Our year in food

Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup marscapone cheese
- 1/2 cup strawberries, hulled and cut small
- small jar of strawberry jam

Method
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Blend in egg, butter, milk marscapone cheese and vanilla extract. Gently fold in strawberries.
In a a muffin pan fill fill each cup 1/3 of the way with batter. Add a small tsp of strawberry jam on top of the batter. Top with an additional 1/3 of the batter. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from over and let cool.

Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
- 1 cold extra-large egg
- 1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk
- 1 tsp black pepper, optional
Method
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, salt and black pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.
Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the Cheddar with small handful of flour and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.
Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about 6 times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt, if using, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.

Adapted from 2008, Food Network Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon
- 1 medium carrot, slice into discs
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pepper, chopped
- 2 cups black beans, drained
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1 chicken breast, salt and peppered on both sides
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 avocado, sliced
- cilantro
- sour cream (optional)

Method

Saute bacon in a deep pot, medium heat, until crisp. Remove bacon, reserve bacon grease. Add onion and garlic to bacon grease and saute, medium heat, stir then add carrot and pepper after 2 minutes. Chop cooked bacon. Cook another 2 minutes then add beans, paprika, cinnamon, chili flakes. Add enough water to cover the beans. Stir and cover, reduce heat to low simmer and cook for 40-50 minutes. The water will simmer down to a sauce.
Make rice. Set aside.
In another pan brown the chicken for 5 minutes on each side in butter. Remove from heat, let cool a bit then chop into small bite size pieces. Remove beans from heat.
In a bowl add rice then beans and top with avocado and fresh cilantro and sour cream (optional).

My friend and classmate Krissy was kind enough to host our group for a dinner meeting. Lynn on the left is proudly showing off her fried, smashed potatoes! Pictured on the right is our lovely table with roasted rosemary chicken and tomatoes made by Krissy.

I modified the recipe from March 5, 2012 so it used fewer ingredients. I wanted it to have little burnt edges on the cabbage and it worked out quite well.

Ingredients
- 1 small head of cabbage, chopped into strips
- 3 slices Pancetta, diced into cubes
- 1 shallot, minced

Method
In a medium pan cook the diced Pancetta and minced shallot on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring often. The fat from the Pancetta will keep the shallots from sticking too much. Then add the cabbage and toss. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and let cook for another 3-5 minutes checking and tossing. Repeat this a few more times until the cabbage has reduced size by half. Total cooking time will be 8-12 minutes. If it sticks too much, add a little water, but too much water and the cabbage will not get those nice crispy edges, so be cautious. I don’t add water as the cabbage has so much water in it. When done, remove from heat and serve. Enjoy!

This dish is ideal for assembling the night before. Trimming away part of the thick center vein from the cabbage leaves makes them more pliable and easier to roll up.
Note: Feel free to substitute different nuts and dried fruit i this recipe.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 4 cabbage rolls and 2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients
1 large head green cabbage, cored
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cups cooked pearl barley
1 package meatless crumbles
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta/goat cheese (optional)
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (I used figs this time)
2 tablespoons nuts, toasted (I used almonds)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 cup juice (apple or grape)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained

Method
Remove leaves and steam cabbage 2 at a time for 2-4 minutes; cool slightly. Remove 16 leaves from cabbage head; discard remaining cabbage (really use it for something else). Cut off raised portion of the center vein of each cabbage leaf (do not cut out vein); set trimmed cabbage leaves aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cover and cook 6 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; stir in barley and next 6 ingredients (through parsley). Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Place cabbage leaves on a flat surface; spoon about 1/3 cup barley mixture into center of each cabbage leaf. Fold in edges of leaves over barley mixture; roll up. Arrange cabbage rolls in bottom of a lasagna pan.

Combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper,  juice, vinegar, and tomatoes; pour evenly over cabbage rolls. Cover and cook in over at 300 degrees for 1 hour or until thoroughly heated.

modified from Robin Robertson, Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2004

Ingredients
- 1 cup couscous
- slivered almonds (or another nut chopped)
- dried cranberries (or another dried fruit)
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 chopped avocado
- salt and pepper to taste

Method
Cook couscous according to directions. Cool slightly.
Add in remaining ingredients, toss, enjoy.

Ingredients

•    1 tbsp olive oil
•    a few slices diced pancetta or smoked bacon
•    pinch of  sugar
•    splash of white wine vinegar
•    1 large Savoy cabbage , shredded
•    1/4 cup chicken stock

Method

Heat the oil in a pan and sizzle the pancetta until crispy. Sprinkle the sugar over and splash in the vinegar. Stir the cabbage into the pan, then pour over the stock. Simmer it all for 10 mins until the cabbage is tender but still slightly crunchy.

Recipe by Barney Desmazery