HOUSEHOLD NOTES September 2010

Quick - pass the cheese

Edited by Anne Gray
This time of year we are all running fast, almost as fast as the season. We like to have food in a hurry, but not fast food. With that in mind, we offer a variety of easy recipes. No muss, hardly any fuss or pots to clean, and good protein-rich dishes to keep us going from dawn till dark.
These recipes come from our home kitchen, and from friends and coworkers. Many of them are adaptations of something we have had somewhere at some time, but our tastes and our timing have helped form the derivations we use now.

CHICK PEA SALAD

2 cups cooked chick peas
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper

Combine all the ingredients and toss. Chill for two hours before serving. Adjust seasoning just before serving.

CHEESE DIP OR TOPPING
"This works well on crackers, pita, or on pasta for a quick meal."

2 8-ounce packages fat free cream cheese, softened
1 8-ounce package regular or low fat feta cheese, crumbled
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

Blend the cream cheese, feta, garlic, and chopped dill with an electric mixer. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

PEAR SALAD

lettuce
soft pear (cubed) and/or blueberries
purple onion
walnuts
feta cheese
Dressing:
1/3 cup of raspberry vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons raw sugar
2 tablespoons mint leaves

Combine the salad ingredients. Toss with the dressing just before serving. Garnish with whole mint leaves.

DOLMADES
"The best dolmades are small, wrapped tight, and without too much wrapping."

50 vine leaves
2 cups stock
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup rice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 onions, chopped fine
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 tablespoon mint, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil and fry the onions until translucent. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, about five minutes. Add the boiling water, one tablespoon of the tomato puree, and the pine nuts. Stir well, cover, and simmer over low heat until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked. Add the mint and sugar.
Cool in the pan before using.
Rinse the leaves in hot water, then lay out in a single layer. Select the entire, and best-shaped leaves. Place about one tablespoon of filling on a leaf. Roll the leaf into a neat little sausage shape, finishing about two inches long and one inch wide. Fold in the edges of the leaf as you roll.
Pour a small amount of the stock into a heavy-bottomed pan. Place a layer of the broken and imperfect leaves in the pan. Put the dolmades in the pan, placing them close together to prevent moving while they cook. Put all in the pan, putting broken leaves between each layer.
Add the stock, puree, and lemon juice. Cover the dolmades with a plate to prevent them from moving, and cover the pan with a lid. Cook very slowly for two hours.
Leave the dolmades in the pan until quite cold. Remove them carefully and place on a platter. Refrigerate, or store in a cold place until serving, preferably at least the next day. These will keep in a refrigerator for up to a week, but they rarely last that long.
Serve cold, without a sauce.

VEGETABLE PIE
"This is like a quiche without the crust."

1 teaspoon butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
2 cups zucchini, thin sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2 tablespoons parsley
5 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups spinach, chopped
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are tender, Add the zucchini and saute, stirring often, for five minutes.
Combine all the other ingredients and mix well. Stir in the cooked vegetables, Spoon the mixture into a lightly oiled nine-inch pie plate. Bake at 325 degree F for about 30 minutes, or until set, but still moist.
Serve hot or cold. You can use Swiss chard instead of spinach.

ALMOND TORTE
"This torte is wonderfully easy, quick, and gluten free to boot. We serve it with whatever fruit or berries we have on hand."

2 tablespoons rice flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup ground almonds
fruit
sugar
whipped cream

Mix together the flour and baking powder. Beat the eggs, then add the sugar and beat until creamy and light colored. Add the ground almonds and mix well. Stir in the flour mixture. Line a 9-inch spring form pan with greased parchment or waxed paper. Pour in the batter and bake at 350 degree F for 20 minutes.
When cool, serve with seasonal sliced fruit of your choice, lightly sugared, and with a bit if liqueur if you wish. Add a dollop of whipped cream to each serving.

BREAD EXCHANGE

PARMESAN BREAD
Y. MacDonald, Sydney, N.S.

1 package (1 tablespoon) dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup softened butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Soften the yeast in the warm water. Add the warm milk.
Mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse meal. Add the yeast/milk mixture and the egg. Mix well. Dough will be stiff. Stir in the cheese and parsley.
Turn into a greased 8 1/2" round (approximately) pan. Cover with greased paper and a damp cloth. Let rise about one hour. Bake in a 350 degree-375 degree F oven for about 20-25 minutes.
Note: I used chopped fresh parsley but you can also use frozen or dried. I bake mine at 350 degree F for 25 minutes.


Mail your recipes, household hints, and requests to Household Notes, care of Rural Delivery, Box 1509, Liverpool, NS B0T 1K0.