Four Nights A Week

Adventures in Eating

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Amy’s Writing, Photography and Art can be found at amybisson.com

  • 03 Sep 2021: Deaf Smith Peasant Bread

    Many years ago, maybe 35 at this point, Adrien and I bought a ‘natural’ foods cookbook to accompany our newly-developed interest in eating more non-meat-based meals. The cookbook, probably out of print by now was The Deaf Smith Country Cookbook by Marjorie Winn Ford, Susan Hillyard, and Mary Faulk Koock. The book is in tatters now, but despite coming apart at the binding (and the tell-tale price of $4.95 on the cover), I still enjoy browsing and cooking from it. Seeing as I just found a hardcover on the web selling for nearly $580, I think someone else does too 🙂

    This time around, my book browsing brought me to the bread section. This recipe is an easy one – no poolish to forward-plan, simple ingredients and whole grains. I did not use a mixer or food processor – just one extra large bowl, wood spoon and my own two (immaculately clean) hands.

    The recipe makes 2 loaves, which is helpful during these busier Fall months when leisurely baking days are often interrupted by activity.

    Deaf Smith Country Cookbook’s Peasant Bread

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups milk
    • 1 cup water
    • 2 tsp sea salt
    • 3 TBSP unsulfured molasses
    • 2 TBSP dry yeast
    • 1 cup stone ground yellow corn meal
    • 6 cups whole wheat flour
    • 1 cup whole wheat flour

    Method

    1. Mix the liquids, salt and molasses. Heat them to lukewarm.
    2. Add the yeast and flours/cornmeal. Mix well and let rest 10 minutes.
    3. Knead in 1 more cup of flour into the dough (that’s right…. old school kneading). Place the dough into an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled.
    4. Knead again for a short time. Shape into 2 loaves. Place the dough in oiled loaf pans and let rise until doubled.
    5. Bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees F. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake 30 minutes more.
    6. Turn out and place on a rack to cool. Brush the crusts with oil (or butter). Cover with a towel while cooling.

  • 24 Aug 2021: Virgin Strawberry Mojito

    We have a dry cocktail hour a couple times a week, no particular reason – but I find weight fluctuations after imbibing are driving me crazy (although not enough to be a teetotaler).

    So after an unfortunate experiment with faked, non-alcoholic gins, I’ve moved to try to find an enjoyable cocktail/mocktail made with real ingredients. Tonight’s experiment comes from plantbasedjess.com and it was a refreshing alternative on a hot August afternoon. My one suggestion is that unless the strawberries are from the height of strawberry season, you should consider the suggestion of adding some sweetener. In this case I added about a teaspoon of maple syrup and that made all the difference.

    Salud!

    Virgin Strawberry Mojito Mocktail

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup fresh strawberries (2-4) – sliced
    • 10-12 fresh mint leaves
    • 1 lime – juiced
    • ½ tbsp sweetener to taste – optional (I say go for it unless it’s June in New England)
    • ice cubes – for serving
    • soda water or seltzer – I used about 1 – 1 ½ cup

    Method

    • In a glass (at least 16 oz), add the strawberries, mint, lime juice and sweetener, if using.
    • Using a muddler, crush the ingredients to help them release their juice and oil (avoid crushing the mint too small so it is more pleasant to drink).
    • Then, fill the glass with ice cubes and top with seltzer. Stir and enjoy!

  • 16 Aug 2021: Melon, Cucumber & Cherry Tomato Salad

    A heatwave, ripening melons and tomatoes and… the desire for a cooling salad? This was a refreshing recipe from columnist and food author David Tanis published on the New York Times recently. As advertised, it is really simple to put together and fast – just allow some time for marinating.

    Melon, Cucumber and Cherry Tomato Salad

    By David Tanis, New York Times

    Ingredients

    • 1 small melon, such as cantaloupe or honeydew (about 3 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (I chose a cantaloupe – in season here in New England)
    • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes of different colors, halved
    • 2 medium English cucumbers (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
    •  Kosher salt and black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus more to taste
    •  Small handful of basil leaves
    •  Small handful of mint leaves

    Method:

    1. Place melon, tomatoes and cucumber in a large salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss well.
    2. Drizzle with olive oil and lime juice. Toss lightly and leave to marinate for a few minutes and up to 30 minutes, to let the flavors mingle.
    3. Prep the basil leaves, tearing larger leaves into pieces, and the mint leaves.
    4. Just before serving, fold the leaves into the salad and toss well. Taste and add a little more lime juice, as needed.

