#delicious spiced potato mixture

[justporo]

A Night of Staying In

After all the doom and gloom in other writing I really needed some cutesy fluff to feel myself again - and also to give Astarion and Tav a break.

Summary: So have Tav and Astarion just enjoying a cozy night in - also Astarion gets a carrot hurled at his face.

Pairing: Astarion/GN!Tav Warnings: Mention of sex, a carrot gets thrown and then murdered Wordcount: 2,2k

Delicious smells of slowly cooking meats and vegetables, spices and a forgotten mint tea were wafting through the kitchen of your cozy little townhouse.

You were bustling around the well-equipped kitchen. The apron you were wearing was full of stains and its pockets full of cooking utensils – even a half-full spoon absent-mindedly tugged away in one of them. It was slowly leaking through the linen with something on it that looked like blood – but was simply a tomatoey sauce. Your hair was messily put up in a bun, but several strands of hair had fallen out of it and you looked only so far from a mental breakdown.

At the kitchen table Astarion was sitting with a lantern, bowing over an embroidery project. He had the very bright lantern you’d gifted him specifically for this purpose directly next to him, but he was still squinting at his work and holding it so close his nose was almost touching the fabric. He looked a lot less demented than you but still very absent-minded.

Fabrics and threads were strewn all about the wooden table. Different needles were glinting everywhere on it too. One could only hope that those would be remembered at some point – preferably before someone stuck them in their fingers.

Next to him were also laying some loose papers, a feather and an ink pot with lots of writing that was then crossed out again and also some small little doodles on the corners – one for whatever reason happened to be a goose with a knife in its beak.

You had several pots on the iron stove and something about to go in the oven as well. Critically you were moving around between all of these things, clattering with copper pot lids, jars of ingredients and spoons to try the food (always in the same pattern: grabbing a new spoon, trying something, putting the spoon in the dish bowl full of dirty water – then having to grab a new spoon). You had some potatoes boiling and in another pot you had been cooking a mixture of vegetables and beef for quite some time. You wanted to recreate a recipe of cottage pie that you had once tried many years ago in a tavern and had kept reappearing in your dreams. And now you finally had the kitchen and the tools to try and cook it yourself!

But it seemed impossible to get it right, this already being your fourth attempt this week. The vampire had already been moaning that you had basically force-fed him the meal because you had no way of eating that much pie on your own. It was not, that the finished pies hadn’t tasted well, but they just weren’t like you remembered. But you started to think that it might be your memory that was tricking you and not your cooking skills.

You went to try the pie filling again after adding some more spices and dash more red wine (directly from your goblet because you didn’t seem to remember where you put the bottle).

As soon as the spoonful hit your tongue you knew you had done it – finally.

You shrieked and immediately heard another shriek behind you in reply. You turned around to Astarion with glee and saw how the vampire was staring at you angrily and shaking his hand. It didn’t take a genius to figure out your sudden excitement had caused him to stab himself with his needle.

“Darling, can you maybe not scream like a dying goblin, I was concentrating!”, he hissed at you. Your joy evaporated at his flare of anger – so you turned around again, grabbed a left over half of carrot and threw it at Astarion – and maybe a bit more forceful than would have been necessary.

But he was still a rogue and dodged the vegetable easily. It flew against one of the cabinets and then to the ground. There it stayed until Scratch came into the kitchen, drawn there by the sudden noises. The dog sniffed at the piece of vegetable, then grabbed it and went off again.

“Oh really, are we at the ‘I throw stuff at my lover’ point of our relationship now, love?”, Astarion replied to your responsive outburst of anger with a raised eyebrow. “Am I going to have to sleep on the sofa next?”, he continued sassily.

Your hand itched to grab more produce – there were some potatoes still laying around and they made for excellent improvised throwing weapons. But you saw the smirk that played around the vampire’s lips. So you settled for a verbal rebuttal.

“Don’t be such a prick and you can keep sleeping inside”, you said and flipped him off. Then you turned around again to your cooking and grabbed – yet another – spoon and scooped up some of the filling. The vampire mumbled something under his breath about he wouldn’t have to be a prick if you didn’t make him prick himself.

“Oh, that would be so gracious of you, my dear lady, if I was still allowed in your shining presence”, Astarion then said loudly as you were busy with the pots. The tone still very sassy but you heard the playfulness in it now and knew he was now only teasing.

You went over to him, with one hand under the spoon full of hot goodness that immediately started dripping and burning your hand. You winced but kept going.

“Here, try this – I think I got it now”, you said as you stood in front of Astarion who had put down his needlework for the time being. He threw you a pained look: “Love, if you keep feeding me this I think I might actually start to get a pot belly.”

You snorted at him and eyed what you could see of his upper body. “Pretty sure, you will never have to worry about this kind of thing. Now. Try. It”, you answered and insistingly came closer with the spoon.

Astarion sighed, gave you another suffering look and then let himself be fed. His doubtful expression quickly changed to what you interpreted as pleasantly surprised.

“Alright, I take everything back, that was well worth the scream of enlightenment, my sweet. That tastes wonderful”, the vampire said and grinned at you.

“See, wasn’t so hard, was it”, you said and gave him a quick peck on the lips as you could see his face changing to annoyance once more at your petty remark.

You threw the spoon in the dish bowl and rubbed your hands on your apron and started to get everything ready for the final step of the recipe. Meanwhile you said to Astarion: “So, darling, could you write down the following: one and a half cups of red wine and three instead of two sprigs of thyme and just loads of black pepper.”

“Of course, my darling chef”, Astarion replied cheerfully and grabbed the feather and papers laying next to him to write it down. “Any other changes?”

“No, this will be it”, you responded and happily clapped your hands before you put your filling in a cast iron pan, mashed and seasoned the potatoes and then put them down as the topping of your pie. The final touch was some hearty cheese sprinkled on top. Then you put it all in the oven.

In the meantime, you heard the feather scratching over the paper.

“What are you doing, Astarion?”, you asked as you took off the oven mitts from pushing the pan in to cook.

“Just putting the recipe in clean writing for you, my heart”, the vampire replied as he kept looking through older versions and notes on the papers. Brows furrowed as he was concentrating on it.

“That’s sweet, love, thank you”, you said to him but he didn’t reply and probably hadn’t even noticed. Of course – if you said something actually nice you fell on deaf ears.

So you decided to thank him with another gesture. You grabbed another goblet to pour your vampire a cup of wine but as you looked around to find the opened bottle you saw that it had been next to Astarion with an already filled cup all along.

You gave up and sat down across the table with your own cup of wine as Astarion finished up writing. You put one leg up on the bench and hugged it to your chest, head on top of the knee and watched the pale elf.

“Here you go, my sweet”, the vampire exclaimed cheerfully after a few more moments and handed you the finished recipe that was now written cleanly in his neat and beautiful handwriting. ‘Tav’s specialty cottage pie’ stood atop the page and next to it was a little doodle of some steaming hot pie.

