A Few Recipes

July 2013 Blog

At last I have overcome my inertia in getting started with my blog. The purpose of doing this is to share some ideas and get some conversation going.  I have lots of interests and engage in many activities, so future topics will include: cooking and dining, literature and visual entertainment, music, wild nature spirituality, cooking and playing the didgeridoo, not in any order.  I haven’t told anyone about it yet, so have not been able to ask anyone if they would like to receive this, Therefore I am sending it to everyone I think would like it.  If you want to continue receiving this, please let me know.  If you do not want to receive it again, have a great day just get on with your life.

 

In this first issue, I want to talk about cooking, and offer two recipes for your consideration

                

                     Puttanesca Sauce

This is the easiest tomato sauce I have ever tried, and can be made in less than one hour.  I just love it with my favorite gluten free

Spaghetti, Schaar brand,  made with rice and corn flour.  Please try it someday and give me your feedback.  Do you think it can be used with anything other than spaghetti?

 

Puttanesca Sauce
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001

Prep Time:30 min  Prep Time: -- Cook Time:1 hr 0 min
Level:
--
Serves:
about 4 cups of sauce
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
6 cloves minced garlic
2 (28-ounce) cans Roma plum tomatoes, broken into pieces, with juice
1 cup tightly packed, pitted, and halved Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons minced anchovy fillets (about 8 fillets)
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed basil

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
Salt
1 pound penne pasta, cooked to al dente

Directions
In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and lightly caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients and simmer until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, about 40 minutes. Adjust seasoning, to taste, cover and set aside. Add penne pasta to the pan and toss for 1 minute.

Copyright 2012 Emeril Lagasse

As you can see this is from Emeril Lagasse, the famous Cajun chef.  The whole cup of Kalamata olives is too much for my taste.  I have reduced it to ¼ cup.  What do you think about that?

 

Gluten Free Scones

I am not sure where this recipe came from.  Perhaps from my daughter Kathryn Waggoner who has mentored my baking efforts.

 

Ingredients

 

2 & ½ cups almond flour

½ tsp baking soda

½  tsp salt

½ cup butter*

2 eggs

2 tbsp honey

½ to 1 cup berries etc.

Parchment paper

 

 

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 350

Mix flour, baking soda, berries and salt in medium bowl

Melt butter*  to low temp in bowl and beat in eggs, and honey

Add flour mix and mix till just combined

Form a scone balls, dust with almond flour, press and fold 2 times, then cut into eights

Bake 22 mins,  Turn off heat Raise baking pan to highest level of oven check every minute until scones are  a golden brown color.  I have also taken small batches of dough in hand, rolled and folded them and shaped to patty size and baked as above on parchment paper.

 

* Through an error in mixing, I omitted the butter, and the dough was dry and would not form properly, so I added a little bit of milk, and it turned out fine.  So I think this would be a legitimate modification of the recipe.