Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

We like muffins for breakfast.
Or rather, the kids like muffins, and I like making them the night before so that they are ready for breakfast and I don't have to make anything right when I wake up!
Since we're eating them for breakfast though, I try to have them be on the healthier side. It's not a 'health food' by any means, but it's definitely not the cakey 'muffins' they have at grocery store bakeries. I also like that these are not too sticky, so they're easy to pack for a snack or a lunch and they won't stick together.

2 c rolled oats (I threw them in the food processor and pulsed them a few times so they were  chopped a bit. This isn't vital, but un-chopped rolled oats can be a bit chewey)
2 c applesauce
1/2 c honey
1 c oil
3 c flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 Tbs cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Put the oats in a large bowl with the applesauce, honey, and oil and mix. Let sit for a few minutes to soften the oats. Add dry ingredients and mix just until blended.
If it seems too thick, add 1/2 c water. (Depending on what kind of applesauce you have or whether you chop the oats it might affect the consistency.)

Bake at 375 for about 18 minutes for standard muffins or about 9 minutes for mini muffins.

"Russian Tea"

I'm really not sure where the name comes from, since there is no tea in it, but my brother (who lived in Ukraine for a while) said they do make something similar over there, so perhaps it really is  Russian!
We make this when we have sore throats. It's soothing and has some immune-boosting properties and it just tastes good!

The original recipe had sugar, but I've substituted honey, as well as increasing the lemon and orange juices...so my version is not as sweet but is more healthy. I have included both here for you, depending on whether you are looking for something healthy or just a sweet treat.


(original)
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups lemon juice
4 cups orange juice
6 cups water
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
In a large saucepan (4+ qt), combine the 2 c water with the sugar, and boil for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.

(my version)
2 cups water
1 cup honey
1 cup lemon juice
6+ cups orange juice (I usually put in an entire can, reconstituted)
4ish c water (the water + orange juice should be 10 cups, give or take)
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp almond extract
You can dissolve and boil the honey and water first, or you can just dump everything in at once and bring it to a nice simmer. Honey will dissolve much faster and more easily than sugar does. ☺

Serve warm or cold.

Pinwheels

 I encountered this idea at a local cafe. It's very simple, and really good! They served the rolls plain, or you could get it sliced in half and get it as a sandwich filled with ham, melted cheese, peppers, onions, and other veggies. 
It's a nice food for taking on picnics and sack lunches, because the whole sandwich is rolled into the bun before it's baked--nothing slides apart en route!

Use your favorite roll recipe (not a sweet roll, just a regular dinner roll)
Roll out the dough as though you were going to make cinnamon rolls, but instead of putting in butter and cinnamon and sugar, put in cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, spinach, bits of ham or bacon, or whatever other savory thing strikes your fancy.
I did ham, spinach, and mozzarella in these ones.
Try turkey with cranberry, beef with swiss, or all kinds of veggie combinations!

Latkes

Latkes are a Hanukkah food (although we make them for most Jewish holidays, simply because I don't know many Jewish recipes). Traditionally they are served with applesauce or sour cream, but my family seems to prefer them with salt, ketchup, or barbecue sauce...oh well, so much for tradition eh?

5 large potatoes (washed and trimmed, but they don't need to be peeled unless you want to)
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (I skip these half the time, just because I forget)
1/4 c flour
3 eggs, beaten

Over the sink, grate the potatoes into a colander. Press out as much of the potato water as possible. Place the grated potatoes in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir into a thick 'batter' (it's not really much of a batter, but it will all get sticky and clump together).
Over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet (cast iron is best), heat about 1/4c oil until hot. Drop in scoops of batter and flatten with a pancake flipper. Fry on each side until golden.
Drain latkes on a plate lined with paper towel. Serve warm.

Pulled Pork (or Beef) Sandwiches

You've asked for slowcooker recipes...
☺
My husband actually does most of the crockpot cooking around here. He does this one with a homemade barbecue sauce. Sorry, I can't give you the recipe for that, because he can't give me the recipe for that, because he just dumps stuff in and does it by smell every time. 
Purchased barbecue sauce usually has lots of additives, but if you learn to make your own it can be free of gluten and other allergens... ours usually has tomato paste, tomato sauce or ketchup, brown sugar and/or honey, vinegar, chili powder, garlic powder, liquid smoke, salt, etc...(Obviously to be GF you'd then have to eat the meat with a fork, rather than on a bun...but we tend to do that sometimes anyway!)
You can also do this with beef brisket.