  • 10 Aug 2021: Maple Oatmeal Cookies

    One flavor combination that I love, love, love is maple and oatmeal. No, we do not indulge in maple-flavored corn syrup – never have and never will. This is for lovers of the real deal in maple – and for this cookie, I used some dark maple syrup that Adrien had used in a batch of Sugar Pies last winter (recipe from a 2019 post).

    Moist and textured, these cookies would, as author Cynthia Rusincovitch says be healthy enough for breakfast with a few swaps.

    Maple Oatmeal Cookies

    Recipe by Cynthia Rusincovitch

    Ingredients

    • 3/4 cup butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks) 
    • 3/4 cup maple syrup (I used dark which was delicious)
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups whole white wheat flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 3 cups rolled oats not the quick cooking kind
    • 1 cup chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips (optional according to the original – but essential if you ask this chocoholic)

    Method

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
    2. In your stand mixer, whisk butter and maple syrup on medium speed until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, and whisk until combined.
    3. In a second bowl, combine whole white wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix until uniform. Slowly pour into the butter mixture, mixing on low until combined.
    4. Add oats and additional add-ins; fold into the dough until combined. 
    5. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. (I found 13 minutes to be the sweet spot here)
    6. Allow cookies to cool for a minute on cookie sheets, then move to wire rack to cool completely. 
    7. Store in an airtight container.

  • 04 Aug 2021: Pinto Bean Sloppy Joes

    Sometimes, we just need some old fashioned comfort foods. In this case, a Sloppy Joe was a reminder of school lunches and dinners at home. In my memory, the topping was always made with ground beef, which we don’t really eat any longer, so when I found this bean-based recipe on Simple Fit Vegan, I couldn’t resist.

    This meal comes together in 15 minutes and makes good use of leftover sandwich buns which we had in our freezer ready to be used. For our tastes, we added some of Craic Sauce’s Mill City Red hot sauce to make it more fiery.

    For more great vegan meal ideas, be sure to check out the rest of Simple Fit Vegan‘s offerings, and of course, if you’re looking to kick things up a notch or two, take a look at Craic Sauce‘s great hot sauces.

    Pinto Bean Sloppy Joes

    Ingredients

    • 1 tsp oil of choice (olive, canola, coconut, grape seed)
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 medium white or yellow onion,chopped
    • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
    • 1 15- ounce can tomato sauce
    • 1 tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 tbsp coconut sugar/brown sugar/or 1 tsp agave syrup
    • 1 28- ounce can pinto beans

    Method

    1. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Let the oil heat up then add garlic, onions, and red bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 5-7 minutes.
    2. Stir in tomato sauce, soy sauce, and coconut sugar. Cook for about 2 minutes until tomato sauce gets hot and bubbly.
    3. Gently add in pinto beans. Stir in with the rest of the ingredients.
    4. Serve with a bun.

    For Noomers, this recipe’s nutrition info *without a bun) Calories: 113 Fat: 1.5 g Saturated fat: 0.2 g Carbohydrates: 20.9 g Dietary Fiber: 5.5 g Sugar: 5.3 g Sodium: 657 mg Protein: 5.6 g

  • 28 July 2021: Cold Tofu Salad with Tomatoes and Peaches

    We’re at the start of peach and tomato season here in New England which is, in my opinion, my the most wonderful time of the year!

    This salad is a wonderfully refreshing salad for the dog days of summer – cool and easy to prepare. Essential to that freshness is the use of fresh mint and fresh basil. Fortunately both of those are in abundance at this time of year as well.

    Enjoy!

    Cold Tofu Salad with Tomatoes and Peaches

    Original recipe posted in the New York Times and was developed by Hana Asbrink.