You smiled broadly at Astarion: “Thank you, darling.” Then you shortly leaned on the table, almost climbing over it to give him a kiss while carefully trying to avoid the needles.

“Do you sometimes wonder how we ended up like this?”, you softly asked him after you had read through the finished recipe.

“Like what?”

“Well, like this – all domestic. I’m cooking, you’re embroidering, we’re bickering like an old married couple, drinking wine and just enjoying a cozy night in instead of wreaking havoc somewhere out there”, you said and waved vaguely in the direction of the city beyond the walls of your home. Then you took another sip of wine.

“Let’s be honest with ourselves, we’ve been bickering like that from the moment we met”, Astarion answered and looked at you sternly. You shrugged in agreement.

“As for the rest – well, are you enjoying the way we spend our nights like this sometimes? Because if you’re bored-“

“No no, I’m enjoying this an awful lot. It’s just – this is somehow the most unlike turn of events don’t you think? Like, I sometimes can’t believe we actually ended up in the version where we’ll live happily ever after”, you said and cradled your face in your hand not currently holding a cup of wine.

At your words a warm and adoring smile crept onto Astarion’s face.

“Are you though?”, you asked then.

“Hm?”

“Are you enjoying these kinds of nights?”, you asked Astarion again and lifted your head up to look straight at him.

The vampire looked at you, smile still playing around his lips: “Well, my love, after two hundred years full of godsdamned shit I am enjoying this sort of mundanity quite a lot. And I enjoy it even more because I get to spend it with you. I might even enjoy doing the dishes with you later on – unless you don’t splash me like last time.”

You smiled at him too now, broadly – feeling incredibly lucky that you had indeed taken all the right turns that had led you here, to this: sitting at this kitchen table with the love of your life, talking about doing the dishes.

“But if we ever get bored, my sweet, I have quite a lot of ideas on how to spice things up”, Astarion continued afterwards. The smile morphed into a lewd smirk and his red eyes sparkled mischievously: “For example, I could dramatically throw everything on this table to the ground, rip all your clothes off and have my way with you on this table until you forget your own name.”

His voice had suddenly become deep and smooth like dark molten chocolate. You bit your bottom lip as the mental image of his words set in and you just stared into his eyes point blank. Astarion still looked at you, not breaking eye contact, and his teasing smirk only growing.

“Nah”, you made after some more moments, “not tonight. My cottage pie would burn.” Your tone was matter-of-fact and you drank some more of your wine while still looking into the vampire’s eyes.

Then you both broke down laughing. So much so that you had to wipe tears from your eyes by the end and Astarion had his face buried in one of his hands while silent fits of laughter still shook through him.

“Alright”, he said and bit his lip, one of his fangs showing adorably as if he was a cat, “I’ll write it down for another date night then.” You broke out laughing again.

Until you could actually smell your food burning. With an “oh shit” you jumped up and pulled the pan out of the oven – you had saved it just in time.

You got out some plates and forks, and put some generous servings onto them. As you turned around your gaze fell onto the table full of Astarion’s embroidery supplies. Astarion saw your look, then waved it off, dismissing it.

He grabbed one of the filled plates from you and grabbed your then free hand to lead you to the living room. Scratch was there laying on his designated blanket, chewing on his favourite ball. Some telltale orange spots telling the tale of the fallen carrot.

You settled down on your sofa with your food – you swinging your legs over Astarion’s and getting cozy.

And this is where you stayed: eating until you felt like your belly might burst, joking until you were crying again, talking until you got so tired you almost drifted off into dreaming right then and there. And when you had went to bed: holding each other until you woke up in the other’s arms again.

[kcrossvine-art]

Heya folks! Its been a bit, food insecurity is a bitch, but today on the quest of cooking our way through Lord of the Rings we're gonna be making a dish exclusively mentioned in the 2007 MMO-

We will be making a Rohan Pasty! 

(As always you can find the cooking instructions and full ingredient list under the break-)

MY NAMES CROSS NOW LETS COOK LIKE ANIMALS

SO, “what goes into a Rohans Pasty?” YOU MIGHT ASKBasics. Meat n potatoes of your meat-in-dough food. .

All-purpose flour

Salt

Baking powder

Vegetable oil

Olive oil

Ground beef

Garlic salt

Ground cumin

Chili powder

Dried oregano

Waxy potato

Garlic

White onion

Egg

"A delicious local pastry filled with beef and potatoes."- LOTRO Rohan is a kingdom of humans in middle-earth, and the description point towards a cornish pasty (yes, pasty not pastry). Oddly enough the image is more of an empanada but you win some you lose some. This heritage informs much of the shape and ingredients of this dish, however we're opting to cook most of the ingredients before adding them in, contrary to going in raw as a cornish pasty calls for. I chose to deviate here because cooking beforehand allows more seasoning to be crammed in. The english hate seasoning.

AND, “what does a Rohans Pasty taste like?” YOU MIGHT ASK

Tastes like the best pot pie youve had, less soggy

Excellent for an after-rugby/martial arts/soccer dinner

The potatoes are foundational

Despite needing the least work

Pasta salad (cucumber, olives, pepperocini) would pair well as a side

And would also pair well with beer

This meal bears the gold star sticker of not having any major issues! Hooray! Maybe its increased comfortability in the kitchen, or maybe its because of how very simple this one is. Chopped roasted bell pepper might be good in the filling in the future.

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Get the dough ready ahead of time- its mentioned in the recipe below but i also wanted to say a foreword here that it needs to sit in the fridge for a few hours. Just so ya dont get everything out and realise itd take too long for dinner tonight. Speaking of dough, i feel like it could have more flavor added to it. Its bland and although its not part of the tradition of the meal its based off of, cornish meat pasty, it might be nice to add some spices like cumin or black pepper to the flour. 

The meal reheats perfect- wrap in papertowl and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds per pasty.

When picking your potatoes make sure theyre "new" potatoes (baby ones) or whichever potato with the least amount of starch you can get. Its important for it to cook inside the pasty that it not have too much lest it get Mushy Bad.

Another thing about its real-life inspo; Cornish pastys were workers food, stuff you could carry into the mines, stuff thatd reheat well. You could hold the crust with your dirty hands and throw it away once you ate the rest. I always feel partial to these foods. Although I'd still eat the dirty crust.

This recipe earns a solid 8/10 (with 1 being food that makes one physically sick and 10 being food that gives one a lust for life again.) 

🐁 ORIGINAL RESIPPY TEXT BELOW 🐁

Dough Ingredients:

370g all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

74g vegetable oil

240g warm water

Filling Ingredients:

2 tablespoons(ish) olive oil

1 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Garlic salt to taste

Ground cumin to taste

Chili powder to taste

Dried oregano to taste

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 white onion, diced

Method:

Combine flour, salt and baking powder.

Add oil and water into mixer with dough hook running at medium speed. Mix for 1 minute, stopping several times to scrape the sides of the bowl.