1 pork shoulder of several pounds (other pieces may work also, but you want one that will shred apart, so not chops or loin) With or without bone is fine.
Barbecue sauce
(that's it!)

Put the (thawed) meat in the crockpot, cover it with barbecue sauce (as in, put sauce all over it, not bury it under a lake of sauce!). Cook on high for a few hours. I always like to check in on it about halfway through the day,  and if it's cooking fast then switch it to low...but it can go on high for a good 6-8 hours (or on low for 10-12 I would guess).When it is done, get a fork or knife or tongs and pull the meat all apart. Stir it around, add a little more sauce if you like, and let it cook a few more minutes.
Serve on rolls (I used these ones) with mayo and/or barbecue sauce.

(Fresh) Salsa

I got this recipe from my aunt. Of course it can be adapted (some of our adaptations are mentioned at the bottom). I like it chunky and fresh, (and I can it that way--just put it raw in the jar) but it doesn't develop a thick sauce that way. If you like a thick sauce, you'll need to simmer it on the stove a while. I can't give you any specific directions for that though, because, as I said, I don't do it. ☺

makes about 3-4 cups of salsa (I usually 6x it or more for canning)

3 med/large tomatoes
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 sweet pepper (bell, any color)
1 hot pepper (I use jalapenos, but if you like it hot use something hotter or use more of them)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbs something acidic (apple cider vinegar or lime juice is what we usually use, but lemon juice or other vinegar would work also)
cilantro, if desired

Chop it all up--I like my tomato, onion, and bell pepper chunks bigger and my garlic and hot pepper minced into oblivion...do what you like.
Toss all the veggies into a big bowl, and then sprinkle the spices and vinegar/juice over the top. Mix mix mix! Yum yum yum!



If you're canning it, put it straight into the jars, and process following the directions for tomatoes (it is acidic enough to process in a waterbath or steam canner, you don't need a pressure cooker).


Some of our favorite variations
Lime/garlic/cilantro ~ Use lime juice instead of vinegar, double the garlic, put in a bunch of cilantro.
Spicy ~ Use a habanaro pepper instead of jalapeno, or use 2-3 jalapenos instead of just one. Cilantro will add kick as well if you like that flavor.
Southwest ~ add a (drained) can of corn and a (drained) can of black beans to the recipe above.

Stardrop Cookies (gluten-free)

I took the simple GF cookies and tweaked them... I wanted to try using honey instead of sugar, but then they were too runny. So I swapped out the egg for baking powder, but it was still too runny...so I added cocoa. (This was not my first attempt at using honey in this recipe, it was just the first attempt that actually turned out as anything other than a pile of goo!)
I decided to name them stardrops because the dark cookie with the glittery sugar reminds me of the nighttime sky. They're really pretty.


Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup honey
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa

Blend together, then put in the fridge for about an hour to chill. It is very soft and sticky, so it needs to chill or you'll never be able to roll it into balls.
Honestly, I betcha you could put in 1/3-1/2 cup shredded zucchini. If you're into that. It would help them be not quite so sticky. ☺ I haven't tried it though.
After it chills, roll it into little balls (work fast, because as it warms it will soften and increase in stickiness again!), then roll each ball in a bowl with sugar, and place it on a greased cookie sheet. (I tried doing some without the sugar, and they stuck really badly, so while you can do it that way, I don't recommend it.)
Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. They will be extremely soft when they first come out, just let them sit a couple of minutes and then you'll be able to get them off the pan. ☺

Simple Cookies (Gluten-free)

My friend gave me this recipe--I think she invented it but I'm not certain. In any case, as she pointed out, it's just intended to be a simple cookie recipe, but it also happens to be gluten-free. And dairy free. Cool!
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Mix together. Roll into balls and put on a greased cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a cup in sugar and then press down on the top of each ball to flatten it a bit (I use a tupperware cup, thus the double circle in each cookie ☺)
Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

You can also add in all sorts of other things, nuts, chocolate chips, oatmeal...whatever you like. You may need to bake them as bar cookies or change the cook time if you do those things.

