cherry•almond biscotti

Until she moved to Alaska last winter, my friend Mandy and I would get together regularly for afternoon tea time.  

That was back when my kids both napped regularly, so we'd sit and have a nice relaxing chat, sip our tea and nosh some treats while my boys snoozed away.

Ahh...

But Mandy left me and Owen rarely naps now, so my quiet afternoon tea has turned into a less quiet and relaxing but slightly more caffeinated afternoon coffee break.  

One thing that made today's coffee break a little more like the good old days was these cherry-almond biscotti.  I also had a little reminder of my friend Mandy with me: the lovely hand screen-printed napkins she made for me.  

If you love the napkins as much as I do, you can buy them at her Etsy store, HomesteadingRoasters.etsy.com (and it looks like she'll ship them for free right now).  If you need some good fresh-roasted coffee to go with your biscotti, she's got that, too.  

She's also good company for a quiet afternoon chat, but I'm not sure you can get that through her store...

the veggies (or other stuff):

• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup milk (I use almond milk)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 TBS oil
• 2 TBS lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder*
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup sweetened dried cherries
• 1 cup sliced almonds

the love:

1. Preheat your oven to 350° and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
2. Whisk together the flax meal and milk in a large mixing bowl until it thickens slightly.
3. Mix in the brown sugar, oil, lemon juice, and extracts.
4. Stir in the oats.
5. Add the flours, salt, baking powder and soda, and stir until just combined.**  The dough will be very thick and sticky.
6. Fold in the cherries and almonds.
7. Using floured hands, divide the dough in two and shape each chunk into a long log.
8. Place the logs lengthwise on the pan and flatten until each one is roughly twelve inches long and three inches wide.
9. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden and crispy on the outside.
10. Let the "loaves" cool on a rack (but hold on to your pan and parchment) and reduce the oven temperature to 250°.
11. Slice the biscotti in 1/3 to 1/2 inch sections and spread out on your pan.
12. Toast for about 40 minutes, or until mostly crisp in the middle.
13. Let cool and serve with afternoon coffee (or milk).  Makes about three dozen.

tips:

*Double the baking powder and soda at lower elevations.

**My standard mixing disclaimer: most recipes will tell you to mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, then stir them together-- this is to prevent clumping and ensure even mixing.  I'm lazy and don't like getting out and washing an extra bowl, so I do it all in one bowl.  To make up for it I try to mix the dry ingredients together on top of the wet before I really stir it into the the wet stuff.  If this is offensive to you, by all means, get out another bowl...

spinach, red bean and dumpling•soup

We've had a lot of snowy and blowy weather here lately.  I could do without the wind, and the drifts that build up in the wind that I get my car stuck in.  But, I'm happy to finally be getting some good snow-- it's great for playing in, and also for looking out upon while you cook soup...

Owen loves dumplings and beans, so my spinach, red bean and dumpling soup is a hit with him.  
It's a hit with me because he can't help but ingest some spinach with his beans and dumplings.
I also like it because it's delicious. 
I've made this a Crockpot recipe because this is my favorite way to make beans these days.  If you don't want to spend all day making this, you could use a can of beans instead (BPA-free ones, of course), liquid and all.  Add a little extra water, heat up on the stove, then continue from there with the recipe, but on the stovetop.

the veggies:

-for the beans:

• 1 cup dry small red beans, rinsed and drained
• 9 cups water*

-for the soup:

• 1 TBS dried rosemary, rubbed between your palms to break up a bit
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tsp veggie base concentrate**
• 1 tsp salt (optional)
• 2 TBS lemon juice
• 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (one or two sprigs)
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• grated parmesan, for garnish

-for the dumplings:

• 1 egg
• 1 eggshell (both sides) full of cold water
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 to 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

the love:

-for the beans:

1. Combine beans and water in your slow cooker, turn on high, cover and let cook for 4 to 5 hours, or until beans are tender but not mushy.  Keep an eye on the liquid level to make sure beans are covered with water at all times, and turn down the heat or add more water if needed.***
2. If the beans are finished before you're ready to start on the soup, you can turn off the slow cooker and let the beans sit, covered, at room temperature for up to a couple of hours.  Just be sure to get your slow-cooker heating up well before you plan on cooking the dumplings.  I try to give it a good 45 minutes.