When mixture comes together and begins to form a ball, decrease mixing speed to low. Continue to mix just until dough is smooth.

Take the dough ball, safely wrap it, and transfer to fridge. Let sit for at minimum 2 hours.

For the meat, get a large skillet, and add some olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and garlic salt, cook until the beef is cooked completely.

Drain the beef and set aside.

In the same pan, add the garlic, onions, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and salt.

Cook until the onions are softened but not brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Re-add the beef and cook over low heat for about 5 more minutes.

Back to the dough, transfer dough from fridge to well-floured work surface. Roll into log and divide into 10 equal portions. 

Preheat oven to 350f.

Form each piece into a ball and flatten each with a rolling pin.

Add a layer of diced potatos down the middle of the pastys. Add the meat filling to each. Fold the sides of the dough up to seal on top in the middle.

Gently turn the pasty on its side and crimp the edge, alternating a braid pattern. Use knife to cut an "X" shaped slit in the top. Repeat for each pasty.

Place the pastys on a greased baking sheet. Lightly coat each pasty with an eggwash using a basting brush.

Cook for about 50 minutes, or until golden brown, and let cool!

[apolloendymion]

ok! i think tumblr ate my fucking apple cider recipe post. still, my autumn equinox tradition must carry on!

Apollo's Foolproof From-Scratch Apple Cider That Was So Good It Allegedly Landed Me A Boyfriend

you will need:

12 apples (the variety is up to you, i usually do half granny smith and half whatever's on sale plus a red delicious for garnishing)

10oz raisins

cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom pods, any other warming spices u like (whole > ground) (follow ur heart on the amounts, it's like garlic just throw so much in there. just go wild)

1 orange

brown sugar (i don't have measurements but be prepared to use a LOT lmao, i always buy at least one 32oz bag. you'll be sweetening to taste.)

large pot with lid

potato masher (optional)

two large bowls/pots/receptacles to strain the cider into

fine mesh strainer

cheesecloth or coffee filters (optional)

apple corer or knife

citrus zester

slotted spoon or ladle

the steps:

1. scrub apples gently under hot water to remove grocery store wax coating. core apples making sure all seeds & stems are removed. add apples, raisins, and mulling spices to pot with enough water to fully cover ingredients, and bring to boil. reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

2. scrub orange to remove wax. zest and juice, avoiding the pith & seeds. use a potato masher or other utensil to lightly mash boiled apple mixture so every apple slice is at least partially broken up, then add the zest & juice to the pot. bring back to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for another hour. then turn off the heat and allow mixture to cool.

3. place two mesh strainers over two bowls or pots (and cover each with a cheesecloth or coffee filters, if you have them). with a slotted spoon or ladle, remove as much of the solids from the pot as you can and place them in one strainer (the larger one, if they are different sizes) to drain, then press out as much liquid into the cheesecloth as possible.

4. pour the cider from the simmer pot into the second cheesecloth and press. combine the liquid from both bowls.

5. add brown sugar to taste

cooking tips:

the times listed above are bare minimums. once all the ingredients are in the pot (minus sugar!) you can simmer as long as you want, so long as someone's nearby to supervise.

always add any sweeteners after the cooking process. otherwise, they'll burn and make the whole thing bitter.

if it's too acidic, add baking soda or more spices. if it's not acidic enough, add lemon juice, additional orange juice, or apple cider vinegar.

variations:

add 12oz fresh cranberries to the first step

sub oranges for lemons or apple cider vinegar

sub brown sugar for straight molasses, maple syrup, or alternative sweetener of your choice (I'd imagine fig or other fruit-based sweeteners would work best)

report back to me if you try something new!! i want to hear how it turned out!

serving suggestions:

add three or four cinnamon imperials (red hots) to your mug, along with a dash of fireball whiskey if you're so inclined. i cannot stress enough how fucking amazing this tastes.

garnish with apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and/or star anise

if you have dairy-free ice cream on hand, pour some cider over a scoop. you can use dairy ice cream, but it's more likely to curdle.

freeze some in an ice cube tray, then blend with some non-frozen cider for a slushie

ok I've never tried this, but i bet blending with pumpkin puree would slap. PLEASE tell me if you try it

this makes a metric fuckload of cider, which is very rich and can be watered down considerably (seriously). share with your friends and/or freeze some to last the season (or halve it, i guess, but that's no fun :P)

[aesethewitch]

Beef Stew Recipe - Potion of Fortitude

Whether it's been an exhausting week, a frigid winter's day, or just a stressful time, few things are more comforting than a hearty bowl of stew. I make this beef stew for myself whenever I need a true pick-me-up or when I'm preparing for an in-depth magical working. It provides lasting energy, warmth, and strength.

Plus, this recipe is scalable - make a ton and freeze it to enjoy for weeks or just make a little bit for one meal. The measurements below are approximate; measure with your heart.

Ingredients:

Chuck roast, cut to half-inch cubes (you can get pre-chunked stew meat, which is what I typically get)

Flour, enough to coat the beef

Salt and Pepper (about 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper), for seasoning the beef coating

2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1 Onion, diced

2 Large Potatoes, peeled and cut into half-inch to one-inch cubes

2 Carrots, peeled and cut into rounds

5-6 Cloves of Garlic, finely diced

4 cups Beef Broth

Herbs of your choice, such as: Sage, Thyme, Marjoram, Celery Seed, Bay, Chili Flakes

Additional veggies of your choice, such as: Parsnips, Turnips, Bok Choy

Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Mix together your flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Toss the beef chunks in the mixture to coat. This will create a nice brown crispiness on the outside.

In your stew pot, sauté your flour-coated beef until browned on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside.

Add more oil to your pot and cook your onion until translucent. If you don't mind soft carrots in your stew, add them now and cook until just starting to soften and brown. (Note: I often leave the carrots until after the potatoes are nearly cooked through because I don't like the texture of fully-cooked carrots.)

Once your onions are translucent and your carrots have started to soften/brown, toss in your butter and scrape the bottom of the pot. You want to get all those beautiful, delicious brown bits back into the mixture. You can add a little water if you need help loosening the bits.

Add your garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Put your beef back into the pot (along with any drippings from the plate/bowl you placed it in). Pour your broth over everything and give it all a good stir.

Toss your potatoes into the pot. Bring it all to a boil and reduce your heat to let it simmer.

Add your herbs and spices. I recommend salt, pepper, sage, thyme, celery seed (or salt), and bay. If you like it spicy, you can throw in a bit of chili powder or flakes.

Simmer for at least one hour or until your potatoes are soft and your beef becomes tender, stirring occasionally.

If your stew isn't thick enough by the time your potatoes are done, you can make a cornstarch slurry by combining one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water. Pour the slurry into the stew and let it cook until thickened to your desired consistency.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crusty bread, veggie side dishes, or whatever else you like.

