Short Plank Potatoes (serves 1-2)

This is a variation of the Potatoes Poupon recipe which I've had in my collection for at least a decade. Not wanting to make 8 servings nor having red potatoes in the house, I chose to scale down the recipe and use the yellow flesh potatoes I had in the house. The end result was something which tasted like a french fry without the salt which was completely consumed within one hour of being removed from the oven. 

 

Short Plank Potatoes 

 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
2 ½ tablespoons deli or brown mustard 
½ teaspoon minced garlic 
¼ teaspoon italian seasoning 
1 pound yellow flesh potatoes such as yukon gold washed and eyes poked out 
 

1) Place oven rack on middle rung. 
 

2) In a medium bowl combine olive oil, mustard, garlic and italian seasoning. 
3) Slice potatoes into planks approximately ¼-inch wide, 1 ½-inch long and 1/8-inch thick. The key is to have the planks all about the same size. 
4) Toss potato planks in oil-mustard mixture until most are evenly coated. 
 

5) Place potato planks in single layer on a cookie sheet. If all planks don't fit, that's okay. If possible, place larger planks on outside of cookie sheet and smaller pieces inside as this will help with even cooking. Lightly spread small amount of oil-mustard mixture over any potato plank not coated. 
6) Bake in 425 degree farenheit oven for 10 – 20 minutes or until majority pieces are lightly browned. 
7) Remove from oven. Cool for 5 minutes and move to serving dish. 
8) Repeat steps 5 – 7 as many times as needed. 

 
9) Store any leftovers (if there are any) in airtight container in refrigerator. 

 Short Plank Potatoes ready to be served

One Oven Roasted Dumpling Squash

Several years back the farm from which I buy most of my local produce didn't grow any delicata squash as they were unable to get the seeds. Wanting to support the farm and not in the mood to go elsewhere for delicata squash, I bought several dumpling squashes. 

 

Dumpling Squash also known as Sweet Dumpling Squash is a winter squash that looks like a miniature pumpkin with yellow, green and orange striping. When cooked, the skin is edible. This is a variation on my Oven Roasted Delicata Squash recipe requiring one dumpling squash and can be easily doubled or tripled. 

 

One Oven Roasted Dumpling Squash (makes about 3 ½ – 4 cups cooked squash) 

 

1 dumpling squash washed and dried (about 3 ½ – 4 cups)

1/4 cup olive oil or canola oil 

1 ½ teaspoon onion powder 

1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder 

 

1. Place oven rack on middle rung. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. 

 

2. Pierce squash with knife in several places. Place squash on microwave safe dish or paper towel and microwave on high for 3 – 7 minutes or until squash feels warm to the touch. 

 

3. Dice squash into ½ inch cubes, removing seeds and stem in the process. 

 

4. In a large bowl, combine squash, oil, onion powder and garlic powder. 

 

5. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil, tucking in ends. 

 

6. Place squash on cookie sheet, close together but no higher than one layer deep. 

 

7. Place squash in oven on middle rack. Cook for 30-45 minutes or until largest pieces are easily split with fork.  Serve or cool and store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 

 

8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 as many times as needed.  

Dumpling Squash ready to be cooked

Applesauce Nut Bread (makes one 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ – inch loaf)

On a recent perusal through my revised 13th edition of The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, I came across this recipe in the quick breads section. I made it once several years ago finding it quick to make as well as another way to use homemade applesauce. 

 

Applesauce Nut Bread 

 

½ cup shortening 

¼ cup sugar 

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 cups white flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 

1 cup applesauce 

¾ cup chopped walnuts 

 

Place oven rack in middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Butter or grease loaf pan or set aside non-stick loaf pan. 

 

 In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla extract to sugar mixture and mix well. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg to batter and stir well to blend. Stir applesauce and walnuts into the batter. 

 

Pour batter into loaf pan and bake 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Remove bread from pan and cool on rack for at least 5-10 minutes before serving. Store any leftovers in air-tight container.

No Mayonnaise Tuna Salad for One

This recipe is roughly based on the “Salad Nicoise” recipe in my 13th edition of the Fanny Farmer Cookbook. It's egg-free, dairy-free, anchovy-free, can be mixed in the serving bowl to cut down on the number of dishes to clean afterwards and can be easily doubled to serve two. Using a slightly warm potato gives salad a creamy mouth feel. 