-for the soup:

1. Make sure your beans and liquid are good and hot (keep your crockpot on high for the rest of the soup-making process), and that you've got a couple inches of liquid for adding veggies and cooking dumplings.
2. Add the rosemary and veggie base to the beans.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the onions.  Saute until they become translucent, then add the garlic and saute a couple minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, add the salt, lemon juice, spinach, and basil to the soup.
5. Add the cooked onion and garlic to the soup, along with some salt and pepper, to taste.

-for the dumplings:

1. In a small mixing bowl or measuring pitcher, beat the egg with the water and salt.
2. Add the baking powder and a few tablespoons of flour at a time, mixing between additions, until the mixture is something between a wet dough and a thick batter.  
3. Drop the dumpling mixture in the hot soup, about a teaspoon at a time, helping it off the spoon with with your finger, as shown. 
4. Cover the Crockpot and let the dumplings cook for about 10 minutes, or until they're no longer doughy in the middle.
5. Serve topped with shredded parmesan.

notes:

* The amount of water you'll need may vary.  You might need less at lower altitudes, or more if your slow-cooker runs hot.  Don't worry about this too much-- you can always add or remove liquid later on.

**I use "Better Than Bouillon" brand.  You could also use whatever amount of bouillon cubes you'd use for about 3 cups of water, or remove some bean liquid and add a couple cups of full-strength broth.

***Like the amount of water, your bean cooking time will also vary depending on your altitude and how hot your slow-cooker runs.

ginger•cinnamon braised seitan

Brock and I hardly ever fight, but one of our more recent altercations was over, of all things, seitan.
He's generally not a picky eater-- I can give him just about anything for dinner and as long as there's a hunk of bread with it he says it's awesome.  But, as I found out, he does not like seitan that's even the least bit spongy...
My first attempt at making seitan for this recipe made a product that was a little spongy.  I thought it was still pretty good. Brock said he liked the flavor, but wasn't into the texture.  
He then brought up (several times throughout the meal) this teriyaki beef his mom used to make when he was a kid, and proceeded to suggest that I make my seitan a little more like that teriyaki beef.  
"That teriyaki beef my mom made when I was a kid was really good..."
"The teriyaki beef was chewier..."  
"You should try to broil this, like my mom did with the teriyaki beef..."  
I took it a little personally and I quickly became a little resentful of the teriyaki beef. 
First of all, this is not teriyaki (teriyaki does not contain cinnamon or red wine).  Second, this is not beef.  Third, I was so excited to use this method of smashing the ginger instead of peeling and chopping it (what a time saver!), and that just wouldn't work as well if I broiled the seitan ala said terriyaki beef.
We agreed to disagree for the time being.   But, this whole thing just made me more determined to stick with my original vision of the recipe and adjust the texture in other ways (I did not set out to make mock teriyaki beef and I was not going to end up with it).
But, attempt two came out even spongier.  It looked like animal brains and reminded me of a cheesy joke I'd heard: 
What do vegan zombies eat?
Grraaiins!
Ha ha.
These grain-brains went down the disposal without making it to the smashed ginger.
Then came attempt number three, which came out chewy and flavorful.
Even Oliver, the pickiest one in the house, was happily noshing his seitan. Brock was excited about it, too.
And there were no comparisons to other, dissimilar recipes.
And marital accord was restored.

I know this recipe looks a little complicated at first glance, but making the seitan from scratch was really pretty easy for me once I figured out how to adjust the firmness.  And, you can make the seitan ahead of time or even use store bought.*  With pre-made seitan, this comes together quickly and easily...  

And, of course, it's delicious.

the veggies:
-for the broth:

• 3 cups water
• 3 cups veggie broth
• 3 TBS soy sauce

-for the seitan:

• 1 cup vital wheat gluten flour
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 cup cold veggie broth
• 3 TBS soy sauce
• 1 TBS sesame seed oil (or other oil)
• 1-2 TBS water, if needed

-for braising:

• 12 to 16 ounces of seitan strips
• 1/4 cup agave nectar (maple syrup or honey would also work)
• 1/2 cup seitan broth*
• 1/2 cup red wine 
• 1 TBS cooking oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 large piece of fresh ginger (about 3 inches long), left un-peeled and smashed with the broad side of a large knife

the love:
-for the broth:

1. Combine all the broth ingredients in a large sauce pot and bring to a boil.

-for the seitan:

1. Combine the wheat gluten, garlic powder and ground ginger in a mixing bowl.
2. In a small mixing bowl or large measuring pitcher, combine the 1/2 cup veggie broth, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until the mixture forms a stiff dough.
4. Knead for 3 to 5 minutes, kneading in a tablespoon or two of water if the dough is too stiff.**
5. Divide and stretch the dough into two flat "cutlets", and drop into the boiling broth.
6. Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.
7. Let simmer for 45 minutes.
8. Cool for awhile on the stove.  If you're not ready to use it yet you can store the seitan in its broth in the fridge.
9. When you're ready to braise the seitan, drain it, making sure to reserve some of the broth***, then slice it into strips.