Optional magic you can include:

As mentioned above, I often use this recipe to bolster or replenish my energy before or after an intense magical working. It also works for physical exertions - I made this for a group of my partner's friends while they were moving heavy furniture to a new apartment, and it gave them all the energy to move everything in one night!

This stew has an intense comforting effect. If someone I know has been working hard, stressing out, or hasn't been feeding themselves properly, I'll make this for them to help them remember to take care of themselves. It's rejuvenating, hearty, and full of love.

Depending on the herbs you choose to include, this could also be a powerful protection spell. Especially in the cold months, I use this as a protective ward against the cold exhaustion that pulls at the body and mind.

Pop a bit of chili in this spell to both speed up its effects and cast out negativity! Nothing clears the sinuses like a nose full of spice, and nothing clears the body of bad vibes like a good dose of chili flake.

Like many of my spell recipes, this one is most effective when it's shared. Give a bowl to your friends, your family, your neighbors, whoever. It makes a wonderful offering to house spirits or ancestors.

If you make this recipe, please let me know your thoughts! And if you enjoy this or my other posts, please consider dropping a couple dollars in my Ko-Fi tip jar!

Happy cooking, witches! 🍲

[najia-cooks]

[ID: A sandwich on an English muffin with cheese, a sausage patty, bacon, egg, Hollandaise sauce, and chopped chives. End ID]

Vegan 'sausage' and 'egg' breakfast sandwiches

Soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and fresh herbs and spices give savor, depth, and sweetness to these TVP-based sausage patties. A combination of rice flour, all-purpose flour, and coconut milk, inspired by Vietnamese bánh xèo, makes the batter for the egg patties; they are subtly flavored with kala namak, fenugreek, and white pepper to form a perfect complement for the sausage.

A slow cook in an egg ring followed by a quick fry makes the 'eggs' fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside—a superior solution to tofu, which never quite has the right texture.

This is a delicious, filling option for a weekend breakfast or breakfast-for-dinner; or, make the TVP patties and 'egg' batter the night before and fry them in the morning for a quick breakfast option.

Recipe under the cut!

Patreon | Tip jar

Makes 6-8 small sandwiches.

Ingredients:

English muffins, buns, bagels, or rolls

Hollandaise sauce (optional)

Tomato, tempeh, avocado, spinach, and/or hot sauce as desired

For the sausage patties:

1 cup TVP

1 cup water

1 tsp vegetarian beef stock concentrate or beef pho seasoning

1 1/2 Tbsp ground dried shiitake mushrooms

2 Tbsp total fresh minced sage, rosemary, and thyme, or 2 tsp dried

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp sumac (optional)

1/2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp black peppercorns, toasted and ground

5 cloves, toasted and ground

Large pinch MSG (optional)

1/4 cup vegan mayo (substitute any neutral oil)

1 Tbsp aged soy sauce (substitute any soy sauce)

1 Tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce

1 Tbsp Caribbean burnt sugar (or substitute molasses)

1-2 Tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

1/4 cup (30g) chickpea flour (or all-purpose flour)

2 Tbsp potato starch (if needed)

1 Tbsp cooking oil, to fry

You could also make these patties with Impossible or Beyond ground beef. Use 2 cups (350g) ground beef; omit the water and stock concentrate; halve the soy sauce, oyster sauce, burnt sugar, and liquid smoke.

For the egg patties:

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (60g) white rice flour

3 Tbsp (22.5g) all-purpose flour (substitute more rice flour for a gluten-free version)

1 tsp ground turmeric

About 1 1/4 cup (295mL) coconut milk (canned or boxed; the kind for cooking, not drinking)

1/4 tsp kala namak (black salt), or substitute table salt

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, toasted and ground (optional)

1/4 tsp white peppercorns, toasted and ground (optional)

Cooking oil, to fry

Instructions:

For the egg patties:

1. Whisk all ingredients except coconut milk together in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Add coconut milk while stirring until a batter forms, about the consistency of pancake batter. It should be thin enough to flow, but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

3. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature while you prepare the TVP patties.

For the TVP patties:

1. If using whole spices: toast each spice for a few minutes in a dry skillet on medium heat until very fragrant. Remove skillet from heat and toast ground spices, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Grind all spices in a mortar and pestle or in a spice mill.

2. Whisk 1 tsp of vegetarian beef stock concentrate with 1 cup of just-boiled water in a large bowl until just combined. Add spices, soy sauce, oyster sauce, maple syrup, burnt sugar, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and TVP and mix well. Allow TVP to rehydrate for about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in herbs, flaxseed, and flour and mix until well-combined. Add breadcrumbs 1/4 cup at a time until patties hold together.

4. Form TVP mixture into patties about 4" in diameter (or as desired) and place on a plate. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes to allow to set.

To cook:

1. Heat a cast-iron or nonstick pan on medium-high with a couple teaspoons of oil. Place egg rings (or mason jar rings) in the pan, and pour enough batter in each one to make a patty about 1/2" (1cm) thick. Allow to brown for a minute or two.

2. Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking until the top of the egg patties have mostly solidified and are a shade darker.

3. Carefully flip each patty and remove the egg ring. Pour another couple teaspoons of oil in the pan and return the heat to medium-high. Fry, flipping if necessary, until each side of the patty is golden-brown and crispy.

4. Meanwhile, heat a Tbsp of oil in another large skillet on medium-low. Place patties in the skillet and flatten gently with the back of a spatula. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until browned, crispy, and cooked through.

5. Assemble breakfast sandwiches with TVP patties, egg patties, and vegetables and sauces of your choice. Serve warm.

[psalacanthea]

Vegetarian Pot Pie

hey whats up i made this for my friends and they said it was good, so I decided to write the recipe down while i still remember it (for once in my life), so I can make it again. I will share it with you.

This is rich, filling, delicious, but doesn't just taste like a sad chicken pot pie with no chicken. This is a proper vegetarian dish, and perfect for winter. Extremely cozy and nice. If u need something to make for Christmas but don't want to work all day, this is for you.

It does not have peas because I'm not a fucking MONSTER

...

Ingredients:

1 leek

1 sweet potato (I used white sweet potato, orange are too sugary for me)

1 large russet potato or 2 small-medium

1 large carrot or 2 small-medium

1 large parsnip

mushrooms of choice (i used pre-sliced baby bellas)

2 decent-sized cloves of garlic

sage

rosemary

thyme

parsley

cream (milk or a milk sub is ok too but it won't be as rich)

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp ap flour

1 carton (or 2 cans) vegetable stock

white wine (i used chard but any other non-sweet white like a pinot grig would be ok. just no sweet whites, the root veggies are plenty sweet)

s&p

store-bought pie crusts (if you like suffering make it yourself!)

utensils:

1 pie pan

1 small pot

Strainer (you can use a slotted spoon to remove stuff if you don't have [or let it cool and use your fingers])

1 lg. saucepan

Knife

Spatula or Big Spoon

(steps below cut)

To begin you're going to want to enhance your vegetable stock-- store-bought veggie stock is boring and often too tomatoey, we want to mitigate that. Veggie broth doesn't have to taste dull!