 

1 tablespoon vinegar (red wine vinegar recommended) 

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 

¼ teaspoon table salt or 1/16 (pinch) kosher salt (optional)

1/8 - ¼ teaspoon minced garlic 

¼ cup olive oil 

 

1 – 1 ½ cup salad greens (i.e. romaine lettuce, baby spinach, ready to serve salad mix) 

1/3 cup or half of 4 – 5 ounce can tuna fish, drained 

1 small potato or 1 hash brown cooked and diced, slightly warm if possible 

4 black olives 

 

In serving bowl mix the vinegar, pepper, salt (if using) and garlic. Let stand one minute. Stir in olive oil. Add salad greens and toss until coated with dressing. Add tuna fish, potato and olives. Gently toss. Serve. 

 

 

Salad with baby spinach, hash brown, 

tuna and pitted kalamata olives 

ready to serve

 

Toasted Tuna and Tomato Triangles with cheddar cheese

Toasted Tuna and Tomato Triangles with cheddar cheese As with the Ginger Cake and Cucumber Sandwich recipes, this is also from “The Book of Afternoon Tea” by Lesley Mackey. 

 

Toasted Tuna and Tomato Triangles (makes 8 triangles) 

1 (5 ounce) can tuna 

3 medium-sized tomatoes washed and patted dry 

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

4 slices bread 

Butter, softened 

 

1) Place oven rack on middle rung setting. 

2) Preheat oven to 400 degrees farenheit. 

3) Drain tuna. Into a bowl, place tuna and flake. 

 

4) Slice tomatoes. 

5) Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Place buttered sides down on a baking sheet. 

 

6) Spread tuna over bread. Arrange tomato slices on top and cover with cheddar cheese. 

 

7) Bake in pre-heated 400 degree farenheit oven 8-10 minutes, until bubbling. 

 

8) Remove from oven, cool 1 minute, then cut each slice of bread across into 2 triangles. 

 

9) Serve hot.

Cold brew iced tea using teabags (makes 1 pint or 16 ounces)

One of my favorite summer time drinks is iced tea made with tea. As a child, my mother would buy instant iced tea mix which I could not acquire a taste for.

Several years ago, I decided to learn how to make iced tea using tea, not an instant iced tea mix. I found many recipes in my research and settled on this variation from epicurious website using empty pint-size glass jars with lids which have been cleaned. 
 
1 tea bag
16 ounces or 1 pint water either cold or at room temperature 
Lemon juice, optional
Sugar, optional

Place tea bag in cleaned empty pint-size glass jar. Pour water into jar covering tea bag. Affix lid to jar and place in refrigerator for at least 1 ½ hours.

Remove jar from refrigerator. Pour tea into glass or serving pitcher, diluting with water and adding lemon juice or sugar to taste, if desired. 

 

On left: jar ready to be put in refrigerator for cold brew tea. 

On right: cold brew tea ready to be served. 

Cucumber Sandwiches

This is a variation of the Cucumber and Dill Hearts recipe from “The Book of Afternoon Tea” by Lesley Mackey.

 

Cucumber Sandwiches

¼ cucumber washed and dried (optional to peel)

½ teaspoon red wine vinegar 

½ teaspoon table salt

3 tablespoons butter, softened

4 slices white bread

Pepper

1) Cut cucumber into paper thin slices. Place in a colander and sprinkle with vinegar and salt. Let sit for 30 minutes.

2) Pat cucumber dry on paper towles.

3) Butter bread.

4) Arrange cucumber slices on buttered sides of 2 bread slices. Season cucumber with pepper.

5) Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side down. Gently press together.

6) Cut each sandwich into either 4 triangles or rectangles.

Cucumber Sandwiches ready to be eaten

Ginger Cake

 
I was recently going through my copy of “The Book of Afternoon Tea”by Lesley Mackey and found the page for this recipe dog-earred with hand written notations around the recipe which means the ginger cake recipe provide here is a varation.