Here is one rendition I've done:
Egg, peanut butter, sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats (which i ground in the food processor so it was more like flour than oatmeal) 1/2 cup applesauce
about 1/3-1/2 c chocolate chips.
I put it in a 9x9 pan and baked it at 350 for 25min. It could have gone a little longer probably--it was really mushy when it was hot (I ate it out of a bowl rather than as a bar)

Indian-ish Chicken

This isn't a true Indian recipe in that I didn't get it from a cookbook or anything, but it's a combination of traditional Indian spices, even if not traditional cooking methods, so I surmise that it's 'authentic' in that it's the sort of thing an Indian housewife might throw together...
The flour in the coating is merely to spread the spices around evenly. I used rice flour and it was gluten free. ☺


1/4 c butter
Cut up butter into a 9x13inch pan and put it in the oven to melt as the oven preheats to 350* (don't forget to get it out as soon as it's melted!)
Set aside.

COATING (mix in a shallow dish or pie tin)
(all amounts are approximate, I just dump stuff in)
1/2 c flour (or rice flour ☺)
1 Tbs salt
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbs onion powder
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 Tbs turmeric
1 Tbs cumin
1-2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cloves
(1 Tbs cinnamon would also be authentic, but I forgot it, so either way...)

8 chicken pieces (I used thighs because they were on sale, but any pieces would work) I skinned them but left the bones in.
Press each chicken piece into the coating and get it fully covered on both sides. Then lay the pieces in the melted butter in the pan.
Bake for about 20 min, then turn each piece over and bake for another 20 min. (Meanwhile cook the rice and veggies)

RICE
1 chopped onion
3-4 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp salt
*2 cups white rice
4 cups broth and/or water and/or coconut milk (I used about 2 cups homemade broth then the rest water)
Put a little oil in a pan and saute the rice, onion, salt, and garlic until the onion and rice get glassy. Then add the liquid and let it simmer (without stirring) until all the liquid is absorbed (about 15min for white rice)

*adjust the amount of rice accordingly if you use brown or a white/brown mix

VEGGIES
I just used some frozen peas/carrots/green beans and steamed them, which is very not authentic. If you want something more authentic, try peas, carrots, potatoes, or tomatoes. You can steam them or saute them in a little oil or cook them in with the rice.

Serve everything together in a heap. Or not. However you like it. ☺

Veggie Gingerbread Muffins

I invented these as a good snack for my son to take to school. He loves muffins, but isn't so much into veggies...so I decided to put his veggies into muffins so that he would have something healthy and conveniently portable (and yummy!) all in one. I usually make them as mini-muffins, and a batch rarely lasts 24 hours. He has taken them as a class snack as well and said that everybody liked them.
There are two ways to make these muffins--one is with grated veggies (carrots or zucchini), and the other is with pureed veggies, such as squash or even baby food. There are a couple of other changes to make up for the textural differences between those two options, so read the recipe carefully! (Using the pureed veggies makes it an egg-free recipe.) The veggie taste is masked by the stronger gingerbread flavor, so you can use pretty much whatever veggies you want. I have done it with carrots, mixed veggies, and squash, but I'd love to hear about your experiences with other veggies!
As a note--this is a pretty potent gingerbread. We like it that way. However if you like a milder flavor, just use half the amount of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

mix
1 1/2-2 c grated carrots or other veggie
2 eggs
OR
7-8oz pureed veggies (carrots, pumpkin, squash, etc)
2 tsp vinegar

add
1/2 c oil
1/3 c molasses
2/3 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla

mix well
add
2 c flour (I use whole wheat, as you can't tell in the gingerbread flavor)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Bake at 350 for about 20-25 min for regular size muffins (10 min for mini-muffins)

Salmon Burgers

We have started catching out own salmon this year, but we're still getting the hang of filletting them, so there ends up being lots of little pieces of meat that we trim off the bones after the fillet is off. We didn't want to waste the meat, but at first I wasn't sure what to do with so many tiny pieces (it was from 16 fish so there was a lot!). Finally I hit upon the idea of using it like ground beef--mashing it up, shaping it into patties, and serving it as burgers.
They were awesome! The texture was perfect, but we couldn't really taste the dill I'd seasoned it with, so next time I'll use something a bit stronger.