-for braising:

1. Whisk together the agave, seitan broth and wine in a measuring pitcher or small bowl.
2. Heat a large skillet with oil over medium to medium-high heat.
3. Add the seitan and saute until it's browned on the edges.
4. Add the smashed ginger and cinnamon stick and stir for a minute.
5. Pour some braising sauce into the pan until the seitan is half-covered.
6. Stir and cook until the sauce is almost all gone, then add more.  Repeat until you've used up all the sauce and the seitan is still just a little saucy (this will take about two or three batches and about 20 minutes).
7. Remove the cinnamon and ginger and serve over rice or cous cous with a steamed green veggie on the side.

notes:


*If you want to use store-bought seitan, skip right to the braising and use 1/4 cup veggie broth, 1/4 cup water, and a tsp of soy sauce for the 1/2 cup seitan broth.
** This is the step where you can adjust the chewy- or spongy-ness of the seitan.  If you want it really chewy like Brock likes it, avoid adding extra water and knead well-- it will be very stiff.  If you want it more tender, add some water and knead a little less-- it will be like a firm bread dough.
***You'll use the reserved seitan broth in the braising sauce, but I also use a half-diluted solution to cook my rice or cous cous to make it more flavorful.

upcoming recipes and a special offer

I will be the first to admit my recipes have become more few and far between lately.  
And, admittedly, so has my house cleaning-- I've been doing cleaning triage and really only cleaning what's become glaringly dirty.  This is basically my normal cleaning routine, but taken to the next level.  For example, my next order of cleaning business is to pick up the big chunk of cereal bar off the living room floor (man, those dogs are getting old and lazy).
I have been doing quite a bit of cooking lately, but for some reason I've chosen to take on developing some more complicated recipes like spinach, bean and dumpling soup (for which I'm struggling to get the bean cooking time and water level right), and home-made seitan braised in ginger-cinnamon soy sauce (and I'm discovering the craft of home-made seitan is tricky, at best).  I'm also really excited about something I made Monday night:  Navajo fry bread.  I topped it with home-made vegan chorizo, crispy kale and a drizzle of green chile sauce.  Crazy-good.
So, those are some things to look forward to-- I just want to get them perfect before I share them with you...
But if you're looking for something to make and have not tried my Rich Chocolate Pudding yet, do yourself a favor and make it.  Now.  We've literally had it for dessert three times in the past week and  I can definitively say that it's delicious-- especially with a glass of red wine.  And it's ridiculously fast to make.
Anyway, I'm sure you're dying to know what I've been doing, if not keeping my house spotless and finishing up all those delicious recipes I have started...
As if I needed more to do, I've created an Etsy shop where I'm selling my handmade jewelry.  In actuality, my jewelry hobby (along with this blog) add more to my plate, but in a purely positive way.  I've discovered over the last several months that in order for me to do my best at being a mother and wife, I also need something to do that's my own.  Parents spend so much time doing things for others that it's too easy to forget to do something for ourselves.
Etsy is my latest thing I do for myself, but I've made something for you on there, as well: a treasury list in honor of my readers, called "eat your veggies".  Check it out-- there are so many fun things to find on Etsy.
While you're there, check out my shop, Mountain Mama Handmade and treat yourself (or a loved one) with 15% off anything in my shop-- just enter coupon code "BLOG15" at checkout.

Okay, thanks for humoring me-- I promise this will be the last time I so shamelessly advertise my Etsy site here.  

Have a great day, and don't forget to do something for yourself today!

cheater•raspberry cinnamon rolls

Weekends are a cause for celebration in this household-- especially now that we've figured out how to keep the boys from waking us up before it's light outside.  We somehow convinced them to play in their room when they wake up instead of waking us up right away.  Never mind that to keep busy this morning they decided to remove every last book from their bookshelf, covering the floor with a colossal, sprawling heap of books.  My boys have quite a lot of books, and this makes a big...

Gigantic. 

Mess.  

And this isn't the first time they've done this first thing in the morning.  Something about that pre-dawn glow makes them want to destroy their room (or is it just something about being a boy that makes them want to destroy anything, at any time?).