Separate leek greens from whites. If your leek is pretty stumpy, you can use 2.

In a small pot at medium-high heat, sear the leek greens on both sides, and sautee 1-2 mushroom, sliced. Once the leek greens have been browned in spots, add 3/4ths cup white wine or so (you can eyeball it). Simmer until all the alcohol smell is gone from the wine (won't take long.)

If you feel inclined, you can also add any carrot/parsnip tops you might have trimmed off, to save waste. Keep in mind that these are both sweet vegetables, though, and that might change the flavor a little. Carrot greens tho would add a nice bit of freshness, and would be a fine sub for parsley.

Add vegetable stock, a sprig of thyme, rosemary, sage, and parsley (you can tie them together w/kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni, but if you're gonna strain the stock you don't need to)

You can also add bay leaf if you have like 3 containers of them in your spice cabinet for some reason and need an excuse to use them.

Turn the heat under the stock down to low, and simmer until it's reduced by about a third, maybe an hour (it can hang out while you do other stuff.)

Peel potatoes, cut into 1 to 1/2 inch chunks (small but not tiny). You should have about two cups. cube size is partially preference, but smaller chunks mean you can get all the flavor in every bite.

Do the same for the sweet potato, but reduce amount to a cup. You won't use the whole potato for this recipe, but they're SO good roasted wrapped in tinfoil and eaten plain with salt.

Scrub parsnip and carrot, cut into pieces that seem about the same as the potatoes, about a cup of each. (I don't peel my carrots don't @ me.)

Cut leek whites into half-circles.

If your mushrooms are not pre-cut, slice mushrooms until you have about a cup of them ready to go.

Please note, if you have extra veg cut-- just add it. Extra filling is no big deal you can just eat it by itself or add it to your plate of pie. No need to waste anything.

Squash and finely chop garlic cloves.

In a large saucepan on medium- medium high heat, add 3 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp flour, mix together as butter melts to form a cohesive mixture- a roux.

Cook until roux is starting to bubble. Add leeks, add carrots, mushrooms, and parsnips. Salt lightly to encourage moisture loss.

Sautee in the roux for 3-5 minutes or so until the veggies are starting to smell good and the roux is getting gold, then add garlic.

Cook for 30 seconds to a minute more, stirring constantly, until you can smell the garlic. Garlic burns easily!

Strain enhanced stock into saucepan.

Add potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Stir until the roux dissolves into the stock and it begins to thicken, and then turn down to low heat (you want small and regular bubbles, but not big glorpy ones).

It might not look like enough gravy, but we don't want a ton. It's a pie, not a stew. If you REALLY think it's not enough, your stock might have reduced too far. Add a bit of water if you must.

Remove leaves from 1 large sprig thyme, and add to filling. Remove leaves from and finely dice 1 sprig rosemary. Do the same for sage. Toss out the stems.

The gravy should still be thin-ish, but we're going to reduce it down more as the potatoes are cooked through.

Cook until potatoes are just barely fork-tender. Even slightly undercooked is ok. Taste gravy for salt and pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add 1/3rd cup heavy cream/milk or so. Stir in.

Strip the leaves from 1-2 sprigs of parsley, finely chop, stir into gravy.

Taste again. Season again if necessary.

Let the filling cool. Try not to eat it all.

Unroll 1 pre-made pie crust, and put in the bottom of your pie pan. Try to make it even all the way around.

Now! The easy way to seal a pie (without egg wash) is as follows.

Fold down the edge of the lower crust so that it sticks out past the top edge of the pie pan.

Add filling. Get that shit as full as you can while keep that sticking out edge of the pie crust dry.

Place top pie crust over the pie.

Fold the edge of the lower crust over the upper crust, rolling them up together to make the crust edge.

Either with a fork or with pinching, make the edge crust look prettier.

If the edges of both the lower crust and the upper crust have been rolled inside themselves, you shouldn't have filling leakage.

Cut venting holes on top in whatever quirky design you want.

Stick in a 350f (177c?) oven until it's done.

I don't know how long, I don't measure those things. The crust will be golden brown and the filling will be bubbly.

the wine is skippable, yes, but it adds some acidity that you need. try a squeeze of lemon into your gravy if you don't use it.

[prairiefirewitch]

I’m hagging out a day early because I’m headed out of town for a couple of days, but I was not about to miss this month’s hag party. I love making infusions and have managed to turn infused witch things into my full time job, so this is my strawberry jam. Strawberry vanilla hibiscus infused mead, specifically.

I try to make at least 2 batches of mead a year; one at Yule to be shared at Midsommar, and the other made at Midsommar to be shared at Yule. It’s a nice way for me to slow down and apply patience (I’ve got zero) to a project, and eventually reap the delicious benefits of waiting for the mead to mature. And it’s very sweet to taste the labors of summer in the middle of winter, and then to taste the warm spices of winter in summer. It’s alcohol-fueled time travel.

This mead is my favorite of all the batches I’ve made, so I made 3 gallons instead of the usual 1 gallon batches I make.

Mead is incredibly easy to make; once you toss everything together, it’s just a waiting game. Here’s the down and dirty but there are many good recipes online if you want something more complex. Sanitizing your equipment is the most important step and you can use San-star from a homebrew supplier, or make your own with a gallon of cool water and about an ounce of household bleach. Everything you use here needs to be sanitized.

You need all this stuff to make a gallon:

2.5 - 3 lbs honey

1/2 pack sweet or dry yeast mead (I used champagne yeast because I like it bone dry)

1 gallon spring or purified water

2 cups berries

Vanilla bean, split and scraped

10 raisins

1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers

You’ll also want a gallon sized glass carboy, a big funnel, a large cooking pot, a small cooking pot, an airlock, a sieve, a rubber stopper that fits your carboy, and a big spoon to stir with.

Put your honey in your large pot and add about half a gallon of water. Warm it on low just until the honey dissolves. Watch the heat, honey scorches quickly. While it warms, put your clean chopped strawberries into the small pot with about 2 cups of water. Bring it to a low simmer and use a potato masher or an immersion blender to make a purée. Add your hibiscus flowers, heat for a few minutes to let them soften and turn off the heat. When it’s just barely warm, use your sieve to filter out the seeds and flowers.

Once your honey water cools to about 100 degrees, pour it into your clean carboy. Add the other half gallon of water, and your sieved strawberry purée. Top up with additional water if needed, leaving about 3 inches of head room. Add your vanilla beans and raisins. Raisins provide nutrients for the yeast. Sprinkle the yeast on top, but be sure your mixture is 90 degrees or cooler or your yeast will die.

Pop your rubber stopper into the carboy and insert the water filled airlock. Now you wait. Let it ferment for 2 weeks. Most of the activity will have stopped.

