Carrot Cake (life is uncertain, eat dessert first)

Meatballs and Gravy

meatballs

thick gravy

thin gravy

Turkey Meat Loaf

Swedish Meatballs

Salmon Janet ( easy food)

Old Bay Potatoes

Turkey Moussaka

Diablo Sauce (quick food)

One bowl Carrot Cake

T Kilsdonk

This is another original. It is closer to a sheet cake or a coffee cake than a traditional carrot cake. If this bothers you then call it "Carroty Coffee cake".

Preheat oven to 325

prepare a 9*13 glass pan

Prep:

one pound large carrots, plus one large carrot

peel the carrots and shred them in a food processor

In a large bowl mix in, in order:

2 eggs

1/4 cup light oil (light olive or canola)

1 ½ cups nonfat yoghurt

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 cup turbinado sugar (or any molasses flavored sugar)

½ cup oat bran

Let the bowl sit for a minute or two so the oat bran can drink

add, in order:

cinnamon, allspice + nutmeg to taste (start with ½ tsp each)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

beat well

Fold in:

2 cups all purpose flour

the carrots

optional - raisons or walnuts

pour the batter into th glass pan

bake until done, about 35 minutes

Note on ingredients: I worked this up using the molasses infused sugar that is sold under the brand name Turbinado. I did not use the first rough pressings from a sugar mill. I have not yet taken the time to revise the recipe for white sugar and a little molasses, but would start with 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tbsp molasses.

This is a mildly sweet coffee cake, I like it for breakfast with a little margarine.

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Meatballs and gravy

Make either sauce below

once it is simmering make meatballs, add to sauce

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Turkey meatballs

1 package turkey

1 egg or 2 egg whites

3/4 cup matzah meal or cracker meal

up to 1/4 cup more matzah meal or cracker meal

1 tbsp olive oil

1 ½ tsp thyme

put the meat, 3/4 cup matzah meal, oil, egg, and thyme in a large bowl.

Mix with your hands until you have a fairly dry meat dough that has changed its texture. You may have to add up to 1/4 cup more matzah meal, or a little olive oil.

Take chunks of meat a little bigger than your thumb and roll between your hands to make firm balls about the size of walnuts.

In a non-stick pan, brown the meatballs. Use about 1 tsp olive oil per pan full of meat balls. A normal 1 ½ pound pack of turkey makes 2 pans full of meatballs for me, but it might go to 3 pans.

Once they are brown on all sides, add them to the gravy. Simmer in the gravy till done.

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Spaghetti sauce #1

3 onions, chopped coarsely

1 or 2 tbsp olive oil

salt

4 cloves garlic

[optional ½ pound turkey sausage, chopped into one inch pieces]

1 bell pepper

1 28oz can whole tomatoes

1 small can tomato paste

1 medium can tomato sauce

bay leaves

basil

oregano

1 chile pepper or about 1 tsp hot pepper flakes or ½ tsp ground cayenne

1/4 tsp curry powder

This is my normal thick sauce.

Chop the onions coarsely

chop the garlic with a knife

tear the bell pepper into chunks about the size of a finger joint - use your hands for this

break up the chile pepper if dried, or chop it small with a knife if fresh. I use Thai dragons or super chiles for this, but any small hot pepper will do.

Put the oil and pepper in a cold pot

heat the pot, when the oil is hot add the onions and a little salt

saute the onions till translucent over medium-low heat

add garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and the optional sausage

stir until the aroma rises

add the bell peppers, stir another minute or two

add the tomato sauce and the tomato paste

open the can of whole tomatoes, pour in the canning fluid

take a knife and wave it around inside the can to cut the tomatoes into chunks, you want them roughly quartered.

Add the tomatoes

stir

add the curry powder and basil

stir again

turn down to the simmer

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Red gravy #2

1 large or two small onions

1 or 2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic

1 chile pepper

[optional, ½ pound or more turkey sausage, chopped into one-inch pieces]

1 medium can tomato paste

1 28oz can tomato sauce

basil

oregano

1/4 tsp curry powder

water - as much water as you used paste

This makes a thin red gravy, I like it with thicker pasta

chop the onions finely

crush the garlic in a garlic press, have the crushed garlic ready to add

break up the chile pepper if dried, or chop it small with a knife if fresh. I use Thai dragons or super chiles for this, but any small hot pepper will do.

Put the oil and pepper in a cold pot

heat the pot, when the oil is hot add the onions and a little salt

saute the onions till translucent over medium-low heat

add garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and the optional sausage

saute till the aroma rises

add the tomato sauce and tomato paste

refill the paste can with water and add that much water

add curry powder and basil

simmer

correct the seasonings

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Turkey meat loaf

T Kilsdonk

I have not made this while measuring. This is from memory. I worked up this loaf while thinking about James Beard's definition of meat loaf as the way that Americans spell pate. It makes a firm loaf with a light brown crust on the outside, very unlike a traditional tomato based meat loaf.

1 package turkey

1/4 cup dijon mustard (two heaping teaspoons full)

1 egg or 2 egg whites

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup matzah meal or cracker meal

1 tsp herb of the day (thyme, oregano, basil all work well)

preheat oven to 425

rub light olive oil on a cookie sheet or other flat baking tray

in a bowl, mix the ingredients together. You want to feel the texture of the loaf change from meat to something halfway between meat and hand-kneaded bread dough. Add extra matzah meal and olive oil as needed to get the required texture.