But, on the bright side (as in bright from the sun, as opposed to the bright of a Buzz Lightyear book light shining in your face at five AM on a Saturday), we did get to sleep in until 6:45 this morning!  This is pretty big for us.  It probably doesn't sound great to those of you who get to experience the joy of really sleeping in, but on a weekday at that same time Brock would already be on his way out the door and the rest of us would be in the middle of our frenetic race to finish breakfast, get dressed, gather school stuff and get to school (within 10 minutes of) on time. 

So anyway, I was in a celebratory mood this morning and wanted to make something special.  This something special also had to be easy and fast because my boys had worked up an appetite destroying their room, and I almost never have the foresight or energy to start cinnamon rolls from scratch the night before.
In comes the store-bought dough, which is a favorite of ours to make in the dutch oven when we're camping.   Since we're still in the depths of winter here in the mountains and we won't be rolling out the tear drop trailer anytime soon, this "cheater" version of cinnamon rolls has snuck its way into my kitchen of late.  At least the local store carries an all-natural brand...  It's still loaded with sugar, but is free of partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and other offenders you might find in other store-bought dough.  

Roll in some raspberries and mix some cream cheese into the frosting, and I like to think  there's a tiny bit of something in these that's good for you (and besides, we're celebrating, right?).  
This is not the kind of cinnamon roll you can pick up and eat or pick apart with your fingers (unless you're Oliver and you just don't care).  You'll want to get out the forks because these are a gooey mess-- in a wonderful, delicious, weekend morning kind of way...
Happy weekend, friends!

the (non) veggies:

• About 25 fresh raspberries, washed
• 1 roll of pre-made cinnamon roll dough (I use a 17.5 oz package containing 5 rolls and a regular icing packet)
• 1/2 cup cream cheese

the love:

1. Preheat your oven to 350° and get out a baking pan (I like to use a pie plate for this).
2. Pop open your dough and unroll a single cinnamon roll on a plate or cutting board.  Tightly re-roll the dough, squishing in a whole raspberry every inch or two, for a total of about five berries per roll.  
3. Repeat with the remaining rolls and raspberries, and don't worry if you're loosing some of the cinnamon paste from between the dough-- just spread whatever came off back on top of the rolls once they're all rolled up again.
4. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until your rolls are golden on the edges and no longer doughy in the middle (but they will still be gooey from the raspberries).
5. While the rolls are baking, whisk together the cream cheese with the icing that came with the cinnamon rolls.
6. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for just a couple minutes before frosting (if you can stand it), then glob the frosting on thick.
7. Slice and fry up some veggie sausage and brew a cappuccino for on the side, and toast to the weekend.

rich chocolate•pudding

This may be terrible timing for posting a chocolate recipe-- right after Valentine's day. 
But if you're anything like me all those heart-shaped chocolates only whet your appetite for more chocolate.
And, in my defense, I actually did try to make this chocolate pudding that I saw on Pinterest on Valentine's day, but it came out gritty from the dates.  We still gobbled it down, but I knew a few tweaks would make it even better.  It also needed to be a bigger batch...
So, as if all those left-over chocolate hearts I ate today did not fulfill my chocolate quota, I experimented with it again tonight.
And I think I've figured it out.

I saved the dates for other things (like my breakfast bars), and substituted banana and maple syrup instead.  Add a pinch of salt and some vanilla for a little extra flavor, and it's even more delicious and still pretty healthy.  
It takes all of about three minutes to whip up, and is incredibly decadent and satisfying.  So, toss the rest of those foil-wrapped hearts (or, on second thought, just save them for tomorrow) and get out the avocados--  this is much more of a treat and is probably better for you.
It also makes an awesome goatee...

the veggies (or technically, fruits, etc):

• 1 banana, peeled (obviously)
• 1 avocado, pitted and peeled
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• a pinch of salt
• 1 TBS vanilla extract
• 2 to 6 TBS water

the love:

1. Combine all ingredients except water in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add as much water as needed to reach a smooth, pudding-like texture.
3. Chill before serving, if desired-- but you probably don't want to leave this in the fridge for too long because avocados and bananas can both get kinda funky after a while once they're mashed or blended, and also because husbands and kids can't be trusted around chocolate desserts left unattended... 

carrot•quinoa risotto

I love my town-- with its spectacular views, fresh air, laid-back neighbors and easy accessibility to the mountains, forests and surrounding small communities...  
That is, I love it when I'm not hating it.
I once drove past a neighbor's house on my way home to see him standing there in his front yard, beer can in hand, watching six-foot flames dance off a couch.  I do respect him for getting rid of his couch before winter came-- unlike the thrift store a few blocks away which had a couch sitting out front in the snow half the winter.  
And you have to love the urinal on the back of another neighbor's shed-- I'm just grateful for the fact that I cannot say with certainty whether or not it actually gets used.  I can, however, tell you with certainty that there are several cars and boats, a laundry truck, and an ancient bulldozer laying around that have not been used in years.
Amidst all this, across the highway from a three-story log tower inexplicably built onto a hodge-podge house, and sort of kiddy corner to the afforementioned snow-soaked couch-selling thrift store, lies an anomaly-- the local tavern.   