Now you need to filter the mead into a second carboy. If you don’t have one, use a sanitized pot or bucket while you wash your carboy for the secondary fermentation. You want to pour or siphon slowly and carefully, using a fine mesh strainer, so you leave most of the settled yeast and bits of strawberry out. Once it’s carefully filtered, add it back to the carboy, put the stopper and airlock back in. Now wait for a long time. This mead should be ready to drink in 6 months, but it’ll be a bit rough and unrefined. You can bottle it at this point, which is what I do, but lots of people just let it age in the carboy. I like heavy duty swing top glass bottles, but wine bottles work too.

If you’re patient, save a few bottles to age for a full year. This is when your mead becomes a nectar fit for gods, with all the roughness gone, and the delicate honey flavor gets complex. Keep your bottles in a cool dark place.

Thank you @msgraveyarddirt for hosting!

[beautyandlifestyleblog86]

Meal prep recipes for healthy weight management

1. Grilled chicken and vegetable skewers: Marinate chicken breast in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs. Thread onto skewers with bell peppers, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes. Grill until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.

2. Quinoa salad with roasted vegetables: Cook quinoa according to package instructions and let cool. Toss with roasted vegetables (such as sweet potatoes, broccoli, and red onions) and a lemon vinaigrette dressing. Top with feta cheese and fresh herbs.

3. Turkey and black bean lettuce wraps: Cook ground turkey with taco seasoning and mix with black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and chopped cilantro. Spoon mixture onto lettuce leaves and top with avocado slices and Greek yogurt.

4. Baked salmon with asparagus: Season salmon fillets with lemon juice, garlic, and dill. Place on a baking sheet with asparagus spears and bake until salmon is cooked through and asparagus is tender.

5. Greek chicken bowls: Marinate chicken breast in a mixture of Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and herbs. Grill or bake until cooked through. Serve over a bed of brown rice or quinoa with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and a drizzle of tzatziki sauce.

6. Lentil and vegetable soup: Cook lentils with diced carrots, celery, onions, and garlic in vegetable broth. Season with herbs and spices of your choice. Serve with a side of whole grain bread or a side salad.

7. Stir-fried tofu with broccoli and bell peppers: Stir-fry cubed tofu with broccoli florets, sliced bell peppers, and a soy sauce-based sauce. Serve over brown rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.

These meal prep recipes are not only delicious and nutritious but also great for weight management as they are packed with lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Enjoy!

[foodshowxyz]

Harissa Lentil Ragù With Herby Greek Cheese Mash

Ingredients

For the Harissa Lentil Ragù:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup dried green or brown lentils, rinsed

1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp harissa paste 🌶️

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

For the Herby Greek Cheese Mash:

2 lbs potatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup Greek yogurt 🥣

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Prepare the Lentil Ragù:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic, diced carrot, celery, and red bell pepper. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Stir in the lentils, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and harissa paste. Mix well to combine.

Pour in the vegetable broth and add the ground cumin and smoked paprika. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 30-35 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and the ragù has thickened.

Adjust seasoning if necessary. Keep warm on low heat while preparing the mash.

Prepare the Herby Greek Cheese Mash:

In a large pot, bring the chopped potatoes to a boil in salted water. Cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash the potatoes until smooth.

Stir in the Greek yogurt, crumbled feta cheese, and olive oil. Mix until creamy.

Fold in the chopped dill and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve:

Spoon a generous portion of the Herby Greek Cheese Mash onto each plate.

Top with a hearty serving of the Harissa Lentil Ragù.

Garnish with fresh parsley.

Enjoy your delicious and comforting meal! 🍽️

Tips:

Adjust the amount of harissa paste according to your spice preference.

You can substitute Greek yogurt with a plant-based yogurt for a vegan version of the mash.

Add extra veggies to the ragù, like zucchini or mushrooms, for additional flavor and nutrition.

[rachellaurengray]

50 Air Fryer Meals Under 300 Calories

Not sure what to make with your air fryer while keeping things under 300 calories? Here’s a diverse list of 50 delicious options, including vegan dishes

Air Fried Chicken Tenders Chicken breast strips with a light breadcrumb coating. Approx. 280 calories for 4 tenders.

Air Fried Turkey Meatballs Ground turkey mixed with herbs and spices. Approx. 250 calories for 6 meatballs.

Buffalo Chicken Bites Chicken pieces coated in buffalo sauce and breadcrumbs. Approx. 270 calories for 6 pieces.

Crispy Air Fried Shrimp Breaded shrimp with lemon zest. Approx. 290 calories for 12 shrimp.

Garlic Parmesan Air Fried Salmon Salmon fillets with garlic and Parmesan crust. Approx. 280 calories per fillet.

Air Fried Fish Tacos Lightly breaded fish fillets with cabbage slaw. Approx. 290 calories for 2 tacos.

Spicy Air Fried Cauliflower Bites Cauliflower florets tossed in a spicy seasoning mix. Approx. 230 calories for 1 cup.

Crispy Air Fried Brussels Sprouts Brussels sprouts with balsamic glaze. Approx. 260 calories per serving (1 cup).

Air Fried Zucchini Fries Zucchini sticks coated in a light breadcrumb mixture. Approx. 240 calories for a serving of 10 fries.

Air Fried Sweet Potato Chips Thinly sliced sweet potatoes with sea salt. Approx. 270 calories for 1 cup.

Healthy Air Fried Chickpeas Roasted chickpeas with paprika and garlic powder. Approx. 230 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Apple Chips Thinly sliced apples with cinnamon. Approx. 150 calories for 15 chips.

Air Fried Veggie Frittata Eggs with mixed vegetables, cooked in a small skillet. Approx. 280 calories per serving (1 slice).

Air Fried Breakfast Burrito Egg whites, spinach, and salsa in a low-carb tortilla. Approx. 290 calories per burrito.

Stuffed Air Fried Avocados Avocado halves filled with egg whites and seasonings. Approx. 270 calories for 2 halves.

Air Fried Onion Rings Onion slices with a light breadcrumb coating. Approx. 290 calories for 8 rings.

Crispy Air Fried Tofu Bites Marinated tofu cubes coated in breadcrumbs. Approx. 250 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Spiced Nuts Mixed nuts with chili powder and garlic. Approx. 280 calories for ¼ cup.

Air Fried Stuffed Mushrooms Mushrooms filled with a light cheese and herb mixture. Approx. 260 calories for 5 mushrooms.

Air Fried Eggplant Parmesan Bites Eggplant cubes with marinara and Parmesan. Approx. 280 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Broccoli Florets Broccoli with a sprinkle of garlic and herbs. Approx. 200 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Carrot Fries Carrot sticks with a light seasoning. Approx. 200 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Green Bean Fries Green beans with a crispy breadcrumb coating. Approx. 220 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Portobello Mushroom Caps Portobello mushrooms with a balsamic glaze. Approx. 180 calories for 2 caps.