Form into a long bar of meat, It should be about 4 fingers tall and 4 fingers wide, and be as long as it has to. Squeeze the middle so that it is faintly barbell shaped - the ends cook faster than the middle so make them a little larger, that way it all comes out evenly.

Place on the sheet, splash another tablespoon or so of olive oil on top and rub to coat the outside of the loaf.

Bake for about 25 minutes until done.

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Swedish meatballs

adapted from Joy of Cooking

1 small onion

1 tsp olive oil

2 eggs or 4 egg whites

1 slice of bread, 1 inch thick - soaked in water then squeezed dry

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tsp salt

½ tsp paprika

½ teaspoon grated lemon rind (I cheat and use lemon oil)

1 teaspoon lemon juice (see above)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

mince the onion

saute in the oil in a non-stick pan until golden

pour into a mixing bowl

add meat, eggs, and bread

add the spices

mix together lightly with the hands or with 2 forks

form into loose meatballs slightly larger than walnuts. It will be a wet dough that is annoying to work with

brown the meatballs in olive oil, a panful at a time

pour into a stock pot

cover with

2 cups nonfat beef stock - I like the saltiness of the Campbells, J prefers the College Inn brand.

Simmer until done, 15 to 20 minutes depending on how hard you browned the meatballs

remove the meatballs to a serving dish

pour the stock into a cold nonstick frying pan

add about 2 tbsp flour. If the stock is still hot you might have better luck making a flour and water slurry and adding the flour that way

bring the stock to the simmer, thus making pan gravy

pour the gravy over the meatballs

they can be served, or kept warm in a chafing dish

these are VERY good with wide egg noodles and steamed broccoli.

Note on ingredients: I bought a small bottle of lemon oil from King Arthur Flour (www.kingarthurflour.com) that I use instead of playing with lemon zest. We all cut corners.

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Salmon Janet

C. Kilsdonk

parve,

This is a simple oven poached fish that is finished under the broiler. It was named for the song long before we started playing Everquest. It goes well with Old Bay Potatoes, below.

one salmon fillet

paprika

salt

dill

spray pam

wine or water

cookie sheet

place one oven rack up under the broiler, the other one in the middle of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350

Pam the cookie sheet, put the fish on the sheet, and Pam the fish.

Sprinkle the fish lightly with salt and paprika

splash some water or white wine onto the pan - wine will scorch a little during the final cooking but makes the whole thing cook better.

Put the fish on the lower rack, in the middle of the oven, and bake for about 20 minutes until the fish is mostly done.

Switch the oven to broil, move the fish to the top rack, and broil until done

Serve with roasted potatoes and a green vegetable.

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Old Bay potatoes

C Kilsdonk

a baking tray, I use an 8" square cake pan but anything that can take heat, oil, and has high sides

small firm potatoes - russets, yukon gold, etc. The smaller they are, the better this works - pick through and get some walnut sized little potatoes if you can.

1 tbsp canola oil

old bay shrimp spice

preheat the oven to 425

put potatoes in the pan until it is mostly full. Test by shaking the pan and making sure that you can make the potatoes shuffle and roll

add oil and old bay

roast at 425. Until done - time depends on potato size

every 5 to 10 minutes, open the oven and shake the pan to roll the potatoes in the oil and spice and to change which side of the potato is up.

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Turkey Moussaka.

1 package ground turkey

1 or 2 eggplants

spray pam

2 onions

2 heaping spoonfulls of tomato paste

1-2 tbsp olive oil

garlic (4 cloves or so)

tomatoes (fresh or canned, depending on season)

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

parsley

salt

pepper

Peel the eggplant and slice thinly

spray with pam and brown the eggplant under the broiler

in a large pan fry the onions in olive oil until soft and

golden, add the garlic and fry till the aroma rises.

add the ground meat, cinnamon, allspice, salt and plenty of

pepper.

Cook until the meat changes color

Add the tomato paste and cook for about 10 minutes, then

stir in parsley (fresh is better)

In a baking dish arrange a layer of eggplant to cover the

bottom. Then add tomato over the eggplant (slices if

fresh, haggled bits if canned). Pour the meat and onion

mixture over all. Top with another layer of eggplant and

more tomato.

Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve with white rice

Adapted from Claudia Roden, _The Book of Jewish Food_

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Diablo Sauce

parve,

serves 4

T Kilsdonk

1 or 2 tbsp strong olive oil

3 or 4 hot peppers, I use Thai dragons but any small hot chile will work

3 cloves garlic, crushed, on a plate ready to add

28 or 30 oz tomato sauce

basil - fresh leaves if you have them

oregano

Start water for pasta

break up the peppers if they are dried, mince them if they are fresh

crush the garlic and open the tomato sauce now, you won't have time later

put olive oil and peppers in the pan

heat and saute briefly on medium heat,

once the peppers start to sizzle add the garlic

cook the garlic and hot pepper together for a minute or two, stirring constantly with a spatula to keep the garlic from burning.

Once the garlic is lightly golden, add the tomato sauce

add oregano and basil to taste

reduce heat and simmer until the pasta is ready

I serve this with angel hair pasta or capellini