I used to hold the tavern in high regard.  It's spendy so we don't go there often, but we have always looked forward to it.  So, a couple weeks ago when Brock and I found ourselves out at dinner time and the kids at home with a sitter, we decided to spring for it.

Dinner started out nicely with a good white wine and a delicious Thai tofu appetizer. 

But I started to feel a little uncomfortable when the table next to us sat down and ordered a bottle of Dom Peringnon, just "to celebrate life" (in other words, to show off?).

My excitement for the place dwindled a little more when we got our entrees, two carrot quinoa risottos.  We had had this dish before and loved it.  But this time-- not so much.  There were about a dozen different vegetables in it, most of which were grossly overcooked.  I love Brussels sprouts when done right, but mushy ones have all the flavor of a dirty gym sock.  The light was too dim to even identify some of the other chunks, and they did not have the, um, distinctive taste of the Brussels sprouts.

Bummer. 

To try to raise our spirits, we ordered the chocolate cake for dessert.  Sure bet, right?  

Eh...

Brock thinks my Insane Chocolate Cake is better-- more moist and chocolatey.  I think I agree.

So, overall, for about $100 (a big chunk of change for us to shell out on dinner) we got a mediocre meal in a place with kind of a stuffy atmosphere.  

"I can do better," I thought.  Brock already said I've accomplished that with the cake.  Next came the quinoa...

I kept it relatively simple-- saving the Brussels sprouts for oven-roasting or grilling (the only ways to cook a Brussels sprout, in my humble opinion), and keeping what I liked the best from the tavern's version: whole grape tomatoes and pearl onions.

This dish takes a while to make, but a lot of the cook time can be spent sipping wine (I suggest something like Bota Box's 2010 Old Vine Zinfandel, as opposed to Dom) and reading blogs on your tablet while occasionally stirring the pot.  

This makes for a pretty relaxing evening-- and really cheap compared to the alternative.  We like to enjoy the risotto while looking out the windows at the Continental Divide, a ripped-up car tent and a flatbed trailer full of construction refuse, all dusted with a layer of fresh snow and lit by the fuchsia-hued fading late-afternoon light...  
My hometown in all its glory.

the veggies:

• 1 1/2 cups pearl onions
• 3 cups carrot juice
• 2 cups veggie broth
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 2 cups sliced (at an angle) carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
• 1 large shallot, minced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 2 TBS lemon juice
• 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan, plus more for garnish
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

the love:

1. Boil a few cups of water in a medium saucepan and add the whole un-peeled pearl onions.  Cook for three minutes, then drain and rinse the onions in cold water.  Cut the root end off each onion and firmly but gently squeeze to peel each one.
2. Heat the carrot juice and broth together in your medium saucepan and keep at a simmer, stirring occasionally.
3. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan.
4. Add the onions, stirring occasionally, for a couple minutes.
5. Add the carrots, continuing to stir until the carrots and onions start to become tender on the edges.
6. Add the shallots and stir until they start to become translucent.
7. Add the quinoa, lemon juice, and tomatoes and stir well.
8. Pour in some of the juice and broth mixture until the quinoa is just covered but some of the veggies are still peeking out.
9. Adjust the heat if necessary, to keep at a healthy simmer.  Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid is absorbed.
10. Stir in the peas and add more carrot broth until the quinoa is just covered again.  Repeat until the liquid in the small pot is all used up, the liquid in the big quinoa pot is almost all absorbed, and the quinoa is done.*
11. Stir in the 1/2 cup parmesan and season lightly with salt and pepper, to taste.
12. Serve topped with more shredded parmesan. 

note:

* You'll know the quinoa is done when it's translucent and no longer crunchy-- this takes about 40 minutes total for me.   Add plain hot water to the quinoa if your liquid runs out but the quinoa isn't tender yet.  At lower altitudes you may not use all the liquid, and it will likely take less than 40 minutes for the quinoa to cook.