Demetri's Amazing Lentil Soup

1 cup red lentils
1 yellow onion
2 stalks celery
2 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp curry
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 TBSP maple syrup

Caramelize the onions and celery in olive oil and a bit of butter
Add all spices in with the onions and celery the last few minutes of cooking
Add remaining ingredients, brig to a boil, then simmer
Add maple syrup just before ready to serve

Georgina's '32 Hour' Spare Ribs

12 pork spareribs

Sauce*: 

1 cup sharp apple juice

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tbs veg oil (I used sunflower)

2 tbs coconut aminos (or soy sauce)

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

6 peeled garlic cloves

1) Put ribs in a large freezer bag or bowl

2) Add all the remaining ingredients, squelching or tossing everything together and then seal or cover.

3) Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight or up to two days - we prefer 32 hours ;)

4) Take dish out of fridge and preheat the oven to 400F

5) Pour all the contents of bag/bowl into large roasting pans. Make sure chicken is skin side up if doing chicken.   I prefer a large pan that gives ribs plenty of room.    

6)Cook for about 1 hour (sometimes it takes 1.5 hours)   Turn if finishing in oven.    Pull from oven without turning if finishing off on grill.

Everything should be sticky and glossed chestnut brown when done. 

* The recipe I usually do also has 12 chicken thighs skin and bone still on.   When I do the chicken I double the sauce ingredients above.   

Quinoa Summer Salad

(Makes about 6 cups)

• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup quinoa
• 4 cups vegetables or fruits (e.g. cucumber, tomato, peppers, mushroom, broccoli, zuchini, beans, peas, corn, squash
• 1/2 cup red onion, minced
• 2 TB lemon juice (not)
• 1 TB wine vinegar
• 3 1/2 TB olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 3 TB sliced almonds toasted
• 1/2 cup parsley or cilantro

Cook quinoa then put the other stuff in.

My Mom's Most Amazing Blueberry Cream Pie

Zoey is a big talker. She often talks so much during meals that we have to tell her to stop talking and put food in her mouth. Then Demetri and I have to have a rapid and forced conversation that will not allow to get a word in edgewise. You know, so she will chew and swallow. When my mom served this pie Zoey was completely silent. She ate her entire piece without saying anything. After her last swallow, she smacked her lips and said, "Gramme, this is the best pie you made in your life!" And I have to agree. 

Ingredients:

• Dry pint of blueberries… ¾ for filling and ¼ for decoration
• ½ C sugar
• 5 TBS cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 Cups milk
• 1 slightly beaten egg
• ½ C or more of Cool Whip/Whipped Cream
• ½ tsp of almond
• Graham Cracker crust

Directions:

1.     Put first 3 ingredients in pot
2.     Add milk, constantly whisking until boiling
3.      Lower temp and keep whisking until thick
4.      Add small amount of mixture too slightly beaten egg
5.      Return egg mixture to pot
6.      Continue stirring until it boils again
7.      Take off burner and let cool… 15/20 minutes
8.       Put in fridge to cool off
9.       Once cool, beat well then add almond, Cool Whip, and blueberries
10.     Arrange in pie shell, decorate, put in fridge to set

Chewy molasses spice cookies

These are so stinkin' good.  Even Charlotte says so.  (Side note-- maybe I should reconsider the phrases I use because they sound pretty weird parroted back to me by a four-year-old.)  I made the rookie mistake of running out of chocolate chips (my go-to baking ingredient and main bribery tool for the kids) so I had to resort to a non-chocolate chip-based cookie for this afternoon's baking activity.  I set the kids up playing "car wash" . . .

. . . and whipped up the dough.  I was ALMOST done with them before Charlotte finally wandered over and demanded to help roll the balls in the sugar.  Curses, foiled again.  Yes, I think it's important to let her help in the kitchen, but it sure does muck up the works sometimes.  Anyway, we finished the cookies without incident and both kids actually like them (which is huge, because they usually don't like anything other than chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies drowning in frosting).

Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butted, softened

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put 1/2 cup sugar in a shallow bowl and set it aside for later.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

3.  Beat the butter and 1 cup of sugar with a mixer until combined.  Beat in egg and then molasses until combined.  Gradually add the dry ingredients until a dough forms.

4.  Roll the dough into balls the size of a rounded tablespoon.  Roll each ball in the reserved sugar to coat.

5.  Place balls three inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake (one sheet at a time -- this is important according to the original recipe) 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are firm.  The middles will look totally undone, but don't bake them any longer or else they will taste burnt.  Cool 1 minute on the baking sheet before transferring the cookies to racks to cool completely.  

Lindy's Hobbit Eggs

I recently reconnected with my BFF from middle school, Lindy, via facebook. She claims she isn't a chef, but I suspect she actually is. I made four of these the same day she posted it, intending to eat one and save the others for Zoey's breakfasts. I ate two and had to restrain myself from eating a third. SO GOOD. I didn't add the cream because we didn't have any and it still was amazing. 

To make, spray a muffin tin or a 1 cup ramekin with cooking spray, line with a slice of your favorite kind of ham, crack an egg or two into it, top with a bit o cream, some cheese and maybe some veggies if you have room. S/P and bake at 350 for 20 min (muffin tin) or 30 min (ramekin). Finish with a bit of freshly grated nutmeg and serve with brioche or buttered toast.

Carrie's Stupendous Spinach Stuffed Shells

1 box Jumbo pasta shells, cooked al dente, cooled

1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, broccoli or kale (10 oz), thawed and drained

1 Tbs. butter or olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 c. fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 tsp. each of oregano & basil, dried

¾ tsp. salt

1 Tbs. flour

¾ c. milk

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

½ c. parmesan cheese, grated

1 jar of tomato sauce

Heat butter or oil in large skillet. Add garlic, onion, mushrooms, basil, oregano & salt. Saute until onion is soft & then add spinach. Stir to blend. Sprinkle with flour. Add milk; stir and heat to boiling. Cook until mixture thickens. Stir in shredded moz. Cheese and ¼ c. parmesan.

Fill pasta shells with rounded tsp. of mixture. Spread a spoonful or two of tomato sauce over bottom of 9x13 glass or metal pan. Place shells in pan in a single layer. Spoon sauce over shells and sprinkle remaining parmesan over them.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until heated through. Also good for freezing.

Enjoy!