2 cups salmon bits (fresh & raw is best, leftover would also work I think, or canned...)
1/4-1/3 c bread crumbs or rolled oat or leftover cooked rice
1 egg
seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic or garlic powder, dill, tarragon, etc)

Whir the salmon around in a food processor for a minute, or chop it/flake it into small pieces. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. If it's too sticky, add more bread crumbs, if it's too dry, add another egg or a little milk. It should hold together well--like ground beef does when making regular hamburgers!
Heat a little oil in a pan on medium heat. Pack the salmon mixture into tight balls (I used a scooper like I do with the black bean and rice patties) and then flatten them into a frying pan. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side. Salmon cooks quickly, and changes to a much lighter color when it is done. The outside of each patty will be a little browned and crisp (and hold it together), but the middles will still be soft.
Can be eaten on buns with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion...or eat them plain, perhaps with some sour cream, sundried tomatoes, etc...

Rhubarb Crunch (or Strawberry-Rhubarb Crunch)

This is the only way I've ever really liked rhubarb. I have a tendency to eat it for breakfast, but it's also good a la mode.
The original recipe is made with just rhubarb, but I've found that substituting in as much as half strawberries (and cutting the sugar down by 1/3c per cup of strawberries) is also really yummy.

Makes 9x13 pan

1/3 cups brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup softened or melted butter
3 cups rolled oats
Mix together. Press half of the mixture into a 9x13 pan, reserve the other half for the top. (I often do closer to 2/3 in the bottom of the pan, as the under layer gets the juices soaked in and is better than the top in my opinion.)

6 cups finely chopped rhubarb
3 Tbs flour
1 cup white sugar
Mix flour and sugar together. Coat rhubarb by shaking them all together in a covered bowl (or just dump them all into a really big bowl and stir a lot). Put filling in pan on top of under-crust. Cover with remaining crust mixture.
Bake 1 hour at 350.

Sesame Chicken

I adapted this recipe from the ones I found at allrecipes and recipezaar. It has a lot of ingredients, and no, you shouldn't leave anything out. There's a delicate balance at work here, and everything plays a part. The sauce is very sweet, and it needs the salty chicken to balance it; if you use the sauce alone you'll need to add some salt.
I like steaming some broccoli, onions, and carrots and serving them with the rice/sauce as well. Alternately, make just the sauce, and use it as a stir fry sauce (rather than making the fried chicken part).
Cornstarch can usually be replaced by using double the amount of flour...I don't recommend that for this recipe though because the thickening properties of the cornstarch are really important to the texture, and flour really doesn't do it as well.
To make this dish gluten-free, replace the flour with half the amount of cornstarch OR (better) with rice flour or a GF flour blend.
Chicken Marinade
mix in a medium sized bowl
2 Tbs soy sauce
3 drops *toasted sesame oil
2 Tbs flour
2 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs water
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vegetable oil
*the "toasted" part is important, it means the seeds were toasted before the oil was expressed, and it has a much stronger flavor. It's available in the asian section of the grocery store

Use fresh or thawed chicken--about 3 breasts or 4-5 thighs. Cut it into 1 inch chunks and then put into the marinade to sit for about 20 minutes (the marinade is thick so the chicken is not so much 'soaking' as it is 'coated' with the marinade).

Meanwhile get some rice going. ☺

Sesame Sauce
mix in a medium sized saucepan
1 1/2 c chicken broth
6 Tbs cornstarch dissolved into 3/4 c cold water
1/2 c sugar (this could probably be reduced, but I haven't played with that yet)
3 Tbs soy
2 Tbs rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)
3 Tbs toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp chili paste (or same amount of chili oil, or you could probably use red pepper flakes)
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
2 Tbs sesame seeds (you can sprinkle them on top at the end, but I find it easier to just mix them right into the sauce)
Mix over high heat, stirring continuously, until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low so that the sauce stays warm and thickens while you fry the chicken.

To Deep-Fry the chicken, I recommend using a wok if you can, because of its shape you'll be able to use less oil. To be really authentic, use peanut oil. Vegetable oil also works fine. (Light olive oil might be ok, but don't use EVOO--extra virgin--as it has a stronger flavor that just won't work for this.) Put enough oil in your pan to be about 1 1/2 or 2 inches deep, and heat it until very hot. Carefully add the chicken pieces a few at a time--they will want to stick together if you add them at once, so add them individually. Cook for 3-5 minutes (I always cut open the largest chunk from my first batch or two to check for doneness). Remove chicken from oil and set on paper towels to drain. You can set the cooked portions in the oven on low to keep warm while you cook the remaining chicken.