Air Fried Cucumber Chips Thin cucumber slices with a light seasoning. Approx. 100 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Eggplant Slices Eggplant slices with a light breadcrumb coating. Approx. 250 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Spicy Brussels Sprouts Brussels sprouts with a spicy seasoning blend. Approx. 260 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Spiced Edamame Edamame pods seasoned with chili and garlic. Approx. 200 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Sweet Potato Wedges Sweet potato slices with a light seasoning. Approx. 250 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Vegan Falafel Chickpea patties with herbs and spices. Approx. 270 calories for 4 pieces.

Air Fried Garlic Parmesan Asparagus Asparagus spears with a light garlic and Parmesan coating. Approx. 240 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Stuffed Bell Peppers Bell peppers filled with a mixture of quinoa and black beans. Approx. 280 calories for 1 pepper.

Air Fried Spicy Chicken Drumsticks Chicken drumsticks with a spicy rub. Approx. 290 calories for 1 drumstick.

Air Fried Tofu Satay Tofu skewers with a light satay sauce. Approx. 270 calories for 4 skewers.

Air Fried Vegetable Spring Rolls Spring rolls filled with mixed veggies. Approx. 280 calories for 2 rolls.

Air Fried Coconut Chicken Bites Chicken pieces coated in shredded coconut. Approx. 280 calories for 6 pieces.

Air Fried Lemon Garlic Mushrooms Mushrooms with a lemon garlic seasoning. Approx. 200 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Sweet Potato Chips Thin sweet potato slices with a touch of sea salt. Approx. 270 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Spiced Chickpeas Chickpeas seasoned with cumin and paprika. Approx. 230 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Caramelized Brussels Sprouts Brussels sprouts with a touch of maple syrup and balsamic. Approx. 260 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Green Bean Almondine Green beans with almonds and a hint of lemon. Approx. 240 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried BBQ Cauliflower Wings Cauliflower florets coated in BBQ sauce. Approx. 270 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Avocado Fries Avocado slices with a crispy coating. Approx. 250 calories for 1 cup.

Air Fried Pineapple Chunks Pineapple pieces with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Approx. 150 calories for 1 cup.

These options offer a mix of tastes and textures, perfect for keeping your meals varied and enjoyable while staying within your calorie goals.

[ratsoh-writes]

Are there any dishes or recipes unique to grimmtale? Anything that is especially considered a delicacy to the Grimm folks?

Mmm lemme give some plants that are both food and potions ingredients!

Star-root: a deep blue root with glowing white speckles. When peeled, the flesh inside glows like a beacon. It tastes like a watery potato and is used in fire potions as well as fever reducers. And it’s delicious in salads

Deaths breath: a black leafed herb that doesn’t do anything special on its own, but if eaten raw can cause paranoid hallucinations. It’s used in pheromone and calming potions, and if cooked properly is a good substitute for black pepper.

Dustmouth peppers: the third hottest pepper in the world, these grey peppers can only be grown underground. They’re used in aphrodisiac potions and energy potions. They are dried and added as seasonings to souls, curries and rubs to make an especially spicy meal as well

Chicken of the caves: closely related to the mushroom chicken of the woods, this mushroom is very similar in appearance but with more of a grey color. And it still tastes like chicken! It’s used in nutrient potions or just as a tasty part of a meal

Fillers: a tall grain that can only be grown in wetlands, fillers is a tall grass that grows egg sacks in the underwater portion of the grass blade. The egg sacks are drained of fluid and dried and ground into flour, or used as a cheese substitute in meals. It has a mild cheesy flavor. They are also used in nutrient potions and pregnancy potions (to help with morning sickness) as well as hormone control potions.

Silk press: a flat lily pad with a beautiful royal purple color. The young leaves are harvested and juiced. They taste like sugary plums and are a favorite treat in ice creams for young Grimm monsters. They are used in hair potions and are an ingredient in any color changer potions geared towards purple.

Subterranean olive: these olive trees will grow in swamps partly submerged under the water. They’re finicky plants and take hundreds of years to finally bear fruit. The olives are pitch black and are much more bitter than their surface cousins. The oil can be used in cooking but nobody but the rich would dare waste it that way. It is used in strengthening potions

Shaman pear: another fruit tree made for the swamps, the shamans pear will grow a bulbous Pearlike fruit that taste just like.. a dragon fruit! It’s so strange as it’s nearly indistinguishable from normal pears unless you poke it to feel its texture and firmness. These fruits are used in color changing potions from yellow green and white. And they make great snacks on their own!

Lesser pumpkin: these mini magical pumpkins are the size of a man’s palm, and come in oranges, whites, purples and black. When ripe, they create cracks in the faces like carved jack o lanterns. And when they’re close to overripe, they start moaning lol. They’re used in healing potions and nutrition potions as well as voice changing potions. They are cooked and eaten like normal pumpkins as well

Now Grimm monsters are big seafood lovers! The top three dishes from their culture all involve something from the water somehow!

Break and bake: clams and mussels are broken open and soaked in a Dustmouth and jalapeño mixture before being breaded, cut up with a bunch of tuber veggies and peas and baked in a simple pie crust. It’s terribly spicy and delicious. Not for those weak against the burn

Reapers trout. A trout is carefully cleaned and scaled before being laid on a bed of deaths breath, onion and garlic. Traditionally the veggies are cooked before and the fish is eaten with them raw with some lemon, but the modern dish has the fish baked with the veggies.

The pregnant ladies helpmeet: or just helpmeet for short, this dish must be made with filler flour in order to work as for some reason the plant soothes pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness. A ball of filler dough lightly seasoned with spices like cinnamon and allspice is rolled out. In the middle a filling of pumpkin and/or fruit is added. The dough is folded over and cut into cute shapes before being baked in an oven or in tinfoil over coals. When finished top with some cream cheese and powdered sugar. Many pregnant ladies and monsters rely on this dish to be able to eat everything else they love

[mariacallous]

Harissa is a spicy, rich-flavored North African chili paste and it is one of my favorite condiments to use in the kitchen. It is traditionally made with roasted red pepper, chiles, garlic and a mixture of spices, depending on the family and exact origin. You can easily find several varieties in the supermarket (usually in the ethnic foods aisle) but I prefer making my own, in part so I can control the level of spice.

A traditional Niçoise salad features baby potatoes, haricot verts, European-style tuna, olives and hard boiled egg. In this amped-up version, many of the traditional elements remain but the tuna is swapped for a harissa-smothered salmon and preserved lemon is added for some North African authenticity, which makes it brighter and punchier.

Niçoise purists might balk at this recipe, but I promise: This spiced salmon salad is delicious, filling and perfect to enjoy all summer.

Notes:

You can simplify this recipe by buying harissa already made.

Don’t stress about making your own dressing — you can also dress it simply with olive oil and lemon juice or white wine vinegar.

You can prepare the salmon, potatoes, haricot verts, and hard boiled eggs ahead of time, and when ready to serve, simply assemble. It makes it a great dish for entertaining or Shabbat lunch.

[castletown-cafe]

Castletown Cafe Episode 29: Orange Butler Juice RE-MAKE!