    Ingredients

    FOR THE SALAD:

    • 12 to 14 ounces silken tofu, chilled
    • 2 to 3 ripe medium peaches
    • 3 to 4 ripe medium tomatoes
    •  Flaky sea salt
    • ¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves
    • 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
    •  Black pepper

    FOR THE DRESSING:

    • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

    Method

    1. Prepare the tofu: Carefully drain the tofu in its packaging, then remove the tofu. Gently wrap it with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to absorb excess moisture and set it on a plate.
    2. Meanwhile, prepare the peaches and tomatoes: Pit and cut each peach into 1-inch-thick wedges, then core and cut each tomato into 1-inch-thick wedges. Place tomatoes and peaches on a serving platter, pouring any tomato or peach juices from the cutting board over the dish. Season generously with flaky sea salt to draw out juices.
    3. Remove the tofu from the paper towels and place it back on the plate. Using a large spoon, scoop out tofu mounds onto the tomatoes and peaches. Season tofu with flaky sea salt.
    4. Prepare the dressing: In a small glass jar, combine dressing ingredients, cover and shake to combine. Spoon 4 tablespoons of the dressing over the tomatoes, peaches and tofu. Extra dressing can be served alongside.
    5. Just before serving, stack together the basil and mint leaves and roughly chop. Top the salad with chopped herbs and black pepper. Serve immediately, taking care to spoon extra dressing and juices from the bottom of the platter.

  • 23 July 2021: Easy Zucchini Bread

    Sonja and Alex Overhiser are the couple behind the award winning website (and books! don’t forget books!) A Couple Cooks. I’ve often found their creations to be not only delicious, but healthy. And the website’s photos are stunning!

    When our daughter-in-law, Beth – who most decidedly does have a green thumb – shared a zucchini with us, I knew I would be able to find a great Zucchini Bread recipe on the Couple Cooks website. Sure enough there’s a great one, and bonus points for incorporating Greek Yogurt!

    Easy Zucchini Bread

    From A Couple Cooks website

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup neutral oil (grapeseed, sunflower, vegetable) (I used coconut oil – which is tasty and works as long as the other ingredients are so cold as to make the oil solid)
    • ½ cup turbinado sugar or light brown sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
    • 1 cup packed shredded zucchini

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch bread pan.
    2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla.
    3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
    4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and combine into a sticky dough. Gently stir in zucchini (it’s not necessary to squeeze out liquid). Be careful not to overmix: just stir until the dough comes together.
    5. Pour the dough into the prepared bread pan.
    6. Bake 55 to 60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before slicing. Store at room temperature covered with a towel for 2 to 3 days, in the refrigerator for about 1 week, or frozen for at least 3 months.

    For Noomers (based on 14 slices): Calories 129, Fat 54g, Carbs 17.2g, Sugar 7.8g, Fat 3.7g, Protein 3.5g

  • 18 July 2021: Warm French Lentil Salad with Bacon and Herbs

    We are not big meat-eaters in our household, but every so often I discover a recipe that while not meat-centric includes it. Such is the case here – 4 slices of thick cut bacon added to this warmed French lentil salad. For those who avoid meat at all times, there are no doubt substitutions that could be considered, but as we were celebrating Bastille Day this week (and focusing on Cuisiner à la française) we stuck with the bacon. I did deviate from cooking the lentils in chicken broth and substituted a mix of French rose wine and water.

    The recipe calls for fresh herbs. Those fresh herbs release a remarkable flavor and make a huge difference in flavor. Otherwise it is a simple, quick and delicious meal.

    Warm French Lentil Salad With Bacon & Fresh Herbs

    Adapted from Faith Durand of TheKitchn

    Ingredients

    For the salad

    • 1 cup green or French lentils
    • 2 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken broth (See my headnote for change)
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 4 ounces bacon (about 4 thick-cut slices), cut into small pieces
    • 2 large shallots, cut in half and thinly sliced
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 3 large sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped and minced
    • 3 large leaves sage, minced
    • 2 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped
    • 1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped

    For the dressing

    • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

    Method

    1. Wash and rinse the lentils. Put in a small saucepan and cover with the chicken broth (or in my case, leftover white/rose wine + water). Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and cook until just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add extra water while cooking if the liquid gets low. Drain the lentils and return them to the pot. Stir in the salt.
    2. While the lentils are cooking, cook the bacon in a heavy pan over medium heat until crispy. Drain most of the fat out of the pan, then add the shallots, garlic, rosemary, and sage, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and the shallots are tender but not soft. Remove from the heat.
    3. Whisk the olive oil, mustard, and balsamic vinegar together until thick. Toss with the warm, drained lentils, then stir in the bacon and shallot mixture. Stir in the chopped capers and parsley. Taste and season with additional salt, if needed, and a generous quantity of black pepper.
    4. Serve warm. This keeps for 5 days in the refrigerator and is also good eaten cold.

