 covers the cost of the book, P&H)

Thanks so much and happy gardening!

Chiles Rellenos

2019-11-11T16:42:00.000-05:00

When the Hatch chiles came to town this summer, I really loaded up! I've got bags full in my freezer, and that's a good thing. I have used them in egg dishes, quesadillas, and refried beans. Lurking in the back of my 'recipe' mind, is a vegan white chili with a bunch of them. (I'm thinking white beans, potatoes, roasted corn, vegetable broth thickened with some cashew cream, and lots of chiles. I'll let you know!)

Hatch chiles come from a certain part of New Mexico and are available at only certain times of the year. They are not poblano and they are not anaheim; the medium ones are really not that spicy. And they are the perfect and classic pepper to use for a chile relleno.

My son and I were a little obsessed about our precious chiles when we got them in the house and we just had to try the rellenos! I'm not a great lover of fried food, but for these authentic rellenos, every splatter of grease and every calorie was worth it!

Here's what you need:
(I don't really have quantities. This was truly a free-form cooking event. I had a lot of help and encouragement from other bloggers and internet 'friends.')

Hatch chiles (roasted and peeled, seeds removed). I am sure other Mexican chiles would be good here as well.
Monterrey Jack cheese cut in strips
4 eggs separated
flour
4-5 fresh tomatoes, cored
2 garlic cloves
nutritional yeast (optional)
other seasonings

Here's what you do:
Boil the tomatoes with the skins on in enough water to cover for a while. Whirl them in a blender with the boiling water and with the garlic cloves, 2-3 T nutritional yeast (optional), and other spices to taste. Keep it a bit simple because you want the chiles to be the star of the show. Heat 2-3 T corn oil and add 2-3 T flour to create a roux. Add the tomato sauce and cook for about 1/2 hour or until the sauce is thickened. Set aside.

Slit the chiles lengthwise and remove seeds. Stuff them with cheese. Set aside.

Separate the eggs and whisk the whites until fluffy. Also whisk the yolks until creamy and light yellow. Add 2-3 T flour to the yolks. Carefully incorporate the whites into the yolks. Dip the stuffed chiles in the egg batter and fry carefully in hot oil.

That's it! It's really not too difficult! The hardest part is locating the Hatch chiles!

Creamy Spinach and Cauliflower Stuffed Shells

2019-11-07T05:22:00.001-05:00

Pasta shells can be stuffed with just about anything. A lentil meat crumble and tomato sauce would be good. Mushrooms and chestnuts sauteed and ground up would be great. Minced veg and mashed potatoes would even be good - kinda like a pirogi. A few years ago I created an excellent shell stuffed with cheese and artichokes and smothered in a lemon sauce. So good! (See my Lemon Artichoke Stuffed Shell recipe HERE)

NOTE: This is a double batch!

Today I made this ridiculous amount of shells stuffed with spinach and cauliflower, bound together with a thick creamy cashew sauce. Healthy and light and very nice on a blustery November evening.

Here's what you need:
1 box jumbo pasta shells
2 x 12 oz bags frozen cauliflower - defrosted
3-4 oz fresh spinach (3 big handfuls)
1 t miso paste
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 C non-dairy milk
2 T cornstarch
1/2 C raw cashews
1 C water
32 oz marinara sauce
salt, pepper, dried basil

Here's what you do:
Start by chopping the onions and garlic. Saute the onions in a small bit of oil until soft and translucent. Add the garlic toward the end, being sure not to brown the garlic. Add the miso and incorporate it well. Set aside.

Working in small batches, process the cauliflower, spinach, and sauteed veg in a food processor. Season with salt, pepper, dried basil. Mix well and set aside.

Whirl the cashews and water in a high speed blender to create a cream. Thicken the cream over low heat. Whisk the corn starch into the milk and add it to the cashew cream. Whisk constantly until quite thick. Add this cream mixture into the spinach-cauliflower mixture. Season appropriately.

Cook the shells until just al dente and fill them with the lovely mixture. Place the shells in a 9x13 and bake until bubbly.