Remaking Episode 19 for Halloween, we have a new Butler Juice recipe with apple cider made from scratch with fresh apples! It does take a little more work (and thorough straining) and more time, but your home will smell festive and just like fall as your cider brews. It's the perfect warm autumn drink on a cold and rainy day. Or, if you live in a warmer climate, you can enjoy it chilled and served over ice, or even make a slushie with it!

I used only honeycrisp apples for my cider, but you can mix and match. You can use as many different kinds of apple as you want. I think 5 honeycrisp and 5 granny smiths would be delicious, too. Or a mix of three different types, or even 5 different types! I should experiment with a blend of various apples, myself.

Recipe under the cut!

BUTLER JUICE (ORANGE):

10-12 large honeycrisp apples (or 10-12 large apples of different varieties, if you'd like)

1 large orange

5 sticks cinnamon

6-8 allspice berries

7 whole cloves

2 star anise pods

3/4 tsp nutmeg

12 cups water

About 1/4 cup of brown sugar, to taste.

Wash, dry, and chop up the apples into chunks, removing cores. Slice up an orange in rounds, no need to peel that. Place your apples, sliced orange, and whole spices in a large stock pot and fill it with 12 cups of water.

Heat your mixture on medium-high heat until boiling, 30 to 45 minutes or longer. Let it boil for about 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer for another 15. After that, reduce the heat again to low and cover for about an hour and a half to two hours. The water should reduce by an inch.

Once your cider is ready, give it a good stir, then ladle it into a huge strainer over a large bowl. Mash down that fruit with a potato masher and strain as much of the cider as you can, before returning it back into the pot for another round of mashing and straining. You may have to do this one half at a time, because it may not all fit, plus, all that cider will be really heavy. It may also take at least three rounds, or more, of straining if you want your cider as pulp-free as possible (I know I do).

Now, you should have about 14 to 16 cups of strained cider! But wait, you're not finished yet! You still haven't stirred in the sugar! All you need is just 1/4 cup, but you can add more if you want it sweeter, or less if you want it less sweet. The brown sugar completes the flavor of the cider and makes it fully balanced.

You've got plenty of cider to enjoy for a week or more! It freezes really well, too, so you can always save some for later.

I even used this cider in my batch of Spider Donuts this year, both in the batter as well as the glaze. It worked well! Just be sure to reduce the amount of liquid in the cider, of course, if you're gonna use some in your apple cider donuts.

Happy Halloween!

[imaginary-food-booth]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zaynah | Ramadan Recipes (@zaynahsbakes)

Original Hard-Sub Video Captions by @/zaynahsbakes on Instagram

Video transcript by @/imaginary-food-booth is under the cut

Start of transcript

Here’s another delicious Palestinian dish which you can cook in just 45 minutes.

These baked kofta are layered between crispy potatoes and roasted peppers in a garlicky tomato sauce.

In a food processor add bread, coriander, onions, tomato, garlic, a pepper, and all of your spices.

Then add your minced meat, beef is preferred, but I used mutton.

Form this mixture into your kofte and lay them out onto a baking tray with a drizzle of oil.

Pop these into the oven for 10 minutes.

Bake or air-fry slices of potato until they're crispy.

Pour in all of that delicious juice from the kofte, then season with salt, pepper, and more garlic.

Layer the kofte, crispy potatoes, and peppers and bake for 10 minutes.

Finish with spoonfuls of yoghurt and a sprinkle of parsley.

Honestly so good.

You have to try.

End of transcript

Video description:

Another delicious Palestinian recipe for you to try. This might be new new favorite dinner! Kofta do bandora are baked ground meat patties layered between vegetables in a tomato sauce. There's a few variations of this dish across the Middle East! Recipe below 👇🏾

1 bread slice 1 small onion 1 pepper 2 tomatoes 6 garlic cloves Handful of corriander/parsley 500g ground beef

1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp mixed spice 1 tsp salt & pepper

2 potatoes sliced 2 pepper sliced 2 cans chopped tomato 6 garlic cloves chopped Salt & pepper

[buffetlicious]

McDonald's Singapore first introduced this locally inspired burger to us in 2017 and wowed me with the truly iconic dish in burger form. It came back briefly in the menu in 2019 and never appeared again until now. Of course I had to go buy the Nasi Lemak Burger Feast (S$11.50) which comes with Potato Wedges, Cocoa-Nut Pie and a small gassy drink. Upgraded the carbonated drink to a small ice green tea (+S$0.75).

For the 2023 version of the Nasi Lemak Burger, McDonald's tweaked the sambal sauce from sweet to savoury while also make changes to the chicken patty. Taking a bite, I did feel that the sauce was spicier than before, after all the sambal sauce is made from belachan, curry paste, chilli, shrimp, anchovies and other spices. The chicken patty is both crispy and juicy, boasting stronger flavours. Overall, the burger paired with fragrant sautéed onions, crisp cucumber slices and a fried egg was a sedap (Malay word for delicious) eat. While I enjoyed the soft and fluffy Potato Wedges over shoestring fries anytime, I did wish the wedges were dusted with some forms of spice mixture to elevate the flavours.

Now on to the Cocoa-nut Pie dessert. Breaking the pie into halves, all I see is the creamy coconut sauce with very little pieces of nata de coco inside, a far cry from the one I ate a few weeks ago. At least the pastry shell is still warm and crispy.

Selected image and video from McDonald’s Singapore.

[take-a-dip-in-the-deadpool]

So a while back, my old casserole dish broke. It was a nice one. I enjoyed it and I think maybe my cats knocked it off and broke it? Or I knocked it off and broke it and blamed it on the cats? I don't remember.

But we replaced it and the first time I made shepherds pie in it (we only ever use our casserole dish for a shepherds pie or lasagna) it was... not full.

I made my normal shepherds pie recipe, not realizing how much larger the new casserole dish was than the old one.

There was maybe half inch layer of gravy and meat and vegetables on the bottom and nowhere near enough potatoes to cover everything.

But lesson learned. I need to up the recipe recipe.

So today I want to make this bangers/onion and mash shepherds pie that I saw on TikTok… Made it before it's delicious… But I think to myself:

"I'll cook so much that there will be extra gravy/meat mixture and extra potatoes that won't fit into the casserole dish and this way I'll have a sense of how much will fill it up and have some lunch to eat."

Here's my recipe:

10 sausages

7 Lg onions

4 cups beef stock

1 cup wine

Assorted seasonings and spices

6 lg and 2 sm potatoes (plus butter and sour cream to mash)

So I mix all this up… And go to put it into the casserole dish… And I'm noticing that… The gravy mixture didn't seem to have any extra left in the pot… And the mashed potatoes also didn't seem to have any left in the pot…

My casserole dish is full however! Unfortunately, my plan of extras to eat for lunch today is gone.

This is it. Ready to be baked tonight. Its in the fridge at the moment.

So long story short, my wife and I will be eating shepherds pie for seven years.