Place chicken on a large platter and pour sauce over it, then serve over rice.
Or, if you're like me, just serve everything in it's own dish and let people choose their own ratios. ☺

Battered Fish

Traditionally this deep-fried battered fish would be served with 'chips' (fat french fries), but I actually prefer to do onion rings, because I use the same batter for both fish and rings.


Cut white fish into fillets and make sure there are no bones. (If you buy it it should already be this way, but if you caught your own then obviously you'll have to do it yourself!) I like to make them on the smaller side--I slice thick fillets in half depth-wise (so I have two thin fillets), and I cut them down to about 4x4inch pieces. I like a high batter-to-fish ratio. ☺


Batter:
In a wide and/or shallow bowl, put 1 cup self-rising flour (or 1 cup white flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt). Slowly add water until it is about the consistency of pancake batter...maybe 2/3 or 3/4 cup of water usually. If it is too thin it will all drip off the fish (or onions)!

Heat oil in a wok, saucepan, or deep frying pan (I like using a lid to avoid oil splatters, but an oil screen works too). You can deep fry the fish, but I find that using a high-sided frying pan I can 'deep fry' them in only about an inch of oil, I just have to turn the fish over halfway through the cooking. It uses less oil, and seems to get less oil into the fish as well.

Put battered fish pieces into oil and fry until golden and cooked through--about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on the size of the pieces and whether the fish was frozen or thawed. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove fish and set on a paper towel to drain. Serve hot!


*This does NOT reheat very well (it's ok in the oven but terrible in the microwave), so if you have leftovers I recommend eating them cold.

40-Minute Hamburger Buns

from Best of Country Breads cookbook--many thanks to Maria for giving me this recipe, we use it constantly! I love how fast they are to make--they really are just 40 minutes. My husband says he thinks he likes it better than my grandma's rolls (which might be blasphemy). These buns are nice and hearty, so I do a wheat/white blend for plain eating, but most (or all) white when we use them for burgers. I don't think I'll ever want to eat a purchased burger bun again though. I am going to start experimenting with making these oblong for hot dogs and hoagies.
Makes 10-12 buns (the recipe says it makes 12, but I usually do 10, and they are still on the smaller side (I like smaller burgers so that works fine). If you want big 'quarter pounder' size buns, expect this recipe to make 8-9 buns.

2 Tbs active dry yeast
1 cup + 2Tbs warm water (that's 1 1/8 cups)
1/3 c oil (vegetable or olive)
1/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 tsp salt
3-4 cups flour (can be done whole wheat, although tastes best at about 50/50 white/wheat. You will need more flour for higher white content, less for higher wheat content)

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar, let stand for 5 minutes.
Add the eggs, salt, and enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. Do not let rise! Divide into 12 (or fewer) pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 2-3" apart on a greased baking sheet and flatten slightly. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes (they will rise). Bake at 425* for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Spider Spaghetti

Thanks JT for telling me about this!

A fun variation on regular spaghetti--kids enjoy helping make it, but it's also fun to just surprise them with it at the table. I originally heard the recipe with hot dogs, but I don't generally feed my family on such cheap meat, so I did it with polish sausage.

At first glance it looks like ordinary spaghetti with chunks of meat (I took the photos before putting on the sauce, but yes, we do put sauce on our spaghetti... ☺)

But look a little closer...

what was that?

ahh, there it is, the reason we call it "spider spaghetti"

Pretty fun isn't it?

And in case you haven't figured it out on your own (because my mommy brain had to have it explained to me), here is how to do it:

Yeah, stick the noodles through before cooking. Then stick them all in the boiling water together. I put in some extra noodles too because I thought it made a better meat to noodles ratio.

Once the noodles are soft (and the meat is warm) just drain the water, and serve with your sauce of choice. ☺

French Bread

I never liked french bread until I was introduced to this recipe (thank you Gina!). Even the fresh french bread at the store seemed dry and the crusts were so hard...this is a nice soft french bread. If you prefer that crustier bread, this will harden a bit overnight, or if you cook it for a few extra minutes.
I prefer to mix this bread by hand with a big wooden spoon--an electric mixer can lead to overmixing, and that will ruin the light texture of french bread.