Ginger Cake

½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
5 teaspoons light corn syrup
4 teaspoon applesauce
5 teaspoons milk
pinch molasses
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon baking powder
pinch allspice


1) Place oven rack on middle rung setting.

2) Preheat oven to 325 degrees farenheit. 

3) Grease an 11-inch by 7-inch or 8-inch square baking pan and line with waxed paper.

4) In a large bowl, cream butter or margarine and sugar. Beat in eggs, syrup, applesauce, milk, molasses. Add flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, allspice and beat until well mixed.

5) Pour batter into pan and bake 45 – 50 minutes or until well risen and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

6) Cool in pan 30 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

“Crunchy” Granola Bars or What to do with One (or half) Ripe Banana

 This is another “What to do with One Ripe Banana” recipe which is a blending of my OneBanana Oat Cookie recipe with my Pecan Cranberry Granola recipe and an attempt to make a crunchy granola bar. This recipe can be used to make “loose” granola if you prefer or halved if all you have is half a banana.

Whole (one banana) recipe (makes about 20 bars)

1 ripe banana, mashed

3 cups quick cook old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups raw sunflower seeds

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts or chopped pecans or chopped almonds

3/4 cup pure maple syrup, preferably grade B or organic agave nectar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)

1) Place oven rack on middle run setting.

2) Preheat oven to 300 degrees farenheit.

3) Place the oats, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, nuts, salt, cinnamon, ginger (optional), turmeric (optional) in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.

4) Add the mashed banana, olive oil, maple syrup or agave nectar. Mix until dry ingredients are coated. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes before moving to next step.

5) If making crunchy granola bars shape into bars about 4 ½ inches long by 1 inch wide by 1/8 inch tall on medium- to large-size non-stick cookie sheet. If making “loose” granola spread mixture in an even layer on a medium- to large-size cookie sheet.

6) Bake 30-55 minutes until granola bars are toasty dark brown on the edges. If making “loose” granola, bake 30-55 minutes until a golden to toasty bown.

7) Remove granola from oven and let cool completely on cookie sheet. 

8) Store granola in airtight container. 

Half (one half banana) recipe (makes about 10 bars)

1/2 ripe banana, mashed

1 1/2 cups quick cook old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cups raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chopped pecans or chopped almonds

3/8 cup pure maple syrup, preferably grade B or organic agave nectar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)

1) Place oven rack on middle run setting.

2) Preheat oven to 300 degrees farenheit.

3) Place the oats, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, nuts, salt, cinnamon, ginger (optional), turmeric (optional) in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.

4) Add the mashed banana, olive oil, maple syrup or agave nectar. Mix until dry ingredients are coated. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes before moving to next step.

5) If making crunchy granola bars shape into bars about 4 ½ inches long by 1 inch wide by 1/8 inch tall on medium- to large-size non-stick cookie sheet. If making “loose” granola spread mixture in an even layer on a medium- to large-size cookie sheet.

6) Bake 25-45 minutes until granola bars are toasty dark brown on the edges. If making “loose” granola, bake 25-45 minutes until a golden to toasty bown.

7) Remove granola from oven and let cool completely on cookie sheet. 

8) Store granola in airtight container. 

Crunchy Granola Bars Cooling on Cookie Sheet

Peanut Butter Criss Crosses

I originally learned this recipe from my mother's “Better Home and Garden” cookbook which was a five-ring binder, 8 ½ inch by 11 inch hardcover meant to be used.  It always easy to know which recipes were used frequently as their pages are dotted with stains, partially or entirely missing from this cookbook.  The latter is the case with this recipe.  I'm not surprised the page is missing from this recipe book as there was time when I knew this recipe by heart.  Thankfully, the paperback version of this same cookbook which I acquired in 1995 contains this recipe.  

½ cup (1 stick) butter softened/at room temperature 
½ cup sugar 
1/2 cup brown sugar 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 egg
½ cup peanut butter 
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour plus 1-2 extra tablespoons for making criss cross 
½ teaspoon baking soda  
½ teaspoon baking powder   

Place oven rack on middle run setting. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit.  

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until blended.  Add egg and vanilla extract. Mix.  Add peanut butter.  Mix.  Add flour, baking soda and baking powder.  Mix.  

