agave lime ice cream

Agave Lime Coconut Ice Cream

This ice cream evolved from an agave lime sherbet in Leslie Bilderback's cookbook, No-churn Ice Cream. However, my version is ice cream -- because it has cream in it -- and it involves churning in an ice cream maker.  Heavenly on a hot evening! 

Ingredients
1 C agave nectar
5 C canned coconut milk, unsweetened
1 C heavy whipping cream*
zest of 6 limes**
juice of 7 ordinary, out-of-season limes (or six juicy limes)
zest of 1 orange
1/2 t orange blossom water
2 pinches kosher salt

Instructions
1. Using stand mixer, whisk agave, milk, and cream until thoroughly blended and a bit thick.
2. Combine mixture with orange and lime zest, lime juice, orange blossom water, and salt.
3. Cover mixture with wax paper. Place bowl in refrigerator for 4-8 hours, until thoroughly chilled.
4. Churn it in an ice cream maker. It will still be quite soft.
5. Chill for 4 or more hours after churning to firm up.

*This recipe could be vegan with coconut cream, but I haven't (yet) tried that.
**note on zesting: I boil citrus for 1-2 minutes before zesting, to remove wax and other preservatives from the skin. This process does make zesting a bit more difficult, though.

Green tea ice cream

Green Tea Ice Cream

It seems like there are two main approaches, one to make it with half and half (or cream or milk) and the other to make more of a custard with egg yokes in addition to the cream or milk. So far I've tried and really like the first approach, without eggs. 

https://www.justonecookbook.com/green-tea-ice-cream-matcha-ice-cream/ - excellent, but add extra match powder, up to double (which is really wonderfully strong, to me anyway). It works better operating ice cream maker to double recipe (otherwise there's not enough ice cream to make it stop churning).

http://www.spoonfulblog.com/2008/02/no-ice-cream-maker-green-tea-ice-cream.html


https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/241759/matcha-green-tea-ice-cream/

Green tea avocado, from Katie Workman: https://www.thespruceeats.com/avocado-green-tea-ice-cream-recipe-4064747 - 

cucumber raita

Cucumber Raita

Most people consume raita as a side dish in Indian cuisine, but I find it to be super-refreshing and not too heavy to serve solo on hot summer days -- in fact, I sometimes have a small bowl for breakfast on hot summer mornings!

Ingredients
2/3 firm English cucumber, grated with skin on
1/4 t salt
~1 C whole milk Greek yoghurt
large bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
1 clove minced garlic
pinch of turmeric
water, to taste

Directions
1. Put the cucumber in a sieve over a bowl and sprinkle the salt on. Let it sweat for 30 minutes or so (in the refrigerator if it's too hot outside). Then squeeze the cucumber dry.
2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients with the yoghurt.
3. Add water, to thin it a bit, 1/2 cup or maybe a bit less, depending on how thick you prefer it.

Thai summer salad

Thai summer salad

Delicious salad version of a spring roll! 

Ingredients

for dressing:
1/2 - 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice (should be about one big juicy lime)

for salad:
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 English cucumber, grated
3 oz rice vermicelli (optional)
1 large carrot, grated
1/4-1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (optional)
handful of Thai basil, to taste
handful of cilantro, to taste
1/4 - 1/2 cup cashews or peanuts, or to taste

Directions
1. Combine the ingredients for dressing and set aside
2. Sprinkle the salt on the grated cucumber in a sieve over a bowl. Let it sit for 1/2 hour or so.
3. If using vermicelli, cook in salted water for a few minutes, until tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Transfer to bowl, and toss with 2 tablespoons dressing.
4. Squeeze remaining water out of cucumber, then combine with carrot, ginger (if using), basil, and cilantro.
4. Stir in remaining dressing, to taste.
5. Combine vermicelli and vegetables
6. Sprinkle nuts on top to serve

Avocado toast with cheese & eggs

Avocado toast with cheese and eggs


1 Slice of large bread, toasted (from a bread maker is the perfect size)
2 fried eggs
finely chopped avocado
thinly sliced really sharp cheddar
bacon crumbles (optional)

Layer the avocado on the toast. Bacon can also be added to this layer.
Then add the cheddar.
Slap the just-fried egg on top and let it melt the cheese.

Additional sauces could be added, but I find the flavor with a slightly soft egg yoke plenty saucy.

Kale and chickpea curry with Morels

Kale and Chickpea curry with morel mushrooms

I've adapted this recipe from Sarah Raven's In Season cookbook, in response to catching the morel mushroom hunting bug in Michigan this spring. Make this curry in the spring if you have a handful of mushrooms.

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely chopped (I suspect wild leeks might also work well -- you're likely to find them during morel season in Michigan)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
vegetable oil (I like sunflower)
1 heaping teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons (or more) grated giner
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups cooked chickpeas
13.6 oz can coconut milk
1/2 pound (or so), coarsely chopped morel mushrooms
juice of 1 lime
2 6-inch (or so) lemongrass stalks
1 bunch kale, stems removed & coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

Directions

1. Fry onion and garlic gently in the oil until they soften. Add curry, ginger, salt, and pepper.

2. Next, add chickpeas, coconut milk, morels, lime juice and lemongrass. Simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Steam kale for 5 minutes, then add to chickpea mixture. Add soy and fish sauces.

4. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm over basmati rice.

Heavenly!

honey wheat bread

Honey wheat bread

I'm working with a new piece of kitchen equipment -- a Zojirushi bread maker -- and it's making me think a lot about my mom, Margaret Juzwik, who made six loaves of bread each week to feed the six mouths in our family. Indeed, she gave me the bread machine as a Christmas gift. It has occasioned a bread-making exploration in the past few weeks, a great winter past-time.  Here's the most recent effort, which worked well. It's a hit with Maudemarie, Elliot, and Lydia.

1 1/2 cups water
3 cups white bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cut nutritional yeast
4 generous tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons powdered milk
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons butter
3 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Pour it all, in order, into the bread machine and voila!