Spaghetti Sauce, by John Rietz

I don't measure when I make this, so proportions are inexact.

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (reserve 2 tablespoons for meatballs, if using my recipe)
• 1 green or (better yet) red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional, it makes the sauce pleasantly spicy)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup Italian herb blend
• 3 28-oz. cans of tomatoes or sauce (I really like Dei Fratelli brand tomato sauce--Busch's or Kroger, but not always available, for some reason)
• 1 4-oz. can of tomato paste (reserve 2 tablespoons for meatballs, if using my recipe)
• 3 or 4 tablespoons sugar

Brown onion, garlic, and peppers in olive oil.  Add remaining ingredients except for the salt.  Bring to boil on a medium heat, then reduce to simmer for 2 (at least) or 3 (best) hours, stirring occasionally.  If too thin, leave lid off for a while; if too thick, add a little red wine.  Salt to taste just before serving.  If you are making meatballs, add them at this point, including (if you dare) the pan drippings.

Joy of Cooking Italian Meatballs, by John Rietz

This recipe is halfway between what I made at Circle Pines and the actual Joy of Cooking Recipe

• 1 1/2 lb ground beef (or 3/4 lb each ground beef and pork)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
• 2 slices of bread, soaked in milk
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons dry red wine (optional)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine all ingredients by hand, form (by hand or spoon) into 1 1/2 inch balls on an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake @ 350 degrees F for thirty minutes.

Oma's Chicken Borscht

1 whole chicken
1 head cabbage, chopped
2-3 medium potatoes, diced
2 carrots
1 medium onion
2 c. tomatoes
salt and pepper
dill

Cook chicken.  Debone and return to broth.  Add veggies except tomatoes, and cook until done.  Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Just before serving, add 1 cup cream, salt, pepper, and dill.  Sometimes I add more chicken broth, depending on how thick it is.

No Knead Bread

This is from Mother Earth News.  It's an easy way to have fresh bread quick, and it's yummy!

Ingredients:
6 cups lukewarm water
3 t. (3 packets) yeast
3 T. coarse kosher sea salt
13 cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose flour
cornmeal

Directions:
1. Heat water to just above body temp.
2. Add yeast and salt to water in a lidded container (but not airtight)
3.  Mix in the flour by gently scooping it up and leveling off the measuring cup, but not patting it down.  Mix with wooden spoon, a dough attachment on a food processor, or a heavy-duty stand mixer with dough hook, until uniformly moist.  If mixing becomes too difficult, use wet hands to press together, but do not knead.
4. Loosely cover (not airtight).  Allow to rise at room temp until it begins to collapse or flatten on top (about 2 hours).  Longer rising doesn't hurt.

At this point, you can use any portion of the dough.  If refrigerated, it will be easier to work with.  It's best to refrigerate at least 3 hours before shaping a loaf.

5. Prepare pizza peel or cutting board by sprinkling with cornmeal.  Sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour, then cut off a 1-pound hunk (about the size of a grapefruit) with a serrated knife.  Hold it in your hands and add more flour until it doesn't stick to your hands.  Stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all sides.
6. Place the ball of dough on the pizza peel, and let it rest uncovered for about 40 minutes.
7. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 with baking stone on the middle rack.  Place  empty broiler tray for holding water on another shelf.
8. Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, and slash 1/4-in deep across the top.
9. Slide the loaf off the pizza peel and onto the baking stone.  Quickly and carefully pour about a acup of hot water into the broiler tray and close the oven door to trap the steam.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until browned and firm.  When you remove the bread, it will "sing" when exposed to room temperature (that's my favorite part).  Cool completely.
10. Refrigerate the remaining dough in the lidded (not airtight) container and use it in the next 2 weeks.  Time improves the flavor and texture of the bread.

When you want to make another loaf, begin with # 5 above, and you have quick, easy delicious bread!

If you'd like to read the article about this bread, which includes other ideas, it's here.

Savory Sweet Potato Hash - Katie

Ingredients:
About 5 sweet potatoes, diced and steamed until just starting to soften
1 large red onion, diced
3-4 cloves crushed garlic
1 red pepper, diced
3-4 cups corn
cumin
chili powder
salt

Toss all together with a little oil.  Saute in butter and season to taste.

Amounts are very variable.

Dangerously Delicious Vermont Maple Bread Pudding (Rachel and John)

8 large eggs
1 quart whipping cream
1 cup sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 one-pound loaf brioche or egg bread, torn into bite-sized pieces


Whisk eggs cream, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla in large bowl to
blend.  Add brioche; stir to coat.  Let stand at room at temperature for
one hour, stirring occasionally.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  Butter 13 X 9
X 2-inch baking dish.  Transfer bread mixture to prepared dish and bake
for 40 minutes or 40 years (whichever comes first); when done, a knife
inserted in the center comes out clean.

Penne with sausage and kale by Randy

1 lb. Penne rigate
2 bunches of kale, deribbed and cut into modest size pieces
Garlic (to your liking,  around 3-4 cloves for me)
Packaged soy sausage (can't recall the brand but all the gorceries carry it)
Parmesan cheese
Crushed red peppers if you like that sort of thing)

I wok the kale in olive oil (be generous, the oil keeps things moist) after quickly frying the garlic placed in the hot oil for about a minute. I stir over med-hi heat almost continuously for about 10-12 minutes, really until the kale is cooked but not wilty as I like my kale with some body. I salt and pepper as it cooks. Cook pasta as indicated. After done and just prior to adding sausage and kale I douse the cooked pasta with olive oil to keep separated. For the sausage, it comes in a somewhat gross sticky clump, so I cut it up  into chunks although it still adheres, and then sauté in olive and some garlic (sauté the garlic first for about a minute), continually breaking up the chunks into small pieces until cooked and slightly browned. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, top with generous portions of cheese and (if desired) crushed peppers. This is typically enough for 2 meals for our family.