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto non-stick cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  

To make criss cross design put 1-2 tablespoons flour on a small plate.  Gently tap back of fork tines against dough to prepare fork for first time use.  

Gently dip back of fork tines in flour to coat as this will keep dough from sticking to fork as you make criss cross.  Partially flatten rounded teaspoon of dough with back of fork in one direction and then the opposite to make the criss cross.  Repeat until all teaspoons of dough on cookie sheet complete.  

Bake in oven for 7 – 9 minutes or until bottoms appear lightly browned.  

Cool cookies on wire rack.  

Irish Oatmeal Muffin or Bread (makes 24 muffins or 4 mini loaves)

On recent perusal through my revised 13^th edition of The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, I came across this recipe in the muffin section. Not being in the mood to bake 24 muffins but needing to use up 2 cups of milk before it spoiled I chose to make mini-loaves of bread with the intention of freezing one or two of the loaves for later.

This recipe requires soaking of rolled oats for according to my Fanny Farmer Cookbook, “The Irish cook their oatmeal all night long for a rich and creamy effect. These muffins take on that same flavor from soaking the oatmeal overnight in buttermilk.”

I found the end result to be perfect for toasting and topping with butter, maple syrup, applesauce or strawberry jam. Needless to say, none of the 4 mini loaves made it to the freezer.

Irish Oatmeal Muffin or Bread

2 cups buttermilk or 2 tablespoons lemon juice and scant 2 cups milk
1 cup rolled oats
2 eggs
½ – ¾ cup dark-brown sugar (if you like your muffins sweet, use the larger amount)
1 2/3 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt or ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

 

In a large bowl combine the oats with the buttermilk or lemon juice and milk. Stir well. Cover. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight before mixing and baking the muffins.

Place oven rack in middle position. Preheat oven to 400 degrees farenheit. Line with paper liners or grease two 12-cup muffin tins if making muffins. If making mini-loaves, set aside 4 non-stick mini-loaf pans.

Remove milk-oatmeal mixture from refrigerator. Add eggs to this mixture and gently beat. Gradually add sugar and gently beat until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, salt and oil. Beat until batter well blended.

If making muffins, fill muffin tins about three-quarters full with batter and bake for about 20 minutes. Start testing for doneness after 15 minutes. Remove muffins from the cups and cool on racks or serve hot.

If making mini-loaves, fill pans three-quarters full with batter. Place pans on a cookie sheet and bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. The cookie sheet is to catch any of the batter in the event it bakes over the top of a pan. Remove pans from oven, loaves from pan and cool on rack for at least five minutes before serving.

Store any leftovers in air-tight container. 

 

Two mini loaves done 

and 

cooling on rack

Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing or Dip

 
On a shopping trip many months ago, I bought Tuscan (Lacinato, Dinosaur) Kale with the goal of making kale krisps. I don't recall if this kale ever became kale krisps but it got my mind thinking what these greens would taste like with a caesar salad dressing since I've used them making a salad with roasted butternut squash and red onions topped with creamy dairy-free sunflower seed olive oil dressing.

This thought set me on a quest to find a caesar salad dressing I could made home which would be dairy, egg and anchovy free. After reading a lot of recipes I settled on this one which is a slight variation from one which appeared in the June 2018 issue of Yoga Journal. Omit the water from this recipe and you've got a dip for crackers, apples, raw carrots, cucumbers.


Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing or Dip

½ cup raw pumpkin seeds or raw sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon table salt or ¾ tsp kosher salt (optional)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
water, if needed or desired to thin recipe (skip if making this as a dip)

Place pumpkin or sunflower seeds, tahini, olive oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, vinegar, black pepper and salt (if using) into a blender or food processor.

If using a blender, pulse on low a few times, then blend on high for one minute. If making as a salad dressing add water one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.

If using a food processor, pulse several times until ingredients begin to blend and then mixed until fully blended. If making as a salad dressing add water one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.

If making as a salad dressing, pour dressing over salad and toss. 

If making as a dip serve with crackers, apples, raw carrots, cucumbers.

Refrigerate unused portion in an airtight container. 

                                    Vegan Caesar Salad Dip 
                                        ready to be served