    For Noomers (using the original recipe): 236 Calories, Fat 12 g, Carbs 23g, Fiber 4.1g, Sugar 3.4g, Protein 102 g, Sodium 318 mg

  • 14 July 2021: Easy Slow-Cooker Ratatouille

    It’s July and we’re in the middle of zucchini season! This recipe from The Kitchn possibly will give purists a moment of pause, but for me, I was a great way to take advantage of summer vegetable overloads while the kitchen was not overheating from roastings or stove-top cooking.

    Easy Slow-Cooker Ratatouille

    By Christine Gallary, The Kitchn

    Ingredients

    • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
    • 2 medium yellow onions, diced
    • 1 pound eggplant
    • 1 pound zucchini or summer squash
    • 2 large red, green, or yellow bell peppers (about 1 pound)
    • 1 pound tomatoes
    • 4 cloves  garlic 
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more for seasoning
    • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

    Method

    1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed, until completely softened and light golden-brown, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the vegetables.
    2. Trim the eggplant and zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes, and place in the insert of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Trim, core, and cut the bell peppers into 1-inch dice and add to the slow cooker. Core the tomatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch dice, and add to the slow cooker. Finely chop the garlic and add to the slow cooker.
    3. When the onions are ready, add the tomato paste to the pan and stir to coat the onions. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to coat all the vegetables.
    4. Cover the slow cooker and cook until the vegetables are extremely tender, 4 hours on high or 5 to 6 hours on low. If you’d like to cook off some of the excess liquid in the slow cooker, cook uncovered for the last 30 minutes.
    5. Stir in the basil and taste for seasoning, adding more salt as needed. Drizzle with more olive oil before serving if desired.

    For Noomers: This recipe serves 8-10. Calories 98, Fat 5.9 g, Carbs 11.4 g, Fiber 3.3 g, Sugar 5.1 g, Protein 2.2 g, Sodium 31.3 mg

  • 11 July 2021: Lemon-Almond Biscotti

    For a family cookout, I was asked to bring dessert, which if I’m being honest, is my favorite food course. Not wanting to have to bring plates, bowls or utensils, I decided a plateful of cookies sounded just about right. And along with a chocolate-based cookie and a nut-based one, I felt like a more citrusy-based cookie might make a good contrast.

    Biscotti are one of the most enjoyable bakes I do. They honor my Italian heritage and once a base cookie has been mastered, the flavor combinations are endless. This is a terrific recipe from King Arthur Baking, even though purists would scoff that does not involve flipping the cookies from one side to the other mid-way through a second bake. I have always used the technique of putting the cookies upright on a second bake; for me the biscotti turn out with a consistently and evenly baked crispiness.

    For this bake, I left out the almonds to accommodate some with allergies or sensitivities.

    Lemon-Almond Biscotti from King Arthur Baking

    Ingredients

    For the Biscotti

    • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
    • 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • grated rind of 1 medium lemon (about 1 tablespoon)-I used about twice that
    • 3/4 to 1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract, to taste (From KA: *3/4 teaspoon will give you the merest hint of almond; if you’re fond of that flavor, use the greater amount of extract)
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2 cups (241g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

    For the Glaze

    • 1/2 cup (57g) confectioners’ or glazing sugar
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice powder (The powder is a KA product, but I prefer using lemon juice)
    • 2 to 3 teaspoons milk (If using lemon juice, additional milk may not be needed)

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) one large (about 18″ x 13″) baking sheet.
    2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, lemon rind, almond extract, and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in the lemon juice and eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled.
    3. At low speed of your mixer, add the flour, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky.
    4. Scrape the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Shape it into a log that’s about 13″ long x 3″ wide x 3/4″ thick. Straighten the log, and smooth its top and sides; a wet spatula or wet bowl scraper works well here.
    5. Bake the dough for 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool on the pan anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 325°F.
    6. (This is a step I don’t use) Using a spray bottle filled with room-temperature water, lightly but thoroughly spritz the log, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top. Softening the crust just this little bit will make slicing the biscotti much easier. (If you do spritz, you may want to follow the KA suggestion of waiting another 5 minutes before slicing)
    7. Use a serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into 1/2″ slices.
    8. Set the biscotti on edge on the prepared baking sheet. Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 30 to 35 minutes, until they feel very dry and are beginning to turn golden around the edges. Remove the biscotti from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool.
    9. To make glazed biscotti: Combine the confectioners’ or glazing sugar with the lemon juice powder and milk; drizzle over cooled biscotti.
    10. Store completely cool biscotti at room temperature, well wrapped, for a couple of weeks. Freeze for longer storage.