*Note, you can do part wheat flour in this recipe if you like--I've had it work fine up to about half wheat--but hey, this is french bread...I like it white! ☺

Makes 2 large loaves
Preparation/cooking time = about 2 hours (it's easy, but there's a lot of rising time, and this really can't be rushed)

In a smallish bowl or measuring cup mix
5 tsp yeast (or 2 packets)
1/2 cup hot water
Set aside

In a large bowl mix
2 cup hot water
1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil)
3 Tbs sugar (I usually put part of it in with the yeast to help it get off to a good start)
1 Tbs salt

Add to water mixture
3 cups flour
Blend well
Add yeast mixture (which should now be nice and bubbly)
Blend well
Add
3 more cups flour
After mixing, dough will be pretty sticky. Cover bowl with a clean towel and set in a warm place for 10 minutes. At the end of 10 minutes, stir it down. Repeat the rising/stirring down for a total of 5 times. (If your kitchen is on the cooler side, try doing 15 minute risings, or if you have an oven-safe bowl you can set it in a slightly warm oven for the risings.) It's these multiple risings that make the big bubbles in the bread. ☺

Preheat the oven to 400*
Place the dough onto a floured counter and knead just a little (about 10 times) then divide into two parts and roll into long skinny loaves. If you have a french bread pan you can use that, otherwise sprinkle cornmeal on a cookie sheet and place the loaves side by side (leave a little space--they will rise as they cook). Do not rise them again before cooking, just put them into the oven. Bake at 400* for about 30 minutes.


Yummy variations

• Sprinkle grated cheese into the bread dough while kneading for a cheesy bread.
• Make ahead of time, then slice loaves in half lengthwise and spread butter and garlic inside and warm in the oven until flavors melt together.
• Make ahead of time, slice loaves lengthwise, then put cheese in the middle and melt in oven.
  

Homemade Noodles

These take a little bit of time, but are not difficult. If you have a pasta machine it's faster and easier (and the noodles come out prettier) but you can do it just rolled out on the counter as well.

makes enough for 3-4 people in a pasta dish, or 4-6 in soup
1 cup flour
1 beaten egg
a little water

Put the flour in a bowl, add the egg, and mix. The egg won't be quite enough liquid to make a dough, so add water about 1-2tsp at a time until dough all sticks together. (I usually need about 2-3Tbs of water, but it varies by the size of the egg, and whether I use wheat or white flour or a combination.)
The noodles will be pretty sticky, so use plenty of flour when you roll them out. The noodles will get bigger when cooking, so cut them thin and small.

Mujadarrah and Masala

I got this recipe from my friend here. It's actually Arab, but when made with the spices it's very reminiscent of Indian cuisine.

It's a lot like the simple lentils that I make, only with some ethnic spices and sweet caramelized onions on top. It's the same ingredients, but it's a very different meal. We liked it!

I just wanted to add my recipe for masala (nope, you don't have to buy the fancy spices, you can use combinations of your own!

MASALA
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Semi-Homemade Taco Soup

Alright, so I figure this is a 'cheating' sort of recipe, because it involves almost no real cooking--just a lot of dumping and stirring. On the other hand, it is yummy, and everybody needs an easy meal sometimes, right?

Prep time--about 5 minutes.

Cooking time--oh, another 5-10 minutes...

Meat (1 lb ground beef or 1 can chicken) (optional--lentils make a nice meat substitute too)

1 med onion, chopped

2-4c broth (anything that goes with your meat choice, amount varies by how thick you like your soup!)

1 can black beans

1 can corn

1 can tomatoes (diced or stewed)

1 small can diced chilis

1 packet taco seasoning (or chili powder, salt, etc as desired)

(The soup here was made with canned chicken) --------->

If using beef, place in a large saucepan to brown. Saute onions in with the grease. If using chicken, add a Tbs of oil to saute the onions, then add the chicken second. If using lentils, cook them first. Add taco seasoning to the meat. Drain off extra grease as applicable.

Dump in all canned ingredients--do not drain. Stir a bit, then add as much broth as it takes to get the consistency you want.

Let simmer for a few minutes until warmed through.

Serve topped with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, and/or fritos or crumbled corn chips.